Aquila, France was a beautiful countryside town, filled with lush, green rolling hills as far as the eye could see and on the boarder of the town was a vast forest. The forest was forbidden to any from the village as the people of the forest had had many encounters with the people of Aquila that had never ended well.

Lia had heard several stories about the forest, but the stories that interested her were mostly about the times of dark magic. This magic was especially used by the Druids for if someone protested against their religion they would be exiled and turned into creatures, never to have the curse broken. Then there were the extremely rare cases when the Druids used the magic for personal use to either get something or someone they wanted or to exile people. The only reason that would happen was because some of the creatures were so beautiful that, if the Druid that wanted the creature couldn't have him or her, no one could.

Lia wanted to find out more about the age old war between the people of the forest, the city and the Druids but there was nothing in the city's records so eventually she had to give up. Hopefully one day she would be able to meet some of those poor souls in the forest. From what her mother had told her, she deemed the people to be gentle and kind, not mean and horrid.

She learned about them when she was young and continued to hear the stories from her family from time to time, at least until her mother fell ill that fall. The brutal winter did nothing to help her condition and she died in mid-winter right after the festival of the lights. Her father was captured by the Druids, leaving Lia to fend for herself. Her father never returned.

Late spring came round and Lia was summoned to the Druid's headquarters for reasons unknown. She quickly prepared a carriage with her horse; Raiden, a large chocolate colored Clydesdale with white hooves. Lia felt she had a special connection with that horse and almost considered him human.

She left her small hut and took the long winding path to the Druid's headquarters, not stopping until she reached her destination.

She finally arrived at the Druid's headquarters in the late afternoon when the sun was hot. She surveyed her surroundings and her gaze shifted towards the grey structure in front of her, it was a large stone made Manor high up on a hill overlooking a beautiful field where the Druids planted seasonal crops and sold them for profit as well as had enough for themselves.

Before she walked up to the manor however she heard a screeching noise in the air, in the direction of the forest. She tilted her head up towards the sky and noticed a beautiful bird soaring through the air carelessly. Listening closely, however, Lia could tell that the bird was not happy and free. Just listening to the bird's screeching it almost sounded as if it was in agony and full of sorrow. She spent her walk up to the small castle in deep thought about the poor bird wishing she could help it.

Lia reached the large wooden oak door and knocked loudly. A moment or two passed before the large door swung open wide to a man in long blackish brown robes with a golden rope around his stout waist. The man looked no older than her father, who was entering his 40th year of life which considering their lifestyle was quite a long time. He had cold dark eyes and there was a type of emotion in them that was hard to identify but he looked melancholy… almost as if he had lost something and knew it would either never be his or be found.

He ushered her inside the lodge into a small room. It was made of a light colored wood and there was a set of cloth covered chairs, which he gestured for her to sit in. She observed the room and took in its overall appearance. It was beautiful especially now as the sun shone in through the window bathing the entire room in a yellowish gold light.

"My name is Alistair and I called you here today for several reasons. First, I got wind that you were digging in our records. May I inquire as to what you thought you were looking for?"

Lia stayed silent as she was not easily broken or persuaded and quite stubborn.

"Very well then," he replied when she didn't answer slightly turning his back to her toward the window the sunlight fading slightly.

"The second reason I called you here today is because I have a task for you to perform and I am not giving you any say in the matter." He paused and turned abruptly to face her again his coal black eyes fixed pointedly on hers.

She didn't respond but her demeanor visibly changed from calm, collected and relaxed, to annoyed at being forced to goon a mission, and being told how to do it. She could take care of herself for heaven's sake!

Ignoring her bitch face he continued, "As you probably already know, there are many outcasts and creatures in the Ardennes Forest. However, there is one creature in particular that I am looking for. He's a hawk and he travels with his companion Blaine. I need you to find both of them and somehow convince them to come here."

Lia thoughtabout the agonized bird she had seen on her way up to the manor and wondered if that was the bird he sought. She quickly responded, "I will do what you ask, however, I must know why does it have to be me?"

"It has to be you. If you don't do this I have every right to exile you as I did with your father. Sneaking around and looking at our records without permission is not tolerated lightly so, you will either do this task and do it well or suffer the consequences.

Lia didn't flinch at all to the threat and said, "I'm not afraid of you so don't think that threat scared me in anyway. However, I will go. Now tell me what this bird's name is and I will get started right away."

Alistair's face remained stony and cold but as he replied there was a look of pure and utter obsession and madness in his eyes, "The hawk's name is Kurt. That should be everything you need, I don't need to tell you everything as that would make it too easy."

Lia rose from her chair and walked out. Before she did, however, Alistair slid a piece of paper to her across the large wooden table. The paper was what she needed to be able to cross the border; keeping the humans out of the forest and the creatures in their own world, away from Aquila and the left deep in thought. She didn't know what Alistair wanted with the bird but she knew that it couldn't be for good. She knew somehow that what he wanted with Blaine could be far, far worse.

She had finally reached Raiden and mounted him. Before taking off to go back to her house she gazed up into the air again, hoping that someday the bird would be happy again. She made a promise to herself that she would help those creatures at whatever cost.

She drove Raiden back to her house, quickly grabbed everything she owned from bread and cheese to her sword for protection. Hastily she got on the road again and rode to the edge of the forest.

As she suspected, the guards would not let her pass through the gates unless she had an order signed by one of the Druids. She hastily produced the parchment and handed it to the guard who placed it in his belt and opened the gate separating the worlds.

Lia silently rode through the gate and not once did she glance back. She rode on and prepared herself for the long journey ahead.