#scroll 2

Lyra gripped the tree branch, pulling herself up, and slowly lowering herself down. Her brothers were standing off to the side, talking with her father. She had been doing stuff like this forever, trying to gain muscle mass, to gain strength, but there was nothing.  

She dropped down, leaning against the tree, her eyes filling with tears. She watched her father, and her brothers. Almon glanced at her, and she saw him bow his head to their father.  

He came over, standing beside her. "Well?"  

Lyra looked at him, her lip quivering, "I've trained, and trained, and I can't do it."  

"Can't do what?"

"You guys are so strong, and I'm not. I've been trying, and I just can't get stronger."  

Almon looked at her, blinking. "You know you are a girl right?"

"Well yeah!" she shouted, "But I don't want to be weak!"  

Almon's eyes traveled to the great sword on her back, he looked back at her, and shrugged. "Well, then, maybe work on different strengths."

"I can't be a warrior like you guys if I can't be stronger."  

"You tote around a sword bigger than you..." Almon crossed his arms.  

"That doesn't matter. I need to be strong.. You just aren't getting it."  

"I'm not sure you know how strength is measured..."  

"Yes I do! People always look at you guys and say how strong you are. It's because of your muscles. I don't have any."  

"Ly... I, um."

"Forget it." she sighed, sinking down to sit on the ground. She started playing with the leaves.  

Almon stood there for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but he just headed back to his father and Tarron.  

She watched them talking, and laid down in the grass. If she was stronger, she bet that she would be setting and talking with them. She was just too weak to help plan.  

Lyra sat up when she heard something. Her eyes scanned the area, and she saw a light disappearing into the woods. She hopped to her feet, running after it. She was sure that whatever that light was, was a sign. She had to follow it, had to see where it would lead.  

Her journey through the woods was getting more difficult. She didn't have armor on, and in fact only had a skirt she had cut from ankle length to mid-thigh length, and a tight fitting top with straps that tied around the back of neck.  

Even with her knee length boots, the higher bushes, and thorns dug into the flesh of her arms, or thighs. Her eyes narrowed with the pain, her jaw tightening. It didn't hurt badly, but there were so many thorns scoring her flesh, it made it seem worse than it was. She picked up her pace, afraid of losing the ball of light that danced in the woods. She was almost running at that point, rushing past the thorns that drew blood for her passage.  

The ball of light stopped in a small clearing, hovering over the ground. She looked around, walking slowly into the clearing. It was odd, the thing just hovering there. She didn't understand it, but she wasn't about to let that stop her. It might be a fairy, or something of the like. She should have put her armor on, just in case something would happen. Still, she just shook her head, walking forward.  

She reached up, touching the ball, and it blew up in a spark of light. Her eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face. Lyra loved that, she couldn't focus as well as others to do magic, and her family ran around too much for her to do it. Besides, her dream had nothing to do with magic, it was to become as strong as her brothers, and more so, her father.  

The sound of rustling made Lyra look over, blinking. That was when several men came forward. She thought nothing of it. If she was in the woods, why couldn't they be?

"Hey, did you guys see that light too? I touched it and it blew up. I wonder what it is.. er was. I was hoping it was a fairy, but I don't think so..." she hesitated, seeing the men looking back and forth to one another, looking her up and down.  She stood there for a second longer before starting to back up the way she had come.  

"Well, no fairy, so I think I'll leave now. I don't want to disrupt your meeting." she had just turned when a slim human stepped out in front of her. His eyes were a deep grey, almost black. His cloak was wrapped around him, and covered the majority of his long black hair.  

"Oops, sorry, I  was just leaving."  

"I don't think there is any need for that." the human smiled.  

"Oh, well, thank you for the invitation to stay, but my brothers, and father will probably have noticed I'm gone. They'll be getting worried..."

"I'm sure a while longer won't matter to them."  

"Somehow, I think you're wrong." she laughed, though the sound was forced, nervous.

The human took a step closer, eyes locking on hers. "Stay awhile. I think we would like to get to know you a little better."  

"Oh, well, I'm Lyra Dragonsoul. I am traveling with my father and brothers, who really would have noticed my absence by now, and if I don't get back, I'm going to be in so much trouble."  

"Well, Lyra, I don't think you understand your situation. You aren't going back. That 'fairy' was a light of my own making. I honestly wasn't expecting it to bring in a woman, but at least they blessed us with a beauty like yourself."  

"Back off." Lyra said, all hints of the childish, well-mannered girl gone. "I mean it! I don't want to hurt you, but I will!"  

"You, hurt us?"  

Lyra pulled the great-sword from its sheath, the only thing she did carry with her into the woods. It immediately fell to her resting position, her hands at her hips, the tip a few inches from the ground.  

The human laughed. "You look as though you can barely hold that thing, let alone swing it."

Lyra narrowed her blue eyes, "I do too!" she shouted, puffing out her chest.  

She didn't hesitate after the slight, after knowing they had lured her there for whatever reason she knew would not be good. Even if she got away, some other girl wouldn't stand a chance.  

"DAD!" She screamed as loud as she could before taking the swing. The shout must have surprised the man, because he dodged late, taking a slash across the chest. The others were on her in seconds, she was trying to defend herself, trying to block.  

A hard knock to the back made her sword fall from her hands, landing with a thud on the ground. Hands were grabbing her arms. She pulled, hopped up and slammed her feet into the belly of her attacker. They weren't well armored, and he dropped her with a grunt. She grabbed the sword again, bringing it up as a great ax split the man in front of her.  

"Almon!"  

"Don't lose concentration, Lyra!" he chided, turning back to the fight. Zadicus and Tarron were there as well, slicing their way through the small band. Lyra's eyes sparked, she fought with renewed vigor, the fear of being alone all but gone. In the moments it took to fight, she didn't think of the consequences yet to come for her actions.  

With the bodies surrounding them, the dead laying on the bloodied grass, Zadicus glared at her. He shouldered his weapon, walking over, his eyes narrowed to slits.  

"What were you thinking?!" he demanded.  

"I was following a light. I thought it was a fairy, or something. That it was going to be a good thing."

"You left, went off on your own. You've been told how dangerous that is!"

"You let Almar and Tarron go on their own! You let them do whatever they want, but when it comes to me, I can't?"

"That's not the point. The point is they can take care of themselves. When you try to, you only get yourself hurt! You couldn't handle those men on your own. That's why I don't want you to be on your own. That's why I don't let you go on your own. You can't handle it."

"But I can. I could have handled it, I could have gotten out of that. I just needed a bit more time, to think a little bit more."  

"Then why did you call for me?" he said, crossing his arms.  

Lyra looked away. Tears stung her eyes. If she had just tried to do it on her own. If she had just left well enough alone, maybe, just maybe she could have proven herself. Her anger and disappointment in herself, and fear of disappointing him over boiled.  

"Fine! Next time I'll do it on my own. I'll show you! I can do it, I know I can." she said, wiping the tears away, and looked all three men in the eyes before heading back to the horses.