~~**~~

A mysterious female, sixteen years of age with raven colored hair that draped down her light brown skin. Full red rosy lips which curved slightly downwards, green eyes and an hourglass body. Her name was Ana. Ana stood on a hill overlooking the city of Andarios, as the wind swept her hair playfully, causing it to dance across her face.

She wondered what it would be like to journey the world, and experience new things just like her father did. She knew that every weekend, he'd be called in to do an expedition with a group of men, and would always come back home with treats, songs and bedtime stories.

She especially loved the bedtime stories. A vivid picture of him formed slowly within her mind. No more than ten seconds and there he was. His leather brown jacket sat squarely on his shoulders, with a white long sleeved shirt tucked inside, pair of shiny black pants, heavy boots and a backpack which hung over his right shoulder, ready for another day of adventure.

But sadly one day, he didn't come back home. She heard that her father died due to an ambush which occurred in the city he was in. At least that's what she heard from her mother. Apart from that, she didn't know much about his job.

Ever since that day, she felt like a part of her was missing. And the only way she could get it back, was to do what her father did. That way, she'd feel him, sense his presence, knowing he'd be with her.

"Ana?" Her mother Claris called out to her; a woman well in her mid-thirties who looked really tired. She shared the same features as Ana, except for her eyes which were blue and her hair dark chocolate in color. Her stained overall, hugged her body as the wind blew, "I've been calling you for the past five minutes, hurry come along."

Ana smiled to her mother apologetically and rushed alongside her, "Mum, I-I've been thinking for a while now. I'm almost eighteen and, well-"

"Ana we've talked about this before," her mother interrupted knowing exactly what she was already asking. "This world is dangerous and you are not ready to venture into it. There are many things you do not understand and things you have yet to learn."

She lectured her again for what felt like the hundredth time. Ana gave her mother an irritated look, rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration.

'I can't believe she's gonna pull that same thing on me!' She screamed in her mind, 'again!' As she opened her mouth to argue, a calloused, rough edged hand raised to silence her.

"Ana... I'm tired. I'm stressed, I'm growing old and right now, I don't have the energy to discuss this anymore," she quickened her pace as she descended the steps, leading to their cottage. "Now hurry along! Simion is waiting for us and dinner is getting cold!"

~~~DINNER~~~

During dinner, Ana was disturbingly quiet, as her thoughts circulated on one thing. The conversation she had with her mother earlier. It had been the same one they had for three years now. She'd bring up the idea of her leaving and before they could reach the climax, her mother would shut her up.

How would she feel, if she wanted to pour her very soul into something her heart desired, only to have it tipped over by your parents. She imagined it similar to a hot iron, branding her heart. Well... that didn't matter now anyways. She'd already sneaked off in town and went to the harbors.

~~Flashback~~

*The bustling of men, shouting as they loaded their boats for trade.*

Ana hid behind five barrels, as she peeped through the spaces provided. A merchant and a captain stopped a couple feet from her, talking about sailing to Andastria, their sister country.

"You know that sailing there to sell 'those' to the Night owl will get you killed," the man whispered in a harsh tone as his eyes scanned the area. "You will be responsible for your countries downfall, when Orian floods the seas with his fleets to blow us up into smithereens. Is the life of your country worth any less value than the lives of his? You can't sell to a foreigner, Philip. You can't."

"He pays good money and it'd feel like payback for what he did to my family..."

"No Philip, you can't fight fire with fire-"

"I can Maurice. Watch me," he turned and walked towards the boat with his hands in his pockets, "my ship sails at midnight."

~~**~~

Ana had her mind all made up. As soon as she got home, she packed her duffel bag and buried it deep in the woods. Her plan was to sneak on board the ship to sail far away from this prison land.

She knew it was dangerous, boarding a merchant's ship who was committing treason to his country, but her love for adventure... it blinded her. She'd do anything to see the world, even leave home if she had to. By the time her mother would figure it out, she'd be long gone.

"I asked a girl out today..." Simion said, as he snapped her from her thoughts, causing Claris to look in his direction and smile.

Ana choked on her water and quickly set it down on the table, "Yeah, like that makes you a man," she muttered under her breath.

Claris heard the comment but ignored it completely, though she did agree with Ana. Her son had the most girlfriends in his life than she could remember.' Old age,' she mused.

"That's wonderful Simmy dear, but-- what happened to Jasmine? I thought you liked her; remember how you almost broke down at home saying that she'd rejected you the first time you asked her out? But when you asked her the second time, she went out with you." Simion looked at his mother, as if trying to remember who she was talking about. "A-anyways what's the girl's name?"

Ana had a younger brother, Simion who is sixteen years old. He had the same light brown skin and raven colored hair like her, a butt chin and eyes that were so grey you'd think they were silver. Especially with the way it happened to sparkle, once exposed to sunlight.

Other than that he had his father's physique, big broad shoulders and a perfectly muscled body, including the full neat six pack.

This in Andarios is considered to be, one of the hottest features of a dateable and cool guy, which would make any girl drool. Women would look twice before realizing he was just a boy.

Even the elder ladies with dentures who lived across the street from school, drooled over him whiles he passed by on mornings, shirtless for a run.

Their lips would flap over each other making weird sounds, as they attempted to whistle. It was always a failed attempt, as their spit rocket launched everywhere. Ana couldn't understand what was so special about her brother.

Yeah he was handsome. Yeah he had mostly all the girls at school, gawking at him when he passed by. But the fact that he changed girlfriends like he changed his underwear was unbelievable and frustrating, especially when he couldn't remember their names, making it even worse.

She simply couldn't understand why they'd all fall for him though. They knew the drill. Feed his banana to a monkey and when he was done with her, he'd move on. I mean hey! If it means that they don't care at all how it makes them look in the eyes of others? That's their business, not hers.

"Her name's Lacy. She's gorgeous mom, you're going to love her. She has dirty blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, pink lips and curves in all the damn right places," he said with a sinful smirk on his face as he gazed out the window. "Oh yeah, a damn right banging body....."

This time it was Claris' turn to choke on her food, as she looked at her son with disgust, embarrassment and shock. Ana snickered at her reaction, but stopped when she was shot a glare, "Are you sure Simion? Cause that's what you said about the last," she did a mental count, "six girls this June."

Ana's face turned green feeling like she wanted to puke, as she nearly choked on her mashed potatoes. How could her brother be such a man whore, 'but oh well that's his choice,' she kept on reminding herself.

Simion looked at his mother and sister back and forth, 'What's wrong with them, choking on their food like that. Did I say something bad?' Then he remembered his last comment and then sulked in his chair, eyes wide as a child's with raised eyebrows and an 'O' shaped mouth. His mother chuckled at his expression before she grew serious.

"Alright young man," she said as she began cutting her potatoes in half with such precision.

Simion gulped. Whenever his mother did things with such precision, you'd know that it wasn't the time to be taking her lightly.

Her temper was nothing to mess with. He'd learnt that the hard way, when she beat him with all her wooden spoons. He'd disobeyed her, gotten her upset, but would he have done it again damn right. Eventually she had to get metal spoons because of him.

"If she's as banging as you say she is, why don't you study your school work as though it had a banging body? The assignments," she cautioned, "don't forget the assignments. Why don't you treat them like they had curves in all the damn right places, huh?" She eyed him accusingly.

"Mom---- you know how the work is soooo hard--"

"Look 'ere, me nah wah fi see no blasted F pon' dat report book Boy yuh hear..... Don't crank me, yuh best' not crank me. So you better shove it inner your pipe and smoke it."

Claris always used that type of language when she couldn't stand to listen to Simion's excuses, for not understanding school work. After all, his mother was from the Caribbean, so it's clear that it runs in her blood. She didn't know much, but what she knew was enough.

'Alright that's it,' Ana thought. She couldn't bear it anymore and suddenly burst out.

"Oh! I see. You can allow him to have a new girlfriend, one that he barely knows; including the fact that he has had neither one, nor two..... But six new girlfriends this month! But for my seventeenth birthday, I can't even go beyond Andarios yet you can allow him to change girlfriends as if they were his boxers! What kind of parent allows that?"

She scowled at her brother before facing her mother, "The furthest I've ever gone was school! Not to mention, I do way better than him in school. I don't understand how he's allowed more freedom than I have. School is enough prison, why make home prison again?"

Ana's eyes turned from sweet little lamb to raging bull in that short space of time. Her mother didn't

fail to do the same, as she tried to contain her anger.

When she couldn't handle it anymore, she dropped her silverware afraid she'd pelt it after Ana, as her nails dug into the mahogany table.

"Young lad-"

"You know how much I love adventure, just like dad did. Every time I talk about it, you just look at me like you want to rip out my throat," Ana continued provoking her mother. She knew she was already upset, as she inched her way closer to her. But she didn't give a damn in the world.

The same way her mother didn't give a damn when she spoke to her about her dreams. Ana did every single thing that Claris asked of her. She was the perfect daughter, she never complained, she always did her school work, helped with the chores. The whole damn package, but still it wasn't enough.

From the day her father died, she felt like her mother was punishing her for it. I mean, she lost her father. Her father for crying out loud! Don't you know what that does to a child at that age, when their father doesn't come back home especially since they have such a strong connection.

Of course his sudden death hurt everyone, but Ana seemed to suffer more for it. She felt alone, lost, vulnerable.

Yet she sucked in all her frustration, all her hurt because she knew that she wasn't in it alone. She knew that she shouldn't bombard them with her complaints. That's what you'd call considerate. She didn't know how Simion dealt with his, but her mother?

She'd lash out at Ana, because that was her daily reminder of her husband. She saw him in Ana and she couldn't bare it. She wasn't able to forgive him, not after what happened that day.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Anadron, I don't think you should go," Claris told him, as she stood in the middle of the room watching him pack. Her arms were folded and her face was filled with worry lines.

"Nothing's going to happen Clare," he turned to face her as he zipped his bag and slung it over his shoulder. She fidgeted as he walked up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders, "I promise."

"But-"

He held her chin gently as he searched for her eyes, "Look at me." She finally looked at him, tears rolled down her cheeks. He chuckled and wiped them off, "Don't worry Clare, I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise?" She looked just like a child begging her parent not to go to work.

"I promise," he smiled gently.

She nodded and hugged him placing her arms around his neck, whiles his snaked around her waist. They broke apart and he kissed her before he left. That day Ana was in her room, and she heard everything. By the time she came out to hug him goodbye, it was too late.

She opened the front door and looked for him, she called out to him. He didn't answer. He was already gone.

"Come on Ana, get back inside," Claris told her, as Simion came to stand by her side.

"No."

"Ana, get back inside-"

"No!"

"Ana please... don't make this any harder than it already is. He's gone."

Ana walked back to the house sad, "Are you sure he'll come back home mama?" Her big green eyes stared up at her, with a twinkle in them desperate to hear the word 'yes.'

"He will, sweetheart," Claris tried to smile as she looked at Ana, then to the door, "he will..."

~~**~~

"You never took the time to know me.... your own daughter! You'd always shut me out, like I was some sort of disgrace to you and I know why," Claris's eyes widened at the accusation, "it's because I remind you of him don't I? Don't I mother! You can't bear to see my face! Much less stay in the same room with me, mother."

Ana's eyes were trained on her mother, but she didn't receive the same attention.

'How dare she? I'm talking to her, and she won't even... even'

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, mother! Does the truth sting so much that you can't bear to look me in the eye?" Ana asked and walked towards her mother fumingly. She grabbed her mother by the shoulders and demanded, "Look at me-"

Claris slapped Ana across her face, leaving the mark of her finger prints. Ana's hand flew to her cheek, and a look of disturbance washed over her face.

"Ana, I already said NO! Are you deaf? You are of no age to venture into this world on your own as

yet, it's too dangerous. Don't you remember how your father died? He died because there was an ambush in the city he stayed in, because of that stupid expedition. Adventure killed him!

His love for it killed him, Ana, and I'm not going to risk the same fate happening to you too," Claris didn't like where the conversation was headed, but neither could she allow Ana to speak to her that way.

She tried to contain her anger, but she couldn't. Her anger container was filled to the brim and, there was no way of stopping it. As much as she knew that her getting angry wasn't a good thing, she wasn't able to control it, which caused her to slap Ana.

Ana felt a sudden fear of her mother like never before. Yeah she was afraid of her mom, but this time? No, this time was totally different, everything about her was so dead... so cold, as if there was something inhumane about the way she looked at her. Ana took a few steps back while her mother took the same amount forward.

"You, young lady know nothing. Rather I should say little girl, 'cause right now all you do is whine on and on about-"

"Would you two just shut the fuck up, I can't take anymore!" Simion cut in obviously annoyed at all the yelling.

"Simion, language, don't forget who you are speaking to."

He looked at his mother realizing how cold she'd gotten, a twinge of fear leaked through his eyes as he was unable to find his loving mother, through the storm in her eyes. "Believe me mother, I know who I am speaking to. Do you want to know what else I know? I know that you both miss dad, a lot, but you're not the only ones who miss him. I miss him too!"

Claris's eyes softened and she opened her mouth to speak to him, "Simi-"

"Screw you. Matter of fact screw- this whole family. I'm sick and tired of this. I don't wanna hear any of your sad stories. Any of you," he looked at the both of them and then headed towards the door. He opened it and stormed outside ignoring the weird fact that it was snowing, as he let the night engulf him.

Ana and Claris stood in complete silence, unable to process what had just happened, especially Claris. Ana felt a sudden pang of guilt for being the one to stir up the argument and ran after him, leaving her mother alone and lost for words as to how she almost lost control.

If she did, they would not be standing here right now. She wasn't proud of letting herself almost slip. And though Simion was hurting, she was glad his hurt caused him to lash out and save them in time. If he hadn't, then...