An eerie dread filled the air as dark clouds covered the skies over Aevintyr. A harsh, crisp wind blew across the land; followed by a torrential downpour. A low rumble echoed far and wide as lightning streaked through the heavens, illuminating the dark. It was a gruesome sight.
"Wahhh! Wahhh!" The cries of a newborn infant cut through the stormy night, trailing near and far. Their fierce wailing was drowned out by the sound of wet hooves sloshing against the ground as a horse speed across the land at breakneck speed.
"Ngh," the horse's rider, a young women, grunted as she struggled to stay atop her steed; a single lantern illuminating her path.
Her vision was obscured by the dark of night, while the heavy downpour sullied her satin-white gown. Her muscles seized as both wind and rain sapped the heat from her body, chilling her to the bone. Yet, she remained undeterred.
"Guh...not yet..." The young women grimaced, her face twisting in pain as she struggled to stay mounted. Her expression turned pale as she placed a hand over her left side, attempting to cover the hole in her stomach.
She was wounded. And it was a fatal wound at that. Her face grew paler with each passing second. She could feel her life fading as blood spewed from her injury, staining her dress a deep-crimson. However, that was the least of her worries.
Damn it... Why now if all times... The women cursed internally as she glanced over her shoulder. Though the rain and wind hindered her sight, she could see the faint glow of lanterns in the distance, their light shining brightly amidst the dark of night. And though they were a ways off, she was certain she could hear the voices accompanying them.
"Hurry! Capture them!"
"Don't let them escape!"
A series of angry screams trailed through the night without cease. Her face wrought with concern, she turned back around, giving her horse a gentle pat.
As if understanding it's rider's wishes, the horse quickened it's pace. The enraged cries faded in the distance, while the flickers of light dyed out as the horse carries its rider across the land. As the vanished from view, the girl looked down at the baby boy cradles in her arm.
I must...protect this child... No matter what... Color returned to her skin as she stared at the infant wrapped in a silk blanket. There was a fierce fire burning in her pupils as she rode off into the night. She knew she had to protect this child, even at the cost of her life. And at the cost of her life, it would be.