Erelia was never fond of the dark.  In fact, her mother had often 
ordered a fresh candle to be placed and lit on her nightstand each evening.  
It’s not that she was particularly afraid of the dark.  It just never seemed 
quite right.
	But then, tonight, nothing seemed quite right.
	Of course, why should it?  She was nowhere near where she should have 
been, and even farther from where she hoped to be.  Then again, she didn’t 
really even know where she was going.
	Erelia pulled back on her horse’s reigns.  As his last foot clicked 
against the stone street, it left the surrounding walls echoing eerily.  She 
shuddered.
	Was she doing the right thing?  No, there was no question.  She had to 
flee the city, it was the only way.  Still, the life that lay ahead of her, 
upon the path she now chose to take, was nothing like the life she left behind.
	Erelia glanced back towards the Government’s Manor one last time, then 
set her gaze towards the sea.  There was no turning back now.
	She set her heals against the horse’s flank and he began trotting down 
the streets of Darben.
	As the last echoes of the horse’s hoofs faded away, a cat darted 
between the shadows.

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