Garath pulls the sheet over his head and turns over onto his side, mumbling softly to himself. His short brown hair sticks up in all directions, but normally is brushed neatly with a part on his left side. His green eyes squint as he tries to wake up, his vision being hindered by the bright sunlight shining in through his window. A light stubble has grown upon his chin as a result of laziness, since he hates shaving regularly. Minutes later his mother calls for him once again, and this time Garath sits up, stretching his arms. Finally he gets up out of his bed and throws a shirt over his head before heading into the kitchen where his mother is cooking some breakfast.

Garath notices that his mother has been up for some time now, since she is already dressed in her usual light blue dress. Her brown hair flows down her back, pausing inches above her waist. Her skin is light in complexion, whereas Garath's skin is darker giving him a tanned look even during the winter months. She pauses when she hears Garath enter the room, turning around to focus those bright blue eyes upon her son. She shakes her head in dismay and waves a wooden spoon at Garath as she criticizes his appearance.

"Garath, dear, how can you possibly expect to get married when you look like that? Your hair is a disaster, and you still haven't shaved! Your wedding is in two hours, Garath. Now go wash up while I finish cooking your breakfast! You need to look your best when you marry Riana today! No arguments! Just go, Garath!"

Not wanting to argue this early in the morning, Garath turns around and heads back into his room to gather up his clothes. He rummages through the mounds of cluttered clothing and finally finds his favorite outfit: a dark green tunic. He folds it hurriedly before leaving the house and walks south, heading toward the small pond outside of town. Nobody in the town is outside, because everyone is busy preparing for the big wedding. The town isn't very large, with no more than a hundred residents. Small grass huts line both sides of the path as Garath heads into the small forest where the pond is at. The path twists and turns several times along the way through the thick woods, and several tame creatures wander out of their homes to watch this passing traveler.

One particularly curious rabbit hops across the path and stop in front of Garath, looking up at him with big brown eyes. Garath smiles to himself as he bends down to pet the bunny. Not wanting to make his mother mad at him, Garath continues to walk along the path until he reaches the small clearing in the woods where the pond is. Much to his surprise, somebody else is already in the pond, bathing.

"Oh, don't be so shy, Garath. In just a few hours we'll be married, and then it will be considered proper for you to bathe with me."

Garath winces when he sees his future bride, Riana. She is the last person he wants to see, much less marry. Their families arranged this marriage many years ago, not long after Garath and Riana were born. The two of them used to be best friends and were seldom seen apart. Over time things changed and Riana became infatuated with her future husband, while Garath's heart was stolen by a young girl named Luna. Ever since that day, Garath has tried everything he could think of to escape his fate, but nothing has worked. He knows he must marry Riana, whether he likes it or not.

She playfully splashes some water up at Garath before submerging herself completely. She resurfaces moments later, creating an even bigger splash that drenches Garath. Her long red hair reaches down to her shoulders, contrasting her pale skin. Her brown eyes gaze adoringly at Garath as she stands in the pond, the water reaching up just above her exposed breasts. She giggles when she sees Garath's face turn red as his eyes take in these details. She smiles at Garath, beckoning for him to join her in the pond. Unable to think of a good reason to decline, Garath simply shakes his head and hopes that she will not press the issue any more. She begins to pout, her bottom lip trembling slightly as tears start to form. She crosses her arms in front of her chest and turns her back on Garath as tears glide down her cheeks.

Feeling no sympathy for the girl he does not love, Garath simply sits down upon a nearby stump and watches a small squirrel hop from tree to tree. Riana glances back over her shoulder and sees Garath just sitting on a stump and pouts even more. Suddenly a mischievous grin crosses onto her face and she calls out to Garath.

"Garath, my love, would you be a dear and come wash my back for me? I can't quite reach it myself."

She waits a few seconds and glances back over her shoulder again, but Garath still hasn't moved from the stump. She flails her arms violently, splashing water everywhere as she falls into a temper tantrum. Garath simply smiles to himself as he watches her frustration. Several minutes pass by with Riana throwing a fit, but eventually she regains her composure and begins to walk toward the shore where Garath is. She dries herself off and grabs her clothes, walking toward the stump where Garath is sitting. She stops in front of him and places her hands on her hips, tapping her foot on the ground as she scolds Garath. Garath glances over at her, but quickly averts his eyes when he notices she is still naked. She smiles when she sees this and bends over to give Garath a quick kiss on the cheek before getting dressed.

"Now Garath, we are getting married in less than two hours. I expect you to be nice and clean for me. Do you need me to wash your back before I go?"

Garath's face turns red once more as he quickly shakes his head. Riana lets out a small sigh of disappointment before heading back toward the village. Glad to finally be alone, Garath slips off his shirt and shorts before wading into the pond, submerging himself several times in the refreshing water. Just as he begins to get relaxed Riana comes running back to the pond, panting heavily with tears running down her face. She splashes into the pond, heading to where Garath is standing. She wraps her arms around his neck, crying onto his shoulder as she fights to regain her breath. Finally, several minutes later, she releases Garath and looks into his eyes, tears still streaming down her face.

"Garath, its horrible! The village! It...it caught on fire! FIRE, Garath! There were big men there, killing people. I...I saw them...having their way with my sister. Oh, Garath, what can we do?"

Shocked by this news, Garath blinks several times as he tries to think of what to say. Instinctively, he reaches out and pulls Riana into his arms, comforting her as she sobs uncontrollably. A cold wind blows out of the north, sending a chill down Garath's bare back as he holds his bride-to-be. Several minutes later she stops crying and lets out a gasp, her eyes getting wide as she releases Garath from the embrace. Her mouth remains agape as she wades backward a few paces, staring blankly. Then, without warning, she runs to shore and grabs Garath's clothes.

"Garath! Hurry! We have to go help them! Our families! Our friends! They could be killed!"

Not wanting to argue with her about this, Garath trudges out of the pond and dries himself quickly, throwing his clothes over his semi-damp body. The two of them race through the forest, darting from side to side as they follow the twisting path. Garath pauses in mid-stride as he comes across the edge of the forest. In front of him are thousands of armed men, wielding scimitars and long bows. Half the men are atop horses, while the other half are raiding and plundering the small village. Thick streams of smoke trickle into the sky, coating the air with a cloud of darkness. Cries of countless women echo into the air, mixed with harsh grunts from the soldiers. Not a single male inhabitant is left alive within the village, only the women, and some of them are dead as well. Corpses lay scattered throughout the village, a few of them soldiers from the invading army. The scent of death hovers in the air.

Riana tries to run into the town, but Garath extends his arm out to catch her, holding her back within the cover of the trees. Tears stream down their cheeks as they watch their hometown burning to the ground, but there is nothing either of them can do to save the ones that are alive. Garath realizes this, and he attempts to make Riana understand that.

"Riana, don't go. There is nothing we can do for them. There are thousands of armed men out there. We are two simple villagers, and we have nothing to defend ourselves with. Do you want to become like those other girls and be passed from soldier to soldier?"

Riana stops struggling and wipes away a tear from her cheek before looking into Garath's eyes. Her lower lip trembles as she fights back the sobs, and it finally becomes too much for her to suppress. She weeps onto his shoulder once again, and Garath holds her tight as he affectionately smoothes her wet hair. She looks up at him with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, whispering softly in his ear.

"Garath, dear, do you love me?"

Garath's hand stops moving and he just holds her in his arms, his mind scrambling to find the words to say to comfort Riana.

"I'm sorry, Riana. I..."

"Then I am better off joining the other girls. At least I could die and not have to suffer much longer without your love. Let go of me, Garath."

"No, Riana, you can't. I won't let you."

"My family is dead, Garath. Our village is gone. Our friends are either dead or are being raped right in front of us. And, worst of all, you still don't love me. I have nothing left to live for. Let go of me."

"No, Riana. I will not let those men do that to you. I will not let you throw your life away for nothing."

"My life means nothing. I have nothing left. Kill me now, Garath, or else let go of me so those men can do that for you."

"Riana, listen to me! I suffer from this just like you do, but dying will help no one. If we go out there today, we are dead and we achieve nothing. If we leave now, we live and perhaps someday we can avenge our families and friends. You are all I have left, Riana. We have to stick together through this."

"Why should I? Why should I go with you? You don't care about me. You don't even love me!"

"You are wrong, Riana. I do care about you, and I love you like a sister. Every memory I have of my childhood has you in it, Riana. You mean everything to me."

"Then why can't you love me? If you care so much, why didn't you want to marry me? Why!?"

"Because I care for you too much to risk that friendship. We share a special bond, Riana, but it isn't one of love. I didn't want to lose that by marrying you."

Riana doesn't answer, but instead embraces Garath and kisses him deeply. Once again she begins to cry, but this time the tears are joyful and she smiles at Garath, her brown eyes gazing adoringly at him. She slips her hand into his and the two of them turn into the forest, walking hand in hand. They get no more than a few steps into the forest when a loud shout rings through the air.

"Sir! In the forest! I think I saw some movement! That may be the one we were sent for! You three, follow me!"

Fear races through Garath's mind as he tries to find a place for them to hide. He spots some thick bushes off to the left, and he pulls Riana toward those. They duck down behind the bushes just in time, because moments later four men ride by on horseback, galloping down the path. Garath and Riana remain hidden for several minutes, just in case anyone else decides to follow, but nobody else comes. Finally, believing the danger has passed, Garath helps Riana up and the two cut off to the east, following an unused hunting trail. Low-hanging branches jut out into the path, forcing Garath and Riana to move forward in a crouching position. After a while the trail becomes overrun with stray roots and Riana trips several times as the two of them make their way through the obscure path, both of them wishing on several occasions that the trail had been used more often. Up ahead Garath spots the end of the forest, and the two hasten to reach the end of the woods. As they get closer to the edge, the sound of snapping branches can be heard. Garath looks over his shoulder to see the four horsemen following them, hacking away at branches with their swords.

Garath and Riana hurry onward, trying to escape the pursuing soldiers. They scramble out of the forest moments before the soldiers catch them and Riana lets out a gasp of surprise. Surrounding them is a dozen armed men, dressed in ragged clothing. One of them, a tall, burly man dressed in patched brown robes, motions to two of the men and they grab Garath and Riana. The four soldiers emerge from the forest, swords in hand and see the group of men surrounding them. Confusion creeps onto their faces, but when they see Garath and Riana, one of them yells to the other men.

"There they are, boys! Don't let those two get away from us! Kill these Retainer scum!"

The four men charge forward, driving into the awaiting force of defenders. Blades clash as the two opposing forces meet. The tall, burly man sneaks away from the battle and rushes over to where Garath and Riana are being detained. He speaks to the two men and they both nod in return before darting off to the north, disappearing over the hill. The burly man looks at both Garath and Riana, his gaze lingering on Riana's body. He grins at Garath and gives him a knowing wink before speaking.

"You two seem to be of some value to the Royal Imperial Army. Any enemies of the crown are friends to us. I'm Kintar, second-in-command of the force known as the Retainers. But we shall have time for a more proper introduction later. Right now we must get back to base before the entire army notices that we are here. My men should be bringing some horses over that hill any minute now."

Garath opens his mouth to speak, but Kintar motions for him to be quiet. To the north, a dozen horses come galloping over the hill, being led by the two men Kintar sent. Kintar mounts a horse and motions for Garath and Riana to do the same. Garath slides onto a horse and helps Riana up. She sits behind him, her arms encircled around his waist as they wait for the others to mount. A pair of Retainers run their swords through the final soldier as the rest of them begin to gallop to the east. Several miles pass without incident and the Retainers begin to cheer, all of them glad to have escaped without any further pursuit. They pass through a narrow valley that cuts to the south, but when they emerge they are greeted by a horde of soldiers on horseback, all of them wielding long bows. Kintar pulls his horse to an abrupt halt and the others fall in behind him. The two forces sit there, a hundred paces apart, motionless. Nobody makes a move to either attack or escape. One soldier, dressed in a bright red uniform, rides toward the Retainer force. In his right hand he holds a small white flag, showing he means no harm. The Retainers wait patiently while he draws near, and the man stops in front of Kintar before speaking to the group.

"Outlaws and brigands of the rebellious force known as the Retainers, you are all under arrest for committing treason toward the royal crown. If you should come quietly, no harm shall fall upon you. Should you try and escape, you will be killed where you stand. Do you accept these terms?"

Kintar's face grows red with increasing rage as he glares at the man. Riana lets out a frightened sob as she tightens her clutch on Garath. Kintar lightly kicks his heels into the sides of his horse and moves forward until he is face to face with the soldier. He lets out a sigh of resignation and his shoulders sag as he speaks to the man.

"I guess I have no choice," Kintar says to the guard. He pauses momentarily, his hand slowly inching down toward a small knife hidden within his robe. His hand grasps the handle as he cries out, "But then again, maybe I do." With that, he stabs the soldier and digs his heels into the horse, galloping off to the east. The other men follow, forming a protective circle around Garath and Riana. A rain of arrows follows after them, but all of them miss their mark. The soldiers wheel their horses around and begin to pursue the small band of Retainers, and the race for freedom is on.