[DragonBorn] [Caeels Journey] [Book one] [Chne part 1] "Ca-...,caee-...CAEEL! WAKE UP!." i stirred from my dream filled mind, my eyes fluttering open as i hear my mama's frantic calls. Her slender fingers were grasping my shoulders, shaking them up and down erratically sending my head jerking each and every way. Blinking up at her in confusion, i begin to open my mouth to ask what was going on, but the moment she sees my eyes open i'm pulled from my bed. "Hurry, my little one. We must go." she says urgency in her song like voice as her hands move in a flurry of motion, hurriedly cramming clothes and provisions into a pack, pushing a bundle of clothing into my chest she motions me to get dressed. I stared blankly at her my mind slow from lack of sleep i must have taken to long because soon she snatches them back saying,"nevermind, we are out of time let us go." as she packed them up as well. Swiping my bulky maroon wool cloak from my unmade bed she hastily securing it around my thin shoulders, making sure it was nice and snug. I don't understand why mama was so edgy, the tense lines around her mouth and the way her brow frowned on her usually smiling face worried me deeply but the way her eyes would flicker with dread whenever she didn't think I was looking terrified me. My mama was not a weak woman she was not one to be frightened easily but when she was I knew something was terribly wrong. I had just managed to tug on my boots before her hands were pulling on my wrists urging me to hurry along "come now, quickly my love we must leave." she implored, as she tried to keep the distress in her voice hidden, I still manage to detect the small tremors despite her efforts. Her grip dug into painfully into my flesh and I let out a little yelp of protest, but she appeared not to hear it as I was dragged along. I tried to keep up as I rubbed at my tired eyes. It was a shock to me that mama would let me be up at such a late hour or should I say early, to early even for the sun for it had not risen yet. She had always said rest was the important thing besides food and water. I still still wore my sleeping attire under my heavy cloak, my shoulder length dark raven colored hair was unkempt and uncombed as she tugged the hood of my cloak over my head. "Okay little one we will need to move fast I need you to try and keep up as best you can." Before I could answer mama threw open our flimsy wooden door, a cool breeze rolled into our house, rustled through my clothes as my eyes stung from the sudden streams of morning light. I peeked out from around mama at the world ahead. In the distance the sun was just peeking over the twin mountains of the elven forest, the sky was starting to clear up, the horizon turned a clear crystal blue illuminating our small village in a soft glow. Then everything changed. thundering reverberations of hooves on the hard ground and the clanking of armor penetrated the quietness that had captured the world for that single moment. After all the silence before the storm is always the most deceiving. A shrill scream rang out through the still morning. The screams never ended after the first one blared over us, they were just a series of strangled cries each new one drowning out the one before. They carried on the wind, echoing throughout the small province I called home. Mama froze, her body stiffening for a second before she snapped her head in the direction of the screams, her face hardening with some unspoken resolve I couldn't quite comprehend. Grabbing my hand tightly in hers she dragged me out the door letting it slam behind us as I was yanked down our stoop stopping only long enough for her to catch her bearings as she hoisted the pack over her narrow shoulders. She knelt down before me looking steadily into my scarlet eyes, and I stared right back into hers, back into the eyes that reflected mine as a perfect mirror image. Her gaze calmed me it killed my worries and i could let out the breath i didn't realize i had been keeping in "I need you to keep close caeel, do you understand never leave my side," she said in a voice so firm all I could do was nod.