Chapter 1: A Nightmare

"Asteern!!!!" she screamed as she watched her best friend die, a sword through his chest, the wound slowly dyeing his shirt red. Asteern turned and tried to say something but all that came out was blood. A cold, cruel wind knifed through her as she stood on the mountain and desperately tried to save him.
"Morida! Morida!" A voice called and suddenly the girl found herself in her own little room with her brother Crendle shaking her awake.
Blinking eyes filled with tears and sleep, Morida stared at her brother. "Another nightmare? Gods Mori, that's the fifth one this month!"
"It was. . ." she began.
Crendle cut her off. "Something about Asteern. No need to tell me, your screaming of his name is what brought me here."
"Oh." Morida replied, blushing. "He was dieing."
Her brother snorted. "Well that's different." He replied sarcastically, causing Morida to blush again. "Go to sleep little sister. You have work to do in the morning." Crendle tousled her sun-streaked brown hair affectionately before heading back to his own room and sleep.
It didn't take long for Morida to follow suit.
The next day passed as most days during early summer passed. Morida spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon weeding the crops at her family's farm. Finally she was freed from the chore and shot off like an arrow from a bow, heading unerringly towards Asteern's house.
Her friend was outside waiting for her, blue-black hair seeming to absorb the sunlight. He shaded his hazel eyes when he heard her running feet and grinned when he saw that it was indeed her.
Morida smiled back and came to a sliding stop right in front of him. "So what're we going to do today?" she asked, bubbling with excitement, completely forgetting her nightmare of the night before.
"Why don't we head down to the river and go for a swim? It's devilish hot out here."
Morida nodded, her blue eyes filled with enthusiasm. "Let's go!"
They spent the rest of the time before dinner swimming and having water fights. When at last it was time to go, they parted with waves, trotting in the respective directions of their houses.
The sun was setting and had turned the sky brilliant shades of red and orange so Morida didn't notice it at once. When she did all the breath left her body for a moment and she couldn't do anything but stare. Then all at once she was running towards her house, screaming something even she didn't know what. The only thing she knew at that point was that her house was on fire.
Morida ran as fast as she could and was going to run right into the house when someone grabbed her and pulled her back. It was Crendle. "Don't Morida." He said, eyes and voice filled with tears. "You can't help them. It's too late. Leave it."
"Mom and Dad are in there!" she shrieked.
"I know. I know. We can't help them now."
"But they'll die! I know they will. It's just like my nightmare. Just like my nightmare. Oh gods they're going to die!" Morida sobbed, falling down and crying.
The neighbours came and prevented the fire from jumping to any other houses but they knew that they couldn't save Morida's house.
Dawn was just making itself known when the fire was at last out. There was nothing left of their house or parents except ashes. Morida couldn't do anything but sob. Someone came and led her away. It wasn't until she woke up later that day that she realized it had been Asteern and she was at his house.
When she walked downstairs, Morida walked into the middle of an argument.
"She has to go! She has some crazed powers and the village can't have her here! She'll kill us all!"
"You can't just kick her out! She just lost her parents and her house! Where is she supposed to go?"
"Anywhere but here! I don't want her to have a nightmare about me dying some horrible way. They keep coming true and you know it!"
"So? Do you think she likes it anymore then you do? Did you ever once think about how she's going to feel being kicked out her home after such a devastating loss?" Asteern shouted at the rest of the assembled villagers, angry that they'd even consider kicking Morida out.
"She's dangerous." Asteern's mother cried.
"She is not!" Crendle had just come in time to hear the last few remarks.
"How can you say that after she dreams your parents would die in a fire and then they do?" The mayor asked.
"That's my sister you're talking about and she hates her nightmares more then you do. Before today we didn't even know they came true."
"Regardless of what you two say we've already decided. She's to leave before sunset." The blacksmith said. "Willing or not."
Crendle hissed. "I'm going with her."
"So am I." Asteern added, glaring at the assembled villagers.
"Asteern you can't!" His mother cried, shocked.
"I can and I will. You can't stop me!"
"Why do I have to leave?" Morida asked, crying now.
All the villagers looked at her then turned away. "Because they're a bunch of callous, cowardly bastards, is why." Asteern replied.
"You're too dangerous for us to have around." The mayor said. "We can't have you calling down your nightmares upon us."
"I don't call them down!" Morida shouted.
"You have to leave by sunset or we'll be forced to bodily throw you out."
Morida collapsed onto the floor and began sobbing again. Asteern and Crendle were the only two who ran over to help her up. The two men glared at the rest and then helped her up and took her back to Asteern's room. There they left her while they gathered supplies. They didn't know where they were going, only that they were going to find somewhere that would accept Morida and wouldn't fear her.
Shortly before sunset they were ready. They'd even grabbed three horses from one of the farmers, not caring whether he was willing to part with the animals or not. Asteern had to ride double with Morida as she was in no condition to even be able think, let alone control the horse.
The whole village watched them leave, with Asteern's parents trying to convince him to stay. He refused and called them horrible monsters. He said he didn't want anything to do with them and couldn't believe they called themselves his parents.
And so the three of them set off to find someplace that would allow them to live in peace.