The King was offered a home but he declined. His soldiers brought a tent. He didn't trust to reside in one of their homes.

Although the village's people didn't like the King, they couldn't help but fear him. It was the King after all. But they had faith in their warrior and knew he wouldn't put them in danger.

It was said that the King would spend a week here before departing back towards the castle.

While the King was in his tent, with guards surrounding it, he was in deep thought. He has tried his whole life to be a fair king, to dispose the unnecessary rumors about him murdering his parents. He shook his head. It was just this one village that refused to be under his command. The rebellion of this village sparked problems in the other villages, who also started to rebel. The King loved a challenge though, and was willing to fight for this village. The village was special to him, his father met his mother here, and as child he often spent time here.

He almost had this village. Just about 5 years ago. But then some soldier decided he wanted to be a warrior and made the King's job harder taking the village.

Soon enough the King was asleep, as was the rest of the village, except Falcon. He was walking around the village, observing everything, calculating the King's soldiers' strength.

"Run along, boy." Spat one of the Kings' guards, when he was walking past. Falcon gave him a glare. The guard was slightly taken back by the challenging look in the warrior's eyes.

Falcon gave the guard one last look before walking home.

"Yara, can you promise me something?" When Yara arrived home, her mother made some food while looking intently at her daughter.

"What, mother?" Yara looked up.

"Please, take care of yourself, don't do something stupid, you could hurt yourself. Promise me that you will think wisely about what you say to others. I just want you safe."

Yara's eyes softened. "Mother, I'll put a guard in front of my mouth. You and the village is my first priority, I'll never say something that will put you and the village in danger."

"Take care, Yara. I'm going to sleep now."
Her mother gave her a hug.

"Good night, mother." Yara watched how her mother disappeared upstairs, before standing up. She's not tired enough to go to sleep. Getting her bow and arrow, she left the cottage disappearing into the woods.

|♢|

"Falcon!"

"Falcon!"

A fellow soldier of the village was running in the woods, searching for the warrior. There were problems in the market, it was already midday, and an old lady mentioned that she saw Falcon disappearing in the woods last night.

An arrow came flying through the air before it pierced through the bark of a tree, inches above his head. In a second the soldier ducked, and fired one of his own arrows back in the enemy's direction, just as he learned in training. Never give the enemy a second chance.

Slow hand claps made the soldier looked up. The warrior, himself came into view. The soldier swallowed, before speaking up.

"Falcon, you have to come immediately. There's problems at the market. One of the Kings' soldiers came into a fight with one of ours. The King's soldier is holding a woman at knifepoint!"

Falcon nodded before he began running in the market's direction, his arrows and bow on his back.

It was chaos at the market. When Falcon arrived on the scene, his heart fell. The woman at knifepoint, was none other than his own mother.

"Protect your mother" Her father said.

An arrow connected with flesh, and the King's soldier's body slumped down on the floor, blood pouring from his throat.

"Don't you dare touch my mother." Came a low voice from inside the crowd. People gasped as they hear the warrior speak. It was their first time hearing his voice.

Falcon walked up to his mother and carefully checked for any injuries.

Suddenly people scattered back to their work. The King came walking towards the scene and his messenger cleared his throat before speaking in a loud voice.

"Falcon, warrior of Linova, you are responsible for the death of the King's General. The punishment is death itself. The King wanted a word with you. Guards take him."

Guards stepped forward and made an attempt to cuff him, but the warrior refused. Everytime a guard came near him, Falcon fought until the guard backed away.

"Oh, leave the man so that he can walk himself!" The King quickly became irritated with his guards.

After a while, the King, Falcon and some soldiers arrived at the King's tent. When they were inside, the King turned around and spoke. "Why did you do it?" There was a deathly silence as Yara studied the man from behind her mask, black raven hair, tall and muscular, grey eyes, and a unreadable aura emanating from him. She refused to speak.

"Answer me when I'm speaking to you, warrior!" Icy blue eyes glared back at the King. The king huffed before ordering a single command.

"Remove his mask."

As fast as lightning Falcon plunged one of his arrows in the stomach of a soldier behind him. Looking up at the king, he slowly shook his head from side to side.

The King gritted his jaw and hissed.

"Kill him."

"Protect yourself." Her father said.

One by one, as the soldiers came, Falcon finished them off. They were lying in piles on the floor. Falcon stood up straight, locking eyes with the King.

It was just the king and her alone in the tent. Falcon gave the king one last look before turning around making a movement to exit the tent. But something stopped her.

"A warrior like you, are of great use. You will come tomorrow, 12 o'clock noon. You will meet me in the Town Square, and there it will be decided, if you are to live, or to die. If you will object, you can now begin to dig your mother's grave. Understood?". The King's voice was like ice, cold and hard.

Falcon gave one nod before storming out of the tent. Anger was rolling in waves off of him.  People scurried away, fearing his rage.

If Falcon was granted one wish, he would've wished for the King's death.

|♢|

Song: Evening falls by Enya