She stretched out a hand into the shifting mist. The young woman tugged off one of her leather gloves, letting it drop to the ground. It rose up into the sky, as far as she could see. It rolled in slow, thick waves, stopping abruptly at her feet, as though an invisible fence kept it contained. All that marked the end of their territory was the mist. Not when there was another choice.Įach thought pummelled into her, spurring her on, while branches stung her face and the wind tore through her leathers. She was meant to be a leader, a warrior, a queen of the Valian people, but she couldn’t be. A body that had been pushed to the limits of endurance, moulded by a strict regime of discipline, forced to fight with blade, arrow, spear and fists. She had the build of her kind: tall, lean and corded with muscle. Her feet barely touched the damp ground as she darted between the lean trunks, her breath forming small clouds before her in the cool night, her dark hair sticking to her face. Although she had rigged the guard changes, it wouldn’t be long before they realised she was gone. When she got to the outskirts of the forest, she dropped down onto the soft earth and ran. She wove through the branches like a ghost, leaving the sleeping keep, her family and her future behind. She was no more than a shadow, flickering with the rest in the dappled moonlight. She knew how to use the dark cloak of night to her advantage. The branches of the canopy were like springs beneath the balls of her feet, making her lighter than air as she leapt from one tree to another, towards her freedom. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher. Helen Scheuerer asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.Īll rights reserved.

Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer