• Tristaliane was your average Elvin girl except for one thing, she saw her family murdered."5:00 AM and once again I'm up" Tristaliane or as she is commonly known, Trista, muttered to herself. She had the nightmare again. Forever haunting her dreams was the image of the mutilated bodies of her four brothers, her mother, and her father. Everyone in the Elvin kingdom of Jadea was shaken tremendously by the grizzly murders. No one ever imagined that the Necromancers forces could penetrate the castles thick defenses. She was the only survivor out of her family. The rest of the castle remained untouched. Ever since her families deaths the woods the looked cold and unfriendly, drained of all the happiness.

    The reasons why her family was murdered remain unknown. Trista got out of bed and began dressing. In her head speculating reasons behind the murders as she had everyday for the past three years since it happened. [Why us?] she though [my father wasn’t even that close to the king, he was in the royal army but so what. Allot of people are in the royal army] Going through this for the millionth time [why leave me alive?]..It didn’t make sense. She finished putting on her clothes, a simple dress, as usual, and left her small cottage just outside the castle but safe inside the castles thick walls. The castles interior no longer felt like home to her.

    Trista began her normal early hour wandering like she always does when she can’t sleep. She walked past other cottages glancing once at her best friend Jerimi's door as she passed it. He'd still be in bed. She quickly reached the gates and tried to decide between going to sit on the precipice or going to sit by the waterfall. Trista decides on the precipice and sets off in that direction.

    Jerimi woke up and glanced out his window just in time to see Trista walk past it "she’s up again" he mutters to himself. Dressing quickly, he leaves his cottage to follow Trista. [She always does this] Jer silently cursing himself for letting the door slam thought [she needs to move on]. Jer rounded a corner and saw the direction Trista had taken. "She’s going to the precipice" he said under his breath. In 15 minutes time Trista reached the precipice and Jer hid behind a big boulder.

    As Trista walked her head swam with images of her family dead on the floor. Than it back tracked.[Trista wakes up, gets out of bed and hears a shattering sound and someone scream "he’s here" than silence. She walked through her family’s room to the living room as the Necromancer walked through the doors. She jumped behind a chair breathing heavily eyes wide. The Necromancer was a tall lanky figure all in black with black eyes. One by one her family emerged from their rooms. Than the Necromancer raised his hand and Trista flinched.] At the same time the real Trista flinched.

    Jer having been watching all of this sprung out of behind the boulder and grabbed Trista from behind. Trista screamed and jumped as hands grabbed her and pulled her up. She caught he balance, heart racing and spun her hands instantly filling with green magic fire. Jer raised his hands "Trista" he stuttered "Trista its just me relax!". Trista dropped her hands the fire disappearing. "Jerimi Don't do that" exclaimed Trista furiously. "oh so I'm supposed to have let you fall into the canyon, I Don't think so" Jer said angrily. Trista glared at him and Jer continued, "You were having the flash back again weren't you?" Trista hesitated "maybe I was maybe I wasn't" Jer glared at her "okay yes, I was" Trista corrected herself. "What part were you at?" Jer asked her. "The part where he raises his hand to kill my mother" Trista answered moodily. Jer walked forward to cup Trista’s cheek with his hand. "Trista you need to move on" Jer said gently. "I know" was all she whispered back.
    Jerimi and Trista have been best friends for years. He knew her better than anyone else. He could tell when she was lying and never failed to call her out on it. Abruptly Jer dropped his hand saying, "You need an outlet". Trista looked startled "a what?" she asked puzzled. "An outlet, maybe to pick up an old habit" Jer told her. "Something to do to vent your emotions and occupy your mind with to keep it off what happened" Jer finished. Wondering when he became a Psychiatrist. Slowly she fell back into her flash back [he raises his hand and in a flash of black fire, her mother falls to the floor. The same thing befalls the rest of her family as she looked on horrified tears splashing down her face. Than he looks at her "your to be kept alive" and he turned and strode out]. "Trista, Trista!!" Jer said shaking her "Trista snap out of it!!". Trista blinked and jumped "what, oh sorry" she paused sighing "your right I do need to move one, but I can't, not yet". Trista turned and walked back to the castle.

    Jerimi watches he walk away and shakes his head sadly she was going off the deep end. Everyone saw it. Well everyone but her. It drove him crazy [she’s my best friend] he thought bitterly [I have to help her] and with that Jer turned and walked back to the castle the glint of and idea in his eyes.. Jerimi arrives at the castle scrolls a note that read "Trista meet me in the weapons room" he signed it and once Trista was asleep he slipped it under her door using is magic to place it in a place where she'd see it.

    Trista wakes up to the same dream. "Not again" she muttered getting up she than saw a note. Opening she read "Trista meet me in the weapons room" singed by Jer. [the weapons room] she though [why there?] sighing she got dressed and 20 minutes latter was standing next to Jer in the weapons room facing a wall of bows. "What’s with you today? bow Jer, seriously". Trista shook her head.. Jer looked at her "your an archer Trista" he said looking her in the eye. "No I'm not, not anymore" Trista said backing up. "Trista you need to start again it will help...trust me.. please?" Jer asked with a pleading look in his eyes as he looked at her. "I do trust you.. its just.." her voice trailed off. "Look I'll catch up with you latter" Trista left the room briskly. Jer took a white bow and quiver down smiling to himself. Jer walked out fastening the bow and quiver on his back as he went.

    Trista sat down on her floor to meditate when there was a knock on her door "who is it?" she yelled annoyed" The door opened and Jerimi shot an arrow straight at her she caught it swiftly. "What in the Earth gods name are you doing?" she demanded. He remained silent. Striding across the room she snatched her bow from the wall.. Fitted the arrow to aim it and shot it back to Jer. Catching it Jer said "lets go to the archery range" grabbing her arm he pulled her out of the cottage.

    Hours latter Trista returned exhausted but happy. Collapsing on her bed she thought [I wasted 3 years of my life] than she fell asleep for the first time in 3 years without nightmares but dreams of archery and arrows. She woke up the next morning smiling. Jer was sitting on the floor besides her bed with his bow "want to go shooting" he asked her. "Yes" Trista answered immediately.. She dressed and the two of them left the cottage.
    The End