It was a cold December night, and the wind whipped Rubyâ€™s dark hair.  She wrapped her traveling cloak more tightly about her to try and cut back on the frigid temperatures.  Being alone in the woods wasnâ€™t a smart place to be for a one of the royal family, she only hoped her common cloths would be enough to throw travels off.<br/><br/>As she followed the winding path she could hear some sort of struggle up ahead.  She closed her eyes and concentrated.  Ok come on now Ruby youâ€™ve been practicing with much concentration and thought wolf ears now took the place of her normal human ones; along with a tail that matched her hair, jet black with a natural red in the tips.<br/><br/>She grinned to herself as with her ears, closed in to the sound, and directed herself towards it.  When she was as close as she would dare get she immersed herself in the cover of brush to get a good look without being seen.  She watched as a man hidden under his hood fought what appeared to be a ghastly shadow creature.<br/>â€œI will not stand by and let you attach innocent people!â€ She heard the man say, her eyes widening, could she . . . know this man?  She watched as the thing laughed and struck him against the ground, a moon beam revealing the manâ€™s face â€œI will end you!â€ it said as its sword came down â€œFATHER!â€ Ruby yelled recognizing the face at once and revealing herself from her spot.<br/><br/>The thing stopped its strike in mid swing just grazing her fatherâ€™s side.  â€œWell, what have we here?â€ It said twisting around to face her, Ruby reached for her sword but before she could claim it the creature summoned black vines to wrap her about a tree behind her.  She struggled against the binds moaning whenever they squeezed her too tightly.  The creature laughed â€œAh how I love the sound of those innocent in the ways of men.â€ It turned its head to speak to her father, yet it never took its eyes off her,â€ I think when Iâ€™m done with you Iâ€™ll have my way with her.â€<br/><br/>Her father struggled to stand â€œIâ€™ll kill you before you ever get the chance!â€ With that they clashed weapons, His silver eyes narrowed in on the thing, and with one last push was able to disarm the thing.  However it was fast as well and disarmed him at the same second.  They both went for the others weapons and in a flash they had claimed their target in each otherâ€™s chests.<br/>â€œFATHER!â€  She yelled, the vines struggling to keep hold as the magic of the thing was dying along with it. The thing disintegrated, and her father lay sprawled out on the ground smiling weakly at her,â€ R-Ruby I-I love-â€œhe was unable to finish. Ruby, sobbing, continued to scream.<br/><br/>- - -<br/>â€œFATHER!â€ Ruby yelled, shooting up like a rocket from the dirt she had slept on the night before.  So it was a dream then, but why, why did it seem so real? She stood, whipping a tear from her eye, and reached for her pack.  Good everything was there; she slung her pack across her back and keeping a tight grip on her swordâ€™s hilt made off for the nearest port.<br/><br/>The cold wind licked at her wet cheeks, even the weather is the same as my dream she shook her head she wouldnâ€™t linger on that now. She only hoped this port town would offer her some kind of escape.