<div class="floatleft">(http://digital-art-gallery.com/oid/57/r169_219x122_10655_The_Book_of_Deacon_2d_fantasy_snow_winter_character_wizard_woman_staff_girl_mage_picture_image_digital_art.jpg)</div>Astrid<br/><br/><br/>It was the silence that woke her. The silence and the cold. Astrid stirred, feeling the damp penetrating her clothing and making her joints and muscles stiff. Her long, thick, dark lashes fluttered open slowly and she stared at the mossy rock directly in front of her dark gray eyes for a moment before her mind caught up and she realized where she was, and she sat bolt upright. "CALDEN!" she shouted in horror.<br/><br/>Getting to her hands and knees and poking her head out of the little shelter she had managed to find she looked around quickly, half checking for danger and half hoping she would magically find Calden standing right there. She sat back on her heels with a half sob and held her right hand over her mouth to hold it in. Moving her arm was painful and for a moment it confused her, until she remembered the<em>thing</em>from the cave hitting her shoulder. She clutched her upper arm at the memory, but it did seem to be less painful than it had been last night. A strand of her long dark brown hair had escaped her braid at some point and she tucked it back behind her ear.<br/><br/><strong>“Where am I… it’s dark, I can’t see anything!? Where is this? I can’t move!! Astrid! Where are you? Help! Help!!! Someone help me! Astrid! HELP ME PLEASE I CAN’T MOVE! What’s happening?!”</strong><br/><br/>The petite girl jumped with fright and fell down on her butt as she spun around quickly to look for her best friend. "CALDEN!?" she shouted, frantically looking around. Crawling out of the little space and stumbling to her feet, catching them on the hem of her dress, she whirled around searching in every direction. "CALDENNNNNNNN!" Her voice echoed back at her from the rock and disappeared around her into the still, thick forest. Another sob broke from her chest as she stood still waiting, listening, hoping. She KNEW she had heard him! She was SURE of it! She had heard that voice a million times and that had been him!