Mabel glances nervously behind her. She is running out of time and energy. However, she could not give up running at such a crucial point of time.Her life is in the line after all. Her black, silky, wavy hair bounced repeatedly, blocking her striking blue eyes. Sparkling beads of sweat flow from her husky, pear shaped body. Her breath is coming out in wheezes now, but she doesn't care. Her survival matters more. She looks behind her once more. There is a complete mob of ferocious men after her now.A male voice shouts out to her,  "Mabel! Com here!" 

A considerably tall man with black hair and dark complexion calls her from several meters away. Mabel just run towards him.

The chasing men turn towards them.

"Bumm."

Suddenly, there is a brief explosion.

Several of the same sound are heard. She looks back and sees a number of men falls down as if being attacked by something. Is it that caused by the loud sound explosion?

"Bumm". 

The sound of explosion comes from the man who calls her. 

His hand is holding something.

As the "Bumm" sounds is heard, the tool held by him produces a smoke. The sound definitely comes from the tool. 

Every time the sound and smoke comes from the hole in the tool, a man dies as if the tool is shooting something towards the chasing men. 

It appears the tool held by him is some sort of long range weapon. 

It functions like a bow shooting an arrow. In his case, the tool is shooting something small. 

There are silhouette of many women behind him. 

She sees his smiling face clearly. That face... Mabel had seen that face multiple times in her dream. 

Dream.... She realizes... This is a dream.

Suddenly, everything turns pitch black as if she looses consciousness.

Mabel wakes from her nap, wide-awake with the vague remembrance of an unpleasant dream. Her skin itches from a dozen hay pricks; the strong smell of animal assaults her nose. As her eyes grows accustomed to the dim brightness in the building, she makes out rough wooden stalls with milk pails stacked against the wall. She pushes away a rusty pitchfork and decides to be more careful next time she falls asleep in the barn…

She sighs. Living in Redcliffe castle despite at the servants' quarter was comfortable. In fact, she had lived there since she was borne. 

Now... she looks around. There are handful of houses, each is surrounded by very large compound, encircled by forest. 

She has no friend to socialize with. Mabel remembers the foul mouthed girl, Valena who is one of the maids in the castle. She smiles. 

Mabel misses those days although she just lives here for three months.

The stable, fences, well and house are mostly ready. Mabel personally acquired many crystal lightings and asked her father to install them everywhere especially the newly constructed house. The surrounding is pitch black at night and the lighting really helps. 

She was so against moving to Hinterland but her father insisted. 

"Dad is so loyal towards Lord Teagan... Why did Lord Teagan had to die. Otherwise, dad won't give up and come here."

She sighs again.

Upon exiting, she finds a wooden chair and takes the hat off her head, putting it on her lap. A band of heat where her hat sits. Ignoring that, she continues swiping dust and chaff from her clothes.

She has to loitering as his father is having long conversation with a noble lord who purposely visits them far in the woods. 

"Has Baron Harrith finished?" A man in knight attire approaches her.

She shakes her head while making exaggerated hand gestures.

He only grins and returns to his comrades. 

There five men who are also loitering at the house compound. Their horses are connected to palisades.

Arkland and Redcliffe are considered the colder regions among other territories in Ferelden. 

Luckily, these places are not like most of Olga Federation that snow fall most of the time. 

Ferelden has four seasons and one of them is winter. 

Snow only falls in winter here unlike most of Olga. 

Despite Redcliffe is just one fourth the size of Arkland, it covers vast land from Redcliffe village until Hinterland. 

Hinterland is a territory bordering federation, Dioral Kingdom, Arkland and even Gwaren territory of the West Hills province. Gwaren is owned by Count Loghain Mac Tir, the Prime minister of Ferelden. In fact, some part of Loghain's land is in Redcliffe province, as it reaches into Hinterland.

Mabel wastes her time by observing the birds. Suddenly, the door opens.

His father and mother lead a man in his late thirties out of their house.

"So, Dennet Drake, former horsemaster of Redcliffe castle. I hope you reconsider our offer. Redcliffe needs you."

Mabel's father, a tanned bald man only smiles and shakes his head.

"Oh, come on. Elaina. You, as the wife. Please persuade your husband."

"Baron Harrith Drake. I will try my best." Mabel's mother, a beautiful black haired woman in her forties bows to the baron, who is the head of Drake family. 

Dennet Drake is the younger brother of Baron Harrith Drake's late father. 

Dennet's else brother becomes the Baron while Dennet used his skill in horsemanship to help Teagan Guerrin and Redcliffe. That was the past when Teagan was alive.

Hinterland is a territory owned by the late Count Teagan Guerrin, so Dennet could easily move to here as his loyal underlings. There are other underlings of Tegan who moved here as well upon Reagan's demise.

"My lord."

The five men prepare their horses and pull them closer to the house.

Baron Harrith Drake briefly looks back before staring at Dennet.

Harrith says,

"You show a gift with horses from a very young age. Once, while you were accompanying my grandfather to Redcliffe Castle's stables, you managed to calm down a young stallion that had broken free with a few soothing words, saving a serving girl from being trampled in the process. Upon seeing this, Redcliffe's horsemaster promptly took you as his apprentice. You then grew up tending horses and teaching the children of the castle."

Harrith resumes,

"My brother inherit fighting talent from your grandfather but I am glad to be able to serve in something I live to do." Dennet replies.

"With Marchioness Isolde.....there are lot of things we must improve."

Before Harrith could finish, his uncle interrupts,

"I retired to the Hinterlands for peace and quiet away from the politics, and because the wide open spaces were perfect to let my horses run. Without Lord Teagan, I no longer any reason to serve the declining house of Guerrin."

That declaration makes Harrith speechless.

He merely turns to Mabel who is sitting nearby.

"Mabel Drake. Forgive me but I hope you can persuade your father."

"Yes. Definitely. I don't like living here." Mabel stands up and replies while pointing her index finger towards the forest.

"Hinterland was formerly owned by Lord Teagan but as he died without heir. So, this vast territory returns to Marchioness Isolde Guerrin. We don't know what will happen in the future."

"Baron Harrith Drake, is that a threat?" Dennet glares sharply.

"No. That's a point for you to ponder." Harrith tells that before mounting his horse. 

The three members of Drake family just stare in silence, while the party go further away.

"Dad. Why are you so stubborn?" 

Mabel sighs.

Her parents are just looking to the forest without uttering a single word.