I ride my horse through the dense forest around the town as fast as I possibly can in the dark. I hear the shouts of guards far behind me, and I turn my head to see the light of their torches lighting the forest around them. I look ahead of me, and see a man in a black robe standing in the middle of the path. I bring the horse to a stop just before I collide with the man. "What are you thinking?" I ask, hopping down from my horse and walk towards him. He doesn't say anything, and the hood of his robe completely shrouds his face. I turn as I hear the guards point out my horse tracks and start making their way towards me. "Do you wish to escape them?" the robed man asks. I look at him. "Yes. But you have blocked my path. Now I will be captured for sure." I say. He looks in my direction, his hood still shrouding his face. He grabs me by the should and pitches me into the bushes surrounding the path with unnatural strength. He faces the oncoming posse of guards, led by my former love. "Where is he?" she demands angrily. I lay still as the robed man covers for me. "I have not seen anyone along this path." he says. I sigh lightly. This man is quite strange. Helping a man destined for death. My former loves nods and leads the large group of guards down the path past the robed man until they disappear from sight. I crawl my way out of the bushes and walk towards the robed man, who hasn't moved since I met him. "Thank you friend." I say, brushing some dirt off my armour. "No need to thank me. I would do anything for the hero of this land." He says, pulling back his hood. He shakes his black hair around his pale face, with a long scar running down the left side of his face. "Hero of this land?" I ask, looking him in his ice-blue eyes. "Follow me." He says, turning and walking down a narrow path into a the thickest part of the woods. And I did.