Eowyn's body began to shake relentlessly. No one came down to the statue garden at night, not even in the day did the royals gaze upon the memories of an era, shattered through time. No one in Asrich knew the history behind these stone dragons that resided behind the palace, nor did anyone care to find out, after all, dragons were banished from the land centuries ago, just after the Great War. Whether they were deities or just the remains of old legends, Eowyn didn't care. She tugged ferociously at the silver gates, that's intricate carvings glittered in the moonlight like a thousand worlds had collided just to impress the royals then and there. They likely hadn't cared to so much as inspect it.  Thank the gods there was no screaming now, only the dulcet rush of the fountain, that was slowly softening as the gates rattled in her hands. She didn't have much time, and far too much to carry. It had opened earlier, so why not now? Her teeth were clamped like steel, the heavens really did hate her. Eventually she retreated to the gravel, her face in her hands as she shielded herself from hopeless terror. The world swirled in a malicious circle, her fate seemed to be seeping through the skin, this is what she got for hoping, for fighting. Her blood ran cold, the gravel was crunching behind her, one step at a time. Who dared to walk so slowly? She refrained from catching her breath, her knuckles white as she clutched her dress to slow her racing heart. "What's your name?" A voice rang through the garden. She stood up, turning immediately to face the mighty man that hid behind a suit of armour. "I'm Freya Damaris sir, from a village far out in the country-" "Why then, are you inside the castle? Do you have a death wish?" He boomed. "No sir, this creature broke into my family's home and took me as I slept. I only woke up when the thing broke through the gates and dropped me here, I thought it was going to kill me." Her voice broke just as her legs buckled. "That girl in the corner, it slit her throat with its knife-like claws and then fled. I too was injured in the struggle, though not fatally." His shoulders sunk, "I thought I heard her highness scream." "I'm sorry, I should've tried harder." "No, you shouldn't feel bad for something out of your control. Go inside, I don't tend to hand out pity wherever I feel like it, but with the ancient evil on the rise, we're all to play our part." Eowyn smiled at the knight, her eyes glittering with tears. Inside, she was fed, washed and bandaged before being given a servant's chamber to sleep in. The next morning it was promised that the castle guard would return her to her village in the north. She could've enjoyed it if her stomach wasn't in a knot the whole time. The bed of fine goose feathers was no match for Eowyn's sleepless night at the castle, she kept glancing at the door, expecting someone to storm in and take her to the block when they changed their mind. Though it was all worth it. The next morning she sat watching, as the driver writhed in pain below the upturned carriage. They were only a few hours away from her village now, but she had always liked to journey alone, so when the game was up, she pulled her cargo out of the trunk. Thankfully, she'd hidden it between a statue and a bush before she attempted the gate, and though it was left out there all night, the fools hadn't been diligent enough to find it. Eowyn walked over and bent down by the carriage driver, "Thank you for the drive, sorry it had to end this way." "You- you monster." He wheezed. "Monster? Well, now that I've left you country without an heir, my master is going to make me a rich woman." She snarled. "Goodbye now."