**_Author’s Note_**: If you know Piglet, then this is a rewrite of the plot I made at the start of this year. I didn’t really want to throw my characters away, so I made significant changes. Ballari’s heart is normal (but if I actually make a book out of this, Imma give her back her faulty heart because it made a good conflict.) She also is a Noord shepherd (btw, I created my own world called Sekain; the Japanese word for world (世界)with an ‘n’ on it.) Now let’s get to the story.

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•**Chapter 1**•

Ballari knew she was being watched. From where, she did not know; it made no sense since all there was around her was grass. But she knew someone was watching her. It tickled at the edge of her mind; a faint prickling sensation that took all of her attention. But for now she would ignore it—she had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Like her sheep.


The girl returned her attention back to her grazing flock. She sat on top of the tallest of the Three Hills, an area owned by her guardian and elderly caretaker, MISS. The sky was clear, winds blew the cold from the Northern mountains to the hills and meadows of the Eastern Noord, and the air was alight with the smell of flowers. The grass was a nice, cheerful green, and floral danced along the tall greenery with the wind leading them. Ballari’s wooden crook laid above her crossed knees in a passive way, but Ballari was prepared if anyone sought to attack her. MISS had trained her to protect her flock at all costs and she would.

For now, nothing foul was occurring except that person watching her. Ballari took one quick scan of her flock—they seemed fine enough, grazing ignorantly and getting fat on grass—then closed her eyes to tap into to her senses.

Ballari didn’t tell MISS that she could sense things around her, but she suspected the old woman knew. Nothing could be hidden from her; Ballari knew that from trying to sneak in a choco bar during fasting week. MISS called it her “knowing”, so that’s what Ballari called it too.

Now, Ballari listened. She directed her attention to the eyes that peered at her so intently. She heard them take a breath. She felt them trying to breathe softly, even as their heart raced with some strong emotion. Regret? It was a girl, a year older than Ballari herself. She was strongly built, a fighter definitely. She heard the girl’s muscles tense as though she was to strike, but then she relaxed. What was she—

“Ow!” Ballari hissed as she raised a hand to her suddenly aching head, the pain pushing her out of her Knowing. “What in The Almighty’s name?”

Then realization hit her: whoever this person was, they had the power to knock off her senses. Perhaps they were more foul than she thought. Ballari rose, crook in hand, and dived back into her Knowing only to have herself knocked out of it once more. She cursed and bit her tongue to drive the pain away. The girl was probably already gone from her hiding spot, so now it was time for Plan B.

_“Menguen_! _Menguen, douton_! Round up, sheep!” They listened to their shepherd’s calls but as sheep were, they moved slowly, taking bites out of the grass as they went. “_Plus cepat, douton_!” They moved quicker, galloping. Ballari ran in front of them guiding them toward the direction to MISS’s cottage. “_Plus cepat_! _Baien. _Good sheep.” Ballari sighed. At this rate they would get home by sundown, and the girl wouldn’t dare to attack her while she ran…right?

“_Ralenlambat, douton! _Slow down!” called out a strong voice. A man, most likely working with the girl. Well they weren’t getting her sheep. Not today. The sheep only listened to her, their shepherd. But suddenly, to Ballari’s shock, all the the sheep began to slow down.

What in the—. Ballari shook her head, her dark curls bobbing with her, she would think about this later, but right now she had to escape with her sheep. A loyal shepherd never left behind their loyal sheep. Ballari glanced around, she couldn’t see the man or the girl anywhere. Her heart raced with fear. This was the first real attack that she had faced in the Three Hills. Sure she knew how to fight, but she never tried it out against real dangers.

She took a deep breath. Ballari closed her eyes and thought. _Never let you circumstances destroy your mind. _She thanked MISS for her undying wisdom, even when it was as insufferable sometimes.

She could try to use her Knowing; but then they would stop it again. She could also try and call her sheep, but the man would just stop it again with his magical voice. She was still far from the cottage so she couldn’t call MISS for help either. So there was only one option left.

“Hey, I have to give it to you, you’re a really good shepherd sticking with your sheep like that.”

Ballari opened her eyes and saw the man before her. His frame was illuminated by the lowering sun, orange and pink coloring his deathly pale skin. But he looked healthy, with white, translucent hair grabbing the sunset’s colorings greedily and forest green eyes that help some sort of trickster’s pride. He looked absolutely beautiful, no doubt an illusion. But he looked strangely familiar.

“I do not need your praise, _Maun Magi_.” She spat, holding her crook in defensive stage. “Where is your associate?”

The unearthly man smiled, though it felt put on, as though he could not truly feel what he was outputting. “Magic Man, I like that.” He replied, ignoring her question.

She shifted her weight on her toes, and angled her weapon slightly toward the man. “I said _where_ is your associate?”

The man raised his hands in defense. “Woah, woah, woah! I did not come for trouble, _Gember_…” He gave a cheeky smile. “Or perhaps I did.”

Ballari had enough. If she listened to this man speak one more time, she was going to tear out her eardrums and shove them down her throat. His voice was alluring, it was everything you wanted to hear when he opened his mouth. It was so nice, but usually it ended with a knife in your throat. She read about people like this. Ballari raised her crook above her head and charged with a cry as the sky turned dark. If she was going to die she might as well end up fighting until she dropped.

The man smiled as Ballari launched herself at herself at him. He then had a staff in his hand. “Let’s dance, Noor.”

Ballari answered him with a strike, the curled end of her crook going in a downwards arch to his neck. He easily blocked it with his staff then drove his staff to her stomach. She doubled back with a huff of air and growled when blood came out of her mouth. Ballari started to channel her Knowing then remembered what happened last time. She waited for the pain to come with her mistake, but it did not. Looking up she saw the white haired man waiting for her. She took the advantage and grabbed ahold of her power.

With her crook’s curved end to the _Maun Magi’s _chest she thrust it forward, the man blocking it effortlessly again, then dropped her crook—relishing the surprise on the man’s Diety-blessed face—and struck him in the cheekbone with her knuckles. _Crack!_

The night shushed. The crickets hushed. Even the sheep stopped grazing, their black eyes now watching the aftermath. All watched as blood bloomed on the man’s pale cheek. Ballari could see she dislocated his jaw; it hung at an odd angle. Though the man just stared at her with those forest green eyes, as though he was shocked that she hit him.

_Danger….Danger…._

Her Knowing buzzed in her head. She took a few steps back, those forest green eyes watching her like a predator. The man grabbed his jaw and shoved it violently back in place. Ballari flinched at the sound and cringed as the man smiled at her fear. Blood trickled down from his cheek to his neck in a thin line. “Hmm, you hit me.”

_Danger….Danger…._

The man’s eyes dulled to a dangerous dark green.

_Run._

Ballari whistled high and loud gaining her flocks attention. Then she bolted around the man, crook close to her chest and ran into the darkness, her flock galloping after her with more speed than the previous attempt. It seemed that they also wanted to escape this awful man as well.

Behind her she heard the man say in a darkened voice, “Tyra.” It didn’t matter anymore because her brain rushed with blood, her lungs stretched and expanded with each breath she got in, and she just had to get escape. The man was dangerous, he didn’t seem right. Thankfully she knew the Three Hills like the back of her hand. She was almost there—she could see the cottage lights and almost feel the warmth of the stew. Usually she likes to be outside with the animals and the grass. She loved the smell, she loved the elements whether rain or shine. Now though, all she wanted to do was to get her flock safe within their fold and hole herself up in the security of her bed.

She was near the gate, her sheep bleating behind her frantically, when her Knowing gave her a jolt. She was opening the gate when a large hand pulled her back into its owner’s chest, knocking her crook from her grasp. She was screaming and writhing in her captor’s grip when the man appeared out of thin air in front of her. She was staring into the man’s captivating eyes when she went over into the darkness of her mind.

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MISS sat at the small wooden table inside her cottage, faced creased with worry and her bowl of chicken and rice stew untouched. The bowl across from her was in the same state. Where was Ballari? The girl was never late….

The elderly woman lifted her head at the sound of sheep bleating. Strange, they were frightened. But it was deep into the night, and they had never been out that late. MISS lifted herself from her cushioned chair and went to open the door for the girl. She grabbed her coat from the coat rack at the door and stepped outside into the cold night.

She snuggled deeper into her knitted wear as the winds picked up. She walked to the gate on her stone path, the lanterns she and Ballari had set up years ago illuminating her steps.

“Ballari,” she said as she neared the gate and the sheep’s cries rose, “I was getting quite worried, you little spook, I was almost going to go out there and look for you myself. Were you aiming to torture me?” MISS walked up to the gate, but heard no reply.

Ballari was nowhere to be seen. But the sheep were there. They were scared, frightened, terrified—like they’ve just seen something that none wished to see.

“Ballari…” MISS looked around, wrapping her coat tighter around body. Her breaths came in bursts, loud rattling noises. She was supposed to protect her until the time came. Unless…. MISS regained her composure and opened the gate to let the sheep in. The time had come, whether it be the end of the world or freedom for all, she did not know.

All she knew was that Bloodsong had to be reached. The world was already fading.