“When it became too dark to walk safely, I fumbled about with the steel and tinderbox, eventually managing to get the lantern lit. It was then that I noticed an unseasonable fog was creeping in from the direction of the river. The fog soon became so thick that I could only see a few meters out and I once again began to question if this was a sensible thing for a carpenter to be doing.”

  “As I reached the mile marker, my footsteps slowed and I caught my breath as a pair of glowing green eyes emerged from the side of the road and looked my way. “Syrene?” I called, thinking back to all the stories of wolves I had heard from when I used to live in the forest village. “Syrene? Is that you?”. The shadowy figure blinked, then with a high ‘yip’ ran across the road, revealing the lithe body of a fox and leaving me sweating despite the chill air. I breathed, out a long sigh, then shrieked when a voice called out”

  “Silas?”

  “My heart almost exploded in my chest, and not in a pleasant ‘a goddess just arrived’ way, more in a ‘I think I just died’ sort of way. “Syrene?”, I tried again when I could finally breathe, “You scared me half to death!”

  “Sorry about that”, she said, “I thought I heard someone call out in the fog and my candle had gone out, I’m glad it was you!”. She thrust forward an old lantern with a stub of a candle. It did not have a glass shield like mine and was at the mercy of any passing breeze. I relit it for her and she beckoned for me to follow as she walked towards the rear of the crofter’s cottage.”

  “Where are we going?” I said.

  “There is a small barn around the back, we can talk there”, she said.

  “Trudging through the long grass we made our way to a dilapidated barn, one door lay fallen on the ground and the other was barely hanging by a single hinge.”

  “This is quite the change of location from yesterday”, I jested, “I was informed it was haunted by ghosts!”

  “It’s a place I knew that people avoid, and as for the ghosts, well I’m sure they won’t mind a little company for a few hours.” she said as she smiled.

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  “You are NOT helping my fear levels right now!” I said as she motioned me to follow her inside the barn.”

  “Once inside the barn it was obvious that someone had been here before, there was a pile of dried bracken ferns piled in a corner and the remains of a fire pit. The roof inside looked to have been blackened by smoke over the years and the broken remains of a stall that had been haphazardly tossed into a heap.”

  “Do you come here often?” I said.

  “Hardly”, she replied. “It’s mostly used by travelling folk or those that wish to avoid notice from the townsfolk for various reasons.”

  “Like you?” I cheekily added.

  “Hmmph”, she snorted. “I am not supposed to leave the estate grounds by order of my mother - yet here I am.”

  “Here you are”, I said. “So, your note, I’m assuming it was yours, said you needed some sort of help?” I enquired.

  “Syrene became agitated and stood up from the log she had been sitting on and started pacing.”

  “Mother has informed me that I am to be married in the Spring!” She flung her arms in the air.”

  “Did you need a bridesmaid?”, I said, wondering where this was going.”

  “She wants me to marry some horrible toad of a Duke just so she can lay claim to their trading house!” Syrene sputtered.

  “What do you want of me?” I asked puzzled, “I am just a carpenter and don’t know anything about the nobility or their goings on. And no - I am not an assassin in disguise before you even think to ask me that!”

  “Help me escape!” She begged.

  “Escape to where?” I asked.

  “Syrene was silent for a moment, obviously she was making this whole plan up as she went along, then she said “My father! Take me to my father, once we enter his lands She will not follow.”

  “I don’t understand?” I said. “Are you parent’s no longer together?”

  “They parted years ago when I was still a child”, she said, “Mother’s rampant ambition grew too much for him and he left when he saw that she refused to change, endlessly roaming the waterways in search of influence and coin. His last visit was the year we first met and my youngest sister, Aella, left with him to return to his lands in the south - leaving myself and my older sister, Panopeia to stay with Mother.”

  “How am I meant to help you escape?” I asked, “I’m just a young carpenter looking for an apprentice, not a courier service.”

  “Build me a boat!”, said Syrene.