It was a morning like any other. The sun was rising slowly over the mountains, the birds started singing and Faolan could hear his father Merak working in front of the house. Despite all that, he felt as if something wasn't quite right that day. He got up and went downstairs. As usual, Moira was faster than him. She had already grabbed a plate and was preparing her breakfast as he came down the narrow stairs, yawning. The twins didn't talk in the morning. Not ever, at least not before breakfast. Otherwise, it would always end in a fight. However, having learnt that lesson years ago, they now spend most of their time together peacefully.

When he was ready, Faolan went outside to ask his father what work needed to be done today. Merak was a tall man with gentle eyes, but when he was tired, his face would turn very dark and he reminded the twins of a stone statue, not moving, not blinking, just staring.

While his sister went into the henhouse to collect the eggs, Faolan stayed to help their father chop some wood. It was spring now, but the nights were still quite cold, therefore they needed more firewood than just the usual amount for cooking their meals.

'Is there anything special for us to do today?' Faolan asked his father.

'Why would there be?' replied he in a low voice.

'I don't know, I just thought, you know, I could possibly go hunting with you or do something...,' Faolan said while picking up a big branch.

His father laughed. 'Hunting, you? Well, I didn't plan to head out today but you can ask your sister, so the two of you can go together. I wouldn't mind. She could surely teach you some tricks with the bow that not even I know of.'

'Very funny, really... You know why I want to go with you and not with her. She's my sister, she's not supposed to be better than me at everything. How am I supposed to ever catch up with her, if I only get to learn from her?' Faolan said in a low voice, hoping his sister couldn't hear him.

His father stopped and looked at him. 'Son, don't be a fool. I've taught you better than this. Your sister is strong and fast, but you are patient. And if for once you'd stop trying to be better than her at everything, you'd be able to see what a great young man you're becoming. Now, either you go and ask her to go on a hunt with you or help me here. We still have a lot of work to do.'

Faolan looked down, feeling stupid. His father was right, of course he was. But still he didn't feel like asking his sister, so he stayed with Merak.

Later in the morning, Faolan went inside and started a fire because it was his turn to cook lunch. It was part of his father's idea of how to raise the kids. They both had to be able to cook, they both had to be used to hard work and they were both taught to read. Faolan liked cooking quite a lot, since when he did it, he could decide what to cook, although there usually wasn't a big choice. That's why he was already looking forward to summertime and autumn. These were the seasons when there were lots of berries and fruits to be gathered in the forest and around their lonely farm. The family also grew vegetables but now in early spring they mostly ate meat, dried fruit and bread.

When the meal was finished, Faolan called the others in. They had just sat down at the table and started eating when Faolan suddenly stopped chewing and looked at the door. He listened carefully to make sure he had really heard what he thought he had.

'What's wrong, don't you like your own food?' his sister asked between two bites.

'There's somebody coming...,' he replied when suddenly there was a knock at the front door. His father got up and, after glancing through the window, opened the door. A man was standing there looking at their surprised faces.

'Hello Merak.' He said quickly. 'I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, but I'm in a hurry. We need to talk, old friend.'

The twins looked at each other in wonder. They hardly ever had any visitors and didn't know the man.

'Well come on in, you've come a long way. Why don't you sit down and eat with us? Faolan, Moira, this is Gram. Gram, these are my children, Moira and Faolan.' There was a strange tone in Merak's voice as he spoke. Faolan believed it to be a sign of joy but he couldn't shake off the sensation that there was more to it.

The two greeted the man who took off his helmet and gave them a faint smile. Faolan got up and fetched a plate and a cup for the man while glancing back at the stranger. The man's breastplate was old, but he had polished it, so it was shining in the light. He didn't look rich, but he certainly wasn't poor either. Something on the man's face told Faolan that he had seen terrible things not too long ago and that he wished he wasn't there right now.

For a while there was an uncomfortable silence as everybody was eating, although except for Gram, nobody seemed to be really hungry any more. When the man had finished his meal, Moira couldn't keep quiet any longer and asked him why he had come to them.

'I have come to tell you sad and terrifying news. I'll have to ask your father to come with me,' he now turned his head and looked at their father. 'War has come again.'

'War? Against whom?' Faolan asked.

'Against Peringal,' said Gram. The kids looked at him in wonderment. They only knew the name from the maps. Their father had never told them any stories about that kingdom, which lay far away in the south. 'Our king has made a mistake. Actually, not just one. Now we are at war. Peringal's army is heading north, they have already burnt down some villages and the king is gathering his army now. Things are looking bad.'

Nobody spoke for a while, their father looked down at his plate.

'Why have you come here? I'm not part of this anymore. This is none of my business. Not anymore.' His voice sounded dark now and his children looked at him, not recognizing their father. He suddenly looked so old and tired and they could feel the anger that he was trying to hide.

'Yes, it is. I tried to pretend that I didn't know where you are, but they know. We need you. I'm so sorry. I know you have a family and I know your children need you, but not even the strongest army can do without a leader.' Gram spoke slowly yet both Faolan and Moira couldn't make head or tail of the man's last words. Their father a leader? He had always told them he had only been a common soldier who had never fought in a real war. How would he have the experience to be a leader? Or was the rest of the army just so useless that an ordinary man like him could take the lead?

Then Gram turned to Faolan. 'How old are you, boy?'

Faolan was just about to answer when his father's fist hit the table hard. 'How dare you?' he shouted at Gram. 'He's still a child. They both only just turned thirteen this winter. I will not send my son to war.' Faolan didn't dare to speak and looked at the table instead.

'Forgive me, I had to ask.' Gram sounded weaker now. 'Of course he will not have to come. But you will, Merak.'

'And what if I refuse? You could just tell them you didn't find me. Leave us alone, war won't come here.'

'So you're ready to watch the city burn from a distance? Are you willing to stay behind while others go to war to fight and die? You still have family and friends away from here. This world doesn't only consist of you and your children.'

'It does to me. Nothing else matters now. We live in peace here.' He turned to his children and asked them to leave, so Faolan got up and dragged along his sister, who wanted to stay. They didn't say a word. Moira tried to hear what the men were discussing inside, but Faolan slowly walked away from the house, sitting down on a bench in front of the henhouse.

He couldn't think properly anymore. Too many things were coming to his mind, so he tried to shut it all out by focusing on a little bug, sitting on a stone in front of him. It didn't really help. To Faolan, it felt like hours until the door opened and his father stepped out. After talking to Moira for a moment, Merak came over to his son and sat down next to him.

'Take me with you,' Faolan whispered after a while. 'I know you're leaving, let me go with you. Obviously, I'm neither strong nor very fast, but I can't let you go on your own.'

Merak sighed and answered, 'Oh Faolan, don't try to be courageous. You will need your courage for what I'm asking you to do. Don't try to protect me. I have Gram looking after me, but I need you to look after Moira. You know her, she's always so impulsive. The two of you are going on a journey. I want you to be safe, so I'm sending you to my sister. Together, you'll be fine. In the end, we'll meet there again.'

'No, please, don't send us away. Let me go with you, or at least let us stay here. We have never met our aunt and I'm not really into changing that. Why can't we just stay here, I mean...'

'Stop it, son. I've made up my mind. Trust me, it wasn't an easy choice.' Merak's voice was cold now because he was trying to hide his emotions. Faolan had never dared to speak up to his father before, but how could he keep quiet now?

'Father ...'

'I said no.' He looked at his son and then said in a softer voice, 'I will see you in a few months at my sister's. The war will be over then, everything will be fine.'

Suddenly, anger rose in Faolan. Why did his father all of a sudden treat him like a little child? Things weren't alright and nothing was going to be fine. His father's behaviour was irresponsible and incomprehensible. But Faolan couldn't say another word as his father got up and walked away. The boy stayed behind in frustration and couldn't believe what was going on.

// Welcome, dear readers, to yet another one of my stories. Some of you might already know this one for I first wrote it a year ago for an important school project. Now, however, I am finally revising it. Thanks to many people who have already read through this, including a certain Mr. R, I can present to you a manuscript that is clearly more than just a first draft. It is, however, certainly not flawless. So if you do find any errors, especially such regarding the quotation marks, please don't hesitate to comment about it. I am grateful for any and all constructive critiques and wish you the best of reading pleasure as you continue!