when Ash got to the platform it was swinging wildly. She frowned, Ash had been through a lot of thunder storms, but this one seemed... different. She ran lightly along the branches back to the trunk of the tree, feeling very uneasy. She slipped inside the tree and climbed down the ladder faster than she ever had before. There was only one place to go in a storm like this, a place she had sworn to never return. The caves.
She ran through the forest, the rain pouring down around her. She didn't want to go to the caves, things had happened there that she would rather forget. A panic started to rise up in side her, blocking all thought and stopping her breath. No, not here. Not now But she couldn't push away the fear, she sprinted as fast as she possibly could. Years of training kicked in and she jumped over logs and weaved through the trees without making a sound. Father would be proud she thought. He had taught her well, she ran just like he used to, with Ash stumbling along behind him. The panic started to take over and with it came flashes of memories from years ago.
Ashlyn's father teaching her how to shoot; her 15th birthday. Her father handing her a present, her mother's sword, tears welling up in his eyes. Ash leaning over her father, holding his hand, tears pouring down her face. Stone all around and above them. His hand fell limp, she wiped the tears away and took up his bow and quiver. She saw the Caves in front of her. She hadn't returned since that day, the day her father died in the Caves.