Ok ok. I just want you people that read my other story to know that I am still writing that. This has just bugged me for a while so yep here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs to John Flanagan.

This is a memory.

My name is Aleksand, I am a Skandian slave, and this is my story.

His first sensation was darkness. Darkness so thick not even light, sound, or feeling could penetrate it. In a world devoid of life or conscious thought. He floated alone in a place only the mind can create. Of course he did not think those things; only one thought escaped his mind, 'Where am I?'

That one thought triggered a sequence of events. A memory of a time long ago flashed forward and consumed the only part of his waking thoughts.

A little girl ran up to a young boy a few years older than her and he embraced her, he picked her up and twirled her around.

'Alek!' the little girl giggled, 'put me down you big dummy!'

The older boy sat the little child on the floor and plastered a hurt look on his face.

'O so now I'm a big dummy. I guess I'm not smart enough to take care of you anymore.' The little girl looked alarmed.

'No, no I didn't mean it Alek' she sat on his feet and wrapped her chubby little arms around his legs, 'please stay I was only joking!'

The boy laughed, 'Yea I was too. Hey want to go out for a picnic?' The little girl looked up with glee in her eyes and ran to get the basket.

'I'll pack, you get Daffodil ready.' The girl started to pull out an assortment of foods and shove them in the awaiting basket.

The boy shook his head at the girl's antics and walked out to the small stables. 'I still can't believe I let her name the horse Daffodil,' the boy scoffed but smiled at the same time.

The flashback ended and the awaking presence could feel something change in his environment. But, as soon as the last flashback ended a new one started.

The little girl and the boy were lying down in tall grass looking up at the sky where a few lazy clouds skirted the horizon. The girl looked over at the boy with her big blue eyes filled with sadness.

He noticed her sorrow and returned the gaze. 'What's the matter Gwen?' The girl blinked and looked away. A single tear fell from her face and splashed onto the rich soil below.

The boy, who was worried, pulled the girl into a tight embrace and she snuggled into his comforting arms.

'Alek?' the little girl looked quite distraught and the boy couldn't figure out why. 'Yes Gwen? What's the matter? You were happy just a few minutes ago.'

She looked up into his eyes and stared at him as if searching for something in his gaze that would give her answers.

'You promise not to leave me?' The boy was quite taken back by the question and wondered what could have provoked such thoughts.

'Of course Gwen.' The little girl shook her head.

'No, you have to promise me that you will never leave me. You have to promise that you won't leave me to look after myself like Mum and Dad. You have to promise.'

The boy looked kindly into her eyes and held up his hand. 'I Aleksand, promise not to leave Gwendolyn alone. I promise to always be there for her because I am her bigger brother.' The little girl, with a very serious face, nodded her head and snuggled closer to him.

'You know Gwen, they left me too. You weren't the only one.' She looked up at him and sat up. She placed her little hand over her heart.

'I Gwendolyn, promise to look over and make sure my doofus brother doesn't get himself killed washing the dishes and looking after the horse at the same time,' the boy made a sound that sounded like a protest.

'That was one time Gwen!' The girl just smiled and continued.

'I also promise to always watch over him and never leave him.' That warmed the boy's heart and he embraced her again. He looked at the sun and saw it descending in the sky.

'We better get home before it gets dark Gwen.'

The conscience was pulled back into the black void and discarded like a rag doll. If it had been a real body on a real floor the body would have broken a few bones. As it was, the conscience felt beat up, or as beat up as a conscience can get.

The conscience, ready to rest, was once again thrown into another memory.

The boy and girl were walking hand in hand through a field of tall grass and startled when they saw a bright red light coming from across the grass. They looked at each other worriedly and ran to where their house was sitting and came upon a sight they both had never wanted to see.

Huge men with horned helmets and battle axes where pillaging the yard where animal carcasses and sacks of wheat and barley were scattered around the yard. Their house was ablaze and was surrounded by an angry orange glow that illuminated the whole area.

The girl let out a scream and the boy hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand, but it was too late. The children had been heard. One of the burly men came to inspect the area and found the children hiding in the long grass. He yelled at his fellow companions, but the boy grabbed the girl's arm and ran with her through the field.

He could hear the heavy footsteps behind him and knew that only one of them would make it. He pulled on the girl's arm and directed her around behind a rock outcropping. He twirled her around so she was facing him.

'Gwen, you have to listen to me. If I distract the men, you can get away.' The little girl shook her head as tears streamed down her face.

'No, no Alek. You promised to stay with me forever. You promised to protect me. You can't leave me!' Tears poured off her cheeks.

He knelt in front of her and then pulled her into a tight embrace. After a minute of sobbing from the girl and her soaking the front of his shirt, he pulled her away and looked her straight in the eyes.

'Gwen, you have to promise to be strong and look after yourself.'

The girl shook her head, 'No Alek, I can't….' he stopped her and shook her shoulders.

'You have to promise me that you will try to escape and you will not come back for me.'

'No Alek I…'

'Promise.' The girl looked back at him and looked down at her feet. She nodded and he embraced her one last time.

'Run for town and get help. Gwen, I love you.' He pulled her away and directed her to the town. 'Now go, before they get here!' She ran but hesitated a few yards away.

'Go!' She turned away and ran up the hill. The boy looked on sadly after her, 'goodbye little sister.' He whispered to her retreating back.

The boy ran out from behind the outcropping and in the opposite direction of his sister. He only ran a few feet until one of the big men caught up and grabbed both of his arms and lifted him up in the air. The boy tried his hardest to fight his way out but it was futile.

The man grumbled and threw him to the ground where the boy lay stunned. The man grabbed a club and swung it at the boy's head. Right before the boy blacked out he heard two things.

'Get the girl. If Erak finds out, we are all dead.' And the last thing that the boy heard was the most terrifying sound he had ever heard in his life.

A small child's ear-piercing scream which was abruptly cut off. Then the boy knew no more.

The conscience, back in the void, pondered over the memories. They seemed familiar but as if they happened in a different life. He felt the shift again but it seemed more prominent. The conscience tried to shake it off and go back to its sleeplike stage, but the shift happened again and the conscience started being pulled toward it.

Suddenly, the world changed. The void melted awayand all sensations burst back flooding the consciences senses and overwhelming him. Sounds roared in his ears and lights and colors blinded him.

Ok guys! How do you like it? Please review and tell me!