Cherry watched as the gentle, caring, happy person she knew as Sam disappeared, and someone else seemed to take her place. Whoever she had become was going to protect them; Cherry could tell by how she became ... super focused; an aura of deadliness rose from where she lay in the dirt.

"Steve," Cherry whispered, her eyes still on Sam as her head sank in line with the scope attached to her rifle, "are you seeing any differences with Sam at the moment?"

The pair silently watched as Sam stilled.

"I do, and she seems ... different. Is she breathing?" Steve asked, glancing at Cherry.

"I don't know," Cherry whispered, "she doesn't seem like the person I know; she seems ..."

"Different?" Steve finished for her, "she is different, Cherry. Nothing about Sam is what mortals would call "normal"."

"I wonder how she became like this?" Cherry whispered, "was she always different?"

"She must have been," Steve said, glancing toward the doorway, "I think our company is closing in."

"Thank you for that, Steve," Sam murmured, "and to answer your questions, Cherry, I have always been this way. I just don't tell the world how different I am. I don't want to be a lab rat to someone who thinks it's fun to prod and poke me. Besides, I'm different for a reason."

"Oh, she heard us," Cherry whispered.

"Yes, my hearing is something like a cat's, and I hear over a long distance," Sam said, "now stop talking so I can hear other things."

Steve looked at Cherry and shrugged, "What was that?"

Sam remained still, her trigger finger the only thing that moved. Cherry swallowed hard, looking around.

"You heard it as well," she whispered, "it came from somewhere up there."

The pair looked up at the stone ceiling before edging further into the shadows near the door they needed to enter.

"Why are these things never easy?" Steve murmured, "it would be much easier if it was "to open this door, do all these things in the obstacle course and remain alive to enter", that we could do with ease."

"The only reason someone would use the back door to our home is if they were in a lot of trouble," Cherry said quickly in a cheerful chiming voice, "or being hunted, or maybe even dying, and it was the only way they could get home."

Steve's eyebrows rose as he turned to look at Cherry, "You're as surprised about you saying all of that as I am. Where did it come from?"

Cherry frowned, shaking her head, "I'm not sure, but I know it to be true, and I'm sure someone told me about it and why we need to go through all of this."

"You don't have all your memories back," Steve said, covering his eyes with his clean hand and rubbing the sudden itch away, "do you need to have all your memories before you do the ritual?"

"It's not a ritual," Cherry said, raising her voice and grimacing as Sam hushed her; glancing at her motionless friend, she continued in a whisper, "it's a coming-of-age celebration ... and I don't know if I require all my memories."

"My apologies about the confusion about the type of celebration," Steve said, frowning and looking toward the stone ceiling once more, "there are people up there."

"What do you mean?" Cherry asked, frowning and looking up at the spot where Steve stared.

"I hear feet shuffling," Steve said, "I don't think we're alone."

"Do you think it's friend or foe?" Cherry asked, glancing at Sam as she stiffened.

Steve noticed as well, shifting his gaze to the stone doorway. Sam breathed in before her finger squeezed the trigger, reloaded and fired again. Cherry jumped, slapping her hand over her mouth, muffling any sound.

"Cherry," Steve said, "this is your home. You told us no one will allow you to be courageous. Do you see anyone tell you either way at the moment?"

Cherry gasped as Sam fired again; as she listened, her face became calm, and she met Steve's gaze, "You're right. This is my moment. Sam said it would come, but I'm not used to stepping out of my path ... guess they conditioned me that way. Now, I can do this or not do this."

"What are you going to do?" Steve asked, shifting painfully and shaking his head as though to clear it.

"I'm going to choose to be courageous," Cherry said, looking at the array of weapons Sam had on the ground, "starting with backing up my best friend."

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"Do you know how to use any of those?" Steve asked, panting as his hand went to his side, coming away with slight marks of red on his skin. He was bleeding again.

"I do know how to shoot this one," Cherry picked up an angry-looking gun with a link of ammo attached, "yes, that will do for starters."

Steve watched as she took up a position behind Sam and began firing, moving when required. A smile broke out as he watched the two women defend the keep. Steve chuckled while picturing the surprise of the Tenderhooks, thinking they were fighting against men, but two women were like the knights of old. Gasping, he leant against the door, breathing through the renewed pain in his side. Slowly he sank to the floor, shaking his head again to clear it.

"Have to stay awake ..." he panted as he forced his eyes to remain open, "must be there for Cherry."

"Steve," he heard a slightly accented voice call his name, "fixeches ben, o teu traballo está completo. Descansa e déixanos axudar."

Steve frowned, "I don't understand what you're saying ..." he gasped, holding his side once more, "oh no ..." the blood began to ooze between his fingers, "the wound is bleeding again."

"Sam did say it was only a temporary fix," the voice said, "as I said before ... you have done well; your job is complete. Rest and let us aid you."

"That would be great, but I cannot get in," Steve panted, "any suggestions?"

"Reach out your hand and grasp mine," the voice said; a hand appeared extending out of the stone wall, "let us bring you in."

Steve shifted, looking at the two women, "But ... I cannot desert them."

"You are not deserting anyone," the voice said, "they got you here for help. Now let us give it to you."

Pain sliced through his side, and panting, Steve spotted the extended and reached out. He gripped it around the wrist, "I want to live. I cannot leave my family," Steve shook his head again, but his vision blurred, and the darkness he had been fighting closed in, "I ... want ... to ... live..."

"That is all we needed to assist you," the voice said as the hand drew his limp body through the rock face.

Cherry glanced over her shoulder, "Steve," she called as she saw him disappear, "why is the rock face absorbing Steve?"

"He is getting the help he needs," Sam said, propping her sniper rifle on one side and picking up another weapon, "right now, we need to make sure we can get in. I see you decided to be courageous."

"Yeah, that was Steve who pointed out no one was telling me I could or couldn't do whatever I chose to ... in this particular moment," Cherry glanced at where Steve was last seen, "I do hope he will be okay."

"Cherry," Sam said, firing at the never-ending stream of people coming along the passageway, "I'm glad you got to that point and had an epiphany, but we have less than two hours to get you inside and do whatever you need to, to protect whatever you need to protect."

"Good point," Cherry said, "but we're going to be out of ammo before these people stop coming."

"I need to do something a little drastic," Sam said, "cover me."

Sam ran from the shelter they had been using, engaging with the forces coming in. Cherry watched, firing wherever and whenever she needed to. Worry tore at her, for Sam, for Steve and for the heritage she needed to protect. Memories were becoming clearer the longer she stayed in this alcove, and it seemed like the person she used to be was returning. Sudden silence came from the cave. Cherry met Sam's gaze as one man came from behind, grasping her around the waist and locking her hands to her side while another aimed a gun at her. Cherry stepped from the alcove drawing their attention.

"No," her voice bouncing off the cave walls, "you want me ..." she turned to the man who held the gun, aiming and shooting, "stop hiding behind your men and come out into the open, you cowards."

Everything slowed and stilled as four men moved into the space. They were all around the same height, varying builds and weights, but the cold cruelty in their eyes and the sneers on their faces told of the family resemblance.

Sam quickly finished off the man holding her and moved toward Cherry as Andris aimed his gun at Cherry and pulled the trigger. Desperation had Sam pushing off the floor and throwing herself in front of Cherry as the bullet hit Sam's chest.

"Sam, no," Cherry cried out, dropping to the floor near her friend, "how do I stop the bleeding?"

"Cherry," Sam gasped, "the door is open ... go."

"Not without you," Cherry sobbed, "you said you'd be there at the end."

"I will," Sam said, "remember I'm designed to survive ... now ... go."

Pushing from the ground, Cherry nodded, stepping back one step at a time as the Tenderhook men moved toward her. Guns rose, aiming at her. Breathing in, Cherry turned and ran toward the door as fast as she could. Heat slammed into her calf as she made the alcove drawing a cry of pain from her; she staggered, looking over her shoulder. She halted, frowning as she saw so many leather-clad people exploding into the space she had left. Some with guns, some with bow-and-arrows reminding her of Robin Hood and his Merry men.

"Cherry," Sam called, pushing up from the ground, "run."

Turning, Cherry ran through the door; as it began to close. The cool stone passageway was much like the outside sand and rock disappearing into total darkness as the door completely shut. Cherry stopped running, reaching out her hand; she felt for the stone wall. Using the wall, she started moving forward, gasping as the wet river ran down her leg, making her progress difficult. Suddenly she stepped through a veil of Willow tree branches into a vast cavern filled with natural light and a field of flowers, trees and a river running through it.

"No way," she whispered, looking around, "the place from my dreams ... the river ... follow the river to the lake and dive into the depths which hold your healing and heritage."

Limping toward the river, Cherry found a large stone to sit on. Cupping her hands, she poured water over the wound in her leg.

"That's the last time I wear shorts on an adventure," Cherry sighed as the bleeding slowed and then stopped, "okay ... follow the river."

Standing, she tested her leg, finding it didn't hurt as much and she could make this journey. She checked the time and sighed, forty-five minutes to complete the coming of age. A feeling of peace and knowing she could do this settled deep within. It was a journey she needed to complete on her own. A trip she was more than ready for. Striding forward, Cherry found her leg worked well, and her stride became quicker, pushing into a fast walk that evolved into a run. She was going to do this, complete the course she was born to fulfil and save centuries of ... whatever she was meant to protect. Frowning a little, Cherry sighed. She still didn't know that part.

"Time will tell all," she whispered as she found a path next to the river and hoped she was heading in the right direction toward the lake, "my destiny awaits."