Heat of War

She was outside; it was midnight, maybe later. She’d lost track of time hours ago. She had spent many hours lying in this exact spot trying to decide what she wanted and if she had enough guts to take it. She knew what her parents wanted, to marry her off to the strongest bidder, someone to rule the clan after her father died. Her life was a bad medieval romance plot, minus the hot love interest. The only person in her life who cared about what she wanted was her brother. If only she could convince him to take over the clan after dad died, that would solve some of her problems. They wouldn’t be trying so hard to marry her off. She knew that big changes were coming up in her future and “selfishly” wanted a say in them.
Stretching, she stood and brushed the grass off her skirt. She would finally make a decision for herself. She ran to the wall that had always separated her from the outside world and climbed it, landing in a crouch on the other side. She observed the street for the first time unobstructed by the shoulders of hulking body guards. She started to walk; she didn’t know where she was going. She was finally free.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she sensed danger approaching. In the pit of her stomach she felt a flutter of something new and exciting. She turned to face the presence that she felt naturally, just in time to see a large shadowy cat pounce.