Iris was born in the small village of Applewood. She was the only child of a woodcutter and his wife. When Iris was five, her parents were killed by bandits while they were out in the forest. Iris was spared only because she hid under the bed. From that day on, Iris swore she would never be helpless again. Iris spent the next ten years of her life living in the forest, honing her skills as a hunter and tracker. She learned how to fight with a bow and arrow and how to read signs in the natural world. Iris also found a small group of orphans who had been living in the forest since their parents met similar fates. Together, they eked out a meager existence, but they were happy nonetheless. When...