Excerpt: Tangled in Illusion

[A flashback in my novel]

The leaves were felled to the ground, much like the world four years later. The ground was tinged with blue frost. Summer had bypassed the land with its flaming glory. Autumn had flung by the state, tearing the leaves from their branches, killing them with frost bite.
Softly, footsteps fell upon the harsh landscape. A dark figure appeared on the landscape, painting the snow with imprints, footprints upon the unbroken beauty. She drew the hood off, flinging it to hang loosely down her upper neck. Turning, she glanced behind her. Silently, she took out a dagger. With a shiver, she yanked her peasant blouse sleeve up and took the knife in her right hand. Running her finger down the blade, she pricked herself, a droplet of bright scarlet blood appearing on her index finger.