Untitled story

In the first month of the age of the sun, i was born to Ruler Mallick and his beloved wife, Ferra, obediant rulers of Kroos. A land plentiful of forests, river, lakes and unending flat terrain. 1

war had never before have reached our fertile lands. Until the day i was born. My name i Horanly, Great Daughter and beloved child of Kroos. 2

hours after i was born, screaming into this world did a messenger hearld the forth coming army that marched against my father and mother. For what purpose, i have never known. Any answer i have ever gotton from my parents was that i was such a beautieful child and war was never to be my concern, then i was promtly shooed away. 3

My watch mother of course kept a close to my every step and was quiet ept to storytelling. Although she never told me the story of what had happend when i was born. She did tell me story of worlds far across seas of fire, full of brimstone and evil monsters. 4

My favorite story was her tale of a runaway girl, Rell, barely old enough to wear her full wardrobe, who became a gypsy of sorts selling dream catchers made of long grass, wood and spider webs. watch mother would always describe every detail with such passion i was brought into her storys, running from gold armoured gaurds with Rell, building dream catchers and climbing trees to sleep in. I am in debted to my dearest watch mother. Unable to runaway my self, her storys gave me freedom. i loved my watch mother as i did my own dear mother Ferra. and on my 11th birthday, my watch mother disapeared. I looked for her for hours thinking maybe it was a game and i would find her hiding with a present, but when the day passed on without her ever appearing i was distrasught; i cried and demanded to know where she had gone. no one would answer so i quickly brought the matter up with my mother Ferra. In her soother ways, she told me that my watch mother was no longer needed in my care giving and was directed to another daughter of the family. i sulked, pouted and threw fits for days. i wouldnt eat and wouldnt come out of my room even to see my father. But beaing nearly an adult, a week passed before my senses came back to me full force. I was Great Daughter of Kroos and there were dutys i needed to carry out in respect for my family. So i finally was dressed in my full wardrobe and transformed into the butterfly i needed to be. I remember so vividly what happend that day, almost as if it happend only yesterday. My skirst that first day were blue. the deepest blue of a deep calm lake or like the wonderful blueberrys that are imported to us from a grand garden city of the north. It was made out of the finest Fae silks and felt like warm water over my skin. My slippers were made to match and if you looked closly there were deep blue beads accounting for all the shimmering shine when the sun reflected off of them them. My most exciting and patiently awaited for moment was when i was given my headdress by my mother Ferra who wore it on her 11th birthday until her wedding and her mother before her. it was timelessly beautieful with ancient elven craftsmenship. the headdress was its self was made out of the oldest wood in our land, the Mellian tree which is highly prized and respected. It only grew in my fathers land and it takes hundred of years to grow one tree into a young spruce. the elven masters who made this headdress were so enchanted and dedicated to ther Great Daughter of Kroos thousands of years ago that they created a most incredible crown to adoren her head. Taking only a branch from the tree, they molded and designed the crown weaving spells of luck and harmony upon it. She loved the craftsmen just as much as they did her, and in return she gave them a palace made of silver and gems, it is rumoured. Hidden away from prying eyes of the world, it is said to be buried in the hills of Kroos, uncharted. The headdress was named the crown of love and the daughter the Bearer of Love. First born sons of course happened, but they were never given the privalige of the crown. The crown of love was intricatly woven branches twisted and turning, making the eyes dizzy trying to follow the pattern and it was always warm to the touch as if there wass a life of its own, always beating within. It always shone brightly, always beautifully. And on my day, the Crown of Love sat upon my head. I had my hair done up in the proper traditional way, just to make sure the crown would never slip from my head to the floor.5

When i think back, so many things seem trivial now and only made me hurry up and wait for things i did not understand. patience is such a virtue when you are being made proper. every hair in its place, every smile rehersed, every stance exercised and ingrained. I dont miss it. 6

According to Sha i was a "show pony." which is apperently a horse bred to be flaunted by its owners, i think.7

As the years trickled by I excelled in my dutys of inspecting our gardens, haveing grand visitors escorted by me and my aunterage.and me obsession, the bird santuary was doubled in size and in quantity. Secretly, i would even dabble in painting. Only simple paintings from fruite dyes and water though. i never shared them with anyone. the thought of a great daughter was painting was a shocking thought. i was exceptionaly bright when it came to liturature and my star studys. My father mallick was always proud and would want to indulge the entire city every few months with a circus in my honor. A collection of acrobatics, fortune reading gypsys, creatures so large they touched the ceilings of the ginormous tents with their blue tounges. I believe they were called Gaffs. they had homosapians that climbed on everything and everyone, some so small they looked like kittens just born. and there were birds, so many many birds that i always wanted to keep them for my own gardens. But over time, i began to lose intrest in animals and gain intrest in their trainers and owners. They were all so calm, so intune and nurtering with these beasts that it often made me wonder if it was magick or could these people be rouge gypsys in the dark arts? I just didnt know. So curiosity got the better of me, as it usualy does.8

On the night of a circus performance during the Harvest month, i was as usual surrounded by my cousins and their maids and their mindless chatter on our way to the performance tent. I quickly slipped out of the gaggle of cousins so that i may snoop around behind the scenes. Instantly the noise was deafening. People screaming and yelling obsenities. i even saw a man dress in a wire skirt with his face painted white and black in a two tone fashion chase a woman with hundreded of ribbons in her hair, and barly any clothing on with a dress. Hoping no one noticed me i snickered and watched them disapear behind on of the thick curtains. There were so many colors, some i have never seen before, there was laughted and drinking and so many things going on at once, it surprised me when i was suddenly being shoved behind a curtain by a boy glaring at me. He stopped and looked me up and down, taking in every detail, it seemed. unable to speak out of sheer shock, he ushered me to a group of women sowing cloth together and said loudly so everyone might be able to hear, "Your supposed to be out on the floor in two minutes. where did you get that costume? its hideous and dosnt match the scene. Shenell, get her changed! we have one minute and if we screw this up i shant share whatever tips we can collect with you, or any of you!" Everyone laughed as the boy threw me at a woman with salt and peppering hair and a clouded over left eye. i was in a tangled mess because of my skirts and extra material for the event and i was attempting to right my self when i heard a loud booming voice introduce a couple of performers who had begun. i started yelling at the boy who had pushed me and flailing my arms at the elderly woman to get away as i was trying to stand straight. "Get off me. How dare you speak-oof, sorry- to me that way you impertinate worm!-oh im so sorry! was that your toe? I apologise...-excuse me, boy!" The people around me stopped speaking and shuffled around to see the comotion i was creating. I saw the boy pause midstep and half turned to look back. I glowered and his dark eyes widened to the size of plums. i huffed my way over to him, ignoring the silence around me. he turned around completly to face me, and i continued to walk right up to him, nose to nose. he smelt faintly of sandlewood and mellian oil, his face was painted in waves of blue gold and green. his earth colored hair was wet with persperations or water which hung in his face in strands, almost touching the end of his nose. in his eyes was fear, which gave me enough inititive to keep scolding. i didnt yell but whispered. whispering always seems to make the person listen more intently and make anger look more explosive. "are you blind or is your brain at the pace of a snail?" the boys mouth hung open. it was at this point i realized i had to tilt my head back and glare at him. he was at least two feet taller then my self. "You inadequet little slug. i should have you caged for your abuse towords me. do you even know who it is that stands before you?" he closed his mouth and looked at my beloved crown then looked down at my fine olive green elven gown, then back to my face and whinced as if i had slapped him. I smirked. "Thats right, you tittering bully." the people around us began to move and continue getting ready but the noise was incredibly lower so everyone had a chance to hear what was going on. the boy began to stutter and apologise. he hung his head and was shifted from foot to foot. i said nothing and did nothing, just waited. Suddenly a giant bird landed on the boys earth colored hair and without even thinking i laughed and oggled the magnificent creature. the boy stopped babbling and liften his hand so the bird may be able to step onto it. forgetting my self completly i asked, "may i hold it?" his eyes were the size of plums again, but a little half smile reached his lips. after a moment he held out the winged beast. the deep reds and golden yellows were so ruch they made my think of the spring time heart berrys and butter cup flowers, i hlep out my green gloved hand and the bird graciously stepped on. unexpectedly, my hand and arm dropped at the sheer weight of the bird flapping its wings, that were at least the span of my arms, in annoyance. I struggled to lift my arm up but the boy helped me by softly raising my hand. i smiled brightly at him as if we had never had a problem and asked," what kind of bird is it? Its so beautiful." "He is a Maka Bearer of Love. I offer him to you for penece to my rude behavior. I ment no harm, i only thought you were pat of the dancers and was confused. i didnt mean to push My Lady. please forgive me, and take him. His name is Ricktick and he is very smart and speaks. Speak Ricktick..." I only smiled, bedazzled by the beauty that was a maka. Ricktick jumped off my hand and onto the boys shoulder crying out "Ricktick tick tick." I laughed uncontrolably.Petting Ricktick on the wing i decided what i should do with him, ignoring his apologies. "what is your name?" ricktick cawed and shouted his own name. the boy scratched under the birds beak and said in a defeated tone, "brynsha, Bearer of Love." I nodded. "will you work in my bird sanctuary? you seemt to know quite a bit about exotic birds and i have quite a few who need attending to. I think that would be apology enough." Brynsha looked dumbfounded. His mouth hung open so far that ricktick actually began to nibble at his lip and teeth. i laughed again. the room had suddenly emptied excepted for a few people running in and out grabbing select items. "i need to sit down," he said, batting at ricktick to get away from his face. i nodded my permission but i dont believe he even noticed. i stood where i was, patiently as he rubbed his face, smearing the colored paints till he spoke. Sitting up straight he replied, "I am truly deeply and infinatly sorry My lady, but i must decline your gracious offer." it was my turn to be surprised. "But if you wish it Bearer of Love, i will teach you everything i know," brynsha added quickly. ricktick started laughing as a quiet settled between us. Before i could answer after a moment of thought i heard my name being called by my horrible cousins. i looked at the direction they were coming from and looked back to brynsha. "we will start tomorrow. you should breakfeast with me and my cousins. bring ricktick as well." yet again brynsha's mouth hung open and i smirked. Curtsying gracefully i turned to my twittering cousins as they engulfed me. fawning over me, my dress, my hair i was quickly lead away. 9

i finished watching the performance that night with little inrest. all i wanted was to learn about my birds.10

that night i slept uneasily, waking ever few hours because of dreams that i could never recall. by the time my maids came in to wake me, i was grouchy and had bruises under my eyes. they meticulously washed me and dressed me in a light blue gown like that of the sky. and with my crown of love perfectly adorned on my intricatly patterned red hair i was ready for anything. i was excited and anixous the see brynsha and his pet but i kept to my rutine. I was always the first to the breakfeast table so that i could enjoy the humming silence of the rising sun,and so i might be able to prepare my self for my insistantly annoying cousins. I had no doubts that they would ask me what happend to me and why i was talking with brynsha. and i had no intention of telling them. 11

Sipping on my heartberry tea with honey i saw a rather large fly with two sets of wings and a long green body land on the table spread. at first it appeared to have a stinger like a bee but the longer i looked it didnt come accross as meanacing. inquisitly it seemed it flew and landed closer to me. i set my cup down on its dolly and reached my hand out to it. surprisingly the fly flew onto my hand, making me jump. the closer i looked i saw that its wings were nearly clear like water but they had spines in the like a leaf. it had two large black eyes the were multicolored in the sun that stared unblinkingly at me. "What are you?" i asked in a whisper. The greeen fly flew off of my hand and zoomed behind me and fly at brynsha. He was dressed in a very smart looking white linen short pants with black boots and a wide shouldered shirt. he was being lead by my handsom serving maid tilly. i stood as respect demanded and waited till he approached the table. i could see his face in much more detail now that there was no paint and there was the bright morning sun. his hair was still the color of dirt but it was brushed back framing his face, his eyes were dark olive green and his skin was very tan from being in the sun. he seemed on edge and his eyes kept darting back the way he came and then back at me. i gave a little curty and offered him a seat. "wheres ricktick?" i asked pleasently and as if on cue i heard squaks and yelling and dished shattering, then silence. ricktick finaly came out and landed on the back of brynshas chair. i smiled and tired to comfert brynsha, "dont worry, you should see my cousins when they have had a little to many glasses of wine, they make such a rucous its silly." brynsha laughed uneasily and took his seat. tilly came back out at that point with a silver tray toped with little plates of food. poised as always, she silently served us but i noticed that she was quite red in the face. i didnt want to embaress her her as soon as all the plates were out i dismissed her. brynsha ate slowly and neatly which reminded me of one of my great aunts almost falling asleep at supper. i finished my first plate of fruite and to break the silence i asked if i may feed ricktick. a slight change over came brynshas face from stiff paranoia to make a little more of a relaxed state. He finished chewing his bite of melon and the nodded. he reached behind him and offered his hand to ricktick who obligingly took it. in one smooth action brynsha rested his arm on the table so that ricktick wasw as close as possible. i felt like i was 13 again at my first circous, when i touched the giant gaffs and elephants with noses like a snakes body. i smiled and ignored the rudeness of brynsha leaving his arm on the table and picked up my fork with a little red melon on it. tasting a little of the melon with his pink tounge, i waited for ricktick to take the piece. "where did you buy him, i must know! i want a whole flock for my bird garden." ricktick jumped off of brynshas hand and onto the table heading for my plate. just then i heard my cousins giggling at something. my smile disappeared and i said something rather nasty under my breath. ricktick started eating off my plate with his foot while balancing amazingly well on the other. i saw brynsha looked stupified so i winked as i stood gracefully to recieve my guests. he took the hint and rose out of his seat, bumping into the table and disrupting rickticks breakfeast and balance. Rondly, hersly, paily, and ferraly smiled and stared openly at brynsha but didnt say a word. I gave them all hugs and kisses and asked if they were well, the responded the same bowed and went to their seats.. as they settled in i announced brynsha and ricktick, "they are going to teach me more about the exotic birds i have." brynsha turned a warm mahogany color as he became the center of attention. "Thats lovely! What kind of bird is dear little ricktick? why is it eating your fruite dear cousin? is he another kind of peakock? i hope he dosnt doodle on the cups." i motioned for brunsha to sit as i sat down, which he did with a solid thump sound. i gently petted rickticks back as he made his way to the fruite platters. "i believe brynsha called ricktick a maka, but i was intereupted to find anything else out." i glowered at my four cousins which made them look away. "will you tell us more brynsha?" i asked. he looked up at me from his plate that he was staring at and smiled uneasily again but he cleared his thought and reached out to pet ricktick but resting his arm on the table again. rondly gasped as the other giggled behind their gloved hands. immediatly lifting his arm off the table, he cleared his throat again.12

"Ricktick was a gift to me from a tribe i met in a humid forest east of Kroos. the air is hard to breath but the magnificent sights i saw were well worth the breathlessness. the people i met guided me and my companions though their forest so we could find out way to the Great Mallicks land so we may perform. there were dangerous animals like in our circous. like the gaffs, elephants and snakes longer then the tallest man. they showed us frogs that we just as colorfull as ricktick here but learned they were incredibly poisonious. and of course there were birds. thousands of birds lined the trees watching us make our way through the hot forest. our guids were a very simple people and revered all the animals and all the plants. they never killed without a blessing, never hunted unless given a blessing. they even cried as they would burry the bones of the animals they ate. I had many conversations with a man they called a 'shaman' or a doctor if you will. he knew so much it was amazing. it took my caravan four months to get to the coast of Ann. In those four months i learned what the shaman offered to teach me. the birds like ricktick were exspecially important to him. he said that the makas were the eyes and ears of the forest. they always knew what and who was in their vicinity. he said that they would display their wings and jump around to signal danger and they would dance and sing to find their partners. my shaman friend considered the makas one of the most intellegent animal in all the forest." during his story i had been watching with amuzment as ricktick had been eating all of brynshas fruit. his story also made me yearn to travel as he did. but i was 18 and i had to many dutys at home to wonder. rondly butted rudly into my thoughts and said, "I think thats horrific. the stench that must have come from there makes me faint. im surprised anyone would live there at all!" i was on the verge of saying something snappy but brynsha beat me to it. "the smell was atrotious, as you said and the people were what you would concider unworth of better." he surprised me. and rondly approved if the answer but she was far to stupid to hear the underlying insult. Smiling my approval, i saw brynsha visably relax. "well dear cousins, it is time for my walk around the gardens. i would also like to show brynsha my bird sanctuary, if he wouldnt mind?" he shook his head quickly, "good." my cousins nodded and patted their painted lips dry and gracefully stood. brynsha snapped up, this time missing the table and helped me out of my chair. i raised an eye brow in surprise. Apprently brynsha was much more of a character then i had preseived him to be. he had ricktick climb to his shoulder and we began out slow tedious walk through the gardens. 13

every morning is the same, fawning over a new flower, a new scent, what todays big gossip was and their common complaints. i barly listened anyumore. but that day i had brynsha and ricktick for my sorce of entertainment. 14

he explained to me in great detail diffrent things like how to properly clean makas, natural and unnatural diseases they are able to catch. he told me funny stories of his recent travels with ricktick, like when they were on a trade ship ricktick would always bully and brutiliz any seaguls hanging on the mast. and at night, the crewmen of the ship would play music and ricktick would dance for them. brynsha also told me about many other kinds of birds from the same forest ricktick was from. 15

I quickly lead him to my bird cages in hopes that i might have at least one species of the exotic birds he described. we spent hours talking, pointing and me learning. but my cousins complained about the bird droppings everywhere, the stench and the heat. So they retreated back to the villa, giveing me a chance to talk without their questions peppering me and brynsha. i dusted a bench off with a hancherchief and offered brynsha a seat. I saw ricktick on his hand, bitting at his fingers. He was holding onto rickticks foot. "why are you doing that? dosnt that pain ricktick?" he shook his head, "no it dosnt, he just despises being touched on the feet let alone being grabbed. I'm holding onto him so he wont fly off. im worried he would fight and possibly eat some of the small birds." He sat down with a cawing ricktick. i tried comferting him but he wouldnt even let me pet him. "fiesty thing," i murmmured. "As are you," i heared brynsha say softly. i turned to face him insulted, "what do you mean by that sir?" brynsha smiled and repeated the word i had called my cousins. "isnt exactly ediquite to be calling your breakfeast guests and your cousins that." I smiled and laughed. "very true... but lets just keep that between you and i." Brynsha nodded and sighed. Standing up he bowed, ricktick still annoyed. "it is getting later on in the day and someone must be looking for you, Bearer of Love. I apreciate the breakfeast you have given us," i nodded and waved away his formalitys. "i like you brynsha. your not a total ninny and your not afraid of me. I would like you to stay as long as you can so that we may discuss more about more birds." he laughed lightly and smiled. "i would be honored. now let me escort you back to your cousins shall i?" "thats retched, no! an escort back is all. no more of them today." offering me his freehand, he helped me stand and we left the birds in silence enjoying the sights of my private gardens when i heard a bell toll. i didnt understand why a bell would be ringing at first. but i started to panick, that bell mean anything. but it would always mean something bad. brynsha was trying to ask me questions about the bell when i picked up my skirts unlady like and ran. the finish on my shoes that day were finished. the flowers rushed past me in streamsn of color, the sun beat down on my head, it seemed, with evil intent and then the bell stopped ringing, but i didnt stop. i had to find my father, i had to know that everything was alright. as soon as i reached the back of the villa servants were rushing about whispering fiercly. i grabbed a man in his serving uniform and demanded to know what was going on. brynsha came bursting through at that moment, but he was not my concern. the servent, well taught, softly but quickly told me that there was a messenger dieing on the back of a giant horse. a note tied to him saying that there was an army here invading." I ran past the servent, flying through the winding corridors full of people packing paniking and of course gossiping. i could hear brynsha yelling for me to stop, but i wouldnt listen. i finaly had to stop when i stubbed my toe against a stone step leading up to my fatheres chambers. brynsha caught up to me and grabbed my shoulder like he did the night before, which immediatly caught my attention and made me furious, i actually swung my gloved hand at him face. "great mallick... lady ferra...gone... boats... i think... oh, ow." breathlessly managed to ducking out of the way. I stood still as brynsha tried catching his breath. "but that would mean they have already left. why? dont they know im still here?" brynsha shrugged rudely and gulped for air. "come on," i grabbed brynshas hand and pulled him as quickly as i could. my stubbed toe pulsing with a new bruise, but i ignored it. if i could get back to my rooms i could leave for the boats without being spotted or followed. i took the quickest way possible and found no one in the halls. it was erially quite. Above me i coul still hear people scrambling and trying to figure a way to get out. finally reaching my room, i founds the door partially open already. breathing deeply i tried to slow my breath so i couldnt be heared and showed brynsha to do the same. I stopped against the stone wall with an old tapastry of when i was younger, depicking my first bird. i raised my finger to my lips to show brynsha to be silent. he nodded then moved in front of me, putting his arm out so i wouldnt pass him. he looked into the room as far as he could and without looking back he pulled out a very thin curved knife and then another one. no one was aloud weapons in my or my familys presence with any kind of weapon and the penalty for it was to bein the stockade for a week. my anger flared then fizzled when he handed me one of the knives. there was a tiny handle just as thin as the blade but wrapped with a sticky cloth. i had no idea how to use a knife! as i grabbed the blade, he burst into the room but no one was in side. everything was thrown all about, ruined and ripped to shreds. all of the glass sculptures of flowers, birds and other animals were smashed all over the floor. my bed was now full of tuffets of wool. someone had been looking for something. brynsha checked the water chambers and shook his head. i quickly raised my finger to my lips again as he opened his mouth, about to say something. walking very softly and carefully between the glass, i stood on my tip toes and whispered, "we must leave, i know a way. but i have to grab a few things. stay silent." brynshas lips tightened but he nodded. i turned my vanity chest to its standing position and opend it. i pulled out my long black winter cloak i used only when i went to the farthest coast south with my parents for winter. with the knife, i akwardly cut the red velvet lining of the chest and pulled out a bone white key about the size of my pinky. i quickly put the key into my breast pocket which was designed into everyone of my gowns so that i may carry a possy or even a sweet, but now, it was to be used as the last means of protection for the key. i undid most of my hair and carefully took the crown of love off, wrapped it in the velvet lining and pinned it closed with my hair pins. placeing the knife ontop of the bundle, i sat down and grabbed my winter riding boots in exchange for my ruined slippers. i stood up with the assistancew of brynsha and threw on my cloak. a terrible blood curdiling scream ripped through the walls. it seemed that not even the stone could quite the noise. i covered my ears but the picked up my precious bundle and ran into the water chambers. right beside the pot i pushed a stone brick that wasnt a stone at all, but a wood panle. I pushed it back as far as it would move then directed my weight to the door beside the pannle. Harder and harder i pressed till it finaly moved. it had been years since its last use. i stepped inside letting brynsha get inside before i pushed the wood pannle back and slid the door back into place. we stood bent at the waist, looking at each other at odd angles for a few moments so that we could get used to the dark. The screaming was still bellowing through the corridors, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. taking a deep breath i tried ignoring the penetrating howl.16

Taking off my right glove and stuffed it into one of the pockets neatly consealed in my gown. A soft faint light flowed from my moon stone ring, emitting a sense of calm. "How-" brynsha began, but i quickly covered his mouth with my bare fingers. his face and lips were oddly warm against my bare fingers, but i had no time to wounder about why, so i motioned my head down the dark tunnle and slowly took my hand away from his lips. He nodded and waited for me to preseed him. My right hand was out on the walls or on ceiling, shining light and feeling our way down further into the tunnle, finaly away from the horrific screams behind us. farther and farther we went, silent and sore. half an hour passed when we came to a four way fork. steadily i set my bundle beside me as i kneeled and held out my hand. In the shadowy light i could see brynshas face with cruntched eye brows in question, but he slowly pulled out his thin knife again and handed it to be butt end first. I started cutting and ripping a large piece of my dress off my left sleeve. once all the threads were cut away i ground the cloth into the dirt and the rat droppings along the wall making it look filthy the without hesitation hung it off of a sharp out cropping of the stone wall next to the second right tunnle in front of me, hopping that if anyone came this way they would follow that tunnle. I turned and handed the knife back to brynsha and smiled. wincing i faced forward, picked up my crown and continued on down the furthest left tunnle. Roughly another half hour passed and i could hear that faintest sounds of running water over bryshas and my breathing. The air was starting to get to me, making me light headed and not entirly steady. but i continued on, notiving that the ground was sloping and the tunnle was getting big enough for me to stand up straight. The stench of rotting wood now permeated the air, making me worried. i turned around to see if brynsha was alright and could walk straight, but unfortunatly, he was still a scant few inches to tall still for the tunnle ceiling. i smiled at the akward angle his head was bent. glaring at me in turn i desided not to say anything and quickly followed the rest of the tunnle. My ring was slowly becomeing less and less bright as natural sun light began to filter through from carefully placed air vents. i sighed with relief. there, bobbing in the steady flow of the rive was a boat, big enough to fit six men.17

When i was about eight or nine years old, my watch mother showed me the tunnles but warned me to never go in them. i didnt listen. i would often travel the tunnles avoiding my watch mother and my cousins.Those were the simplest days of my life and i miss the ease with each day was lived. i took so much for granted.18

Quickly, i went to the boat and hopped in, saftly tucking the crown under the plank that was my seat and took out the rest of the pins in my hair so that i flowed freely. throwing all my bejewled pins into my velvet bundle just in case i needed something to barter with, i threw on the hood of my cloak then grabbed the ore closest to me. Brynsha stepped onto the boat, making it rock and took the ore from my hand. "what are you doing?" i whispered fircily. "You wont be able to row for very long. i can. now switch me seats." i crossed my arms and replied angrily, "You have no right to give me orders- Oh!" Brynsha had grabbed me by my shounders and lifted me up and set me down behind him. the boat rocked wildly for a few moments and all i could do was hold on and hope we balanced out quickly. He turned and gave a mock bow, "my lady," and sat down, picking up the ores. "please hand me the crown behind you, brynsha." he let go of the ores and carefully handed me my prize and settled it between my feet. I then turned around and untied us from the wood pile setting us free into the swift river. it very quickly became dark again and only the irridesent glow from my moon stone was relief from the pressing darkness.19

"I noticed ricktick hasnt been with you. is he alright?" i asked quietly. brynsha snickered then sighed. "ricktick is very intelegent and knows when there is trouble and knows how to stay clear of it. he might stay with the rest of my caravan or he might hide in your bird santuary. he might even be flying home. im not to worried about him." i smiled. "do you know what was making that screaming sounds earlier?" he asked as we bumped into the bank then continued on down the river. i shook my head and forgot he couldnt see me very well. "no i dont but it wasnt natural, whatever it was." i shivered to think about that sound. "what are we going to do when we get through the tunnle? where does it lead, do you know?" brynsha asked softly. "Im not entirly sure when the tunnle leads to, only that if we stay on the river we will reach the beach where my parents keep their fastest ship. I want to believe that they havent left yet and are waiting for me..." i sighed then thought of brynsha, "you of course can come with me. i have no idea where your friends would have been escorted to in such a rush." he said nothing for a long moment then replied, "that will be nice. i will find them again." and we spoke no longer for a time. the current was swift and made the boat softly hit the banks when we came to close. Thats when a sudden urge came over me. i tried to ignore it but the adrenilin in me had worn off and my blatter was about to burst. i didnt know what to do, so like any lady, i crossed my legs.my focus was lost when brynsha asked me, "do you know what happend? who it was that came to your fathers estate?" cringing at the lack of comfert, i replied in a short, "No." the boat bumped against the bank again. "Do you think you are able to stop the boat the next time we hit the bank, brynsha?" i asked, almost despratly. "i can try. why are you not feeling well?" he asked honestly. "No, No i dont feel well at all and we need to stop as soon as possible," i replied, holding my legs tightly togethere. "alright, give me one moment." we bumped against the bank and somehow stopped along side it. i jumped up as steadily as i could, reached me hand out over the lip of the boat to see when the ground was and saw slimy soggy mud. i cringed but stepped off the little boat. slipping for a moment i found my footing and ran back away from the boat a few feet, hoping brynsha wouldnt be able to hear the tinkling sounds. I turned my ring so the glowing stone was facing my palm and not shining outwards. then finaly, relief. I pulled all my clothing back togethere and turned my ring back out and slowly made my way back to brynsha and the boat. "do you feel better bearer of love?" i smiled in the comfert that he didnt hear me, "yes i do. thank you brynsha." as i settled myself back onto my seat he requested that i call him Sha. "But why? isnt brynsh your name?" "it is, but it was also my fathers name and he didnt exactly turn out for the better. i usually introduce myself as sha." i nodded, not fully understanding. "then you may call me Hornaly. i know calling me by title is tiresome." i replied wondering if this exchange of names was entirely proper. "you know, many people believe that if you know someones true name, that you are able to hold power over them?" sha asked. my heart stated beatings bruises against my chest. "no i didnt know that." i replied quietly. "my uncles step son told me that when i was young. he had just come from a tribe of people in a deser so wide the named it the sea of sand. whenever there was a wind storm mountains of dust would be carried for miles making sea of sand grow more and more." I let go of my breath that i didnt realize i had been holding. rubbing my hands together to rid them of stiffness i asked him, "you know quite alot about the world, have you always been traveling?" "for the most part. a home built on one place have become mundane for me. my mother used to say that the stars are our roofs and the living earth our bed." sha sighed deeply as if the memory hurt to remember. "what happened between you and your parents?" i wondered. "you really do want to know everything," sha scoffed. "its a short story to tell. my mother was a gift bride to my father from her poor family. i never knew them. i think she was married at 13 my father was already 20 years old if not older. she soon became pregnant with me and here i am. im not sure if there was any love in their realtionship, but my mother tried to show as much as she could with me. But soon after my birth she became pregnant again. people tell me my father started gambling, drinking and getting on with a nasty crowd. One night something must have gone wrong because his 'friends' came to our home, looking for my father. when they couldnt find him they beat my mother, she was seven months along. she miscarried and forever blamed my father. after that there was nothing comferting between them. i grew up moving from boarding room to tents because my father gambled away what ever money we made. when i was ten i found my mother and father screaming at eachother. im not sure what about but it got violent. he hit her full fisted in the chest. she fell and didnt get back up. im not sure what i did or said but it got my fathers attention. he started coming after me so i ran to my room and grabbed the only weapon i had- an old rusted sword that had been lost and forgotten in the mudd year before. he came in and flew at me then he stopped. that rusted junk of metal had saved my life and stopped his. i dont feel much about it. its in the past and i have other familys i consider my won." the story came to such a sudden end that i couldnt beleive that he was completly over it. but i didnt press the matter. " i bet you wife misses. is she amoung your caravan you were with?" sha laughed and snorted. "you assume to much my lady. i am not married nor do i have children." i crossed my arms defiently. "i only assumed because most people our age are normaly married." i replied. " well im not." he said shortly. and there we sat in darkness and silence for a long while. I actually started gettting tired and wanted to rest my eyes when i saw a light a few meters away. excitedly i told sha, "look! there is a light. we have made it!" he said nothing but felt him trying to row in the windy river. we constently hit one bank and then the other, but we approached the light quickly enough. The light turned out the be a small mouth to the tunnles and it was completly grown over by shrubbery. we bummped into the bushes and sha quickly stood up balancing the boat then began terring at the branches. i stood and started helping break the branches as well, getting jabbed. by the time we had broken enough branches to get the boat through, my hands were sore and bloodied. reaching into my gown pocket i pulled out my glove and pulled it on so the material would stop the bleading. sha was watching me, quietly and washing his own bloody hands. "are you alright?" turning to smile at him, "never better. come on, we are almost there." he sat down and steadied the boat so that i could sit down and off we went. it was almost evening it seemed. peering up through the thick foilage of the Chay Forest, i could see the blue sky and the darkneing sun. id didnt realize how long we had been in the underground and i was hoping that my parents were still on the ship waiting for me. silently i willed sha to row faster and but i feared to say so. i never did handle well in situations of unknown odds. i busied my mind by watching our surroundings, listneing to the natural sounds of the living forest. i saw a deer and owl watching from their branches. i even saw a little tan cat with white tuffets of fur framing its specaled face. i was mesmarized and infinatly calmer. 20

"Do you believe in the gods sha?" i ask specuitivly. he was slient for a long while, so i turned to look at him and found his staring straight at me. his deep green eyes penetrated mine. there was no forest surrounding us, there was nothing but us.slowly making our way to an unknown and unshown destination. his face turned a handsome shade of mahogony again, and i could feel my own face warm up. The forrest appeared again, real as ever. he smiled and looked away sighing." after my experience with my father and watching disease and war ravage people it is hard for me to believe that there is anyone watching over us. i believe in the survual that is life, people, and all living things." he replied calmly but sadly. "how cynical... i believe in them. our lives are infinatly precous to the gods. when there is a dire need, they intervein. some call it mircales or luck. its only human nature though to accept or refuse the gods help in whatever form it should appear." i replied whimsically. sha snortted and smiled. "To each his own sha! be kind." i said. we sat quitely together, listening to the birds chirping and the cricket sounds. i watched the forrest change from thick woods to shrubbery and tiny trees growing out of the sand. and peering over a rather large hill of sand, i saw a mast with white sails and a gold flamming mellian tree on the sails. "oh sha! there it is, my parents ship! hurry they might leave any moment!" sha was soon huffing as he pumped back and forth with the ores, sweating proffusly. the sun was starting to set, lengthing the shadowns in the forest and on the sands. "oof!" Sha and i called out as we ran hard against a sholl. my face was inches away from the plank he had just been sitting on, and he was laying on his back looking skyward, the ores in his hands also pointing up. "what happened? we cant stop now!" i said franticly, standing and looking at how severily we were beached. looking back at the sails i made a hasty decison, "come on sha, we can walk the rest of the way." i grabbed my priceless bundle and placed it firmly under my left arm. looking up i saw sha struggling to right him self. he was muttering something undeciferable but i ignored it, we had no time to waste. i jumped off the boat into the cool rushing river. my cloak and gown made walking impossible to cross. i heard a splash behind me as shas surprised voice as he hit the water. he quickly came up behind me and helped me, paticially walking and particially floating across to the right bank. "almost there, almost there..." i heard sha reapeating. im not sure if it was ment for me or for him self. we made it to the bank without to much of a problem. I tried climbing and clawing my way up the steep sandy bank was a bit more of a feat. but luckily sha was able to climb out of the river first and help me up. he struggled to lift me with my gown and cloak drenched i must have weight a good 40 pounds heavier. "you foolish girl! we could have gotten off that sholl fine. walking around like this is seriously going to hinder our speed." i glared at him slightly breathless and holding tightly onto my crown. "let us get on with it," i said meanly. he gave me another mock bow and started to walk ahead of me. "you nitt! where are your manners to a lady and royalty?" he stopped and hung his head. i quickly made my wy up to him panting, feeling the weight of my soggy clothing and held out my right hand. he grabbed it roughly and lead me onwards towords the ship, grumbling under his breath. "would you stop that. your becoming irritating." he stopped and turned a sickingly sweet smile at me and nodded his head. we walked along in realitive silence. the sound of my sandy gown being dragged along behind me was loud enough to cover the natural sounds of the forest. i began to struggle with the weight and said to sha, "i beleive that if i wasnt in such good shape, you would have had to carry me by now." he snorted and said quickly, "not likely."i glared and was about to say something just as rude when sha slapped his right hand over my mouth and pinned me to the side of a rather large sand hill.21

fear made my limbs stiffen. all i could think about was my old aunt Cree saying that men only wabted one thing. but if you had money behind your name, you were severly in trouble if left alone with a greedy man. i prayed to Catha, goddess of womanhood and luck to protect me. Sha quickly lowerd him self, half of his body pinning me into the sinking sand. he looked over the ridge of the sand and slowly came to my ear, "i dont believe your father has black armourd gaurds does he?" it took me a few moments to realize that he wasnt trying to rape me. i shook my head slowly, and pulled his hand away from my mouth, whispering, "what is happening?" sha shrugged like a child and peerd over the top of the hill again for a moment then lowered him self again. "they are loading large crates onto the ship. there are 15 large, sword bearing soliders and one man in robs with a symbol of the mellian tree." my thoughts were in a whirl. "is the priest a captive, did you see my parents anywhere?" tears started welling in my eyes. all i could imagine were two cropses blooded and blue. wiiping my tears away with my sandy hand, i started to rise so that i may be able to see for my self the comotion. Sha whispered into my ear looking over the edge with me, "i think the priest is working with the soliders. and so far i havent seen your parents." my mouth fell open in shock and was immdiatly filled with sand. i loweed my self down to a crouched possition and started spitting out the fine grains of sand. "that is high priest Tokencha! how dare he betray my family like this!!" sha quickly lowered him self and put a sandy finger to my lips and whispered, "they are coming this way. be quiet!" i nodded and waited for his next move. i realized that from here on out, i had no knowledge of the land, no idea where i was exactly and i didnt even know if my parents were still alive. As sha looked over the edge again he began to wave his left hand frantically at me to move to his other side. without a sounds or warning i saw a large red and yellow bird soar from the trees and land gracefully on shas head. i didnt know if i should laugh because of the pure hillarity of it or cry. screaming his own name, ricktick brought all attention towords us. Sha was so still, he barely breathed. i was hoping no one would bother coming over to check out ricktick but then i hear tokencha yelling, "check that out. that might be one of the Bearer of love's birds." i cursed my self for have such a publicly known weakness. i very quickly came up behind sha, very low to the ground and grabbed rickticks tail and moved it from side to side roughly. ricktick squaked but lifted into the air back into the trees. without pause, sha grabbed my hand and pulled me up signaling for me to keep low. i tightened my grip on my soggy velvet bundle and hunched over and followed sha into a thick path of shrubbery i had trouble passing because of my cloak. there we waited. roughly five minutes oassed with us in silence and with a couple of bees buzzing in my ear. but when i went to swat at the bees i saw this it was anothing large green fly like i had seen early that morning. then we saw one of them. the black armoured gaurds were ginormous. they must have been at least seven feet and a few inches. their brest plates were painted a burnt iron black with magick markings engraved all over. their helments were full faced making the open eyes look hollow. my biggest concer was what they carried along their waist. not only the strongest looking orc swords they carried but pouches that strongly reeked of buntseed oil, a deadly poison. their swords were probaly covered in the grease. soon another solider came up beside the first and nodded. "i saw the damned thing land right overe here." the first one said in a raspy voice. the second quickly went to the spot we had been and sifted the sand through his bare fingers. then i heard a very faint sound of cloth ripping. sha was cutting the hem of my dress off. Outraged, i was about to speak when the second gaurd said in a heavy thick voice, "there was two people here not but ten minutes ago. and there, they went that way." sha quickly finished off the last threads of my hem and pulled my sandy and wet golved hand letting go for a split second, i hiked up my dress and cloak as high and respectivly as possible and followed sha, hunched over. crashing through the brush came the two soliders. i righted my self and looked back. both blades were out and glistening in the setting sun. sha looked back for a slipt second and ran pulling me along akwardly. i didnt know what to do. i heard the soilders coming closer and yelling, "come back here!" and i thought, what on Kroos would make me stop and go to them? did they actually expect a postive reaction to their demand? but they wouldnt. i yelled at sha, "wait!catch!" in one swift movement sha turned around, caught the crown of love and tripped iver a large broken branch. barely half a step bhind him, i stopped and picked up the branch and turned to face the eyeless gaurds. they saw me stope and tried stopping them selves. but the first one lowered his sword forbalance but it caught on a young tree and swung him around slipping and sliding on the sand and bay leaves falling face first into a little creek, hitting his head. The second one tripped the heels of the first solider which sent him skidding right to my feet. he grunted as he tried to stand and use his swords to swing at me.but before he even raise his head high enough to look at me, i swung that branch in my hands as hard as possible against the mans helmented head. the wood splintered and the man fell face down in the sand and leave. i looked back at sha a little breathless, and saw that he was standing with one of his knives drawn and a look of complete disbeliefe covered his face. i smiled shakily and looked back at the two gaurds and kicked the one in fron of me on the side of the head. without hesitation i grbbed the sword and the pouch of buntseed oil. dragging the blade along behind me i asked, "do you think you can use this?" hefting the sword in front of me, sha smiled weakly and nodded. going back to the gaurd i had pit pocketed, he untied the mans belt and found a second pouch. opening it he turned back to me and smiled. throwing the belt over his shoulder he reached into the pouch and handed me a gold coin with a face embossed on one side. i didnt recognice the mans head but sha did. strapping on the belt and tieing the money pouch on he bagan to laugh. i pocketed the coin and dragged the sword to him which he took and sheath easily. he created a very handsome picture. his hair wet and hanging in strands in his face, a smile playing across his lips and into his deep green eyes. his once perfectly clean linen suite was stained, wet, torn and bloodied. and to complete the image was the large black belt and double edge sword. he moved his hair back from his face and asked, "what are you staring at?" he seemd uncomfertable under my gaze. " i just thought that you make a handsome picture as you are. please dont tell me how i look. i can only imagine." i smiled and picked up my crown off the sandy ground and put the buntseed oil inside. "shall we?" i asked. he nodded and wiped his face with his hand, smiling. "i cant belive that just happend. i cant!" i shook my head and started walking. i stepped over the creek to the other side and continued back the way we were chassed. sha followed, talking animatedly as i listened in silence. "those fellows and others, they are the imperial gaurd of King Acrell, of the first House of Dragon. he is ruler of all eastern Tenp. it is said that he is cruel and will kill any man who would ever defy him. I once travled to Tenp. it is an incredibly cold and mountinous regin and the people are the same. they didnt take at all kindly to having my caravan come through. we were not even allowed to perform. i heard a couple of rebles say that king acrell was into dark evil things. alchemy, necromancy, possesions. one of the men said that they saw a monster three times the size of a normal man with wings like that of a giant bat, eyes that would glow fire read and his mouth was full of sharp teeth. the creatures body was disformed and scorched as if someone had tried burning the beast." sha paused to catch his breath, which gave me the opertunity to finaly speak." what would this king acrell want with my father? why invade? and why have i never heard of this land before?" "i think king acrell wants to expand his kingdom, find somewhere with more room and furtil land. the only way-" sha was cut off by the reapearance of ricktick flying and landing on his shoulder. i felt sorry for what i did and offered my dirty gloved hand. taking a quick nip that make my jump, ricktick stepped onto my hand and then to my left shoulder. ricktick began to clean the bits and pieces of leaves and sand out of my hair. "your entirly something else, hornally. entirly something else." i scratched absently at rickticks body and replied, "what do you mean?" sha waved the question away and asked, " we have to find a way to get out of here. Are there any other citys, towns or villages near here?" sensibility struck. " i believe that there is a cluster of villages to the north west of here but they are far from here and if that damnable king wants to expand, he would have sent soliders on horses back to them already..."22