Jade 6

Jade flew through the air on the black griffin, the wind blowing through his hair and brushing the griffin's feathers. Pulling back, Jade made a short landing on the brittle dirt of a field. It was just outside of Twinewood.
"You can go now," Jade said to the griffin as he stepped off and looked around. "Thank you for your help."
The griffin nodded and took off into the sky, leaving Jade alone in the wide barred scape of land. He stood there, just a black speck in his brown surroundings, for a moment looking out into the distance. Then, taking a deep breath, he began to run as fast as his feet could carry him.


"Look, foot prints," said Sir Blake as Prince Tryte and his men scoured the cliff and every griffin nest they could find.
"Where?" Tryte shouted anxiously, spinning around to face Blake.
"Here," Blake replied, crouching down for a closer look. "They're fairly small. Could be a woman."
"My daughter!" The King exclaimed. "Then she could still be alive! Why, she's headed down the mountain!" He said, now seeing the clear path she'd taken through the brush.
The group urgently began, now, their descent of the mountain, Prince Tryte cursing under his breath. They had spent the night climbing up and would now, without rest, make their way back down with the dawn. It was quicker from the top then the bottom and they were soon met by another group of soldiers.
"Who are you?" Tryte shouted.
"Prince Tryte," the man replied, bowing his head. "I am one of your messengers from Castle Broc-"
"Do you have news?!" Tryte snapped.
"Yes sir," the messenger replied.
"Then let's have it!" Tryte shouted, snatching the letter from his hand as he pulled it from under his coat.
A grin began to spread across Tryte's face as he read it and he passed it cooly to Sir Blake when he had finished, who watched with worried eyes.
Sir Blake read it aloud.
"There is a bridge not for from Twinewood forest. It is on the main road and passes over Crooked Creek. I will be there, ready to turn myself in.
-Jade"
The King of the North let out a small sigh, "But what of my daughter?"
"You'll have your daughter," Tryte replied. "Oh yes, you will have her."
Then they galloped off in great haste towards Crooked Creek.


"We must go to Castle Broc before they take him!" Princess Ivy cried to Carbuncle and Fresia.
"What can we do?" Fresia replied. "He has a head start. We can never catch him before he gets to the castle."
"Fresia is right," Carbuncle replied as he filled a pipe from his pocket. "Now it is only a matter of time."
"Will you not even try?" Ivy's eyes glistened with tears as she looked at Carbuncle. "Was he not like a son to you?"
Fresia bowed her head at this, a tear slipping from her eye.
"Even a parent knows when there is nothing they can do," said Fresia.
Ivy buried her head in her hands and began to cry.
Suddenly the loud galloping of many horse hooves stirred Ivy and her companions to stand. And they watched from the grassy knoll as several horses flew past them, but some pulled to a halt. It was Tryte, Blake, and the Northern King.
"My daughter!" The King cried, leaping from his horse and running towards Ivy. They embraced.
"I supposed you've heard," Tryte smiled, directing his words towards Carbuncle, but Carbuncle only frowned.
"Oh a terrible pity," he mocked. "For a murderer to be judged justly."
"He was no murderer!" Ivy shouted, pulling away from her father. "And I think you know this!"
"Ivy, what's this?" Asked the King.
But Ivy bolted towards her father's horse and leapt up. Then, just before galloping off in a wild haste, she turned and said, "This is love father."
"No!" Tryte shouted, galloping after her.
"Ivy!" Cried the King.
"He's turning himself in at the crooked creek," Blake said suddenly, who had been left behind. "My horse can bear one more rider." So the King mounted behind him and they raced off towards the creek, Carbuncle and Fresia running into the wild forest for a shorter route.