DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own "Ranger's Apprentice" and the universe of the series. I only own the country Yreshia and it's citizens. All hail the mighty John Flanagan for creating the magnificent piece of art which is "Ranger's Apprentice"! And sorry I posted this so abruptly, but a certain friend of mine REALLY wanted me to XD Yes I'm blaming you Phoenixicia24!

Kidnapped

Once upon a time, far away, in the country of Yreshia, twin princesses were born. Though they looked almost exactly alike, only their eyes being different colours, but their personalities, as they grew up, turned out very different.

Edel, the oldest twin, became energetic, stubborn, protective and strong, the natural warrior with talents for all kinds of fighting styles. It was almost as if the kingdom had a prince in Edel, for she was strong enough to beat most of the Royal Guard.

But Freya, her younger twin, was the dream of every kingdom. A kind, gentle, polite and clever young woman who read many books and remembered everything she had ever read.
As they grew up, Yreshia was a peaceful and beautiful nation, worthy of it's two princesses. But one day, when the first spring flowers blossomed, defying the remaining snow, Freya was kidnapped.

,,You must be kidding! Freya is my sister, I have to go after her! Those lowly Skandians will not have her," a furious voice sounded throughout the halls of the royal palace of Yreshia, as Edel, the oldest princess, argued with her parents. Edel wished to go after her sister, to the ends of the earth if necessary, but the king and queen could not bear to lose another beloved daughter.

,,Edel, please be reasonable. We have sent a large part of the Royal Army to find Freya, but you must remain here," the king said patiently as the queen sat in tears. Their beloved Freya had taken a walk together with her white tiger, Arajha, but only Arajha returned. Arajha was the most loyal guardian Freya had, but Freya had an unfortunate habit of leaving Arajha behind at times, because the tiger was terrified of water, as any sane cat, big or small, should be.

Edel had thought about how those Skandians could have taken Freya without being attacked by Arajha. She came to the conclusion that Freya must have left Arajha in her favourite clearing in order to get some water to drink. And when Arajha realized that Freya didn't come back she must have run back to the palace to alarm Edel and the parents.

,,Very well... But if they do not return with good news, I will leave with Arajha, with or without your blessing," Edel responded angrily, leaving the throne room. Arajha followed her with same aura of anger and rage around it as Edel had. ,,Arajha, would you be able to follow Freya's scent trail? We're leaving immediately."

Meanwhile, in a position her older sister and beloved guardian could never save her from, Freya was sighing deeply. She was on a ship, it was the Skandians that had abducted her after all. And Arajha, the aqua-phobic tiger she was, would never be able to save her from this. She looked up when a Skandian entered. She had heard his name was Erak Starfollower, the captain of the ship. The name Starfollower was probably given to him because of good navigation skills.

,,You're Edel?" he asked and Freya shook her head. ,,I am Freya, her younger sister," she explained and Erak looked surprised. Freya couldn't help but feel slightly satisfied at that point. ,,But you were with the white tiger," he protested and suddenly the dilemma the captain was in dawned on Freya. She couldn't help but laugh silently. ,,You believed Arajha, the tiger, belonged to Edel?" she asked and Erak sat on a chair at the same oak table Freya was positioned at. Freya was the most diplomatic of the princesses, so when she had realized, that it was impossible for her to win physically against the Skandians, she had played the nice girl. Hence she wasn't being kept in a matter that showed she was expected to run away.

,,It doesn't?" Erak asked slowly and Freya shook her head again. ,,Arajha was a gift Edel gave me as a guardian in her stead, but Edel does occasionally train with Arajha," Freya explained and Erak sighed deeply. Freya guessed that for some reason, the Skandian had been ordered to abduct Edel. And the info they had accumulated had apparently said that the white guardian was Edel's. That was the big flaw in the plan, as that would be the only real clue to recognize Edel from Freya.

,,What do you need my sister for?" Freya asked and Erak groaned. ,,A curious prisoner, just what I needed. Svengal, turn the ship around! We're going back to that blasted Yreshia," he yelled and Freya stood up. ,,What do you need my sister for! Depending on your answer, you may not have to go back," she demanded and Erak looked at her with thunder in his eyes. Freya felt a stir of fear in her young heart, but she stood stubbornly, demanding an answer. The Skandian captain seemed to sense the young princess' stubbornness. He didn't like it, but he gave her an answer.

,,We were ordered to capture Edel of Yreshia for ransom money," he promptly stated and Freya stared at Erak. Erak found the stare strange. She seemed like she was doubting him or something like that. In reality, Freya was astonished by the lack of intel the Skandians had in Yreshia affairs. She shook her head. ,,Why Edel?" she asked slowly. If by revealing classified secrets of the Royal House she could protect Edel, then so be it.

,,I am the one worth the most ransom money. I am to become the next Queen of Yreshia," Freya said slowly and Erak looked at Freya with new eyes. Perhaps this young one would be a better catch. Ragnak wouldn't care if the name was Freya or Edel, as long as he got money, and if the little princess was speaking the truth, Ragnak would be more than satisfied with this one.

,,Do you have proof? Trust me, I do not want to go back to that blasted kingdom, but I want to know that we're not going home with a maid who conveniently enough looks just like those twins." Freya had to acknowledge that Erak was right. She didn't know how to proof she was who she was though. Well, it would of course all depend on how much the Skandians knew about her. ,,First, tell me what you know about me. I need to know what I should do to prove my identity, or I might be able to pull a trick on you," she said and Erak sighed. Well, the part he had heard about Freya being diplomatic sure hit the spot with this one.

,,You're diplomatic, not a good fighter and apparently, the white tiger is yours. That's about it," he admitted and Freya sighed deeply. She then gently tapped her temple with a slim finger, smiling all the while. She let the countless etiquette- and politics-lessons flow into her. Do not show doubt or nervousness, and any situation can be turned to your favour. Never let go of the smile, as long as the other part can be talked to their senses. But also make sure that the smile is genuine.

In order to ensure the last part, she thought of her current situation: If I can convince the Skandians that what I say is indeed true, then they will not return to Yreshia, possibly murdering many citizens and guards in their attempt to capture Edel. The mere thought of saving Edel from a fate like this was enough to make her smile.

,,Well, I can tell you anything Edel has accomplished since the age of four, anything about Yreshian politics, the finer points of governing and I can answer practically every question concerning ethics, mathematics or science. I can tell you the theory behind warfare, farming, crafting and even sailing a ship, however I will not be able to actually do any of these things," Freya offered and Erak seemed like her talking annoyed him. Freya felt something like fear for the large Skandian Captain across from her. She was overwhelmingly aware of his arms, the size of over dimensional wine barrels, which seemed to be strong enough, to snap her thin physique in multiple pieces with a simple movement of them.

,,Very well then, I'll believe you. We'll take you back to Hallasholm, where Oberjarl Ragnak will send a ransom note to the King and Queen of Yreshia," Erak said with a grumble and left the room. Freya was not sure if she had understood the situation correctly: Ragnak, the apparent leader of the Skandians, wanted to kidnap her and sent a ransom note, but Captain Erak Starfollower did not like this. As far as Freya knew, this was also a very un-skandian way of doing things. Skandians were known for plundering and thieving, not kidnapping nobles. This was all very confusing for Freya.

Politics were easy: One country decided on one kind of politics and stuck to that. However, Ragnak, the apparent Oberjarl of the Skandians, were breaking out of the Skandians' way of doing things. It was very confusing indeed. Freya sighed deeply as she stood up, walking to a window, or what was the closest you could get to a window on a ship. She could see the dark blue-ish green sea beneath her and the waves gently rocked the ship. If it wasn't because she was used to sailing to go on diplomatic trips, she would most likely have gotten seasick by now.

She sighed and decided to leave the cabin. Another good point about playing the good girl was, they did not bother locking the door. First off, where would she run to? She was caught on a ship with no method of escaping. Second, even if she had a method of escaping, it would mean outrunning about twenty strong Skandians in order to actually escape. That was a... Well, Freya did not find that idea very agreeable. She would most certainly meet a very harsh and painful fate.

I am a coward, she thought with a wry smile, Edel would chase freedom with no doubt or fear in her mind. Freya felt weak whenever she saw Edel fight, and she knew herself that she could not do anything. Freya shook her head, feeling her long, blonde hair follow the movement. She saw at the Skandians at the deck, and they looked at her as well. Freya sighed deeply. Was all Skandians really that large! That should be physically impossible. She was almost scared to see the women!

,,So you're the chick, eh?" she heard a voice say and she turned around, startled. A large (surprise) Skandian stood behind her, but a smile covered his face. ,,I find it hard to believe they'll pay so much to get you back," he said with a grin and Freya shrugged. ,,The pain of a princess, I guess?" she asked curiously and the Skandian laughed at her. ,,Guess so," he agreed.

,,Svengal, get to your post!" Freya and the Skandian looked up and saw Erak. And Erak didn't seem pleased with his crewman for talking to Freya. Noted girl smiled slowly as Svengal walked to his post, shrugging. She slowly walked up the stairs to where Erak was, taking BIG steps. It was obvious the ship was build for Skandians and no one else, especially the stairs. Erak looked at Freya when she finally got on the platform and she smiled.

,,I hope you ain't planning to signal a ship or somethin'," he retorted and Freya shook her head. ,,Yreshia doesn't have a fleet," she informed him with a smile and Erak raised an eyebrow, though still focusing on his job. ,,Really? How do you conquer then?" he asked, though he didn't seem interested in the least. Freya smiled. ,,We fly"

Now THAT was something that got Erak's attention. He stared at the young girl, apparently trying to figure out whether she was screwing with him or something. Just his facial expression was enough to make Freya almost double up laughing. ,,You're lying" he accused and Freya shook her head with a smile. ,,No, honestly. So if you're worried about Yreshian soldiers chasing you, you should look in the sky," she advised him and left the platform again, while looking over the railing on the water.

Erak didn't know what to think. The young princess had proven herself quite honest and easy to handle, but if she did speak the truth, then Erak was very confused and alarmed. How did they fly in the sky? Would they be able to follow them? Erak sighed as he returned his focus to the task of steering his ship towards Skandia. The problems the princess had given him would be solved later.

Freya sat on the railing and smiled at the wide blue sky. She wished she hat gotten her wings with her, but then again, if she was just to be used as ransom, they probably wouldn't treat her badly. She looked around at the many rowers and smiled. She would never be able to be that helpful. She was going to rule Yreshia sometime in the future, sure, but that would just be making a lot of decisions, nothing that actually helped anyone. She sighed deeply, moving a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. Maybe she could get married to Edel? She giggled at the ridiculousness of that thought. Edel should be chosen as the future queen. She could do more than Freya. Freya quickly shook her head, hitting her cheeks. ,,Come on Freya, don't get depressed now! You need all the luck and wit you can gather for this," she reminded herself as she stood up on the railing. A risky business, though the waves were very small at the moment.

,,Get down from there," the Skandian Svengal ordered and Freya quickly nodded, jumping down. No good would come of making enemies with the Skandians over something as stupid as standing on the railing, that was for sure!

Edel sighed deeply as she and Arajha quietly walked through the forest. With Arajha's aquaphobia they had to go to Skandia on foot! That was quite a detour, but Edel didn't dare leave Arajha at home. Firstly: Arajha was too useful, both as a weapon and as a travel companion. Second: Edel wasn't much for ships herself. That was why Edel and Arajha was currently going through The Forest of Slumbers in order to cross the Thunderous Mountains, then hoping that it was ebb so they could walk to Gallica. It was a long shot, but it was the only way.

Edel smiled as she pet Arajha. The absence of Freya was evident in Arajha's behaviour. She seemed moodier than normal. Edel looked up at the sky and sighed. ,,Freya is okay. She's probably playing the nice girl so they won't hurt her. We're counting on her to do that, after all."

The tiger wasn't much for stopping and resting that night, but after a serious staring contest between the two, Arajha laid down, very unwillingly. Edel sat with her back against the large tiger and looked up at the dark night sky. She smiled ironically. ,,The one night Freya can't sing us lullabies is the night we need one, huh?" she asked slowly, closing her eyes and putting her cape on top of herself. Arajha looked around, obviously worried about the absence of her mistress, and clearly only wishing for the safe return of said person.

As Edel had predicted she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes Freya came up in the darkness. She bit her lip. What did the Skandians do to her? Edel didn't know much about anything outside of Yreshia, so she had no idea what kind of people the Skandians were. She smiled sadistically. All she knew was that if even a hair had been removed from Freya's head she would feed the responsible Skandian to Arajha! And she was sure the tiger would eat him with delight!

With this happy scenery in mind Edel decided to knock herself out so she could get some sleep. And that was exactly what she did. Very few had the self-control to hit themselves that hard, but Edel was among the few.