Ember raced through the woods. She was no stranger to running. The young girl could easily outrun all of the king's guards, despite being smaller. Ever since Pythor took over, ever since the royal family had vanished without a trace Ember had been on the run. She fled from the city the day king Garmadon fell. Queen Misako vanished as well, taking the young prince Lloyd with her. That day Ember had been five. Only five when her world fell around her. Yet for some reason she had survived. She had survived ten long hard years. Survived and flourished. Ember knew every path in the woods. She knew how to climb every tree and how to cross every river. She knew how the animals moved. She knew how to spot intruders in the forest from a mile away. What she didn't know was life before that. Life before she left the city. One person and one person alone knew that she was out in the forest. A man known as Wu.
Ember lept over a stream, twisting and turning through the trees, trying to lose those following her. She had been so stupid, letting herself be seen like that. She been foolish to enter the city in the first place. Never mind the castle. Yet as she looked down as the strange weapon in her hands, she got the feeling it had all been worth it. Ember heard the rush of water up ahead. She smiled. A way out. As she approached the river rather than crossing it, she jumped in. She quickly pulled herself into one of the many caves lining the banks of the river. Or at least they looked like caves. Ember knew better. They weren't caves but tunnels.
Ember followed the tunnel as it twisted and turned, trying to get her lost. She looked at the weapon again. Two bars of gold connected by some sort of rope. What had Wu called them? Oh yes that's right. Nunchucks. She slipped the nunchucks into her belt.
After a while she saw light at the other end of the tunnel. Ember ran forwards and looked up. In the wall were lots of dents. Hand and foot holds. Making sure the nunchucks were securely in her belt Ember started climbing. She came out in a hollow tree. Looking around Ember decided the coast was clear and climbed out. She started along another forest path. Her mission was only half complete. Wu had asked her to hide the nunchucks until the right person came along. She had no idea who the right person was. All Wu had told her was that she'd know them when she met them. If she ever met them that was. With the amount of time she spent alone the chances of that happening were slim.
Ember thought back to that morning. Normally she wouldn't even think about entering the palace, but ten years ago Wu had saved her life. Ember was quite happy to do the few tasks he asked her to. Even if she didn't always understand why she was being asked to do them. Like the time he had asked her to tell the blacksmiths sister about the street performer. That had been a strange day! Ember smiled to herself as she climbed up a tree. The massive horse chestnut was ancient. Big enough to hide a small treehouse in its branches. But today Ember climbed past the tree house, towards the branches at the top of the tree. Her instincts told her that the nunchucks should be hidden high up. Ember had learnt the hard way to always trust her instincts. She placed the nunchucks in a hollow branch and climbed back down to her tree house. Tomorrow she would visit Wu.