A/N: Gail, please don't sue me because your characters are wonderful, yes they are YOUR characters. I don't own any of them, but if I did I could afford food.

LOST?! We couldn't be lost! I stared at the map draped across my saddle. Where the bloody hell was I? I should have just turned around when the thought first came to me. Then again we were on a bad road and the last village was miles away. A laugh made me loose concentration; I glanced at my younger sister, who was cheerily sitting by the fire that my best friend had started. I honestly can never remember anytime Elle was angry or sad. She was perpetually happy. Why wouldn't she be? She was a princess and instead of sitting at home enduring manner and propriety lessons, she was out here adventuring with Aramon and I.

I looked back to my map…although I didn't exactly know where 'out here' was. We had left Frell almost two weeks ago.

We wouldn't have even been allowed to go if our parents were home, but they were on another journey, this time to southern Ayortha. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them so I planned a journey of my own. Aramon only came because he wrote me saying his parents were invited along on our parents' expedition and he was bored. I invited him to our court then. I have known Aramon my entire life; he is first-born to my Mother's dearest friend, Areida.

So you must wonder, if Elle and I are out in God knows where-land, and the King and Queen of Kyrria are in southern Ayortha, then who is at home? Frell could succumb to riots and chaos without a ruler. It's fine though, I made Kellin stay and take care of court affairs, although it IS possible for chaos to ensue if he is in charge. He is the twin of Elle, and older by one minute.

"Darius, have you figured out our location yet?" Elle inquired from her spot in front of the fire.

"Not yet lass," I replied.

"Maybe we should have listened to Mandy," she teased.

Mandy was every bit against Elle and I leaving while mother and father were gone.

"You'll end up starving or getting attacked, or worst of all, getting lost!" She exclaimed when I told her why I was packing so much food.

"Mandy, I'm nineteen, I can handle myself," I argued.

"But what about Elle? She's just a maiden of seventeen? Why must you bring her with you?"

"Elle wants to go. I'm not going to deny her some adventure just because she's a girl," I protested, "Besides whenever she is married off she won't have a chance to have a adventure like this again!"

"Lady will be VERY unhappy if she returns to find two of her brood missing and no way to find them," Mandy chided.

"Mother has her enchanted book, I'm sure it will tell her where we are. She always has it with her to check up on us." I reminded her.

Elle entered the kitchen then, her bright green eyes excited for the adventure that waited.

Mandy huffed at me and turned her attention toward Elle instead, "Sweet, why would you go and put yourself in such danger?"

"Darius and Aramon are big enough to protect me," she shrugged, reaching for an apple from the bowl on the counter.

"So you're dragging poor Aramon into this as well? She looked at me and turned back to my sister, "I'll warrant they couldn't save you from Ogres!"

Elle laughed at Mandy's unnecessary worry, "I can save myself from Ogres, 'Niev eFFuth psy FFnOOess. That means 'I taste the sourest'." She bit into the apple and chewed.

"Besides, Mandy we won't be going near any Ogres, we're going northeast to the sea."

Her eyes went wide, "No, you're not going to Clyone!"

Clyone was the country northeast of Kyrria. It had no organized rule and no one knew why. There had been a monarch for five hundred years but suddenly it was as though, they all disappeared and were never heard form again. After that it was rumored the country was overrun with powerful sorcerers and rebel sprites.

"Well how else are we going to see the sea?" I asked.

"I wouldn't even go near the sea, there are pirates on the waters of Clyone and they'd give no thought before they'd slit your throat!" Mandy was trying to use scare tactics now.

"Mandy, Elle and I have made up our minds. We're going to Clyone and we'll be gone about a month. Mother and Father will be back in two months. Kellin will stay here to give you company."

"You're brother has more sense than you both!" she exclaimed.

Elle and I laughed, "He wanted to come with us so bad, but somebody has to stay in Kyrria so we drew straws and he had the shortest!"

Mandy huffed again, she was in the habit of doing it when we didn't obey her wishes.

"I wish you children were obedient like your mother was. If I would have said 'don't go' you would be here and safe," she grumbled.

Our mother had used to be cursed they tell us. We're not sure to believe if it's true or not. Mandy says that Mother had to do what anyone told her to do, which would be a horrible way to live. Mandy would get her way all the time if we were cursed like that.I continued staring at the map. We should have come upon a town called Brilet by then, the last town before we arrived at the border of Clyone.

It was colder in the north; I adjusted my cloak over my shoulders for more warmth. There was a wind, but not heavy enough to blow the fire out. It was one of those gray, cloudy days. I wouldn't be surprised if I felt a drop or two of rain; the perfect, miserable day to get lost.

"Friend, stop worrying about where we are, it's all part of the adventure. Come sit by the fire. " Aramon waved, I saw Elle nod in agreement. I sighed and began to roll my map up. I really didn't want to make camp for the night. We had been staying at Inns since we had left and that's why I was so intent on finding Brilet.

"Don't worry," Elle tried comforting me as I sat down beside her. I appreciated her attempts but I had a bad feeling in my gut. The chilly wind blew a little bit harder and Elle snuggled into my side.

"I miss mother and father," she said quietly after a moment of silence.

I missed them too. They were on travels most of our childhood. After Elle and Kellin were old enough to talk, they were gone for weeks on end. Our grandparents watched over us though. Grandpops and Grandmama, who were the ruling monarchs before our father came into power. Mandy was always with us too, but she was bossy, always giving orders and when we didn't obey she huffed and called us 'spoiled'. What was she to expect with two child princes and a princess?

"They'll be back after we return," I reminded her.

It was early October and they projected that they would be back home before the winter holiday. I was a tiny bit jealous that they were warmer at the moment. Southern Ayortha never gets chilly.

Since I had lost hope of finding Brilet, we did make camp in the woods nearby. I didn't want us near the road, shoddy as it was. Thieves and bandits were at the top of my list for dangerous possibilities, and I don't know what I would do if Elle was harmed because of me.