Hi, people. Since no other person has written a fanfic about one of the
greatest fantasy movies/novels of all time, I have taken the responsibility
upon myself. This fanfic is going to be about Sorsha, right before the
events of Willow take place. Please read and review! I would be grateful
for all reviews, even flamers, though I would prefer a constructive
criticism over a flamer any day! Disclaimer: I do not own Willow, though
I wish I did. The only characters that are mine are the characters that
did not appear in the book by Wayland Drew or in the movie. ~ represent
thoughts since the italics on my computer do not transfer onto fanfiction.
Chapter One
"Princess Sorsha, your mother requests your presence in Nockmaar," a young scout said hesitantly as he approached a young woman. She turned towards him and stared at him for a moment.
"Fine," she answered sharply. "Dion, tell, Kael to continue his search for women who are pregnant beyond the sixth month," she said. "Queen Bavmorda is starting to grow impatient with our lack of progress regarding the gathering," she said quietly as she pushed the mass of her unruly, red hair back beneath her helmet. The scout nodded his head and quickly retreated as another gust of freezing wind blew ferociously and pushed him backwards into a nearby tent.
Sorsha pulled her black cloak around her slender form as she walked slowly towards a large tent, which served as a temporary shelter for the horses. She pushed open the tent flap and strapped it tightly behind her.
She smiled slightly as a rush of warm air from the fire in a makeshift hearth greeted her. "Kyrell," she snapped as she kicked the feet of a sleeping captain.
He scrambled to his feet and reached for his dagger, but relaxed when he saw that it was Sorsha. "My lady, what do you wish of me now?" he said smiling wryly at her as she returned his smile with a temperamental glare.
"Queen Bavmorda requests my presence in Nockmaar. Get your horse ready, we must leave this snowy tomb before nightfall," she said as she walked to her own horse, Rak, and gently patted him on his neck. She smiled affectionately at Rak as he nuzzled into her neck, but stopped when she noticed that her horse was already clad in his tack.
"Dion came in here just a short while ago and saddled Rak for you," Kyrell explained, quickly.
"Kyrell," she said icily. "No one is to touch my horse except for me, do you understand?" she said as he nodded his head vigorously. "Do not let anyone near him again," she said as she checked Rak's tack to make sure that it was put on properly. She led him outside to the freezing snow covered landscape and lightly sprang up into the saddle. She walked him around the tent while waiting for Kyrell to finish putting the tack on his horse. Finally, he led his horse out of the tent and pulled himself up into his saddle.
"Well then, shall we be off?" he asked as Sorsha urged Rak into a controlled canter as he kicked the snow up behind him and cantered away from Kyrell. "I guess so," he muttered as he followed her lead.
After two days of riding, Sorsha and Kyrell had finally entered the barren wastelands of Nockmaar. Sorsha stopped Rak and looked forebodingly at the castle of Nockmaar from the rock outcropping where she perched. The drifting mists and smoke curled around the huge, dark castle that resided in the middle of a large plain of dark soil and gravel. The great volcano, Nockmaar, stood behind the castle, like a sentinel standing watch. She snorted to herself. ~Even the ground has a sinister appearance.~ No wild animals lived in Nockmaar because there was no vegetation, and there was no vegetation because the ground was covered in black ash from the volcano, so, in consequence, the Nockmaar people acquired their food by pillaging nearby lands.
Sorsha gently kicked Rak into a gallop with Kyrell's mount following in Rak's tracks. They galloped the rest of the distance to the dark castle. The drawbridge dropped down as Sorsha and Kyrell approached it. As soon as they had galloped over the drawbridge, it was pulled back up and the portcullis was lowered into its place. Sorsha slid out of her saddle, replaced Rak's bridle with a halter, took the rest of his tack off and led him around for a few minutes to cool him down.
"Sorsha, I will take Rak, the Queen demands your presence in her conjuring room," a Nockmaar soldier said as he grabbed Rak's lead. Sorsha nodded sullenly and approached a large spiral, stone, flight of stairs that led to her mother's conjuring room, which was in the tallest tower in Nockmaar. She jogged up the endless stairs, thankful for the chance to stretch her cramped legs. The stairs led up to a dark, damp corridor that was lit by several torches. Sorsha hesitated for only a moment when she reached the huge, oak doors of the conjuring room. She pushed the heavy doors open a few inches and was greeted immediately by the drawn, wizened face of one of Queen Bavmorda's druids.
"My queen," the druid said in a hoarse voice. "Your daughter…"
"Sorsha," the queen said in greeting, as she turned towards her daughter. Her pale face peered out from under her black hood and her purple robe was pulled tightly around her body. The dark crown was perched upon her head protectively, like a helmet.
"Mother," Sorsha said quickly. "We are searching for more pregnant women, even as we speak."
"I know, Sorsha, I have many ears, do you forget?" her cold voice said, brimming with impatience.
"Then, Mother, why have you requested my presence?" Sorsha asked quietly.
Bavmorda smiled bitterly as she heard the fear in her daughter's voice. "You do not need to fear me, Sorsha, my child. I simply want you here in Nockmaar. I want you to keep watch over the captive women. You must look for the newborn bearing the mark. As soon as she is born, you must summon me so that we may begin the ritual," she said, impatiently.
"You want me to keep watch out for the child from the prophecy?" Sorsha asked in disbelief. "Mother, you could have one of your druids take that heinous task instead of me! Why must I do it?"
"I gave you an order child. You will do as I ask," Bavmorda snapped.
Sorsha nodded her head in compliance. "Yes, Mother, I will do as you ask."
"Very good, Sorsha," her mother said, smiling. "Now, you must leave. I have to continue with my….work," the queen said as she turned towards her stone altar. Sorsha gritted her teeth together in frustration and stormed out of her mother's conjuring room. One of the druids shut the door firmly behind her.
Sorsha sunk to her knees in despair. ~How dare she cage me in these walls? Especially for a task as unproductive as this!~ She yanked off her helmet and threw it against a stone wall. She watched and listened to its clattering as it rolled down the spiral of stairs. She pushed herself up from the floor and composed herself as she followed her helmet down the stairs. ~How could she do this to me?~ she thought angrily as she pushed open a small trap door.
Sorsha used a servants' passage to travel to her quarters without having to cross through the muddy courtyards and having to deal with the obnoxious Nockmaar soldiers. She climbed up several flights of stairs to her quarters. She pushed open the door and slipped into her room. She tossed her helmet onto a trunk and collapsed onto her bed. As soon as her head touched the furs, she fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter One
"Princess Sorsha, your mother requests your presence in Nockmaar," a young scout said hesitantly as he approached a young woman. She turned towards him and stared at him for a moment.
"Fine," she answered sharply. "Dion, tell, Kael to continue his search for women who are pregnant beyond the sixth month," she said. "Queen Bavmorda is starting to grow impatient with our lack of progress regarding the gathering," she said quietly as she pushed the mass of her unruly, red hair back beneath her helmet. The scout nodded his head and quickly retreated as another gust of freezing wind blew ferociously and pushed him backwards into a nearby tent.
Sorsha pulled her black cloak around her slender form as she walked slowly towards a large tent, which served as a temporary shelter for the horses. She pushed open the tent flap and strapped it tightly behind her.
She smiled slightly as a rush of warm air from the fire in a makeshift hearth greeted her. "Kyrell," she snapped as she kicked the feet of a sleeping captain.
He scrambled to his feet and reached for his dagger, but relaxed when he saw that it was Sorsha. "My lady, what do you wish of me now?" he said smiling wryly at her as she returned his smile with a temperamental glare.
"Queen Bavmorda requests my presence in Nockmaar. Get your horse ready, we must leave this snowy tomb before nightfall," she said as she walked to her own horse, Rak, and gently patted him on his neck. She smiled affectionately at Rak as he nuzzled into her neck, but stopped when she noticed that her horse was already clad in his tack.
"Dion came in here just a short while ago and saddled Rak for you," Kyrell explained, quickly.
"Kyrell," she said icily. "No one is to touch my horse except for me, do you understand?" she said as he nodded his head vigorously. "Do not let anyone near him again," she said as she checked Rak's tack to make sure that it was put on properly. She led him outside to the freezing snow covered landscape and lightly sprang up into the saddle. She walked him around the tent while waiting for Kyrell to finish putting the tack on his horse. Finally, he led his horse out of the tent and pulled himself up into his saddle.
"Well then, shall we be off?" he asked as Sorsha urged Rak into a controlled canter as he kicked the snow up behind him and cantered away from Kyrell. "I guess so," he muttered as he followed her lead.
After two days of riding, Sorsha and Kyrell had finally entered the barren wastelands of Nockmaar. Sorsha stopped Rak and looked forebodingly at the castle of Nockmaar from the rock outcropping where she perched. The drifting mists and smoke curled around the huge, dark castle that resided in the middle of a large plain of dark soil and gravel. The great volcano, Nockmaar, stood behind the castle, like a sentinel standing watch. She snorted to herself. ~Even the ground has a sinister appearance.~ No wild animals lived in Nockmaar because there was no vegetation, and there was no vegetation because the ground was covered in black ash from the volcano, so, in consequence, the Nockmaar people acquired their food by pillaging nearby lands.
Sorsha gently kicked Rak into a gallop with Kyrell's mount following in Rak's tracks. They galloped the rest of the distance to the dark castle. The drawbridge dropped down as Sorsha and Kyrell approached it. As soon as they had galloped over the drawbridge, it was pulled back up and the portcullis was lowered into its place. Sorsha slid out of her saddle, replaced Rak's bridle with a halter, took the rest of his tack off and led him around for a few minutes to cool him down.
"Sorsha, I will take Rak, the Queen demands your presence in her conjuring room," a Nockmaar soldier said as he grabbed Rak's lead. Sorsha nodded sullenly and approached a large spiral, stone, flight of stairs that led to her mother's conjuring room, which was in the tallest tower in Nockmaar. She jogged up the endless stairs, thankful for the chance to stretch her cramped legs. The stairs led up to a dark, damp corridor that was lit by several torches. Sorsha hesitated for only a moment when she reached the huge, oak doors of the conjuring room. She pushed the heavy doors open a few inches and was greeted immediately by the drawn, wizened face of one of Queen Bavmorda's druids.
"My queen," the druid said in a hoarse voice. "Your daughter…"
"Sorsha," the queen said in greeting, as she turned towards her daughter. Her pale face peered out from under her black hood and her purple robe was pulled tightly around her body. The dark crown was perched upon her head protectively, like a helmet.
"Mother," Sorsha said quickly. "We are searching for more pregnant women, even as we speak."
"I know, Sorsha, I have many ears, do you forget?" her cold voice said, brimming with impatience.
"Then, Mother, why have you requested my presence?" Sorsha asked quietly.
Bavmorda smiled bitterly as she heard the fear in her daughter's voice. "You do not need to fear me, Sorsha, my child. I simply want you here in Nockmaar. I want you to keep watch over the captive women. You must look for the newborn bearing the mark. As soon as she is born, you must summon me so that we may begin the ritual," she said, impatiently.
"You want me to keep watch out for the child from the prophecy?" Sorsha asked in disbelief. "Mother, you could have one of your druids take that heinous task instead of me! Why must I do it?"
"I gave you an order child. You will do as I ask," Bavmorda snapped.
Sorsha nodded her head in compliance. "Yes, Mother, I will do as you ask."
"Very good, Sorsha," her mother said, smiling. "Now, you must leave. I have to continue with my….work," the queen said as she turned towards her stone altar. Sorsha gritted her teeth together in frustration and stormed out of her mother's conjuring room. One of the druids shut the door firmly behind her.
Sorsha sunk to her knees in despair. ~How dare she cage me in these walls? Especially for a task as unproductive as this!~ She yanked off her helmet and threw it against a stone wall. She watched and listened to its clattering as it rolled down the spiral of stairs. She pushed herself up from the floor and composed herself as she followed her helmet down the stairs. ~How could she do this to me?~ she thought angrily as she pushed open a small trap door.
Sorsha used a servants' passage to travel to her quarters without having to cross through the muddy courtyards and having to deal with the obnoxious Nockmaar soldiers. She climbed up several flights of stairs to her quarters. She pushed open the door and slipped into her room. She tossed her helmet onto a trunk and collapsed onto her bed. As soon as her head touched the furs, she fell into a deep sleep.