Chapter 1
The Sensei of dojo watched a young girl practice with sadness. She was perfect; one could barely see the blades she was swinging around with practice ease. The targets coming at her didn't stand a chance and he knew that she could face people as well. She had along ago surpassed him in her skill. But she still wasn't ready to leave, that was why he had kept her here as long as he had. She wasn't ready to accept the fact that there was a real world out, that there was more to life than just than being perfect on the outside. He signaled for her to stop and to put down the broadswords down and move on to the Sais.
The sand bags flew at her at a speed that with any of his other students just would have been knocked out. But she just sliced them open and moved on. When the course was done she turned to look at the Sensei. He looked back at her and sighed. She wasn't even tired. God what was he going to do with her.
"You can go home now if you like. I understand that today is your birthday. I have a small gift for you if you would like." He evenly, not gives anything away. She looked completely shocked, as if she had forgotten her own birthday.
"Oh, Sensei you didn't have to do that. It's only a birthday they come every year. You know so they're really no big deal." Cadence finished lamely. She couldn't believe that someone had remembered her birthday. Her so-called friends and family hadn't, neither had her suppose boyfriend. But that really wasn't Dave's fault because of all the stress he was under, due wrestling tournament coming up. I mean who could blame him for forgetting something as trivial as a birthday when you were an all-state wrestler with you title being challenged. That was it she didn't blame him, but Mary-sue and Linda should have remembered they were her best friends. But maybe they were planning her surprise party! Yes that was it; they were planning a surprise party. Perhaps even Dave was in on it!
No, they weren't, Mary Sue and Linda couldn't keep a secret if their life depended on it. Oh well it had been a nice thought. She finished drying her hair and put on her clothes and looked at her reflection in the mirror. A very well put together young woman looked back at her. She wore a knee length coal-grey pleated skirt, white v-neck short sleeved tee-shirt, oink cardigan with a pink sequined flower appliqué on the right shoulder. Her hair was perfectly in place with a pink ribbon that held back all her hair except her side swept bangs, and in her feet were sensible but cute black satin ballet flats.
The image of propriety and perfection stared back at her. The person staring back at her was girl who she had no idea of who she was. Well she had to go say good-bye to the Sensei. She walked out of the changing room and found the Sensei was in the same exact spot as when as when she had left except he had left at some point because he had a package resting next to him. He gestured for her to come next to the platform. She moved forward shocked that he had not only remembered her birthday, but had also he gotten her a present. He wordlessly handed her the present and after unwrapping she found a rather large jewelry box made of rose and sandal wood. It had a little gold key hole with a white tasseled key hanging form the lock.
To say the least Cadence was shocked. She looked at him at a loss for words. She just held it on her lap her hands sliding over the silken smooth sides. She looked at him and he just smiled.
"Open it." It was a suggestion not a command. So she twisted the little gold key and lifted the lid,and to her surprise a bottom drawer slid out to accompany the middle and top ones. It was lined with white velvet. But that wasn't what shocked her it was filled with jewelry. There wasn't a lot of it but there was enough to fill most of compartments sparingly. There were four necklaces, five bracelets two chokers, and 10 rings. Tears began to leak slowly from her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She looked up at the Sensei. And he smiled down warmly at her before offering her an explanation.
"My wife and I started putting this together for our daughter the day they she was born. We were going to give it her on her 18th birthday, but sadly my wife and daughter both departed this world after only 7 years happiness." He paused lost briefly in memories before he continued. "You started training with me when you were very young and I have been with you for all the major events in your life, the day your father died, your first competition and your first and last B-. I have come to regard you as the daughter that I never had." So that is why I found it fitting to bestow upon you this gift. One that was meant for my daughter. Now that we have that out of the way I want you to have these." He held out a brand new weapons bag full of new and old weapons.
"I want you to have these for your competition." Needless to Cadence was shocked once again into silence.
"Sensei I can't accept theses on top of the jewelry box." She managed to get out.
"These are not a gift, you're a bit worse for wear these days so you going to use these ones that are in top condition while I work on getting your's back up to par." To emphasize his point he bent down and reached into her gym bag a pulled out a sword that had a handle padded with duct tape. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled sheepishly. She hugged him and took him completely off guard. He hugged her back and sent her home.
"Karen, I'm home." As per usual she walked into the house ignored by the other inhabitants. But was met in the kitchen by her step-mother, she was waiting at the counter with a huge box next to her.
"Your father's lawyer dropped this by for you. Said it was sealed and confidential." With that Karen walked out of the room. The day was full of surprises. She pulled one the daggers from her new stash and slit the tape that kept the lid sealed to the box. Inside was two little velvet boxes and a stack of letters that her father must have written when he had gotten sick. She took out the little velvet boxes on contained two rings: one silver and set with a beautiful garnet, the other was a plain silver wedding band that was too dainty to have been her father's. It was two hands holding one heart with a crown above it. She remembered seeing her father wear this on a chain around his neck so she assumed that it must be her birth mother's wedding band. She closed the box and picked up the other one. It contained a little silver heart, it was a locket. Removing it from its soft cushion she opened it to reveal her father's handsome face and one she thought she would never see.
It was the face of her birth mother. She was beautiful, and oh so young. Cadence looked into the face of the woman who had given her life and never gotten to see her grow up. She had the same slanted blue-gray eyes, same golden blondish-brown hair and the same face over all. The woman could have been her twin. She couldn't believe it. Her mother, her real honest to god mother not Karen her father's attempt at a mother but her biological mother. The person from whose blood she had came. Cadence sat there for a very long time simply staring at the little photo. She hung it around her neck. Smiling she opened the first letter.
My Dearest Cady,
If you're reading this then it means my heart finally gave out, I'm sorry I wasn't stronger for you but we'll get to that later. I can't believe my baby is eighteen today, all legal and every thing. I want you to know that no matter where you are in life I am very proud of you and I love you. It's time you learned a little about your mother, not Karen but your real mother. Her name was Melody and we met in collage. We were both straight out of high school and love hit us both like a bus. We got married when she was 19 and I was 20. By the time she was 20 you were on the way and neither of us could been happier. Your mother loved you from the instant she found out you existed. She loved you so much she spent hours buying baby clothes, nursery items and other baby things. Melody was very young to be a mother according to her doctors though she was almost 21, but they warned her that birth would be difficult. But she didn't care; she said that she loved you too much to not give you a chance of life even if t took hers in turn. The day you decided to come into the world was on her birthday. We were both so excited; you came into the world awake and quiet. You never screamed once. The doctors and nurses agreed that you were the prettiest baby they had seen in a long time. Melody loved you on sight as did I. She named you Cadence, because of her affinity for music and prayed that you inherited that from her. Melody had a heart condition that neither her doctors nor I knew about. Her heart in the end was just too big and over worked. She never told me and died before you were 3 months old. She collapsed while making breakfast and cried because she knew it was the end. She held you and I held her as she died and she apologized to you and me for not being stronger. I tell you this not to sadden you or to burden you heart. But to let you know that no matter how much you love someone they can be gone in an instant. So cherish your life and live life to the fullest. And also when you find love cherish each and everyday as though it was new and never forget how quickly you can loose it.
Love you forever and beyond,
Daddy
P.s.
Never forget how much your mother and I love you and how proud I am of you.
Tears were falling down Cadence's face; she had always known that Karen wasn't her real mother. But to know that she as the cause of her real mother's death was too much. She went upstairs carrying the new bag with her she began to pack the instant she was in her room. The mindless task of packing kept her from completely breaking down. When she was finally done she realized that she had packed the jewelry box that the sensei had given her along with the letters and things from her father. Then she was ready to go. She went down stairs to say good-bye to Karen.
"Karen, I'm leaving now" she called from the kitchen door but to her surprise the 5'3, 110 pound woman came and hugged her. She stood there stiff as a board from surprise; she got her senses back and hugged the little blonde back.
"Alright, I thought you might need that after getting something from your father. Now you're going to upstate New York for your martial arts competition. And you're staying with your friend Trish for the rest of the weekend. Well everything seems to be in order." See you on Sunday night." With that the little blonde walked out of the room.
The last thing Cadence did was take Maggie out her cage and put on her leash. She then put the little cocker spaniel in her carrier bag and walked with her out to the car. She stuck the bag with her clothes weapons and for some the jewelry box in the back seat and Maggie in the front seat with her. She slipped into the front seat and pulled out the drive way. She drove until it was dark, then stopped at little roadside restaurant to eat and walk Maggie. Once back on the road she drove for about another hour when she saw the sign for the Bumble family farm, she turned down the dirt road and it started to rain.
Trish had warned her about the road in the rain and it starting to rain cats and dogs. She just kept driving until she hit a log immersed in the mud and her car went spinning out of control and all she could do was scream.
When the car finally stopped spinning she was in the woods that boarded either side of the road. She checked herself for injuries then looked around for Maggie. The little dog's bag had fallen on the ground and she climbed back onto the seat looking punch drunk. She smiled at the little dog and reached down for the carrier bag and put her back in and zipped it all the way. The little dog looked out at her woefully from the little mesh screen in the bag. She was about to get out of the car and survey the damage when she realized what she was wearing. The same pink cardigan and skirt that she had been wearing when she left the dojo. She would have to change. She slithered into the back seat and pulled out a blue camisole, black hoody, jeans and socks and sneakers. She threw her previous outfit in the bag and carefully slid out the door. Then car was on the edge of a small ravine. It had stopped by slamming into two very conveniently spaced trees. The car was wedged and smoking so she reached in to the front seat grabbed her gym and slung it over her shoulder so that it lay across her body. Then she opened the driver's door and grabbed Maggie's bag and started to creep down the rocky slope until she caught her foot on a root that sent her careening head over heels down the slope. Cadence threw the dog bag away from her so the bag slid down the slope next to her. She was thrown down the last two feet of the slope and landed hard on her back with wind knocked out of her. She was quickly losing consciousness she took a quick inventory of her injuries: her ankle was either broken or severly sprained and she had a pretty good concussion. Her last thought before blacking out was: 'I hope Maggie is okay'
Three hooded men on horseback came upon young girl unconscious by the roadside. The leader put his hand up to signal for the others to stop. He swept down from his horse walked quickly over to the fallen girl. The man pulled back his hood to reveal a very handsome face, angled blue eyes and framed by white-blond hair, his two companions looked similar but not the same. He reached out his to touch the young girl's cheek. Then stood up and looked at her from above. Her body was bent oddly over the huge bag that she had hung across her body. Her foot was also at an odd angle from her body. She looked like she has fell down the hill in last night's rainstorm. But why would she try to climb down such a steep incline in the mud. Maybe she had been lost and simply fell. He heard a small whimpering coming from as few feet away. He discovered a moving bag in the brush beside the incline, fearing sorcery he took out his dagger and unzipped the bag. Out leaped a small furry brown blur as it took off towards the girl, he chased after it.
The blur turned out to be a small brown dog with overly large ears. It was lying protectively on the girl's chest and growled when he or his companions tried to approach. When they backed off the little dog got up and circled her master until she was near her face. She put her nose to the girl's cheek and nudged gently when she got not response she licked the girl's face. When the girl still remained unresponsive the dog threw its head back and gave a pitiful howl.
He wondered if that meant that the girl was dead, surely after a fall like that it was entirely possible. He went towards the girl once more but his hand out for the dog to sniff it did timidly then licked it. Smiling he pet the little dog, he reaches out for the girl and found a pulse weak but definitely there. He picked her up carefully sliding her out of the bag then carried her bridal style to his horse. He handed her Ophenion before climbing on his mount once in position on he reached for the girl and held her close to his chest. The small brown dog was whining from separation from its mistress.
"Ophenion, take her baggage." He looked at the bag and hope Ophenion could ride with it. "Arclre, take the dog and put it back in the bag I found her we will take them to Rivendell with us."
"My lord are you sure that is wise?" asked Ophenion.
Yes it is what must be done." Clutching the dieing girl to his chest the rode and he prayed to the Valar that they made it Rivendell in time.
A/n: Woo…. That was a long one. Probably my longest first chapter ever. Any way I hoped you enjoyed it! Read, Review and Enjoy! Criticism of all kinds is welcome! Love, Saylin