The noise of horse hooves clopped along the cobbled stone path, two large and one a smaller, practically dwarfed by the two other Clydesdale's.
Upon the largest and by far strongest horse was a man, large enough to be the horses human counterpart. He had bright blue eyes and zingy orange hair with a large moustache and beard to match. He wore a large black and blue kilt over the top of a leather tunic, with chain mail covering his burly arms. Over the kilt he wore a hefty leather belt with a steel buckle, and below, hanging from the belt was a leather pouch with a steel button. The man was also draped with a large bear fur that acted as a cloak.
Beside him, a woman rode the other large Clydesdale. She looked far more elegant, with brown eyes and dark hair pulled back into two long braids, a white strip of hair came out from her hairline following the rest, tucked under a golden crown. She was clothed in a simple purple cotten gown, with a pair of brown shoes.
The last Clydesdale, held a small child. She had bright, curly locks that burst from her head wildly, with piercing blue eyes. The girl wore a simple brown dress, with small black shoes just peaking below the hem of her dress. As she rode, she held a look of excitement as she took in her surroundings.
This family was the royal family, and the had decided to have a riding trip, several of the Kings guards and servants trotting along on their respected horses and carts behind them.
Eventually, the king called for a break, in which meant lunch. After having the horses tied, and the servants having put up the few royal tents, lunch was served. The family sat at a table inside the largest tent, enjoying a meal of choice meats and bread. When they had finished, the king and queen took their daughter outside, where she watched in awe as a few of the guards were seen sharpening weapons a little farther from where they were. But what really caught her eye, was the archers as the checked the strings of their bows. The king noticed this and sat beside her.
"Whits on yer mind love?" He grinned knowingly. She turned to him with a gawking expression.
"Dae ye think I can learn archery?" She asked, her large blue eyes looking up at him pleadingly, her lower lip pouted. The king let out a chuckle at his daughters expression, pretending to put on a thoughtful expression.
"I daen't see why not!" He replied, his hands on his hips. The princesses eyes widened and she leapt up from her spot to follow her dad as he got up and went towards a chest that lay near the largest tent. The child jumped giddily behind the king as he bent over the chest, rummaging amongst what was inside. Then he turned, his hands behind his back.
"Close yer eyes." The princess beamed before obliging, her hands held out in front of her. A weight was laid across her palms, and her eyes flew open, landing on an intricate pale wooden bow. She squealed excitedly, jogging on the spot happily. "Well gae on, try it!" The king bellowed mirthfully. He led her to a target, where the queen joined them, looking slightly skeptical about the bow.
"Daw ye think its safe?" She worried, but the king waved it away.
"She'll be fine." He smiled. The princess took an arrow from a nearby quiver, notching it amateurishly. The girls tongue stuck out as she closed one eye and focused on the target ahead. Finally she released the arrow, but instead of hitting the target, the arrow flew straight over and into the woods behind.
"I missed." She stated sadly. Her mother chuckled and crouched down next to her.
"Then why daen't ye gae find it." She smiled as the child nodded, handing the bow to her mother before sprinting into the woods.
The girl jumped along the terrain, dodging under branches and brushing past bushes. Glancing around, she searched for the lost arrow. She located it, lodged in a large oak. Yanking hard on the shaft, the arrow head pulled out of the tree, allowing the girl to clutch it to her chest. She turned to leave but something caught her eye; something blue and misty. Pivoting, the girl was met with a small blue spirit, hovering just in front of her. The princess gasped, reaching a hand cautiously towards the spirit.
However she was stopped when she heard her mother call for her. Sparing one more glance, the girl ran back to her parents, crashing distractedly into her mothers arms. The girl went into a spitfire description of what she had seen, her mother smiling and nodding. The queen turned and began walking towards the tent when the princess suddenly screamed, pointing a small finger at something behind the mother.
Suddenly, a giant bear, taller then two men piled on top of each other, reared up on its hind legs and roared at the two females. The queen ran, clutching her child to her. The king ordered for her to grab a horse and leave as he turned back to the monstrous bear. Jumping up onto one of the Clydesdale's, the queen pushed her heels into the creatures sides, sending it running. Still clutching her daughter to her, the queen fled towards the castle, the only word that escaped the girl in her arms was the name "Mor'du." As she peeked behind her mother to see her father fight off the demon bear.