Unforeseen Future

Chapter 1

"Darling, you know how I hate all these noble women, I mean your culture is very…well interesting, but I still wish my only daughter to have the life she wants, every night she speaks to me about being a hero, or a fighter, some one who was needed for something.

And I know Shelaya does not want to sit at home and chat with her noble friends." The pretty Bazhir women beseeched her husband.

Lord Zeen Cartwill stared at his beautiful wife. She was a rare prize, he found her when he was still quite young. He had travelled to the Bazhir tribes with his father when he was nearly out of his teens. His father had also been a Lord but their family history proved that the Cartwill family was nomadic, they had traveller's blood running through their veins, they were also known as excellent warriors and the most loyal people ever found in the whole of Tortall. So when his father had proved himself worthy of the tribe Zeen himself had to do so also, and he did beating one of the strongest men of the Bazhir tribe.

Soon afterwards Zeen had met the beautiful and fey Parisha, daughter of the clan's current Voice, she was living in the desert with them, but after a few negotiations, a couple of stolen kisses behind the moonlit tents, Zeen and Parisha were soon wed.

It was years later, after visiting the Copper Isles, learning combat techniques with the Yamanis, understanding Shang fighting, camping out in Grimhold Mountains and sailing across the Emerald ocean, that Zeen and Parisha had finally settled town in a small rich village situated between Trebond and Naxen. It was there that they had their tribe of boys and their youngest child, and first daughter, Shelaya.

The boys after all reaching the ripe age of sixteen had left home and gone travelling just like it was in their blood to do so, each and every single one of the six boys had gone their different ways, they usually came home after a few months, and now Parisha and her husband were thinking of what sort of future their daughter held.

Shelaya was now a wise eleven years old, she was her mothers daughter, she had her mother's emerald eyes, and a mixture of both her father's and mother's skin, which made her a café-au-lait colour. Her hair was a blood red, just like all her brothers. Her nose and bone structure was quite regal, she had perfect posture, her body was of the mesomorphic type, but she had tough and wiry muscles so she didn't have an ugly body shape. Her mother thought she would be a perfect knight, so did Shelaya and so did her father.

Because of their family's nomadic ways, Zeen and Parisha had learnt a great deal of information, skills, combat techniques, and were extremely open minded, and very cultured. Which meant that all their children were the same, especially with their combat skills. They knew how to use a glaive, how to fight with a sword, a lance, a shukusen, their fists. How to be light when fighting, how to leap, somersault, flip, cartwheel, generally, they were perfect all over, including their intelligence, they knew about everything from Carthak to the Realm of the Gods. Each child could rattle of the names of all the gods and what they did, the names of every King of Tortall, every mage, wizard, witch who was famous.

The only thing the family was not into to was magic: the gift, wild magic, sorcery, anything that had to do with magic was out of the question.

Other than that the Cartwill family, was a family everyone dreamed to be in.

(It was funny though, that Shelaya did not grow up to be a tom boy, she was…well… normal. Not too girly, not to boyish, just right)

And so it was decided, Shelaya was to go off to Corus to be a knight just like all the girls dreamed to be nowadays.

"Darling, do you have everything packed, are all your clothes in this pack, do not forget to take your hair brush, and a spare blanket for the trip there, do you have your retractable glaive? Make sure your sword is near, your bows are ready to use on the carriage, write me often sweet." Parisha was now fussing over her only daughter who was preparing to leave to become a Knight of the Realm.

"Mother, I'm fine, I have everything, I will not forget anything, I will write often, so often you will get sick of my letters. " The regal face of Shelaya did not match the sweet honey voice that came from her mouth. The girl suddenly turned to her mother "I will miss you mother, take care." She picked up her last bag and marched purposely out of her room down the large houses staircase and out the front door. The mother walked behind her and stopped as well when they reached the gate of the estate. She watched her daughter mount her magnificent horse Blaze who was deep red colour to match Shelaya's hair. Her heart filled with pride at her daughter's strength of character.

Shelaya's escorts would be riding along side her and the hired cabbie will be holding the luggage in the carriage, Shelaya had said she would ride on her beloved horse.

No one else would be joining the small group of six riders who would accompany Shelaya to the Palace on these left over cold winter days.

Parish reached for her daughter and kissed her on the forehead "Good bye mother" the girl firmly told her teary mother.

"Goodbye sweet, be good, don't boast, listen, watch, obey. Here…" The woman reached down to the end her breeches and pulled out a belt of specially made Bazhir daggers. She strapped the beautiful crafted piece of leather which held a dozen poisonous dagger onto Shelaya's left boot. "Take these just in case anything happens, and this…" She handed Shelaya a curved dagger made of gold "This was made for me by the shaman of my tribe, I want you to take it, I've never used it in anything other than fighting, he told me it had a measure of magic in it. Be careful" After that the woman gave her daughter a hug and walked bravely back to the doorway of the house to watch her youngest child, and only girl, leave.

Shelaya looked up to see her father instructing her escorts on what to do if they needed help in an emergency.

He sensed her looking at him and he abruptly stopped talking to the man. He walked to his daughter and smiled, she had his hair and his lips and she was all grown up now, and ready to fight….Oh he was so incredibly happy. He chucked her on the chin gave her a kiss on the cheek and said "Be a wonderful knight sweetheart so that the Cartwill family can be proud. My daughter, good bye and good luck" And with that he gave Blaze a good slap on the behind and sent the steed trotting out the gate and down the road that would lead through the small village centre and onto the road to Corus.

One of the escorts that Shelaya had already spent two days with was one of her fathers closest and trusted friend Lord Migeal. Lord Migeal was reasonably middle aged like her father and mother, in his late forties. But despite his age he was quite a funny man, and Shelaya would have been a nervous wreck on this journey if it wasn't for him, he made the young girl chuckle, chortle, giggle, snigger, titter, gurgle, burble and even laugh until she cried, he had stories stored in his memory about everything, from the King's underwear to Moonlight's mate, he had it all: the laughter, the tears, the swear words, he was so well versed in this lore that Shelaya had always thought he was a Bard in hiding, and she loved him, and that was why the poor girl was stricken when evil befell the group when they turned the next corner of the road they were on ,which was covered with snow, lit by the cold moon…