Chapter 1: Startings
It was rainy and dreary outside the castle window, with silent raindrops falling to the ground. Linea wanted so much to leave the castle of Sidhe, and to have adventures, searching for the Ultimate Power. Will mother ever understand? She thought. She was Princess Linea, and her mother was Queen Kali. The land of Sidhe was slowly dying. Sidhe was the land of her people, and Linea could not bear for it to die. She was 17 years of age, and wished there was some way she could get her mother to understand her. She had tried twice to escape, but was caught by the guards both times.
"I'm trying once more tomorrow," She said to her pet falcon, SilverWing, who was sitting on her shoulder. It cawed in approval. The falcon loved Linea, and they understood each other through the heart, ever since she was only 8 years old. "Let's get some sleep, before we wake at midnight to leave." The falcon flapped its wings to agree. The falcon perched itself on a stand made especially for it. Linea crawled in bed, even if it was noon.
Linea yawned, and found herself awake at midnight. Perfect, she thought with a grin. She crept to grab a bag, and packed clothes, and crept downstairs to the kitchen for food, making sure to stay on the carpet in the stone hallways, so she would not wake anyone. She didn't need food for the falcon. It could already hunt. She also took tools to blacksmith with. She was a good blacksmith, even for being 17 years old. But the people were against women blacksmiths. But she was princess, so no one could object her. She had lessons every other day in the castle. She learned to fight with a staff, sword, aim with a bow and arrow, learned to axe fight, and how to blacksmith, of course.
She went back to her room, to get her falcon and get dressed in comfortable clothing for rain. She got tan knee-high boots, a white shirt, a brown vest, and a black cloak to hide with. SilverWing said in to her mind, Aren't you a little young for leaving the castle? I heard you had to be 18. Linea shrugged.
"So?" She whispered to SilverWing. "I can't let my people die. I'll be Queen someday." Linea was fully dressed, with her hood over her head. She crept down the rich, red carpet of the large stone halls and outside to the stables to get a horse. "Hey, girl," Linea said to a black horse with a white mane. "Ready to have an adventure, Myst?" The horse neighed with happiness. Myst did not like to stay cooped up in the stables. She wanted to be free, and outside with the rich green grass and bright sun. She saddled the horse and opened the stable doors, using a key she found in her mother's room, hidden under a floorboard, knowing that the stable doors was an area unguarded. She led Myst out by the reins, and closed the doors silently. She leapt onto Myst, with SilverWing on her shoulder, and bags attached to the saddle. She kicked it softly in the sides to get her running down to the dirt path to freedom, caring less about the raindrops falling on the hood of her cloak. "Yea!!" She whispered with pride, glad to be away from home for once. For 17 straight years she stayed in the castle, and now she was away from them.
The next morning was bright and sunny. Myst was already awake, gnawing on grass with fresh dew on it. She found herself under a large tree. She looked up to see her falcon sleeping on a branch. She smiled and got up to stretch. She walked to Myst, who was obviously enjoying the fresh air and green grass. "So, this is where I begin my journey," Linea said, petting the horse softly. Its silky fur was wet, probably from rolling in the dew on the grass. Linea whistled for SilverWing. It flew to her shoulder. "Where to, where to…" Linea got her bag and pulled out a map. Black dots indicated neutral cities, while red were enemies, and blue were allies (She had stolen the map from her father, who was currently at war with the nearby country of Eked).
Linea heard a scuffle behind a tree. "Who's there?" She yelled out, pulling her dagger from her boot. She slowly crept behind the tree. "Trett!! You scared the daylights out of me!" Linea exclaimed putting the dagger back in her boot. "Why did you follow me? And how?" Trett was a friend of Linea's since about two years ago when they started training in the castle. They usually were partnered for staff fighting.
"Sorry Linea. I had to, and uh… James came with me," Trett explained. Her other friend, James, jumped out of the tree behind Linea. They were friends since less than a year ago, when James first moved to her city. Linea sighed. "We overheard you in your room, talking to SilverWing, and we wanted to come with you." James nodded.
"Just as long as you don't rat on me!" Linea said. Trett and James grinned. "Did you two bring your own stuff?" James held up a bag, and Trett did also. "Okay then, because I'm not going to waste money on you two," Linea said, smiling. James stuck his tongue out.
"We brought our own horses too," James added, whistling to call the horses. A tan horse with a black mane came up and a grey horse with a white mane came up. The grey one went up to Trett and nudged his shoulder, while James pet his horse, FlameDemon.
"Hey Mace," Trett said, petting the horse's nose softly. "So, you'll let us travel with you?" Trett asked, pleading in his eyes. Linea could only smile, and nod.
"Well. It's nice to know I'll have friends on my journeys," Linea explained happily to them. They grinned, and climbed on their horses. "Oh, did y—," Trett cut her off.
"Yes, we brought weapons, you worrywart!" Trett said. Trett, James, and Linea always took the words right out of each other's mouths. It was strange sometimes. Linea grinned, while James laughed.
"I'll race ya'll," James said. "To the city, since it isn't that far anyways. Losers have to pay 5 gold pieces." James grinned wickedly. Trett and Linea both knew he was the fastest rider at the castle. But Linea escaped form the castle for excitement, and that was what she was gonna get!
"You're on!" Linea said, grinning. Even if James was the fastest rider, she had a good horse with lots of stamina. James, Trett, and Linea lined up even with a tree. "3…2…1…GO!" Shouted Linea. All three were even for about 5 seconds, and then Trett fell behind about 2 feet. James stayed level with Linea, gaining speed. But Linea urged the horse on, to go faster, because James was about half a foot ahead. Trett caught up about level with Linea.
"WHOA!!!" Linea halted the horse. The horse slid sideways and stopped, neighing. James' horse stopped too. A huge tree, which must have been struck by lightning, was in their path. James gasped for air as Linea examined the large tree in the way. "It's huge!!" Linea gasped out. She suddenly realized that SilverWing wasn't on her shoulder, when he perched on her shoulder, giving her a little claw, to show his anger. "Ow!!" Linea said, grabbing her shoulder and staring at the bird.
You shouldn't ignore me, It said to her. I can give you information worth your lives. Lightning did not knock down that tree.
"How do you know?" Linea asked, putting her hands on her hips. James raised an eyebrow at Linea.
"Huh?" He asked. Linea looked at James.
"Not you, SilverWing." She said. James scratched his head.
"You mean he can talk?" James asked, awed. Linea shook her head, regretting she said anything in the first place.
"We understand each other through our hearts; he's what you would call a spirit animal," Linea explained to James. "A spirit animal is an animal whom you can understand." James nodded, still confused though.
Anyways, continued SilverWing. That tree was forced down by magic. Someone is following us.
Linea gasped with horror, and froze stiff on Myst's saddle. One of her fears was being hunted down. She was only 7, and one day a man followed her through the forest, with a blade to kill her. She never knew whom the man was, too many years ago to remember. Whoever it was, must have had some reason to want her dead… besides knowing she was the princess. "Someone is… following us…" Linea's voice shook when she said this. James and Trett stared at her. They knew her story of when she was 7. They knew being followed by strangers was an ultimate fear of hers.
"Let's… be going then... shall we?" Trett stammered. Linea nodded and had the horse follow around the tree.
They spent 30 minutes in silence, before James spoke up, startling Linea. "We only have about a mile to go. Shouldn't take long. And um… Linea, we have a problem…" Linea looked at him with a 'What could be the problem?' face. "Well… if the city up ahead knows the Princess of Sidhe is missing… won't they recognize you?" He asked. Linea never thought about this.
"You are right," Linea finally said, stopping the horse. "Lend me your blade." James, looking up at Linea strangely, reluctantly gave it up. She got off the horse. "I'm going to miss my hair," Linea said, cutting away a good several inches. Her hair was now above her shoulders. Trett's eyes widened. Linea used to have brown hair to the middle of her back. Now she had it above her shoulders! Linea noticed him, and commented, "Get used to it." They rode on for only about 5 minutes when they arrived at the city.
"Whoa," exclaimed James. "It's as crowded as hell itself!" The whole city looked like a market place, swarming with people. "We'll have to watch for rogues…" He said. Rogues would take anything they could get their filthy hands on. Linea nodded, while Trett glanced a worried look at Linea.
"We'll be okay, with our good fighting skills," Linea assured them, with false confidence.
You better hope they know you're not lying, said SilverWing. It'll make them feel bad, and scared.
"Don't worry SilverWing," she whispered to the falcon, making sure James and Trett didn't hear her. "Any of ya'll know where the Inn is?" Linea asked Trett and James.
"I think it's… up ahead, and to the right," Trett said. "I've been here before." Linea nodded, and kicked her horse gently in the side to move ahead.
They found the Inn eventually. They bought a room for 3 (since 3 separate rooms would cost more) and went upstairs. Night came, and they all went to sleep.
It was rainy and dreary outside the castle window, with silent raindrops falling to the ground. Linea wanted so much to leave the castle of Sidhe, and to have adventures, searching for the Ultimate Power. Will mother ever understand? She thought. She was Princess Linea, and her mother was Queen Kali. The land of Sidhe was slowly dying. Sidhe was the land of her people, and Linea could not bear for it to die. She was 17 years of age, and wished there was some way she could get her mother to understand her. She had tried twice to escape, but was caught by the guards both times.
"I'm trying once more tomorrow," She said to her pet falcon, SilverWing, who was sitting on her shoulder. It cawed in approval. The falcon loved Linea, and they understood each other through the heart, ever since she was only 8 years old. "Let's get some sleep, before we wake at midnight to leave." The falcon flapped its wings to agree. The falcon perched itself on a stand made especially for it. Linea crawled in bed, even if it was noon.
Linea yawned, and found herself awake at midnight. Perfect, she thought with a grin. She crept to grab a bag, and packed clothes, and crept downstairs to the kitchen for food, making sure to stay on the carpet in the stone hallways, so she would not wake anyone. She didn't need food for the falcon. It could already hunt. She also took tools to blacksmith with. She was a good blacksmith, even for being 17 years old. But the people were against women blacksmiths. But she was princess, so no one could object her. She had lessons every other day in the castle. She learned to fight with a staff, sword, aim with a bow and arrow, learned to axe fight, and how to blacksmith, of course.
She went back to her room, to get her falcon and get dressed in comfortable clothing for rain. She got tan knee-high boots, a white shirt, a brown vest, and a black cloak to hide with. SilverWing said in to her mind, Aren't you a little young for leaving the castle? I heard you had to be 18. Linea shrugged.
"So?" She whispered to SilverWing. "I can't let my people die. I'll be Queen someday." Linea was fully dressed, with her hood over her head. She crept down the rich, red carpet of the large stone halls and outside to the stables to get a horse. "Hey, girl," Linea said to a black horse with a white mane. "Ready to have an adventure, Myst?" The horse neighed with happiness. Myst did not like to stay cooped up in the stables. She wanted to be free, and outside with the rich green grass and bright sun. She saddled the horse and opened the stable doors, using a key she found in her mother's room, hidden under a floorboard, knowing that the stable doors was an area unguarded. She led Myst out by the reins, and closed the doors silently. She leapt onto Myst, with SilverWing on her shoulder, and bags attached to the saddle. She kicked it softly in the sides to get her running down to the dirt path to freedom, caring less about the raindrops falling on the hood of her cloak. "Yea!!" She whispered with pride, glad to be away from home for once. For 17 straight years she stayed in the castle, and now she was away from them.
The next morning was bright and sunny. Myst was already awake, gnawing on grass with fresh dew on it. She found herself under a large tree. She looked up to see her falcon sleeping on a branch. She smiled and got up to stretch. She walked to Myst, who was obviously enjoying the fresh air and green grass. "So, this is where I begin my journey," Linea said, petting the horse softly. Its silky fur was wet, probably from rolling in the dew on the grass. Linea whistled for SilverWing. It flew to her shoulder. "Where to, where to…" Linea got her bag and pulled out a map. Black dots indicated neutral cities, while red were enemies, and blue were allies (She had stolen the map from her father, who was currently at war with the nearby country of Eked).
Linea heard a scuffle behind a tree. "Who's there?" She yelled out, pulling her dagger from her boot. She slowly crept behind the tree. "Trett!! You scared the daylights out of me!" Linea exclaimed putting the dagger back in her boot. "Why did you follow me? And how?" Trett was a friend of Linea's since about two years ago when they started training in the castle. They usually were partnered for staff fighting.
"Sorry Linea. I had to, and uh… James came with me," Trett explained. Her other friend, James, jumped out of the tree behind Linea. They were friends since less than a year ago, when James first moved to her city. Linea sighed. "We overheard you in your room, talking to SilverWing, and we wanted to come with you." James nodded.
"Just as long as you don't rat on me!" Linea said. Trett and James grinned. "Did you two bring your own stuff?" James held up a bag, and Trett did also. "Okay then, because I'm not going to waste money on you two," Linea said, smiling. James stuck his tongue out.
"We brought our own horses too," James added, whistling to call the horses. A tan horse with a black mane came up and a grey horse with a white mane came up. The grey one went up to Trett and nudged his shoulder, while James pet his horse, FlameDemon.
"Hey Mace," Trett said, petting the horse's nose softly. "So, you'll let us travel with you?" Trett asked, pleading in his eyes. Linea could only smile, and nod.
"Well. It's nice to know I'll have friends on my journeys," Linea explained happily to them. They grinned, and climbed on their horses. "Oh, did y—," Trett cut her off.
"Yes, we brought weapons, you worrywart!" Trett said. Trett, James, and Linea always took the words right out of each other's mouths. It was strange sometimes. Linea grinned, while James laughed.
"I'll race ya'll," James said. "To the city, since it isn't that far anyways. Losers have to pay 5 gold pieces." James grinned wickedly. Trett and Linea both knew he was the fastest rider at the castle. But Linea escaped form the castle for excitement, and that was what she was gonna get!
"You're on!" Linea said, grinning. Even if James was the fastest rider, she had a good horse with lots of stamina. James, Trett, and Linea lined up even with a tree. "3…2…1…GO!" Shouted Linea. All three were even for about 5 seconds, and then Trett fell behind about 2 feet. James stayed level with Linea, gaining speed. But Linea urged the horse on, to go faster, because James was about half a foot ahead. Trett caught up about level with Linea.
"WHOA!!!" Linea halted the horse. The horse slid sideways and stopped, neighing. James' horse stopped too. A huge tree, which must have been struck by lightning, was in their path. James gasped for air as Linea examined the large tree in the way. "It's huge!!" Linea gasped out. She suddenly realized that SilverWing wasn't on her shoulder, when he perched on her shoulder, giving her a little claw, to show his anger. "Ow!!" Linea said, grabbing her shoulder and staring at the bird.
You shouldn't ignore me, It said to her. I can give you information worth your lives. Lightning did not knock down that tree.
"How do you know?" Linea asked, putting her hands on her hips. James raised an eyebrow at Linea.
"Huh?" He asked. Linea looked at James.
"Not you, SilverWing." She said. James scratched his head.
"You mean he can talk?" James asked, awed. Linea shook her head, regretting she said anything in the first place.
"We understand each other through our hearts; he's what you would call a spirit animal," Linea explained to James. "A spirit animal is an animal whom you can understand." James nodded, still confused though.
Anyways, continued SilverWing. That tree was forced down by magic. Someone is following us.
Linea gasped with horror, and froze stiff on Myst's saddle. One of her fears was being hunted down. She was only 7, and one day a man followed her through the forest, with a blade to kill her. She never knew whom the man was, too many years ago to remember. Whoever it was, must have had some reason to want her dead… besides knowing she was the princess. "Someone is… following us…" Linea's voice shook when she said this. James and Trett stared at her. They knew her story of when she was 7. They knew being followed by strangers was an ultimate fear of hers.
"Let's… be going then... shall we?" Trett stammered. Linea nodded and had the horse follow around the tree.
They spent 30 minutes in silence, before James spoke up, startling Linea. "We only have about a mile to go. Shouldn't take long. And um… Linea, we have a problem…" Linea looked at him with a 'What could be the problem?' face. "Well… if the city up ahead knows the Princess of Sidhe is missing… won't they recognize you?" He asked. Linea never thought about this.
"You are right," Linea finally said, stopping the horse. "Lend me your blade." James, looking up at Linea strangely, reluctantly gave it up. She got off the horse. "I'm going to miss my hair," Linea said, cutting away a good several inches. Her hair was now above her shoulders. Trett's eyes widened. Linea used to have brown hair to the middle of her back. Now she had it above her shoulders! Linea noticed him, and commented, "Get used to it." They rode on for only about 5 minutes when they arrived at the city.
"Whoa," exclaimed James. "It's as crowded as hell itself!" The whole city looked like a market place, swarming with people. "We'll have to watch for rogues…" He said. Rogues would take anything they could get their filthy hands on. Linea nodded, while Trett glanced a worried look at Linea.
"We'll be okay, with our good fighting skills," Linea assured them, with false confidence.
You better hope they know you're not lying, said SilverWing. It'll make them feel bad, and scared.
"Don't worry SilverWing," she whispered to the falcon, making sure James and Trett didn't hear her. "Any of ya'll know where the Inn is?" Linea asked Trett and James.
"I think it's… up ahead, and to the right," Trett said. "I've been here before." Linea nodded, and kicked her horse gently in the side to move ahead.
They found the Inn eventually. They bought a room for 3 (since 3 separate rooms would cost more) and went upstairs. Night came, and they all went to sleep.