Chapter One

"I'm not sure where to start." Adora said.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" Pippin said.

"That would be...three years ago wouldn't it?" Thalia asked.

"We can start there."

~ Adora's P.O.V. ~

I stood before the ship Ëardraug, my breath taken away by the magnificence of it. Ëardraug is my gateway to the unknown lands and the final break from my clan.

I am five feet eleven inches, with wheat blond hair hanging down my back in a braid. My brown eyes watched the coming and going of the people on the ship, all waiting for a sign from Hagoth, the captain and my brother-in-law. That day I wore a died blue deer skin shirt with a woven wool wrap around it. Men's leggings I "borrowed" from my older brother and buffalo skin tied up to my knees as shoes.

"Adora!" A familiar voice called.

I turned around to see Hagoth making his way from a makeshift inn. He isn't much to look at--the sea had made him strong but had hardened his features, yet his warm brown eyes told of his gentile and curious nature.

Once he reached me he wrapped me in a hug. "It's good to see you again." He said smiling.

"Good to see you too." She said back.

"Come its almost time to leave, we must finish making preparations."

I grinned and shifted the straps of my bag before following Hagoth onto the Ëardraug.

~ Thalia ~

I griped the rope very tightly.

"Come on Thal, get the rope tight before you send us all into the abyss!"

"Thanks for the encouragement Gid!" I retorted sourly while tying the rope to a peg. The ship pitched violently sending me skidding across the deck.

The rain poured down violently onto my already soaked body. To my eternal frustration I stand barely five feet tall. Though my small frame is noting to laugh about I can, and have beaten every boy in my tribe and many men without.

I had short chocolate brown hair, cut hastily from a long braid before leaving my home. Most people did a double take when they saw me, through short hair, my features were very pretty, I'm told. I had the dark green eyes common in my tribe, but are rare among other. My skin, once creamy from the sheltered Covanaia, was now a tan brown from the unsheltered travel of the past months.

My tribe, like many, was at war and with nothing but my strict traditional mother to hold me back, I packed the few thing that belonged to me and headed for the only way off the dreaded continent, Ëardraug.

Once on the ship, I wondered if I simply found a way to kill myself all the more faster.

With a grunt I heaved myself up on the rocking ship and managed to find myself yet again on my back, but this time with someone on top of me.

"Oh! So sorry!" Came a voice.

"I'll forgive you if you would please get off me!"

The girl gasped and quickly stood up. "You're a girl!"

I stood up as well. "And so are you." I said dryly.

The girl before me smiled despite my tone. "Here I was beginning to think I was the only one."

I smiled with a hint of sarcasm. "Yes, well, I believe I'm needed. Lovely to chat with you."

I quickly make my way across the deck.

Believe it or not, that was the beginning of a lifelong friendship.