Hey friends! Welcome to chapter three! Please review if you like it :) I stayed with Paragon's point of view. I think it's better that way...
The next morning I awoke before the sun to ready my horse and help Sara cook a good breakfast. I knew my Father would never even consider allowing me to join him, so I didn't plan to ask him for permission. At dawn, Lina, Colette, and Father appeared for breakfast. Lina looked perfectly calm, as though she had either figured out how to stop us from going or had decided to be alright with it. Colette appeared noticeably distraught, but I had expected that. Father was cheerful. Overly so, in fact. He was clearly trying to keep us from worrying. Like that was gonna happen.
After breakfast we went outside where Father saddled his gelding, Zinc. I suddenly felt a jolt of nerves in the pit of my stomach, the sort of quaky feeling when you think you might be sick. Luckily, I wasn't sick. Colette stood outside with Father while he adjusted his saddle bags. Lina followed me into the stables where she boosted me into the saddle of Nickle, my mare. With a quick attempt to calm my nerves, I smiled gratefully at Lina and rode from the stables, head held high.
Father stared at me for a moment.
"I'm coming with you," I said softly, "Please don't try to stop me, because I can't let you go alone. I can't say I'm not afraid to go, but I can say I want to—need to—go." He opened his mouth to speak, but I rushed on, "I won't be a burden, I promise. I can take care of myself. I can hunt, fight, and cook...Please, Father." I begged. Wow. I begged, right after deciding I was going to go without asking him. Now he would say no. He'd tell me to stay at home like a proper lady.
"Very well. Come if you must." He said slowly. I'm pretty sure my mouth must have fallen open, but I don't remember.
"What?"I rasped, in total surprise.
"You may accompany me." He repeated, his eyes smiling at me. Colette began to cry silently. Lina reached up and squeezed my hand.
"Thank you, Father." I whispered, still in awe. "Farewell, Lina, Colette."
"Farewell, little sister," Lina returned.
Colette gazed up at me, teary eyed, " Be careful, Paragon." She said. I nodded dumbly, and in a few moments we were off on the adventure of a lifetime.
We lived but half a day's ride from the Twisted Wood, and though our nerves were tight, Father and I spent the morning in pleasant conversation.
"How is it," I asked, "that the Rose of the Ivory Horn hasn't died after however many years it has been alive?"
"Whoever made it gave it enough pwer to stay alive, I guess. The Horn in which it grows has a power as well, though no one knows exactly what it is. I've heard it can do all manner of things: make one incredibly beautiful, make one young again, reverse any enchantment, give such wealth as is unimaginable." He explained.
"The Queen did not ask for the Horn did she?"
"No, only the Rose. So if we find the Rose, the Ivory Horn will be yours."
"Mine!?" I asked in alarm. "What on earth would I do with such power?"
"I don't know," he replied, "since you are already wealthy, young and beautiful."
I blushed slightly, "Then that leaves reversing an enchantment. Hmm, Father, are you by any chance under an enchantment?" I asked playfully.
"I'm afraid not." he returned, smiling.
"Father?"
"Yes, my child." I frowned. Being called my child didn't really strike my fancy. I carried on nevertheless.
"If you had the Horn, what would you do with it?"
"I think, I would leave it in the forest," he said after a long moment.
"But it is such a great treasure!"
"True enough, yet I cannot help but think that a man with such power would become a terrible father, a terrible friend, and perhaps a terrible person all in all."
"I can't imagine you would, Father." I said softly, "Maybe another man would. A man who was already greedy or selfish."
"You think too well of me, Par. Surely I am not above other men. We all have our faults."
"Yes...Maybe we ought to leave it in the forest, you know, if we find it." I realized that Father was probably right, and if we had no really important use for it, we may as well leave it behind.
"Paragon," Father called, " Do you believe the Rose is real?"
I didn't answer. Did I believe it was real? I wanted to. I wanted to trust that magic existed, that healing roses and magic horns were actually real. Maybe wanting to believe was the same thing as believing, I thought.
"Yes." I said, and realized that I truly meant it.
"Good." He nodded as he said this, and I realized that he had needed me to be sure.
"Are you afraid, Papa?" I asked, after a moment's deliberation. I didn't want to offend him, but I needed to know. For a long time he peered at me through his brownish-green eyes, and then he turned away without answering, So, yes. He was afraid. Maybe coming wasn't such a great idea after all.
"Look." Papa pointed off into the distance, and I got my first glimpse of the Twisted Forest. Even from miles away, it had a sort of wicked look to it. It loomed dangerously high, ancient trees filled with the magic of the heart of the forest.
"Wow, that's...wow," I whispered.
"I know," he answered shaking his head. "Par?"
"Yes, Papa?"
"I'm sorry for getting us into this mess." I thought he sounded sad, and suddenly old and tired. I rode up next to him and squeezed his hand briefly.
"It's alright, Papa." He shook his head, and Zinc shifted from foot to foot. "I guess we should keep going?"
"Right. Keep your sword ready when we go in. I've heard all kinds of stories, so who knows what's really in there."
By the time we actually reach the forest, darkness is settling over it, thick and black. We decided to set up camp and wait until morning to face the whatever was in these woods. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep, but once I lay down, I realized just how tired I was. That's when the howling started.
What did you think? Should I keep going? I'm gonna try to add some more adventure to the next chapter, since this one was kind of slow. :) Any ideas of some names for the beast? I haven't thought of one yet :/ Review please :)