Taya sat with her legs crossed, staring out the window. The sun set over the ocean, and a breeze came through the open window. Her dark hair rippled in the wind, covering her slightly pointed ears.

There was a knock on the door as her maid, Felice, stepped through the door. "Milady, your stepfather has requested your presence in the library." Taya sighed and closed the book that she had been reading. "Alright, I'll be down in a moment You're dismissed." Felice curtsied and exited the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Taya got up from her chair and walked to her closet. I don't think Stepfather would want me to come in my nightgown. She found a simple blue dress and slipped it on. She found her riding boots and put them on, she didn't want her stepfather to wait much longer. He had a temper.

She walked out of the door and down one flight of stairs and into her father's library.

Her stepfather sat behind a large desk, piled high with books and papers. He massaged his temples as he read the newspaper. His eyes were hidden behind spectacles and his gray hair was thinning in places. Lamps on the walls provided the only light in the secluded room with no windows.

"Hello, sir," Taya said. She had never taken to calling him "father" as many adopted children did.

He looked up from his paper. "Hello." He returned to his paper.

"You called for me?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. I did," he exclaimed. "Lord Risthart is coming to dinner. I'd appreciate it if you would not talk about wars and dragons and what a blockhead our king is. He is not a blockhead, Taya."

"Perhaps not to you," she muttered under her breath.

"Enough. Go change into your finest clothes and be down here in an hour." With that, her father returned to his paper and massaging his temples.

Taya curtsied and left. But, she had no intention of going to meet Lord Risthart. She wanted to go out to the Spine and practice her swordsmanship. She slipped on a tunic and breaches that she had taken from her stepbrother, Bartimus, and grabbed a practice sword that she had also taken from Bartimus. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and put on boots with a gold buckle in the front. They had been one of the few things that she had of her mother and father. She grabbed a cloak that she had secretly bought from the market in Teirm. As she checked herself in the mirror, she stifled a laugh. Why, I look like a tree! And in a way, Taya was correct. She wore all green except for her black hair.

Taya decided that she wanted to practice archery as well. She grabbed a finely made bow from her hiding place in the closet and snuck out the door. She smiled, the servants were having dinner now and her parents and stepbrother were getting ready for their visitor. She was able to sneak out of the house without a problem. When she left, she pulled the hood over her head, casting shadows that covered her features.

Taya received strange looks as she walked down the street, but she didn't mind. Let them think what they want. Instead of heading straight to the eastern gate, she turned right and walked straight toward the wall. Taya had discovered many years ago an underground passage that led right from the inside of Teirm to the outside of the wall. The tunnel was hidden behind dead plants and was extremely short, probably because it went right from one side of the wall to the other.

Taya stuck her foot into tunnel and slipped in. There was no need for a lantern. She emerged from the ground and smelled the salty sea air. She saw the Toark River as it ran into the ocean. She turned and headed up towards the Spine. She quickly reached the Spine and found and target for her arrows. It was the tree that she always used, tall, strong, and extremely hard to pull the arrows out of. All's the same, she thought, but she was wrong. What Taya hadn't noticed were the sticks that stuck up from the ground that had been used to make tents, charred spots where there had once been fires, and spots where the grass thinned because many animals had chewed grass there.

She strung her bow and aimed for the area on the tree where the bark was pealing off. She released the arrow and, to her surprise, hit the target. Happy, she strung more arrows and aimed.

Once she was done with archery, she brought out her practice sword and did a series of moves she read in a book called Swords and Spars. She continued the series of moves until an explosion shattered the peace.

Taya was thrown backwards with the force of the explosion. She blinked and looked down, and there, between her outspread legs, was a polished emerald green stone.

Taya picked up the stone and was surprised to find it was heavy. She picked up the stone and ran her hands over the smooth surface. Where did this come from... what is it? Why was it sent here? Taya felt a shiver run down her spine, and then fear swept over her. It was clearly sent by magic, and magic was dangerous.

For a moment, she thought about dropping the stone and leaving it there, but something within Taya made her grip it in her hand as she made her way back to Teirm.

Taya slipped through the door as she heard her stepparents and Lord Risthart clinking glasses and complimenting the chef.

"Victor, who has cooked this fine meal? It is worthy of Galbatorix himself?" asked Lord Risthart.

"None other than Otis, and he's the finest chef in Teirm," her stepfather said jubilantly.

"His pay is high, but it's worth it, isn't it Sir?" asked her stepmother tentatively.

"Yes, this is..." Taya didn't here the rest, as she was already at the top of the stairs. She went up one more flight and opened the door to her room, making sure to conceal the stone underneath her cloak.

Once inside her room, she collapsed on her chair that faced the ocean. She had made it. She looked at the stone. Why did I keep it? she asked herself. It's just a petty stone. Troubled, Taya paced around the room, trying to think of who sent the stone and why.

When the clock struck midnight Taya realized that she could not think properly at such a late hour (after her theory of the werecat and the sorcerer, which was ridiculous because werecats do not exist) decided that it was best for her to go to bed. She slipped into her nightgown and crawled into bed, blowing out the candle.

"Wake up!" Taya rolled out of bed to the angry face of her stepmother clutching her shoulders, shaking her.

"It's early... I- " she wasn't able to finish her sentence.

"Lord Risthart was here! And where were you?" exclaimed her stepmother, Trissa.

"I... am sorry..." spluttered Taya. "I was just..." She was interrupted once again as her mother shook her violently.

"We looked like fools when we told him you'd be down in a moment! Fools I tell you!"

Taya looked down. Perhaps she should have gone to the dinner.

"Well... I don't think he cares about a girl who will just talk about dragons andwhat a blockhead king is." spat Taya.

"Because the king is not a blockhead. And dragons are evil creatures! They ruined Alagaesia!" exclaimed her mother. "I am your mother, so I am telling you to stop being so foolish!"

"No."

It was just one word, but the impact it had was greater than Taya had ever intended.

"I am your mother, and you will do as I say!" exclaimed Trissa.

"You are not my mother." Silence filled the room as Trissa glared at Taya. She gathered up her skirts and marched out of the room. Taya swore the vase outside broke, but she never bothered to check.

Well, she's not my mother, thought Taya bitterly. None of them are. My real parents are dead. They aren't my parents. They never will be. They don't really love me.