CHAPTER FIVE

After collecting the food from the kitchen and gathering other supplies they think they may need (and in true fact they have no idea what they may need so they pack much more that is necessary) and of course after arguing what shoes will be appropriate to wear (they all decide on comfortable canvas lace ups, each in their own style) the Sister are finally ready to leave for the empty fountain spout in the castle wall.

Casually making their way down to the garden the sisters manage to convince the guards they're just wanting to have a quite picnic and are looking for a suitable place.
One guard in particular takes it upon himself to suggest the perfect spot.

"The lower right hand side is a wonderful spot my Ladies. Many trees for shade and you have the majestic statue of the late King himself to watch over you" Smiling like a loon he gestures towards the opposite direction they want to go.

"Thank you for the suggestion but we were thinking of the left side of the gardens" Jade politely informs him
"Ah, for the flower beds. They're much more beautiful on that side"

"That they are Princess, that they are." With that he continues his patrol and walks off.

Watching him leave Ebony scoff back a laugh.

"What a dweeb"

"Don't be so mean Ebony" Ivory tells her sister off with a frown.

"Whatever, lets go before another one comes along and wants to brag"

Finally making it to the still fountain Ebony shows her sisters the tight squeeze they will have to subject themselves too.

"You're kidding?" Jade asks while staring at the claustrophobic tunnel. She was a brave girl but she wasn't stupid and she knew she was too large to fit through that comfortably.

"I made it all the way through, and you're only a little bit bigger than me" Ebony said with a hint of humour. She couldn't help but slip in the snide comment of Jades weight over her own.
Ah sisters. Such cruel beings at times.

At that Jade straightened her back and waded in to the pool, preparing herself for the ordeal.
Passing her satchel to Ivory she knelt down and looked through.
Sure enough on the other side was the same view Ebony had described on the way.

The excitement of the situation finally hit her and before she could second guess herself she was slithering in head and hands first.
Getting her head and shoulders in was easy enough but once she felt the cold restrictions of the stone around her ribs and chest the panic started to set in.
Feeling like she was unable to draw a full breath Jade started to hyperventilate.

"Jade, are you ok?" Ivory asked, noticing her sister had stopped moving forwards.

"Hurry up Jade, before a guard comes past" Ebony reached in and gave her sisters feet a push.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Jade screamed, causing Ebony to fall back in to the water in fight.

"Jade? Whats going on?" Ebony looked at Ivory, both realising that something was wrong.

Something they didn't know about their brave and intelligent sister is that she was extremely claustrophobic and had an immense fear of small enclosed spaces and at this point in time Jade was experiencing a full blown panic attack.
Now I am unaware of how many of you dear readers have ever had a panic attack but I can tell you they are not enjoyable at all. In fact they're rather horrifying.

Poor Jade knew she was prone these attacks but she had thought herself strong enough to ward one off.

Unfortunately her strength and will power were being swallowed alive by fear and death itself.
Death becomes a very real thing to those in the midst of a panic attack. One has the hand of Death himself on their throat, or so they think. In fact death is very far from truth but the fear has clouded all right and reason and fear is a very very destructive thing indeed.

Jade was now lying there, stiff in her stone coffin, waiting for her lungs to seize and her heart to stop. Praying to stay alive and survive but expecting to have her last breath drawn from her any moment now, Jade allowed the tears to wet her face when suddenly it wasn't just her face that was wet but her whole body as she found herself in the cold water of the moat outside!

Surfacing Jade spluttered and thrashed about before managing to make it over to the stairs leading out and up on to the path that runs along the iron fence.
Gathering her thoughts and taking in deep relieving breaths she attempts to make sense of what just happened.

"Jade! Are you ok? Jade!" Ivory suddenly appears from the hole and jumps across the moat to her soaking wet sister. Ebony follows not too far behind.

"Jade. What happened my sister?" Ivory takes Jades face into her hands and cradles her sisters cold, wet and scared expression.
"Its ok now Jade. You're safe and with us again. Everything is ok"

Feeling the dread and confusion lift from her mind Jade manages to croak out,
"How did I fall in to the moat?"

Ivory releases her sisters face and looks at Ebony.

"We were kinda hoping you could tell us that" Ebony replies.
"One moment you're in the spout not moving, the next you're gone and we hear you splashing around out here."

"You just vanished Jade." Ivory says with a tone of worry. "In a green flash of light"

"A green light?" Jade rests her head down in to her lap.

They sit there silently for a moment while they all try to gather their thoughts, but the moment is interrupted by the sound of guards on the other side of the small wooden door.

Quickly rushing the three sisters hide behind some large creates near the doorway just as the guards emerge. They're the same two guards Ebony had followed earlier.

"See, look. There's nothing here" the smaller guard said.

"I know I heard splashing around. It must have just been a bird having a bath" The large guard decided.

"Maybe it was the Princesses finally escaping aye?" laughed the other guard, holding his helmet on as he chuckled.

"Ha! Yeah. Zelda would have our heads for that"

And they turned and went back inside.

The Sisters crept back out and looked at each in relief. Forgetting the strange ordeal that Jade had just been through they set to looking about for options.

Jade for the first time got a proper look around , her mind still being slightly closed off she couldn't quite comprehend her surroundings but Ivory was taking it all in.
Every sight, every sound, and every sent. It was all better than she could have imagined.
It was brighter, it was greener. The air was cleaner, fresher, more fragrant. Ebony was right about the perfumes on the breeze, she could hardly contain herself.
Then she noticed the large tree in the corner of the path. A strong branch reached out over and across the fence out on the fields full of wild flowers. Now, Ivory may not seem smart but she has it where it counts.

"Look. We have a way out" she says pointing to the tree.

"Good spotting Ivy!" Ebony gives her baby sister a pat on the shoulder and heads towards the tree.
"Jade, do you think you could reach that first branch?"

Jade wanting to win back some respect steps forwards and without fail jumps up and huals herself up on to the perch.
Then reaching down to Ebony she manages to pull her up before finally helping Ivory.
The three of them scoot across the bough and gracefully jump off over the other side of the fence.

Suddenly before the young women even have a chance to pick up their bags the sound of approaching footsteps makes them aware they're not in the clear yet.
Quickly rushing to find a dip in the open field they now find themselves standing in they manage to lie flat behind a mound next to the road they didn't even realise was right there.

A troop of guards are marching up the winding road with a horse drawn coach following behind. It is not until the coach is directly in front of them do the Princesses recognise it as their sister Zeldas Official Royal Coach.
The three of them all let out a yelp of horror. They're going to get caught and they haven't even seen anything yet. They haven't swum in the great lake or eaten bread with a commoner.

Ivory, thinking off all the wonderful cultures she will now never discover, finds herself reaching for her sisters hands in comfort.
Just as she clasps her fingers around those of her fraternal sisters Zelda glances out the carriage window.

~oOo~