Chapter 1
Waking up
Amber was woken up by the tweeting of birds some time after she had fallen a sleep, now normally birds
tweeting would not have woken her up but this was far louder than the muffled sounds of bird she herd from her
room. This was more of a right in your ear sort of thing, she was cold, and the air smelled different it smelled
fresh and clean like being in the middle of no where right after it rained.
With a start she sat up looking around to find her, in a forest that seems so thick that it must go on
forever and yes there was a bird which had been tweeting right in her ear. After a few moments she realized that
she was going to have to find some city or town or house she would even settle for someone, so she got up and
started walking only then did she realize that she was still wearing the dress which Millie had made her.
She walked for about an hour then came to what she could only describe as a bunch of dirt "roads" that
saw more foot traffic then anything else. And on either side of "roads" were building, like you saw in history
books when you're studying the Middle Ages. Amber's head suddenly felt like it was spinning, that up was really
down and down was up, she stepped back looking for support from the trees that she had stepped away from with out
even really realizing it.
She grasped hold of the nearest tree, was it bad enough that she woke up in the middle of no where, but
she was beginning to think that she just might be even farther away from home then she had thought. She was
beginning to think that she just might have an idea where she was, but like any sane human she didn't really want
to believe what she thought.
She took a deep breath and pulled herself together she knew that she was going to have to find out where
she was and there was no better time than now. Once she had managed to compose herself she made her way into this
village, she worked her way down the "roads" thinking that the best place to start in asking directions would be
an inn.
* * * * * *
It didn't take her long to find the local inn, her naturally acute sense of direction leading her there
quicker then anyone's words could have. The inn was a building that looked like it had had seen better days, to
Amber she thought that it looked like it might be one of the oldest building in the village. With it's thatched
roof and mud brick walls showing signs of weather, with a stable on one side and a small ally on the other. She
walked up to the heave oak door took a deep breath and worked up her courage then she pushed open the door.
As she stepped through the door she found herself in a large room filled with tables and chairs, on the
far side she saw a hallway and a counter that she assumed must be where most transactions were made. And behind
the counter was a door that looked like the kitchen might be just behind it. Just then the door behind the counter
opened to revel a large well-fed man in the later part of his years.
Once the man had seen her he asked, "Can I help you, my lady?"
Amber thought a moment before she answered him, "Umm, yes, you might just be able to. I was wondering
if you could tell me just where it is I am, you see I haven't been quite able to figure that out."
The fat man smiled then replied, "Certainly, you are in the northern must village in all of Tortall,
Verana. You must have gone over the border and not even realized it. That happens a lot you needn't feel
embarrassed it happens all the time just rarely does it ever seem that it is a lady."
She forced a smile on her face and then asked, "Did you say Tortall?" It didn't come as that big of
a shock to her just that it she didn't really want to believe it.
Waking up
Amber was woken up by the tweeting of birds some time after she had fallen a sleep, now normally birds
tweeting would not have woken her up but this was far louder than the muffled sounds of bird she herd from her
room. This was more of a right in your ear sort of thing, she was cold, and the air smelled different it smelled
fresh and clean like being in the middle of no where right after it rained.
With a start she sat up looking around to find her, in a forest that seems so thick that it must go on
forever and yes there was a bird which had been tweeting right in her ear. After a few moments she realized that
she was going to have to find some city or town or house she would even settle for someone, so she got up and
started walking only then did she realize that she was still wearing the dress which Millie had made her.
She walked for about an hour then came to what she could only describe as a bunch of dirt "roads" that
saw more foot traffic then anything else. And on either side of "roads" were building, like you saw in history
books when you're studying the Middle Ages. Amber's head suddenly felt like it was spinning, that up was really
down and down was up, she stepped back looking for support from the trees that she had stepped away from with out
even really realizing it.
She grasped hold of the nearest tree, was it bad enough that she woke up in the middle of no where, but
she was beginning to think that she just might be even farther away from home then she had thought. She was
beginning to think that she just might have an idea where she was, but like any sane human she didn't really want
to believe what she thought.
She took a deep breath and pulled herself together she knew that she was going to have to find out where
she was and there was no better time than now. Once she had managed to compose herself she made her way into this
village, she worked her way down the "roads" thinking that the best place to start in asking directions would be
an inn.
* * * * * *
It didn't take her long to find the local inn, her naturally acute sense of direction leading her there
quicker then anyone's words could have. The inn was a building that looked like it had had seen better days, to
Amber she thought that it looked like it might be one of the oldest building in the village. With it's thatched
roof and mud brick walls showing signs of weather, with a stable on one side and a small ally on the other. She
walked up to the heave oak door took a deep breath and worked up her courage then she pushed open the door.
As she stepped through the door she found herself in a large room filled with tables and chairs, on the
far side she saw a hallway and a counter that she assumed must be where most transactions were made. And behind
the counter was a door that looked like the kitchen might be just behind it. Just then the door behind the counter
opened to revel a large well-fed man in the later part of his years.
Once the man had seen her he asked, "Can I help you, my lady?"
Amber thought a moment before she answered him, "Umm, yes, you might just be able to. I was wondering
if you could tell me just where it is I am, you see I haven't been quite able to figure that out."
The fat man smiled then replied, "Certainly, you are in the northern must village in all of Tortall,
Verana. You must have gone over the border and not even realized it. That happens a lot you needn't feel
embarrassed it happens all the time just rarely does it ever seem that it is a lady."
She forced a smile on her face and then asked, "Did you say Tortall?" It didn't come as that big of
a shock to her just that it she didn't really want to believe it.