Disclaimer: Characters you recognize not mine; plot, new characters, places etc. mine!
A/N: here it comes……;holds breath; the moment we've all been waiting for…
This chapter is dedicated to my dear friend Phantom Rogue, you're grand:)
AH/AY: You're the best :D Now, let's kill Maura!
Star Fata: thanks, I'm trying, I hope you'd like this one… it a whole lot better to my opinion…
SweetSas: I love you, mate :D I hope you feel better, and if not, there's a Kadan waiting for you, just scroll down!
DizneeDol: I'm glad you think it's interesting XD , I love you too:)
Phantom Rogue: Now, if you were Ashley, would you have a problem marrying a Kadan named Andros? ;jumping on you; Huh? Huh? ;snickers; see? I told you! you wouldn't have a problem!
Slytherin-Angel44: there you go, slytherin mate :P ;bows; all for you:)
C.C.C.: I see you've taken seriously my "go review comment", I like it in a reader P and thanks, I really hope you'd enjoy this one… I had no prob understanding your English at all. You're alright mate :)
In the Clearing of the Forest
by DarkHonda aka Tal
PRiS AU.
Chapter three
It was early in the morning, the sun had yet to rise but Ashley was long gone from her room. Silently she approached the kitchens of the mansion, her stomach grumbling in need of food. Grouchily she entered the kitchens, hoping to be alone but finding the bald guy and the blond guy sitting there, talking quietly.
She was happy she dressed in her riding habit that morning; she wouldn't have forgiven herself if she had been dressed properly. She didn't honor them, how could she honor men who supported marriage of two total strangers? These two were an enemy to her, an enemy that would make the rest of her life hell.
They looked at her surprised as she entered the kitchen and helped herself with a glass of water, ignoring her guests she put her empty glass on the table, took a carrot out of one of the cupboards and when she was about to head out of the kitchen's door-
"Ashley, why aren't you welcoming your guests?" it was Jeffrey, 'busted', she thought and turned to her so called guests.
"Er... hi," she said smiling, her brother standing next to her, "I'm Ashley and it's very kind of you to come here and force me to mar-" Jeffrey put his hand on her mouth. Zhane and baldy looked pretty amused as they both got up and kissed her hand.
"I'm Zhane of Sar, I believe we met," the blond told her with a grin, bowing. She stifled a laugh, he was just too cute! 'The devil looks cute too,' she thought and did nothing more than sneer his way.
"Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson," the bald guy kissed her hand, "but please, call me TJ," he smiled and she nodded her head in agreement. He looked nice too, his smile was captivating but she couldn't let looks deceive her. She just couldn't! So she glowered at TJ.
"Very nice to meet you," she said after she got loose from Jeffrey's grip, walking toward the kitchen door, "I hope I won't meet you ever again," she muttered under her breath and ran to the stables. She hurried to Sienna's stable and feed the carrot to her, stroking her gently, waiting for her to finish the carrot.
"Ready for today's adventure?" she asked and the horse neighed, Ashley smiled. "I take it as a 'yes', or you want to get me married too?" she asked the horse suspiciously, it shook her head. "Good, ready to go?" she asked her horse, it neighed again and Ashley led Sienna out of the stables. She mounted her and rode off to her favorite part of the forest.
She let Sienna wander around the forest and climbed her favorite tree, sitting on her branch and watching the sunrise. Dawn was spectacular! Her eyes fixed on the horizon, as the skies were filled with sweet colors- purple, orange and light blue that slowly filled her soul. 'There is nothing more perfect than this,' she decided, 'nothing.'
The forest came to life again, the sparrows woke up the forest and slowly, the animals left their burrows in search of breakfast.
Ashley giggled quietly when a doe with her little fawn suddenly jumped nearby, grazing the freshly dewed grass. 'What an amazing picture,' she thought smiling. Suddenly an arrow sliced the air in the deer's direction and punctured the tree behind the deer. Ashley frowned and jumped on the ground, fearless; she took the arrow out of the old tree's trunk and examined it. She could hear its owner's steps getting closer with each second while she looked at the arrow, it was made of wood, its arrowhead was made of metal, sharp cruel metal. Its notch was branded with the letter A and was decorated with a red feather.
'This means only one person,' Ashley thought furiously, 'Andros of Kadan,' she waited for him to show up, ready to attack him for hunting in her forest. 'How dare he?' she thought, 'how dare he hunt in m forest? To kill innocent creatures for fun!' so she waited, her hands across her chest, her legs planted to the ground, as his steps were heard louder as he was getting closer to the clearing of the forest…
A young man showed up in front of her, he wore a red working shirt, black breeches and a black belt, a sword hung in its scabbard from the belt. His black boots were full of dirt and there was a quiver hanging on his left shoulder, full of arrows just like the one she was holding. She threw an intimidating glare at him, an act that made her look straight in his face, and what face it was… she held her breath without even knowing it, he was a Kadan alright, tall, broad shoulders, muscled and god forbid, penetrating hazel eyes. His hair was in shoulder length, light brown crossed by blond stripes. She couldn't divert her gaze from him, for a second there; she almost wanted to be his wife.
'Oh no, Ashley, you better snap out of this now!' she commanded herself and immediately glared at him.
"I forbid you to hunt in my forest," she said coolly, "you almost killed my favorite deer!" she complained, he smirked at her and put his chin in his palm.
"Who are you to forbid anything on me?" he asked her sending an arrogant look, her temper raised in that same second.
"You will not hunt here any longer and I don't even care if you're Zordon the prophet himself!" she spat and he smirked at her.
"Try and stop me," he challenged her with a grin and she, as she never backed down from a challenge, happily accepted. She whistled and after second later Sienna returned. Ashley took off her sword from the scabbard on the saddle.
"I will." She told him and he took his sword out of the scabbard, it was much bigger than her own sword, the blade much longer and the handle set with rubies. Her own sword was set with ambers.
The honing of the swords was heard in the whole forest, the little animals ran away from the clearing of the forest, scared as the two humans were stubborn in their fight.
At first the red was stronger, meeting her attacks in midway to him, blocking every trick she might try, yet as strong as he was the yellow was much faster, evading his attacks as much as he blocked her and even more. She was skilled, she knew how to use a sword but he was even better, controlling his sword as if it was another limb of his body. His attacks were massive and almost un-evasive, but she was swifter and much competent than he could ever imagine.
The fight was starting to slow both of them down, they were panting their tiredness; each wishing the other would admit defeat, yet none was going to give up on such a glorious victory. It was a dance of colors but at the end, in the clearing of that forest, the swift and faster has won. The red warrior has fallen on the ground and yellow was pointing her sword at his throat.
"No hunting in my forest, Kadan," she panted her demand and he grinned, "I'm Ashley," she said while taking the sword from his throat, still panting and offered her hand, to help him get up.
"Your forest? Then I must apologize, m'lady," he said panting as well, and helped himself get up, ignoring her offered hand. As he stood up he took a bow in front of her. "I must've been wrong to hunt here," he told her with an apologetic smile. She smiled back and handed him the arrow she picked from the tree trunk.
"No thanks, keep it," he said with an amazing smile, she felt as if she was melting, dissolving to a puddle. "Who are you?" he asked.
"You don't know who am I? I'm Ashley of Hammond Hall," she said and looked at him suspiciously, "and you are..?" suddenly she heard shouts, "Andros!" from the distance, he immediately looked alarmed.
"Late, I'm so late! If Master Andros catches me with his arrows, I'm history!" he announced and quickly disappeared in the woods.
A/N: well… wasn't that bad, right? ;D Who do you think the Kadan was:P
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