Chapter 4

Author's note: People please write a review about this chapter.

Also sorry it has been so long since the last update. But please read and review.

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Catherine awoke a bit earlier then she usually did. She walked into her maid Mandy room and lightly shook her awake. Mandy awoke saying "What, who's there."

"Shh. It just me I need your help packing before we leave this morning." Catherine told her

Catherine and Mandy quietly walked into her rooms. They went passed her untidy bed and into her closets. Once inside they pulled down two trunks and began packing. First they packed the informal cloths like the breast bands and loin cloths. Then they packed her breeches and tunics along with the riding cloths and riding shoes that she wore for any long labor. Then Catherine packed a rose colored chain mail which she had gotten from her friend Sarralyn Salamín, who was a mage and the daughter of Numair and Daine her adoptive aunt and uncle, also Sarralyn's grandparents are both Gods. She had given the chain mail to both Catherine and her friend Yanmari on their 12th birthdays. She packed it out of habit never thinking she would need it. Then she put all the other shoes she would need for balls and just around the palace, also her out door shoes. That trunk was full so Catherine and Mandy closed the trunk and moved it into her outer sitting room.

Then Catherine and Mandy began to packed her dresses they took three very formal only for the best balls one was a light green that matched her eyes, than the packed a dark red velvet dress which was one of Catherine's favorites, and then they packed a white silk dress lined with white pearls this had been a gift from her god-mother Queen Thyet it was one of her favorites. Then she packed gowns for dinner parties or smaller less important balls. Finally she packed her dresses for everywhere else and time to herself. Last she went to her dressing table and pulled out a box her father had carved out of wood for her witch she kept her jewelry. She went through her drawers and took out the jewelry she wanted to take with her. She put her diamond, pearl, and ruby ear bobs in the box leaving the emerald ones that she needed to get fixed. Then she put in her pearl necklace, than a gold chain with a small sapphire heart on the end which the King had given her for her 15th birthday, and last a silver chain with a faded gold ring on the end which her mother had given her the ring had been her grandmother's who she had never meet but the ring had meant a lot to her. Last she put four dress combs in her box all with different designs and small stones on them three out of the four had small daggers in them, her father had made sure she almost always had on with her for protection and he had made sure her aunts had showed her how to use them.

Catherine and Mandy put the box and Catherine's 20 fans in the last trunk and then moved it into the sitting room. Glad they had finished with a little time left they both fell asleep on the couches in her sitting room.

Catherine awoke to a loud knock on the door it was her mother.

"Catherine did you and Mandy get up in the middle of the night and pack." Her mother said.

"Why no mother why would you say that." Catherine asked quietly.

"Because your trunk is wide open and unlocked. Buri told her.

"Oh maybe we get up a little early and fished packing."

"Well get dressed your father has something for you downstairs." Buri told her

"What is it" Catherine said as she ran down the stairs and she ran out the door. Outside she found her father leading a black Colt right in front of the main door.

Catherine ran up to her father saying "Oh thank you father I love him." "But what is his name"

Her Father said "He doesn't have one" "I want you to name him, your mother and I thought you might need a new horse now that Becker is older we think you should have this one. He comes from Kalasin in Carthak she sent ten horses to the royal family and told Thayet to give you this one. She gets them from the queen of the Copper Isles' Sister Saraiyu Hetnim. They are said to be the best."

"Oh thank you father"

"But what should we call him"

"How about Darking, I saw one when Aly came"

"Darking I like it why don't you ask him" Raoul said.

"How about it Darking do you like that name boy." Catherine asked him

The horse gnawed in agreement or at least that is what Catherine thought.

"Catherine we leave in two hours so you need to be ready this time" Raoul told her.

"Father that was one time" Catherine said as she smirked in her embarrassment. They had almost missed the Queen's birthday celebration because of leaving an hour or three too late.

Catherine went up stairs and bathed in her cherry blossom bath water and got dress in her formal riding clothes which she had just gotten new. She brought her glaive and bow down to the stables. She put on the saddle she had gotten from the horse shed. She put her glaive in the spot were that long swords would have gone. Then put her quiver of arrows in a holder and the unstrung bow in its holder. She guided Darking into the front by the gates and dismounted and waited.

Next her mother came up with her horse Sandy followed by Johnny on his pony Blacky which was and all white pony except for the small black dot under his eye but at the time Johnny had insisted that he be named Blacky. Then Came the wagon loaded with the trunks and armor he her family. Inside were Mandy and the other Maids. Johnny's nanny Carson came up behind the wagon on a horse to ride behind Johnny. She had been a spy for her uncle George for ten years but than stopped and had been trained to protect the family and mostly Johnny incase something happens. Her mother kept throwing stars on belt. Finally Dom and Raoul came up to lead the party. The gates were opened and the party left the castle on time.

As they rode down the great east rode towards Corus one of the members from forward lookout came to tell Raoul and Dom that they saw a group of Stormwings up above. Raoul spoke to the group saying "I think we should try to go around the Stormwings but if we can't we must scare them away."

"We can handle it dad." Catherine told him

"Everyone will be ok and we will fight but only if they fight first." Raoul said

The only person who looked unsettled was Johnny and one or two of the maids. But Catherine made her up to Johnny and told him that she would protect him along with Carson.

Author note: Sorry I took so long in the update I just have been studying test reading other fan-fic, and reading twilight. I hope that this makes up for it. Also please please review.