Nearly after two days of being knocked unconscious, Hazel woke up.

"Oh," she groaned as she rubbed her head. She looked around. It looked like she was in a large wooden brown box with a single barred window that let the moonlight in. It was almost like a cart trunk. "Must've dozed off," she squeaked as she rubbed her head. But her grogginess wore off when her hand made contact with her head. It wasn't her hand. No, it was small, fuzzy, paw. She gasped when she looked at the rest of her body. She saw a red, furry and slightly curvy body with a large bushy tail. She was a squirrel. "You have got to be joking!" she exclaimed as she jumped up and down. She looked around to see large grey bars. She was in a cage. No wonder the floor felt so cold. She gripped the bars and shook them, knowing it would do no good but still tried anyway. Then she tried to squeeze herself through the bars but not even she was small enough to make it through. She growled in frustration, which to anyone else sounded like a big squeak. But he stopped when she heard voices outside. Male Gaelic voices.

(SPEAKING IN GAELIC)

"Where is she Cameron!?" a voice yelled from outside. 'CAMERON!' she exclaimed mentally. No wonder she was in a cage. She had to get out of here.

"Yeah it's the middle of the night! She was supposed to be here two hours ago!"

"Would you two please shut up!" her half brother yelled. "She'll be here," he said as Hazel shook the cage even more. "She will if she doesn't want me to kill that little rodent."

"Why'd ya turn 'er into a squirrel anyway?"

"If I kept her human she'd bleed out because somebody who shall remain nameless named Sir Conri, slapped her in the nose and gave her a fatal hemorrhage! And besides, she's easier to contain and move around in a cage. Better to have a two pound squirrel than a ninety two pound girl."

"Then if she doesn't show up can we have a two pound squirrel pie?"

"I'll have to think about it." the Emperor said. Hazel scratched and shook the cage but it was no use! She screamed at the top of her lungs but all that came out was a loud frightened squeak. That was apparently loud enough for the men to hear.

"Hey, quiet in there!" Conri yelled. "Little rat!"

"Mr. Conri, that is my sister you are yelling at! Guinevere, Duchess of all Scotland and heir to the Pictish throne. The dear critter could take my place and silence me at any second," Cameron hissed. "So you should be yelling much louder." he sneered with a smile in his voice.

"THERE YOU ARE YOU NO GOOD, PROMISE BREAKING, PATHETIC, PICTISH PRAT!" Hazel stopped squirming at the sound of the crackled and childish voice that came from outside. It was Mim. She climbed to the top of the cage to feel if it had a latch, and it did! She reached around until she felt it. It took about five minutes of struggling and growling until she was finally successful. She pushed the cage open and sprang out of the cage. She quickly ran up the walls of the caravan, snuck out the window and onto the roof of the cart to spectate.

Cameron and his friends jumped when they saw a pink and lavender colored wolf emerge from the bushes.

"THAT WOLF IS TALKING!" one of the men exclaimed.

"Cameron what is that thing!?" Aodhan shouted as he pointed a blade towards the lavender wolf.

"Calm yourselves my friend," the Emperor cooed. "Everything is under control," He turned towards the wolf. "Hello Mim."

"The Stone Cameron! Where is it!" she hissed. "I want it and I want it now! You are two days overdue!"

"Don't worry. Astella is on her way over with the key to the box."

"Oh the heck with the key! Give me the box!"

"If you insist," Cameron said as he got up from his stool and walked over to a large sack. Out of it, he pulled out a golden box that was locked shut. "Go on. Let's see it." he said as he handed the box to her as she snapped back into a witch. She greedily took it and set it down in the snow.

"Prepare to be amazed by the magnificent, marvelous, mad, mad mad ma—."

"Get on with it! We don't have all night!" the Emperor interrupted.

"Oh alright!" she coughed before ready-ing her hands. "Might want to step back."

"Alright." Cameron said as they all did so. The witch threw sparks at the golden box, creating a large puff of smoke and zapping sounds. She cackled when the purple smoke and sparkles cleared, only to have her jaw drop. The box was perfectly fine.

"Huh," she said numbly. She repeated the spell again and again and again but still, not a single crack to the box's exterior was made. "I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. "That should have done it!"

"I tried to tell you," Cameron said in a very condescending tone as he crossed his arms. "The key is the only thing that opens it."

"Oh horse feathers!" Mim exclaimed, irritatingly unconvinced. "There is nothing my magic can't do!"

"Well losing that foolish little duel with grandpa Moses seems to be a good place to start the list at."

"Oh shut up, piano teeth!" she shouted as she shot a beam of light at him from her hand. Cameron quickly deflected it with his sword and it ricocheted off the blade and onto the squirrel who stood on top of the caravan like cart, turning her back into a human.

"Woah!" the girl exclaimed as she fell off the roof and planted into the snow. The four men and the witch all turned around to see Cameron's victim lying down right down in front of them. Her wounds had disappeared and she seemed to have forgotten everything about how she got here…but not for long. "Nice night isn't it?" Hazel asked.

"How did you get out!?" her half brother growled. Two of his men quickly snatched Hazel and picked her up before she could escape. One gripped her legs while the other held her upper torso.

"HAH!" Mim laughed. "You can't even keep a rodent in a cage and you get all snarky at me for messing up a very difficult spell, ya big brute!" She began to wheeze and laugh even more until she heard a faint feminine voice call from the wilderness.

"Cameron!" hollered the voice of Astella. "I brought it!"

"Get out of here!" Cameron quietly hisses at Mim as she turned back into a wolf and hid behind the cart.

"STELL—." Hazel yelled but was then cut off by one of the men clasping his hand over her mouth.

Astella continued to walk through the wilderness that was coated in a layer of snow until she saw a glowing yellow light which was the campfire in front of Cameron's tent. She held the key to the Eye of Leodegrance box in her hand as she approached the fire's golden aura with jelly legs. Her heart broke when she saw two grown men clutching her poor niece.

"Ah may I introduce you all to my dear aunt: Astella," Cameron announced. The three men gave her flirtatious looks and one of them even let out a wolf whistle. "Don't worry hotshot, she's not married."

"Silence you horrid man!" Astella hissed. "I have the key so hand over my niece!"

"I will if you actually give it to me!"

"Alright!" she exclaimed as feminine as possible as she threw the key for him to catch. "Now release her!"

"Hold on. I want to make sure it works," Hazel's hope of being saved dropped when she saw her aunt's eyes widen. She had brought a fake key! Cameron picked up the box and tried his best to shove the key into its keyhole, but it just didn't go in. "Interesting Stella. It doesn't fit. Can you explain that?"

"I…Uh…."

"That's what I thought. So I'm afraid I won't be handing any niece of yours back today," He strolled over to Hazel as he pulled out his sword. The girl's heart started to race even harder. "So Astella, tell Gwenny you love her because she is going to be asleep for a long long time."

"NO!" Stella shrieked as she ran over, only to shriek even louder when a crackling purple wolf jumped out and blocked her path. With all her strength, Hazel used superhuman strength to kick her way out and run away.

"You're not killing me without a fight!" she yelled at her brother.

"You dare challenge the Grand ruler of the Scottish Empire?"

"I do!" Hazel said with an irritating smirk.

"Very well then." Cameron said as he casually strolled over to the tent and pulled out a metal quarterstaff. He threw it at Hazel, who caught it. She stared at it with wide eyes before looking up at Cameron.

"Oh hey, actually wait a minute," she said as she started to laugh nervously, dropping the rod. "I didn't mean it!" she exclaimed, her heart starting to drop. "It was just a little exaggeration. Y-y-y-ou know, to make me look good."

"Little girl, the finest dress in all of Europe couldn't make you look good." one of Cameron's men chirped in, followed by a chuckle. Hazel turned to face him.

"First of all, that is 'Your Majesty' to you, peasant," she sassed as she stuck her neck out at the man. "If you wanna make fun of a princess,you could at least do it properly."

"You're not a princess anymore sweetheart." Cameron sneered.

"So I chucked an apple at a little china doll's eye. It's not like she died!" Hazel argued as she threw her arms in the air.

"Maybe she didn't. But you can take her place," the Emperor threatened. "And I promise, I wont just throw a fruit at you. Now you either fight me or die!"

"Is there a third choice Mr. Cameron Sir?" Hazel asked timidly as she fidgeted with her fingers in a nervous manner.

"Oh come on tough stuff! You built yourself and your skill up this high, it's either go higher or take the fall!"

"I just thought it sounded good." Hazel admitted with a blush.

"Then maybe you should learn how to shut your mouth. Now come on fight me!"

"You are nuts you moron! I can't fight you!" Hazel protested as she squeezed the rod tighter in her grip.

"What's the matter? Are you scared?"

"Scared? Me? YES!" the girl shouted, unashamed.

"How about we do a little gambling. If you win, you get the crown and leave Great Britian for good. But if I win, then you die."

"What kinda deal is that!?" Hazel shouted.

"One you are going to accept if you want everybody else to make it out alive. I know you're not the weakling to appear to be."

"Well, if that's what people are sayin' then let's do it!" Hazel said cockily.

"Gwenny, what are you doing!?" Stella cried, not knowing her niece's excellence in fighting.

"Cower out of this, little sister and I will kill Uther's son in your place."

"Do one thing to him and I will beat your heart out!" Hazel sneered.

"I'd love to see that Guinevere. I really would," he laughed. "Now let's end this." Hazel buffed up her chest and gave a determined face.

"Cowards first." Hazel said with a haughty smile. What of which she dropped when Cameron charged at her with his blade. Their long weapons struck each other several times as Asella and Cameron's followers watched in shock. Their King, their magnificent warrior of an Emperor was fighting with a child, a little girl who nearly came up to his elbow, and having to use effort. Cameron attempted to slice the girl's head off but she did several handsprings to get out of the way. He may have been taller, broader and much stronger, but she was faster, wiry, flexible and had incredible skill with the quarterstaff. But it didn't seem to be enough. They stopped fighting to stare at each other, both panting.

"Well…you're certainly not as weak as you look." Cameron huffed.

"Yeah. And you're not as stupid as you sound." Hazel said with an irritating smile.

"Take that back this instant!"

"I will not!"

"Well then if this is your best skill," he said as he charged towards her. This time he was able to get the upper hand and pin her on her back. He was doing his hardest to try and cut her chest in half, but the only thing interfering was Hazel's staff trying to push his sword off. "Then I'd hate to see your worst." he muttered as Hazel strained in great pain.

"You've…seen..nothing…yet." she said, pausing to throw strains in between and she kicked his chest, making him hurt enough to lay off.

"Why you little!" he said through gritted teeth and pain. They continued their battle for a while until it broke up, for they both had to quickly get air. They circled the fire with their weapons pointed at one another. "I'll admit ,little girl. I'm impressed," He panted. "But not that impressed."

"Huh, likewise," Hazel said in a cocky voice. "But I have much more where that came from."

"You can't scare me. Don't even try."

"Some try, Hazel does!" she said as she charged at him and started swinging the staff as hard as she could. Much to her irritation she missed every time. Their weapons locked again.

"You're a courageous little critter, but you're also very culpable." he said as the girl started to strain.

"Save your air." Hazel growled.

"I can taste your guilt Guinevere," Hazel gasped and felt her strength start to give out. "And it is delicious." Hazel started to tremble and cry. She dropped the staff and fell to the snowy ground. She quickly crawled out of the way of his flying sword.

"GWENNY!" Astella yelled. Cameron turned to her.

"Well Auntie Stella, you didn't bring me the key so she will have to pay the price. Unless…" he said as he turned back to his sister. "You know where the key is."

"I don't." Hazel said in the most believable tone.

"I see then. Well I think that settles it..unfortunately. Long Live Leodegrance," Cameron sneered. He turned around to see his victim who he only assumed was on the floor sobbing and weeping. But no. The girl was gone. And so was the box containing the Eye of Leodegrance. "WHAT!?"


Hazel quickly plowed through the snow with the golden box in her arms. Camelot castle was only a few hundred yards away. That was where the key was! She could open this box and hopefully use whatever power it had, though she had no clue of what it did. She had made quite the escape from her captor, but could not help but worry about what Cameron was doing to her aunt.

"Great!" she exclaimed as it started to snow. "I'm a dead-squirrel!" she said as she hopped over a small icy stream and continued towards the palace. She ran up to the door and started to bang on it. Nobody answered. "Daingread!" she growled as she ran away from it. Looks like she would have to do this the hard way. She ran towards a nearby tree, threw the box on top of it and started to climb it. The tree was wet and slippery, but she didn't give up. When she was now fully walking on its branches, she made her way towards the window of Arthur's bedroom. She looked through it to see it completely deserted. She slammed her fists against the wall in frustration. Cameron must have him..and her brother. Hazel remembered the box she had set down by her feet and wondered if, just this once, Arthur forgot something on purpose. She unlatched the window and quietly slid through it with the box. The titan haired girl then searched the room desperately, throwing ragged shirts, and jewelry everywhere until there it was….they key. She took a deep breath and gently stuck the key into the keyhole of the box. It was a perfect fit. She then opened the box. It sounded like it hadn't been open in a century. The box itself was covered in dents and notches, but the inside was perfectly fine and flawless. And there it lies, a fist sized emerald necklace on a golden chain. The Eye of Leodegrance. Hazel reached to pick it up, but the moment her finger touched its jade surface, it sparkled and shone like the sun. "Woah!" she exclaimed in fear as she quickly backed away from it. This was silly. She was afraid of a glowing rock. Hazel shook her head and picked up the stone again with both hands. But she did not let go this time. She felt something flow through her as the stone's light grew bright and brighter. As if she was connected to it. As if she empowered it. The light started to fade and she tossed its chain around her neck. She quickly ran back and out of the window with the stone around her neck. She was going to stop this. She just had to.

To Be Continued….