King Delsaran's View

"Queen Meriel and Princess Faylen went out gathering two days ago," I said as I stood in front of some soldiers at the south gate. "They had sworn they would return in one day. This reveals that something has happened to keep them from coming home. We are going to find them and we will stop at nothing until they are returned." The gate swung open and I led the way down the road with Adrella by my side, giving me places to check for my wife and daughter. Meriel was the best and oldest healer in the clan, but Adrella was her student and had obtained all of her knowledge from Meriel. As the sun started to fall, we finally reached the last location that they would have been gathering, and I was instantly greeted by a grim sight. My wife was laying on a patch of blood soaked ground that seemed to be sprouting from her head. Her gown was bunched around her waist and her legs were spread apart, telling me what'd happened without even having to ask anyone why she'd be laying like that. My fear grew as I looked around, not seeing my precious daughter.

"There is movement in the tree above us, King Delsaran. I will go look," came Thydune's clear voice in my mind. He was normally responsible for protecting Meriel and Faylen, but they'd somehow convinced him they wouldn't need protection this time. I watched as he climbed up the tree, disappearing into the leaves. "It is fine. I found Princess Faylen. I will bring her down so she is returned to you."

"We will take Queen Meriel's body home to burn, so protect Princess Faylen with your life. Take her directly to the castle when you do get her down. You will recieve your new orders when you arrive." I felt his consent and picked up my wife's lifeless body, turning to head back to Gulonde as I felt a few tears drip from my eyes.

Princess Faylen's View

The moment we heard voices coming up the pathway, my mother had sent me up a tree for safety and I watched in horror as she was thrown to the ground by human soldiers and defiled in ways that should never have happened. Even after the humans left, I couldn't get myself to climb down the tree to my mother's body. She laid there for two days while I cried and slept in the tree before my I saw my father and half the soldiers from Gulonde. I knew I'd be safe climbing down at that point, but I still couldn't get myself to move. Trying to curl up smaller than I already was so that I could warm myself, I saw one of the guards disappear, only for him to appear next to me on the limb. His face went vacant for a moment and I scooted away from the tree trunk to give him some room, but when he brought his eyes back to me and got onto the tree limb, I threw my arms around his neck, happy to finally have some comfort from a familiar face. "Princess Faylen, have you been hiding here the whole time?" he asked softly. I nodded. "It is safe to come back to the ground, my princess. I will protect you."

"I saw what they did to her, Thydune. How am I going to get over that? How can I ever trust anyone again?" I murmured through my tears. I felt one of his hands leave my back and touch under my chin, lifting my face to his gaze.

"You are strong, my princess. You will learn to trust again. I know you will. Do you know how I know this?" I shook my head. "Because you are Princess Faylen of Gewood. You do not give up on anything. You are beautiful, brilliant, kind beyond words, strong, and stubborn. You will learn to trust again, my princess. Come. Let us go back to Gulonde. Your father wishes for me to take you to the castle." It took me a few minutes, but I was finally able to get myself to follow him down the tree. We made our way back to Gulonde and as I walked in the south gate, I saw my mother's body go up in flames on a pyre. I hadn't been able to kiss her goodbye before she was burned, and fresh tears started pouring from my eyes.

"We never should have told you to stay here," I murmured as a Kukawk screeched and flew overhead.

"That is in the past and thinking of the past does nothing to help the present. Come, my princess. You are home and you are safe," Thydune said quietly. "Adrella will meet you at the castle with some Aldovice for your mind." He walked me to the castle, not letting anyone within two arm-lengths of me and took me to my room where Adrella was waiting just outside the door, following us in.

"Drink this, Princess Faylen," she murmured as I sat on my bed. "It will help." I took the bowl she offered me and drank the warm liquid, laying on my side as she took the bowl back. I awoke as the sun rose the next morning and sprang up in my bed, not knowing where I was for a moment. As the fog of sleep cleared from my mind, I realized that I was safely home but no longer had a mother. New tears pooled in my eyes and began to drip onto my cheeks as voices came from just outside my door, coupled with cries from the Flamifoutu that always flew around the city. I tried to listen in and could only pick up pieces that were spoken loud enough to be clear, but it was enough for me to piece together what was being said. One voice was telling someone to go home and pack their things for travel, with a response from a second voice saying that they were staying outside my door so they knew I would remain safe. Pulling my legs over the side of my bed, I stepped behind a barrier wall that I had and washed all the dirt and grime from my body before tugging on a fresh gown that I knew my father liked seeing me in. The voices had gotten a touch louder by now, but I still could not hear everything. Opening my door, I saw Thydune standing guard with Lanquar telling him something.

"You should not be awake yet, my princess," Thydune said. I shook my head and went past him, heading down to the dining room where I knew breakfast would be getting served since I didn't want to let my father eat alone. I heard footsteps behind me and spun, seeing Thydune trailing after me. He nodded, silently telling me I was safe, then followed me to the dining room. As I walked in, I saw my father sitting in his normal chair, looking upset.

"Father," I said, tearfully. He looked up and came to me, wrapping me in a hug.

"You were to drink the Aldovice and Caffetaxime that Adrella gave you last night. Why did you not?"

"I did."

"If you had, you would still be resting. On my orders, she made a strong mixture for you."

"I did drink it, Father. I drank everything in the bowl." He looked up at Thydune.

"Did you see her drink the mixture?"

"Yes, King Delsaran. She is speaking truthfully. She drank the bowl and went right to sleep." My father looked back down at me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Are you not still tired, my daughter?" I shook my head. "Alright. Breakfast and then we must speak. Thydune, you were given your new orders?"

"I will stay to keep watch over Princess Faylen, King Delsaran. The last time she was allowed out of my sight, her mind was injured. I will not allow it to happen again."

"Akkar will watch over her for the time. Go pack your things for travel and you may return to guard her. We leave as the sun falls." Akkar stood in the corner behind my father and I heard footsteps retreating from behind me as my father led me to the table.

"If you need protection for any reason, my princess, reach out to me. Your protection and safety is more important to me than following orders. I will protect you until my dying breath."

"Thank you, Thydune."

"I will meet you back at your room when my packing is completed. I can sense that you need more comfort, my princess. Please allow me to comfort you for as long as you need."

I ate breakfast in silence with my father, but neither of us moved after we were done. "You told Thydune that we are leaving as the sun falls. Where are we going, Father?" I asked, still fighting back more tears at the loss of my mother.

"I need you safe, my daughter. If I lose you, our people lose their future. I must get you as far from the humans as I can to keep you safe. Since Gloomwood Forest is not safe and since we do need shelter, we will be going to Twilight Woods. Pack your travelling cloak as you will need it before we reach our destination." I nodded.

"Will I be allowed to keep up with my trainings there?"

"Yes, but they will stop until we arrive. We must reach the safety of Twilight Woods as quickly as possible." I nodded again and he got up to leave, stopping by my chair and pulling me into a hug. "While I am sad at the loss of your mother, I am happy to still have my daughter. She would want you to be happy that you still have your entire life to live. Be happy, my daughter, and go pack your things for travel." I nodded again and he let go of me, leaving the dining room. I took a deep breath to fight back more tears and went to my room, Akkar stopping just outside my door. I packed everything I needed into my bag and set it by my door, seeing Thydune standing there now.

During our travels, I managed to convince Thydune that I needed to practice with a sword so that I could protect myself if there was ever a time that he was unable to protect me. He agreed to train me, but said that I had to wait until we were done travelling. Once we reached Twilight Woods and our smith's area was set up, we'd wait until everyone was asleep, then take two swords from the racks and move a short distance from our little camp. One night, a month after we arrived, I saw movement off to the side just as I knocked Thydune's sword from his hand, and spun to face the unknown threat as Thydune grabbed his sword from the ground and stepped in front of me, only for my father to step out of the shadows as Thydune dropped to a knee and lowered his head, resting his sword across his raised knee. "You are doing well, Faylen, and have advanced quickly in your battle capabilities. Would you like proper training with a sword?" I nodded. "I will approve of your training then. Akkar will begin helping you near the smiths when the sun rises."

Collen's View

A commotion in the town woke me up and I looked out the window, seeing a large number of Kinkajoo Stallions standing near the well. "How did they get out of their fields?" I muttered as I rolled out of bed to get dressed.

"What is it, Collen?" Aviryll muttered sleepily.

"The Kinkajoos got out of their fields. I'm going to get them back in their fields and try to find how they got out." She looked out the window and got up, pulling her gown cover over her shoulders.

"That many and you'll need help. I just don't understand why it's only the females that escaped. I would think the males got out too."

"That is strange. I hadn't noticed it was only the females," I said as we made our way downstairs. Aviryll hurried ahead to open the door for me, but stalled when we heard a pounding on someone's door, peeking out the window.

"Betyn is here, Collen," Aviryll whispered as she backed away from the window next to the door.

"I will deal with this, my sweet. Desmond is sleeping?" She nodded. "Good. I want you to hide and not make a sound. I don't know what he's doing here, but it can't be good." She nodded and hustled into the common room, leaving the light off. A pounding came on the door and I drew in a deep breath, hoping for this to be a pleasant visit. I opened the door after a moment and looked at the man standing in my doorway. He was covered from head to toe in armor and had a very wide blade on his left side. "Can I help you?"

"King Betyn, he's here!" the man called over his shoulder. He stepped to the side after a minute and I saw King Betyn walking up my steps with a line of my people next to the Kinkajoos he'd come in on, and felt confusion rush through my body.

"Your food supplies that were delivered to Giwic Keep were lower than what I'd been told they would be. Why?"

"We don't grow much food. Normally, it's only what we need to survive each year."

"I told you that this pathetic town was to send its share of food supplies at the turn of every season!" he bellowed. I wanted to tell him to lower his voice since Desmond was sleeping, but didn't want to lose my only child in any fashion.

"We're trying. We don't have many people that work the fields. Here in Tebury, we do things differently than you do in Madun. My people work hard at what they are skilled in just to be able to send you the supplies from them that you request."

"I am your king and you will address me as King Betyn as you kneel before your king!"

"I have no king, nor would I want you as my king. You're vile, you take no pride in your rule, your soldiers are violent, and you demand more than what can be accomplished in a year."

"Kneel before your king or I will have you killed," he growled in a low voice.