Leaves269Please respect copyright.PENANAWprKgthJiv
fell from trees and branches danced lightly as a light figure raced through the269Please respect copyright.PENANALsOK8tsmPd
trees of the Wyrmwood, it was swift and sure, anyone looking up into the trees269Please respect copyright.PENANAIpeWErU5wq
would have seen nothing but a blur, maybe even the hood that concealed its269Please respect copyright.PENANADdm3aM4V3P
head. Not that anyone else was foolish enough to venture this deep within the269Please respect copyright.PENANAwz9qSUlPcs
woods. This person however, had a reason and as it pranced from limb to limb269Please respect copyright.PENANArq2OVzwg0M
its hood came loose, revealing the soft facial features of a woman in her early269Please respect copyright.PENANADO40nGNHCB
twenties, her long white blond hair flowed along behind her giving away her269Please respect copyright.PENANABwdcyMMLQo
soft pointed ears. She smiled as she saw a small clearing ahead, knowing she269Please respect copyright.PENANA5uy49BXoNV
had finally reached her goal. She landed with a soft mildly perceptible thud on269Please respect copyright.PENANAqJ0Xxe5Vw3
a tree branch just at the edge of the glade she looked around the clearing but269Please respect copyright.PENANAqD9XntI3LK
saw nothing. The elf girl stared in disbelief at the glade for a moment before269Please respect copyright.PENANAyGqFCUqZHV
silently cursing under her breath, she quietly reached into a small pouch at269Please respect copyright.PENANAcCtCxhHEui
her waist and took out a small glass vial containing a swirling silver liquid,269Please respect copyright.PENANAQgbei19LuN
then with one fluid motion she removed the stopper and downed the liquid.269Please respect copyright.PENANAqj0oBfZAIJ
Suddenly her natural blue eyes changed to a swirling rainbow of colors, and she269Please respect copyright.PENANACetKYyPI7h
finally saw what she wanted. The clearing was filled with a variety of woodland269Please respect copyright.PENANAFgZRwtjZEs
creatures munching on the grass that grew there, yet although the sight was269Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZZJJC275k
stunning in its own right, her attention was grabbed by a single white deer269Please respect copyright.PENANA7iQp28fn8u
that stood in the center of the glade, its eyes trained on her “I’ve got you269Please respect copyright.PENANAW4qVEi2uVe
now” she smiled as she removed an intricately carved bow made of bones from her269Please respect copyright.PENANAbK7wotwQWW
pouch and pulled the drawstring, as she did so an ethereal arrow formed in her269Please respect copyright.PENANAt16LT4aeBa
hand. The elf trained the arrow on the deer it269Please respect copyright.PENANAaeYtD1mx8F
definitely sees me, so why doesn’t it run? She thought to herself doesn’t matter I suppose, once I claim this269Please respect copyright.PENANAsFE5aIWxWv
kill the others will have to start respecting me she took a deep breath and269Please respect copyright.PENANA4bTWPuLxiQ
steadied her aim “Princess Andraste, you do know that those of the royal269Please respect copyright.PENANAa4jvMGpbXU
bloodline are allowed in the Wyrmwood right?” a harsh voice sounded beside her,269Please respect copyright.PENANAwGGNNCdVBn
she screamed as the voice startled her causing the elf to jump and fire the269Please respect copyright.PENANAlDi4cY1Ly2
arrow into a nearby tree. Andraste fell from her perch and landed with a splash269Please respect copyright.PENANA4zWWIl792P
as she fell into a patch of mud “such a fitting place for you, your highness”269Please respect copyright.PENANAxrXLbnwqg0
the voice sounded behind her this time and Andraste jumped to her feet to face269Please respect copyright.PENANAdD0AgzZO9L
it “you really should learn not to sneak up on people, master Brinn” she smiled269Please respect copyright.PENANAXKoFq9w0pf
at the hooded figure before her
“And269Please respect copyright.PENANAXMr82EcCEp
you should learn to keep your cool under stressful situations, my pupil” Brinn replied,269Please respect copyright.PENANAYcOwV61SF1
a cheerful note to his voice this time “and the last time I checked, sneaking269Please respect copyright.PENANAAUOA0SBi2r
up on people was my job”
Andraste269Please respect copyright.PENANACi3fDkgHpS
smiled at the man, he could be cold and cruel at times but she knew he was a269Please respect copyright.PENANAwHDkkLulGn
good person deep down in the darkest crevasses of his soul. “Why are you here269Please respect copyright.PENANA0IczBDCy7s
then?”
“His269Please respect copyright.PENANADYWt2Ag6Eo
majesty is holding a special meeting, he expects all the nobles and councilors269Please respect copyright.PENANAjX3PVqkGmN
to attend” he replied, disgust painting his voice
“Why?”
“I do269Please respect copyright.PENANAiXdsF5HpUF
not know, and that troubles me” he looked away from her and sighed “I do not269Please respect copyright.PENANAynFltPW26S
like not knowing things”
“Well269Please respect copyright.PENANA3qmP1njrdV
then, we’d best get a move on shouldn’t we?” she stepped forward and removed269Please respect copyright.PENANAz2xl39NTro
her dirty hooded cloak revealing the tight fitting brown leather pants that269Please respect copyright.PENANAfmJVuTOoqX
wrapped her legs as well as a matching corset which hugged her chest leaving her269Please respect copyright.PENANAKRghquyEhM
belly bare. She stretched her curved lithe body and motioned to her master269Please respect copyright.PENANArG3acuXBTr
“Race you to the edge of the woods?”
“All269Please respect copyright.PENANA7UonhVTSzo
these years and you still fail to understand the difference between racing269Please respect copyright.PENANAE3ksf0s98f
someone and following them” he laughed as he vanished in a blur
“Hey,269Please respect copyright.PENANAzSKciwT87P
no fair!” she shouted as she took off behind him.
Princess Andraste shifted269Please respect copyright.PENANAMOojWjpMIw
nervously from foot to foot, she stood in a large throne room, the high walls269Please respect copyright.PENANADuU2wTeYUR
were adorned by portraits of the past rulers of the kingdom. The room was269Please respect copyright.PENANAXZonb018en
currently filled with all the noblemen and women of the land who were all busy269Please respect copyright.PENANAYDTVSpx3A5
chatting amongst themselves, seemingly forgetting they were in the presence of269Please respect copyright.PENANAwfi7u3amPR
their princess. They were anxious to know what this was about, and so did she.269Please respect copyright.PENANAqLiaTUiiwa
She glanced at the empty throne behind her and sighed, she spun on her heels269Please respect copyright.PENANAyRv76eMtsn
and exited the room through the door behind the large imposing throne. She269Please respect copyright.PENANAR9rwHk4mBW
Stumbled as she almost collided into Brinn “Not like him to be late…” he said269Please respect copyright.PENANAnbshpUqvxv
as Andraste stormed past him, she paid him no attention as she continued down269Please respect copyright.PENANA8jb6XqHXgI
the narrow corridor. She passed by tens of doors along the269Please respect copyright.PENANAk1aWGZ67ra
sides, until she came upon a door at the end of the tunnel, she gently eased it269Please respect copyright.PENANAda6VKayQpq
open and entered into a small study from behind a large bookcase. Andraste269Please respect copyright.PENANAxeQk611ee2
looked around the room, there were books strewn across the floor then her eyes269Please respect copyright.PENANAriI6Fhy1bE
rested on the only chair occupying the room, on it sat a large man wearing269Please respect copyright.PENANA8a4c6mMEe1
exquisite golden robes, he held a golden jeweled crown in one hand and a piece269Please respect copyright.PENANAUsR3KLnRFF
of paper in the other, he looked at her and despite the haggard expression the269Please respect copyright.PENANAswo32Q4bgq
man wore on his face he somehow still managed to look intimidating. “Hey there269Please respect copyright.PENANAGf0DSDTQr7
little sis” he smiled weakly
“What269Please respect copyright.PENANAxqWE40fff5
is the meaning of all this?” Andraste gestured at the room her voice was269Please respect copyright.PENANAJx3T7Ouisn
tainted with worry, in all her years she’d known her brother she had never seen269Please respect copyright.PENANA0KosjfcCtH
him so weak, and vulnerable. The man waved the paper at her and she walked269Please respect copyright.PENANAEGbpJA4ZBO
slowly over to him and took it and read silently. “Oh no!” Andraste gasped as269Please respect copyright.PENANADH000xY9Lr
she fell to her knees and clutched the letter. She closed her eyes as they269Please respect copyright.PENANA0Y7IRoInhy
started to stream tears.
“He269Please respect copyright.PENANAVLlYmLsCjO
killed her” she heard her brother say, his voice was strangely deadpanned “that269Please respect copyright.PENANAPzoEXRXKqa
monster murdered her, he and I had a deal”
Andraste269Please respect copyright.PENANAjeg9ojpg0z
stared up at him as he spoke, her face written in confusion “what of the knight you sent to secure her safety, what happened to269Please respect copyright.PENANAD6Xw6jgp6p
Lucien?"
The king269Please respect copyright.PENANArJgo8pKw5u
sighed heavily as he lowered his head into his palms "No word. The last269Please respect copyright.PENANANO392Kj8bw
letter he sent said he was on the outskirts of Avrym's domain......that was269Please respect copyright.PENANABXN6Y206Fy
five days ago"
"We269Please respect copyright.PENANANupZqFHR4T
need to ready or armies." Andraste's voice cracked as she spoke "This269Please respect copyright.PENANAT3HyYJuNiE
bastard has toyed with us enough."
“No, it269Please respect copyright.PENANAKir9lpBOip
doesn’t matter anymore” he replied coldly as he stood and placed his crown in269Please respect copyright.PENANAQbxh9WlBvM
place, brushing away some of his hair revealing his small rounded ears. As269Please respect copyright.PENANAp9NAW3QY3l
Andraste looked at him she thought she saw a look of fear, but she quickly269Please respect copyright.PENANAkG4geYmgfz
banished the stupid thought
“What?” she269Please respect copyright.PENANAokrsG9YQNZ
choked "YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH MURDERING YOUR269Please respect copyright.PENANANDlGPfThkg
DAUGHTER?" The king completely ignored her words as he walked towards269Please respect copyright.PENANAOdr3YsFSbt
the exit. She couldn't see it, but his face was riddled with worry. Andraste269Please respect copyright.PENANABBBU1kW0Fv
took one last look at the letter in her grasp before crumbling it and following269Please respect copyright.PENANAVRzLeitzQp
after her brother, swearing to herself that they were going to have a proper269Please respect copyright.PENANAKg7RNrnTPe
talk whether he wanted to or not.
The king sat upon his throne and269Please respect copyright.PENANALQkijhRa2T
glared at the nobles gathered in the room, he felt a hand grip his shoulder and269Please respect copyright.PENANAL0sNqD1yE6
he looked up to see his sister smiling at him, her tears were gone and she had269Please respect copyright.PENANAvekfcQl5HW
an air of confidence about her. Though the two weren’t siblings by blood, they269Please respect copyright.PENANALk6uj8LCSZ
had always had each other’s backs, for nearly thirty years they have been269Please respect copyright.PENANAFJCP4Pg4jC
inseparable, and now he felt that was about to change. He smiled back at her as269Please respect copyright.PENANAn5DPkoJMqZ
she made to walk away to join the nobles, but he grabbed her hand “stay” he269Please respect copyright.PENANA17u64D8CQ0
whispered. Andraste nodded without looking at him and brushed off his hand,269Please respect copyright.PENANAG1i1OBbj4d
that was when he realized he was right, she would not be with him this time, if269Please respect copyright.PENANABCfoGzlgcQ
his nobles didn’t kill him now………his sister would. The king gulped as he269Please respect copyright.PENANAlyWO5cLkEC
cleared his throat to address his people, he severely doubted he could best the269Please respect copyright.PENANAIASPizWuQf
nimble Elf in a fight. “First of all, I thank you all for answering my call” he269Please respect copyright.PENANAXe3iZlvyo5
began, watching as they stiffened and stared dumbly at him. He had taken269Please respect copyright.PENANA5XQvt822Jd
advantage of all these people, and he knew he would pay the price today.
“I know it269Please respect copyright.PENANA3JclhMiwoF
was a bit short notice, but the matter was too urgent -"
"What269Please respect copyright.PENANA6LlzpZ1aQc
the hell is the meaning of this, Roland?" A voiced cried out from the269Please respect copyright.PENANAB8LEKnsA5h
semicircle of nobles, cutting him off "I had important matters to attend269Please respect copyright.PENANAIwMUNJB2dt
to and not only do you call me here at such a time, you also have THE FUCKING269Please respect copyright.PENANAW6u55byw3F
NERVE -"
There was a269Please respect copyright.PENANAWUtM32zPi1
flash of silver as something raced through the air cutting off the voice. It269Please respect copyright.PENANAMqFKByvVHM
was then followed by shrill scream. The nobles looked at the old man who was269Please respect copyright.PENANAes05lZ51Xw
now clutching his face. He opened his mouth to speak but was instantly cut off269Please respect copyright.PENANAn9PjxsvnwI
by Andraste.
"The269Please respect copyright.PENANABXsaSuOKn3
next person to interrupt this meeting will leave this room missing a269Please respect copyright.PENANAOm2SpdWXUd
tongue." The gulped as he heard her words. He rose his hand and spoke once269Please respect copyright.PENANATrRRYGMItD
more "As I was saying, I'm terribly sorry for calling you all here at such269Please respect copyright.PENANAgbfeioEg21
an hour, but I'm afraid I had no choice. As I'm sure you're aware, there have269Please respect copyright.PENANADNDKyYZzMs
been rumours circulating the kingdom for the last six months, stories about how269Please respect copyright.PENANAmROdLXFiqF
you nobles have been sending the kingdom assassins to villages on the edges of Lanatheas269Please respect copyright.PENANAUsAdP77xul
to kidnap young girls from their homes."
"Permission269Please respect copyright.PENANAHH5FAB2vdw
to speak, sire?" A young man spoke up from the group
"Granted"
"Those269Please respect copyright.PENANAhmcq1BOS3Q
rumours have been nothing other than, well......rumours." he paused before269Please respect copyright.PENANARLUECZ9Vws
continuing "you had us all investigated by your Spymaster, Lord Brinn that269Please respect copyright.PENANA89STJdNbqA
is, and as I'm aware....those investigations yielded no results269Please respect copyright.PENANAakXZY6tXYa
whatsoever"
"I'm269Please respect copyright.PENANA9DwcLsZSu1
afraid that's simply because Brinn was ordered to not carry out an actual269Please respect copyright.PENANAUAMv34KR70
investigation....."
"Pardon?"269Please respect copyright.PENANARdLaDz5dq3
His confusion was echoed by everyone else in the room, including Andraste.269Please respect copyright.PENANAk3hYXj6Wym
"What do you mean by that brother?" She asked as she looked down on269Please respect copyright.PENANAcvH4Zy86p2
him. The king looked at her and shook his head, her eyes were cold and he felt269Please respect copyright.PENANAr7Zr0nAVbz
like she was going to cut open his throat after his next words "I'm269Please respect copyright.PENANA5d4tNH1cC8
ashamed to admit the rumours are indeed true" he paused and then continued269Please respect copyright.PENANAN0wLXmdYuN
before anybody had the chance to react "In fact.....those assassins were269Please respect copyright.PENANAlv0crF77sz
sent out by me, and were led by none other than Brinn" before he had even269Please respect copyright.PENANAY6aBYbz89u
finished talking, the nobles were shouting and demanding answers. They wanted269Please respect copyright.PENANAiwYIeSZk8W
to know what he had done, as well as why. In the uproar they had all forgotten269Please respect copyright.PENANAKkFNplFxY6
Andraste's threat, all but one man who was trying to leave his seat before she269Please respect copyright.PENANAToWPNeKHp1
noticed him. The nobles, realising that he had no intention of answering them269Please respect copyright.PENANAhQw8AhHkfO
then started to rush towards him on the throne, but before the got close269Please respect copyright.PENANAMpNDATLqEV
Brinn's cloaked form fell Infront of them from the ceiling. He stretched out269Please respect copyright.PENANA4UHRirJLQq
his hands, showing the throwing knives between his fingers "Who dies269Please respect copyright.PENANAO8guk5hRNW
first?" He asked sneering. The nobles gasped as they backed away slowly,269Please respect copyright.PENANADBljnFS7FF
Brinn glanced behind him and saw Roland running through the back doors. Brinn269Please respect copyright.PENANAia3t9JuvDd
knew the king wasn't afraid of the weaklings before him, so he figured he must269Please respect copyright.PENANAIxJYy6kJzP
have been running from his sister. Brinn might have been the one to teach her269Please respect copyright.PENANAnp98NwMTet
everything she knew, but even he wouldn't be able to inflict injury on her269Please respect copyright.PENANAzWVOD8lwmT
before his head rolled. Without looking at her he sheathed his knives and went269Please respect copyright.PENANAeszn5tQ4rq
after the king.
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All of this269Please respect copyright.PENANANZKqbndXW6
had happened before the princess had even finished processing the information269Please respect copyright.PENANAaTAtubDtgz
she was just given. She didn't notice any of the events that had just269Please respect copyright.PENANApVC6raAvXr
transpired.