Leaves288Please respect copyright.PENANAEIoHrRSXTD
fell from trees and branches danced lightly as a light figure raced through the288Please respect copyright.PENANABWBxeb653E
trees of the Wyrmwood, it was swift and sure, anyone looking up into the trees288Please respect copyright.PENANAPIlONPqKEM
would have seen nothing but a blur, maybe even the hood that concealed its288Please respect copyright.PENANAl72C9Yr6HM
head. Not that anyone else was foolish enough to venture this deep within the288Please respect copyright.PENANAy2MrUhH99L
woods. This person however, had a reason and as it pranced from limb to limb288Please respect copyright.PENANAFIFxiWaQm1
its hood came loose, revealing the soft facial features of a woman in her early288Please respect copyright.PENANABjBwPbTVks
twenties, her long white blond hair flowed along behind her giving away her288Please respect copyright.PENANAG0nWkvIJK7
soft pointed ears. She smiled as she saw a small clearing ahead, knowing she288Please respect copyright.PENANA7YXbvJqZGp
had finally reached her goal. She landed with a soft mildly perceptible thud on288Please respect copyright.PENANAmXjUOf17MM
a tree branch just at the edge of the glade she looked around the clearing but288Please respect copyright.PENANAP8fUgaypha
saw nothing. The elf girl stared in disbelief at the glade for a moment before288Please respect copyright.PENANA23Ot0BM71c
silently cursing under her breath, she quietly reached into a small pouch at288Please respect copyright.PENANAWdLqZIbL6w
her waist and took out a small glass vial containing a swirling silver liquid,288Please respect copyright.PENANAeR77DuvQ6k
then with one fluid motion she removed the stopper and downed the liquid.288Please respect copyright.PENANA4mtpHP7RWK
Suddenly her natural blue eyes changed to a swirling rainbow of colors, and she288Please respect copyright.PENANAvrBkgfrq5Z
finally saw what she wanted. The clearing was filled with a variety of woodland288Please respect copyright.PENANA1HMmFN0lwe
creatures munching on the grass that grew there, yet although the sight was288Please respect copyright.PENANASOcfMExLox
stunning in its own right, her attention was grabbed by a single white deer288Please respect copyright.PENANANnmY0RYqTi
that stood in the center of the glade, its eyes trained on her “I’ve got you288Please respect copyright.PENANAnz4OqwsEWY
now” she smiled as she removed an intricately carved bow made of bones from her288Please respect copyright.PENANATyPuRNh71z
pouch and pulled the drawstring, as she did so an ethereal arrow formed in her288Please respect copyright.PENANAXxaqa2dr6X
hand. The elf trained the arrow on the deer it288Please respect copyright.PENANAFINK2PUXN8
definitely sees me, so why doesn’t it run? She thought to herself doesn’t matter I suppose, once I claim this288Please respect copyright.PENANAD1NJoKuwEk
kill the others will have to start respecting me she took a deep breath and288Please respect copyright.PENANAYNx9R5HAsv
steadied her aim “Princess Andraste, you do know that those of the royal288Please respect copyright.PENANAxSns5sIwcb
bloodline are allowed in the Wyrmwood right?” a harsh voice sounded beside her,288Please respect copyright.PENANAM61pGMqE7G
she screamed as the voice startled her causing the elf to jump and fire the288Please respect copyright.PENANAqzZqwa81Wy
arrow into a nearby tree. Andraste fell from her perch and landed with a splash288Please respect copyright.PENANA5dWtVxoWRi
as she fell into a patch of mud “such a fitting place for you, your highness”288Please respect copyright.PENANAKFRX4md98P
the voice sounded behind her this time and Andraste jumped to her feet to face288Please respect copyright.PENANAKKpHEDMpJO
it “you really should learn not to sneak up on people, master Brinn” she smiled288Please respect copyright.PENANAzlHjPyeTMM
at the hooded figure before her
“And288Please respect copyright.PENANABWwgeuAk1L
you should learn to keep your cool under stressful situations, my pupil” Brinn replied,288Please respect copyright.PENANA7q78GmgHR6
a cheerful note to his voice this time “and the last time I checked, sneaking288Please respect copyright.PENANAPxdNhZSEU5
up on people was my job”
Andraste288Please respect copyright.PENANA7AlAAvOQSI
smiled at the man, he could be cold and cruel at times but she knew he was a288Please respect copyright.PENANAEgyCX552BP
good person deep down in the darkest crevasses of his soul. “Why are you here288Please respect copyright.PENANAxI6QSZqawM
then?”
“His288Please respect copyright.PENANA2Q2F0qG3yO
majesty is holding a special meeting, he expects all the nobles and councilors288Please respect copyright.PENANAtZ6x8yNVms
to attend” he replied, disgust painting his voice
“Why?”
“I do288Please respect copyright.PENANAWLnUIaMHmG
not know, and that troubles me” he looked away from her and sighed “I do not288Please respect copyright.PENANAtVpNT72jMZ
like not knowing things”
“Well288Please respect copyright.PENANAV0bEqg0nTT
then, we’d best get a move on shouldn’t we?” she stepped forward and removed288Please respect copyright.PENANAbKrckiGVli
her dirty hooded cloak revealing the tight fitting brown leather pants that288Please respect copyright.PENANATcov3vcNLh
wrapped her legs as well as a matching corset which hugged her chest leaving her288Please respect copyright.PENANAZPVgqHGZtO
belly bare. She stretched her curved lithe body and motioned to her master288Please respect copyright.PENANAKE8tNBGfZ2
“Race you to the edge of the woods?”
“All288Please respect copyright.PENANAL51TqCtlga
these years and you still fail to understand the difference between racing288Please respect copyright.PENANA4Bsy8nq01Z
someone and following them” he laughed as he vanished in a blur
“Hey,288Please respect copyright.PENANAEUe9jX7k4h
no fair!” she shouted as she took off behind him.
Princess Andraste shifted288Please respect copyright.PENANAEscej9pucb
nervously from foot to foot, she stood in a large throne room, the high walls288Please respect copyright.PENANAs37lMcMzi6
were adorned by portraits of the past rulers of the kingdom. The room was288Please respect copyright.PENANA9Kc9poDDDL
currently filled with all the noblemen and women of the land who were all busy288Please respect copyright.PENANAPRjFM23YFH
chatting amongst themselves, seemingly forgetting they were in the presence of288Please respect copyright.PENANAe0OwKyBrgz
their princess. They were anxious to know what this was about, and so did she.288Please respect copyright.PENANAuFQPy6NxNZ
She glanced at the empty throne behind her and sighed, she spun on her heels288Please respect copyright.PENANAPAIKLtpFlO
and exited the room through the door behind the large imposing throne. She288Please respect copyright.PENANAcCBILzQjYp
Stumbled as she almost collided into Brinn “Not like him to be late…” he said288Please respect copyright.PENANAagdlWjbFdI
as Andraste stormed past him, she paid him no attention as she continued down288Please respect copyright.PENANAIy3cDzF07C
the narrow corridor. She passed by tens of doors along the288Please respect copyright.PENANAWGlpCBcuob
sides, until she came upon a door at the end of the tunnel, she gently eased it288Please respect copyright.PENANA967XUDS2HG
open and entered into a small study from behind a large bookcase. Andraste288Please respect copyright.PENANAxJ3px5U3e8
looked around the room, there were books strewn across the floor then her eyes288Please respect copyright.PENANAX88VAupgIw
rested on the only chair occupying the room, on it sat a large man wearing288Please respect copyright.PENANAANubseWO5l
exquisite golden robes, he held a golden jeweled crown in one hand and a piece288Please respect copyright.PENANAftvuB2fqW3
of paper in the other, he looked at her and despite the haggard expression the288Please respect copyright.PENANAjZ8iyHVXPk
man wore on his face he somehow still managed to look intimidating. “Hey there288Please respect copyright.PENANAOXYkIyPQjS
little sis” he smiled weakly
“What288Please respect copyright.PENANAd55zKHYfk8
is the meaning of all this?” Andraste gestured at the room her voice was288Please respect copyright.PENANAMKqdWhNcak
tainted with worry, in all her years she’d known her brother she had never seen288Please respect copyright.PENANAgUvZVqvx7A
him so weak, and vulnerable. The man waved the paper at her and she walked288Please respect copyright.PENANANzes5TvgvF
slowly over to him and took it and read silently. “Oh no!” Andraste gasped as288Please respect copyright.PENANAi16DqJkXVt
she fell to her knees and clutched the letter. She closed her eyes as they288Please respect copyright.PENANAn7GkriQHOw
started to stream tears.
“He288Please respect copyright.PENANAR1ToipVC1C
killed her” she heard her brother say, his voice was strangely deadpanned “that288Please respect copyright.PENANA3vWVAITKpi
monster murdered her, he and I had a deal”
Andraste288Please respect copyright.PENANAgU8600ed2k
stared up at him as he spoke, her face written in confusion “what of the knight you sent to secure her safety, what happened to288Please respect copyright.PENANAavHH9N2bXr
Lucien?"
The king288Please respect copyright.PENANAtd8STfHEIG
sighed heavily as he lowered his head into his palms "No word. The last288Please respect copyright.PENANALBZoa75pgG
letter he sent said he was on the outskirts of Avrym's domain......that was288Please respect copyright.PENANAfFmxmCQaaL
five days ago"
"We288Please respect copyright.PENANAtM6lyWUYr7
need to ready or armies." Andraste's voice cracked as she spoke "This288Please respect copyright.PENANA96n28JKmcH
bastard has toyed with us enough."
“No, it288Please respect copyright.PENANANoaoBej4IR
doesn’t matter anymore” he replied coldly as he stood and placed his crown in288Please respect copyright.PENANAJx7Gdaei6g
place, brushing away some of his hair revealing his small rounded ears. As288Please respect copyright.PENANASSEOQHc1wv
Andraste looked at him she thought she saw a look of fear, but she quickly288Please respect copyright.PENANAMeZWmUzMYK
banished the stupid thought
“What?” she288Please respect copyright.PENANAKOX0QOxnPs
choked "YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LET HIM GET AWAY WITH MURDERING YOUR288Please respect copyright.PENANAyNKY2L06MP
DAUGHTER?" The king completely ignored her words as he walked towards288Please respect copyright.PENANAId3OCljvZW
the exit. She couldn't see it, but his face was riddled with worry. Andraste288Please respect copyright.PENANAATGkieAgn8
took one last look at the letter in her grasp before crumbling it and following288Please respect copyright.PENANA0Tz8HApPpS
after her brother, swearing to herself that they were going to have a proper288Please respect copyright.PENANA0w82sQFdyI
talk whether he wanted to or not.
The king sat upon his throne and288Please respect copyright.PENANAix2n04iDuY
glared at the nobles gathered in the room, he felt a hand grip his shoulder and288Please respect copyright.PENANAZKmAIrGwwt
he looked up to see his sister smiling at him, her tears were gone and she had288Please respect copyright.PENANAwBF9ED9PdG
an air of confidence about her. Though the two weren’t siblings by blood, they288Please respect copyright.PENANA1duGMSrBBX
had always had each other’s backs, for nearly thirty years they have been288Please respect copyright.PENANAM0r8zDKSO3
inseparable, and now he felt that was about to change. He smiled back at her as288Please respect copyright.PENANAXrZoKUCp3g
she made to walk away to join the nobles, but he grabbed her hand “stay” he288Please respect copyright.PENANApu7ozUbKnp
whispered. Andraste nodded without looking at him and brushed off his hand,288Please respect copyright.PENANArHMbvwdieF
that was when he realized he was right, she would not be with him this time, if288Please respect copyright.PENANA7doBVE1esc
his nobles didn’t kill him now………his sister would. The king gulped as he288Please respect copyright.PENANAWa1FTRqDyx
cleared his throat to address his people, he severely doubted he could best the288Please respect copyright.PENANAdLDGLTc9JR
nimble Elf in a fight. “First of all, I thank you all for answering my call” he288Please respect copyright.PENANA3umWVewGTW
began, watching as they stiffened and stared dumbly at him. He had taken288Please respect copyright.PENANApxb6eZLL7s
advantage of all these people, and he knew he would pay the price today.
“I know it288Please respect copyright.PENANADxjF5ygr9Z
was a bit short notice, but the matter was too urgent -"
"What288Please respect copyright.PENANAtftohbZQJW
the hell is the meaning of this, Roland?" A voiced cried out from the288Please respect copyright.PENANAMyII8NAvBB
semicircle of nobles, cutting him off "I had important matters to attend288Please respect copyright.PENANAtx2j2gvwaB
to and not only do you call me here at such a time, you also have THE FUCKING288Please respect copyright.PENANAQArrx4dJAa
NERVE -"
There was a288Please respect copyright.PENANAYcxr4t84Jh
flash of silver as something raced through the air cutting off the voice. It288Please respect copyright.PENANALfHvs2Y6Zt
was then followed by shrill scream. The nobles looked at the old man who was288Please respect copyright.PENANAB9LoO7wfFA
now clutching his face. He opened his mouth to speak but was instantly cut off288Please respect copyright.PENANAYdbnAafHCU
by Andraste.
"The288Please respect copyright.PENANArHKv10hVag
next person to interrupt this meeting will leave this room missing a288Please respect copyright.PENANAHRGgkhpopa
tongue." The gulped as he heard her words. He rose his hand and spoke once288Please respect copyright.PENANAtehtcIj4ZH
more "As I was saying, I'm terribly sorry for calling you all here at such288Please respect copyright.PENANA7CCN1iUpet
an hour, but I'm afraid I had no choice. As I'm sure you're aware, there have288Please respect copyright.PENANA2g9zRNKbBF
been rumours circulating the kingdom for the last six months, stories about how288Please respect copyright.PENANAef7ZX6htI9
you nobles have been sending the kingdom assassins to villages on the edges of Lanatheas288Please respect copyright.PENANAIpwHoCAmtu
to kidnap young girls from their homes."
"Permission288Please respect copyright.PENANAS2yAn9lwDm
to speak, sire?" A young man spoke up from the group
"Granted"
"Those288Please respect copyright.PENANA8zcR0yUnI5
rumours have been nothing other than, well......rumours." he paused before288Please respect copyright.PENANATDRi9kH6tn
continuing "you had us all investigated by your Spymaster, Lord Brinn that288Please respect copyright.PENANAU5UA1socTy
is, and as I'm aware....those investigations yielded no results288Please respect copyright.PENANAPH1mS4V276
whatsoever"
"I'm288Please respect copyright.PENANAOF4WGhoglW
afraid that's simply because Brinn was ordered to not carry out an actual288Please respect copyright.PENANAPVOi5f6TPp
investigation....."
"Pardon?"288Please respect copyright.PENANAuBVfc5VWR7
His confusion was echoed by everyone else in the room, including Andraste.288Please respect copyright.PENANATLLWpJwLS5
"What do you mean by that brother?" She asked as she looked down on288Please respect copyright.PENANAhd2M2HfoSc
him. The king looked at her and shook his head, her eyes were cold and he felt288Please respect copyright.PENANA50FpLPzB51
like she was going to cut open his throat after his next words "I'm288Please respect copyright.PENANAvb2RCePLSB
ashamed to admit the rumours are indeed true" he paused and then continued288Please respect copyright.PENANAx8nzXd59a0
before anybody had the chance to react "In fact.....those assassins were288Please respect copyright.PENANAnQJcFYPhLr
sent out by me, and were led by none other than Brinn" before he had even288Please respect copyright.PENANAziE2yMnEwZ
finished talking, the nobles were shouting and demanding answers. They wanted288Please respect copyright.PENANA7AcxhlAgob
to know what he had done, as well as why. In the uproar they had all forgotten288Please respect copyright.PENANAmAZoHMUVtR
Andraste's threat, all but one man who was trying to leave his seat before she288Please respect copyright.PENANA5w89UWS01I
noticed him. The nobles, realising that he had no intention of answering them288Please respect copyright.PENANAH37G9uvgDP
then started to rush towards him on the throne, but before the got close288Please respect copyright.PENANA7EM5505zkm
Brinn's cloaked form fell Infront of them from the ceiling. He stretched out288Please respect copyright.PENANAzWdkaSt0yd
his hands, showing the throwing knives between his fingers "Who dies288Please respect copyright.PENANAeXH8oNACFx
first?" He asked sneering. The nobles gasped as they backed away slowly,288Please respect copyright.PENANAmL9bTNqWT2
Brinn glanced behind him and saw Roland running through the back doors. Brinn288Please respect copyright.PENANAVeXRwcihxL
knew the king wasn't afraid of the weaklings before him, so he figured he must288Please respect copyright.PENANAqM4QO9qO2d
have been running from his sister. Brinn might have been the one to teach her288Please respect copyright.PENANAtY6oDaumbB
everything she knew, but even he wouldn't be able to inflict injury on her288Please respect copyright.PENANAJY3T3hOnsU
before his head rolled. Without looking at her he sheathed his knives and went288Please respect copyright.PENANAAMpbfwz4px
after the king.
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All of this288Please respect copyright.PENANAmgHE5gWoS0
had happened before the princess had even finished processing the information288Please respect copyright.PENANAizDlogQYa9
she was just given. She didn't notice any of the events that had just288Please respect copyright.PENANAd6rZu2ZBZS
transpired.