Adrastea: Book 1 in the Annals of Orbis

 

Chapter 1: The Ivory Dagger

 

     Ellestar, Arietes Orbis   

     Year: 5993   

 

      Princess Adrastea crouched behind the open door, string loose in her hand. She could hear the clicking of her mother's shoes in the stone hallway as they approached and the soft patter of the servant girl's feet scurrying behind. Just a little longer, Adrastea told herself.   

      The tip of her tongue protruded from her mouth in concentration and, as the footsteps came closer, she could feel her hands begin to shake. Her neck grew hot under the thick blanket of her long brown hair and her large green eyes were wider than usual. This was something the princess had never done before. She had, of course, made trouble; a few pranks here and there, but nothing this harmful. Of course, a while ago a plan did backfire and she had injured a servant rather badly, but it was not intentional. This was.   

      The rush of excitement she usually felt had ceased pricking the back of her neck. A knot of fear began to form in the pit of her stomach. Surely this will get me into trouble, she thought hopefully.   

      A few moments later, the queen walked past the crack in the door and Adrastea pulled the string tight, holding onto it with both hands. There was a short yelp and then a loud bang and a clatter, as the servant crashed onto the hard floor. The tray of dishes she was carrying shattered into thousands of small pieces.   

      The queen whipped her head around in surprise and saw the mess on the floor. The servant girl was clutching her knee.       Adrastea bit her lip and stood up, already feeling an immense guilt weigh down on her.   

      The queen's shocked expression barely acknowledged Adrastea's presence, as she frowned at the servant girl. "Can you not even handle a simple tray, Celeste?" she scolded.   

Adrastea looked down at the girl. Her heart sank even more when she realized it was the same girl who had been the unfortunate victim of two previous pranks. The poor wretch now looked like an utter fool.   

      "It was my fault," Adrastea said, stepping out from behind the door.   

      The queen looked at her in a way far too familiar to the princess. It was a look that said, "Keep your mouth shut and stay out of this".   

       "Ridiculous," the queen said. "Celeste, if you wish to keep your job you must learn to keep your feet. This is the third time you have broken something."   

      Celeste nodded several times, staring at the floor.   

      Adrastea opened her mouth to protest again but the queen gave her another firm look, her eyes cold.   

      The princess balled her hands into fists and ran out the door before the queen saw the tears that were threatening to flow down her pale cheeks.   

      It was so unfair! Why did everyone get punished except her?   

      Bolting down the hall, she suddenly skidded to a halt before she collided with Evert, a young Cieven scout, and her personal bodyguard.   

      "Is there something wrong?" he asked, noticing the princess's vain attempts at drying her eyes.   

      "Everything’s wrong!" she shouted, stamping her foot.   

      Evert frowned slightly and looked down the hall through the open door, where Celeste was picking up the pieces of broken pottery. "Oh, not again," he muttered.   

      As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized that maybe he should not have said that.   

      "Not again? Not again?" Adrastea shouted. "If that's what everyone thinks, why do I not get in trouble? Why does Mother never scold me? Why do I never get called to my father's chambers? Why? Why do they notice everyone except me?"   

      Evert made no move to respond. It was situations like this that he preferred to stay out of, but things were getting more and more out of hand. Adrastea did not seem to understand the concept of giving up, and, as her bodyguard, Evert had the responsibility of keeping her safe. She had already harmed several people. One maid had been unable to go back to her duties for almost a month, due to Adrastea's pranks. She was crossing the threshold from mischief to violence. Evert felt helpless. What could he do to curb her behavior?   

      "Princess," he said quietly after thinking it all over. "Shall we go for a walk?"   

      "I am not allowed," Adrastea replied, wiping her face. "I must not leave the palace grounds, remember?"   

      "You can go with me. Nothing will happen to you, I promise."   

      Adrastea looked up at Evert's earnest face and frowned slightly. He was acting strange.   

      "What is it you really want?" she asked.   

      Evert put both hands behind his back and turned on his heel, sauntering down the hallway.   

      "Evert? Evert, I asked you a question!" Adrastea shouted, stomping her foot again.   

      "And I am not answering!" he called back.   

      "Evert!"

 

***   

​

      "This is so unlike you, Evert," Adrastea said, looking at the open trapdoor at the back of the stable.   

      "What do you mean?"   

      "Sneaking about. I usually do the sneaking and you usually do the scolding. Must it be the other way around?"   

      Evert cocked his head to one side and smiled slightly. "Are you afraid?"   

      Adrastea stood up quickly and shoved a fist into Evert's shoulder, her green eyes alight with fury. "I am not!" she shouted.   

      "Shhhhhhh," Evert quickly replied, signaling for her to be quiet. "We are not supposed to be doing this, remember?"   

      Adrastea crouched back down and whispered, "I am not afraid."   

      "Then why do you act like it?"   

      The princess did not answer, but Evert already knew why. She only ever caused trouble in the palace, only to get the king's and the queen's attention, and always in vain. Trouble outside of the palace was useless. It was also quite dangerous.       "Well you first," Adrastea said, motioning towards the hole in the ground.   

      Evert rubbed both hands together and tossed the rope ladder through the hole, watching as the bottom unrolled and hit the forest floor below. The buildings in Arietes were mostly built high up in the everoak trees, camouflaged by underlying branches so that intruders could walk straight through a province without ever knowing what lay above their heads. The palace was no exception. A masterpiece of Cieven construction, an immense drawbridge, also camouflaged, was let down for anyone authorized to enter. For the majority of other dwellings and buildings in Arietes a simple rope ladder was let down.   

      "Where are we going anyway?" Adrastea asked as Evert lowered himself through the hole.   

      "You will find out soon enough."   

      The princess narrowed her eyes and glared at the young scout, but he was too preoccupied to notice.   

      Landing lightly on the damp turf, Evert looked about for anyone who might be watching, but they were completely out of sight, hidden by the large leaves of the giant everoak supporting the palace courtyard.   

      Adrastea waited until Evert waved her down, and, wiping her hands on her trousers, she slowly climbed down the ladder, trying not to get dizzy. Although she would not have admitted it, sneaking 'out' of the palace and sneaking 'around' the palace were two very different things, and she much preferred the latter. It was safer.   

      "Alright, now what?" the princess asked, once she was hidden by the underbrush.   

      "Now, I suggest you watch yourself. A lot of these branches will get caught in your antlers," Evert said, untangling a string of ivy from the princess's pretty two-point. "Follow me."   

      Adrastea did as instructed, keeping low as Evert led her out of the thick grove of the palace trees and into the slightly less dense forest beyond. It was almost noon. The trails were busy with people quickly rushing about from vendor to vendor to buy their goods.   

      "Why are there so many people?" Adrastea whispered, watching as a couple of young boys ran by with sticks in hand.   

      "It's market day. This is where the people of Ellestar go to buy goods like flour, herbs, and other necessities. There are also imported goods from Satis and Nix."   

      "We get wares from other kingdoms?"   

      Adrastea was shocked. She had never known that Arietes traded with other kingdoms and the idea truly worried her. The Humans were a group of leaderless barbarians, who killed anyone in sight whenever they felt like it. The Snow Sprites of Nix were divided and secluded. Why would Arietes trade with them?   

      "Satis allows us to use their ports in exchange for medicine and herbs," Evert explained, seeing the princess's concern. "Private tradesmen also bring in items like textiles and sometimes livestock. We trade with Nix because our metal reserves are low. We give them wood and produce in exchange for iron, silver and other metals, and for precious stones. That's how we can make these," Evert finished, tapping his sword.

      Adrastea looked about at the various vendors, taking in what her bodyguard had said. It made sense to trade with other kingdoms, but she did not like the fact that they relied on each other.   

      "Can we not support ourselves?" she asked.   

      Evert looked down at the princess in surprise. "I was not aware that you cared for such things," he said, raising an eyebrow in a manner that reminded Adrastea of Wren, Cieven chief scout and Evert's mentor.   

      Adrastea paused for a moment, realizing she had let something slip: Her love for her father's kingdom.   

      "Well, I do not...” she said. “Not really anyway. I just have no great love for the Humans nor the Snow Sprites and, as the princess of Arietes, I would prefer it if we could fend for ourselves. What if one of them decides to invade?"   

      Evert smiled slightly at her cover-up but did not push the matter further. "We are not dependent on them nor are they dependent on us,” he replied. “Our trade is simply to make life easier for all involved. If anyone decides to invade, we will have the upper hand."   

      "In what way?" the princess asked, following Evert as he started down the main trail.   

      "It is our land. We know its woods, valleys, rivers and mountains. We can survive easily without being seen. No other race has the abilities that we do. Not to mention, there is an ocean between us and the other kingdoms. They have no way of simply sneaking over the border without us knowing."   

      Adrastea nodded slowly in understanding, but she was not completely convinced that they should be trading. It seemed like unnecessary involvement to her.   

      "I think- " Evert started, but he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and grabbed hold of Adrastea's wrist, pulling her off the trail and diving behind a tall shrub.   

      "What on..." she gasped, trying to get back up.   

      Evert grabbed hold of her and forced the princess back down again, covering her mouth with one hand.   

      Adrastea got the message and tapped his hand, showing that she understood the need for silence.   

      Slowly letting go, Evert pushed a branch aside and looked out at the main trail as a silver horse came into view.   

      "Uncle..." Adrastea muttered, looking over Evert's shoulder. "Where is he going?"   

      "Nowhere. He's coming back."   

      Adrastea watched closely as the noble-looking man slowly rode down the main trail, nodding and smiling at the people and acting abnormally friendly.   

      "He seems so strange," Adrastea whispered. "I have never seen him like that before."   

      "He only acts that way among the townspeople and important officials. Nieces do not count."   

      Adrastea frowned, thinking back to all her encounters with the king's brother. They were never bad, but rather... uncomfortable.   

      She never knew what to say and, frankly, she did not think that he ever wanted her to say anything.   

      "Alright, he's gone," Evert said, standing up.   

      The young princess hopped out from behind the shrub and brushed herself off, shaking her arms about and rolling her shoulders. "You scared me when you did that. I feel tense all over."   

      "There would be something wrong with you if you did not. If he saw you, we would both be in deep trouble...Come on."       Stepping back onto the main trail, the two made their way through the crowds, constantly muttering "Excuse me" and "Sorry". Eventually, they came to a row of colorful booths.   

      "Ah, here we are!" Evert said, stopping at a vendor with loads of bundled up flowers and greenery. "Pick one."   

      Adrastea looked up in surprise as Evert handed a silver coin to the vendor, wondering if the scout was really speaking to her.   

      "Go ahead," he prompted her.   

      The princess scanned over all the beautiful bouquets, taking in the sweet scent and glowing colors. Now she knew what the servants were talking about when they exclaimed about the wonders of market day.   

      "I cannot decide," Adrastea muttered. "You pick one."   

      Evert twisted his mouth to one side and cocked his head, taking a small second to think about it. He had never chosen flowers before.   

      "May I?" the vendor asked, Evert quickly nodding his approval.   

      The vendor reached over and grabbed a bouquet of delicate pale pink flowers, green leaves arranged around the outside. "This one, to compliment your lovely lady's rosy smile," he said, handing the bouquet to Evert.   

      Evert took the bouquet but looked at the vendor skeptically. "Sister," he said flatly.   

      "Pardon?" the vendor asked, somewhat confused.   

      "She's my sister."   

      The vendor smiled and bowed his head slightly in an apologetic manner, saying, "I beg your pardon. Your sister's lovely smile."   

      Evert continued to stare at the vendor in his unamused manner and the man quickly coughed and bowed his head again, feeling uncomfortable.   

      "You paid for two, sir," he said, gesturing towards the flowers. "Pick another one, for your mother perhaps?"   

      Evert lowered his gaze slightly and picked up a blue bouquet, turning it around several times before bowing his head slightly in feigned politeness. "Good day, sir," he said tonelessly.   

      Turning to Adrastea, he ushered her back down the trail until they came to a quieter side path with no people hurrying down it.   

      "Here," Evert said, giving Adrastea the blue bouquet. "I like blue better. Happy birthday…little sister."   

      Adrastea's hand went to her head. "Don't remind me!"   

      "Yes, I know. This day thirteen years ago, my life became that much more complicated."   

      Adrastea made a face but took the bouquet gratefully, fingering the lovely flowers and imagining herself Evert's sister. "You know, it's my birthday. Shouldn't you give me the bouquet I like better?"   

      Evert sighed and scratched the back of his head, nodding slowly. "I suppose so. Which do you like better?"   

      Adrastea twisted her mouth to one side and lowered her brow in thought, putting a great deal of effort into the feigned difficulty of choosing. After an exaggerated time, she finally smiled and held the blue bouquet closer. "I like this one," she said. "Thank you."   

      "Feel better?"   

      "Yes, I do," she admitted, thinking back to the incident earlier that morning. "Although I still feel terrible about what I did."   

      "Then why did you do it?"   

      The princess sighed and leaned against a tree, fingering the flower petals. "All my life, no matter how hard I try, I cannot think of a single moment where Mother and Father sat down and talked to me. Every day I watch them brush by me as if I were invisible...I understand that Forn needs help in learning the ways of the kingdom. He is the heir after all, but does that mean they can never spend time with me?"   

      Adrastea stopped for a moment to steady her voice that was growing shaky. She had never talked about her parents, and it was proving to be difficult.   

      "I just," she whispered, her voice catching. "I just want them to notice me."   

      Quickly wiping away the tears that rimmed her eyes, the princess looked up at her bodyguard. "Is it wrong of me to want what Forn has?"   

      Evert scratched the back of his neck and thought for a minute before replying. Delicately, Wren always told him. She must be handled with care. "It's not wrong of you to want love from your parents, but as for wanting what Forn has...well, I'm not sure if that's really what you want."   

      Adrastea snapped her eyes at the scout and he quickly rephrased.   

      "I mean, besides the attention from your parents, what else does Forn have that you want? Overflowing piles of documents to study?"   

      Adrastea looked back down at the flowers and shook her head. "I suppose not."   

      She was silent for several minutes after that, and Evert felt as though he had made little impact. Wren, why does it always work for you but not me? he thought, looking down the street.   

      It was getting late.   

      Eventually, he sighed and leaned against the left side of the tree, looking over his shoulder at the princess. "Everything will work out alright. You just need to give it a little push in the right direction."   

      "What push?"   

      "You should not have tripped Celeste," Evert started, quickly continuing when he saw Adrastea flinch. "You cannot hurt people like that, especially when they have done nothing wrong."   

      "How is that a push?" the princess muttered.   

      "What would make both of you feel better?"   

      Adrastea sighed and looked back at Evert, ready to own up to her mistakes. "An apology."   

      Evert smiled slightly and held out the other bouquet. "Right. That's a push...Why not give this to her as an apology?"    

      "But those are yours," Adrastea replied.   

      "Now what would I do with a bouquet of pink flowers?" he asked, dark eyebrows raised in question. "Wren would never let me hear the end of it, not to mention the rest of the troops. I have no mother to give it to, and I already gave you a bouquet, so just fix your problems with a little help from me. Consider it part of the birthday parcel."   

      Adrastea stared at the flowers for a brief second before taking them, realizing he was right, of course. "Thank you...Again."   

      "Well, that was just a roundabout way of reminding you that you have a party tonight."   

      The party!   

      Adrastea nearly dropped the flowers as she sank to the ground in utter despair. A party. A whole night of standing by her parents' side and never saying a word or eating a morsel.   

      "And this is why I did not bring it up earlier," Evert muttered. "Come on. We had better get back before anyone realizes that you are gone."   

      Adrastea pouted a little more but did not resist when Evert helped her up.   

      Well, it had been an enjoyable half-hour, the most freedom she had felt in a long time and it was better than nothing.    Heading back down the trail, Adrastea kept thinking about all the vendors she had seen and all the scents and colors. She would remember that moment for a very long time.   

      "Oh Evert," she said once they reached the rope ladder.   

      "Hmm?"   

      "Why did you say I was your sister?"   

      Evert paused for a moment, then laughed slightly, thinking back to the incident. "Vendors always use smooth talk on customers and it gets on my nerves. Not to mention if anyone found out you are actually the royal princess things would not bode well for me."   

      "For you? What about me?" Adrastea exclaimed, grabbing hold of the ladder.   

      "What about you? Princess Adrastea does not get in trouble, remember?"   

      Adrastea stopped climbing for a moment and stared ahead into the forest, contemplating the problems she faced and realizing that, sometimes, they were not so bad. But still, if Evert got into trouble and she did not, the guilt would be almost unbearable.   

      "Please...Let's not talk about it," she whispered, heading back up the ladder.

 

***   

​

      Adrastea lay awake in bed, staring at the canopy above her. The events of the day were replaying themselves in her head and the young princess could not put herself to sleep. ​

 

      "She's such a horrible child," Adrastea remembered Lady Hannel whispering. "Remember when she hurt that poor maid a few years back. What a vicious temper!"   

      Adrastea flinched at the memory of her prank that had backfired. One of the maids was badly injured and could not walk for several weeks. After that incident, rumors spread over the kingdom that the princess had done it on purpose. People began to say she was prone to violence.   

      "In all honesty, I'm afraid of that wicked girl!" another lady added.   

      Adrastea clung tighter to her glass of wine and stared intensely at the red liquid, trying not to listen to the conversation going on behind her. Over all the talking and music that was going on at the ball, it was a wonder she could even hear what they were saying. This was, of course, the reason they dared to say such things about the royal princess of Arietes in the first place.   

      "Someday she will cause great pain," Lady Hannel muttered, sipping her wine.   

      Adrastea pressed her lips tightly together and spun around, balling her fist. Unable to bear it anymore, she made a move towards them, leaving her glass of wine on the table and pushing past a couple of knights. Deep down inside of her, Adrastea knew this was a bad idea, but the overflowing urge to tell them what she really thought was too powerful to ignore. She kept walking through the large crowds of elegantly clad Cievo and continued to listen to the two women, her anger growing with every word they spoke.   

      "I hear she has some sort of mental disease," the other lady said.   

      "I would not be surprised," Lady Hannel replied.   

      Adrastea was so close behind them, she could even make out the detailed embroidery on the collars of their gowns.    Suddenly, she felt a tight grip on her wrist. She was yanked to the sidewall, out of the bustling crowds and behind a tree pillar, face to face with Evert.   

      "What do you think you're doing?" the young scout asked.   

      "Nothing," Adrastea frowned, yanking her wrist out of his grasp.   

      "Right. One minute I'm gone is one minute of disaster for you."   

      The princess looked down at her green gown and rubbed her wrist, avoiding the guard's gaze. She had calmed down somewhat and was already regretting her actions, as usual.   

      "You cannot act upon every impulse that seizes you."   

      "Evert," Adrastea started, looking over at the two court ladies. "Do you think I am wicked?"   

      Evert glanced over at the two women, now discussing a new topic, and knew what was bothering the princess. It was the only thing people talked about in those days.   

      "I would not know, princess," he replied uncommittedly. Adrastea snapped her green eyes at him angrily and turned on her heel, walking back to the table and gulping the last remains of her wine. ​   

 

      "He does know," she muttered. "Just say you agree, you...you-"   

      A small choking sob escaped her throat, and the princess stared harder at the canopy, trying to distract herself from the tear that trickled out of the corner of her eye. Her mind was flooded with all the mistakes she had made and all the wrong things she had said in an attempt to say the right thing. Everything was so confusing and unnecessarily complicated. It was tearing her up inside. On her thirteenth birthday, Adrastea dreaded every future day. The princess was now of age and would spend all her time learning how to be a useful sister to the crown prince, but how could she think of helping her brother when she could not even trust herself to say or do the right thing?   

      Panicked, Adrastea groaned and sat up, clutching her head with both eyes closed tight.   

      There was a soft rap on the door and Adrastea looked up at the heavy oak wood, realizing how loud she had been. Falling back on her pillow, she covered her face with both hands and groaned, heaving a sigh before summoning the courage to reply.   

      "Yes?" she mumbled through her hands.   

      Surprisingly enough, the guard at the door heard and coughed slightly in what Adrastea thought to be a rather embarrassed manner.   

      "Are you alright, Your Highness?" he asked.   

      "Yes."   

      "Very good, Your Highness."   

      Groaning once more, Adrastea climbed out of bed and put on her robe. She walked over to the tall window that looked out of the palace to the forest floor below. The trails were deserted and all the houses up in the trees had blown out their torches. The world was still and quiet.   

      It was strange. Everything seemed so different and the princess was not sure why. Tilting her head to one side, she narrowed her eyes and looked a little closer, making out the broad royal suspended trails off in the trees. 

      No guards.   

      There were always guards patrolling the trails of Ellestar at night, and Adrastea was sure she had seen them before retiring for the night. But now they seemed to have disappeared. The princess turned away from the window and leaned against the wall, trying not to worry too much over nothing.   

       "I wonder…?" she muttered, furrowing her brow.   

      After a small pause, Adrastea tiptoed across the room and looked out of the other window at the courtyard below. Everyone was gone.   

      "Huh...How strange."   

      Deciding there was not much hope of sleep, Adrastea ran over to her wardrobe and grabbed a change of clothes and a wool cloak. It was a bright night with a full moon, and Adrastea needed clothes appropriate for investigating.   

      Quickly changing out of her cozy nightgown, Adrastea ran over to her desk, trying to find the new ivory-handled dagger she had received as a gift from Wren, the chief scout, and her head bodyguard. She opened all the drawers and dug through all the odds and ends, but to no avail.   

      "Where could it have gone?" she muttered, glancing around the room.   

      Shrugging, Adrastea closed all the drawers and braided her long, brown hair, not worrying about the knife. She was sure it was somewhere around, and it was not likely that she would need it while sneaking around the courtyard.   

      Satisfied with everything, the princess walked over to the bookshelf where a hidden passage, known only to her and her parents, led down to the courtyard. She began to pull it open when another thought struck her. There are no guards outside...but what about inside? There are my guards, but...   

      Curiosity taking over, Adrastea quietly snuck over to the door and opened it a crack, expecting to see the back of one of her guards. They had disappeared. To her surprise, the hall was completely vacant.   

      Frowning, Adrastea stepped out onto the stone floor and looked both ways for her guards, but they were gone!

      Shrugging, she tiptoed swiftly down the circular staircase, landing lightly on the stone floor of the exit corridor. She would have to go past her parents' suite around the corner, but if the rest of the palace was anything like the courtyard and the Ellestar trails, there would be no guards.   

      Adrastea stopped at the end of the hallway and took a deep breath before turning the corner. As she had expected, there were no guards to be seen anywhere. There were six or seven doors along the corridor, all leading to private chambers used by the king and queen, but only the room they currently occupied was ever guarded. Now, there were no guards at all, just a long oaken hallway dimly lit by torches.   

      The princess slowly walked down the hallway, eyes and ears alert for anyone who might emerge from a door. Then her keen Cieven ears picked up sounds through the thick walls, sounds of arguing voices coming from the end of the corridor. Adrastea stopped and listened more closely. An argument was taking place in the king and queen's suite, and it sounded heated. Taking even more care not to make any noise, the princess quietly tiptoed over to the door, the argument growing more audible with every step. The girl slowly knelt down and peeked through the keyhole.   

      "How dare you come in here!" the king shouted, his voice deep and commanding. "Guards!"   

      "That won't do you no good," a man replied.   

      Adrastea could not see him in her limited field of vision, but the voice was rugged and lazy with the most appalling accent she had ever heard.

      A Human, she thought.   

      It was easier than anything to spot a Human, especially in Arietes. Their disgusting manners and illiterate speech were almost enough to distract one from the fact that their heads were completely devoid of antlers and, at least from Adrastea's experience, almost always unkempt.   

      "They ain't out ther', " the man continued. "Now tell me where it is!"   

      Adrastea heard a great smack and a thud and then saw her mother rush across the room and stand with her back to the fireplace. There were more thuds and crashes and Adrastea watched as Queen Fern, unobtrusively, slid one of the bricks out from under the ledge. The brick was hollow, and the queen slid a folded piece of paper into it, placing the stone back in its place and running over to the large oak desk. She began to rummage through the drawers frantically, throwing their contents on the floor. There was a loud hissing of steel and the queen whipped around, her beautiful face struck with horror. She screamed, backing up against the desk.   

      Adrastea sat there in utter shock, completely frozen and helpless. She watched as the Human slowly walked towards the queen. In her dumbfounded state, the princess barely recognized the bloody blade of her ivory-handled dagger. The queen was cornered, with no way to turn, and all Adrastea could do was sit there. She tried and tried to make herself move, tried to think of some way she could help, but her brain had completely shut down.

      What if I scream? she thought. Surely someone will hear.   

      But even with screaming as her last resort, the princess found herself unable to make a sound. Her throat felt dry and swollen and there was a large knot in her stomach, keeping any sound buried deep.   

      "Where is it?" the man asked.   

      His back was turned to Adrastea and the only thing visible was her mother's face, pale as death.   

      "I shall never tell," the queen replied.   

      Without another word, the man thrust the dagger into her breast, and, finally, Adrastea let out an involuntary scream. She quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. The Human snapped his head around and looked at the door. His face was square and dirty with a scruffy blond beard and a long scar. Adrastea stared with wide eyes at the horrid creature. She was still covering her mouth. The man leaped for the door, and the princess jumped back as it swung open, running back down the hall.   

      "Guards!" she screamed hoarsely, dashing up the stairs.   

      She could hear the man's footsteps right behind her but did not dare to look back.   

      "Guards!" Adrastea yelled again.   

      Reaching the top of the stairs, the young princess halted, looking down the empty hall. Of course! she mentally kicked herself as she remembered that the guards had disappeared.   

      Stealing a glance behind, Adrastea saw the man only a few feet below her reaching to grab her ankle. The princess instinctively kicked him in the face and dashed into her room, locking the door. Breathing hard, she ran over to her library and pulled the bookshelf away from the wall, revealing the hidden staircase. Adrastea quickly pounded down the stairs, forgetting in her panic to close the door. At the bottom of the steps, she took a sharp left turn, ran along a dark corridor and climbed down through a hole in the ground, reaching a small barred gate. With shaky hands, the princess pulled the key necklace over her head and unlocked the gate, rushing out into the courtyard.   

      As she had expected, it too was completely deserted.   

      A little more aware of herself, Adrastea locked the gate and slid the key back around her neck, running over to the tall wooden doors leading out of the courtyard. The guards, who usually opened the doors, were gone and had locked them, much to Adrastea's dismay.    Suddenly she remembered the rope ladder that Evert had shown her earlier. Taking another deep breath, Adrastea ran across the stone courtyard and into the stable. Rushing past all the empty stalls, she started pushing hay bales out of the way, uncovering the trap door. Looking over her shoulder to see if the man was coming, she pulled on the metal ring and lifted the wood panel. Right below her, she could see the forest floor and, rolled up neatly and nailed to the side, was Evert's rope ladder.   

      "Bless you, Evert," she said softly.   

      Looking back one last time, Adrastea untied the ladder and let it uncoil to the ground. Rubbing both hands together, she slowly lowered herself onto the ladder and climbed down, landing lightly on the dry turf. The forest was dark around her with tall, sinister trees and, for the first time in her life, she felt afraid of them. Trying to calm herself, Adrastea looked around, seeing the bridge overhead that led down onto the main trail somewhere.   

      Suddenly, off in the distance, a wolf howled, and a chill ran up the princess's spine.   

      "What am I to do?" she whispered, trying to fight back the tears that were stinging her eyes. "Wren, I need to find Wren."       Wiping her eyes, Adrastea took a deep breath and ran along underneath the bridge until she saw the buildings above her. Trying desperately to remember which way the scout bunker was, Adrastea stumbled out of the thicket of trees and onto the hard road.   

      "Oh, which way?" she cried, clasping her head. "Whi-"   

      A loud thud cut her off and Adrastea fell back as the Human jumped out of the trees in front of her. An evil grin spread across his face as he lifted her bloody dagger. Completely panic-stricken, Adrastea threw a rock at him and scrambled to her feet, dashing into the trees and out of sight. As she tumbled through the underbrush, the wolf howled again, and she could hear the man cursing her.    Adrastea stumbled through the forest in a state of shock. She did not know where she was going or what she was going to do. All she knew was that, in order to stay alive, she had to keep moving forward. Her legs were turning sore and numb and there were countless scrapes and cuts all over her hands, face, and neck from battling the tall ferns and various other plants that blocked her way. Her antlers were heavy with debris. Pushing forward, Adrastea heard the wolf again, only this time it was much, much closer and there were several answers.

      Him behind, she thought numbly, and them ahead. What great luck.   

      She could hear the heavy, rapid footsteps of the man behind her and everything seemed hopeless. There was no way out.

      Just stop here and die, she thought.   

      Pausing, Adrastea looked back over her shoulder and saw the Human not too far away, hacking at the underbrush. Then, for some reason, the voice of despair in her gave way to a sudden urge to live.   

      Mustering up the little strength she had left, the princess took a deep breath and ran through the trees, plunging through thicket after thicket, trampling plants that got in the way, and breaking branches that tried to cage her. Adrastea could hear the footsteps behind her coming closer and closer. The howls ahead sounded as if they were crying to the moon for their next meal. Distracted by her fear, the princess failed to see the steep ravine ahead. Her foot caught on a root, and, in her rush, she toppled over the edge. With a great crash, she tumbled down the forest slope, over thorns and ferns and every stone in her way. At the bottom of the ravine, she collided with a fallen log. There was a loud crack. Whether it came from her arm or the log, Adrastea did not know.   

      Looking up at the dark trees that were steadily growing hazy before her eyes, the princess tried hard to breathe through her gritted teeth, but the pain made it almost impossible. Her breath came out in ragged gasps. Turning her head slowly, Adrastea looked up into the brush and, through her blurred vision, could make out glowing eyes. She could hear soft snarls and snapping jaws slowly closing in all around her and she knew there was no way out.