The Hope Collection

First Leg (unedited)

"I sincerely wish I could join you on your quest, but my parents have asked for me to stay behind and wait for your return with my beloved Nadia," Prince Thanos says shaking Rylin and I's hands.

The three of us were standing in front of the great tree in the Elven forest that served as the entrance to the Elven city. It was shady where we were standing due to the densely packed tree branches and leaves high above our heads. Little woodland animals like rabbits and squirrels ran on branches, played around our feet, and stared curiously at us from the cover of nearby bushes.

"We will bring her back if it kills us in the process, your highness," Rylin shook the prince's hand and formally bowed, sweeping his dark blue wizard's cloak behind himself.

"And you, young lady, please do come back and visit us after you finish your mission. You are a one of a kind girl to have been able to decipher those inked marks when an elf, myself, couldn't even read the spell. You must come back to visit," the prince took a hold of my hand and gently kissed the back of it in a formal thank you, I blushed and I could have sworn Rylin's lip twitched slightly.

"Thank you for having us," I thanked him and curtsied.

Rylin and I had been given newly clothes to wear for the rest of our journey. Under his dark blue cloak Rylin wore a white riding suit with newly shined black thick-soled leather shoes.

I wore a lightweight chainmail dress that took the seamstress only an hour to make when I told her I needed something I could fight in and ride in. The chains were tinted a forest green and hung off my body, stopping just below my knees and flair out so I could move around with getting caught in the dress's millions of chains. The dress had dark green short sleeves that stopped right below my shoulders and were also made of the same shade of green chainmail. Matching green chainmail bracers reached from my wrists and stopped just below my elbows to protect my arms from any strikes from blades.

Haven and Rylin's horse were standing behind us waiting for the trip to start. They were neighing and whinnying, even prancing around impatiently. Come on let's go. I know you can hear me Hope, hurry up before we leave you both here. Haven spoke to me in her horse language. I laughed quietly to myself and the two guys looked at me as if I were insane.

"What are you laughing about?," Rylin asked me, his head cocked to the side.

"Haven's telling me we need to hurry up and get going. She's being impatient and antsy," I giggled, receiving an annoyed whinny from Haven.

"If your animals are ready to go you should be going. I'm keeping me back by speaking to you so long," Prince Thanos smiled.

Rylin and I mounted our horses and Rylin held our map in his hands. He was better at navigating since he had been trained to be a scholar and wizard for his entire life, so I agreed to let him hold the map. I still hadn't told him what I had seen in those visions, I was afraid he would give up on me if I told him I watched Nadia fall off the cliff without the attempt at trying to fight.

"Thank you again for all the marvelous gifts and information," Rylin waved as our horses trotted down the hidden road we were supposed to follow and had just found yesterday afternoon.

"You're very welcome, when you return there shall be a parade in your honor," Prince Thanos called, waving back.

A parade that had sounded nice. It would be something nice to come back from, if we live through this mission. The boy on the cliff with the black onyx wings looked dangerous. I was afraid to be the one chosen to save Nadia, a Seeker who was supposed to be able to hold her own against anyone, from a guy who obviously had more power than her.