The Sapphire Pendant

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Adeline

                Branches and leaves whipped my face as I charged through the dense forests of Marr that connected the Four Kingdoms of Collaner.  I ran with my bow in front of me, the arrow already strung.  A plain brown boy-tunic whipped around my hips as I tried to tone down the swishy noises my trousers made.  As the princess of Air Kingdom, hunting was not meant for girls or even some royal boys, only peasants and the guard.

                It was pretty comical really.  The Air Kingdom wasn’t home to warriors or hunters; the kingdom was home to painters and artists.  We were the richest kingdom in our Realm, trading our art for gold and silver which were plentiful in our kingdom.

                I’ve been teaching myself how to shoot a bow and arrow, fight with a sword, ride a horse and throw a dagger by myself.  Even though I was teaching myself I was better than half the warriors in Air and some of the ones from Fire Kingdom.

                The best warriors in Collaner were the boys of the Fire Kingdom.  The Fire and Air Kingdoms had been tensely separated since the last King of Fire killed our king. 

                All the people of the Air Kingdom looked upon the Fire people with disdain.  It had been 20 years and no one of the two kingdoms has ever conversed between each other.  The only time the two kingdoms were at peace with each other was during the Council of the Rise where all the kings and queens met to discuss how the kingdoms were doing, military skills, harvest specials, and diplomatic ties with the other Realms.  Even then the kings of Air and Fire sat far from each other.

                In the forest I heard the tell-tale rustle of either footsteps or game.  I pointed my arrow at the sound and waited for whatever the creature was to emerge from the brush.  I saw an arrow emerge first then a small boy with russet hair, at least twelve years old.  He was at least 5 years younger than me, a trainee from the village. 

                “Greetings,” the boy said, the arrow and bow shaking in his grasp.  His eyes flitted between my face and the trees behind me.  I nodded, releasing my severe grip on the arrow.

                “Any sign of game,” I said in a fake gruff voice in case he was one of the royal guard.  It was forbidden for me royalty or not to be in the forest of Marr.  With my dark, curly hair tied in a bun at the base of my neck, dressed in a boy’s tunic, and mud marring my face I barely passed for a 17 year old peasant boy. 

                I have never run into anyone while hunting before, I made sure of it.  If you took one look at me anyone would recognize me as the princess.  My blue eyes gave me away.      

                “No,” he responded looking at me as if he were searching to place something on my face, “While I’m here, I should warn you the south part of the forest, towards the Water Kingdom, has been claimed by the Air Hunters.”

                “Thank you,” I said, that wouldn’t be a problem I was in the northern part of Marr near the Air Kingdom in case I needed to make a quick escape.

                “Is that all?” I asked.

                “No, the village leader said everyone out of the forest in time for Market Day and Royal Announcement,” the boy said.

                “Thank you, I’ll be off,” I said walking towards the entrance of the Air Kingdom, through the forest.

                “No problem,” the boy called, “Do I know you? You look very familiar.”  He opened his mouth to ask me, probably, why I was wearing my hair in a bun but I walked away quickly before he had the chance.