~ For Argaland ~

Chapter I

Instead of a light pleasant feeling of a sunrise that morning, I was met by screams of terror as our kingdom was attacked.

I was awoken by my nurse and rushed through the castles' stone walls, and down many flights of stairs before arriving at the corral where our cavalry was kept. She ushered me into the back of a cart that was filled with hay and told me to hide in it and not make a sound until she returned. I obeyed her, although I was riddled with fear at the sounds of fighting, and wondered if my father was alright.

After what felt like an eternity, my nurse returned with her arms loaded with supplies. She threw them into the cart and covered them with hay before brushing some straw from my face and kissing my forehead, with tears in her eyes she told me, "I will drive this horse and cart out of the kingdom, keep yourself hidden and do not make a sound or we will be caught and killed! Do you understand me?"

I nodded frantically and buried myself in the hay again as best I could, once I was sure I was invisible I laid still, trembling in fear. A few moments later I heard the crack of the whip and the cart I was in began to shake as the horse pulled it hastily out of the corral and down the back streets of the kingdom, leaving everything I knew behind.

It was several hours before we stopped, and by the time my nurse pulled me from the hay, my stomach was aching for food and my lips were chapped and in need of water. After a small meal of bread, cheese and water, my nurse told me to hide in the back of the cart again, since we were not yet safe.

It was late that evening when we finally stopped for the night. Again pulling me from the hay, my nurse met my eyes with her kind ones, "we have made it out of Argaland child," she told me, then pointed to a great lake in front of us, and a tall man standing close by, which I had not noticed, "you are to make the journey across the small sea to Trogia, there you will be safe."

I swallowed nervously, "but, what about my father? And why to Trogia? That is where the dark prince lives!"

My nurse knelt so that she could look me level in the eyes, placing her hands on my shoulder she stated calmly, "Amirah, child, your father ordered me to send you to Trogia, the closer you are to his brother the harder it will be for him to find you. You are to live with a man named Hidishi Toki, he and his family are subjects of your father, they live in Trogia although they are citizens of Argaland. The king sent them there many years ago so that if he should ever need to send his daughter to safety, she would have a home."

"Will I ever return to Argaland?" I asked with worry in my young voice.

My nurse sighed and dropped her gaze, after pausing for a few moments she spoke, "you will return when the time is fit, but never before."

"How will I know when the time is right?" I asked.

She smiled, placed a kiss on my forehead and stood, "you will know it in your heart, Amirah. Your name means ruler, you are a princess, but for now, you will be Amirah Westbrook, never tell anyone your true identity, do you understand?"

I nodded in answer to her question, even though I didn't understand at all.

"When the time comes when you can, once again be Amirah Raynesford, daughter of the king, then you will return," she stated softly, before taking me over to the man waiting, who introduced himself as Hidishi Toki, but I barely took any notice.

From nurses' serious words, I had realised the sad reality my life was just plunged into. I was alone, I was not allowed to return to my homeland for a long, long time, I didn't understand why this was, but I knew I had to trust that father was doing what he thought was best to protect me.

The journey on the small boat across the ocean was a calm, quiet one, I spoke very little to Hidishi, and hugged my knees as I stared out at the night sky littered with stars. As I gazed at the beautiful scenery, I decided that my story was not going to be as I had expected - a carefree life of a princess playing in the palace gardens all her life, no; I was going to have a very different story, a difficult one, filled with struggle. But the true story, the events that followed after that fateful day running from Argaland, would turn out to be completely different from any fantasy hardship my young mind could ever imagine.

After I arrived in Trogia, Hidishi took me to his house and introduced me to his wife Yuma and daughter, Akari, who in later years, became my best friend. As much as I thought I would not, it didn't take me long to settle into life with the Tokis', they became my family, and I loved them. Hidishi was a tall, thin man with kind eyes, he acted as a surrogate father figure in my life since my father was in Argaland. Hidishi's wife Yuma was pretty, she had long dark hair and dark eyes with such love in them, that sometimes it was impossible to look away. She became like a mother to me, since my own mother had died before I could remember her. But perhaps the closest relationship I gained within the Toki family was Akari, her name means light, and she was truly a light in my life growing up. We were the same age, she older by only a few weeks, and we became like sisters, I told her everything about my life before coming to stay with her, and she loved to hear my stories.

Hidishi also taught Akari and I fighting skills, self-defence and weaponry knowledge, so that if war ever came, we would be safe. We practised many times over the next nine years I lived in Trogia, but I remember one specific training session very well.

"No!" Hidishi's stern voice shouted, "always keep your feet firmly planted in the ground before you swing your sword."

"Yes Sir," I replied and changed my stance so I appeared almost immovable.

"Better," my mentor replied, and brought his sword towards me.

I parried, spun around and brought my sword down from above; Hidishi swung his sword up to meet mine, and the two blades locked in the air.

Beads of sweat dripped down my face as I strained to keep my opponent's sword down.

"What do you do if you find yourself in such a position with a real enemy?" My mentor asked.

I pursed my lips as I thought, then suddenly I dropped under my opponent's sword, rolled, then jumped up and brought my sword down as hard as I could, knocking the blade from his hands.

"Good!" He congratulated me, then picking up his sword, he sheathed it, his expression turning more serious, "wonderful job today, you pushed yourself to learn more, I'm proud of you. You are ready to fight against a real enemy, your skills and knowledge of the sword have far exceed my expectations."

I brushed a few strands of my long, curly red hair away from my face and smiled, "thank you, Sir," I answered, then my demeanour turned to one of wistfulness and longing, as deep in my soul, there was a heartfelt want.

The two of us started walking towards the house, and soon my mentor noticed my strange manner and asked, "what troubles you?"

I sighed and kicked a stone laying on the path with the toe of my boot, "how I wish I could go and visit Argaland, to see what has become of it in the past years."

"What is so troublesome about that?" Hidishi asked, "you will see it again, one day soon I believe."

"I do not worry over that as much as I worry about the fact you, Yuma and Akari cannot accompany me," I replied, "I wish not to leave you."

"Everyone must walk their own journey in life Amirah," my mentor said, "I can not go with you - but I have prepared you."

I sighed again, "I thank you for all you have done to prepare me, but I will surely miss you all when I leave. I think of going to a place full of dangers, alone and having not someone to help me."

"You will not be alone," Hidishi replied, "there are many of the king's warriors in the city. You will cross paths often, and will take down enemies together."

"Yes, but there was a battle when I left Argaland, I have no idea what has become of my father, or his warriors, for all I know the kingdom could have been overrun."

"Then you will be the one to recover it," Hidishi stated so matter a factly I could have sworn he believed I really would.

Life was good with the Toki family, and even though I missed my homeland greatly, I flourished under their care and love. After ten years of living with them, I was even beginning to fathom the idea that I may never return home - and I was alright with it.