WoodSong - Act I: To the Edge

This Novella picks up at the Beginning of Kanna's exile, and continues on to provide a second look at the storyline provided be All the King's Men.

I ran away from home when I was only ten years of age. Unfortunately for my escape, I was fairly well known in all the nearby towns. They were out to get me, or so I believed, and so I ran. I ran past thick doors made to stand the most blazing fires of war. I ran past the cities' guards, armed to the teeth to repel all intruders, when little did they know that the most dangerous were within the cities' walls. I ran as far as my short legs would carry my light frame. I ran until I passed out in exhaustion on a grassy plain. Then I ran no more.

 

That was the first time in years that my sleep wasn't interrupted by fevered nightmares about all those who wanted to bring my death, the faceless men who I felt waiting in every shadow. By nine I had started a tradition of lighting candles in every corner of my room to ward off the darkness that could hide my every foe. In that year I went through numerous candles, but father refilled my stock daily.

 

He would have done anything he could have for me.

 

In fact, other than the cushy life I had left behind, my father was among the few points of my old life I missed. Most of all I missed the way he made me know, without doubt, that I was the most important thing in his life. Sometimes I believed he felt I was more important than his life itself. So he would no doubt be sending search parties. I couldn't let them find me, my very life depended on my escape.

 

I woke in the middle of the night to find myself laying atop a hill. In the light of the two glorious moons that lit my way from overhead I could see a city not too far from the base of the hill, and beyond that a great and far-reaching forest.

 

I would've been angry that I had come so close to reaching the city if it weren't for the peaceful rest I had gotten the day before. I could hardly imagine that it could've been better in any bed the the city could offer.

 

I walk to the city, and continue on past it. Once I start walking its like I don't want to stop, it's like the forest is calling me closer. After days of walking and nights of peaceful sleep I reach a border town no more than a mile from the forest. It is here that I stop. I can feel the call of the wild, but I can't yet imagine myself living in the great forest, so I enter the border town.

 

At first it doesn't seem like a place I would like to spend any extensive amount of time. The town, which is called Maureen, is by far one of the more impoverished locals I have ever seen. Of course I was raised with servants attending to my every need. In a lot of ways my life in Maureen was very refreshing, is was very enlightening. These people were living in condition that I couldn't have imagined before actually seeing it, and they were so happy, happy because of the most simple pleasures in life. I had, in my time living as royalty, never experienced these daily joy's. And there was something else that I had never before experienced, true community, true friendship, true love.

 

Living with servants I had never been sure that all the compassion they gave me was deserved or if it was just they were being the loyal subordinates they were born and raised to be. In Maureen I was always on my toes to foster my friendships and much to my surprise people could be easily angered. This may seem to be an odd revelation to a commoner but I have never really had anyone mad at me because the majority of the people I interacted could be reprimanded if they didn't treat me with the utmost care.

 

And this was how I lived until I was just over thirteen, sharing in the towns work, joy and hardships. Life, at times, could be very tough, but overall the life brought much more joy than my pampered life before. But one day a man came into the town with a message that would shake the very foundations of my world.

 

I was tending the cattle in the fields outside of the town when I felt the man enter. I could tell at once that he was searching for me but I could also feel that his reasons were quite clearly his own and not the King's concerns. Leaving the cattle in the field I used alleyways to re-enter the town.

 

I kept a speculative distance from the gray cloaked figure. Watching him carefully I soon decided that he was no royalty and no threat besides, noting the way people moved around him not noticing his presence. It was when he entered an alley himself that I finally approached him.

 

He turned almost at once. "The former prince Kanna, I bring you news from the kingdom of Mi'Xon. First is of your father's death and Prince Barakai's ascent to the throne. Everyone in the kingdom is ignoring the obvious, that your brother is his murderer. They are more concerned with blaming the same invaders that they believe took you than to realize that one of their own took his life."

 

I opened my mouth to object, then considered what I knew and realized that it wasn't all that unlikely.

 

"Since the announcement at your birth that you would bring the two kingdoms together as one he has vowed to usurp your role and take it upon himself and in war he believes he may do so. He has told me as much himself."

 

"You know him?" I asked, wondering if the man was plotting treachery still.

 

"We met briefly. I asked him what his one true desire was,, and he told me it was to be king. He told me he was willing to do that at the cost of your life. I ask you the same; What is it that you desire most?"

 

I would've been offended by the abrupt and bluntly personal question, but the man's willingness to share made me feel bad for thinking in such a way. So I answered, "peace. I want nothing to do with war or my prophesy. I want only to live without fear in some level of comfort."

 

"Then, you must heed my advice boy. Take to the woods, your brother will send armies though this pass and this very town soon. If you remain here in this land they find familiar, he will find you and you will be put to death. Go to the Wood and seek refuge. The Elves there remain loyal to you and you will find sanctuary there. Beyond that they will teach you the means to evade the new King's capture. But for you to succeed you must leave as the moon is full; Tonight. The surveyors are little less than a days trek behind me and I fear this may be as much a final search for your blood as it is anything else. I have no ear for prophesy myself, I believe the future is shaped by the will of man and mages united. If it is your destiny as some claim, you will find it whether you seek to or not." And with those final words he turned and left, cloak swishing behind him.

 

I wanted to yell out to him, but knew I couldn't. For one because I was awestruck by his sudden appearance, again because it could threaten our mutual anonymity, and once more for reasons I cannot name.