Chapter One

The intro to my story. Please keep in mind that this is my first attempt at writing anything!

Annreah woke up in a cold sweat, she was breathing hard and she had most likely been screaming just moments ago.  It had been the same beautiful dream; she was inside the same elvish castle, on the same rope bridge, and heading toward the same specific location. She didn’t know where or how she’d gotten there or what she was doing, but she knew there was a reason, some purpose for her being there.  And then bridge broke and Annreah was falling. The entire scene was swallowed up in black mist.  It scared her.  She needed to get her mind off the dream, so she grabbed her bow and arrow and made her way outside.

The princess slipped through hallways and doors with ease, carefully avoiding guards.  Annreah had practiced this route over and over, for if the queen and king found out that she wandered the castle alone, they would be appalled.

As she walked, her thoughts instinctively went to her dream.  She wondered whether this repetitive dream had anything to do with her past; her past, the only other source of unease in seemingly flawless life.  Annreah thought of her mother, she had no real memories of her, only pictures and stories.  Despite Annreah’s persistent requests, her aunt, the queen, refused to talk about her late sister’s death or the reason she never took her place on the throne. As for her father, she knew nothing, no memory at all.

Annreah’s thoughts were interrupted when she realized she was at the stables already.

“Hey girl,” she said as she stroked her favorite horse “You want to go for a ride?” her horse whinnied excitedly and Annreah quickly mounted. 

She loved the feeling of her long hair whipping against her face and the cold night air biting at her hands. She arrived at her usual practice range but didn’t unmount. She knew of another place, not so far away, that would be perfect for her to practice her bow and arrow. She rode out a little father and hopped off her horse.  As she stepped into a small clearing, her heart skipped a beat. Annreah had never been here during the night before, it was beautiful, and the moon was full and high.  She walked to the center of the small clearing and looked to the west; she could just barely see the silvery reflection of the moon on the Placidum River. She took an arrow from her quiver and notched it in her bow. While pointing her arrow toward a tree on the other side of the clearing, she concentrated on finding a target. The stem of a refoveo fruit caught her eye, it would be a shot that only a skilled archer could manage, but Annreah was confident.  But as she was about to shoot, something caught her eye. It was most likely an animal, but maybe a… person?

Annreah kept her bow in hand and crept forward.  She was thankful that her white dress and long chestnut hair blended well with the silver and brown bark that surrounded her.   She stopped, camouflaged in the trees, and watched. It was a boy, maybe 19, about her age. His hair was matted, clothes were ripped and his whole torso was splattered with blood.  He had several fatal wounds, and he definitely wasn't all human.

"Maybe he's an elf" she thought, but he didn’t really look like a full elf either. "He might be half-elf"
Her first reaction was disgust; she had been brought up to cringe at the site of anything out of the ordinary, anything other than human. But Annreah couldn't bring herself to hate him; instead she found an overwhelming sense of obligation toward him that she didn't quite understand. He would surely die if she left him and nobody else would be here until morning, at least. Annreah knew what she must do. She put back her arrow and dropped her protective stance.

"Hello" she said "my name is Annreah, let me help you."
"Can't...time coming... can't" he muttered. He tried to find Annreah’s face but his eyes were unfocused.
"It’s ok" she spoke soothingly, opening her hands into an outstretched position. "Let me help you" she repeated.
•~•~•

The next day, Annreah woke early. She rushed through her breakfast with her aunt, picked up some food and first aid supplies, made her way down to one of the many guest rooms. This is where she had let the young man stay. He told her his name was Bobbie. She was surprised to see that he was standing.

“Wow, you look amazing” she stammered

He jumped and turned around.  He had platinum blond hair with dark blond streaks. He looked like he hadn't had a haircut in a while because his hair fell down around his eyes and went all the way to his collar in the back. His eyes were a piercing bright blue that immediately drew her attention from his angular face and ears. When she saw his skin in the light from the window, she noticed it wasn't just sun-kissed and smooth, but also slightly glowing, sort of like a pearl.

"Well," she thought "that decides it; he's definitely not human” He cleared his throat and she realized that she had been analyzing him for a while.

“How are you feeling?” she asked

“Great” he answered “thanks to you” His smile was a bit forced.   She couldn’t figure out how he looked so much better.

“You look confused” he commented.

“Oh,” she said “I was just wondering how you healed so fast”

“Elvish magic” he replied

“Are you an elf?”

“Half”

“And half human?”

“Yes, so I can perform some minor inactions, but it wears me out”

“So you wanted to wait till you were in a safe place when you preformed your healing thingy-migingy”

“And I couldn’t do it until the blood flow stopped.”

“Ok, that makes sense”

“You must be part elf too”

“No I’m not, what makes you say that?”

“I guess I was just under the impression that most Gilthians didn’t like half breeds”

Annreah laughed without humor. “It’s not just half breeds, it’s any person who doesn’t fit a very specific mold” She was surprised how resentful she sounded toward her homeland.

“Yet you helped me”

Annreah nodded but didn’t reply. She heard someone outside “oh shoot” she said like she had just remembered something “follow me” She took a key out of her pocket and unlocked a door in the back of the room.

“Grab you stuff” she said “we won’t be able to come back” he didn’t argue.

She led Bobbie through many rooms and hallways until she finally stopped in a small garden. Just behind them was the forest and Placidum River; Annreah knew that nobody would find them here.

“Where exactly are we?” Bobbie asked

“The Glithian castle” she replied simply

“Who are you?” he looked at her like he just noticed the silver circlet braided in her hair.

“I am Annreah” she sighed “daughter of Cynthia, princess of Gilithia”

Blank shock washed over Bobbie’s face. He bowed and said “your highness, thank you, I am forever in you debt.”

Annreah knew that this shouldn’t have annoyed her but for some reason it did.  Bobbie was the first person she had a real conversation with in a long time.  She hadn’t realized how much she needed a someone to talk to, without being FESTERED over.

"Please, you don't have to call me that" her reply came out sharper than she intended.

Bobbie's face was expressionless. "I should go" he said "thank you again, Princess Annreah"

"Where are you going?" she asked "why so soon?"

"I have to take a message to the Ishnamarian army"

"The what??"

"The army of Ishnamar, about the rumored begging’s of a war"

Annreah had no idea what he was talking about, but she didn't want to appear ignorant.

"Let me go with you" she offered before she could think any better.

"No" he said, with that same blank expressionless tone. "You are a princess; you have your own duties and obligations here"

Annreah wanted to argue but she knew better.  "Well then, goodbye Bobbie” It then struck her how different this conversation seemed than before he knew who she was.

"Goodbye Annreah"

Author's Note

BTW- I don't have a name for "bobbie" yet. That name is just a placeholder any ideas are welcome! Also, the hardest thing for me to write has been dialogue, any tips??