Chapter 3

The next day Trina went to her hunting lesson. Most of the girls were still bragging about their scores. Trina sat down on a log at the shooting range where Mistress was addressing the proper way to fire an arrow. Trina like normal paid no attention. It was pointless; she already knew how to shoot an arrow.

            She sighed and stared at the sky. It was covered in gray clouds, like clouds were in winter time. Trina was more worried now than ever. She turned to her friend Nelly that sat next to her watching Mistress. Nelly was a good hunter, but she insisted on listening all the time. She had even suggested for Trina to listen too. She always shrugged Nelly off though.

            Trina had told Nelly about her encounter with the witch. Nelly was the only other person Trina trusted, but even she didn’t believe her at first. Trina insisted it was true and asked why she would make up something like that. Nelly took that into perspective and just shrugged about it. She suggested Trina go talk to the chief like Serenity had.

            “Did everyone catch that?” Mistress asked. She looked straight at Trina.

            Trina noticed after about two minutes. “Oh, uh, yeah sure,” she answered.

            “Alright Miss Parks, what did I just tell Zoe to do?” she asked.

            Trina shifted her gaze to all the girls staring at her now. “Pull the arrow back to your ear before firing?” she answered unsure of herself.

            “Not quite. I said jaw line, because then you won’t have a risk of snapping your string,” Mistress said. “Try to listen next time Miss Parks. That’s all for today girls.”

            Trina rolled her eyes as she stood up. Another thing she hated about Mistress is that everything she said was wrong. When firing an arrow you’re supposed to pull it back to your ear. If the string snaps it means it is too tight anyway.

            “You know you really should listen, Trina. Mistress knows her stuff. She is after all the best hunter in the tribe,” Nelly said once she caught up with Trina.

            They left the shooting range and headed toward the center of the camp where hunters were returning with kills and trading them for money.

            “Used to be the best hunter, Nelly. She doesn’t do anything, but teach us the wrong skills now. Anyway I already know how to hunt. I don’t need her help for it,” Trina said.

            Nelly frowned and sighed. “You’re so stubborn,” she grumbled.

            The two continued to walk until they were stopped by a huge crowd of girls. Trina rolled her eyes. His highness must be out again. She shook her head and walked around the crowd hoping to avoid stupid Daniel.

            “Yes so there I was and bear was this close to biting off my head. So I took my trusty- Ah! If it isn’t my secret admirer Trina! Won’t you speak to me today?”

            Trina stopped and turned around, which was a mistake. Daniel was wearing a bear hide sash like his father and reenacting his fight with the said bear that, that pelt was from. Trina didn’t believe the stupid story. He probably got it from his father’s closet. He walked through the crowd to Trina. She glared at the prince.

            “What the hell do you want?” she hissed at him.

            “She speaks! But with venom!” Daniel announced. The girls said nothing. They weren’t very keen that their knight in shining armor was falling all over Trina.

            “Yeah I speak. Listen I really don’t have time to deal with you right now. I have some important information that the chief needs know,” she said.

            “Well why not tell us! Whatever my father hears, I might as well know too. I am after all, prince of the tribe of Friggins,” Daniel said brushing his hand through his blonde hair.

            Trina scowled at him. “I don’t have time for this,” she grumbled turning around with Nelly. She began to walk away, but Daniel grabbed her arm. Trina turned around in shock. No one had ever touched her before, especially a man. Well except her father, but that was when Trina was very young. “Let go of me!”

            “Not till you tell me what the news is,” Daniel said with a grin.

            Trina gave Daniel the most evil look she ever given anyone. Without even thinking she pulled punched and punched the prince square in the nose. He let go and held his face in his hands screaming. Trina looked at Nelly who had a surprised look on her face.

            “Trina you just punched the prince in the face,” she exclaimed.

            Trina looked at her fist and then the prince who was now surrounded by the girls. She didn’t mean to. It just was sort of in her instinct. She turned back to Nelly.

            “We’d better go,” she said.

            Nelly nodded and both girls took off running down the street, past the marketplace and down a paved path toward the chief’s house. Once there Trina looked at the house. This was the first time she’d ever been down this way. There was a huge black gate the surrounded the large house. In the front yard were two garden plots, one pumpkin and the other tomatoes. Neither were in bloom since they weren’t in season. The house looked more like a log cabin than a mansion, but Trina heard it definitely didn’t look like a log cabin on the inside.

            Trina and Nelly opened the gate; it creaked as it opened alerting the guard dogs. They started barking from somewhere in the back of the house. Trina ignored them as she approached the front door. It was framed oak with a large knocker. It had a bear biting the ring on the end. The eyes were made of emeralds. That just made the feeling of impending doom worse to Trina at the sight of it. She grabbed it and knocked three times. It echoed so loudly she swore the whole forest heard it.

            It wasn’t long before the chief himself answered the door. Trina wasn’t expecting that. He was wearing normal clothes today, just a wear of jeans, hiking boots and a camouflage sweat shirt. Trina felt very intimidated by the chief, even with the warm smile across his face.

            “Can I help you?” he asked.

            Trina straightened up with confidence. “Chief Friggins, I am Katrina Parks and this is my friend Nelly Smittle. We are here to tell you something top secret about the forest and what’s going on with the weather,” she said.

            Friggins looked a bit confused, but yet intrigued at the same time. “Interesting, please come in and we’ll talk,” he said inviting Trina and Nelly into the house.

            Trina’s jaw dropped at what she saw. The room looked like a huge ballroom. It glittered from the tile on the floor. Many tapestries and paintings hung on all walls and a sparkling fountain sat in the center.

            “Like it huh? Well I know it seems pretty extravagant, but it’s really nothing,” the chief commented. “Now come we can speak in the office over there.”

            Trina and Nelly followed the chief deeper into the house and past the fountain to the farthest room on the right. Inside it looked like a typical office, a desk with a computer on it; file cabinets lined the back and two chairs sat in front of the desk. But off to the side was another desk where a man sat typing on his own computer. Trina cocked her head to the side. Who was that?

            “Oh girls, this is my advisor, Mr. Ramerr,” Friggins introduced.

            Mr. Ramerr looked up from the sound of his name and looked at the chief then at Trina and Nelly. “Good afternoon sir, who are these girls?” he asked.

            “Katrina Parks and Nelly Smittle. They are here with information about what’s been going on with the weather lately,” the chief answered.

            Mr. Ramerr nodded, but it didn’t seem like he didn’t particularly like the idea of the chief getting information from two sixteen year old girls. He looked back at his computer and began typing again.

            Once Trina turned back, the chief was already sitting at his desk motioning for the two girls to come over. Trina and Nelly walked over and sat in the two chairs just as two of the chief’s footmen walked in. They stood on either side of Friggins’ desk like statues, not looking at Trina or Nelly. It looked like they weren’t even breathing.

            “Ah, just ignore them. Now what information do you have?” Friggins asked clasping his hands together and leaning on his desk.

            “Well sir, I was in the forest yesterday and-“

            “In the forest?!” Mr. Ramerr said shocked.

            Trina stopped and turned to look at Mr. Ramerr who was right behind her.

            “And what were you doing in the forest? You are aware that is against tribe law right?” he scolded.

            Trina sighed. She didn’t need to have this conversation again. She was about to say something, but thankfully Chief Friggins spoke first.

            “Mr. Ramerr, there was a hunting assessment yesterday, so Katrina had every right to be in the forest,” he explained. “Go on Katrina.”

            Trina sighed. “Alright so I was in the forest and well I was approached by a woman. I… I think she was the Ancient Witch of Nature and well she told me that the Emerald of Law has been stolen,” she said.

            The guards busted up laughing as did everyone else.

            “Unlikely little girl! Why would the Ancient Witch of Nature choose to tell you this rather than an older hunter? This is all your imagination,” Mr. Ramerr exclaimed.

            “No! No! It’s true. You should have seen her! She was beautiful and she says the forest is in terrible danger. We have until June 21!” Trina argued.

            The men just laughed more. Chief Friggins wiped his eye. “Miss Parks I’m sorry but that is not likely. The Emerald of Law is heavily protected by the spirits of the forest. There is no way someone could have stolen it,” he said.

            Trina wasn’t sure what to do. All the important men in the tribe were just laughing at her. She clenched her fists and stood up. She glared at the chief. “Thank you sir. I guess I will be leaving now,” she snarled before stomping out the office.

            Nelly quickly followed. “Trina that was not smart. You can’t just disrespect the chief like that,” she whispered as they passed the fountain.

            Trina glared at her friend. “Well I did. What of it? It’s not like they’d care. They didn’t even take time to consider it,” she said pushing the front door open.

            “Well your story is a little far-fetched Trina,” Nelly commented.

            Trina stopped and turned to Nelly. “I thought you believed me,” she hissed.

            “I do! But I mean, I don’t know it just doesn’t seem believable,” she said.

            Trina scowled. “You know what doesn’t seem believable. You being my friend! You just sat there and said nothing!”

            Nelly looked offended now. “What was I suppose to do!? I didn’t know how to contribute!”

            Trina turned away from Nelly and ran through the gates of the chief’s log cabin mansion and leaped through the bushes into the forest. This was ridiculous. How can Trina prove what she saw? She didn’t even understand it. She turned to see Nelly following, more slowly of course, because her friend was slow. Trina didn’t bother to slow up. She needed to get away from the camp and blow off steam. Suddenly she stopped though. Something did not feel right. Trina looked around. It felt like all of the forest was dead, but that couldn’t be. Not yet anyway.

            Stopping gave Nelly time to catch up to Trina. She was breathing heavily.

            “Trina listen I’m sorry. I should’ve said something… wait why did you stop?” she asked standing up straight.

            Trina said nothing and moved forward. Something wasn’t right and she was going to find out what it was. Nelly made more comments like, ‘what the hell are you doing?!’ and ‘Trina are you possessed or something.’ Still Trina ignored her friend until they came to a stone archway. She passed under it to find herself in a clearing. She looked around. What was this place? Trina looked at the ground where dead flowers were laying.

            “Nelly don’t you feel it?” Trina finally said.

            Nelly looked around. “Yeah. This part of the forest feels… different,” she commented.

            Trina stepped forward, but Nelly grabbed her arm. “Trina we should go back. I have a feeling we’re not supposed to be here.”

            Trina stared at her for a moment. “No. I need to figure out what this feeling is,” she said pulling away from her friend. She turned and walked forward a little more to see a stone pedestal. Nelly followed close behind. She looked at Trina and back at the empty pedestal. Something should be there.

            “Trina do you think…”

            “Yes Nelly. That’s where the Emerald of Law should be,” Trina answered before Nelly could finish.

            “So that means…”

            “The emerald really is stolen.”