Chapter 2: The missing pages
Tarith woke, sweating and panting. The nightmare had felt so real, she could still feel the pain of the marks on her body. The moon still shone brightly in the night sky. Tarith sighed, knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep... not after a nightmare like that. She stood and stretched her aching muscles, then walked to her bathing chambers. She tied her long hair up with a leather strap, and stepped in the hot spring. The hot water made all her aches and pains vanish as she floated, Her mind wondered to her mother, and everything she expected of her.
Tarith was next in line for the throne, but she never liked the thought of ruling an entire kingdom. No, instead she wanted to be a hunter, a fighter, a warrior for the kingdom. Not the quiet obeying queen her mother wanted her to be.
Castle Palaran was located in the north, it was under constant snowfall. the snow never reached 3 feet above the ground, no one knew why, but the elders always said that it was the magic in the land. Tarith always loved listening to the legends, and songs the elders spoke of. Her favorite was about a queen, who was a dragon rider. She fought for her land and people in the great war. The war lasted 20 long years, until finally the kingdom Valristor was defeated. Sadly the queen died, moments after the war. Legend says she bore a child, a baby girl, that would one day unite all the kingdoms under one rule. Because of that the king Zander of Valristor ordered all newborns to be killed, from all four kingdoms. The remaining knights did as their king ordered, and after, all hope was lost... but the elders believed that the baby girl was hidden, cloaked by magic and taken deep into the mountains of the kingdom Palaran. To this day the elders still believe that baby girl is among us, waiting until her kingdom needs her.
Tarith swam to the steps of the hot spring, and got out. Feeling better, she grabbed her sheet and dried off. She dressed in tan leather slacks, leather thigh high boots, a cream long sleeve loose shirt, and a leather waist corset. Tarith tucked the ends of the shirt into her pants, and untied the string on her shirt revealing some cleavage. Her mother always hated when she did that, but Tarith wasn't a child anymore. She was a 20 year old woman who could make her own decisions.
Tarith untied her hair, then once again tied it back up. only more neatly this time. She looked herself over in her mirror and liked what she saw. Tarith walked out of her chambers and out of the castle, headed towards the hunters hall.
The hall was more quiet than usual, but Bayorth her long time friend was there as well.
"what brings you here so early?" asked Bayorth cleaning off a table with a rag.
"couldn't sleep, mind if I shoot for bit out back?" asked Tarith.
Bayorth chuckled and said "Can't get enough of the feeling huh? sure, just lock the bow and arrows up when you're done. Don't want children getting ahold of them."
"Ok, thank you." Tarith said while walking out back to the shed. She grabbed the bow and arrows, and walked 30 feet into the woods where the targets were set up for practice. Tarith lost track of time while she wielded the bow like a pro.
"I knew I would find you here" said Sabine coming up behind her.
Tarith turned and smiled at her. Letting the arrow fly without even looking, and still it hit its target.
"you're a natural" she said while petting her wolf on the head. Wolfsbane had been with Sabine since he was a pup.
"Practice makes perfect" said Tarith while walking to her target and yanking the arrows out. "I don't think I can wait until after dinner to go to the library Sabine."
"I never thought I would hear you say those words" she said with a smirk "I was thinking the same thing, I'm very curious as to what we will find. The Castle is still asleep, so why dont we head over to the library now?"
Tarith smiled and said "Yes, please!"
They walked to the library, that was located inside of the castle in the east wing.
Sabine got to work immediately, pulling books and scrolls off of shelves. Tarith just sat at the table waiting for Sabine and the mountain of books. They both sat there for hours going through book, after book, and scroll after scroll... But nothing.
"This doesn't make any sense" said Sabine flipping back and forth through the pages of one particular book. "there are pages missing... at least 20 pages."
Tarith looked up and said "Impossible, the only ones allowed in here are the royale family, and elders of the kingdom..."
"Someone took them, Tarith... I have a very bad feeling about this" said Sabine with a worried look on her face.
Tarith bit her lip in thought. Who would do such a thing... take away history like that... it didn't make sense. She looked up as a thought crossed her mind. "Sabine what if it was one of the elders... making sure the information didn't fall in the wrong hands."
"Yes that's possible... and I think I know just which one it would be. You remember the old shaman that lives on tope of the mountain, away from the castle... She must have taken them when she lived her."
Tarith nodded and said "It has to be her... We have to go there and ask her Sabine, we have to know what this means."
Sabine stood and started pacing "You're right. It can't be a coincidence that you found the egg on your first hunt."
"I also had a strange nightmare last night Sabine. About the egg... I was in a clearing deep in the forest. The egg was sitting on an alter lite by fire, I started chanting words in the lost language... then the pain started. I collapsed on the forest floor and markings started to be etched into my skin with fire, blood pooled beneath me. The fire raced towards me from the alter, then I woke up... but the pain Sabine... it all felt to real." Tarith said her muscles and skin started aching just from the memory.
Sabine slowly turned towards Tarith with a terrified expression "We have to go see the shaman... now."
Tarith only nodded, worried what Sabine took from her nightmare. Sabine is a witch, one with great power.
Tarith stood and started putting the other books back in there place. "What are we going to tell my father, and mother? it's a two day journey to her cottage."
Sabine took a deep breath and said "I didn't think of that... tell them you're going on another hunting trip, they're bound to believe that."
Tarith nodded in agreement. "we will leave mid day, after I speak with my parents"
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone