This is reserved for Elara and Leilani Majere. Don't post in here.

Princess Kalina stood at the dark forests' edge and looked back at the castle that she had once called home. But it was not to be called that now; she was on a quest of self-discovery and discovery in general. A light wind blew through the trees and through Kalina's long brown hair, that was held back by a satin bow. Her dark blue eyes scanned the horizon, looking at the rising sun and the orange glow it cast on the surrounding countryside. "I'm going to miss this place, but I need to get out," she whispered to no one in particular.

"Look Princess, its not to late to go back! we can just sneak back into the palace and no-one will know! Please!" I pleaded with the young princess. I was her most trusted body gaurd. The one who she chose to help her on her journey. I wasn't ready, my whole life has been within these castle walls, I know nothing else, either does Princess Kalina.

I looked up at the trees, the dark emerald green of the leaves almost the exact colour of my eyes. I pulled my cloak tighter on my body and shivered.

"Please Princess, lets go back."

"No," I said harshly. "We've never been outside these walls, we have to leave. And what are you scared of? You're my bodyguard for crying out loud! C'mon, before we're seen." I turned away from the castle, shifted my pack and dress, and began to walk through the forest that wasn't so dark anymore.

I looked back at the castle, thinking longingly of my warm, comfortable bed and the fun of the baracks where all us gaurds slept. What would they say when I was gone? They treated me like family. I treated them like family.

"I'm not scared princess, its just....we don't know whats out here, what to expect. There are rumours about what lurks in the forrest. What if I'm not strong enough to deal with them. There are forces at work!" I whispered to her as I jogged after her.

The truth was I was scared. I have never had to deal with things on my own and now I have been thrown out to the real world. I'm one of the yongest and most easily scared gaurds in the palace! Everyone says so, Caden The Coward. Thats me. The princess thinks I'm some sort of fighting master. I have embellished a few stories so she would like me. I never imagined this would happen!

"I thought you were strong and fearless," I said and looked back at him, smirking all the while. "C'mon! It won't be that bad. And if worse comes to worse, I'll protect you, you big scaredy cat."

"I don't need you to protect me. I am very big and strong and not at all scared about the demon dogs that haunt the woods, the imps or the shadow monsters!" I said, flexing my puny arms and elaborating all sorts of monsters that live and attack in the woods.

I laughed and winked at her.

"Well now being serious I suppose you have a plan. You always have a plan. Where are we going? How much money do we have? Where are we going to stay?" I said. Then my mind started working overtime, what if we had no plan? Satying on the streets, begging for food! I shuddered.

"Calm down," I said and giggled. "I have a plan. We're going to the town over, and I'm going to sell all the things I brought with me from the castle: jewels, dresses and such. I fit it all in here." That was one reason I brought along Caden; he always made me laugh.

"We're have enough food and water to last three days, and enough money to buy lodging for about two nights, after that we're on our own," I said, shuffling through my bag.

I nodded at her. Princess Kalina never missed a trick, she planned for everything, that bag of hers is always full of stuff that can be used in any occasion. I breathed deeply and looked aorund the forrest, at all the kanrled trunks of the trees. Some looking like old grumpy faces, their weird wooden eyes appearing to follow us down the path. I shuddered an then burst out laughing.

"Princess look! If you scrunch you eyes up like this does that tree not look like the King!" I said squinting at the oldest mast knotted tree in the forrest.

I laughed, following what Caden had said. "It does! I never would've noticed that if it weren't for you," I said and walked through the forest, making sure my dress didn't trail on the ground. "Stupid dress. Come on. I want to get to the next town before sunset and the wolves descend."
I started marching through the forest, the branches almost seeming to reach out for me and trying to trip me. I tripped over a root, and fell to the forest floor, my hand hitting a few pinecones, and I yelped in pain.

I looked at the princess and gulped. "Did you say....wolves!?" I asked panicking slightl.

we walked through the forrest, the princess going fast, her dress in her hands so that the hem wouldn't trail. I neatly dodged the branches and followed her through the forrest. I got tangled in a bracnch but the princess carried on going. As soon as I had untangled myself I heard the princess scream.

"Pincess!" I shouted and ran through the forrest and found her lying on the ground. "Oh my! are you OK? Here."

I held out my hand to her, while I rummaged in my pocket for a handkerchief.

I grabbed Caden's hand and pulled myself up. "Yes, I'm fine thank you," I said and brushed myself off and looked at my bruised and cut hands. "Stupid dress." I was nearly fed up with this dress, and so, taking a knife from my pack, I cut the hem off and threw it into my pack. It was much shorter now, reaching almost to my knees.

"There! That's much better, don't you think Caden?"

I gasped as the Princess cut the hem off her regal gown. The king was going to go mad if he saw it. But we were running away, so he wouldn't see it? Would he? I was still shocked.

I gave the Princess my handkerchief so she could mop at her hands, they looked sore.

"Are you sure doing that to your pretty dress was a good idea? I mean I like it, sure but so you thnk it was wise?" I asked her tentatively.

((Sorry for the delay. Been having some problems. And I'll be gone as of Sunday until September something. Going on vacation!))

I looked at Caden and smiled. "I really do think it was a good idea," I said, taking the handkerchief happily, dabbing at my sore hands. "I won't be tripping on my dress anymore, and I can use the material as bandages in case one of us gets hurt. Which hopefully won't happen, now stop your bellyaching. If it's that big of a deal, you can go back."
I trudged on, listening to the sounds of the forest. My father, the King, had been an expert hunter and therefore passed his genes onto me, which I didn't take for granted.

"And leave you here? Come on, get real. I am not going to leave you all alone in the forrest. And I am not bellyaching, its just that is a royal gown, they are worth thousands! I have never seen anyone wear so much cash and then happily rip it up for bandages! Your mad princess!" I said, handing her the handkerchief and following her along the forrest floor.


[[Thats fine. enjoy your vacation :D]]

"Well, just be happy I'm the craziest thing out here during the daytime," I said warily and looked around at the trees that now surrounded us. I had to admit that they were a little creepy, and I involuntarily edged closer to Caden.

I noticed the princess move a little closer to me, saying nothing but keeping her pace of walking. I said nothing eitehr. I decided not to reply to her comment, I agreed, she was the crazyest thing out here during the day, but at night, I wasn't so sure.

Thats what I liked about Princess Kalina, she was always so sure of herself. She didn't like being told she couldn't do something or she wouldn't be able to do something. She would always come up with mad schemes to show everyone. Like now for instance, walking through an enchanted forrest in the dead of night to make a new life for herself because one of the gaurds commented she wouldn't last five minutes. Fair enough she always seemed to despise the castle but I never thought she would do it!

Sometimes I wished I knew what goes through her head. She is as mad as a box of frogs, but thats the way I like her, I wouldn't have her any other way. We went frog hunting once, at the palacial pond. I caught two and Kalina showed me where to hunt them. I gave one to her and I kept one. I called mine Zeus, I can't remember what her one was called though.

As we walked through the trees, along the forrest floor, I asked her.

"Hey Princess. remember when we were kids? And we went to the palacial pond to collect frogs, you and me had one each. What did you name yours again? I remember mine was Zeus but I can't remember yours."

"Just call me Kalina, I don't want to be known as the princess when we get anywhere we're going," I said and smiled. "Yeah, I remember. I called mine Hades and he died early from a sickness. We had good times when we were kids didn't we Caden?" I suddenly remembered many of our good times as we were kids and chuckled quietly and then smiled to him.