Chapter 1

         

Prologue

 

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         In the kingdom there are three types of fighters, the Ranger, the Warrior, and the Charm Speakers. The Ranger uses stealth and marksmanship to remove the threat before it becomes a threat. The Ranger uses a small sword and throwing knives when fighting. The Warrior uses brute force and stamina to destroy there opponent in hand to hand combat. The Warrior can use many different types of weapons and weapon combinations such as sword and shield, two handed sword, or any form of polearm. Charm Speakers, now charm speakers are a whole different story. They use their words as a powerful weapon. It has been said Charm Speakers convince you to kill your self in just one sentence. Their purpose is to bring peace but sometimes they bring death. Charm Speakers can only work on the weak willed. Rangers, and Warriors are rarely affected by Charm Speakers. Charm Speakers train in agility and speed. They use a dagger.  It has been said they can move faster than the blink of an eye. But I don't believe it. Out of the three types of fighters only two that are not allowed to have love. The Rangers and the Charm Speakers the last child was born 300 years ago and almost destroyed the kingdom. There has not been any child like that since.

         Dark was the night my mother died. That forbidden love my father had for my mother. They came in the night. Guards, at least ten guards total.
Surrounding the building. Asleep in my crib I lay. These guards sent to kill my father and his family because my father has broken the forbidden law and has loved my mother. My father and mother were sitting around the fireplace cooking soup they would never be able to eat. They broke in coming from all entrances. Two guards popped in with swords and full body armor. My father shot up grabbed is bow and fired two arrows in one fluent motion. The first to guards that came in from the front dropped. He turned and fired twice more. Hitting to more that came in from the back entrance to the house. My mother ran to the bedroom where I lay asleep in the crib. She grabs me and we exit the room just as my father fires another arrow at a man walking in through the back.
He says, " Lets go."

         We begin running out the back door. My mother, being in front, sees a man running at her with sword in hand. Her hand shifts to her belt and a dagger appears in the side of the guard. It was so fast even if you played it in slow motion you wouldn't be able to see it. We ran. We took to the woods. Right before we entered the woods my mother falls. She has been hit in the heart by an arrow. My father turns in anger and grabs me and evades two arrows that flew right at where I had been and where he had been. In one fluent motion he fires of two shots. Both found their mark in this Rangers chest. My father kneels next to my mother.
"Go" she said, "Take him to the small town right out side the castle."
"The king would not think to look for you there." She said, "And... Remember...  I... Love You."
Her body goes limp; She is dead. My father turns and runs into the forest. Trying to escape the pain he feels in his heart. It takes two days to reach the village. They set up a home and begin to live there. Not a single day goes by that my father doesn't think about her.
         

  Chapter 1 
Grace

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Today is a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. The village is so peaceful. Farmers tending their fields. Merchants selling goods in the marketplace. Children laughing, having fun, playing a little game called hide the apple in the pig patch. Whereas I just sit here in the dark. No one to play with as I never made friends easily. I always wondered what it would be like to actually have what everyone calls fun. Until today I have always been a loner. Just me and my dad. My mother died when I was just an infant. Now I am 12 years old, I have rustled, brown hair. My eyes are blue, just as blue as the sea. My dad says there is a sparkle in my eye that would one day change the world. Every evening my dad would take me outside our house into the woods and he would teach me to shoot a bow, throw a knife, how to fight, and how to maneuver without being seen.  Today he has asked me to make some friends. I sit and watch the other kids play. Oh, how I envy them having fun. Not a single care to their name. I would go over and play with them but you see I have always just been to shy. I keep to myself and nobody notices me. That's the way I like it.

         Except today, before I even know it this girl walks up to me and begins to smile. She is beautiful. Hair as golden as the sun.  Eyes so green it makes plants look gray. Smile so bright it could warm the heart of even the heartless.
She holds out her hand and say's, “Hi. My name is Grace."
I shake her hand but I can't think of what to say.
Basically what comes out is, “I... uh... Hello.”
She laughs. “Your kinda cute” Grace says, “So.. What your name? Mr I... uh... Hello.”

         That took me by surprise nobody ever even acknowledges me let alone asks me for my name.
I simply replied, “John Riverd.”
“Well, John Riverd, you and I are now best friends.” said Grace.
She took my hand and started walking around. All I could think of was how beautiful she was. She decides to take me into a corn field. She said it would be fun. She stops running and we sit down.
She says, "So, whats your story?"
"What?" I reply with a puzzled look on my face.
"How did you get to this small town of Ascalon?" She said.
I replied "Um, Well, when my mom died..."
She interrupted me and said, "Your mom died? Oh, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. She kinda died when I was just a baby." I replied "So I never actually got to meet her."
"Well, that's just sad." Grace said, "Well if it makes you feel any better I barely know my dad."
"Really? Why's that?" I said.
"Well he is always busy and he never has time for me anymore." She replied, "When I was little he used to read me stories to sleep but now he doesn't any more."
"Well that stinks." I replied.
"Yeah but you get used to it." Grace says, "Hey, wanna dance?"
"Dance?" I said, "There is no music."
"Well, then we will just have to change that, won't we?" She said.
         
         She began to sing a song. A song I knew all to well. You see, every night, after practicing in the woods, my dad would go play his lute at the saloon to get money for us to live. The song she sang was called Ye old Goat. It is a very silly song my dad had wrote. He used to sing it to me when I was little. The way she sang it was perfect. Not a note out of place. Her voice was beautiful. We began dancing. For once I finally felt what it was like to have fun. The wind blowing, the sweet melody ringing in my head. I just wish this moment would never end. After the song was over. We began to laugh.
She said, "That was so much fun."
"Your voice is so amazing." I replied, "Where did you learn that song?"
"Oh, I used to sneak out at night when I was little and listen through the window at the saloon." She said, "There is this man who plays the lute; he is really good and he sang that song every night."
"Wow I haven't heard that song since I was little." I said, "My dad used to sing it to me when I woke up."
She chuckles and says, "I wish my dad would sing songs to me when I woke up."
Just then she started running back to the village. She said, "Keep up slow poke."
I just followed. When we got back to the village she took me back to the alleyway I was in before.
She said, "Remember this spot. This is the spot at which we became friends."
I said, "I will never forget this day or this spot."
"So... Will I see you here tomorrow?"
Just when I was about to reply my dad walks around the corner.
“There you are.” he said, “ Who might this young lady be?”
“This is, um... Grace.” I replied.
“Well Grace, I am Mr. Riverd but you can just call me Tom.”
“Well it was a pleasure to meet you.” she said, “Well I have to go, bye John.”
Right after she said that she hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. My heart sank into my stomach. I began to feel that warm tingle in my stomach.

“She seemed nice,” Tom said, “are you two friends?”
I replied, “Well, I don't know, I guess.”
“Well that's nice.” said Tom, “Well, enough chit chat lets go practice."
          Today's practice was a little harder. We shot arrows for what had to be at least 2 hours. Each shot a different target, at a different distance. A total of 12 shots. Today my aim was off by at least 3 inches away from the bulls-eye. When you have been shooting a bow for as long as I have 3 inches is a big thing. Next we moved on to throwing knives. Out of the 3 I threw 2 missed and 1 just barely skimmed the dummies shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Tom asks, “Your aim is off by a lot.”
“Yeah, It's just I can't stop thinking of that girl.” I said.
“John, you know you can't let your emotions and feelings mess with your shot.” Tom says, “After your Mom was killed by those men in Riverton I was devastated. But if I would've let my emotions and feelings affect my shot you and I wouldn't be here today.”
“I know but she is my only friend.” I said.
“Maybe a little hunting will get your mind off of things.” Replied Tom.

         I really wished it would've but it didn't. I just couldn't stop thinking of those beautiful eyes and her amazing gold hair.
“Snap out of it,” Tom whispered, “Look over there, two bucks.”
“I'll take the one on the left.” Tom said, “You take the one on the right.”
When I notched my arrow and pull back my string I notice to figures moving in the corner of my eye.

         Two men, full body armor, but something seems weird. When I take a second look I realize those are the type of guards that killed my Mom. I fire twice, both right on top of one another. Both arrows find their marks. Tom turns and looks at the guards I have just killed.
“How did they find us?” Is all that escapes his mouth, “We need to go. Now!”
We ran to some bushes right out side of our cabin.
“Something's not right. Wait here.” says Tom.
When he runs around the building I step out with arrow notched ready to fire at anything that opposes my dad. It seems like hours my father has been in there. A Warrior from the look of it pops around the wall behind me but I heard him coming. I side Roll to my left and Upper cut him with my short sword. He falls to his knees and asks for one thing; His sword. He wishes to die a warriors death with sword in hand. He falls he has only moment to live I pick up the sword and hand it to him.
He says, "Thank you, and may the king... have... mercy... on your soul." I close his eyes and my father runs out bag in hand.
"Lets go." he says

         We pop out I do a quick survey and see a Ranger in the bushes far away. I fire and arrow. Flying through the air he must have seen it because he dodged it and hid behind a tree. I fired one more arrow as we entered the woods and we ran. Nowhere in particular to go, but we knew we had to go.