<a class="username" data-user-id="5865" data-username="@Josey" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/5865/">@Josey</a><br/><br/>The Forest.<br/>Many dark and enchanted things reside in the forest leading up to Corzoco Pass. While most pass through with no trouble at all, there are certain areas where people never return from at all.<br/><br/>The princess entered the pass at a gallop. She tried pushing Borak faster but he refused. Finally she reached the place she sought and slowed the horse to a walk as they entered a hidden paradise.<br/><br/>Once you enter this small paradise (As the princess called it) you could see a waterfall with a shimmering pool at the bottom in which the waterfall cascaded into. Steam came up from the pool and as the sunlight filtered through the trees and a rainbow was created over the pool.<br/><br/>Stopping Borak, The Princess dismounted and led him over to the pool so that he could have his fill of the cool water. There she finally allowed the thoughts to take over and she collapsed to the ground, silently weeping. Tears rolled down her face as she lay there next to the shimmering pool, her arms and head resting on the nature made barricade that kept the water within its pool.<br/><br/>Crystal had wandered through these trees for quite sometime after finding out that her father had been killed in battle. He was her one weakness, her one anchor in this horrible world. Since she was all that was left, she had no clue as to what to do next. She did know that she needed to find a mate, someone whom she could love and would love her back. In seven months time she was to be crowned Queen and would be set to rule the kingdom. A job she did not wish to do alone.<br/><br/>The young Princess allowed her tears to fall, her heart pouring out all the hurt she had held back for the last month. A month. A whole month since she had been left to care for the kingdom on her own. A whole month since the news had come about her fathers death.<br/><br/>Crystal heard a sound close by and jumped as some thing stepped close to her and spoke. "So, What do we have here? The Royal out and about without her guard to protect her." She looked up to find an ugly brute of a man standing over her, the sword in his hand pointed at her face. "Looks like we get to have a bit of fun men." The young girl looked behind her to find that she had been surrounded by the very men that, she had been told, had killed her father.<br/><br/>"Please...." The princess started to speak but was cut off as a gag was placed over her mouth and she was roughly pulled to her feet. Her horse had run off when the men appeared, along with her sword and bow, leaving her with no way to defend herself. She fought with the man who had her by the arms, trying hard to pry herself loose from his grasp, only to feel the sting of a slap across her face.<br/><br/>Red from crying and now from the slap, the princess looked to the ground, her body giving up the fight, for now, and allowing them to tie her up.  They forced her to walk for a day and a half before she collapsed from exhaustion, then loaded her into a covered wagon.<br/><br/>It was another three days before the princess awoke to find that she was crossing the border into enemy territory, and fear krept into her eyes. The men pulled her from the wagon and lit a fire, leaving her tied up, on the ground beside the wagon. Everything was a blur to her as she lay there, half in the dream world and half in the waking world. Her mind weakly called out for help, pleading with someone to hear her plea.