Runaway Princess

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"I am deeply sorry, ma'am, for disrupting and disturbing you and your fellow staff. My name is Prince Kanei Saidu, from Dorrotoria. I would like to inform you that I also would like to participate in the search for Julina. I was wondering if you could tell me about Princess Julina? It would certainly aid my search!"

Diana listened closely to what Prince Kanei Saidu had told her. Although she really didn't want to, given the fact her beloved granddaughter, who she had looked after for 13 years, had gone missing, she smiled. Another person was willing to join the search, another person was willing to help. She then realized something, and tears came back to her. This had gotten out of hand, now that kingdoms that were miles away were starting to worry.

"Well, I'm more than happy for you to help out," Diana said, trying to stay calm, "And I'll willingly tell you more about Princess Julina. Would you like to take a seat?" She waited for Kenei to sit down. John, the butler, came up to him and offered a cup of tea. Whatever the princes reply was (I'll let you decide if he wants one or not), he started to make 5 (6 depending on his response) Let me start with her appearance, just in case you haven't seen her before." She then gave him a detailed description of Julina, from her flowing, golden locks to her deep, sparkling eyes. "John, would you mind getting a picture?" she asked. The butler, who was pouring out a cup of tea, put everything down and jogged out the room. "Anyway, the night she left she was wearing a long, blue gown. Whether or not she's still wearing that, I've no clue."

~

"Huddli!" No response. Not even a howl. Sighing, Julina looked back to see where Gitko was. She couldn't see him straight on, but after looking around she could see that he was roughly 9 meters away. Maybe just abit more. Still, she didn't care. If they were going to find the young wolf, it would only speed things up if they were apart - It would mean they would cover more land in half the amount of time.

The princess look back to the bush. Maybe if she went in? No, not in that dress, it would be impossible. On the other hand, physically crawling in was the best plan she had. But how? The dress would either rip or would hold her back. Stupid dress, she thought, Never liked it anyway. Suddenly, she had an epiphany. She was surprised that she hadn't thought of this before. Smiling, she ran off behind the trees...

~

Sniffing around in the undergrowth, Huddli couldn't find a thing. He was certain that he had heard something here, something he needed to find. Whether or not he was imagining things, he didn't know. All he knew is that he had to find it, or his life could be in danger. Danger meaning, his wolf pack could kill him, literally kill him. You see, he was sent away from his pack because he wasn't brave like his kin. The only way for him to get back into the wolf pack was to find, kill and bring back the Afternoon Birdie, a small kingfisher who had been annoying his family ever since he was a child. If only he could find it!

~

John smiled at the guards as they let him enter the attic. After her disappearance, Diana had ordered that all photos of Julina was to be locked up in a chest in the attic until she came back. Only John and Diana had a key to the chest, as they were the closest people to the princess. As soon as he put foot in the attic, he felt a chill down his spine. The attic had always seemed eerie, as most do, but this one seemed particularly frightening. It might have been because the castle itself was extremely old, so therefor the attic had been there for over 100 years. Sighing deeply, John walked up to the chest, which was luckily placed just behind the door, and unlocked it with ease. It was filled with millions of different pictures of Julina; obviously she was born to be a model. All of them were small paintings, and all of them looked amazing. Either John was missing Julina so much that he imagined all the paintings to look wonderful, or the artists were extremely talented.

He grabbed the most recent painting and rushed downstairs. All he wanted was to get out of the attic - it seemed almost scary. John only took 5 minutes to jog through half of the castle to the great hall, which was weird, considering just how big the palace was. He smiled as he entered the room, holding the painting of Princess Julina. "Ah, you're back," Diana said, "Do you have the picture?" Panting, he replied with, "Yes, ma'am."
 
Kanei tried to build an image in his mind after Diana described her to him. His brain immediately thought that Julina looked like one of his nation's women - tan skin, brown eyes, skinny. That was mostly what he saw in his land. There were groups of different appearance all throughout the town, but that seemed like the most dominant one. However, just to be sure, he'd look at some photographs, or rather - paintings and drawings.
When the butler called John came back down, panting, it felt as if something was wrong, like he were running instead of jogging like he was going to get the picture. Some of the children in Kanei's nation would jog around their town once, but they weren't extremely tired after finishing.
Anyways, Kanei reached out his arms and gently took the painting into his own hands. He studied it closely and realized that his image of her from before was nothing like this. She was... beautiful! Kanei really wanted to meet her and get to know her.
Though, there was no use in marrying her. After all, there was someone he liked.
Her name was Karra, a slave who worked with Kanei when Johsem was the ruler. One time Kanei had been injured when he slit his palm while gathering wood. He insisted he was alright, but Karra refused to believe him, and patched it up anyways. While she treated him, he noticed her beautiful smooth tan skin, eyes that sparkled like the ocean, and her delicate hands that aided many.
Anyways, time to ask questions. He looked up from the picture to meet Diana's eyes.
Clearing his throat he asked his questions, each waiting a few second in between for Queen Diana's answers.
"Where did Princess Julina enjoy going?"
"Who did Princess Julina enjoy visiting outside of the palace?"
"What does Princess Julina like to do?" (yes pls)
"What are her dislikes?"
"Where do you think she might go?"
~
He howled once more. Once more, he thought, the wolf would answer. One more! One m-- What was his voice doing all of a sudden? It became grouchy and rough, something that shouldn't happen - it never happened before. Maybe he was loosing his voice for a bit. He stopped what he was doing to ask the princess what the wolf's name was so he didn't loose his voice even further.
"Julina what's t--," He didn't see her anywhere. Where did she go? "Julina? Julina!"
Thanks to his voice cutting out, he couldn't yell well enough. Did she hear him? Suddenly, he began breathing harder and---
There's some blue fabric!
He decided to follow the blue fabric slipping past the trees.
~
"Where are we?" Veat asked as they got to a clearing. It was so green here, the young prince almost fell in love with the sight.
"Where are we?" Sam repeated, and chuckled. "Ohhh... We're behind that cave! Remember?"
"Oh." Veat's excitement completely vanished as he pushed Sam to the side. Yes, Veat was still clinging to him, even after the howling stopped.
The thought of building a house here came to mind, but remembering where Sam had dropped off those cubs made it completely impossible for him to do so. Never in his life would be build a house so elegant and then let it be trashed by cubs and bears and wolves...
...Are there lions and tigers in this forest, too?!
 
Diana tried her best to answer all the questions that Kanei asked her.
"Where did Princess Julina enjoy going?" was his first question. Well, this one was easy.
"Well, she always begged for us to take her to Redwood Forest, which is just down the path out of the village to the east," she replied.
The second question was "Who did Princess Julina enjoy visiting outside of the palace?" This one wasn't so easy. Julina didn't seem to have much of a life outside of the palace, except for relatives in other kingdoms.
"I don't think she really knew anybody outside of the palace, except relatives from other kingdoms."
"What does Princess Julina like to do?" Prince Kanei asked.
"Well, she enjoys... I'm actually not that sure... anything I did with her she didn't seem to like for some reason," Diana answered. This was true, Julina pretty much hated any activity her grandmother forced her to do.
"What are her dislikes?"
Dislikes? Well, that's easy! "She hates pink, anything girly and pretty much everything I like."
"Where do you think she might go?" was Kanei's last question.
"Hmm... my best bet would be Redwood Forest, or maybe the desert? I'm not to sure... Redwood Forest actually seems quite obvious, so she's probably not there," she explained, "Perhaps you could try the desert? I believe Veat went to the forest..."

~

As she ran, Julina didn't notice her dress was ripped. At least, not until she reached her destination. To be honest, the princess didn't care that her beautiful, blue gown had been ripped. All the more reason for her to change. You see, when Princess Julina first received the dress, she did some- alterations. The back was laced up, and she didn't like it that way, so she undid the lacing and sowed it together instead. This made it tighter, but much more comfortable. However, this is not the bit I'm talking about. Underneath the skirt on the piece of fabric, she sowed on a pair of blue leggings. The only reason she did this was because covering her legs was much more comfortable than going bare-legged, but now she saw another use for them. If she could un-attach the skirt from the top somehow, she would be left with an all-in-one suit.

So, when Julina got behind the trees, she set of to work, un-attaching the skirt from the top. Being bad at sowing, this was fairly easy because the thread was loose. In a matter of 30 seconds, she had the skirt off, and was left in an all-in-one suit. Smiling at her handiwork, she started to walk back towards the bush, leaving the skirt behind. On her way, she bumped into Gitko.
"Oh, hey Gitko!"
 
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Kanei tried to form all of this information into something that would help him retrieve the princess. Truly, only about two to three things really appealed to him. At first, he wanted to try Redwood forest, but another prince they had spoken about had already chosen that direction - east. By what he could tell, if a forest was in the east, the desert Diana mentioned must be in the west!
However, he couldn't possibly be sure. That brought up two questions of mind. Maybe he could answer both of them with only one inquiry.
Kanei had been slouching, since he always did that when he was thinking. When he sat up straight and smiled, he asked, "Do you have a map? I'm rather new to these areas. Honestly, I have no idea where some of these kingdoms and landmarks are!"
He chuckled a bit, scratching his head nervously.

As Kanei waited, he realized his sister was just like Julina! She hated pink as well and, well, most things that girly girls would like. She mingled with the boys and always begged them to take her on an adventure if they were going somewhere. She'd come back with game and other animals he'd hadn't seen before. She was always covered in dirt, and their parents always scolded her for it.

~

Gitko was all afraid about the life of Julina. He couldn't find her. He was looking everywhere.
His feet were aching him, so he'd been walking. Gitko thought it was safe to walk since, well, he didn't hear any pained cries. It meant she was safe - to him. However, Gitko had been shaking with fear. The only living soul in this forest that had met him and could actually talk back to him was gone, and now he'd have to revert to the Wild Boy in the Forest. He was panting, with eyes wide and his shoulder tense, he honestly almost gave up.
Suddenly, he was pushed to the side.
All fear subdued right in that moment and was replaced with his warrior spirit. He jumped back about two feet, stared at what had bumped into him for a second, then exhaled.
"You s--" Gitko forgot that he lost his voice a moment ago. He wasn't going to worry her with his silly conditions, because this happened quite a lot. Instead, he just waved and smiled.
 
"A map... yes, we do I believe..." Diana replied.
Who to ask? Three possible people: Alisha, Agatha and John. Alisha and Agatha were sat at the table, listening closely. Alisha had a huge smile plastered across her face, while Agatha looked as if she didn't want to be there. John was still making the tea (he's very slow).
"Agatha, would you go get a map," she ordered.
"Yes, your majesty," Agatha replied, now smiling. She stood up and skipped out the room. John, who was know finished with the tea, placed a cup in front of Diana, Alisha, Kanei and Agatha's chair, before going back and picking up his cup.
"Thanks, John."

~

Julina looked at Gitko. He looked startled, however, Julina wasn't surprised. She had obviously scared him as she came round the corner, but no matter.
"I'm sorry if I frightened you," the princess apologized.

~

Howling in victory, Huddli rushed back out of the bush. He had found it! He had found that annoying kingfisher! Now, he could return to his pack. Smiling, he thought about the amazing welcome he would get when he got home; he would be welcomed as a hero. The bird was being held by Huddli's teeth, blood spurting out everywhere. Perhaps he should find a better way to transport the bird? He can sort that out when he finds Blue, the girl who gave him his new name, Huddli. That is, if he finds her...
 
((Huddli, you better have heard dem howls. WE'VE BEEN CALLING FOR YOU. AAHG. ))
Kanei watched as Diana decided who to leave to get the map. She chose Agatha, who had looked like she wanted to be absent from this room. Alisha... was kind of creeping him out. He didn't think anyone would be as excited about their job as her. That, or Alisha has trouble communicating her feelings and hides it under a smile. He could only deduct that since, well, she didn't seem to be troubled by this mess.
John had brought tea without him even asking for it. Kanei wasn't a big fan of tea, but he still drank it on occasion. "Thank you, John." Kanei praised the butler for his amazing work. When he put the cup up to his mouth, tipped it back and drank it, it felt as if he were in bliss...
... but he didn't let that show.
~
Gitko told her through gestures that it was fine. This sudden silence of him was unusual, so it was about time to tell her what had happened to him. Clearing his throat, he quietly said in a whisper, "I kinda lost my voice. Do you think you could tell me the name of that wolf so I won't have to, y'know, howl?" Then, he realized she might be concerned about it. "Ah, this happens all the time, too, so don't worry about it."
Now he could relax.
~
"C'mon, Veat, stop dilly dallyin'." Sam called, staring back at Veat as the young prince pulled himself up the hill. His legs were failing him for some unknown reason. Traveling for two days on foot did not do well for someone who barely exercises his legs daily.
"Shut up!" yelled Veat. "I'm coming, okay?"
Sam sneered, getting a cruel idea on his face. Sam turned around and started running.
"Where are you going?" asked Veat, getting frightened.
"There's a bear behind you! Hurry!" Sam cried falsely.
"W-What?!?!" Veat's firepower suddenly sparked as he ran up the hill and ran by Sam's side.
Sam laughed. "There was no bear. I love how ya get scared. C'mon, be a man!"
 
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A couple of minutes later, Agatha returned with a map. Without saying a word, she placed it in front of the prince, then went back to her seat. Seeing the tea was there, she picked up the cup and took a sip. Tea was her favourite hot beverage by far, and she was extremely glad hat it was ready. Alisha came over to Kanei, wishing to help.

"Ok, so we are here," she said, pointing to a circle in the middle of the map. She ran her figure right across the map until it came to a bunch of trees. "Redwood Forest is here." She took her finger off the map and placed it back onto the kingdom. She ran her figure across the map again, left this time. "This is the desert." Whether or not the prince actually needed help, Alisha didn't know, but, whatever the case, she wanted to help somehow.

~

Julina felt abit guilty that he had lost his voice. If anything, it was her fault for not telling him the name of the wolf cub. She should have told Gitko before hand. Then at least he might not have lost his voice. Still, this was no time for that sort of stuff.
"Ah, his name is Huddli," she finally told her companion.

~

Huddli cam back to the clearing. Looking around, he couldn't see Blue or Sharp-stick, the boy who was with Blue. He howled, hoping they would come to get him.

~

Princess Julina heard a howl in the distance. "Do you think that was Huddli?" she asked Gitko. Hopefully, it was. At least then they had a clue as to where he was.
 
Kanei smiled at Agatha to show thanks for getting a map for him. It seemed she didn't notice his gratitude since she immediately went back to her seat. Then, Alisha came to help him. Kanei pulled up his chair and examined the map closely. He was right - the desert was in the east. Beyond the Redwood Forest looked like Mountains, so that wold be a boundary for anyone to get over. The desert was also a boundary, yet it was a harder one to cross. It seemed as if you needed 30 jugs of water on that trip, hoping that each would stay cold so you cold cool down. He wasn't going to ask for that though. When he's released from the palace, he'll buy some for his horse and himself.
"Alright. Thank you, Alisha! Could you possibly tell me the surrounding kingdoms, too? I think I'm asking for too much, so that's my last request for now."
I also think I'm overstaying my welcome.

~

"Huddli, that's his name."
Sudden, a howl came from a distance. Julina had asked him if he thought it was the young wolf. Gitko nodded.
"I'll call his name one more time. Let's hope he comes back!"
Taking in a deep breath, he yelled, "Huddli!" through the trees. It echoed once, and then he couldn't hear his voice anymore. There was too many items that were too close to him, as well as rough. It wouldn't echo well anyways. Crossing his arms, he'd thought they should just wait.
 
"I'd love to," she said, smiling. Alisha pointed to the closest kingdom to theirs. "This is Kingsley, and this here is Draki," she explained, pointing at the second closest to the kingdom. She moved her finger to the next kingdom, and stated, "This is Julliard." She then moved her finger to beyond the forest, near the mountains. "I believe this is your kingdom, am I correct?" she asked.

~

Huddli heard someone shout his name. It was quiet, but the cub had quite a good sense of hearing. He recognized it to be Sharpstick's voice, but it was fainter than usual. Looking around one more time, he decided it was best to follow the sound. Howling back, he started to run towards the sound, hoping he will find Blue.

~

Julina heard yet another howl. "Let's just hope it's Huddli, and not some other wolf..." She waited for Gitko's response before looking around. For some reason, the princess had forgotten which way she had come from. Also, she didn't know what way Huddli would come from. If he comes, that it. A couple of moments later, the young cub arrived with a dead bird in his teeth. "There you are Huddli, I've been worried sick!" Princess Julina exclaimed, "Wait, what's that in your mouth..."
 
(( Lets say there's a kingdom in front of his. Kanei doesn't know about the mountains too well. hueaheh.
BUT ITS NEAR SO ITS OKAY.))

"Ah, yes. It is." Kanei replied. Then he looked up Alisha. "You sure know your kingdoms! Sadly, I don't, but I hope to learn!"
He stared down at the map for a moment and internalized it. He was quick to memorize photos, not words or videos. He pushed the map to the center of the table to show he didn't need it anymore. As he arose from the chair, he smiled.
"Thank you for your time. I'll try my best to find your daughter. I appreciated all of your help. Now, if I could take my leave."

He somehow found his way through the palace, exiting the way he came in. He mounted his horse that when it saw him, became excited and wanted to jump for joy. "C'mon, we're going to get some water before we set off in the desert, okay?"

~

Huddli finally came back. Gitko's voice was shot and no way would he be able to yell anymore today. He gave the young wolf a small smile before looking up at the sky. It was getting dark. The two things he hated most was the night and the rain. He looked back down at the young wolf and saw a bird in its mouth. "Woah, there, Huddli. You caught a bird? Cool!"
Then, he turned to Julina and said, "It's getting pretty dark. The people pursuing you wont be able to survive the night. Or they might, but they won't be able to see.We might as well find some shelter."
 
When he put the map back on the table, Agatha arose and picked up the map. She was about to say 'Will you not need this?', but it was too late. Kanei left the room, beginning his search for Julina. She went to sit back down, but was stopped by Alisha. "Come with me," her sister whispered to her, as she started to walk out the room. Confused but intrigued, Agatha followed Alisha out of the room, after giving Diana a look which seemed to say We'll be right back...

"I have a plan," Alisha said.
"What do you mean?" Agatha asked, desperate to know everything.
Alisha gave her a sad look. "You don't understand, do you?"
Agatha frowned. What on Earth could she be talking about? "I'm sorry, I don't."
"I've got an idea to help find Julina." Agatha looked into her eyes. Any one who knew her could tell she was being serious, because she was looking straight into Agatha's eyes. The maid of few words motioned for her sister to continue. "You see, she told me a story about her adventures in the woods as a child. The princess said that she meet a man called Finn, who lived deep within the forest by a lake. I'll bet she's gone to him," Alisha explained.

~

"Yes, that's a good idea," Princess Julina agreed with Gitko. It was getting dark, much darker than what it was out in the open. The trees were blocking out the tiny bit of light they had, and it was getting darker by the second. "You know the forest better than me, right?" Of course she was right! "Where is the best place for shelter?" she asked.
 
(( lol if veat finds julina first, they're gonna have to look for jimm- i mean kanei afterwards. l0l0l0l
anyways
this is Crystal Kalina (wow normal name for once driver, GOOD JOB)
She's the daughter of the stable owner n stuff
She's bold and daring. About All I can say about her cus
that's what she is.
-also im tired- ))

Kanei looked up at the sky as it began to darken quicker than expected. Instead of going to the market to buy supplies, he searched for an inn or stable to stay in. About two turned him down, even though they didn't know who he was. Kanei wasn't the kind of prince to force people to do his way, no no. It was their choice after all. One person was full, and the last person had only one spot left. He wasn't about to fill someone else's spot, or else they'd have to go looking around for shelter just like him. Quietly, he went on his way.

~

Crystal was vigorously waving the broom around, swatting at all the rats that kept sneaking into the stable.
"Get away you darn rats! You keep comin' in here and I'll get Plum to eat you all up!"
By the sound of her name, Plum the cat came walking in searching for mice to hunt down. Looking around, it hadn't see any mice yet, so it went back to go spend time with Crystal's mom. "Sorry Plum!"
The stable was a small building her father built for her to play in as a child. Ever since Crystal grew up, the stable has gone unused. Sometimes travelers needed to rest for a few minutes before continuing on their journey, but that was it.
Crystal saw a figure in the distance. It held onto a large animal while it slowly walked upon the ground. It was too hazy to see who it was. It wasn't like she'd know them anyways. Squinting, she saw a boy splattered in white and red (okay, clothes, eyes, hair, etc, ye). He was yawning a few times and he couldn't stop them. As he looked up, his face became brighter.

"Excuse me...," he called out, his voice trailing off. "Do you think I could stay here for the night?"
Crystal blinked rapidly. Who was this? This was the first time anyone wanted to stay here!
"Oh uh, where'd you like to stay? Here in the house, the stable... outside?" Well, atleast she tried her best.
"Somewhere where I don't disturb you."
Crystal went silent. She paused, the nodded. "You can stay in this stable if you'd like. I'll take your horse for you." She led the horse to the barn with all of the other horses, and placed it in a temporary space.
When she came back, she had brought a few blankets and a pillow. Crystal discovered the young traveler leaning against the wall... sleeping. She didn't feel like waking him up, but she had to get him in his temporary bed. She held the pillow above her head, and threw it in the boy's face. "Wake up!"
"Ahh!" he cried as he suddenly awoke, catching himself from falling flat on his face! "Ah, sorry. I'll set up my bed. I'll be out of here by tomorrow."
Crystal nodded as she threw him the blankets.

As he was setting, she turned to ask him, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the desert."
She jumped back in surprise. "Why? Nobody ever survives out there!"
"That's probably because they were unprepared," he replied as he pat his masterpiece bed when he finished. "I'm going to go find your princess, Julina."
Crystal gasped. "I heard some rumors, but I didn't know it was true!" Suddenly, she leaned in, smiling. "You think I could help you?"
The boy quickly flinched back. "Y-Yeah, if you guardians let you. I'll make sure I get you home safe too."
Crystal nodded happily before racing back into her house.

~

Gitko had built himself a house made of logs. Occasionally, he would sneak tools from the kingdom back into the forest and use it to build his cabin. It wasn't much since it wasn't exactly invincible to the elements, but he made sure nothing could get in it without his consent.
"Yeah... I know a place...," he replied, looking around for landmarks he recognized. There was a large rock about 20 yards away. It was hard to see, but it still managed to peak through the crevices the trees had made. That meant they weren't too far from his house.
"I know where we are," Gitko assured her, giving her a small smile. "Lets go!"
He led her down about a few 100 yards before they came across his home. Unlocking the door, he welcomed her in.

For some kid that lived in a forest, he was pretty neat and organized. He did wash his blankets and sheets whenever he could - which was today before he met Julina.
"You can sleep here." Gitko pointed to an old bed refurnished with red paint on the head and foot boards. As (I) already mentioned, the blankets seemed new because they were washed, so this was a pretty clean bed.
And since he was welcoming the little wolf in, he found some furs that he'd made a while back and transformed it into a bed. Gitko was actually pretty happy about his work.
"I'll sleep on the floor. It doesn't bother me at all, if you wanted to know."
 
((ok, I feel like joining you in the desert so I'll make another NCP!

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Name: Rolinka Droget
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Rolinka (Roll for short) has lived in the desert since he was 16. He was born in a tribe of water mages, but he betrayed them. You see, long ago, there was a drought. Everybody needed water, and the water mages were the only people who could help. Roll, however, refused to help, and was then abandoned from the tribe. He was banned from using water magic, so they sent him to a desert where there was known. A desert mage lead a curse on him that never allowed him to leave the desert, so he was stuck there until death. ))

Agatha stared Alisha in the eye; she stared back.
"Are you saying we-"
"Yes."
And so they did. The two sisters turned around and walked back into the hall. Diana looked at them, as if she was trying to work out what they were up to, but failing.
"What is it, then?" she asked.
Alisha stepped forwards and spoke. "Me and my sister wish to go looking for Julina."
Diana stared at them, flabbergasted. "Oh no! It's too dangerous for two kids like you!"
Agatha shoulders dropped. "We're not kids anymore!" she complained, before calming down again, "Please, we have a plan..."

The next morning, the two maids left the palace. Diana had let them go looking for the princess, despite not hearing the plan. They had packed a change of clothes, abit of food and a few weapons, just in case they needed it. Agatha and Alisha walked down the path towards the forest, only a different one to usual. They were taking the 'back route', a path that lead them straight to the lake. If anything, it was a short cut.

~

The room was pretty tidy, which was a surprise for Julina. Who would have known a boy like himself could have been to neat? Still, she was in the forest, it didn't matter. Strange things happened in the forest, things that you'd never think would happen. She thanked Gitko for letting her sleep and the bed, and laid down, smiling.
"Thank you, for everything," she said polity, before drifting off to sleep...

The next morning, she was awoken by the birds singing. 'Twas a beautiful sound, but the princess wasn't used to this. She was used to hearing the chime of the clock when she woke up, and this sort of comforted her. Unfortunately, there was no 'bong' or 'ding' in the woods, instead there was a 'chirp' and a 'cheep' of the birds. She rolled over on her side to see if Gitko was awake.

~

Rolinka woke up with the sunlight in his eyes. It was never like this near the lake, but that was a matter of the past. No more lake for him, just eternal sand. Sighing, he got up, rubbing his eyes. The desert was always so hot, so he had never wore a coat or the like. Not even at night, when it was extremely cold. He had just got used to the weather change, so he didn't feel hot in the day or cold at night.
 
(honestly i forgot veat 'n sam there at night.
lets say they roomed with those cubs)
Veat had somehow passed out during their trip down that clearing, and when he woke up, he found himself elsewhere, somewhere dark. The only bit of light was down what looked like a distorted hallway. There was something squishing his cheek, something soft. When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw a fuzzy brown figure, smiling down at him with its sharp white teeth.
"AAH!" Veat yelled, finally knowing what this creature was. As fast as lightning, Veat scooted back away from the cub. His hand pressed down on something larger than his hand. It was rough with a few openings. When he looked down, he saw a hand still in its flesh. Slowly, he trailed his vision up and saw Sam, laying dead.
"No... no no! This can't be happening!"
Veat scrambled up to the ground, examined Sam for a second, then turned to the cubs.
"You did this! You took my only guide from me! How am I supposed to get out of this forest and not to mention find Julina?!" Veat paused for a second. "Julina..."
The prince's expression turned into something he's never shone anyone before. He then and there expressed his grief and hopelessness to the cubs as he looks down with a pained expression, almost as if he were going to cry.
"I'm never going to find her..."

"Don't give up hope, boy!" said the same annoying voice Sam owned. The prince looked up and smiled, almost wanting to hug him. Veat was getting a little to clingly, Veat already knew that. Instead he calmed down and nodded.

~

Gitko was actually a deep sleeper. Although he wasn't a wild sleeper, it was hard to wake him up. Nightmares were truly the only remedy that Gitko relied on to wake up. Right now, he was having one.
Sweat poured down the boy's face as his fists started to curl up and his face twisted with seeming pain. (it isn't pain. lol) Suddenly, the nightmare ended, and his eyes flashed open wide. Gitko sighed out of relief as the dream was over. As he turned his head, he saw the Princess probably just witnessed him reacting to that nightmare. He swallowed down hard and gave her a smile. "D-Did you just see that? Didn't mean to alarm you! Uh... I'm fine!"
He let out a nervous laugh before standing up and picking his blankets and pillow off of the floor. There was a corner for the dirty items, so he just thre it in there to be washed later.
Gitko then stretched. He usually hunted his breakfast or got some from the market in the kingdom. He didn't know what Julina would like, but he wouldn't ask since she probably didn't like either of those options. So, he asked, "What should we do for breakfast?"

~

Kanei arose to Crystal shaking him out of bed.
"Kanei! Hurry! Mum's coming and I don't know what she'll do!"
Kanei fell out of bed, but landed on his feet by sheer luck right when her mother peeked in.
"So is this tha feller?" the woman asked. "Yer boyfriend?"
Crystal frowned and vigorusly shook her head. "No!" she screamed.
Her mom laughed, then quickly calmed down. "Crystal says she wants ta go wit' ya to de desert. Was wantin' ta see who she was goin' wit." She leaned in, smiling. "Ya seem like a nice young man! Alright, I'll let ya guys go!"
"Thank you!" Kanei smiled.

(derp a derp a TIME LAAAAPSE! )

Kanei and Crystal were very tired from their walk from the kingdom to the desert. They'd brought two more horses, one for mounting and one for carrying some of the supplies. Kanei's horse carried some supplies to as well as Kanei himself. Crystal brought a few changes of clothes for them both so they didn't overheat in the desert and freeze in other countries. They would need to stop for the horses to drink, but there was no oasis in sight!
As the horses' trotting became slower, Kanei perked up when he saw an oasis (lake) in sight! Yet, he also found a figure of a human wandering around in the hot sand.
"Hello!" Kanei approached the male. "We are travelers going to the nearest nation from here! Would you let us and our horses take a drink from this here water?"
It was hard to think in the heat, Kanei had never been in such conditions like these. His brain wasn't thinking straight, he was actually surprised he could even form such a sentence that made sense!
 
As the twins walked, they laughed and joked around. Sure, they knew the journey was going to be dangerous and there was a chance of death, but keeping a happy atmosphere always helped them get through the pain of knowing. The princess would surely be on her way here, if not already there. Agatha looked at Alisha. Alisha looked back. They smiled.

~

Julina smiled at the sudden awakening. She listened as Gitko apologized for maybe alarming her -he didn't alarm her in anyway. However, she didn't tell him this. She just stared at him, smiling. "What should we do for breakfast?" he asked. The princess hadn't thought about this. She was in the forest, and didn't know where to get food from. Before, when she was on her way to the forest, she had a bag of bread with her, but now that was gone. "Erm... what do you usually do for breakfast around here?" she questioned, hoping to learn something about forest survival.

~

Rolinka watched a man and a girl approach him with two horses. He immediately thought they had a death wish - nobody ever survived the desert. Unless, of course, that person had a curse which forced him to stay in the desert (he couldn't help that, could he?). "Hello! We are travelers going to the nearest nation from here! Would you let us and our horses take a drink from this here water?" the man asked. Rolinka sighed. "I'm afraid what your seeing is a mirage, there is no water in this desert," the mage explained. Not that he wanted to crush the poor mans dreams, or anything like that.

(Oh, and BTW sorry for taking so long on a short reply! My laptop has been playing up, so I've only been able to get on today)
 
"Well..."
Gitko scratched his head, laughed a bit, and returned to thinking.
"I usually hunt for my food. Animals, I mean. Sometimes I sneak into th--,"
He'd better not tell her that.
"I mean I sneak into other territories within the forest, and steal berries! Maybe I coulg get some berries for you? It won't take too long."
Gitko usually found the ripest of berries to consume. They were so sweet, it made his tongue jump for joy. Surely she'd enjoy his likes too! Maybe not hunting and killing innocent animals for the most part, and stealing from her own kingdom, but maybe they had something in common they could share together.
Gitko headed for the door, turning back to give her a fairwell for now, but I'll be back in a bit smile. "Take care of yourself here for a few minutes, alright?" He asked before starting out of the door.

~

Kanei was surprised to hear that he was imagining things. He swallowed down hard, trying to dismiss the fact that... there was no water here. If there wasn't, then how was this guy...
"Surely you're mistaken, there is wate--"
Crystal grabbed Kanei's shoulder and shook him vigorusly. "Wake up, daydreamer! Heat must be gettin' to your head."
Kanei blinked a few times, the mirage soon dissolved into the sand. Kanei sighed with disappointment. How were they going to survive?
Maybe they could ask this man for help.
"S-So sorry for disturbing you."
I can't believe I just stuttered! Dang it, Kanei, at least try and be cool! He thought.
"But if it isn't too much to ask... Could you accompany us on this journey?" Kanei begged. "We're looking for a princess from the kingdom!" He pointed the way they had just came. "And... they said she might've came here or went to another kingdom..."

(don't worry, my brain is dying from heat
BROS KANEI WOOW)
 
Julina was pleased to hear about the berries. She didn't really mind killing animals for food - she ate animals alot in the palace - but berries sounded good. She nodded and smiled as Gitko left the shelter to get food. As soon as he left, the smile disappeared. What was she going to do now? This wasn't her house, so she couldn't just do whatever. All she could think of was to maybe go outside and play with Huddli...

~

C'mon Blue! I want to play! Huddli was getting restless. He jumped up onto Blue's lap and howled. The wolf saw the girl smile, and she started to stroke him gently. It felt wonderful - he could let her do this all day. She then picked him up and wrapped her arms around him. What is she doing? Huddli asked himself, Is it a sign of love? Surely it's a sign of love... Not knowing what else to do, the cub licked his master, which was his way of kissing.

~

"Sure, I'll accompany you on your quest," he said, sounding rather posh, "However, I can only go to the edge of the desert, not beyond." This, of course, was because of the curse. He couldn't possibly go beyond the desert, because his curse wouldn't allow him. Whether or not they would ask, he didn't know. What he did know is answering probably wasn't the best way to go about.
 
(Sorry I didn't get to this! Distracted by collabs with three people and other items of business. I will pay more attention. -_-
also I found an ant. I named him Bob before pitching him out the window. )

Before he had left completely from his home, he grabbed his spear, a basket made out of twigs and a jug he stole from one of the villagers. Then, he went on his way.

Gitko remembered the routes he'd taken once before a few years ago. The directions he remembered proved to be no use to him since the landscape changed just a bit. The dirt path had been covered over with a few trees and blotches of grass. There's been new animals roaming around in the areas, but they seemed harmless to him. As he made his way down the path, he stopped in front of a tree where the path had split. Debating which way to go, he decided to go right, mainly because he could hear water from there. Gitko could gather some of the water for drinks. Nobody could survive without water.

As he gathered water and some berries, he heard grunting from behind him. As he abruptly turned around, he saw a mother bear with her four cubs. Gitko knew the mother must have been looking for food for her babies... but it certainly wouldn't be him. Quickly, he bolted out of the area, trying to find his way back home.

~

Kanei was puzzled as to why his newly found friend couldn't exit the desert. He wasn't to ask, but Crystal was giving him a look like he should be asking. She was a curious one... so she could ask him the question herself. Kanei wasn't about to dive into someone else's background and history - he didn't have the time for that. He needed to find Julina - and quick.
"Thanks! I look forward to your assistance." Kanei replied, holding out his hand for a handshake. "My name's Kanei Saidu and that's Crysta--"
"My name's Crystal Kalina!"
"Right...Well, we and our horses are dying for some water, or anything really to cool off. Do you know if there's anything like th--"
Crystal butted in again. "Why can't ya leave the desert?"
Kanei turned his head and glared at her as if he wanted her to be quiet. Crystal kept smiling nervously in response.
 
((that's fine. Hey! You changed your username and profile pic!
Nobody could survive without water.
He obviously hasn't meet Rolinka lol))

Julina waited for Gitko to return. He was taking so long, and she was starting to worry. Why am I so worried? She shuffled on her spot. He knows this forest well enough to not get lost... She took Huddli outside to play. He'll be back soon... She put the wolf down on the floor. Just a few more minutes... She picked up a stick and threw it for the cub to fetch. He should be back just about- What was that?

~

Rolinka took Kanei's hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kanei Saidu and Crystal Kalina. I'm Rolinka Droget," he introduced. The mage looked around nervously. He hoped that they wouldn't ask about him not leaving the desert. Just as he was about to go and retrieve his staff (not that he could use it for any magic), Crystal asked. "That is a question I would rather not answer," he replied, "But if you must know, it was a curse." Hopefully she wouldn't ask the details, but if she did Rolinka could refuse to answer, right?

~

Before the forest, there was a village. The twins had decided to take a little visit there, just to get some supplies. Alisha turned to Agatha and asked, "Are you sure we should go?" Agatha just stared at her twin in confusion. "What do you mean?" she questioned. "I mean, what if that village doesn't like our kingdom? What if their the enemies?" The shy twin sighed and shook her head. "Oh, Alisha. It'll be fine..." And so the maids entered the village, looking around as they went.
 
(( Agatha and Alisha when meeting the villagers: "We're not from that there place! We're from bonanana land! It's a land from Imaginaria! ))

"A curse?" Kanei asked as he put his arm back to his side. He'd heard of curses in his homeland, but he's never seen one person with one until now. Some of the curses were that they victims of the curse had to stay in their homes forever or turn into frogs, but to be banished and cursed to be in a desert with no water or food? That's a death wish. Kanei wasn't going to ask about the details, not promising about Crystal though, although, she did look puzzled, but content with his answer. Kanei wanted to know if he could break these curses. That's something he's never heard before.
"Is there anyway the curse could break?" Kanei inquired yet again, a small smile coming across his lips. "We'd be happy to aid you since you're doing the same for us." Then he turned to Crystal, a sinister look crossing his face. Luckily, it wasn't in Rolinka's view. "Right, Crystal?"

After seeing his face, her eyes popped wide open, and she nodded vigorously. "Sure, sure!"

~

"Ah... heh... hah..."
Gitko panted as he rested by a rather large tree. He'd gotten himself lost, but no matter. If he walked around a few times, he'd probably knew where he was. So, he did. Gitko saw a few familiar landmarks, such as a large blotch of dirt, a curving tree, and a rock that twinkled like starlight. He wasn't going to stop and examine them, he needed to get these berries and water back to the house. However, he was loosing hope.
Suddenly, a bird landed on his shoulder.
"Hey, little bird! You've seen my home, right? Could you take me there?" Gitko smiled, nudging the bird's beak with his finger. The bird squacked in response and slowly flew into... a patch of scattered twigs. Needless to say, the way the bird was going was not a safe path - he'd get splinters and cuts going through there. Still, the little bird was giving it its all to direct him back to his home. He could survive a few minor gashes...

~

((lets make veat and sam meet agatha and alisha because they're lonely.))

Veat was raking through his hair to get the knots out. He and Sam had just washed up in a small pond (not the one everyone else is looking for), getting pampered for their next journey. Luckily Sam and Veat had brought a change of clothes with them. Veat had one extra pair left, while Sam just brought a hoard of clothes. Washing their old clothes, they quickly packed up and left, looking as good as new for people who never visited the forest often.

However, the two were growing tired of this search. Veat's heart was aching for his parents while Sam did actually have children to see sometime. Their hope suddenly returned when they saw smoke coming from the distance. Veat smiled at Sam and said, "That's our ticket out of this mess! That's were Julina is!"

The two raced over to where the smoke originated from, only to be disappointed because they'd came across a village, not a girl lighting a small fire to keep warm. Sam and Veat groaned as the plopped down on the dirt, exhausted.

"I thought you said she was here!" Sam cried.
"It was just my intuition! Blame it on my process of thinking!"Veat argued.
"Well, you and your brain suck. At least we didn't come across a forest fire, or else they'd blame us."
"Of course."
 
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