Worlds Away

Chapter 1 ~ Another Day

       The dawn sun poured through my window as I sat on my warm bed, soaking in the first rays of the day. I sighed when I heard a knock on my door and my voice called out in answer.

"Come in."

       I sat a little straighter when mother stepped into my view. I smiled inwardly at her frown toward me, most likely because I was dressed in a green tunic and brown leggings. I was finishing tying my soft soled fawn colored boots when she spoke up again.

"And what do you think your doing?" She procceded to glare at me because she knew what my answer would be.

"Exploring in the woods." Standing up to look at her, I waited for her response.

"Where is your companion? You know the rules Daphne. Either ask one of the Battleschool apprentices or get changed. Lady Pauline would like you for lunch today. I expect you to be there." She gave me one last hard glare, warning me that if I missed it I would go out again for a long time. Nodding I watched her leave. As soon as her echoing footsteps receded, I opened my window stopping when it squeaked and squealed painfully loud in my ears. Glancing in the hallway to make sure I was still alone, I found a thick vine of ivy and climbed down. Jumping down the last few feet I landed lightly and dashed behind a tree.

       Slinking through the maple grove I was in, I slowly made my way to where the castle Ward was. One of my friends there just lost her parents a few months ago, so I visited often. She wanted to be a Scribe, and was a wonderful writer. She was sure to get in. I smiled when I saw her trying to climb an apple tree, without success. Staying low to the ground and in the waist high grass, I stalked up to her. When I was about to tackle her I felt a tingling on the back of my neck. Someone we watching me. Glancing around in the trees for a second, I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It out of the corned of eye I saw the wind move something. Snapping me attention back Sydney I crept back to her. When I was a meter away I sprang at her, catching her on the waist and sent us tumbling down the hill.

"Daphne! What was that for? I was getting an apple!" Sydney huffed at me. I could she she was trying not to laugh though. We pranked each other all the time, ask any of the staff. They could tell you some crazy stories of us hanging upside down on bed posts, leaving a mouse in the kitchen, or the time we "accidentally" swapped all of castles sugar with salt. That was a good one. But anyway, I was jolted from my thoughts when I saw a shift in Sydney's posture. She lunged a second later and when she was nearly on me I side stepped out of the way. Her face was priceless. She was hard to evade, but I had done just that.

"Are you sure you were getting an apple or trying to get an apple?" I answered to her earlier comment. She glared daggers at me before sighing in defeat.

"So what were we doing today? Pestering the maids, or better yet, riding?" She loved to ride. Her horse was a fast little bugger that always had one last reserve of energy. He never got tired. Cal was a fun ride though.

"Neither, we're going exploring in the woods. I want to try to find the Ranger's cabin! " I answer excitedly to my stunned friend. I chuckled at her and shut her mouth. "You're going to catch flies." I said bluntly, though I couldn't get rid of the glint in my eyes. I was just to excited.

"Are you sure you don't want to die? Because if we do find it that's what we'll be, dead." She deadpanned. She was crazy superstitious about the Rangers. I didn't believe a word of it. Magic just wasn't real. And my guess was that they practiced a lot with their longbows to get such an accurate shot with them.

"None of that's true. I told you that already. So do you want to come or not?" I sighed when shook her head no.

"You're loss. See you after lunch." And with that I darted into the forest, setting my neck a tingling.

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       As I crept along the trail, I looked at the prints dug into the ground. A few horses had been on it recently and I was convinced it was the Ranger horses. Looking up again to survey my surroundings, I noticed a small bend in a stalk of grass. I smiled. No animal would have been able to do that. I scurried over to find another a few meters ahead. Slowly following the very faint trail, I soon smelled a fire and smoke. I was getting closer to my destination.

       I heard them before I saw them. The thrum of a bow and the thwak of the arrow as it hit the target a few seconds later. Smiling in triumph I creeper closer. I stopped when I heard a whinny from a horse. Staying stock still I waited. 5 minutes, 10 minutes. After about half a hour I deemed it safe to continue. I stopped again when the hairs on the back of my neck rose. Quickly spotting a tree with lots of leaves I climbed. I was about 5 meters in the air when I heard a snap. Stopping I sat and looked down. Relaxing at the false alarm I slowly lowered myself to the ground. When I got there I heard the unmistakable thrum of a bow and felt a tug at my collar. I glanced my eyes at it to see a gray shafted arrow. I quickly shifted them to where I thought was the direction it came from and was rewarded when I saw a cloaked man step out of the bushes.

"What are you doing here? And who are you?" A gruff voice asked.

"Exploring, I stumbled across your cabin by chance Ranger and my names Daphne." I replied hoping that I wouldn't have to explain more more than I had. But it seemed luck wasn't on my side today.

"Anything else you want to tell me Daphne, maybe why you 'stumbled' across me and my apprentice?" When he thought I wasn't looking I saw his gaze flicker behind me. So taking the arrow out of shirt collar and reaching down to put it in the ground I quickly slipped my dagger from my sleeve and held my hands in front of me, covering the blade.

"I know your behind me. You canm come out now. Oh and I was looking for you. I wanted to watch you practice. I've always been interested in the mysterious Rangers. So before my life is ruined by my mother making me become a Courier, I wanted to see what it would be like if I got my way of becomeing a Ranger. Seems like it doesn't matter now. " I grumbled that last part of myself but I have the feeling he heard it as well. I slipped my knife back in its sheath, concealing myself when doing this by pretending to take my hair out of my face. Though I have a feeling that whoever is behind me saw it.

      I turned around and noticed a small bush. Perfect to hide in. I grabbed a stick and tossed it at the bush. A thump accompanied it, instead of a russle from the leaves. Smiling I walked over and looked in the face of another Ranger.

"Hi, You could have come out you know." I told him sassily, hand on my hip and glaring at him. I soon dropped my gaze when his unnerving black eyes stayed dark and cold, though a glint of something was present, amusement and surprise maybe? But why would he be amused and surprised at me? I didn't do much. I was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. I sighed and turned to face the first Ranger. "Yes?" I asked sweetly.

"Who are your parents Daphne?" He asked sternly.

"Madam Melissa and Sir Mathew Cooper." He nodded his head. He had met them when he was at the castle a few days prior. He had seen Melissa shoo over a stable hand while she held a knights horse, which was probably Mathew based on the fact that he had kissed her good bye before mounting and leaving the courtyard.

"Come, follow me. You want to know what its like to be a Ranger?" And with that I followed after him.

I hope you enjoyed! I'm updating my other books as well and as fast as I can. We are moving at the moment and I don't have much free time.