The Eye of Edelle

Chapter 1: "Princess"

The wind blew in the morning of summer. A girl with blonde hair was feeling the wind on the balcony of an inn. She was also enjoying the sun rising before her. She was smiling to herself and inhaled deeply just savoring the moment.

"Alice, you're early." A fit old man with a deep scar on his face said. He had just came back from the innkeeper to find his daughter on the balcony.

"I was just waiting for Ruben to come back, Papa." Alice turned to her father. " I know you sent him away to send a letter that you wrote last night." Alice said with a sweet smile.

"Ah, well my brother always wanted know my adventures so I got to send him a letter about our recent quests." The old man replied. They both got quiet watching the sunrise and feeling the breeze. Suddenly, they could hear chattering from below.

"Now, now, more people are going to be awake soon. You should be wearing that eyepatch before anyone from below sees you." The old man said. Alice took her eyepatch from the pocket of her leather shorts and put it on. The innkeeper came in, "Mister Henry Tymoss, Miss Alice, the breakfast you asked for is ready now."

"Okay sure, we'll get down there." Henry answered. A hawk came and landed on Alice's shoulder, "Ruben! Just in time, we are about to get breakfast." They packed up their bags after eating and went on to their next destination.

While Henry was looking at his map, Alice was just thinking about her birthday coming up. Every year, it had always been the same. They hunt for the most gamey game that they could find, and feast on it until they get stuffed. It seemed that on her 18th birthday that it would be different.

"Papa, I can't wait till I'm 18... I can finally get rid of this stupid eyepatch. My birthday is around the corner so I am sure that I can see with my two eyes." Alice said cheerfully as they were walking.

Alice had been covering her left eye since she was very little. Henry told her that she shouldn't reveal her left eye because it was important that no one knows her gold eye. She asked why she had such an eye or why she needed to cover it to her father but he wouldn't say a reason; he just said he will tell her when she's 18. Alice still covered her eye even though she didn't know the reason why she needed to.

They would lie that Alice had an accident when she was training to use a magic bow when people ask why she had an eyepatch. People believed them and they stuck to that lie for years. Henry trained her to use a magic bow when she was seven so she can help him with his quests, though he was more adept with the sword. Alice also knows a bit of healing magic because she got a book of basic healing spells from a client they had from a certain quest. She and her father had been traveling together for as long that she could remember. Doing quests and battling weird animals with red and black eyes together. They were inseparable.

"So, Papa, where are we going this time?" Alice asked. Henry then looked at her with a sad face. "Well, we are going to Brindam for your birthday." Henry answered.

"Brindam? But that's the other side of the continent. It'll take us a week to get there by foot, and you're planning to get there by my birthday which is in three days." Alice protested with a brow up.

"Oh, don't worry. Your old man got that covered." Henry looked at his daughter with a smirk. "You see I saved up some gold to get a carriage taking us there."

"A carriage? But Papa, we can celebrate my birthday like we always do every year, hunt some meat, gather some vegetables and berries, cook 'em up, and have a feast. You don't have to spend a lot for my 18th birthday."

"No, no, on your 18th birthday, it's special. Not just because you are coming of age... it's more than that." As he looked at Alice's eyes, he could still see the gold eye even if it's covered. "It is quite important for me that you go there. You need to get there at any cost."