Erin

Chapter 03-Along The Way

Attention: To all my readers, this is not yet the main story. This is the story of the main character's mother and father. I will and definitely will tell you when the main story begins. You'll know. :)

Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

Illya's POV

I gotta hurry. I need to take a spot in the market or else my bountiful hunter skills will go to waste.

Chos. Joke only.

Kidding aside, if I don't run now I would not be able to take a place in the market and this most prized possession, which is the deer and the hog and the turkey, I have will go to waste not if I eat it.

You see after my magnificent one-shoot only scene with the deer, I had to go home to check on my father and also to drop off some things.

Now I'm running madly so I would not get late.

I'm almost near to the market. My friends will tease me again if I get late.

I learned hunting from my grandfather when I was a kid. Hunting was a source of livelihood in the Brave Kingdom. Aside from that, there are hunting expeditions to the wild forests every week. One day, my grandfather brought me with him to one of those expeditions. It was thrilling not in the way that we kill the animals but on how the parties move stealthily through the maze of the forest so as not to alert our prey.

It is even fascinating and I often wonder how on earth we get home. You see, the wild forests that is in the Brave Kingdom is not the typical normal wild forests that you have. Ours has a magic in them that the trails that you leave behind will never be found again. The only way that you can reach home would be to look up the trees and find that specific leaf that will guide you to home.

Sounds crazy right?

Actually it is not. You'll be in trouble when you can't find that leaf up on the trees. You'd get stuck in the forest and take note that even if you are brave and smart if you're alone and you get lost in the forest, you'll never get out alive.

That happened to my grandfather. It is a sad story really. He was smart and brave and he was called as one of the best hunters of the kingdom. But one night, as all of Brave Kingdom was fast asleep, he left the comfort of our home and went to the forest. He never came back.

It was heart breaking. But life has to move on-- we must move on. I hope that he has found peace.

It was also not easy for the kingdom to say goodbye to my grandfather not that we know if he's alive or not in this life anymore. There were search parties everywhere looking for him. But it was all in vain. My father asked the King for him to stop looking. The King was sad. After all, grandfather was his trusted friend.

Now, my father is all that I have left. He is sickly now and he cannot carry bundles of wood just like he used to. I am the breadwinner of this little family of ours. If he leaves me, I have me that is all that is left.

"Illya!"

Wait.

Someone just called me.

Or is it just my wild imagination.

There must be something wrong with my ears or my head perhaps.

"Illya!"

I turned my head to the sound of the voice.

"Hey Atasha!"

Atasha is my friend for so long. We've been friends since we were 13. She was beautiful and smart. Her father is a merchant and her mother sells jewelry. They are rich but that did not stop us from becoming friends.

We became friends when one day a group of boys bullied Atasha. She was crying and they teased her that she was ugly. That was horrible for her. She did not bloom yet that time. It may be fate that I was walking by. I don't like to see a girl bullied especially by boys. When I stepped in, I don't know why but the boys all ran away. Hahaha scaredy cats!

Since then we were inseparable but a year ago, she became busy with their business. We rarely get to see each other and if we did, it would only take a few minutes. Just like now...

"Illya, I miss you so much!"

Atasha hugged me and I hugged her back.

"It's been so long Atasha. What have you been doing nowadays?" I asked.

"Still busy with dad's business. I cannot even leave it unattended especially when the ball is coming up."

Huh? Ball?

"What Ball?" I asked.

"What?! You don't know about Prince Phillip's coming out ball?!" She shouted to my ears.

Ouch. This girl is making me deaf.

"You poor,sad girl.."

Double ouch. This girl never learns to shut her mouth.

"Anyway, everyone is invited to the ball. I'm so excited! The King and Queen wants Phillip to choose his princess on that ball. Kyaaa!" Atasha screamed.

Oh before I forget, Atasha is close with Prince Phillip. Like super close that she no longer calls him Prince.

I don't know why but I shivered. It must be that I'm officially running late.

"So Illya you have to be there! I'll be sad if you won't be there." She pouted.

"But you know that I don't have a thing for those." I argued.

"Well you have to be there. Everyone is required to come especially the women. No buts. Your father will definitely tell you to go." Atasha said.

"Fine fine." I gave up.

"Yey! Oh look at the time. I have to go. Bye Illya see you at the Ball!" She waved to me and got lost to my sight.

This girl. I never win.

Oh my! To the market I shall go.