Caspian Quillsnake

Chapter 1: Rella

"We've got the girl."

"Congratulations. What do you want, a thousand gold pieces?"

All I hear is voices. My little four year old hands fidget nervously.

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Of course."

I'm too scared to think straight. I can't speak.

"They'll come for you," I tell myself, whispering it in my mind, "everything's gonna be okay."

Giant hands land on my shoulders, and I jump. A hearty laugh fills my head, but I don't like the way it sounds. It sounds mean.

"Remove her blindfold. Poor girl is scared enough as is."

In a flash, a new world falls into place. It's almost as dark as my blindfold. There's four men around me, one sitting atop a throne, the other three standing behind me.

"What do we do with her now?" The one on my left asks. He looks mean, too.

"Yeah, we're about to have all of Yna breathing down our necks if we don't do something soon." The man on my right doesn't look too friendly either.

"Chandler, Dominik, relax." The man on the throne moves to a more casual position. "You think I chose a random date to take her? The Queen is about to have another child. They'll be too engrossed in that one to worry about a little girl."

"Yes, my Lord, we know."

"Then take her upstairs while we discuss the ransom."

Chandler nods, then lifts me up. I'm too confused to fight back.

I'm taken three flights up, into a room full of other children my age or slightly older. They all stop what they're doing to look at me as Chandler drops me to the floor.

Once he's gone, a sandy-haired boy comes rushing to help me up. "Are you okay?" He looks about six.

I shake my head no.

"I know it's scary right now, but you'll get used to it. I'm Salvatore Malum. What's your name?"

I don't answer.

"You don't talk much, do you? That's okay, I just wanna know your name." Something about his eyes make me soften a little.

"R-Rosa. Rosa Quillsnake." I whisper it so quietly it's a wonder Salvatore can even hear me.

"There you go. Welcome to the family, Rosa Quillsnake." Salvatore reaches out his hand.

"Rella?" Coraene snaps me out of my daze. "We've got to get our story down straight."

"Yes. Of course. I'm a simple peasant girl whose village has been attacked and I'm seeking sanctuary in Viâna." I don't want to look at the castle.

"That's right."

"You know, I don't think the name Rosa suits you." Salvatore squints in the afternoon sun.

I'm fifteen now, working for Kaiser, the man who kidnapped me.

"Yeah? Well, what do you think I should be called?" I swipe my hair out of my face and stick close to the shady areas of the woods.

"You remind me a lot of my sister, so I'm gonna call you Rella."

"I like it." I want nothing more than to leave my old self behind, so when Salvatore presents me with a new name, I jump at the chance to change it.