Vitae Memorandum

09-Prowling Hunters

As the four girls continued on their journey, unrest followed in their wake. There were those who had reasons to be concerned about their departure.

"Oh, my dear sister, oh what trouble have you gotten us into this time." Ihzyhur, third prince of Wyxir, couldn't believe what his sister had done. Times of war were fast approaching, it wasn't safe to leave the palace walls like she had. Agreeably, he could understand her motivation, he himself felt he didn't fit in at court. His older brothers, both presiding over all matters of the crown, had not felt fit to include either of them in anything as yet. Even their parents felt out of their reach. Today was the closest he had been to any of them.

"Ihzyhur, listen, it's imperative that you find our misbegotten sister and bring her home, post-haste. The foolish girl doesn't understand the worth of her own blood. I'm bound by matters of court enough as is, and our esteemed brother will have his hands filled soon enough, our war preparations are progressing quickly. Qicir doesn't appear to be standing idle either." His eldest brother, the first prince, hadn't spoken to him this directly in years. "You, you've spent time with our sister to understand the ways she works. You are our best chance at finding her and bringing her back. You however also have the selfsame blood in your veins, we can't risk your own danger either. I'm going to assign you your own detachment of the royal guard, to assist you in your search."

The royal guard weren't just soldiers trained to guard the royal family, they were the most elite of the elite. A single royal guard would be a force to be reckoned with. A whole detachment was like a compact army. Ihzyhur was getting worried that everything was quickly blowing out of proportion. However, it's not like he wasn't worried either. Alone in the wilderness, what if she fell upon by beasts or knaves of the wild. He wasn't sure she could deal with bandits, let alone enemy soldiers. Her training was good, but her timid nature would certainly have her hesitate under fatal circumstances, facing real danger. He had to find her, and quickly.

Ihzyhur himself wasn't used to taking authority over soldiers, nor were they used to reporting to him. Due to his name, he was oft begotten as 'the normal prince', in reference to him having no field of influence or responsibility. Though, everyone was smart enough to hold caution in which circles that title was used. In the wrong circumstances, heads would roll. However, word had spread quickly about the princess's disappearance, and Ihzyhur's determination started new rumors quickly as his preparations ran smoothly. The third prince had been chosen for his ability to hunt? His unstoppable will ran the halls cold as ice. Clearly, it was because he was born for the hunt.

It didn't take long for the title of "Crown Seekers" to fall upon his team, and he wasn't left ignorant of it. He felt it wasn't that inaccurate either, a role he might enjoy in the future, if the future was so kind. For now though, he had a job to do. More than being the seekers for the crown, they were to be seekers of a crown, of the royal princess. A dark shadow crawled across his face, and his attendants backed away. They were well aware of how fierce he could be. Several of their own had already been questioned regarding the disappearance of the princess. Many had been punished.

Soon after, his company was on the roads. They were currently investigating an Inn. "So, I've come to learn that a woman had passed through here, not that long ago. A floral dress, red in color. She should be recognizable for her absent-mindedness, her reputation for such is abound in this area. I take it you are familiar with the woman I speak of?" The innkeeper was terrified, listening to Ihzyhur. Reputations of the Seekers had preceded them. Two inns had already been shut down, having been considered failing to properly conduct business with an etiquette befitting reception of the royal family. In their case, this particular inn had taken pride in getting five times the standard rate from the gullible woman. The cost it seems would be too high for such an accomplishment.