**Third Place Winner of Gandalf's Challenge** @CJ_Callahan Her eyes looked wonderingly at the small plant that has sprouted out of her small, child size garden. It was strange to her young and inexperienced hands, but naneth had told her not to touch it. To leave it be. "Trees are sacred," naneth had explained gently. "This one is no exception, for it has decided to spring up where you have watered the ground and grown your flowers. Trees do not make decisions lightly." And so she let the tree grow.

Amber Garrett, the newest BLINK agent, is forced to prove herself when her first mission involves an alien threat that could destroy all of humanity. ***** Amber Garrett can blink teleporting herself to anywhere she wants to go which means she's a natural recruit for the galaxy-spanning BLINK organisation. Fresh out of training she's sent to a colony on the edge of space where contact has been lost. The colony's silence however isn't due to an equipment malfunction and Amber quickly discovers she's the last hope the BLINK organisation has to stop a threat to the entire galaxy. It may be her first mission but she'll have to use every ounce of her talent not just to stay alive but to prevent the destruction of all of humanity. [NB. THIS IS A WATTPAD ORIGINALS STORY] [[word count: 70 000-80 000 words]]

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.