Echo

chapter 1

The first thing I learned from my travels is that no matter who you are or what you look like people will always find a reason to see you as a threat.

Understandably walking into a new kingdom with a piece of fabric hiding your eyes and dressed like a runaway princess, who just fought a dragon, raises questions.

In the past month I've been thrown from three kingdoms simply because of my appearance.

I'm pulled from my angered thoughts of small minded kingdoms as I spot an inn along the trail I thought had been abandoned years ago.

Its a small place, clearly only a few rooms. The roof strangly sturdy and the walls are held with dark oak support beams that look like they were built yesterday, impossible.

I pull the reigns and come to a stop, allowing my horse to settle outside for a small break. My feet hit the floor with slight thud and I make my way inside the inn with caution.

I push the wooden door open and the smell of ale and burning wood fills the air around me like a warm blanket, there are a few tables scattered around and a bar infront of me with doors leading other rooms, the fireplace crackles on the far wall, the interior seems bigger than the building and leading me to believe the place is enchanted.

"Welcome outsider" I look to the bar tender rubbing down a glass thinking it was him but he motions his head to figure sitting in the corner in a small booth with a small drink infront of him.

He ushers me over and offers a seat, I hesitantly make my way over and notice the man has no features, a mask of sorts is strapped to his face with a smile painted on the front that makes me feel uneasy. He has a small metal chest plate on his front and some other small armour pieces strapped to various places on his body with an usually bright green fabric showing underneath.

This place is strange, I think to myself.

"What is this place?" I ask with caution. He simple chuckles at the question and moves his mask to sit comfortably above his mouth. I quickly notice part of a scar on his jaw, but ignore it when he starts talking.

"Its an Inn, enchanted of course... it follows where I go" his voice is warm and charming but something tells me he's neither of those things. I simply nod in response and he stands from his seat.

"You seem like the type of person I could have around" he says with a twisted smile and offers to walk with me. We make our way out and he throws a coin to the bar tender who slips it into his pocket.

He opens the door and allows me to walk through before him. He follows me out and I grab the reins to my horse tightly, suddenly feeling the urge to get away from him as fast as possible.

I climb on and sit comfortably on his saddle and turn back to the stranger.

"I suggest going that way" he points and gestures to the way I came from, "that way is just rivers" I turn back to the way I was heading and the feeling of danger suffocates me the longer I'm around him.

"I never caught your name" I turn to the woods and a white horse gallops towards us and he grabs its reigns and climbs on.

Where did that come from?

He hesitates after getting comfortable and with a smile lowers his mask back down.

"Dream" he pulls the reigns and flicks them again taking off into the woodland behind me.

Without hesitation I slide of the saddle and run back inside to the bar owner.

"What can you tell me about that man?" I ask with a sense of urgency, he looks up at me with little expression and sighs.

"Don't listen to a word he says" his voice is dull and emotionless. I sigh in defeat knowing I'll never truly get the answer I want without asking the man himself.

The man slips of his hat and places it on the counter infront of me and from his pocket pulls a small peice of paper, I unfold the paper and it reveals a spell I've never seen before. I look back at him and he catches on to my confusion.

"The names punz" he says with a slight smile and my confusion only grows, he chuckles at me and flips the paper in my hand.

He may not be watching, but he is always listening, it writes.

He winks at me and I make my way outside feeling all too confused and ignore the mans suggestion and take off in the direction he told me not to go.

I don't know how long I rode, travelling through lush green fields decorated with blooming flowers and a beautiful enchanted forest littered with creatures I've only ever seen in my picture books as a little girl.

The feeling that someone was watching me creeps into my skin and I flick the reins and ride faster. I look behind me and to my surprise I don't see anything and when I spin I'm greated with a small village in the not so far distance.

I take off towards it trying my best to ignore the urge to put the fabric over my eyes and notice people dotted around a market place in the centre of many beautifully built houses.

I ride up and slide off my saddle as to not startle anyone. I tie up the reigns to a wooden post and approach the people in the centre who are all laughing and talking.

"Oh hello"