Rhidenstone

Seriously?

That morning Katie awoke to the sound of birds tweeting and Pepper making a nest in her hair, "honestly," Katie grumbled, "you have a perch and a bird feeder yet you still choose to sleep in my hair." Pepper just cooed loudly in her ear, Katie sighed, "unbelievable."

After a ten minute battle trying to get Pepper out her hair Katie emerged from her tent looking around at everyone busying themselves and getting ready for the day, she makes her way to the firepit where there was a commendable spread of food for her to choose from, after much deliberation she chose some blueberry muffins and then stole some bread, cheese and water for the undoubtably arduous journey ahead as she was dong so Anita caught her eye and winked. Katie was now busy trying to hunt down Xander who for some reason she had not yet seen, as she was walking around the back of the tents he came running up to her carrying a bag, "sorry I'm late," he said his chest heaving.

"Where were you?" she asked tipping her stolen goods into his bag.

Xander gave a rueful smile as Pepper settled on his head, "after my disappearing stunt yesterday my parents weren't too keen to let me out of their sight, I've only just managed to get away."

Katie nodded in understanding, "is there a way we can leave without being noticed?"

"Over there," Xander pointed to some fields behind them, "which is actually quite lucky s these were the fields Theodora would have run across to get away, the village has expanded of course but you can still see the trees of where she may have hidden."

Katie visibly brightened at that news, "what are we waiting for lets go then," and off she marched only to promptly fall over a tent peg.

Xander laughed as she got up, "I have no sympathy."

Katie scowled at him.

The distance to the trees was a lot farther than it looked, Katie and Xander had only got halfway when they were starting to run out of breath, "I have no idea how Theodora managed to run this distance," Katie said sweat running down her forehead.

"Magic," Xander replied n no mood to be cordial for he was in an even worse state than Katie who was currently rolling her eyes at his tone.

Eventually they got to the row of trees but then they were stumped, there were brambles and nettles every which way and there was no evidence of a path that may have taken them where they wanted to go. Of course, it had been five hundred years since then but Katie had still held hope, "I honestly don't see where she could have gone from here," Katie said looking around.

Xander hummed, his brow furrowed in thought, "perhaps I could climb a tree and look at the landscape to see where she had gone."

Katie looked at him, "will that work?"

"Its worth a try isn't it?"

Xander scaled the tree like a monkey and peered out through its branches as far as they eye could see there were rolling hills and trees he squinted trying to see far into the distance. He could just make out a sliver of blue, his expression lit up as he recognised the sea, if he concentrated hard enough he could make out the rolling wavesif he concentrated hard enough he could make out the rolling waves thenhe frowned, he could make out little round prints in the ground, he shruggedthey were probably nothing. He scurried back down to Katie with a wide grin on his face, "the sea is in that direction," he pointed straight ahead, "but it will take a while to get there we have to climb some pretty steep hills." Katie sighed but nodded her head in assent, more walking – yay...