The Princess's Secret [completed]

1: A Scream In The Storm.

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Caspian.

A winter chill shot through him as trees flashed by. All around him, the world was white, and the frosty breath from himself and his steed rose into the air.

Caspian hardly noticed these things, as he was completely absorbed in the fluent motion of the galloping horse, his eyes glued to their query.

As temperatures dropped, and the snow began to fall with the sun, the young stag they chased began to slip on objects hidden beneath the snow.

This broke through his concentration, and he slowed the horse to a halt, despite its whinny of protest. As much as he also wished to catch the creature, it simply wasn't worth risking an accident.

He smiled as the horse pawed the ground, still reluctant to let the stag escape. "Sorry boy, next time." He said softly, patting its neck.

Looking to the sky, Caspian now realized that the sun was creeping away, darkening the forest around him. He sighed reluctantly, turning his steed back the way they'd come. It was time to return to the city, where once again he would be forced to focus on the problems and struggles of the people he served.

But before the heavy weight of duty could settle on him once again, the air was pierced by a familiar sound. It was the loud clashing of metal on metal, the sound of a battle fought with swords.

The stallion he rode raised it's head eagerly, as they both scanned the forest for the sound. Then a loud scream found them, sending a shot of adrenaline through Caspian's veins. Finally they both zeroed in on the same direction, and took off, racing to discover the cause of the violence...

                               
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Tamar.

Pain shot through her arm as her sword was viciously knocked aside again, the sound of metal striking metal filled the air as she moved to block another blow.

Stumbling back, Tamar could hardly contain the cry of fear as the blade flashed towards her again. She stumbled again to avoid losing her head, grimacing as her swollen foot protested.

Her head was spinning, and she could hardly breath as she fought for her life. Her attacker kept advancing, forcing her back. His enormous figure loomed over her, black armor adding to his menacing looks.

Suddenly her foot slipped and before she could do anything, she hit the frozen ground!

Her heart leapt in her chest as she looked up just in time to raise her stolen sword and block the blow raining down on her. Her fingers slipped, and she screamed as her only protection flew from her grip.

She panicked, trying to crawl out of reach, but it was too late! The man grabbed her arm and yanked her off the ground, ignoring her yelp as she was forced to put weight on her foot once more.

Tamar was certain her boot would burst as it grew tighter and tighter. But that was the least of her problems as she was pinned against a tree, hands behind her back, and a rope began to wind around them.

Her heart sank and she lowered her head in defeat. There would be no freedom. This had been her one chance, and now, it was gone.

As her bonds began to tighten, there was a sudden pause, and she felt the body pinning her grow tense. Then she realized a sound approaching.

The weight pinning her shifted as the man looked around, and she was able to turn her head in time to see a rider appear in the trees, running full speed towards them.

Her captor growled in frustration and dragged her to the horse, too rushed to finish tying her bonds. He tossed her across the animal's back-

"Release her!" A voice shouted with authority. Tamar managed to twist and see the man leaping from his steed, sword drawn.

Her captor had no choice but to draw his own sword again and meet the man. As he turned to face his foe, Tamar took advantage of the moment, sliding off the horse and back into the snow.

Pain exploded in her ankle as she hit the ground, and her leg buckled. Unable to breathe she lay on her side, clutching it as she watched the battle unfold.

Both men had their swords raised, on guard as they assessed their opponent. Then, the man in black armor, her captor, attacked the new-comer, reaching him in two strides and raining powerful blows on him rapidly.

The loud clashing of their swords made the horses jump in surprise as the new-comer was forced to retreat several steps. The man in black armor was more vicious, but the newcomer was managing the blows well, not making any panicked movements.

Tamar scanned the ground quickly, searching for the sword she'd lost, finally spotting it a few feet out of reach. She crawled towards it, gritting her teeth as her damaged foot dragged on the ground.

She glanced back at the men in time to see her enemy knocked to the ground. The fight was almost over. She had to reach that sword!

She dragged herself a bit further, stretching her hand out. She glanced over her shoulder again. Now her enemy lay still, the new-comer now looking up from his fallen foe to see her. She made a desperate lunge- her fingers brushed the sword!

Tamar grabbed it and swung around, raising the blade to meet the victor. He had nearly reached her by now, but he stopped abruptly as she brandished her weapon against him.

"Stay where you are." She ordered, ignoring the temptation to clear her throat when her voice wobbled. She stared intently at him, trying to detect his next move, all the while her mind spun as she tried to figure out how to escape.

To her complete surprise, he slowly crouched, lowering his weapon to the ground. "Easy, I mean you no harm." He assured quietly, empty hands held out in front of him.

Tamar stared into his eyes, untrusting. Yet she found a gentleness there, unlike the eyes of others she knew. She bit her lip in indecision. If she lowered her guard, it could mean death…