by Holger
Once
upon a time, there lived a lovely princess in a castle in the northern
woods of Leigua, though "northern" describes not even half of it. The wood
was dark and deep and it was almost impossible to find your way through,
if you had not grown up there. Princess Tabacha knew the wood like the
lines on her old fathers face. King Ranulf the II. was a ruler not much
interested in his country. "Why should I reign a wood?", was what
he always said. Instead of reigning he often stood on the castles towers,
to watch the crocodiles, that where laying lazily in the castlemoat.
*
The
black knight was riding through the wood. Thousands of miles were lying
behind him, but he never stopped riding, but for watering his horse and
getting a good lunch at one of the sparsely scattered villages. It was
a rainy night and the wind was pulling harshly on the black knights coat,
when he came upon a tree, that was barring the way. The fallen tree was
a little further on, but the black knight stopped immediately, looking
left and right, trying to peer through the thickly falling rain. Suddenly
a bold of lightning illuminated the silouette of a hooded figur standing
some feet behind the fallen tree.
*
Princess
Tabacha was waiting for her evening meal. She was seated at the large table
in the dining halls next to her father, who was lingering on his throne
and absentmindedly poking with a finger in his ear. "Father?" King
Ranulf hastily put his fingers on his lap and turned his attention to his
only daughter. "Father, I would like to go on a holiday."
*
After
tightening the large shovel bag the black knight mounted his horse again.
There also was a new smaller bag attached to his sadle. When the black
knights horse began to move again a fine jingling emerged from the small
bag.
*
King
Ranulf shouted at his royal guard: "My daugther has vanished and you
didn't even see her leaving the castle?" "She just might have lost
track in the castle dungeons, my King.", said the first royal guard.
"We found some black foot prints in the woods, my King. She probably
has been kidnapped!", the second royal guard suggested. "Didn't
she want to go to holiday? Maybe she has just left on her own?", the
royal consultant added. "You fools!", roared the king,"I will
set 1000 royal gold coins and a seventh of the woods as a reward for anyone
who brings her back."
*
The
news of the princess disappearing spread quickly
and many adventurers started to search for her...