Melia

A Princess of the realm was walking in the forest along the border of the county one afternoon when she happened upon a small cave opening in a hill. She was an adventurous Princess in search of a quest and It was not a particularly scary cave so she stepped into the entrance and called out.

“Hello?” she sang, hands held up to her face to make her call louder, “Anyone home?”

Her voice echoed off the walls of the small opening and tumbled down into the reaches of the hill. She stood and waited for it to finish its descent into the unknown depths of the labyrinth as if she was expecting an answer. There was no reply.

The silence was broken by the footsteps of her two escorts who moved about the mouth of the cave nervously.

“M’lady, we should not be exploring caves…what with all the talk of outlaws about of late…”

“There is no one here.” The princess argued. “I called and there was no answer. Any outlaw here would have been upon me before you could have even drawn your sword, what do they teach you in your guard training, to keep yourself out of harm’s way?” A mischievous giggle slipped past her smiling lips as she turned and ran into the darkness of the cave.

“M’lady…” was all the guard could say before she slipped out of his sight into the shadows.

He hurried into the cave after her but his eyes had not adjusted to the darkness of the crevice so he slowed once he was inside, he heard her footsteps in the rubble, it sounded like she was not too far ahead. He followed the sound, the further along he got the smaller the way became. The light from the mouth of the cave faded and just before it became altogether dark the corridor split into two passages.

The guard stopped and listened; there was no sound.

“M’lady, princess Melia?” he called out. There was no answer. He stepped toward the passageway on his right and heard something move deep down in the cave to his left, it sounded like something big and heavy; whatever it was, it moved for a few seconds only and then fell silent. He drew his sword slowly, body tensed, breath held, arms covered in Goosebumps. A slight breeze blew up from the corridor on his left, as it passed the smell of it sent shivers down his spine, it smelled of wild beast and ash.

He readied his sword. His legs were like jelly; cold fear clutched at his heart, “M’lady.” He whispered coarsely.

There was a stirring of footsteps down the corridor to his right; someone was coming toward him.
“Raelf?” Said the princess, “What is down that passageway? This one ends at an underground stream.”
She stepped out of the darkness into the intersection intent on exploring the the other passage when Raelf moved to block her way.

“We don’t want to be going down this one M’lady.” He spoke quietly.

“Raelf? What are you doing? There is no one here, do you not seek a quest? let’s explore!”

The guard was getting anxious. All this noise was sure to draw the attention of whatever was in the cave, “There is something down there…Something big and, and…I think we should be going.”

Melia finally noticed that Raelf had drawn his sword, the fear that was written on his face was real, “is it a bear?”

“M’lady we must get back to the keep.” Came the voice of the guard waiting at the entrance, “It is almost time for your lessons.”

The princess was not quick to be discouraged when she was intent but the threat of facing an angry sister Sera, who would most assuredly be so inclined were she to show up late for lessons, was sufficient to amend her intentions. She turned back to Raelf, “Our exploration will have to continue at some other time.” She teased and made her best attempt at a dismissive exit.

Raelf backed slowly out of the cave behind the princess. Neither he nor the princess were completely sure of what was in the cave, he would remain steadfast in his duty to protect her as well as thankful to his companion for drawing the princesses' attention elsewhere.

In the depths of the cave, down that unexplored passageway, a heart was alight with the joy of having found its true love. The sweet voice that had tumbled down that ancient cave and fallen on yearning ears was so sweet and musical that without having seen its owner the dweller of the cave knew that he would forever be devoted to the wonderful lady Melia. He spoke her name to the darkness and the very sound of it warmed him to his depths and set a longing in his soul. He was truly enamored with the young girl, the beauty he had not the pleasure to yet behold. He would adore her from afar and endeavor to learn her hearts desires. He would find a way to make her love him… someday she would be his.



She made her way to the stables several mornings later and slipped out of the city on her horse unescorted. It was a dreary morning, clouds pressed down from above threatening rain with distant rumbles of thunder. She rode quickly to the mouth of the cave, arriving just as the clouds made good on the threat. She stepped into the opening to get out of the rain and suddenly had the feeling that she was not alone.

“Hello?” she asked, “is anyone here?”

There was only silence. She started into the small passageway, when she was last there she had taken no notice of the closeness of the cave. It was small, seemingly smaller than before and strangely bare, like someone had been keeping it clear of debris. She looked back at the entrance. Her horse had moved in under the ledge of rock that protected the opening, getting out of the downpour. The noise of the rain made it difficult to discern if there was anyone in the cave with her, though silent during her last visit the cave now echoed the cacophony of driving rain and booming thunderclaps. She thought to herself that it was foolish of her to come here without a lantern or torch. The light from the mouth of the cave did not reach even as far as the place where the corridor split in two, she thought that maybe she should just stay here until the rain let up and then return to the castle and get a lantern. Then she heard a noise from behind her, down one of the passageways.

She froze, did she really hear something or was it the storm? It came again, a noise like something moving closer. She turned to face the back of the cave, the storm was getting more intense outside and the space was getting darker, she took a step backward.

“Hello.” Came a voice from the dark.

She exhaled, realizing only now that she had been holding her breath. It was no dragon or bear that had made the noise, it was a person. She was relieved some but still wary. There had been word of outlaws in the county. This could be some marauder out for blood or money, she smiled weakly and stepped backward again; still she saw no one.

“Do not be afraid, I mean you no harm.” The voice was calm and warm, Melia felt a little less fearful.

“Who are you? Do you live here?” She asked meekly.

The voice in the darkness chuckled. I am called Brogle and, no I do not live here, I live in the mountains; I am visiting.”

“Visiting who?”

“Well right now I am visiting with you!” The voice laughed.

The laughter made Melia feel slightly more at ease, she stopped moving back, but she did take a glance back at the entrance. The rain showed no signs of stopping.

“No need to worry,” the voice paused, “princess Melia.”

Her head turned back to the shadows quickly, “You know who I am?” the trepidation was rising again. A stranger from the mountains who knew her by sight…she had been taught to be suspicious of strangers in the first place, but a stranger who was familiar with her could only be a spy or an assassin.

“I told you that I mean you no harm.”

She really wanted to go, this person was too calm, too reassuring. He had to have evil intentions.
“I can’t see you, do I know you?” she asked. Maybe he was someone she knew, maybe a guard that had anticipated her slipping out of the castle and coming here. “Raelf? Is that you?” She tried to sound playfully annoyed.

“I am not your loyal escort, M’lady. He has gone off to war.”

That settled it, it was a guard; not Raelf because he had gone off to war, but one of his peers who had been instructed to watch over her and had been told by Raelf about the cave. She took two steps toward the guard in the darkness, “You should know better than to scare a princess, guard.” She scolded in mock arrogance. Upon her second step the guard moved back further into the darkness but not before she was close enough to catch a glimpse of his shape in the black.

This was no guard. This was, for that matter, no person.

The shape that moved in the darkness was big, so big that it could not turn around in the space of the passageway; its bulk faded into the dark reaches of the cave. Its body was easily as thick as two horses. Its head, barrel like in both size and shape, hung just out of her reach at the end of a long, serpent like neck. She was almost face to face with it, only now being able to see its eyes dimly reflecting the pale glow of the cloud filtered daylight from behind her. It was a dragon!
Her blood turned cold, she was running in her heart but her legs failed to move. She could not, dared not, breath. The interval she required to recognize her peril seemed endless. The dragon appeared to be just as in awe of her as she was of it; it neither breathed or moved, just returned her mesmerized gaze.

Was it fear? Something else? She saw a depth in those eyes not befitting a monstrous beast.

The dragon remained still for a long moment and then, as quick as a flash of lightening, withdrew into the darkness of the passageway in one seemingly fluid movement like water rushing down the stone floor of the cave.

The dragon’s retreat broke the spell. She turned and ran out of the cave into the driving rain. She did not stop for her horse. She did not stop at the edge of the woods. She ran all the way back to the stables. When she got there she breathlessly told the stable hand she had become confused by the storm and lost her horse. The old farrier scowled at her and then started off into the rain grumbling under his breath. She sat down on an overturned bucket in the stables and tried to catch her breath.

Something about that dragon was not as it should be, it seemed timid, almost tame; not at all the nefarious creature of legend. Dragons were vicious, bloodthirsty beasts with an undying hatred for all things living not friendly hosts given to polite conversation in tidy chambers.

This encounter was seminal. The seed of intrigue had been planted, the spark of obsession flared in her mind; Princess Melia had found her quest.