The Beginning of the End: Prologue

Craesha and Zarm had lived in the forest since their parents had died. A good friend, Zaia Tordanis, had taken care of them until they became old enough to surviuve on their own. Zalia and they had made a strong friendship in their tie together in the forest.

The people of the forest were kind to them, and they provided them with food and clothing. The trees gave them shelter and cooled them throught the heat of the day.


One cool morning, they were out leraning the language of the trees. For now they could carry out a conversaqtion with an oak, beech, or maple. Craesha was speaking with a young birch sapling, when suddenly it refused to speak another word. She rosed confused and walked over to her brother. Up in the boughs, two figuers were crouching amongst the branches. Rahasha, a sly sorceress, and Kamir, an equally skilled mage, were starrig down at the two slender forms below.



Word spread through the forest about the trees' betrayal and the two villianess kidnappers. Zalia, who knew the languages of the trees, heard the knews from Hihim, an old oak tree, who knew Zalia since childhood. She started as Hihim told her what had taken place not long ago. She sprang to her feet and spen through a narrow path that only she knew, toward an open grove. Birds screeched and flew away as Zalia burst throguh the trees and entere a sun-lit clearing. She searched everywhere but not a trace of them could be found. Frantically, she tore through the trees. She skidded to a halt before four young maples.
"How could you do this?" she cried angrilly in tree speech The maple groaned and bent toward her.
" You know very well that they mean a lot to me!" Before the trees could respond, Zalia dashed past them and made for the lake that the two twins had often swam in. When she got there, she carefully scanned the lake for any sign of them, even though she knew that they would not be there. Not even a ripple touched the dark cool waters. She slowly walked back to the place where Hihim stood tall and erect. Zalia sat down upon the giant roots which entagled at her feet. As she sat there, Hihim's branches reached down and gently wrapped their leafing boughs around her and pulled her up. She stared blankly over the sea of endless leaves and at the mountains in the distance. She wondered where the two siblings could be or even if they were still alive.