Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Gifted Girl
Tris’ hands shake as she tries placing her arrow.
“What am I doing?” she asks herself.
She drops her weapon on the ground and kneels down by the dragon.
“I’m not going to hurt you. What’s going on? Are you stuck on something?” she asks at the same time she recognizes the small game snare around the dragon’s tail.
While reaching for the trap, the little dragon begins to call out. Tris swears it sounds like it’s saying ‘mama’ in a loud shrill cry.
“Shhhh, it’s okay. I just need to get your tail free, understand?” she says, trying to keep the baby from calling in something larger and more dangerous.
To her surprise, the dragon starts making gurgling sounds and purrs while Tris frees it. Before she has a chance to jump up to her feet and get away, the baby dragon has climbed up on her lap and snuggled up into her neck. It reminds Tris of the barn cats when they want to be fed. She can’t help but smile.
“Okay, well, I have to go,” she says, snapping out of the place of comfort the baby dragon has taken her to. “I have to find my father,” Tris explains as she runs her fingers lightly over its scales.
The baby is memorizing, as the scales feel much softer than Tris would have thought. She can feel the tiny creature relax under her touch. Most people in the Kingdom have never seen a dragon, let alone touch one. She feels honored to be able to say she has done both.
She puts the dragon on the ground and gets up while grabbing her weapons. Tris starts walking back to the pond with the baby trailing behind her.
“You can’t come with me,” she says, turning around to look at the little creature.
The dragon dances around on the ground and does a somersault onto its back. More happy gurgles escape its mouth full of sharp teeth as it wiggles around. Out of nowhere, Tris hears a very clear voice.
“Ember,” someone says.
There is no one in the clearing but her. Tris thinks she may have imagined it until she hears it again.
“Ember,” it repeats.
“Ember?” Tris copies, looking around for the source of the name.
The baby dragon jumps up onto its claws and makes direct eye contact with her.
“Oh, no, I’m not doing this right now,” she stutters loudly. After turning around a few times in a panic, she looks back at the dragon. She doesn’t believe it. Can she talk to dragons?
“Is your name Ember?” she asks, hoping not to hear a reply.
The dragon perks up at the mention of her name. “Ember…mama,” it says.
Ember isn’t moving her mouth while speaking, but Tris can hear her inside her own head.
“Did you lose your mom?” Tris asks.
“Mama,” Ember cries.
The pain in the little dragon’s voice brings tears to Tris’ eyes. She wishes she could cry out for her father right now. The desire to help this lost creature before her is overwhelming. If it weren’t for her father, Tris may have just abandoned her quest and tended to the poor baby.
“I can’t help you right now,” she tries to explain. “They will kill you if you try to follow me, and I can’t do anything to protect you.”
Ember stops crying and looks up at Tris with wide puppy-dog eyes. She looks crushed as she slowly stands up and turns back toward the bush she had been trapped behind. After slowly walking over to it, Ember flops down on the ground and falls silent.
Tris takes a few steps toward her, her heart sinking at the sight of the poor creature alone in the woods.
“Ember, don’t be that way. I didn’t say I wouldn’t come back, I just can’t do anything right now. After I find my father and the other men I will come back and help you, I promise.”
Ember blows out a small poof of smoke as Tris heads back across the clearing. At least she’s staying put and out of harm’s way, Tris thinks. She tries to push Ember out of her mind and focus on the hunting party, but she can’t help but obsess over the fact she can talk to the little dragon.
Part of Tris is excited over the idea she can do something special. None of the books she has read ever mentioned someone having the ability to talk to magical creatures. The same thought makes her sick to her stomach. The King and Queen already don’t like her, and being able to talk to their sworn enemy isn’t going to help her situation.
‘Maybe it’s a good thing’, she thinks. ‘Maybe it means I’m special enough to be with Nick in spite of being a lowly seamstress.’
Doubtful. Only royal blood will be good enough for Queen Sandra. Tris wonders if she should just leave it all behind and take sanctuary on one of the four islands that make up the Kingdom when she hears something.
A faint voice reaches out to her from the dark. She can’t make out what it is saying, but it sounds close. Tris focuses on the sound and hurries toward it, hoping to find the source before they stop yelling.
The cries grow louder, but suddenly all fall silent and Tris doesn’t know where to go.
“Hello?” she screams. “Call out so I can find you!”
“Tris?” a familiar voice replies.
She holds her breath for a moment before calling out again. “Father, is that you?”
“It’s Tris! She’s found us!” another voice yells.
The sound of the last voice makes her stomach flip. It’s Nick. No wonder they sent out a group of guards to search for the hunting party. Had Nick been in the palace, they would have waited to send aid till morning.
Tris runs down the footpath that leads to the quarry, but right before it opens into the rock pit, she comes to a screeching halt. There’s an unmovable pile of stones blocking the only way in and out of the area.
“What happened?” she yells toward the top of the hill.
Her father answers back. “A rockslide.”
Tris looks around for any possible way through the rubble, but she doesn’t see any.
“Is anyone hurt?” she asks, not really wanting an answer.
“No,” Nick replies.
‘Thank the Gods’ Tris thinks while letting out a deep breath. “Have you tried climbing over?”
“Yes, the rocks are too flat and smooth on this side,” Nick speaks up again from the other side.
Tris would try to climb up, but it’s too dark for her to see which rocks are safe to grab and which ones aren’t.
“Do you have a long rope with you?” she finally asks.
Her father answers this time. “Great idea, my girl! I will shoot the end over, just let me know when you’re ready.”
Tris likes that she doesn’t have to explain anything to him. She finds some rocks to take shelter under and waits for her father’s arrow. She can hear it whistle through the air and thump down nearby. Stepping out from under the stone overhang, Tris finds the arrow sticking out of the ground in the middle of the path. Even behind a stone wall, her father is an excellent shooter.
After grabbing the rope, she runs to the nearest large tree. She wraps the cord around the massive base and ties a sturdy square knot.
“Okay,” she yells.
One at a time, the men climb to the top and down the other side. The task takes a while, as the hunting party has ten men. Tris waits eagerly as they each climb down, looking for Nick or her father to appear. Finally, Nick climbs down, followed by her father.
Tris just smiles while listening to the men talk about a woman being sent to find them. She wants to lash out and defend herself, but such behavior is not acceptable for a lady.
Nick isn’t amused. Tris can see the anger building in his eyes as the men openly insult her.
“Hold your tongues or I will personally cut them from your mouths,” Nick threatens coldly. “The woman you are insulting is Levi’s only daughter,” Prince Dominick announces as Tris’ father places a hand on his shoulder.
The men look around at one another and back at Levi.
Tris’ heart flutters at the thought of Nick standing up for her. The gesture causes her whole body to tremble and she has to fight the urge to run and hug him.
“Is this true?” one of them asks, apparently shocked by Nick’s outburst.
Levi looks at his daughter with a proud fatherly stare. “Don’t let her appearance fool you, men. My daughter could track a mouse in a hurricane and shoot it dead before it even sees her coming.”
Levi walks up and hugs Tris tightly, causing her face to flush with color. She has never heard her father speak so highly of her.
“We should get back,” she says, pulling away before she starts to cry. Her father’s gesture has caught her off guard and for the first time today, she feels like everything is going to be okay.
The men don’t speak as Levi leads them down the path home. The whole walk back, Tris can feel Nick’s eyes on her. Her mind is a mess, but something inside of her tells her she can’t just leave and run away from all her problems. There has to be some way she can prove to the King and Queen that she’s the only one fit to be with their son.
They step into the courtyard to find the group of men that had gone out earlier gathered at the palace steps. Lucas notices the hunters first and runs over to greet them. Everyone walks past him except Tris and Nick.
“Where were you?” Lucas whispers. “The guards were so upset their first attempt to find you failed that they couldn’t bring themselves to go in and tell the King and Queen,” he says with a chuckle.
Nick looks at him and shakes his head. “Without Tris, we would have been stuck in the rock yard all night,” he praises, reaching out and taking her hand. “Thank you,” he adds, staring deeply into her eyes.
Tris wishes she could enjoy the moment, but her thoughts keep drifting back to Ember. She left her in the clearing, alone and afraid.
“You’re very welcome, my prince,” she replies, letting his hand slip from hers.
She tries to ignore the look of confusion that flashes over Nick’s face. Lucas already knows about their relationship, so her actions are a bit out of character. She hates not being able to tell him what the Queen said earlier, but she can’t be sure who may be listening or watching this close to the palace.
“It’s getting late and I’m really tired. I think I’ll just head in and get some sleep,” she concludes with a slight bow of her head.
Nick looks at her suspiciously. “As you wish,” he replies before she walks away.
Tris moves with urgency as she hurries past the men standing on the steps and into the castle. But in reality, going to bed is the last thing on her mind. No, she has other things to tend to before calling it a night.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone