The Shadow Of The Ice Kingdom
Part 1: Treacherous Shadow
A king lay dead on the ground as blood dripped from a knife, pooling in small puddles. The king's vision blurred, and his ears were no longer able to make out the sounds of his surroundings. The perpetrator ran to an open window, pulled himself up, then swung his body out of the building. He landed on his feet and disappeared on a black stallion. Guards rushed into the king's bedroom. The guard who first noticed the scene yelled, "Somebody murdered the king!" The rest of the guards began to search the room for clues. With no luck, they reported to the dining room. The queen closed a drawer in the kitchen and sat down with a sandwich and a glass of red wine. A guard approached her and said, "Madam, Your Highness, the king was found dead in the bedroom. We don't know who did it or why." The queen dropped her glass of wine and started to cry. The guard escorted the queen to a safe house. The soldiers began to scour the town and the outskirts of the territory. Leaves flew through the air. A young lady and a young man ran through the woods. A small boat lay in the river, floating near the edge of a small pier. The couple stepped onto the boat and removed the rope. The rowboat paddles moved back and forth through the water. The boat headed off in the direction of the east. Soldiers rendezvoused in the castle courtyard. A Royal General spoke up: "The king may be dead, but the killers will be found and burned at the stake. The Royal Guardsmen are investigating the crime, just in case the queen is the next target. We will surely catch the culprits."A boat docked at a pier on a small island located in the Southern Sea. A young couple proceeded toward a large castle as they were approached by a large entourage of Royal Knights. The knights escorted them to the castle throne room. The young man knelt on the ground. "Father, this is my bride. We want to get married as soon as possible!" The guards escorted the young couple to a church nearby. A priest married the two of them. They then kissed and headed back to the castle. Back on the mainland, the queen sat on the throne. She said, "Did you find my daughter?" The Royal General replied, "Your Highness, I believe she was kidnapped. We found no signs of a struggle, nor does anybody know where she is. Don't worry, Madam. We will locate your daughter and punish those responsible."
The soldiers and guardsmen kicked open the door to the peasants' house. "Get down on the ground and lie there as we search your stuff! If you move or try to resist, we will have your head!" A guardsman placed his foot on the head of a young child. He pulled out his sword and held it to the child's throat. A few guards arrived with a knife covered in blood. The guard in charge smirked. "Well, it looks like we found the culprit. Take everything and arrest the entire family as traitors!" The father in the kitchen stood up and took another knife from beside a boar. Blood dripped from a large gash into a pail beneath the boar. He stabbed the guard repeatedly. The father quickly ran to the other guard, snapped the guard's neck, then threw the knife at the guard standing on his child. The three guards lay dead on the ground. The father and his family quickly packed up. They took a small amount of food and water and ran from the village.
In the distance, soldiers wandered through the woods. The father and his family were scared. He lay down on the ground. "Listen, lie down and crawl with me past the soldiers. Don't make loud noises. Don't speak, sneeze, cough, or do anything to get their attention. The river is just a little way from here. My fishing boat is docked there. We can take it to safety." The soldiers ended their search of the wilderness and headed back to the castle. The family ran toward the river, and the father freaked out. "What the hell happened to my boat? This is bullshit. We now have to follow the river to get to another village." The family traveled for several days along the side of the river. They reached a village, then proceeded to buy a new home. The father hunted wild animals for a living. His wife skinned them and designed clothing from the animals' hides. The soldiers at the queen's castle reported, "We found three of our guardsmen dead inside Sam Belthor's house. He seems to have run from the village with his family. We set up wanted posters throughout the village and will notify our allies and other villages about them. I promise you, Your Majesty, they won't get away with assassinating your husband and your court guards."
