ACT I

Tavra was already halfway down the path by the time the silver glow of the moons was fading back into the misty skies. The dull burn of the sun began to peak over the edges of the mountains, casting bright pink reflections across the crestfallen snow, crackling under her swift feet as she glided forward.

Tavra was on the move again. These days she was always on the move. The life of the All-Maudra's second daughter had not only left her between the tireless duties of public appearances and trifling royal matters, but had bound her fate to the Vapran Citadel: the very same she was escaping now. These escapades were a way to rid herself from the ever growing shadow of her mothers' hand. Running, at least for a few precious moments, away from the life of a princess. The life of high blood.

Just as she was making her way onto the stone path at the back of the citadel, a familiar voice called out from below her, seeming to come at first from the baron trees, until she noticed a dark green tunic flapping in the winds like a wild leaf. Without a second thought, she knew it was Onica. Her love, and today, her rescuer.

"Kat!" Onica whispered loudly. It was just enough so Tavra's sharp ears could catch it in the stirring morning winds. They both knew well that 'Kat', short for Katavra, was a name only they would recognize and could identify. Still, she hated being called by that name.

Tavra swung her head around and shifted direction, climbing over a short stone wall and making her way down a steep, snowy hill to where Onica was hiding behind a robust tree. When she finally reached her, frosted with fresh snow and kicking up power all around her, she grabbed onto a gnarled tree branch to stop herself. "Here I am!" she stated.

"Are you trying to get caught?" Onica barked. "You've kicked up so much snow, they'll think an avalanche is heading for town!" Her dark autumn hair was like winter fire as it caught the first rays of the rising suns, with big curls attached to sparkling jewels, and braids twisted with thin sail cloth. She was dressed in a long green formal tunic, too thin for the approaching winters of Ha'rar, and a wide hat of the same color, laced with trimmings of white fur. Tavra thought they matched quite well. Although anything would go well with her traditional light purple garments and silver chains. The only part she was missing on this day were her royal braids, now a mess of windswept blonde tangles. Today she was free.

"I doubt that very much," Tavra returned, "you know most of this city sleeps until well past sunrise." She brushed the fresh snow from her legs. Onica smiled thoughtfully, but then her gaze shifted upwards, toward the spire of the citadel.

"Not everyone." Onica stated, keeping her gaze on the highest windows. Tavra studied her face for a moment, then followed her eyes up to the top of the complex. Lights had appeared in the windows. People were beginning to stir. And not just anyone; her mother and her sisters. No doubt preparing for a day full of royal obligations, and soon, they would realize she was missing.

"Don't worry," Tavra assured, "they are far too busy with even themselves. We have time." She met Onica's eyes. They smiled at each other, until Tavra broke the silence again. "...And I wish you wouldn't call me that name!"

"What--Kat?" Onica wondered.

"Yes!"

"Well, I thought it was cute." Onica pled her case.

Tavra shook her head, as a bit of snow dust fell around her face. "It makes me sound like a wild animal."

"Then it is more fitting than I had imagined!" Onica laughed heartily, then immediatly covered her mouth.

"I am glad it amuses you." Tavra stated dryly.

"Do you think they have animals with such names?"

"Somewhere they do." Tavra finally let a smile appear. Onica felt suddenly warmed in the chilled air, noticing a bit of joy overcome her. They were lost in each other for the moment, until Tavra thought of something else. "Where were you all this time?" she asked. "I had hoped to leave under the cover of darkness."

"I tried!" Onica protested. "But the swoothu I had been using was extremely untamed. Even now, I don't know where it is. Did you see it after it dropped the message off?"

"Not for long, it flew away toward the north." Tavra's eyes drifted toward the sky.

Onica threw her hands in the air. "Exactly the opposite direction!" She fished in her pockets for something, and pulled out what appeared to be pieces of dried fruit. "And to think, I brought enough dried fruit with me to weigh down my clothes!"

Tara allowed a chuckle to escape her. "Well, that was your problem!" Onica was confused. "Swoothu love roasted fruit, not dried!" She smiled innocently at Onica.

Onica placed her hands on her hips, throwing some of the dried fruit on the ground. "And I call myself a fardreamer."

Tavra giggled. "Far dreamers read the waves and the winds, not fruit." Her smile grew as bright as the suns. Onica could feel it, and was sure her eyes didn't miss a moment of her beauty.

"Have I told you how good it is to see you yet?" Onica asked with a soft, soothing voice.

"Still waiting." Tavra returned with a thin smile.

High above them, inside the royal chambers of the citadel, All-Maudra Mayrin was preparing her other daughters for the day. The eldest, Seladon, was standing behind her younger sister Brea, braiding her long, straight silver hair into the proper braids. Each Princess had a specific hairstyle representing their royal status, and although she didn't believe in it, Seladon was responsible for maintaining her younger sibling's royal braids. She had always thought such tasks were small, insignificant matters, but her mother had assured her that every single thing she did was to do with training to take the All-Maudra's seat someday. Someday soon, she secretly hoped.

"Ouch, Seladon, that's too tight!" Brea protested from beneath her hands. She was seated in front of her older sister, facing a large mirror set it into a decorative silver vanity table, covered with charms and jewelry.

"They're suppose to be tight, Brea!" she snapped back. "That's why they look so beautiful. You want to be a beautiful princess, don't you?"

"I want to be comfortable," Brea said in a half whisper.

Seladon's brow wrinkled. "Very little about our role is comfortable, my sister. You will learn that soon."

Brea sat up and crossed her arms. "The only things I wish to learn come from books!"

Seladon stopped braiding her hair and placed her hands firmly on Brea's shoulders. "Did you learn this defiance and stubbornness from your books, too?"

Brea pouted. "I am learning more than you!" she yelped.

"How could you ever learn more than me, you just-" Seladon was about to erupt in argument, but she was swiftly stopped by her mother's presence filling the room.

"That's enough, girls!" Mayrin proclaimed as she came beside them. Her flowing deep blue and purple robes fell around her like a stormy ocean. Her attitude matched.

Seldon turned to face her mother, dipping her head to the floor. "Mother, I am only trying to explain..." she started.

"Enough, I said." Mayrin's tone grew fierce. She touched Brea's shoulder, and then Seladon's. "Get her ready. No lessons today. Now is not the time to worry ourselves."

"Yes, I know, but..." Seladon tried to continue.

"It shows." Mayrin walked away from them and to the opposite corner of the room, gathering their formal robes from the chair and straightening them between her arms. Seladon raised her head to listen. "It shows when we are unhappy. It makes us rude and presumptuous." She stepped in front of Seladon and placed her hand softly on her arm. "We have a special, important meeting with the High Council today. It is our job to represent the people. And our people are proud, and willing--not sad." Seladon nodded. "Do you understand, my child?" Mayrin lifted Seladon's chin. "No squabbling. It is unfit of a Maudra to squabble." A small, yet revealing smirk wrinkled her mouth. Seladon found a calmness running through her. "Now straighten your wings." Mayrin added with a strict tone. The calmness faded again.

"Yes, mother." She responded, holding her head high.

Mayrin smiled warmly. Then, she suddenly noticed something amiss. "Where is Tavra?" she asked, turning her head from side to side.

Brea's ears perked up and she began to fidget slightly in her chair. "I-I haven't seen her." She squeaked. But Seladon knew both of her sisters very well. As if reading some hidden prophecy, she could tell by Brea's body language something was wrong. And if she had known Tavra any better, she would be her.

Mayrin noticed Seladon's piercing gaze. "Brea?" she came to Brea's side and hovered over her. "Do you know something?"

"No!" Brea sat up straight with a desperate expression.

"I bet she does," Seladon rushed to her mother's side, now relishing the role of future All-Maudra. "Out with it, Brea!" She demanded.

At the scolding of her older sister, Brea's innocent face turned to aggravation as she crossed her arms and faced the stone walls. "I told you, I don't know." She grumbled.

Seladon's eyes glinted. Something caught her sight outside, down the steep snowy hills beyond their walls. Two figures were running into the white fields. She stepped away from her mother and over to the window. She threw it open with a loud crack, allowing the winds to whip through the chamber, blowing Brea's hair into a mess again. "I knew it!" She exclaimed.

Mayrin swiftly glided to her side and peered out of the window. Seladon raised a finger to point out to the horizon, where she could see what appeared to be Tavra and another woman rushing down the hill toward the ocean. "Escaping again," Seladon unleashed an cynical expression.

"Seladon, you're such a bat!" Brea called out, utilizing a favorite childhood insult of theirs to solidify her statement. Calling someone a "bat" referred to the Skeksis' Crystal Bats, which were used to spy on several areas throughout the lands. Over many trine of sibling battles, this had become a playful term for someone who refused to mind their own business.

"Quiet, Brea!" Seladon snapped back. "You know this is wrong!"

"Sometimes it is not wrong to stay quiet!" She returned, and hopped out of her chair, storming out of the room.

Seladon scoffed and looked to her mother. "What will you do?"

Mayrin thought for a moment, then smiled as if withholding a great secret. "No, my child, what will you do?" She nodded at Seladon.

At first she was confused. But then Seladon finally realized, her mother was awarding her power. She wanted to see how well Seladon could manage herself. What choices would she make? How would she act? Could she accomplish her own tasks? This could win her mother's pride. Now was her time to shine.

Seladon's eyes narrowed like thin daggers as she watched her mother walk out of the room, and after Brea. "Guards!" She called out abruptly.

Outside the maze-like stone walls of the citadel, Tavra and Onica were almost halfway to the ocean. Slipping and sliding down the hill as they grasped each other's hands, dancing through the clouds of snow like the free spirts they were. Stifled laughs escaped them as they hopped over rocks and small frozen rivers of water, coming closer to the rocky cliffs at the end of the hill. But suddenly, the ring of a small horn called out over the air. Tavra stopped Onica and turned her head toward the city.

"What was that?" Onica wondered.

"I can't believe it," Tavra looked around frantically.

"What?" Onica repeated.

"She called the guard on me!"

"Who did--your mother?!"

Tavra's gaze fell back onto the citadel. In one of the high windows, she thought she could make out a familiar shape silhouetted in the glow of the candle lights. Seladon. "No," she stated. "Come on, let's hurry!" She grabbed Onica's hand and led her down the hill once again.

Within moments, they had reached the last stone staircase which descended all the way down to the shoreline, and on to the docks where Onica's boat was waiting. But as they came to the top of the steps, a hardy collection of Vapran guards stomped the ground behind them.

"Princess Katavra!" One of the guards called out. Tavra pulled Onica to a stop again and turned to face them.

"Please, stop!" another guard added. "Your mother has commanded us to bring you back."

Onica was worried, but Tavra smiled reassuringly, then stepped in front of her to address her men. "I believe it is Seladon who is commanding you today, my loyal guards. When it is my mother who seeks me, you will know, for she will not call upon the pawns."

While the guards attempted to work out this insult in their minds, Tavra took the moment of confusion to grab Onica and pull her down the steps in a full sprint. Before the guards could even move, they had made it halfway down the steps and were nearing the end, until Tavra halted herself and turned around.

"What are you doing? Let's go!" Onica protested.

"Wait! Do you still have that ice-orb?" Tavra asked quickly, with a coy smile.

Onica returned the smile immediately, knowing exactly what she was imagining. In a blink, Onica pulled a small, light blue marble from her bag. She rubbed her thumb over the top of it, and with a spark or light, tossed it up the stone stairs. To the shock of the guards, who were now tromping down the steps wildly, their faces fell to horror as the steps beneath their feet were covered over with a thin coating of ice.

Tavra and Onica watched with playful delight, as every last one of them toppled over and began to tumble down the stone walkway. A few of the guards jumped to the side when they realized what was happening, but found themselves waist deep in snow, weighed down by their armor and unable to move. With a few shouts of unexpected victory, Tavra and Onica let out a few good laughs before they returned to running. But it was short lived.

Now in front of them, more guards began to form a wall around the two runaways. Escape was beginning to seem impossible. But then, as the suns caught the reflection of the grey waves, directing her eyes toward the cliffs, Tavra spotted another way.

As the soldiers called out for them to stop once more, Tavra grasped Onica's hand tighter, and raced to the cliffside next to them. It was a daring idea, even for a skilled warrior like Tavra. The cliffside dropped straight off into the rocky, icy waters below, with no hand holds or vegetation to save your fall. Tavra knew this, yet she powered on with a determination that Onica had never seen before.

"Tavra!" Onica shouted. "What's going on!?" Her feet fearfully dug into the snow.

"No one is going to stop us this time!" Tavra proclaimed to the horizon. The edge of the cliff came near. It was only seconds--only feet until the ground was no longer beneath them. Tavra looked back at Onica. "Trust me, Onica!"

Onica suddenly found her fear melting away. Her mind stopped running. The air around her sat still. She closed her eyes. "I hope you remember--I can't fly!" She yelled.

Tavra smiled. "But we can!"

With a strong leap, Tavra sprung into the clouds, over the edge of the cliff. As the guards slid to a halt, gasping at the sight, the two of them fell gracefully through the sea air.

The moments seemed like hours. The wind eternal. Onica kept her eyes closed, her teeth gritted, her arms tight and face buried in Tavra's chest. Then, with a swift snap, Tavra opened her gossamer, rainbow wings, catching the surface of the ocean air. As Onica felt the lift, she reopened her eyes and looked down to the choppy waves far below. Tavra held to her tight, guiding them through the turbulence of the winds with great ease. They smiled and laughed again, as the guards watched them disappear into the mist of the Silver Sea.

Back inside the citadel, Seladon had been watching the entire event unfold. Upon witnessing Tavra's wild dive from the cliff, she blew out a hot breath of air and slammed the window shut with a burst of snow. Her sharp gaze remained until the last of the guards had scrambled off the hillside.

"Seladon," Mayrin called out to her as she walked by the chamber. "Come, it's time to go."

Seladon turned toward her mother slowly. "Will you do nothing, mother? You watch as this madness unfolds before you?"

"Madness?" Mayrin repeated. She sighed heavily and directed her gaze out of the window. "Some of us are meant to be leaders. And some, are meant to have adventures." A thin smile curled her lip.

"I see," Seladon responded stoically. "Yes, I suppose you are right." She strode across the room and came to her mother's side. "Some of us are meant to be queens." Her eyes demanded her mother's attention. When Mayrin met her stare, she could feel a chill she had not expected. In that moment, she wondered if this had been the right lesson to teach. As Seladon left the chamber and entered the passageway, Mayrin could see a drape of shadows that followed her every footstep. Like the claws of reptilian ghosts grasping for her feet. It would haunt her dreams for many trine to come.

Far down on the coastline of Ha'rar, nestled between the valleys of the ash mountains, was a small port filled with dark wooden docks. Because of the oncoming winter, most of the docks were free of ships, which made Onica's obviously Sifan ship stand out among the baron surroundings. With Onica firmly in her arms, Tavra glided them safely down to the dock holding Onica's ship, and touched down just outside the ramp leading onto the vessel. With their feet on the ground again, they wasted no time scurrying up the ramp and onto the deck.

"Tavra!" Another voice chirped from behind the sails. Tavra looked into an opening in the center of the sails and saw a stout, yet beautiful Sifan girl with freckles and thick strawberry blonde hair.

"Tae!" Tavra exclaimed. "I was not expecting to see you!"

"Well, who's ship do you think this is?" She returned with a hand on her hip. Tavra had yet to pay any attention to the detail of the ship itself, and now noticed that it was not a traditional design built for many people, but was instead a small ship constructed for only one or two.

"A new design you constructed yourself?" Tavra inquired.

"It is! Well, not a new design, but all built by these hands!" Tae displayed her weathered hands.

"It's a one-man skiff," Onica added. "Used for the hooyim races!"

"The hooyim races?" This was new to Tavra.

"You've not heard of them yet?" Tae wondered.

"Let's explain on the way," Onica interrupted, looking up toward the top of the cliffside. In the growing daylight, they could now see many guards making their way down the rocky paths to the shoreline. "We'll have more time to explain once we're underway!"

Tavra nodded. "Agreed, lets go quickly!" She trotted over to Tae to help her unravel the sails.

Within moments, the rustic sails rose high on the mast. When the ship caught it's first breath of wind, it began to drift swiftly away from the coastlines, and safely out to sea. As their vessel became a distant dot on the horizon, Tavra stepped to the side of the boat and looked back almost longingly at her home.

Onica came to her side and held her arm. "All of that commotion just to be free." She sighed.

Tavra smiled. First at her shores, and then at her lover. "All of that commotion, just for you." She took Onica into her strong arms and rubbed the cold air from her body.

The small ship drifted through the tumbling waves like a lost feather, further away from the troubles Tavra had gratefully left behind. But only their future was unknown. The course remained true. Following their faithful compass west, they sailed now for Cera-Na. To adventure.