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<<audio "norstharan" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>Norstharan was more beautiful than she had ever imagined.\n\nThe immaculate kingdom was built out of stone and marble, with towers that reached far into the sky. The inner castle, surrounded by a great stone wall, was circled itself by a huge, flourishing village. \n\nShe began the trek down through the villages, staring around at all of the people and the brightness of the markets. Everything around her was buzzing with life. Children ran around playing tag, their parents keeping a watchful eye; market stands all around her were selling everything from candies to animals to toys. The energy, as infectious as it was, made her smile. And as she walked down the road to [[the castle gate]], she felt more at home than she had ever felt in her life.

<<set $alcove to "yes">>Climbing up the ladder to the alcove, she searched through the bookshelves at the top. A few times, she thought she found something and got excited, until she realized that it was not the map she was looking for. Disappointed, she descended back down the ladder to [[look elsewhere.|finding the map]]

<<audio "dramatic" fadeout>><<if $ateBlackberries is "no" and $ateSalad is "no" and $drankTea is "no">>Over the next few weeks, she became more confident in her ability to sneak out to the Safe Area. As the inner forest that surround Kotem, it was called the Safe Area because it was the only part of the forest that was deemed safe to venture into. The rest of the forest belonged to the Outskirts - the dangerous, outer forest that hardly any dared to stray into. Those that had were said to have never returned. She always gave the Outskirts a wide berth.\n\nThis night, however, was a special night, because she had just turned fifteen years of age. Her parents had forgotten, but that was not unusual. She had just made sure to give them plenty of wine that night at dinner - and it had worked just as planned. They had gone to bed early, which meant that she could have a nice dinner herself in the Safe Area. It was all she could have asked for on her birthday.\n\nLooking at her array of foods, she wondered which she should eat first:<<endif>><<if $ateBlackberries is "yes" or $ateSalad is "yes" or $drankTea is "yes">><<if $ateBlackberries is "no" or $ateSalad is "no" or $drankTea is "no">>Looking at her array of foods, she wondered which she should eat next:<<endif>><<endif>><<if $ateBlackberries is "no">>\n[[- blackberries|eating blackberries]]<<endif>><<if $ateSalad is "no">>\n[[- asparagus and clover salad|eating salad]]<<endif>><<if $drankTea is "no">>\n[[- dandelion tea|drinking tea]]<<endif>><<if $ateBlackberries is "yes" and $ateSalad is "yes" and $drankTea is "yes">>After all of the food, she laid back and looked at the stars contemplatively. In a few days, she would be leaving the cabin forever, along with everything she had ever known. She thought she would be afraid - she should be afraid - but [[all she felt was content.|escape]]\n<<endif>>

<<set $scrubWalls to "yes">>She scrubbed and scrubbed as she gritted her teeth. She had no idea how these walls had gotten so dirty, but she knew it was not her fault. It was rare she had enough time not working to have time to make anything dirty. [[Most of her time was spent cleaning up messes rather than making them.|doing her chores]]

That night, she made sure her parents were filled with food and plenty of wine. She had found some berries in the woods, berries that could induce sleep. These had been useful to her before, when she had had trouble sleeping - but now, she would use them to make her escape.\n\n//I hope this works,// she thought to herself. After squeezing the juice from the berries into the wine glasses, she waited for the berries to do their work. And to her relief, they did.\n\nHer parents started feeling drowsy after their third glass of wine, and they turned in as soon as dinner was finished. Her mother even forgot to order her to do the dishes.\n\nGrabbing her secret bag, which she had been stashing under the floorboards for weeks, she grabbed every last bit of food she could find, as well as a pocketknife. [[She hoped she would never need to use it.|Outskirts]]\n\nOnce she was done, she slung the bag onto her back and crept past her parents to the back door. For a moment she stood there, feeling a bit strange. //This is the last time I will ever have to be in this house,// she thought. She would not miss it. And then, she pushed through the door. She did not look back.

<<nobr>>\n\n<<set $washedClothes = "no">><<set $washedDishes = "no">><<set $darnedSocks = "no">><<set $potFlowers = "no">><<set $scrubWalls = "no">><<set $scrubFloor = "no">>\n\n<<set $ateBlackberries to "no">><<set $ateSalad to "no">><<set $drankTea to "no">>\n\n<<set $alcove to "no">><<set $west to "no">><<set $east to "no">>\n<<endnobr>><center><h2>vincit quae se vincit</h2>\n\nHeadphones are strongly recommended.\n\n[[Begin the story|Begin]]</center>

For the next few months, she decided to live in the old castle and make it her home. She made a makeshift bed for herself in the library, and spent much of her time pouring over old books and manuscripts, [[learning about the world.|something missing]]\n\nShe learned about kingdoms she had never heard of, with Kings and Queens and knights and fantastical battles - it was greater than she could ever imagine. She also learned the sadder tales, horrible ones about grief and war that made the battles seem grim. She had yet to learn anything of Norstharan, the kingdom that she had heard her father mention, but she had only brushed the surface of this place. The library had much more information to give.\n\nWhen she was not reading, she had busied herself by learning how to use the old swords and bows in the armory. It was difficult, as she had no teacher, so she tried her best to go off of knowledge found in books and drawings. It took her a month to learn how to string and shoot a bow properly. Another month passed before she managed to properly grip and swing a sword. It was a nice exercise for herself, and one day she realized that her body had become strong and muscular - she no longer bore any resemblance to the scared girl she had been months before. She was stronger and wiser. And for the first time in her life, she finally felt in control of where she was going.\n\n

<<set $potFlowers to "yes">>She tucked the last flower into the hanging flower bed and smiled. Her hands were covered in dirt. She had never minded gardening - it was nice and pleasant, even if it was a bit dirty. The flowers always looked so happy. Looking at them, she wished she could see what they were like in the wild. And then, she forced the thought away. [[Now was not the time.|doing her chores]]

//A house is not a home\nIf in a house one lives,\nAbandoned yet not lost\nWith nothing to forgive.\nWhere is home, if not a house?\nWhat is love, if one is lost?\nIs a wish made with words\nAs wishful as with naught?//\n\n[[>>|Begins]]

<<audio "dramatic" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>She had grown up in a rundown cabin, in the small town of Kotem. No other children lived there - at least, that is always what she had been told. It was the reason why she had never been allowed to go to school, or to leave the cabin. [[Kotem was not safe.|young adventure]] //It was what she had always been told.//

<<audio "birds" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>><<audio "oldCastle" fadeout>>Her journey took her far away, father than she had ever travelled before. Before she left, she had put on the lightest of the old armor, strapped on a sword, and brought her favorite bow and quiver, just in case. She was not sure what new dangers this journey would bring, but she knew she should be prepared.\n\nOver the course of her travels, she gained much knowledge about her kidnapping from the various towns and villages she came across. She had been one year old when she had been discovered missing from the palace nursery. The King and Queen had been off on a three-day trip to another kingdom as a courtesy visit - however, they had hurried back when they heard the news. The castle had been searched high and low, but nothing was found, except that a palace guard was missing. From the information gleaned, she assumed that the palace guard had been her pretend father.\n\nNo one seemed to know what the guard had gained from doing this, except perhaps leverage over the crown. She learned later that the guard had lost a son.\n\nKnowing this information, she could not bring herself to forgive her "adoptive" parents, but at least knowing some of the details gave her a sense of closure. She decided that she did not want to dwell on the past - rather, she would like to concentrate on creating a better future. And [[Norstharan|the nightmares go away]] would hopefully be the place to do just that.

<<if $isPlural is "true">>They<<else>>It<<endif>> seemed to be the only kindness that she ever received [[here.|Kotem]]

<<audio "rain" fadeout>><<audio "birds" fadeout>><<audio "oldCastle" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>It was only a week after her escape that she found the old castle.\n\nShe did not think it to be possible to hide something this big inside the forest, but then again, she was not actually sure how far she had traveled since she left the cabin.\n\n//This castle is beautiful,// she thought in awe. Much of the surrounding walls were in ruins, but it looked as if many parts of the structure were still intact. The bricks were old and mossy, and parts of the trees had grown around it to where it looked as if they were a part of the castle walls. \n\nThe first thing she did was take out her pocketknife - this castle looked well abandoned, but it was better to be safe than sorry. //Time to explore,// She thought cautiously and walked [[through a gap in the castle wall.|the armory]]

As the days went on, her parents became even angrier, if it was possible. It seemed that no matter what she did, it was never the way that they wanted her to. Nothing she did was ever right. It was rare that she made it through an entire week without somehow getting into trouble.\n\nThe many days that she had had her meals taken away as punishment had taken their toll. Her skin looked sallow and gaunt over her malnourished form. And she knew she would get no dinner tonight either - her mother had gotten angry and slapped her for being too slow with the washing earlier today. \n\nLooking into the mirror, she fought back the pangs of hunger as she washed up, trying to ignore the red mark on her face. To her surprise, a few tears escaped her eyes.\n\n//I have to get out of here,// She thought wistfully. //[[I have to get out of here.|the outdoors]]//

/*removing the sidebar that SugarCube automatically has*/\n\n$("#ui-bar").remove();\n$(document.head).find("#style-ui-bar").remove();

<<set $drankTea to "yes">>The first time she made her father tea, he had thrown the cup back at her face because she had over steeped it. The water had been so hot, it had burned her face and even given her a few blisters. She had only been six - how could she have known any better? However, she was more than used her parents treating her unfairly. [[She just never knew why.|fifteenth birthday]]

<<set $washedClothes to "yes">>Using a washboard was a beast in its own right. //I shall be strong enough to kill a bear after this//, she thought to herself wearily after finally finishing her mother's clothes. //Why does a woman who never goes outside own so many outfits?// Even though she was the only one who was not allowed outside, her parents rarely left the house either. And when they did, it was usually her father going to the market. He always kept his face hidden.\n\nWhen she had been younger, she had been brave enough to ask, "Why do you cover your face when you go to the market?"\n\nHis eyes had flashed with anger at the impromptu question before he had answered simply, "You can never be too careful," and walked out the door. She had never quite understood what he had to hide. \n\nComing out of the reverie, she sighed and started washing her father's clothes. [[It was looking to be a long night.|doing her chores]]

<center>[[The End|credits]]</center>

<<nobr>>\n<<audio "rain" volume 0 fadein loop>>\n\n<<endnobr>><<set $isPlural = "false">><<set $escaped = "no">>[[She had always liked the Spring.|rain]]

Sleeping in the woods was one of the things that she was least excited for on [[this journey.|when is the night?]] While the Outskirts had not proven themselves to be as bad as people had said, they were certainly the most terrifying woods she had ever been into. She kept [[jumping at her own shadow|nightmares]].

<<audio "oldCastle" fadeout>><<audio "birds" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>No sooner had a year passed that she was more sure of herself than she had ever been - and yet, a lingering sadness had started to follow her. Each day, she woke up, trained her weaponry skills, read in the library, and went to sleep. It was all well and good, but she felt almost...lonely. As if some part of her, her purpose, was unfulfilled. //It is not fair of me to complain,// she thought one day as she was practicing target shooting with her bow. //Not after everything I've been through. Everything is nice here, nearly perfect. So...why do I feel as if [[there is something missing?|the lost princess]]//

<<set $darnedSocks to "yes">>The third time she stabbed herself with the needle, she actually drew blood. Cursing quietly, she sucked on that finger, surveying the huge pile of socks that were yet to be repaired. She sighed. Making sure her finger was no longer bleeding, she got back to work, doing her best to be careful. It would be a while before she was [[finally finished.|doing her chores]]

Just after her parents had gone asleep, she rose from her blankets, fully dressed. If she did not find another way to get food, she would surely starve in this house. //This idea is mad,// she thought to herself as she snuck towards the back door. //But I must do something for myself.//\n\nEdging herself out the door, her breathing stopped when the door creaked. She paused for a moment, but heard no change with her parents. Relieved, she slipped out the door, and looked around in wonder.\n\nAll around her stood trees that were over ten times as tall as their small cabin. Patches of grass, moss, and wildflowers littered the ground, and through the canopy of trees, she could see a blanket of stars. She breathed in deeply, and smiled at the variety of smells that this strange new world had to offer. [[Never in all her life|fifteenth birthday]] would she have thought that Kotem was so beautiful.\n\n

<<set $washedDishes to "yes">>Washing the dishes was a task that she usually enjoyed, even if it was laborious. She thought it was most likely because of the peace and quiet. Her parents tended to stay away from her when she was doing the dishes. On a normal day, she might have prolonged the process, just to enjoy her solitude. Today, however, she was quick, knowing there was [[much else to do.|doing her chores]]

vincit quae se vincit

After walking down a few empty and dusty passages, partially invaded by plant life, she came across an old wooden door. It seemed a bit more intact than some of the other parts of the castle she had seen. //I wonder what is inside?// She mused, and she put her pocketknife away so that she could push on the door with both hands. For a moment, it would not budge - and then, it swung open. Losing her balance, she fell on the floor. Cursing, she pushed herself up, dusting off dirt, and then, she froze.\n\nShe was standing in the middle of an armory. That is what it looked like, anyways, with rows of swords, bows, quivers, and armor, covered in cobwebs and dust. Walking up to the nearest shield, she blew off a bit of the dust, and revealed a symbol. It looked a bit like the Sun, except there was a bird in the middle. [[She wondered curiously what it signified.|the library]]

<<audio "rain" fadeout>><<audio "birds" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>Her paranoia that her parents would follow her only made her walk faster. She knew of a place, however, that they would never dare go. And so, it is exactly where she went. It had always been the plan.\n\nShe came to a stop right before the Outskirts. //Well, here we go,// she thought nervously. In the town, there was part of the forest that was deemed the Safe Area. This was the area she had always gone to, every time she had ever snuck out, because she had heard the stories. Then again, she was not even sure that the stories were true. \n\nNo physical line separated the Outskirts from the Safe Area, but it was not needed. The trees became taller and more twisted, covered in all sorts of moss and growing closer together, causing the air to be thicker. Everything became darker - the tree canopy nearly shut out all sunlight to the point that daytime was difficult to distinguish from night.\n\nNo one who had entered the Outskirts had ever returned. [[This was where she was going.|sleeping in the woods]]

<<audio "dramatic" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>Her father came back early that day. Usually when he took a trip to the market, he was home rather late, just in time for supper. He looked more shaken than she had ever seen him. \n\nHer mother immediately ushered the girl out of the room, and she was sent to wash the clothes again. However, as soon as her mother left, she crept to just outside of the room to listen. \n\n"The rumors are spreading!" Her father hissed. She could hear him pacing. "If they find -"\n\n"They will not," [[her mother snapped.|changed reflection]] "Norstharan is far away. As long as we keep on as we have been, it will be fine. They are just rumors - let us not lose our heads."\n\nThere was silence for a moment - and then, she heard footsteps coming towards her. She darted back into the washing room, hoping they would not discover her, while thinking, hard. //What is Norstharan?// She wondered as she resumed the washing. //And who is //they?// What are they trying to find?//\n\n\n\n

<<audio "dramatic" fadeout>><<if $washedClothes is "no" and $washedDishes is "no" and $darnedSocks is "no" and $potFlowers is "no" and $scrubWalls is "no" and $scrubFloor is "no">>She had been caught outside today again. For it, not only would she have no meals for a week, but she also had been given a lot of chores - washing all of the clothes, washing all of the dishes, darning the worst of the socks, re-potting the windowsill flowers. She had even been tasked with scrubbing the entire floor and walls with a toothbrush. She sighed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. It was going to be a long night if she did not finish all of this soon. All she had wanted to do was see the stars. Why did they not at least allow her that luxury?\n\n<<endif>><<if $washedClothes is "no" or $washedDishes is "no" or $darnedSocks is "no" or $potFlowers is "no" or $scrubWalls is "no" or $scrubFloor is "no">>She checked her to-do list to see how much she had left:<<endif>><<if $washedClothes is "no">>\n[[- wash the clothes|wash clothes]]<<endif>><<if $washedDishes is "no">>\n[[- wash the dishes|wash dishes]]<<endif>><<if $darnedSocks is "no">>\n[[- darn the socks|darn the socks]]<<endif>><<if $potFlowers is "no">>\n[[- re-pot the flowers|re-pot flowers]]<<endif>><<if $scrubWalls is "no">>\n[[- scrub the walls|scrub walls]]<<endif>><<if $scrubFloor is "no">>\n[[- scrub the floor|scrub floor]]<<endif>><<if $washedClothes is "yes" and $washedDishes is "yes" and $darnedSocks is "yes" and $potFlowers is "yes" and $scrubWalls is "yes" and $scrubFloor is "yes">>She laid down on the floor underneath her blankets, completely exhausted. Her stomach growled in protest at its lack of supper. //I am sorry//, she thought to her stomach. //I am starting to wish I had [[never gone outside at all.|rumours]]//<<endif>>

<<set $isPlural = "false">>She liked the [[rain|flowers]].\n\n[[>>|preface]]

She had been walking for hours, and yet, the noise still bothered her. The Outskirts had a way of [[playing with the mind|nightmares]]; she kept feeling as if there were eyes glaring at the back of her head. More than once, she thought she had heard someone call for her, and had found no one there. //Is it day or night?// She wondered, looking up into the dark canopy of the trees. //Oh, what I would not give [[to see the Sun.|the old castle]]//

<<set $scrubFloor to "yes">>Her back ached as she finished scrubbing the last corner of the kitchen. She had had to empty the bucket multiple times in order to clean up the amount of mud her father had tracked inside the house. With her arm, she reached up and wiped the sweat off of her brow, thinking. //Where does he go that gets his shoes so covered in mud?// She wondered. //Nowhere in town is that dirty. It must be somewhere in the Safe Area. I doubt even he would risk going to The Outskirts.// However, she kept her thoughts to herself. She knew all a question would earn her is [[more chores.|doing her chores]]

She had mixed feelings about going home, mostly because she was not sure if home was where she was going. //Home// was never a word that she had been familiar with in a way that she could connect to it, in a way that she could understand. This castle had always been a temporary home, though it was probably the closest thing to a home she had ever had. And the cabin could never have been considered a home. At the same time, she had also never felt like there was a place she truly belonged. Perhaps that place was Norstharan. \n\n//I will not know until I get there,// she thought. //If it is bad, I can always come back...// She glanced around the great library. Yes, she could always [[come back|the journey]] - but for now, it was time to leave.

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//The nightmares come a lot less frequently,// she thought to herself as she was busying herself making a meager dinner. //It is like with every physical [[step forward|coming home]], I am taking a step away from the bad dreams. Perhaps someday soon, they will disappear altogether.//

<<set $east to "yes">>She searched through the bookshelves, but to no avail. All of these books seemed to be on astronomy. She would have to [[keep looking.|finding the map]]

<<set $west to "yes">>The bookshelves over here were mostly empty and full of cobwebs, but in the books to be found in here, she found no map of any kind. She was disheartened by this, but decided to [[move on.|finding the map]]

<<set $isPlural = "true">>She liked the [[flowers|wind]].\n\n[[>>|preface]]

Walking up to the castle gate, she felt a bit nervous. What if they threw her out? And then, she took a deep breath. She had nothing to fear here.\n\nTaking a few final steps forward, she stopped in front of the castle gate guards. \n\n"Who are you?" The one on the left asked gruffly.\n\nShe swallowed and then, removed the armored helmet from her head. Before she could speak, the guards both gasped.\n\n"Princess?" The one on the right whispered. \n\nOverwhelmed, she felt unexpected tears fall from her eyes as she smiled at the awed faces before her. "Yes," she whispered back. "And I would very much like to go [[home|the end]]."

<<audio "rain" volume 0 fadein loop>><<audio "birds" fadeout>>//Monsters came in the night. They surrounded her, with their flashing red and black lights, undefined darkness filled with spikes that were clawing towards her throat. In their voices, she could hear her parents' voices. They cursed her for leaving home. They cursed her for her foolishness. Foul words and cruelty threatened to devour her. She closed her eyes and they [[faded away.|the old castle]]//\n\nThe nightmares came [[nearly every night|when is the night?]] afterwards.

<<set $isPlural = "true">>She liked the [[animals|rain]].\n\n[[>>|preface]]

<h2>vincit quae se vincit</h2>\n\nThis story was created as a project by Katelyn Lindsey while she was in college. The actual story was developed in Twine, while Audacity and Photoshop were used for images and audio. The concept for this story came from Katelyn spending too much time reading fantasy books as a child.\n\nMusic:\n[[Field Recording - Rain Storm by Abstraction|https://soundcloud.com/abstraction/abstraction-rain-storm-field?in=katelyn-lindsey-940174808/sets/twine-project]]\n[[Pomona more bird noises by smeeee!|https://soundcloud.com/smeeee/pomona-more-bird-noises]]\nAll music was edited in Audacity by Katelyn Lindsey.\nAll other music composed by Katelyn Lindsey.\n\nPhotos:\n[[A rustic log cabin by anoldent |http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/17601]]\n[[Hohenzollern Castle - Stuttgart, Germany by Jim Trodel|https://www.flickr.com/photos/trodel/3801987960]]\nAll images were edited in Photoshop by Katelyn Lindsey.\nAll other images were in the public domain.\n\n[[Check out other projects made by Katelyn Lindsey!|http://katelynlindsey.co/]]

<<set $ateSalad to "yes">>The preparations had been started a few weeks in advance. She had used one of her old shirts, washed and sown together to create a cloth bag with a few pockets. Inside, she had slowly gathered materials - a small tin cup to use to boil water, spare flint and steel, a few bandages, a healing salve of her own making, and a waterskin. All of it, she had nicked from the house when her parents were not looking. Since [[all of the food|fifteenth birthday]] in their house was perishable, she did not bother to steal it yet - she would find more of it when she finally made her escape. All she hoped for now was that her crazy plan would work.

<<audio "birds" fadeout>><<audio "rain" volume 0 fadein loop>>A terrible storm raged that night. The wind howled and screeched, while the rain leaked through cracks in the ceiling. She did her best to find containers to put underneath the leaks, so that they did not ruin her precious books, before settling down for the night. \n\nThe next morning, she walked outside to find all sorts of debris littered around the castle, brought there during the storm. One thing in particular caught her eye. It was a "missing" poster - at first, she had a fleeting moment of fear that perhaps her parents had been looking for her. Upon further examination, however, she realized it was not the case. \n\n"Missing for fifteen years, the Princess of Norstharan is still dearly missed by the King and Queen," she read softly. "Rumours were told that she was seen in the village of -" she froze and looked at the poster with wide eyes. "Kotem," she whispered. "While this sighting was ten years ago, it is ordered by the King and Queen that anyone with information regarding this shall come forth immediately." \n\n//How can that be true?// She wondered. //The only child in that town was...// She gasped and ran towards the library, an impossible thought running through her mind. //Impossible//, she thought to herself, //Impossible.// Scrambling around for the book she had been reading on Norstharan days ago, she opened it and flipped through the pages feverishly, trying to find the drawing she was looking for. \n\n"Me," she whispered, and she started shaking. The drawing was old, but there was no mistaking it - the picture of the King and Queen, though the picture was years old, stood in front of her. And in the Queen's face, the resemblance was clear. [[She was looking at her family.|the thieves]]

<<audio "dramatic" fadeout>><<audio "rain" fadeout>><<audio "oldCastle" fadeto .1 loop>><<if $alcove is "no" and $west is "no" and $east is "no">>//Now, how to get there,// she mused a few days later, pouring over old books and manuscripts. She had been trying for days now to discover exactly where Norstharan was, but to no avail. Most of the books were focused on history, and as she found out, kingdoms were quite secretive about their locations in case the wrong people came visiting. \n\n//It is no good,// she said, closing the last of the books in the pile. //I will have to look elsewhere.// She glanced around the library, wondering where to look first.<<endif>><<if $alcove is "yes" or $west is "yes" or $east is "yes">><<if $alcove is "no" or $west is "no" or $east is "no">>She glanced around the library, wondering where to look next.<<endif>><<endif>><<if $alcove is "no">>\n[[- the alcove|the alcove]]<<endif>><<if $west is "no">>\n[[- the west bookshelf|west bookshelf]]<<endif>><<if $east is "no">>\n[[- the east bookshelf|east bookshelf]]<<endif>><<if $alcove is "yes" and $west is "yes" and $east is "yes">>She was beginning to lose hope, having looked everywhere she could think of, when she spotted a rolled up paper hiding beneath a pile of unsorted books. Hurrying over to it, she carefully unrolled it - and found that it was an old map! She worried that it might be inaccurate due to age, but all she could do is hope that it was accurate enough to [[bring her home.|packing]]<<endif>>

<<cacheaudio "birds" "audio/birds.mp3">>\n<<cacheaudio "rain" "audio/rain.mp3">>\n<<cacheaudio "dramatic" "audio/dramatic.mp3">>\n<<cacheaudio "oldCastle" "audio/pianoOldCastle.mp3">>\n<<cacheaudio "norstharan" "audio/norstharan.mp3">>\n

<<audio "dramatic" volume 0 fadeto .1 loop>>She had so many questions, but none was greater than the anger she felt build up inside her. Her head was reeling and spinning as she realized that she had never been meant to live in that cabin. Never. //Why?// She asked, though she did not know the answer. //After all of this time. They were never even my parents - those thieves! What purpose did this ever serve? What purpose did I serve, except to be a servant in their home?// She screamed aloud in frustration, tears rolling down her face at the childhood she had had taken from her. At sixteen now, the first fifteen years of her life had been stolen from her. //No wonder they never wanted me to go outside,// She thought bitterly. //They were too worried I would be recognized. If only I would have known - if only I would have seen this earlier - I could have escaped into the market and been taken home.// \n\nRegret raged within her, and she cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. She had never looked like either of them, those thieves, but she had always assumed that she had been adopted. After all, growing up her whole life there, she had never considered to think anything differently of it. It was simply the lot she had been given in life. If only she had known sooner how wrong she was. \n\nTrying to calm herself down, she looked around. As fond as she had grown of this place, she wanted to go home - to her true home. She wanted back the life that had been robbed of her. And she was going to get it, no matter [[how far|finding the map]] it may be.

A girl serves these two people (husband and wife) that apparently adopted her (but unbeknownst to her until later, they actually stole her). They basically use her as a slave, and live in an extremely small house on the outskirts of a small village, near a mountain filled with a dense forest that most don't dare to venture into.\nGrowing up this way forced her to become resourceful. She snuck into their books when she could and learned about what berries and various things she could forage from the woods for extra food, as they basically starved her. She even learned how to set traps to catch small animals and could properly cook them, due to having to cook and serve food to her "adoptive parents". \n\nWhen she is slightly older (perhaps 10 or 12), she decides to run away into those woods. She is quick enough to get away in the night without anyone noticing (though no doubt, they looked for their servant in the morning). She stumbles across the ruins of an old castle in the dense woods somewhere, and decides to stay there.\n\nYears pass, and she discovers the old library inside the castle. She learns from them, and the murals, and when she finds the old armory, she decides to learn to fight.\n\nShe learns of her heritage from one of the tapestries - and reads about it in her books. The lost princess, she is the lost princess, and she was stolen. She decides that she will find her kingdom and reclaim her heritage - as well as go back and kill the ones that stole her from her parents. \n\n\n\nFights against dark creatures (undefined) - reminiscent of someone with anxiety. Has to overcome her struggles and reclaim her throne.\n\n\n\n^Main story\n\n\nPossible different endings:\n\n+ runs away, learns about her parents, and goes home to her parents\n\n\t-> may take vegan or meat-eating path\n\t\t*vegan will make her friends with all animals\n\t\t*meat-eating will make her friends with predators\n\t-> can choose to either kill or not kill people who stole her\n\t-> \n\n+ runs away, does not learn about her parents, and doesn't return to parents\n\t*note: it is not from lack of searching, but information about her parents just won't be there due to certain events\n\t\n\t-> may take vegan or meat-eating path\n\t\t*vegan will make her friends with all animals\n\t\t*meat-eating will make her friends with predators\n\t-> decides to leave and go on adventures around the world\n\t-> decides to stay and live a peaceful life in the mountains\n\n\n\n***end with castle guard at actual parents' castle asking her who she is (the story ends before she answers, because you never know her name)\n\n

Katelyn Lindsey

The anger fades away\nThough the Sunlight does not last\nAnd as I travel far away from here\nThere is no turning back\nIt follows me in sleep\nAnd it tears my smiles away\nNo amount of distance can I reach\nTo keep the dreams at bay\n\nThe cabin fades away\nThough the lingering darkness spreads\nAnd the Sunlight cannot reach me here\nThe trees will bring its death\nAs I close my eyes and dream\nIt follows me in sleep\nThen the monsters come to join me here\n\n//I step out on this road\nUnaware of where it leads\nAll I know is I must journey forth\nWhere they cannot reach\n\nThe anger fades away\nThough the lingering darkness spreads\nAnd the Sunlight cannot reach me here\nThe trees bring its death\n\n//\n\n<!--intro song-->\nA house is not a home\nIf in a house one lives\nAbandoned yet not lost\nWith no love to give\nWhere is home, if not a house?\nWhere is love, if 'tis not lost?\nIs a wish made with words\nAs wishful as with naught?\n\n

When she was young, she had [[wandered|doing her chores]] into town without her parents knowing. Being a small and wooded town, it did not take long for people to take notice of the little girl, seemingly alone and dressed in rags. She wandered around the market in the center of town, looking curiously at little knick-knacks she had never seen before. Her parents had never bought her any toys, and she was having a marvelous time. It was a while before anyone spoke to her.\n\n"Young lady, where are your parents?" A concerned elderly woman finally asked. The girl jumped, and started feeling incredibly self-conscious. She had never talked to a stranger before.\n\n"She looks strange," another murmured to his friend, scratching his chin. "Not from around here, are you, miss?"\n\nBy this time, a small crowd had gathered around her. She got more and more uncomfortable, wondering what she should say to this new experience - until her parents came storming into the circle.\n\n"Oh, we were so worried!" Her mother exclaimed, feigning tears, though the girl could tell she was murderously angry. She trembled as her mother picked her up and walked away, father in tow. They took her away from the crowd, while the townsfolk all whispered suspiciously at their backs.

<<set $ateBlackberries to "yes">>She sat and contemplated a plan that she had been thinking of for a long time. She knew that she could survive off of the forest - she had been doing it for weeks now. And she was more than tired of living in a place where all she received was anger and hate. She wanted to be free of all of it.\n\nAnd thinking of her parents' cryptic conversation, she was certain that her parents had something to hide - and she did not wish to be caught in the middle of it all. //I may be their daughter,// she thought to herself, //but I will not take the fall for [[their mistakes.|fifteenth birthday]]//

<<set $isPlural = "false">>She liked the [[wind|animals]].\n\n[[>>|preface]]

She had no idea how a library this huge was still intact, but it was.\n\nPartially underground, the old castle library was filled with hundreds of books, more books than she had ever seen in her life. Reading was a thing that she had only been allowed to do sparingly when she was young, and so now, she felt as if she was in heaven.\n\n//I can learn about the world!// She thought excitedly. //There must be history books in here, and fairytales, and songs. [[Oh, I may never leave here.|castle home]]//