1 Chapter I

Lucas was in her bed, closing her eyes, and pretending to sleep. She didn't want to go to supper, though she was very hungry. She hadn't eaten all day, but Reynolah, her "mum", made her mad, very very mad, for the following reasons: One, Lucas knows that Reynolah isn't her real mum, but Reynolah still makes Lucas call her "Mum"; two, Lucas has always wanted to be a warrior as Reynolah always says, "No! that's the mans job, and you are perfectly fine here so why do you want to be one?"

Lucas would reply, "Because I hate you! You aren't even my real mum!" But no matter how hard she tried, Reynolah always said, "No!"

"Ugh," She thought. All she wanted to do right now was go to the wild part of the island, where she was free, and hunt. That was not going to happen.

"Lucas!" She heard Reynolah call, "It's time for supper."

"Uhh," Lucas moaned.

Reynolah came into the room "Oh?" she said "Lucas, I know you are not sleeping," She sighed

"Leave me alone!"

"Come to supper."

"Leave."

Reynolah sighed again and looked up, as if to the sky and said, "Look, I know you're mad at me, but I am just trying to protect you."

"Why?!" Shouted Lucas, "Why do you want to protect me? You aren't even my real mum!"

Reynolah sighed again. They had gone through this a thousand times, "You were not yet five when I found you."

"You mean when you kidnapped me?" Mumbled Lucas.

"I care about you Lucas. I just want you safe."

"Well maybe you do," Mumbled Lucas, "and maybe you don't. Either way I am going to bed now if you don't mind, I am tired and I need the sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight and sweet dreams, I love you Lucas."

Lucas ignored those last words, and fell into a the pits of her dreams.

In her dreams, Lucas saw a forest, a beautiful but terrifying place. She'd never seen anything like it. Grazing next to the forest she saw a gazelle. Lucas was in the forest, stalking her prey, and at the last second she leapt out at it. Though really, she... She crawled, the gazelle tried to get away but it couldn't. It was then, that Lucas realized that she was a giant spider. She awoke with a start, for she did not want to finish that dream.

"What was such a beautiful creature doing in such a horrible place anyway?" she wondered to herself.

She sat up and walked to the window, and looked at the sky, she loved the stars. She looked around for the moon, and couldn't see it. "Well," She thought, "It must be nearing dawn." For her window was on the East, and she could see the colours changing every second.

She got dressed in her hunting clothes, (black leggings; brown, leather combat boots; a short sleeved shirt; and a dark green cloak/cape) grabbed her bow and quiver, and went outside.

On her way to the wild part of the island, she quietly walked through the village. She didn't want to wake everyone up. She walked across a rotten wood bridge, (nearly falling apart) into the woods. But she'd have to go further then this, for the animals knew the village was here.

About halfway through the walk, she passed a creek. To get over it, Lucas walked a little further upstream, to a fallen tree. This, she walked halfway across. She looked at her reflection in the water. Her straight, light-golden hair pulled back in a long dutch braid.

She took off her boots, set them on the ground, set her bow down, and sat on the log. It was high off the water. Dangling her legs, her toes gently stroked the surface of the water. Lost in thought, she didn't notice two fawns and a doe were grazing nearby.

Due to a loud crunch from the doe's grazing, Lucas quickly snapped back to her senses. Slowly, she looked at the deer; when they weren't looking, she moved for her bow. She had set it down.

Quickly, but quietly, Lucas nocked arrow. Slowly, she drew the string. Lucas was aiming for the big one. She let go of the string, and hit it, naturally. She was very good at aim and rarely missed, in fact, she could hit a birds eye in the dark if she wanted.

Quickly she drew another arrow and shot. She got another one of the deer, but the last one got away.

She used her knife (which was sheathed on her leg), to throw at the deer, because she did not want it to be barely alive and kill her. She did this with the other as well.

She put on her boots and slung the two deer over her shoulder. Slowly, she trudged along homeward.

She didn't want to go home to Reynolah, but Reynolah always cleaned her game.

"Another fun day in Middle Earth..." Lucas mumbled.

When she got back to the house, Reynolah was, of-course, awake.

Lucas sighed, then dropped the doe on the table. She put the fawn on two chairs.

"Nice game," said Reynolah.

Lucas nodded, "But I am going back out."

"Why?"

"Because there was another deer, and I just want to be alone right now. Is that fine with you?"

"Yep, just wondering. And don't get lost Lucas!" She yelled.

Lucas rolled her eyes, "You know I won't ."

"You can never be too sure," Reynolah replied.

Lucas rolled her eyes again, this time out of annoyance, and left the house.

"Bye!" she heard Reynolah shout behind her.

Lucas went back to the forest and across the log. She followed the creek upstream for a bit to a small waterfall. She took off her boots, waded into the water, and found a few nice skipping rocks that were the same size as her palm.

She started skipping the rocks downstream.

When Lucas was out of skipping rocks, she sat on the edge of the stream, dangling her feet in the clear spring-water.

Lucas looked at her wrist. There was a bracelet there, made of silver. The chain was connected to a small, delicate flower, made also of silver. It has a single white gem in the centre. The flower was about half the size of our penny, and the gem the size of a hummingbird's eye.

The bracelet was a gift from her true parents, for her fourth birthday. About two moons after this, she fell asleep and woke up on the forest floor. That is where Reynolah found her, crying.

Lucas had always thought that Reynolah kidnapped her, but of-course she hadn't.

Right now all Lucas was thinking about was her family, and memories with them. She remembers very little, not even one name.

With her father though, she remembers the first and the last time she ever drew a bow with him. She, obviously, hit the deer. She remembers a younger brother, and a mother too. Ugh, how she wished she remembered their names!

Lucas snapped back into reality and looked at the sun, it was well before noon. she stood up and thought, "I'm gonna ask Reynolah if I can spend the night outside."

When Lucas got home, she went into her room, and grabbed her knife. It was a decent sized knife, about 10' long even. She went into the dinette to ask Reynolah if she could sleep outside tonight.

"Reynolah?" She asked.

"Call me Mum, and yes?"

"Erm can, well can I sleep outside tonight?"

"Nice try, but no."

"Aw come on, pleeaase?"

"Lucas, I really don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't, I promise. Besides the tree-house is perfectly safe!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"The tree won't fall down?"

"Not in a hundred years!"

"So you,as an elf, will still be alive to see it happen?"

"Mum. Not funny, but yes."

"Fine. Just stay safe okay?"

"Yessss! I will! Thank you soo much!"

"Okay eat your supper."

"Okay!"

Lucas got ready for her night in the woods. She got a couple extra sets of clothes, her knife, and her bow and arrows. Reynolah supplied her with plenty of food.

Lucas nodded and said, "Thanks!"

Reynolah just replied, "No problem, just don't get lost or hurt."

"I wont Mum!"

Lucas ran out the door and heard Reynolah call after her, "Don't get lost! I love you!"