In the darkest corners of the woods where beasts of all kinds dwelled, there happened to be a school. Silver Crown Academy - A place run by a fairy and dedicated entirely to educating young princesses. Cascade, of course, needs such people. The meritocracy demands that only the most bold heroes and poised princesses take the throne. A fortress of stone and wood is where our story takes place, beloved reader. Where the doors to the outside world are locked during the school year, and only those invited may enter.

In this castle in the woods, Silver Crown Academy, there happened to be a room. A large, important looking place. Where tables decorated with white clothes unmarred by spills and stains were lined up in straight rows. Food was laid neatly on plates brought in and out by jovial servants - mice, doves, deer, and all forms of woodland creatures. Rows of forks, spoons, and knives needed to be worked through from the inside out. And instead of wine glasses, the girls present in the room were served tea. Music from animated instruments floated across the oak floors.

At the head of the room was a single, larger table. There were seven seats perched around them… All but two were empty. One belonging to the Headmistress, dubbed by the students to be a Fairy Godmother (Simply due to the wings that marked the edge of her rotund form), Madame Fae. The other girl was one who was new - a visitor who had likely been invited to the school for that night alone. The place she sat at had been hastily made, so all of the chair were relatively close together.

A glass was raised as the tunes that flowed through the air came to a halt. Then the sharp noise of the back of a spoon hitting a glass rang out. Linda was standing and smiling, “A friend of mine, the Court Sorceress, recently had a vision,” She glanced across the room, and slowly her smile fell, “In twelve moons his Majesty will, unfortunately, pass away. She isn’t sure how, or if this fate can be avoided, but as long as I have known her Belle's sight has been true.”

Eleanor who was one of many girls sitting at the tables, listened quietly as Miss. Linda stood up and began to speak. As she sat listening though she took subtle sips of her tea. Although the tea itself was good, Eleanor much preferred the rose tea her grandmother used to make for her when she used to live back home. Still, beggars can't be choosers as they say so she just drank it with a faint smile. When she heard Miss. Linda talk about the king though, it peaked her interest if not but a little. She wondered at how someone had the power to predict such things as death. It was fascinating in it's own right and as such made her wonder if it was a god given talent to have such visions or if it was something one could learn to do over time.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

Tarina also sat on her designated chair and watched the 'fairy tale elements with an incredulous look upon her face.  Sure, there were a slew of strange, magical tales that were almost regarded as history... but to actually 'see' woodland creatures serving dinner and floating instruments was another thing entirely.  Dayspring was still a place of relative normalcy (despite the Curse and other minor bouts of magic).  Who knew what other strange things she was going to encounter at the academy?  Still, Tarina managed a murmured 'thank you' at all the right times to the food staff.  The tea was especially nice!  I'm going to have to watch what I say around the animals here, any of them could be spies.  As for these animated objects... lets just hope the walls really don't have ears.

Dressed in her recently reworked academy dress (tailoring was a national craft among the Dayspring Fiefdom), Tarina seemed an elegant addition to the setting.  Her free flowing hair hung snugly around her shoulders, it red hue contrasting against the blonde, brown, & black hair of others.  Tarina's green eyes shifted from setting details, to her other peers, and finally to her academy hostess.  Throughout the 'prophecy', her lips pursed together in an expression of deep thought (was this a new opportunity?).  However the most noticeable thing about Tarina... was the armored guardswoman who stood directly behind her seat.  Joanna Talonfree was all business (and looked it too).  She gave the back of Tarina's chair a light rap and hissed an instruction into the ear of her young charge.  "Offer condolences, now."

Tarina honestly couldn't muster much sympathy for a distance monarch she'd never actually met (not when she had her own problems), but she spoke up nonetheless.  Tarina forced herself to sound at least sincere.

"Ahem, we are saddened to hear it... Madam Fae.  Perhaps a toast to the King's health is in order?"

From Rosegold's perspective as a new student, this dinner was very confusing. She was being brought food by... food. The only difference being that the former had already been gathered and cooked, while the latter was apparently raised for serving rather than eating. She'd never seen anything like it back home. Nor had she seen such a variety of silverware allotted to each person like this. She hoped they weren't meant for specific uses that she couldn't discern from looking at them, because formal dining had never been a priority back home.

More alarming was the fact that one of the students had a fully armored, and presumably armed, guard with her. Since the only thing she'd brought with her to the dinner was her umbrella (not counting her eyepatch, anyways), she made sure it was close at her side in case she needed to try and parry an unexpected blow with it. Still, despite her misgivings, she wasn't about to let food and drink go to waste. And the music was nice, too. So she tucked in promptly as soon as she was served, though she at least had the good manners to eat quietly and with her mouth shut.

She wasn't really sure what to make of the announcement. In her experience, the death of a leader invited strife and chaos. Presumably a king would be much more so, but she didn't know anyone here well enough to know how it would affect them. Tarina spoke first, though, and Rosegold thought she could follow her lead. "Yes... that's too bad," she said softly. Rosegold wasn't exactly shy, but she usually wasn't loud by nature, either.

Shira nodded at Rosegold's sentiment. Despite them coming to these halls to become the next ruler, to hear that the man who walked the same path once, rising to the calls of heroism to rule this kingdom... was dying, was very sad.

"Yes... " she looked at Tarina, "we should hope for his health. His Majesty should be cheered on even if his end cannot be averted. His words spread to every corner after all. Even if the leaves and petals are destined to dissolve in winter's winds, how we would mourn if they chose not to rise and paint our world in a thousand colors for the days they last. Pray tell, Fairy Godmother, how might we help king and kingdom in their time of need?" She placed one hand to her heart and posed her other to the Headmistress, as though pleading for words to be placed in her hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:27, Fri 21 Oct 2016.

Linda looked across the room with her bright blue eyes. Each of the girls seemed to be offering their support for the King. She raised her own glass, nodding to Tarina, "Here, here. To the life of our precious King," With that, she took a sip from the cup that she had in front of her. But, the moment of mourning didn't last for long. Because within moments of her pupils taking a swig of their own drinks, she set her glass back down on the table.

Once again the woman continued, her long wings twitching ever so slightly with her movements, "We do not know how his Majesty will die at the moment. So, until we have that knowledge, there is no way to avoid his death. He could, for example, grow ill or be trampled by horses. An assassin could sneak into the palace and stab him through the heart, a rogue servant could smother him in his sleep. There are hundreds upon hundreds of ways for a man to die."

"However, there is yet hope for the Kingdom," She held one hand out to the other woman at the table, "I would like to introduce you all to the illustrious Clara Beraht. She is here with us because of her abilities as a Magician and a Writer. The King, Court Sorceress Belle, and I have hand-selected her to help the people choose the next Queen within the months before the King dies."

"Over the next two semesters, we will have several competitions that will show off each of your skills. All of said tournaments will be reported to the peoples of Cascade. In the end, they will decide with a vote who is most fit to become the new Queen. Her Majesty will be crowned in thirteen months time."

Tarina looked at Shira, visibly stunned by the sheer floweriness of the other girl's statement.  She'd never heard its like before, even from the minstrels of her homeland.  That said, references to the sun, daytime, and birds of prey... were fairly common in Dayspring's political speeches and literature (generally flavored in Fire & Brimstone).  Hearing something 'nice' was certainly a change.  Tarina wasn't sure whether Shira was hamming up her performance or 'speaking normally'.  Unpicking the general 'gist' of the speech, Tarina just nodded along... and then raised her teacup when Linda seconded the toasting.

Listening along to the Fairy's briefing, Tarina turned over a few thoughts in her head and glanced in the direction of the King's Writer.  This woman would be important and therefore it served Tarina's benefit to learn more of Clara.  The thought of becoming Queen was (in Tarina's own opinion) pretty fanciful.  She was only here because her father wanted her out of Dayspring and 'kept safe'.  He'd have a fit if she won the competition... and her sisters would go green with envy, especially given their 'superior' breeding.  However if ever there was an incentive for Tarina to participate, that was it.  Even if she didn't win, Tarina could fight the discrimination against 'her kind' back home.  A small smile formed on her lips.

Joanna stood quietly through the conversation, seeming genuinely saddened by the King's impending demise.  However when Linda indicated that all the girls (especially Tarina) would compete to be queen, the guardswoman looked like she had swallowed a rotten lemon.  How could she fulfill Lord Mason's commands under such scrutiny?  Joanna silently resolved to pen & send a letter to her liege as soon as possible.  The best course of action was to pull Tarina out of the academy and offer up his other daughters to the contest...

Anemone had been quiet as her mentor talked about the fate of the King and their own fates. It was a strange thing. She knew just how powerful Seers could be. They could determine what would happen in the future, investigate the events of the past, or even go as far as to communicate with those who had passed long before they were born. She had met plenty of other Seers... And never before had their visions been off. Deaths predicted by stronger seers, especially a Royal Sorceress, was completely unavoidable.

But the idea of a competition to see who would be best fit to be Queen excited her. It was the sort of thing that she had lived for since she was little. The opportunity to become something greater than she already was... To prove something.

So she sat up straight in her chair, watching ahead intently.

Eleanor had no desire to become queen and yet the idea of a competition in order to determine who was the most qualified to be so was mildly intriguing to her. Although she wasn't sure what these so called competitions would involve. Naturally there were things that she knew she was good at but then there were also things she knew for a fact she wasn't good at. She supposed since she probably didn't have a choice but to participate in this competition she might as well use it to better herself at the things she knew she wasn't good at. In all honesty this was the most exciting thing that had happened at this school since she first arrived at it so she might as well try to enjoy it before it got less exciting again.

Quiet throughout the proceedings and offering only the briefest of mutterings in support to the soon-to-be-deceased king. Why would she need to worry about that? She had no aspirations to be Queen, she merely wanted a place to quietly practice her craft in peace. Unless that meant she could freely transform the realm of Cascade at large with her arcane baubles and enchantments, though that was a stretch of the imagination even for Lia. Or Silverpaw, as she had been introducing herself since leaving the peninsula she called home.

Was it impolite to be perusing a book at the dinner table? Probably. Though in her defense, she'd stopped reading once the assembly proper had started. Half-paying attention, half-sneaking small sweetmeats to the familiar curled at her feet, she paused to give her full attention to the introduced Magician and Writer, unable to stop the briefest (quiet) snicker at being the best. While the Fairy Godmother didn't say as much, the assumption fueled endless amusement carefully contained in a cheeky smirk. Sure, she'd been blown up plenty of times over magical mishaps, and her father triple the amount, but in terms of ability and "Illustriousness," no one could beat her father the King.

She realized her slight as quickly as it happened, though, and as quietly as possible closed her book, clasping her hands in her lap in order to give the woman the respect due her position with her full attention.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:14, Wed 26 Oct 2016.

Rosegold wasn't sure of what sort of "place" she and the other girls held, so she waited to raise her cup until the headmistress led the toast. What she said after that was a different sort of alarming, though. Rosegold hadn't realized just what the stakes were for coming here, or for that matter how they would be sorted out. So she wouldn't just be classmates with the others, they would be her direct competitors. Where she came from, if people were going to enter into a contest to take leadership, they'd better watch their backs.

She turned to survey them now, with one red eye. Some seemed quiet; one seemed flowery in her speech, another more practical, but both clearly aware of the appropriate things to say in the situation. Visually, they were quite the distinct bunch. It was her first time seeing a gathering of people from different lands, and their appearances seemed to reflect their differences in geography... or maybe everyone else just looked more varied from each other than the people of Harraf, she supposed.

She turned back to the front of the room after that. "What sort of competitions will there be?" she asked bluntly. The others might be familiar with courtly manners, but she wasn't. If she had a question she might as well ask it, was her way of thinking.

Tarina nodded her support for Rosegold's question, tacking her own query onto it.  If the contest was anything like an election, then results were only a part of it.  Personality & aspirations were equally as valid factors.

"And how many contests can we expect, Madam Fae?  When you say that the results will be reported to the citizens, will other things be reported to them?  I imagine they might wonder at our personality and backgrounds..."

Joanna gave Tarina a sharp nudge in the back that elicited a small 'oww' from the redheaded noble.  "Don't be rude."

The magician writer smiled at the questions, an enthusiastic grin that almost reached the beauty mark on her cheek. Not waiting for the headmistress to speak, she stepped forward, her golden eyes gazing over the students as she spoke. "The contests will test your skills as a ruler. Not just a ruler actually, but a princess of legend! We shall have one trial each month, save for the month of crowning, so twelve in total. Not all will be contests against one another, and oftentimes each of you will need to decide how to accomplish your tasks. Of course that is the mark of a ruler, the ability to judge and lead with a clear head."

She playfully twirled the auburn braid on her shoulder, then pointed to the door. "The first task begins today. Out in the fields to the north of the academy, a unicorn shall appear to those pure of heart. Find a way to bring the creature to the pens by the academy and you shall be praised. You may work alone, or in groups. The contest shall conclude when a unicorn is brought to the pens, or when the sun sets and the supper bell chimes. Come, follow me!" She rushed ahead enthusiastically, like she was going to be the one about to wrangle a unicorn.

The writer led the girls outside. The autumn air was crisp, a light breeze rustled the dried leaves lining the surrounding forest. It was well known how vast and confusing the Heartstring Forest could be. Typically students were forbidden from wandering, but this task didn't seem to have limits on movement or ingenuity imposed. Clara stopped by the stables to the north, then pointed further, a large and open field of grass clinging to the last of its vibrancy.

Save for a pond where fish would swim and animals would drink, it seemed empty at first glance, with most magical creatures preferring to keep deeper in the woods. It would be up to them how they would tackle the conundrum, either finding a way to lure a unicorn out, or traveling deeper to find one...

Tarina sought to team up with her fellow 'princesses', asking them all equally.  Getting Shira or Silverpaw on board would be fantastic, but she was willing to take just about any help.

"Is anyone interested in grouping up?  I have an idea, but with this sort of task... I'd love the extra help."

Joanne tried to look as disapproving as possible, but avoided direct interference.  She had only limited authority here.  Best to keep her distance and hope that the Unicorn attacked Tarina (or something similar).

"I would be glad to help." Shira replied immediately to the older girl, before she even began to think of a strategy herself, whether completing the task or what it meant to team up with others. She was always eager to impress, particularly since it seemed that almost everyone else was especially high class. "Pray, what thoughts are hidden beneath those autumn-leaf locks, my new comrade?" A smile flashed on her face, one she was clearly trying to hold back to appear a bit more mature among her elders.

Eleanor stepped forward as well. "I would like to help as well if you don't mind. Oh I'm Eleanor by the way. Nice to meet you all." Eleanor usually wasn't one for teaming up with others as she quite the independent spirit, but she felt this current situation required team work as opposed to solo work. If anything gain she'd gain some serious insight knowledge on her fellow comrades and who knows maybe even make a few friends. That'd be nice...to have friends to hang out with.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:42, Thu 03 Nov 2016.

Eleanor was immediately accepted.

"Of course, the more the merrier.  And we should do introductions... I am Tarina Raptori, from the Fiefdom of Dayspring."

Allowing for more of the others to join the group (if they wanted to), Tarina then shared her idea in a sort of 'princess huddle'... off to the side.

"I once met a man who had a particular skill in 'borrowing' horses.  He said the greatest tool in his arsenal was a bag of treats... apples, carrots, and sugar cubes.  I think we can use such a technique to befriend the unicorn.  I also think that if we borrow a horse brush from the stables, our success rate will increase.  We already have a gifted speaker whose words are sure to attract a unicorn."

Tarina indicated that Shira was the gifted speaker with a nod of her head.  As for Eleanor, Tarina was certain she had some talents that could prove beneficial.

"Unicorns aren't typical equine creatures," Silverpaw piped up, having stood up and approached the group, adjusting her glasses. "They're magical beings purported to appear to someone 'pure', though accounts differ on what exactly constitutes purity."

She paused, the familiar perched on her shoulder draped its twin tails around the opposite shoulder, intelligently watching them all, but pointedly staring at Tarina's keeper, Joanne.

"I'm Silverpaw, by the way, of the Sylduran-Sidhe nation."

Anemone's trip outside wasn't immediate. Instead, for a moment, she stared at Linda. The Fairy Godmother had made no effort to stop the craziness that she knew all too well was about to ensue. But, instead of confronting her precious mentor about the situation, she stood up and followed the crowd. No need to get in anyone's way. In fact, being the last one out of the infested dining hall, she shut the doors behind them. A Unicorn? Didn't anyone know that those things only responded to the purest of maidens. Getting any of the girls there, herself included, to tame one was out of the question.

For a while she watched the other groups talk to each other... Some girls decided to go solo - which was probably the least wise thing they could do. Others made a move to form small circles, each one strategising. Anemone, eventually, decided to listen into one of the groups. There was no way she'd win this competition, so it was best for her to simply observe.

It seemed as though the particularly rag-tag group she had decided to watch had a plan. Sugar cubes? Carrots? Apples? A smile came to her face, "My apologies for interrupting, but I know where there's an orchard if you're looking for apples."

The wide smile of Shira's face broke through when Tarina indicated towards her. She puffed up and introduced herself with an unrestrained enthusiasm. "Shira Edelfelt! Born and raised in the capital." She gave a flourishing bow to the other girls, her wavy hair flopping over her face.

Pausing for a moment to let the reddening of her cheeks subside, she straightened and pulled her hair back like nothing had happened. She smiled to the yet-introduced Elenor and Anemone, the later who seemed to know her way around the academy grounds, and by extension the apples. "How fine that everyone should work together." She gave a curious glance towards Rosegold, an inviting cock of her head wordlessly asking if 'everyone' present at the moment might want to be involved.

"Surely like water, the purity of our hearts can not come into question if all are able to drink from them. Tis it not so, Silverpaw?" She grinned at the knowledgeable one for a moment, but then looked to the side, wondering if her metaphor somehow turned out a bit grisly.

"Well it looks like almost everyone is on board.  And even though Unicorns aren't the same as horses, treating them with respect and gifts surely wouldn't hurt, especially if we want to coax one back to the stables.  Are you well read on the topic, Silverpaw?  If we knew where Unicorns liked to go, we could start our search there."

Tarina also nodded her agreement to Anemone's suggestion.  This girl seemed to know the area and that was a very good thing.

"Visiting the orchid for a few fresh apples sounds like a good idea.  Lets collect the horse brush on the way and be off... unless anyone has something else to add."

Meanwhile Joanne looked at the Lia's familiar with some unease, moving back to keep company with the 'adults'.  She'd fought Sidhe bandits before and the haughty Syldurans weren't much better (in her book).

Good grief, Rosegold thought when she learned she was in training to be a "princess of legend." She'd already been knocked out of the running of even being a leader in her own homeland, so how was she supposed to set her aspirations that much higher? At the same time, though, she could hardly just step out of the running. If things were going to be reported so widely and seriously like that, it meant she had to stay here and represent her homeland as best she could. Her family's name could rise or fall with her own accomplishments, or lack thereof. That was a lot of pressure.

Of course, she also had no idea how to catch a unicorn. She barely even knew what one was - they were even less common at home than in general. So she appreciated Tarina and then Shira inviting her along. "Sure, I'll join in too," she said, adding her voice to the others. "I'm Rosegold Aleya, from Harraf. Nice to meet you all." It felt kind of strange to introduce herself so casually in a competition, compared to how things were usually done back home, but she wasn't so set on winning as to seize the chance to strike first. "Ah... if there's going to be a net or traps involved, I can help with that, but I'm not used to dealing with other creatures otherwise."

"Hello Rosegold, welcome to the group.  Just contribute what you can... and if not today, then perhaps on some later challenge."

If there was nothing else, Tarina let the group make a start.  She collected the horsebrush and then turned over the lead to Anemone (since she knew the way to the orchid).  On the way there, Tarina sought to strike up a conversation with some of the other girls... she really didn't mind who.

"So we have myself, Eleanor, Shira, Silverpaw, Rosegold, and our unnamed guide.  And we're all from different lands too.  This might be some sort of weird competition that we've all fallen into, but I for one would love some female company.  Perhaps some of you might know about the isolation of nobility... and the restrictions placed upon us.  I'm hoping for a bit more freedom at the academy..."

Silverpaw shrugged in response as a few others joined their intrepid little group, looking at Tarina with a mixture of confusion and blase ignorance. "Competition?" She queried, chewing on her lower lip and rolling her eyes. She was here because her family needed their precious daughter elevate on a pedestal that her secluded activities couldn't provide. While she made not attempt at reading the other girls, she likely the wasn't the only one none too keen on taking a position of power.

. . .She was probably the only one crazy intuitive enough to hand it off at the first opportunity, though.

Fishing out a small cloth from a pouch at her hip, she pulled her glasses off in order to clean them, her eyes nearly instantly unfocusing in the daylight as she squinted. "Unicorns are creatures of magic, and tend to mill about places of untapped wild energy. Secluded lakes, waterfalls, natural clearings in woods. . .Like also attracts like. Kog," She nodded her head backward at her familiar, whose tail twitched as something coalesced in its mouth, taking advantage of its masters sudden deprivation of sight to lob. . .something, at Joanna. "She's a magical being. A unicorn would be more willing to approach if it saw that another benevolent mystical creature accompanying the people trying to approach it."

She pulled her glasses back on, blinking and looking around as she began to follow the group. Of course, elves being naturally magical by nature she neglected to mention that she, herself, fell under that same criteria. "As far as the 'purity' issue goes. . .Assuming we're all virgins, the issue then comes to innocence. As long as we have absolutely no intention of harming it, it won't be scared off." At that, she did quiet, blinking as a light blush began to spread on her cheeks.

"Anemone Narcissus of the Principality of Miston," She said with a slight bow, touching the edges of her silk skirt with the tips of her fingers. Then, she said, "I'm Linda's apprentice, though I have no magical talent what-so-ever. It is a shame, really... But it allows me to explore the grounds a bit more."

She then looked to Lia, the girl who seemed to be - strikingly - the most capable out of the bunch. Or the one who had at least the most technical knowledge when it came to the subject of Magical Beasts. Then there came the problem... Unicorns tended to avoid her, along with most of the other good creatures of the forest. But, that wasn't going to dissuade her from trying to help, "I'll part ways with you once we reach the orchard, and try to scout ahead. Just to see if there's any chance that our new friend might be just beyond the horizon."

Joanna muttered a light curse as she was hit with familiar spit.  Her 'love' for all things elvish only degraded after that...

"We would hear waterfalls if there were any nearby, but a clearing might be easier to find.  Lets try for that."

Tarina covered her mouth with a hand (on the pretense of contemplation)... while trying to hide her smirk at Joanna getting some long overdue comeuppance.  She then turned to Anemone.

"And what duties do you do as Linda's apprentice?  Obviously you'd not say a bad word about her, but I'd like to hear anything about our 'headmistress'."

"...All right, thanks," Rosegold answered Tarina's welcome after a momentary delay. She'd been thinking, in that time, it was hard to believe there'd be any challenges suited to a princess that Rosegold would be good at. But one never knew. "I guess freedom is good, as long as it's safe here," she sort-of concurred with the subject of the restrictions of liberty. Where she came from, she was "free" to wander around or whatever, except that going out by oneself was a good way to die in a hurry.

The criteria for actually meeting a unicorn were certainly bizarre, though. She almost wondered if Lia was making fun of the less informed among them. "A unicorn can tell those things? How?" she asked.

Eleanor knew plenty about magical beasts but not nearly enough to warrant her an expert in any way. As such she just went with the flow of the group. "I'm pretty handy with a bow and arrow, but since I seriously doubt we're going to need that kind of skill in this challenge I'll keep it on the back burner for the time being. Either way I'll be happy to lend a hand whenever and wherever is necessary."

There indeed was no sound of a waterfall nearby, however there was a clear stream running along the upper edge of the field, which logic dictated had to come from somewhere. Luckilly though, they wouldn't necessarily need to go so far just yet. Once they were ready to go out to the orchard, they might hear the sounds of galloping just beyond the trees. The orchard was filled with bright apples in crimson, gold, and lime, none of which were touching the ground; either they had not yet fallen, or what had was taken.

The yellow delicious trees seemed particularly bare. It seemed all the apples left on said trees were a bit out of reach, even for the tallest in the group that led them there.

"Well... I... Umm... Mostly help fetch ingredients for the potions she makes, catalogue records for her whenever she grants a new wish, take an extra class... But it's mostly to make sure she can give me the medicine I need to stay fighting fit!" She explained as they reached the orchard. With a glance up, he remembered a few things, "Somewhere around here there's a basket. I can knock a few apples off of the branches if someone can find and collect them. It's been forever since I climbed a tree... But that's something you don't forget how to do."

Tarina nodded along to Anemone's explanation of her apprentice duties.  It sounded a little dull, but she suspected that the girl was merely downplaying things she felt were 'normal'.  Having access to 'wish records' sounded like a bit of fun (her darker half would probably be very interested indeed).  Being the curious sort, Tarina wondered what the Fairy Godmother 'charged' for a wish.

"Are there many wishes, or is it a 'once a season' thing?  There's not a lot of magic back home, so pardon my ignorance.  I'm surprised the Godmother doesn't have a line of petitioners at her door."

While Dayspring had its share of scenic countryside, this orchid put most of those to shame.  Tarina couldn't help but pause to admire the view.

"This place would be just magical, after dark.  Oh right, a basket.  Hmmm..."

Tarina looked around the orchid to see what she could find/borrow.  Maybe even a bit of cloth to stop the falling apples from bruising.

It sounded like an odd job to be apprenticed to a fairy godmother, at least compared to what Rosegold was used to. She listened to the others discuss it, but didn't interject, as she examined the tree they seemed to have settled on. She might be able to hook a few apples off it with her umbrella, but she supposed they'd just fall to the ground - with one eye she'd have a tough time catching them.

Maybe she could put it to a reversed use, though. "Would this work?" she asked, before she opened her umbrella and flipped it upside-down in her grip, so that it did in fact slightly resemble a basket.

"Plenty, but she doesn't grant every one. Only those that she thinks will yield a happy ending. Giving someone what they desire isn't the same thing as giving someone what they need. But, it's pretty cool when things do work out!" Anemone responded with a smile and a flick of her curly oak hued hair. She knew a thing or two about wishes, but certainly not everything. To be honest most of the things she did for Madame Fae were busy work. It wasn't as if she had a role to play that was bigger than the other students. It was more work with a reward that she required, "Agreed. I wish we could leave the academy more often. Very few humans are able to enter these woods. Though, they make exceptions for the purest of maidens and the most heroic of princes."

Then, her attention turned to Rosegold. The umbrella was absolutely perfect. Anemone knew her aim, it was pretty good despite. Her arms were strong, though they were hidden mostly by the long sleeves of her silk dress. Clapping her hands together, she nodded, "Absolutely perfect! I'll throw the apples down to you all. If you catch one, put it in the umbrella. We'll need a few so that we have several tries."

There were a few things she had to do before she could climb the tree. The first was to roll up those sleeves, revealing the strange form of her arms. As mentioned before, they were muscular, and slightly more hairy then most girls her age. Though the hair was white, indicating that she had been using the potions that a few of the girls had been learning how to make in order to dye her own locks. They, she hiked up her dress. Similarly her legs were slightly thicker than they should have been for someone of her body-type. Lastly her shoes and socks were discarded on the ground. Cast aside in favor of bare feet. The dew coated grass felt pleasant on Anemone's bare toes, tickling her slightly. It had been so long since she last felt the soil on her heels. Perhaps since before she left home to study.

Then, she began her ascent. Though the first branch wasn't particularly close to the ground her feet adeptly found nooks and crannies in the tree while her arms snaked around the trunk. The sensation of climbing a tree reminded her of her days with Adam, back when no one really cared about who or what she was more than they should have. Everyone thought he had stowed away with a lover. She knew that wasn't the case - Adam had never been interested in women. It took maybe a minute for her to reach the lowest branch, but once she did things moved much faster.

Reaching the top of the tree, Anemone grasped an apple in her hand. The skin of the fruit was tinted red and green, ever so slightly glossy, but completely imperfect in it's shape. It wasn't pure, but a Unicorn wouldn't really reject it. A piece of food wasn't a human. Gently she tossed it down, aiming between Lia and Shira so one of them could catch it. The next descended shortly after towards Rosegold and Tarina.

Shira watched Anemone as she climbed up the tree. It seemed the girls of this academy were stronger than the princesses of fairytales. At that thought, she glanced at Rosegold too, who had mentioned trapping. Did that mean this contest was actually a show of power and skill? But then Lia and Tarina had said they could only catch the unicorn if they didn't threaten it. As she mulled that over, she noticed the apple falling down through the air.

She took the chance to side-step eagerly towards the apple like a dog to a ball. She forgot that Silverpaw was standing by her, in the same direction that the poet leapt. Shira would likely catch the apple, but if the half-elf went for it too, a collision was almost assured.

Lia followed along, alternating between listening, enraptured by by the apprentice to the godmother, and taking in the forest around her. She'd only been able to occasionally visit her mother's gardens, and the few times she was allowed to roam, it was a secluded alcove along the sea. Here was serene, and with the other princesses. . .Silverpaw couldn't help but feel a wistful longing to remain indefinitely.

At least, until another fancy took her.

"Purity manifests many forms," She responded to the girl next to her as she idly watched Anemone climb. "Pure evil, pure good, pure this, pure that. . .Why, if I were purely curious about the unicorn, I imagine it would find no issue with me." And she was curious, to be frank. The collection of unicorn hair only ever involved tracking the unicorn and picking up what was shed or lost to the branches. Unicorn horns were taken off those deceased, though sometimes they were given freely. It was ambiguous how such materials were acquired. Either that, or her studies had been carefully regulated to avoid certain grisly subjects.

Her parents were exacting folk.

Lost in thought, she wasn't quite paying attention as an apple fell. Slow to react, it was Kog who went for the treat. Leaping from Silverpaw's shoulders with a squeak of surprise from the half-elf, the fuzzy, barely five-pound familiar crashed into Shira on it's way to retrieve its snack.

Shira yelped as the tiny creature struck her arm. It didn't hurt, at least it didn't hurt the greatest of three masses in motion. She struggled to assure the other two also didn't fall, juggling and stumbling until the creature and apple were nestled in her arms as she fell to one knee.

Once the upset was quieted, the young teen looked down at what she was holding. She winced. Though Shira was pure to the ways of the world, her mind still held the natural impurities of a child; capriciousness, favoritism, forgetting the needs of the many... "Woe! Though you are my rival in this season of decline, I fear my heart shall break and melt like hanging ice in the sun should you do not win, creature of unyielding cuteness." Apparently, she was not disinclined to speak dramatically to an animal either.

"Creature so small, you wouldn't crave a prize larger than your head, would you? Perhaps you might share one side so I might present the other to our desired friend?" She let Kog have its way with the apple with a pout, a pleading pout that soon turned up towards Anemone in the tree, begging for forgiveness, and perhaps another apple.

The girl in the tree chuckled as her legs swung back and forth. Perhaps it was more pleasant in the tree than on the ground. Trees never judged humans. They were indifferent to the woes of mankind, but not in an insensitive way. They were immune to prejudice. Only the roar of mother nature, the wrath of insects and the axes of those humans who were in need could cause them to fall. The tree wouldn't decide that Shira was cruel because Anemone plucked another one of it's fruits from the long sturdy branches to feed their companions familiar, "But, of course. A unicorn is bound to approve of sharing. Particularly with a creature as cute as that."

She plucked another imperfect apple from the tree. The ridges in the food felt nice against her hand, and with proper aim she could easily get it to Shira. After all, the apple had a spherical shape.

Gently she flung the fruit towards the ground - only to hear the nearby bushes rustle. Leaves seemed to explode around the creation that left from the undergrowth. With wide eyes Anemone looked on. Whatever it was grabbed the apple in it's mouth. Juice sprayed everywhere from it's strong bite.

A white coat seemed to glimmer in the golden light of fall, with a similar hued mane, and ivory horn. Strong muscles pulled slightly as the equine creature bounded off quickly away from the group. Though, it was eating so it was slow enough for the girls to catch it... If they ran.

Anemone's wish bound duties sounded like extra work, but the girl was certainly clever and adaptive... maybe she liked the challenge?  Tarina noted her odd features, but when an elf was among their group... was unusual muscle strength and body hair really that strange?  Tarina smoothly took the apple that was dropped her way and then wiped it clean... to make it a more enticing snack.  The 'rabbit' and Shira interaction elicited a small chuckle from herself.

Tarina sucked in her breath when the white equine creature deigned to appear.  Clearly her apple strategy had worked (thank you, horse thief!).  Now the girls had to make contact with it... and then convince it to accompany them to the stables.  But it was leaving already!

"Spread out, girls... lets encircle it, so Shira can do her maiden thing.  Slow it down however you can, but don't scare or hurt it."

She gestured in various directions with her hands, sketching out her plan.  Time was fleeting, so Tarina simply gave orders and hoped that the group would accept them as valid.  Rosegold (the trapper) and Anemone (the fittest) were given the more difficult tasks of outpacing and blocking the unicorn's flight, the rest of the girls would follow in the creature's wake from the sides (Silverpaw and herself) and rear (Shira).  Tarina made sure their chosen maiden had an apple on her person too, handing her fruit to Shira.

"Good luck all."

Rosegold gave Anemone a brief, curious glance when she rolled up her sleeves and hiked up her dress, though she didn't comment. Instead, she replied to her instruction with "That's good. Don't throw any to me though, please." She wasn't really hot to discuss her disability, so she hoped it would just be obvious why catching things coming at her wasn't her strong suit.

She watched the interactions of the other girls and the little animal quietly, unsure whether she should say anything. Then the unicorn appeared, though, and Rosegold had the opposite instinct, as she'd assumed there would be some kind of actual discussion based on what the other girls had said. "Hello-- oh," she said as it quickly withdrew again.

She paused rather than dart after it, giving her time to hear out Tarina's plan. "All right," she said with a nod, before taking off at a run. She quickly snapped her umbrella shut as she went, since it wouldn't do her much good in speed.

Shira looked up in awe and a bit of fear as the large and elegant beast passed over her. She shook herself out of it and grinned in thanks as Tarina took control and handed her an apple. She set the other apple and animal down, and stood to pursue, giving the other girls a natural head start as she brought up the rear.

"Dearest Unicorn, you need not run to eat like a thief in the night. These fruits are yours! Why not rest for a time? The cold wind stops at the stable walls, and a hundred brushes clean more gently than the chilly falls." Shira's words wouldn't reach the mystic animal on their own, it seemed Rosegold was quickly catching up to the beast though.

As it turns out, the rabbity creature was far more intelligent than your average animal, as demonstrated by its expression adopting something akin to a very fuzzy "what" face. Still, apple in its paws, it didn't hesitate to chomp down on it. Even further, Kog didn't seem to notice, nor care, that the unicorn had been spotted, preferring to munch on its won snack.

Silverpaw, however, watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and whimsy. Teasingly making a face at her animal companion, she turned as the unicorn revealed itself, blinking in rapid succession. She'd never seen a unicorn up close before, and for all her reading, nothing compared to the real thing. Strolling in step with the other girls towards it, their task forgotten in favor of taking in the magnificence of such a beast, she didn't seem to care whether or not she was the one to catch it. If she could just study that horn, maybe receive a few hairs in exchange for some scritches. Horse liked scritches, right? Silverpaw didn't know.

Mages rode brooms, not horses.

Anemone leaped from the tree, throwing herself as far forward as possible. She hit the ground roughly and was unable to summersault due to the long dress she was wearing. But, relatively quickly she did start running. She wasn't able to outpace the unicorn, though she was able to steer it down and to the side with a great effort... Towards Shira.

The great beast halted in the face of the youngest member of the group, pausing to kick up it's legs. They shook with a great force. However, tentatively the Unicorn did accept the apple... Once it was in it's mouth, though, the fun began.

The Unicorn turned towards Anemone, and charged... The girl, who was still running, got caught on it's side. Quickly the beast sprinted out of view, carrying the blown back human with it.

Shira silently shivered at the idea she was very nearly trampled. She breathed in sharply twice to calm herself, they turned around and ran. The Unicorn was in for it now, there was no way it was going to escape now, trotting between trees, a large girl on its back.

"Heeeeey! Anemone! Call out for us so we might hear youuuuu!" She looked towards the others before vanished in into the forest as well. The Heartstring Forest was a winding and mystic place, where few entered and less exited, but the headstrong girl paid that no mind as she dove in with no plan and few skills.

All in all, Rosegold had had very little time to appreciate the beauty and majesty and all that of the unicorn, even apart from her general ignorance of aesthetic matters. Now that it was carrying off one of her competitors outright, it ranked more as prey. Rosegold greatly preferred trapping to just running down a fast target, but it seemed like it couldn't be helped. She blew out a quick, surprised breath, then quickly took off after Anemone and Shira.

The unicorn took off into the woods, three girls along with it, willingly or not. The trees wind and weave, dappled in shadows, thin claws of wood scratching the children in their haste. It didn't seem like the two behind would catch it, nor did it seem the one that "caught" it would stop it.

Ahead though a pale woman in a dark shroud stood calmly in the beautiful woods. The unicorn suddenly stopped, pulling up onto its hind legs with a loud bray, and dropping the large teen from its back. The mythic beast turned and fled back the way it came, passing Rosegold and Shira just as they arrived at the scene.

The forest was eerily quiet. Even in the fall, the forest was often filled with the coos of birds, the barks of deer, and even more mystic sounds like the playing of pixies. At this moment though, there wasn't a sign of life besides the trio and the bone white woman, and even then just barely from the later.

Tarina was surprised to see the unicorn return and submit to them.  Ordinarily she might have smiled in delight, but the exhausted appearance of the beast seemed to suggest that something was wrong.  Slowly she approached and attempted to check it over for injuries or poisoning.

"Shhh it's alright.  Are you hurt?  We just want to check you over... and bring you back to the academy.  Silverpaw, can you see anything wrong?"

She had no idea what the rest of the girls were up to.  Hopefully they would return from the woods soon.

Shira huffed and puffed, leaning back against a tree to catch her breath. Chasing a magic horse really took it out of her... What was she planning to do if she did manage to catch it? She couldn't exactly gasp and spin poems as the same time.

She glanced around once she had rested, then went to look at the tree. The woman was gone it seemed... Another fairy? It was definitely magic. It seemed the Unicorn escaped too... But there were other concerns. "Is everyone okay?" She pushed her long hair back and looked to Rosegold and Anemone. Shira walked over to offer a hand to the fallen girl despite the clear size difference. The young poet didn't have a ton of height leverage over Anemone, even with the latter on the ground.

Lia had watched with some exasperation as the more athletically inclined heiresses bounded after the creature. She seemed to accept the loss with barely any sadness, sharing an amused glance with her familiar. Kog, having finished its apple, sat at Lia's feet and looked upward, where a few dangling apples were, still - Greedy little thing, it was. Still, she humored the Carbuncle, the book at her side flying open as it hovered over her palm, magical intonations spoken as she gestured towards the tree, an apple falling, and then another.

Of course, she could have saved everyone else the trouble of climbing, but they looked like they were having fun! That, and with Tarina the only one around, it wasn't as though they could protest.

The appearance of the Unicorn, however, startled Silverpaw out of her reverie, having nearly forgotten about the other Princess entirely. Blinking as she was called out to, Silverpaw approached carefully, kneeling on the opposite side of Tarina as she pulled off her gloves, beckoning her friend over and quietly making soothing noises - Kog liked it, so wouldn't a unicorn? A silvery palm lightly brushed the edges of its wounds, unseen power coalescing in the girl's fingers.

"Just a few scratches. . .Enough to be hurt," Silverpaw responded, slowly running her palm along a scrape - She was no master of healing, but simple cuts and bruises she cold handle, and she could soothe it. "It's alright, my friend," She cooed, carefully tending to the poor thing.

Kog, on the other hand, saw no need to be careful as it bounded up, half-eaten apple (easily twice the side of it's head) clutched between its teeth. Its tails twitched back and forth playfully as it made its way just under the unicorn's snout, where it dropped the remainder of it's snack, bounding around it and looking up at the unicorn expectantly.

Rosegold might be a hunter and fighter, but she wasn't about to try and stop a speeding horse running right next to her, so she didn't try. She just sidestepped to make sure she was out of the way of its hooves. Then she quickly turned her attention to the mysterious, pale woman. What was she doing out here, and why had the unicorn reacted so strongly to her?

Her strange rambling didn't shed much light on that, and Rosegold continued to watch her warily. She would have responded, save that she seemed to vanish entirely after she'd spoken. She waited for her to emerge, then, puzzled but cautious, went to look behind the tree and found she'd disappeared. Since Anemone didn't seem to be dying or anything, Rosegold's first priority was making sure the woman wasn't a lurking threat.

"Strange," she said softly before she turned back to answer Shira. "I'm fine, you?" She headed over to Anemone to lend a hand as well. "And you?" she asked her.

Anemone was sure her stomach was badly bruised. It didn't matter how muscular you were, you would still be injured if you were dragged through the forest by a stampeding unicorn. She took Rosegold's hand, and used it to tug herself up. Just like the muscle, Anemone weighed a lot more than she looked like. The girl looked back and forth, "I'll be fine. Thank you, so much. Thought I was a goner!"

She then glanced, stunned, at the spot where the woman who appeared before them had been, "That... Was the Witch. An exile, but a powerful enchantress," Though her dress was torn and her body hurt, the girl started to move at a decent pace out of the woods, "I - I have to tell Linda!"

A nod to Rosegold's question, Shira's face was flushed with tiredness, but she seemed to be in good spirits. "Cool air, The beauty of the forest. Like the leaves, even the fallen run with the wind on such a day." She twirled to watch Anemone dart though the forest. "We should go too, friend! We may have been bested for the moment, but let us not be separated."

Shira gave a tiny tug on Rosegold's sleeve, but didn't immediately take of running after Anemone. It was more than possible that she didn't know how to track their way back, but didn't seem likely to admit as much.

The unicorn relaxed and nuzzled under Lia's touch. It seemed to act less broken by fear than naturally tame at this point. It back and turned a little bit to see Kog running around, then turned it attention to the treat the creature left. It knelt down carefully, clearly very conscious of its horn, and too a bite.

When there was just a bit of the apple left, the mystic beast speared the fruit, corking the tip of its horn. It moved the bar over to Kog, offering a ride to the small animal.

Once it lifted it head, it stared deeply at Tarina. It seemed to sense something, something inside her, there under the slowly setting sun.

Still, for the moment, it seemed willing to be led back to the academy. If they led, it would follow the girls.

Tarina was glad of two things... 1) the Unicorn's apparent compliance and 2) the setting sun.  She breathed deeply, as if scenting a pleasant breeze.  Now she felt truly alive!  Meeting the unicorn's stare, Tarina offered a small smile and put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

"Would you care to lead it back to the academy, Silverpaw?  It seems to like you the most.  I wonder what is keeping the others..."

Moving away slightly, Tarina gave a summoning whistle towards the woods (where the other girls had disappeared into).  If they were lost, her voice could help guide them back out.

"Girls!  Its time to head back.  Shira... Anemone... Rosegold..."

"I didn't really do much," Rosegold observed matter-of-factly after Anemone thanked her. Her delivery was blunt, but she meant it as modesty rather than argument. "The Witch, huh... Well, I'll come too." It wasn't like she needed to hang around out here, even without someone like that in the area. Plus, Shira was unexpectedly tugging at her sleeve and calling her 'friend,' which was unexpectedly kind of endearing, although it also made her twitch a bit. "All right," she added to Shira with a faint smile before she headed after Anemone.

It was no challenge to trace back the trail of a speeding unicorn and two human pursuers, and she emerged from the woods soon after Tarina called out to them. The unicorn standing right there with the other girls was a surprise, though, so Rosegold kept quiet. She just nodded to Tarina and Sia by way of greeting, then gave them a questioning look.

Kog's tails swished back and forth in typical happiness, watching the Unicorn snack on its offering, obviously pleased. While Lia finished up caring for the creature, the little animal rocked back on its hind legs, before leaping up onto the Unicorn's horn, tails wrapping around the base as it secured itself on the apple, chittering happily as it nibbled at the remains of the fruit, clearly satisfied in its new friend's willingness to carry it about.

Lia, on the other hand, had watched the exchange quietly, once she'd finished with her work. Confident she need not ride or tie something to the creature, she stood up, a guiding hand resting on its neck, lightly combing its mane as she encouraged it upward. Whatever exchange between Tarina and it, she paid no mind to - or didn't notice. Likely the latter, considering the dull glow of the setting sun prompted her to reach up and take her glasses off. The longer the shadows, the better she could see, and it showed in the straightening of her back and the more confident movements she took. Since she'd received her glasses, the gesture was essentially moot, borne more out of habit than anything, yet she found herself more comfortable, nonetheless.

Blinking, she glanced at Tarina, offering a nod and a smile, before sliding from the unicorn's side, holding out her glasses to the girl. "Here, take these. Kog always knows where they are, so you won't get lost." From there, she made to usher the unicorn back. Once this silly task was done, she could go back to the study and curl up with a good book. Or play with Kog.

Shira's eyes lit up brightly upon seeing the unicorn. "You found it! And tamed it even... Alas, do the brilliant hearts of noble Tarina and wise Silverpaw outshine the trio of ours?" She paused, then corrected herself so as not to offend her other two friends. She tugged Rosegold's wrist once with a thumb's up before letting go of her sleeve. Approaching the horse and rabbit like creatures, she started fawning. "Perhaps Kog makes three as well, surely no one could find fault in an innocent creature. Besides, on our side, we were disadvantaged with a fourth that gave our galloping acquaintance a fright..." She grimaced, remembering the woman in the forest as they approached the academy.

"A creature pale as bone stalks those woods... I know not if it was human, fay or otherwise, yet she spoke of doom, and spoke of reunion. I wish not to see her again." She gulped as she opened the stable doors once they arrived.

Tarina was glad to have the rest of the girls rejoin her and Silverpaw.  She pocketed the Elven girl's glasses too, upon request to do so.  Tarina indicated the unicorn with a nod of her head.  She seemed a little different then her previous demeanor, self assured with an impish smile... perhaps it could be termed roguish.

"Something spooked it back to us... I'm guessing it wasn't any of you.  Did you see any strange people around, asking for me?"

Rebels from her kingdom were certainly a possibility.  Maybe the Unicorn saw their darkness and bolted.  However Shira told her tale and it seemed a dark fortuneteller was the culprit instead.  Tarina breathed a sigh of relief.  The walk back was nice and she was glad to see the task completed.  The only downside was seeing Joanna again.

Anemone ran. Straight out of the forest. Straight past the other members of the group (Though she did shout something to them as she passed about getting back). Straight back to the academy. Each step was packed with a certain power. The ground seemed to nearly shiver underneath her heavy footsteps. She didn’t even bother grabbing her shoes from the base of the tree. Linda would have killed her in any other circumstance. But this? This was a worst case scenario. She had to make letting her Mistress know about the Witch.

Linda was waiting for them. All of them. Not just the group that had vanished, heading far away from campus, but all of the potential Queens. When she saw Anemone, her blue eyes popped open like a budding moonflower. The discussion about what Anemone was wearing was extremely short. The discussion about the Witch was shorter. Ending with a quick, “We’ll talk later, Miss Narcissus.”

The end only came when the group ended up approaching Linda, Unicorn in toe. The moment she touched the beast, it seemed to relax. In a soft, yet sturdy tone, she said, “Ah. It seems as though we have our first winners. Young Princess...es? Oh my! I didn’t anticipate there being multiple winners. Regardless, we’ll elevate your standing in the competition. Congratulations on a job well done, and thank you for your hard work,” She said with a wide grin, then turned to the group, “Now, all of you. Back inside! It’s almost night, and it’s never a wise idea to be outside after dark. Particularly not tonight.”

Rosegold twitched again when Shira tugged her sleeve, but managed to contain any further reaction. The movement itself wasn't offensive - Rosegold could tell it was meant companionably - but she wasn't used to it. In Harraf, an unexpected, light touch often meant an insect had landed on you and was about to bite or sting.

She nodded to confirm Shira's account of the witch's appearance, although it was more elaborate than she would have put it. Then she answered Tarina with a hint of curiosity. "Asking about... you personally? No." Assuming Tarina wasn't an egomaniac, presumably she had some reason for such a question. "Whoa," she added when Anemone passed them powerfully.

She duly, quietly reported in to Linda with the others, and nodded when she'd finished speaking. This had wound up a more physical task than Rosegold had expected, and she wouldn't mind turning in. So she headed inside to do just that.