Guardian Elves

Before Shoun could respond; they heard a horse galloping across the marble floor.
"HELLO!" Alexander bubbly greeted
"Where did YOU come from?!" Shoun cried
"I'm a master escape artiest," The horse winked. He looked around cautiously as he whispered: "Don't tell Merineth I escaped from the stables, alright?"
He saw Mereneth, and nodded a bow:
"Hello princess! Would you like a ride on me with my master? It's getting a tad stuffy around here, and my legs need to be stretched!"

Mereneth's eyes widened in surprise and in wonder. "Really?!" she nodded. "Sure!!"

"Wonderful!" Alexander neighed happily: "All aboard!"
They mounted him just in time; Merineth popped out of Mereneth's room as she questioned:
"What's ALL that NOISE?! *GASP!* HOW did you-?"
Alexander galloped away before Merineth could finish her question.
Monique came out, smirking:
"See? What did I tell you? They liiiiiiiiiiiiiike each other!!"

Mereneth blushed a little and sighed, laughing a little and shaking her head.

Shoun laughed as they galloped out of the palace, and into the city's square:
"My OWN horse kidnapped us!" He looked around; so many people! So many shops!
"Well, malady, where shall we drop us off?"

Mereneth laughed a little. "I don't know...anywhere you like!" she said, grinning.

"Let's EXPLORE!!" Alexander beamed, and without asking them permission began to gallop again.

Mereneth laughed and grabbed a hold of Shoun's shoulders so she wouldn't fall off. "I guess we don't have a choice!"

The horse laughed:
"Not really!"
They all went into the woods; laughing merrily as they went...and as an evil pair of eyes spied on them.

Mereneth looked around. "Where exactly are we Alexander?" she muttered.

Alexander started looking around; becoming creeped out.
"I was hoping you could tell us, my lady."
Shoun huffed in frusteration:
"YOU got us LOST?!?"

Mereneth started to get freaked out. "Um..." she glanced around. It was oddly dark, even though it was the early afternoon. "We should go." she mumbled.

"Ahhh, but WHY leave so soon?" A dark voice hissed from the shadows. Bulging orange snake eyes shined eerily in the darkness.

Mereneth screamed and fell off the horse. "Oooowww..." she mumbled, standing up slowly.

"I didn't mean to frighten you," The monster hissed as Alexander bucked and jerked: "I just wanted to talk to an OLD friend of MINE!"
Shoun drew his sword:
"KEEP AWAY from her, SNAKE!"

Mereneth backed up a bit, away from whatever that thing was, eyes wide.

The eyes evaporated, and appeared in front of Mereneth. Black breath streamed from it's mouth; causing Mereneth to feel faint!

Mereneth screamed and stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock and falling on the ground. She winced.

Shoun slashed at the Shadow Wraith; managed to slice open it's arm. Orange blood gushed out of the wound as the creature yowled in pain, and vanished!
Shoun immediately dismounted, and scooped the barely conscious Mereneth up into his arms.
"Are you alright?"

Mereneth groaned and put a hand to the back of her head, pulled back her hand and saw blood. "I....y-yeah..."

"We need to get you back," Shoun's voice wavered: "ALEXANDER! GET US BACK, HURRY!"
Shoun put Mereneth on his horse, and mounted it himself, and they rode back to the palace...
as Natas smiled, and congratulated the beast:
"Well done."

Mereneth groaned and leaned back. "I feel light-headed." she mumbled.

After Shoun and Mereneth returned, everyone went right to work.
Monique scolded Mereneth:
"WHAT in the WORLD were you two DOING going out BY YOURSELF?!?"
Merineth mused:
"With that HORSE, no less! How did he EVER get out?!"
Rowen corrected both of them as she brought bandages for Mereneth's head:
"Girls, stop fussing at your sister!"
"Yes ma'am." They apologized in union.
"Dearest," Rowen whispered lovingly to her daughter as she carefully bandaged her head: "What happened?"

Mereneth winced. "Well, all of us, that is, me, Shoun, and Alexander, wanted to get out of the palace for a bit. So we went to the village and then Alexander said he wanted to explore. And then we got lost in the forest..." her voice trailed off. "Then something attacked us."

Rowen looked concerned:
"Could you describe it? Try do, my dear."