Jenny

She looked down at the dragon corpse at her feet, an oddly regretful look on her face. Then she looked at the three new arrivals and at first she stepped back and gasped. When she got a better look at Fred, a wide grin spread across her face. "Well! A real knight in shining armor!" She leaped over the Dragon's corpse with the swiftness and grace of a deer and put her hand on Fred's sword. "I've never seen anyone really use a sword before. Can I hold that for a bit?"

"I--I suppose so," said Fred. Was this strange girl a threat to him? She seemed sweet and , yet he could see with his own eyes the corpse of the dragon she's killed. She put her hands on the sword and drew it, her eyes fixed on it in awe. She ran her gaze up and down the sword, then leaped around with impossible speed making dramatic thrusts and parries. "Nice," she said. "If a little unwieldy." She handed the sword back to Fred with a mock-solemn expression.

"Who are you?" said Exotica, staring at her intently. "How did you end up here? I didn't see you with the other captives. Are you another Princess?"

"I'm Jenny. I had my own business here, but the Dragon captured me. He didn't know that I grew up someplace just like this, so I snuck out and fought him. And I'm not a princess, but you could say I'm a Lady." Her playful grin, which seldom seemed to fade, took on a knowing quality. "He wasn't the one who turned me into a werewolf by the way. I was looking for a cure here."

"I'm not surprised," said Astra. "The Dragon always was a liar and a braggart."

"And what kind of business would take a young girl out alone into the Shreken?" said Lord Fred.

"Family business, mainly" said Jenny.

"What family business? Where are you from? You said--"

"I come from very far away." She turned away and stared thoughtfully into the distance, as if trying to see something vanishing over the horizon. "You wouldn't have heard of where. I never really had a home. My father was a man of many secrets, and I never really knew him. He said that the rest of my people died in a war long ago, and that I could never be one of them. I want to prove him wrong."

"What are you looking for here?" said Astra. "Perhaps we could help you."

"Have you ever heard of the Sisterhood of Karn?"

Lord Fred flinched, while Astra gaped wide with shock. "I--" said Fred. "The Sisterhood of Karn are witches. Some of the most deadly who dwell in these mountains. What would you want with them?"

"Fred, my country has had some dealings with them," said Astra. "They have helped my ancestors out in the past. They are not evil. But they are proud, powerful and dangerous. Seeking their aid is not undertaken lightly."

"And I'm not," said Jenny. She held herself high and for all her lightness of manner earlier, her gaze was now intense, almost frighteningly so. "I was hoping they could cure me, but I was headed here before I got bitten. What I want is the truth, about who my father is and who I am. They lived in my father's homeland a long time ago. My father had dealings with them before they fled here, and they owe him a favor."

"What sort of man is your father, Lady Jenny, if the Sisterhood of Karn would owe him a favor? Perhaps you'd best leave his bones undisturbed."

Jenny looked thoughtful for a moment, as if this was something she'd thought many times but had not dared to say, but then her impish grin returned. "I don't think my father is dead. He's pretty hard to kill. And I take after him."

"Nevertheless," said Astra, "it is not wise for anyone, however strong and brave, to wander alone in these mountains. I know something of the Sisterhood, so I could help you. I am the Princess Astra of Aqualaria."

"And I am the Lord Frederigo D'Honaire." He drew his sword dramatically and held it erect. "I too shall protect you. My sword is at your service, Lady Jenny."

Jenny laughed and tapped Fred playfully on the shoulder. "That's really sweet. I probably don't need a lot of protection but I could use some help."

"And I'll come along too," said Exotica.

"But Princess--" said Fred. "You are the heir to the throne, and--"

"And it is good for a queen to know what is going on in the world around her," said Exotica, putting on her best majesterial dignity. "I suspect I have much to learn from her."

"I--I--yes, Princess."

Jenny took Exotica by the hand. "Oh, I like her. Well, we've got some captives to rescue. I know where they are. I--oh. I'm naked." She seemed more annoyed than discomforted. "Does anyone have any clothes?"

"Unfortunately, we have none that would fit you," said Lord Fred.

"You don't mind," said Jenny. "Admit it." She winked knowingly, and Fred blushed a bright crimson.

"Well," said Astra, "perhaps we could pick up some clothes in the nearest village. It would probably not be wise for us to seek an audience with the Sisterhood of Karn in the nude. We could drop off our fellow captives there before we seek out the Sisterhood. There are some among them who know how to fight and to hunt, such as my cousin Diana could lead them. Your squire, if you have one, could guide them. "

"Aye," said Fred, "I do. His name is Luc. He's trustworthy and brave, if a little foolish."

They marched off into the caverns, with Jenny leading them. Previously Fred had taken the lead, as the only one with armor and weapons. But now this petite, naked girl who seemed little older than his sister was marching through the caves ahead of them, with no regard for how the cave floor might hurt her bare feet. He had to admit he couldn't help but like Jenny. She did remind him of his own sister, Rowena, in her courage and liveliness. But there was something about the way she flaunted her strength with girlish glee that made him uneasy. Who was this Jenny, with the playfulness and wonder of a faerie and the strength and determination of a dragon? The more he looked at her, the more he was convinced she was not human. Still, she did not seem evil, and so he was bound to protect her.

1. They set out to find the other captives of the Dragon.
2. They set out to find the other captives of the Dragon, but they soon became lost in a weird labyrinth.
3. Suddenly, the earth shook around them, and a cold and alien but recognizably female voice spoke. "You have destroyed my loyal disciple! Now you shall pay!"

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