Trials and Tribulations

These past two weeks have been ones of trials. It seems a certain person who shall remain unnamed has decided to pop back into my life. No, not a person who is wanted, rather one I ran from two years ago because I found out the man wished to take my life and almost succeeded. Now, he is here, tormenting me beyond all end. He slashed my daughter's tire, has been stalking the house, and killed my beloved pet, Samson. All my soul screams is justice, yet now,once again, because he's discovered where I live, we have to move. And to make matters worse, my finance and I parted company on Tuesday. I feel very alone during this tribulation. It seems harder this time, to gather my warrior spirit together. Luckily I found a place and will be moving posthaste by July 4th.

Book One is reformatting itself again in my mind. I have completed a prologue which wasn't there before, and am making the main characters older. This change seems needed and sets well in my mind.

Prologue:
Ceridwyn

The blade felt heavy, cold and good in her hands. She hid it beneath the wool of her cloak as she stood under the Elder tree watching the guards slide in the mud as they readied the cage. God she hated them and their master. Why did her father send her here anyway? The House of Murias Donn needed no ally; it was well established in its own right. Erulisse, the Elf Queen, was far to the North and knew nothing of their strength; they could take Green Isle if they had to. How could he justify siding with these demons?
"We are ready Princess. The cage has been constructed according to the instruction of the witch."
A meaty guard approached her, drenched from the downpour. "Now it is your task to catch the beast, otherwise..." He offered her the brief glance of his blade, pulling it part way from its sheath.
Ceridwyn nodded her understanding all the while glaring at the man. "The witch shall have her prize and then my family will be allied with the Dark One and Crag Cairn forever. Best mind your manners then; otherwise your constant lack of respect will be noticed and dealt with!"
Sneering, he rubbed his lips as his eyes traveled the length of her slender body. "I won't be minding a turn in the hay."
Instinctively her hand lashed out, striking the exposed skin under the dirty helmet. "Watch your tongue, or I'll cut it from your mouth, and show it to you before slitting your throat!"
Laughing, the guard turned away and proceeded to the large cage, his stride sinking his boots ankle deep into the muck. "Get your asses back in the cover of the trees, or it will see you." He commanded of the others. Glancing back at the girl, he sneered. "And are you sure, you still be a virgin, Princess?"
Touching the sharp edge of the dagger with her fingertip, she didn't reply. An intense desire rose from the very pit of her being to sink the length of the steel though his chest as she stared at the grizzled face of the guard. Her mind screamed a war cry of vengeance, but she held her body still. Disappointing her father was far more reason to allow the man this one indiscretion. She would deal with him soon enough.
An unfamiliar sound filtered from the forest. The cry echoing through the mist made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. It was time. She left the shelter of the Elder and walked the well worn path to the edge of Half Moon Lake. Standing in the marsh grasses, she waited until the cry came closer before she stepped into the open.
And then she saw it, running on top of the fog, its white coat glistening in the rain. Its mane flowing in waves as it galloped towards her. "Come, mighty one. Come closer." She called lightly, her lyric voice melting with the breeze.
The sight of its beauty touched even her dark heart and water filled her eyes at the thought of the task she was about to perform. Stopping inches from Ceridwyn, the Unicorn snorted, as it measured the girl standing in the drizzling rain. Its hoof took a tentative step closer, its soul sensing her, fear leaving its body as it realized what she was.
Her voice, soft, coaxed the stallion nearer, until she was able to take a silk rope from the pocket of her cloak and slip it over his head, tightening the noose. As she lead the Unicorn back up the path towards the cage, her heart sank at her duty. It was the last of its kind here on Green Isle. Could she do what her father and the witch expected?
Willingly, it allowed itself to be ushered into the confines of the cage. As the lock slipped into place, the Unicorn's dark eyes searched her face. Ceridwyn clasped the dagger in her hands, as she continued to move closer to the beast. Her hand found its way up into the coarse hair of the mane and she stroked its neck, holding its attention as she sliced the horn from its head. Staggering to the ground, the animal took a shallow breath of air, and laid still.
"Well done Princess!" The guard stomped his way to the cage. "Now we know you still be a virgin. But not for long, eh?" His hand grabbed at her shoulder.
Anticipating the unwanted advance, Ceridwyn countered by pivoting away and as she turned, the hand with the horn came up, embedding itself deeply into the man's groin traveling through the lower part of his stomach upwards. Wrapping her arm around the man's shoulder, she pulled him closer, driving the horn deeper. "I warned you about your disrespect." She whispered into his ear, before wrenching the horn from his body.
His face frozen in shock, gaped at her in amazement. Falling to his knees, he tilted his head towards her. “Your justice will come Princess…” he managed to cough before falling over face first into the slimy lake of mud.
Narrowing her eyes, she mentally reflected on the body already sinking under the top layer of mud. She reveled in her deed, a slight smile breaking her rigid posture. Pulling a cloth from her cloak she wrapped the bloodied horn within its folds, and tied it with the silk noose.
“Yes…maybe one day my just reward will come, but only after your sacrifice brings justice to the House of Murias Donn.” The words sounded sweet in her ears, as she thought of the downfall of the Elf kingdom and their precious Queen Erulisse.
One of her father’s guards approached her, interrupting her daydreams of the swift death of their enemy. Warily baring his sword in a show to the witch’s men, he motioned for her to quickly move to their horses. “We must ride, Princess, before this bunch of primitives come to attention and decide you have done a great injustice to their captain.”
“He had it coming.”
“They may not see it that way.”
“The witch expressed to all of them that no harm should befall either of us. As for my deed to the captain, I will not tolerate any type of disrespect; especially coming from our ally. He was ignorant and a slob. I only took his vile words and touches until we had the horn.” She swung a leg over the top of her mare. “The witch is expecting us soon, for the horn will be the beginning ingredient for the forgotten spell, and with its weaving, so shall justice be woven for Murias Donn!”