Royal Twins' Joyney (for FREAK)

[Jinchu]

After the Dark Lord seized their kingdom and enchanted their parents, august twins Jennifer Isabella Aurelia and Arthur Leopold Eadred (or just Jenna and Art), who managed to escape clutchs of evil, are seeking for the legendary Ruby Of Power. Only with that artifact their royal magic will defeat Dark Lord's sorcery...

-----

Art rushed through forst with the cries of joy. They were deep in the woods, on the nearly neglected road and didn't see their enemies for a weeks, so the prince thought that a little noise wouldn't be dangerous. And at such a warm sunny day you just have to vent some energy.

Fifteen-years-old slender guy was running by the road, jumping into bushes and out of them and "attacking" trees with all the carefree vitality of youth. He was barefooted and wore plain brown pants and light-yellow coat. There was a self-made bow on his back.

"Hey, sis, look!" - he called and jumped over the large log.

[FREAK]

Jenna, Art's twin sister, a rather tall girl with straight black hair, groaned and tightened her grip around the gunnysack she was carrying.

"Arthur, will you stop that??", she shouted. She had to raise her voice in order to get heard by her brother since he was making so much noise that he was scaring away the birds, which also thought it a necessity to chirp as loud as they could to show how much they disapproved of the silly human's behaviour.

"Even the dumbest creature would be smart enough to sense that something's going on in this part of the woods! You want them to catch us or what? They're just waiting for us to make a mistake!", she scolded, hurrying to catch up to him. "And I know some better ways to use your energy for! Seriously, how old are you?? We won't have a break until the sun goes down today and I won't let you rest, especially not if you're wasting your strengths like a 5-year-old strolling through a park!"

Jenna had reached her brother and gave him one of her strict gazes. She was only a few minutes older than Art but still felt responsible for him. She didn't always scold him that harshly but today she was in a bad mood. It somehow made her nervous that they hadn't met anyone for the past week. It felt just like they were building a gigantic trap for them just waiting for them to be stupid enough to get caught in it.

"If you're bored you can gather some berries or mushrooms!", she added and handed him a small bag.

[Jinchu]

Art reluctantly stopped and fell silent. Sometimes Jenna could be so-o-o boring! Like if she was born a few minutes earlier she is his mother or something. Art is hyst as adult as Jenna, why should he endure her lectures?..

Art listened sister's notation with half an ear. This wonderful day shouldn't be spent on boring talking! "Catch us"! All the persecutors stayed far behind, and even if nor - Art can defear them! He's a warrior, and not just any - he's prince!

"Ok, ok..." brushed Jenna's scolding Art, "You see, I walk quietly, like some dreary old lady"

He ignored the bag.

"Are you serious? It's you who knows about grass and berries and all that stuff. Anyway, that's not the man's work at all! But I can kill something for dinner!" he smiled and vanished in the thicket before his sister could object. But he was really carefull and silent that time.

[FREAK]

Jenna noticed perfectly well that Art wasn't fully listening to her but at least he seemed to calm down and that was after all what she had aimed for.

"Yes, catch us!", Jenna repeated what her brother had said, "I hope you understand how serious our situation is! All I'm asking of you is to be careful, this cannot be too hard." She took a deep breath to calm down herself. It wouldn't help them one bit if Art behaved well and she herself was all agitated. Jenna had trained hard to achieve a good deal of self-control but she was still a teenager and of course also sometimes lost her temper.

She rolled her eyes when she heard Art's remark about walking like an old lady. "Making no noises in a wood is rather a hard thing, Art", she answered, "You always have to watch your steps in order not to trip or break a twig. That's nothing for old ladies." She grinned.
"Not a man's work, I hope you're kidding!", she playfully scolded him again, still smiling.

Then she let him try his luck on hunting something. There at least he had to stay quiet in calm in order to hit game with his bow and arrows. She would've preferred if he would stay closer to her so she could keep an eye on him but she didn't want to totally ruin his fun. This would only make him cranky.

[Jinchu]

Art slinked trough the brushwood like a shadow. At least he was sure he did. Young prince could be quiete then needed, sometimes he hust didn't want to. Young man was holding his bow, ready to shoot. This bow wasn't as good as Art's own (left in the castle, unfortunately), no comparsion, but it was useful enough to wind some wildfowl for dinner.

Art offered to hunt mostly to have an excuse not to listen his sister. He loved Jenna, but sometimes she was realy a pain in the ass (and she sure wouldn't like such expressions he learned from young squires in castle). But soon he forgot about sister's lectures and the hunting carried him away. Now that's the man's work!

Art heared some noises in the bush near him and carefully looked out. He spied a big wild boar on rhe glade, who was nuzzling under the tree. It would be a great game for a royal hunting, and that was enough for Art to draw the bow. Only then the arrow was already flying to the best the prince realized that it wasn't royal hunting, his bow was rather weak and he was alone.

Wounded, but more then alive boar bellowed and looked In the direction of Art. Art swallowed nervously. And then they both start to run...

[FREAK]

Jenna followed Art with her eyes as long as she could but soon he vanished between some trees and bushes. She sighed. 'Hopefully he'll find me again when he's finished', she thought, rolling her blue eyes. The girl continued to walk on the path she had chosen for them. At the moment they were searching for some sort of small village, probably isolated enough not to recognise the royal teenagers. Jenna wanted to buy some bread and was desperately longing for some information concerning her parents and the condition of the kingdom altogether.

Every now and then she spotted a rare plant or some mushrooms. Then she knelt to the ground and gathered them in one of the countless small bags she carried with her. They were practically weightless and very handy for this purpose. Jenna knew lots about nature because at home she had gotten lessons about healing plants and things of that kind. And since the topic had always interested her and she was a good student she usually paid attention to what the teacher had to say.

Suddenly she heard a noise. Hasty steps, angry grunting, terrified panting, quick galloping. She turned around and in a few meters distance saw her brainless brother running away from a wild boar. For a second Jenna's heart stopped, then panic overwhelmed her. She nearly dropped her bag and then ran directly at her brother, as fast as she could. "DID YOU GO NUTS??", she screamed and grabbed his hand, this time really dropping her precious bag. She speeded up again, dragging Art with her. But only after a few meters she realised that it was no use. "Climb on this tree, go, go!!", she shouted, pointing on a tree with branches almost touching the ground. She literally pushed him up the tree. Lucky for her, the boar got interested in the mushrooms and berries she had gathered and although it took him only seconds to devour everything she had gathered in the past few days it gave them enough time to climb up the tree.

[Jinchu]

Art didn't want to bring the boar to Jenna, but he also hadn't much choice about there to run... But then he saw his sister running to him - which meant "to furious beast" - the prince was more frightened then before, saving only his own life. Stupid girl, she should escape to opposite direction. "Run away!" Art shouted, but Jenna ignored him - or more exactly she pushed him on the tree instead of running.

Now they were sitting at the height of two meters or something, gasping of physical and nervous tension, and the boar stood under the tree, growling angrily. The beast couldn'r even lift his head to look on the twins, but he didn't need to - the boar knew that harmful creatures were up there and he knew what to do about it. The animal began to sap the tree's roots.

Art was feeling terrible. He completely forgot that his life is in danger too, but he couldn't let anyone hurt his sister. Especially because of Art's mistake and trying to save him. Art sighed, looked at Jenna and concentrated.

That was a risk, since he wasn't sure how enduring the boar could be, but... He just couldn't lose. Not then Jenna's life depands on it.

Art leant over the branch (fortunately, the boar couldn't see anything above) and directed all his willpower on the animal's head... And the short lightning appeared.

It didn't kill the boar, but the pain, flash and shcok were enough to make him run away with sorrowful howls. The twins waited a few minutes and, convinced that the beast wouldn't return, climbed down the tree.

[FREAK]

Jenna was totally out of breath when they finally reached branches which looked thick enough to carry their weight for a while. Her face was pale and her hands trembled. She always acted very though but about a month ago she had lived a rather calm life at her castle, having a Nanny and servants and of course her parents around to help her whenever she needed it.

She had been trained to reign a kingdom, not to fight wild animals in the woods. The men had yet not allowed her to accompany them when they went hunting, what Jenna thought was very unfair since they let Art come with them since he had been barely 13. Not too shoot but to watch of course.

Jenna closed her eyes and did her best to calm down. She had completely forgotten that it had been her brother who had brought them into this situation. When she remembered her face turned from white to red and she took a deep breath to start screaming at him. She had a big knot in her stomach and she knew she had to release her anger otherwise she'd go crazy.

She nearly chocked on the air she had sucked in when Art suddenly leaned forward. For one second she thought he simply wanted to jump onto the boar's head! But then he used his small magical powers to scare the animal away. They waited a few minutes to make sure it wouldn't come back. Then Jenna quickly climbed down the tree without saying a word. She still had that knot in her stomach and when she turned around to her brother her lips were pressed together so tightly that you barely couldn't see them anymore.

"Why did this thing come running after you?", she asked, trying to sound calm. After all there was the possibility of it being an accident. Jenna assumed though that Art had tried to kill the boar with one of his flimsy self-made arrows.

[Jinchu]

Art climbed down the tree and rook a breath. He felt that his feet almost gave way under him. It was really a dangerous adventure and the way he solved that problem was very risky. In fact the lightning could be just the analog of the arrow, new reasone for boar's anger.

Because the reasone of his rage was Art's arrow, and the prince fully understood it. Jenna's angry face reminded him of that in a very impressive way. "Maybe the boar would be less dangerous" - Art thought looking at his sister.

But she had a right to anger, and the honorable man (Art was the one, that's for sure) must admit their mistakes.

"Because I wounded him" Art owned with downcast eyes. "I didn't remember that it's not my hunting bow... I would kill him for sure if I had my bow! And, well... with that one I didn't."

Art sighed. "I'm sorry, Jenna. That was my mistake."

[FREAK]

"Of course it was your mistake!!", Jenna shouted directly into his face. Then she turned away from him and started pacing up and down trying to retain her temper. "Do I really have to tell you how important our mission is?? What were you thinking, Art?? You could've gotten yourself killed! What would I do without you?? The sake of the whole kingdom depends on what we do and you decide to have some fun with wild animals in the woods!!", "Jenna scolded while she walked back and forth.

"Oh God you have not the slightest idea about HOW MAD I am at you!!" She turned to him again, her index finger pointing directly at his face.

"Do you know what this would've earned you at home?? DO YOU?? Simply wandering into the woods all alone with self-made 'weapons' trying to kill a full-grown boar! A good spanking, this is what this would've earned you!! Maggie would’ve blistered your butt with her wooden spoon I can guarantee you that!"

Maggie as they used to call their Nanny Margaret preferred the old-fashioned style. You misbehaved - you earned a free trip over her knee.

Suddenly, Jenna stopped waving with her hands and running in circles with an evil smirk on her face. "And this is exactly what I am going to do. Yeah, don't look at me like that and don't you dare telling me that you don't deserve this!"

Jenna sat down on the stump of an old tree and patted her lap. She was feeling slightly hysterical. She had never spanked her brother before but couldn't think of any other way to handle the situation. She felt like she was going to explode if she didn't punish him in any way. And since the only privilege she could possible take away from him was food and she didn't want to do that what else was left? (Any by the way, the boar had eaten all their food so she couldn't even take away that from him!)