The Sea Prince's Love

Chapter 1

Basket in hand, Etrela stood on the grassy mountainside, gazing at the lovely landscape below. The afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky over the ocean. To the west, the woodland went on for as far as the eye could reach. To the north and east, the glittering blue ocean stretched on until it met the sky in a clear line. To the south, the majestic mountains rose. She sighed with delight. The north wind whipped her long, reddish-brown hair about her face, and she turned her face to the wind, closed her eyes, and sighed again.

I can't linger long here. I have to get back to gathering nuts and fruit. She thought. Just not yet; the birds are still singing and the breeze is wonderful.

A few minutes later, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She inhaled a deep breath of the fresh air, smelling the salt of the ocean and a hint of pine on the wind. She took one last look at the ocean before she left.

A golden glimmer flashed in the ocean briefly. She noticed the small movement near the shore and, curious, squinted against the sun to get a better look at it. Is that a fish -- a bright orange fish? She considered going down the mountainside to identify it, but when she looked again she sighed in disappointment. The glare was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared.

Never mind, I'm sure it was just a strange fish or something. I can come back later. I still need to gather food. I've already stayed too long; dinner will be late. With this in mind, she dashed as quickly as a deer to the shelter of the forest and disappeared among the evergreen trees.