He strolled down to the lake, and sat down five feet from the edge of the water. He casually picked at some foliage, and hummed a song. For an hour he sat there, looking like he was content as could be, but his eyes and mind were racing. Something had happened, and recently, to cause this...'situation' and Lython was trying to figure out was it was. He could see nothing about the lake that made it unusual from any other he had been to, yet there was something keeping everyone from the water itself.

He picked up a pebble and studied it, then quickly threw it at the water. It hit a barrier in front of him and bounced back at his feet. "Well," he said, "You're in front of me, but do you surround the lake?" He picked up two rocks and threw one to his right, and then the other to his left. The first was blocked, but the second was only deflected and still managed to hit the water. "Interesting."

He picked up two more rocks, one in each hand, and threw them simultaneously in each direction. The left one was blocked, but the right one flew nicely into the water. He nodded, then grabbed and handful of sand, and threw it up in the air towards the lake. They fell in a shower, some bouncing off something in front of him, the rest falling where they may. The barrier to the lake, it seemed, was quite small.

Lython wanted to think on this, so he dug a pit on the beach and started a fire. He took a few sips from his water-sack, careful not to use it up. It was all he had. He pulled out a slab of meat and stuck it over the fire. He spent a good hour or more cooking his meal, but only because he was working out the puzzle.

He finished gnawing the last bone and tossed it aside. He was missing something, but he couldn't figure out what. The sun was moving into his eyes, so he put on a hat to cover the glare. He leaned back, and started to doze when it came to him, "You're the kings daughter!" He leaped up and stepped to the water's edge. "You are Tirchian's daughter, the princess."

He stood there and waited. Nothing happened. Just when he thought he had been wrong it got chilly again, and the wind picked up. "Does that mean I'm right?" He walked back and sat down, "I'm waiting." His wait wasn't long.

"I aamm..."

It was hollow, and carried on the breeze, but it was there. "Better. Why are you doing this?"

Nothing.

"Can you still talk?"

"I caann..."

Lython rubbed his chin, "Why are you talking now?"

"Becaauuse you figuured ouut who I am."

The voice was getting stronger. "So this is some sort of riddle? The more I get right..." Lython did know what would happen after that, and the voice did not answer.

He decided to use his logic, "You are the King's daughter. You disappeared, and started haunting this lake. Yet, you're not haunting, because you're not actually a ghost."

"I aam not."

Lython wasn't expecting an answer, but he would take all the help he could get. "If you're not a ghost, then you are still alive. If you're still alive, then you're somehow invisible. Invisible, and guarding the lake. Do you want to keep people from the lake?"

"NO!"

That sounded angry, but in a good way. The princess obviously was NOT happy to be doing this, and was doing it against her will. "A witch?"

"Yes."

Lython jerked his head. The answer sounded like it came from a person sitting next to him. He reached out a hand, and felt an arm. "Will you still stop me if I try to get a drink?"

"Yes."

"But, not by choice."

"Yes."

He tapped a finger idly against his thigh, "The more I figure out about this, the more the curse is broken?"

"Yes!"

"So all I have to do is learn the rules of the curse, and it is broken."

"Yes." The disembodied voice sounded as if it were impossible.

Lython Chuckled, "Has anyone gotten this far before?"

"Not even close."

"Then there is always hope."

© 2009 Ravenai