Part 3 :)

Hallie

"My name is Jasper," he repeated.

Jasper. What a nice name.

"I'm Hallie."

"Like the princess?"

"Yes."

Like the princess.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard those words. Worry started gnawing at my belly and my eyes widened in fear. I was that princess. Oh, no I was the princess of Ellenwood and I had left Soren standing by The Bridge! What had happened to him?

I wanted to find Soren, but I couldn't go back home. At least not yet.

That's when I realized that Jasper didn't know who I was. He hadn't realized that he had just saved the Princess Hallie of Ellenwood!

Relief pored over me and a smile crept its way onto my face. My identity remained a secret. And I was intended to keep it that way.

Jasper

Crunch, went the leaves on the forest floor. I groaned inwardly, turned around once again, and there she was. She was following me.

"May I help you?" I asked, sarcasm inching its way into my voice.

"Um, well... I," Hallie murmured, pushing back bushes and breaking off branches that had gotten tangled in her hair. "I'm sort of lost."

She then looked at me with those big, brown eyes of hers and my heart just melted. The poor thing was half-drowned in an unfamiliar place and night was coming. Where were my manners?

I sighed. "Where do you need to go? I would point you towards town, but since The Bridge is broken you would have to go the long way around and I don't want you to do that."

"I don't want to go into town anyways. I want to stay far away from all those... people," she said, shivering.

I frowned with confusion, but I didn't ask any follow up questions.

"Well, I guess you could come with me and stay with Uncle and I. At least, just for the night."

"Could I?"

Hallie's eyes brightened and she came nearer.

"Oh, thank you so much. I promise I won't stay long or cause any trouble. I just need to figure out a few things before going back there."

I nodded, and pointed deep into the forest.

"My home isn't too far away. Follow me."

And so she followed.