As the girl practiced, a solitary figure approached from the north. Elissa saw him as he drew near and for a moment considered running back into the garden pathway, but she decided not to be chased away from her sport. Instead, she busied herself selecting a pile of good throwing rocks as he passed by. In a casual manner he paused and wished her a good morning.
The man’s face looked familiar to the princess. His features were sharp yet softened by a sparse beard. He was not too tall but carried himself well in a non-threatening manner. She remembered seeing him talking to her father, a clergyman perhaps. “I see you like to throw stones,” he said.
“Yes,” she answered, “I do.”
“Would you like me to show you how to hit that buoy?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “But no one can throw that far.
