Free The Lady and the Earl by Diedre Clark

just for her.  She called the small animal Lancelot, and they had been inseparable since.  N ow, three years later, Lancelot was the only one not trying to change Allana. 
    Allana sighed.  She was growing weary of the pressure.  All she wanted was to break free from everyone who was trying to force her to be a lady.  She was who she was, and no one was going to change that!
    She let out a harrumph with the thought then suddenly realized she didn’t recognize where she was.  She’d been so preoccupied by her thoughts she ’d let Lancelot follow a small stream leading aimlessly through her father’s land and toward the Earl of Westbrook ’s land.
    “That’ s where we are,” Allana said to Lancelot as the obvious presented itself .  “I thought you had gotten us lost,” she scolded the horse.  She looked around and decided it wouldn’t hurt to continue through Cunningham’s land.  The area was uninhabited forest rather than farmland anyway.  And it was different.  She’d been all over her father’s land to the point where she and Lancelot could walk the land over blindfolded and not get lost.  She was bored of exploring their land.  Different was good. 
    She urged Lancelot forward, still following the stream, and imagined herself exploring the wild, untamed wilderness of the Scot tish Highlands .  It probably wasn’t anything like them , but that didn’t matter to her.  It was too beautiful and fascinating to matter.  There had to be miles of forest around her, making her feel so isolated and alone.  It was definitely the escape she needed. 
    She let the stream guide her deep into the heart of the forest.  It was so peaceful and lovely there.  Spring was in the air, causing fresh blooming flowers and new green leaves to burst into the open.  The sound of the stream’s running water along with the breeze rustling the leaves brought a sense of comfort to Allana’s lonely heart.  If only she could stay in this grove forever. 
    Suddenly, Lancelot stopped.  A gloomy, large wall of briers stood in front of them, blocking their path.  The stream continued beneath the briers, but this would be the journey’s end for Allana and Lancelot.  She glanced around at her surroundings, listening to the grove sing as though welcoming her presence.  Birds whistled from above, and water gurgled and splashed from below.  Allana’s eyes widened.  The stream sounded different on the other side of the briers like it was tumbling off the edge of something and falling into…what? 
    T here must be a waterfall on the other side of the wall of briers , she thought .
    The sound seemed to beckon to her, begging her to venture forth to see its beauty.   She stared at that ugly wall in front of her .  It was quite forlorn.  But she was always ready for a good adventure if nothing else.   Th us , without further hesitation, she tied Lancelot to a large nearby tree and climbed into the flowing water of the stream.
    The brambles pried and tore at her clothes as she climbed through mud and water to get to the other side of the wall of briars.  But she was determined to see her waterfall, not caring that those threatening briers were pulling at her hair and scratching her face with each foot she crawled.  Before she knew it, she was on the other side, and those cuts and the giant spider crawling on her shoulder were quite worth their trouble.  
    The path before her opened into a large, beautiful meadow that was overshadowed by the cliff she now stood on.  The stream was tumbling off the twenty-foot rock-face into a small, clear lake below.  Allana’s breath caught in her throat as she looked at the splendor before her.  It was simply beautiful .   The crystal-like lake with its surrounding greenery, tall luminous trees, and black cliff face were like something from a dream.  There wasn’t an ugly thing in sight unless she turned around and looked at that wall of briers, but even that held a grand