Waves crashed upon the beach, row after row of lacy ivory fountains, each leaving a different faint mark upon the damp golden sand.

A crimson-haired woman stood by the shore, staring blankly out to sea. There was no boat; there never had been, or was ever going to be. The compass open in her left hand was ignored, every intricate letter lost in the fury of her thoughts.

She had done what they had asked, but there was nothing left for her any longer.

With a snap, she folded the compass into the palm of her hand, and she turned away from the wide sea, away from its calm and hope, but she still kept her face a picture of serenity. Dark eyes surrounded by even darker kohl narrowed, perhaps in vicious frustration, perhaps merely to check her surroundings in acute detail.

Her heavy boots lay deep tracks, and she watched them forming, a flicker of something close to worry splitting through her face, before it became a blank page once again, and she walked on, towards the deep green wood that grew surprisingly close to such a stretch of sand, and away from the clear blue sea.

The woman’s pale left hand (un-gloved, unlike the right) tucked the large gold compass into a pocket of the wide, raven-feather-backed duffel coat she wore; her right hung down still.

Finally, as she reached the tall canopy that started to spread above her, the fire-woman gazed back. She stared, uncaring, down at the trail that lay across the fair sand, a trail which to anybody else would have been an ominous sight; drops of scattered ruby blood always meant trouble.

Especially the type of blood that was dripping from the sword that pointed downwards from her right hand.

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Author guidance for This story

I got the idea for this after reading that my surname, Sumner, is derived from the Medieval for a 'summoner', or a warlock who could call demons to him.

I'm looking for collaborator(s), if anyone is interested, as I have no idea where this story is going, but I like the idea of it.
I don't want it to die soon though, so I'm looking for a (or a few) dedicated fantasy writers, who don't mind letting me have the final say on plot decisions, and who are prepared for long, detailed chapters. After all, that's what the word 'literary' means to me.
The point of view wil always be from Scarlette unless suggested otherwise, and will always be third person, please.

Notes:
Scarlette Briarwood, our heroine.
Long, dark brown hair. Slightly curled at its tips. Length: not too long
Forest green eyes. Quite tall.
Quiet, a bit of a dreamer, but secretly determined, and has a lust for adventure. Patient with some of the other members of 'The Gifted' (in which she is certainly not the youngest) who can be very trying.
Age approximate: in her late teens, can be looked upon as niave and disregarded.
A psychic.

Liam Jones, her best friend
(chapter 2 for description)
Water mage (mage?)

updated Jun 6 '11 by SumnerzAngel