The Book of Twelve (Fantasy)

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Hmmm, I have never written a short story for anyone to read before. I have written for my own desire to write, but I have never shared the stories with anyone. Thought I would give this a go. Please be patient with me, I may not be able to write every week.

Chapter 1

The sun had begun to peak ever so slightly in between and around the trees of the dark and brooding forest. Little rays were dancing off the dew drops that were left after a night of quiet rain. Small flowers and plants were turning their faces towards the welcoming sun, trying to take in every little bit possible. And the animals began to awake and stir about, waking their young with a nuzzle or a sound. The birds were beginning to sing the song of morning and a beautiful young girl opened her eyes.

She blinked a moment or two letting her eyes adjust. She laid wrapped up in a mushroom bed at the bottom of a large oak tree with nothing, but a white pelt to cover herself up in for warmth. A few feet away from her stood a silver stallion waiting patiently, with a scroll dangling from his neck. He wore a black bridle and a black and gold garmet layed draped over his back.

For a moment she just laid there, as if in a daze. The morning broke so beautifully and she was so warm that she did not want to move. Through squinted eyes she stared once again at the stallion as she slowly sat up, bringing the pelt with her as she moved. She thought that she was dreaming and if she forced herself to move she would awake and be lying in her own bed where she had awakened every morning for the first 16 years of her life. But, nothing changed and the stallion nickered softly and tossed his head a few times, making his bridle gingle and come to life.


[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 12, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 19, 2001).]

 

The beginning is great. Maybe it's a good idea to poast some more at the same time.... for now I have to wait soo long for the next chapter

 

Continuing Chapter One


It seemed she recognized the woods from her travels with her mother, whom had passed away a few years ago. This portion of the forest was called the Briar Patch, because it was so deep into the forest and was over grown quite thick with vegitation and there for few ventured into it. She didn't feel afraid, although she thought she should be based on all the stories that she was told growing up about the Briar Patch. It was supposedly where evil men or women were left to die after being wickedly tormented, because they were caught secretly practicing black magic in order to reak havoc upon the kind and good hearted folk of Glouscan Castle.

The horse nickered softly, bringing her attention back to it once again. Slowly, as if she was not sure that her legs would hold her, she climbed down from the mushroom bed and walked calmly over to where the horse stood. Lifting her hand up ever so gently, she removed the scroll from around its neck and took out the tiny parchment that she found within.

The writing was beautiful, and could only be that of one well schooled. The parchment that it was written on was just as lovely, but the seal was unknown to her. Her father might know, she thought, but even if she could find her way home it would be of no use because he had traveled to the city of Nashal on courtly business and would not return for several months.

The parchment read as such:
My dear child, a long and treacherous journey lies before you. There is no turning back to the life you knew before, there is only the path that you must travel that lies before you now. Do not fear, for I will prepare you for your journey and I will walk beside you as long as I may.

The silver stallion that awaits you so patiently is known as Rainar. He will guide you safely to me. The robe that is cast over his back is that of my people, there is a silver dagger hidden in the lining of it along with a gold pouch. The pouch will provide you with enough food for a week. You must wear the robe at all times and speak to no one along the way.

Please hurry child.

When she finished reading the parchment she began to feel some what scared. Obviously some kind of magic had brought her here, for there were no tracks that she could see anywhere around her. Not even the hoof prints of Rainar. She didn't like the way she felt all of the sudden, scared and no longer in control of her own life. However, whom ever had sent this parchment had stated that she could not turn and walk back to the castle and the life she use to live. If this person spoke the truth, there was no place to go but onward toward the source of the parchment.

She reached up and took the robe from Rainars back and was surprised by the weight of it as it slid into her hands. She found the gold pouch of food quickly enough, but the silver dagger took some searching. At last, her fingers came across a small opening in the robe about four inches from the base of the hood. With a slight tug the hole grew wider and she was able to reach in and grasp her fingers around a rather warm object. She pulled it out carefully so as not to tear the hole any wider, and was surprised at the glowing dagger that now lay in the palm of her hand. The silver shown like none she had seen before and oddly enough it matched the darker silver that flecked Rainars nose, back, and legs. The oddest thing had to be the color of Rainars
eyes,they were the darkest gray she had ever seen with tiny flecks of silver mixed in.

For a moment she admired both their beauty and then once more checked the pocket to see if there was anything else stored with in it. It appeared to be empty, so she placed the robe over head and let it slide down to cover the rest of her. She placed the dagger back in its pocket, pulled the hood up over her head, and swung gracefully up on to Rainars back.

[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 16, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 16, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 19, 2001).]

 

So far so good, you have set up a good lead to the rest of the story. the next thing she can ask herself could be:
Who is helping her?
What is the quest?
Where to go next?

she could even run into some other travellers and set up a party of others.
i look forward to the next part!

 

She placed the white pelt across Rainars shoulders, thinking that it was the only other piece of material she had to keep her warm besides the robe. She took one last look in the direction of Glouscan Castle trying to conjure up all of her memories about what it looked like and all of the times she spent within its protective walls. In all of her sixteen years, no ill had ever befallen Glouscan Castle or the people it protected within its monsterous walls, until just recently. The ill that had befallen the castle was the reason her father had left so abruptly and named her brother keeper of the throne in his stead.

All of the sudden Rainar flinched and jumped sideways, bringing her abruptly out of her thoughts. She balanced herself on his back with her legs and griped his mane with her hands. She looked around to see if she could see what had caused him to jump like that when she felt his muscles tighten and begin to tremble. She new something was wrong, but she couldn't see anything at all thru the thick vegitation. Rainar leaned back on his haunches as if he were about to rare up, but instead he spun himself around on his back legs until he was facing the other direction and then he surged forward a few steps out of the clearing. He bagan to prance around in a circle as if he were trying to locate the threat. Tossing his head back and forth and kicking out with his front legs.

All at once she felt the atmosphere around her begin to change and the air shimmered in front of her and to her left and right side.
Rainar swung around again on his haunches and broke into a run, away from Glouscan Caslte and the shimmering air that had almost completely engulfed them. The branches of the Briar Patch were harsh and thick with thorns in some spots. They were tearing at her face with their long tendrils and were catching on her robe as if they meant to unseat her from his back. She pulled the hood of the robe up tighter around her face and then buried it in the flowing mane that graced Rainars neck.

The moment he felt that she was secure on his back Rainar stretched out his body and quickened his pace. On a horse from her fathers stable his gait might have felt jaring, but the longer and faster his strides became, the smoother his gait became and the easier it was for her to balance on his back. Ocassionaly, one of the branches grabed at her robe so hard it almost pulled her off, but she just re-affirmed her grip every time willing herself to be strong. Her hands were almost numb and her legs were growing weak. The thick air seemed to be almost gone though and she could breathe a little easier than before.

Then all at once she felt the air give way and forest open up around her. Rainars gait eased up a little and she felt his muscles relax beneath her. She sat up just a bit off of Rainars neck and pushed the hood back some so that she could widen her view. They seemed to still be in the forest, but the woods were different. The trees were farther apart and the vegitation on the forest floor was almost non-existent except for the grass and a few scattered leaves.

[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 19, 2001).]

 

You're making me want to own a horse.

 

She had the feeling that whatever danger they had been in got left behind or had given up the chase. She felt Rainar slow down to an easy canter so she reached up to remove the hood completely. The sun was past mid sky so she knew that approximately four hours had past since Rainar took up his frantic pace out of the clearing that she had awoke in. She felt drained, but had no idea how far away her destination was, or how much longer it would take to reach it. She assumed, based on the pouch of food, that it would at least be a week. But, there was no way to tell.

About two hours later Rainar slowed to a walk. He seemed to be looking around again for something. Moving his head around to look to the right and then to the left. Then he stopped abruptly, turned around, took two steps back in the direction they had came from and stopped again. All of the sudden he shook his whole body so hard that she fell unceremoniously to ground with a thump. For a brief moment she just sat there, absolutely stunned. She was so weak that she was not able to keep herself from falling off. Her muscles felt sore and her body felt as though something had trampled all over it.

Rainar took his nose and began nuzzling around inside her robe. For the life of her she couldn't figure out what he was doing. When he raised his head up, the gold pouch was dangling from his mouth. It was so amusing she laughed out loud and Rainar jumped at the sound, dropping the pouch on the ground in front of her. It was at that moment that she realized two things. First of all that it was late in the day and she had yet to eat one meal, and secondly that her laugh was the first sound she had made since she had awoke and poor Rainar was not was not expecting her laughter.

"I'm sorry" she said as she reached out to pet his nose. "I didn't mean to startle you, but I am not use to a horse reminding me to rest and eat my meal. Not to mention the fact that you looked terribly funny with that pouch dangling from you mouth like that." Rainar shook his head and managed to look indignant. If a horse could look indignant then she assumed that was how it would look. Then he turned to his left and walked off through the woods, leaving her with no choice, but to stand up and follow him.

It was all she could do to get up off the ground and try to catch up with Rainar. Her legs felt as though they were going to buckle underneath of her, but she didn't want to loose sight of him, so she walked as quickly as she could. It wasn't too long before she heard the faint sound of running water and was relieved when he came to a stand still by a tiny brook. She walked over to where Rainar stood dipping his nose in the brook and drinking deeply of the fresh water. She sat down by him at the edge and opened the pouch up in order to display its contents. She withdrew an apple and a honey cake, then placed the pouch back inside her robe. It felt good to sit and it felt just as good to eat. It was not the fancy meals she was use too, but she was so hungry that it tasted almost as good. When she finished eating she bent over the brook, cupped her hands, and brought a cool drink of water to her lips. She sighed as she felt it make its path down her throat.

She heard Rainar moving around behind her and then felt the warmth of his breath on her cheek. She reached up and offered him the core of her apple and he happily nibbled it out of the palm of her hand. When he was finished he nudged her with his nose and tossed his head in the direction of the path the had left about a half an hour ago. She knew he wanted to get moving again, but she silently hoped she would not have to ride thru the night. She stood, brushed herself off and then attempted to get herself up on to Rainar’s back. She found the food had given her strength, but her muscles were so tired it took two attempts before she finally accomplished it.

Once Rainar was back on the path and headed in what she assumed to be the right direction, she pulled the hood back up over her head and settled herself comfortably on his back. It did not take him long to pick up a rather quick pace, and once again she felt like she was flying thru the air. The forest floor seemed to be eaten up by his strides and trees flew by in some what of a blur. She had seen a group of dear once and a couple of rabbits and some squirrels, but other than that the forest seemed quiet.

Rainar kept his pace until the sun began to set. Then he slowed to a trot that took them out of the forest and into what was known as the Flatlands. The sky was bright with red, orange, and purple, and the sun cast its glow off the clouds. The grass of the Flatlands came all the way up to Rainars belly and tickled her ankles. It felt good to be out of the forest, but at the same time she became worried about the chance of coming upon someone. She also did not know if it was safe to sleep in such an open place as this and wondered once again when Rainar would stop to camp for the night.

The wind picked up a little and rippled the grass making her think of the sea and its mesmerizing waves of white. She had seen the sea only once, when she was younger. Her mother had taken her and her brother to see their father in Nashal when he had to stay for an extended visit. The road they took led them along the Varian Sea for a couple hours. She even remembered her mother telling her that the sea had a life of its own and that many animals made their home there. She said that it was a wonderful thing and that it had beauty beyond our comprehension, but that we must always fear it as well. That it could leave you naked to the world or even take your life if that was its will. She never understood completely what her mother meant, but she did feel naked out here on the Flatlands. Someone could see her approaching from a good distance away and that could be a danger to her now. Someone might recognize her and try to take her back to Glouscan Castle, or worse.



[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited November 26, 2001).]

 

...Wow. Amazing. Quite a trade in stories going on here, and I really like this one.

 

Good story Satiana
I'm guessing that Rainar is perhaps more than just some equine pack animal

 

The winds were beginning to whale around her now, making a wining like sound that hissed in her ears as it tried to whip off her hood and left her feeling chilled right down to her very bones. The night was closing in as the sun slid behind the mountains in the distance. It was a normal fall-eve and left no doubt in her mind that winter would be upon the land within two full moons. She feared the winter would be harsh, more so than her or her people had seen in many years. She thought for a moment about her brother and father and how they would fare for her people in her stead. Her brother grew more hot-tempered the older he became. He was 12 full moons older than her, but he acted as though he were 24 moons younger.

It was known that amongst her people that women of status are trained from birth in the matters of courtly business. They were taught how to attend court, deal with common folks concerns as well as politics, and how to act like proper women outside of court and the castle walls. The young men were taught how to fight and defend themselves from very young ages, but are not taught the matters of court until much later in their lives. It is the way of her people and unfortunately that has left her brother bereft and without half a clue as to how to lead or care for her people, and her father had gone on urgent business without a time line of return.

She sighed out loud into the night at nothing unparticular and shook her head of her thoughts. It did not matter much what happened now for she was unable to return to Glouscan Castle and dwelling on what might happen would do her no good. Rainar plodded along quite slowly, picking his way carefully thru the fields of grass.

She had let her upper body relax and she was swaying back and forth in rhythm with his movement. Looking around she realized in a few more minutes she would not be able to see her hand in front of her face and the idea of that made her a little uncomfortable.

There wasn’t much of a moon in the sky and stars were coming into full view. It wasn’t long before she nodded off thinking about the stars and moving in time with Rainar’s gait.

A loud thundering crash awakened her from her sleep. Her whole body jerked and her head snapped up abruptly. The wind was blowing so hard now that her hood had flown off her head and she had a hard time keeping the pelt in her grasp. She moved it so that she was actually sitting on it as if it were a saddle and she pulled her hood around her and tied it off with the pieces of cloth that hung from each side of it. She gripped Rainar’s mane and held on a bit tighter. She leaned down pressing her body as close to him as she could, hoping to steal some of his warmth. A loud crash came again and the sky lit up with bright streaks of yellow light. It lashed out through out the sky in an angry fashion, its tendril like rays reaching farther across every time.

She felt Rainar tense and she prepared her self, for she knew he was about to quicken his gait again. Then just as she thought Rainar picked up into a full run and she felt the grass lashing at her ankles in an almost painful manner. She did not know how he could see well enough to run like this, but he never faltered as his sure-footed legs covered the ground in lengthy strides. She pressed down even lower toward his body as he stretched out, once again burying her face in his neck. She did not know how close they were getting to the mountains that lay on the other side of the grasslands from whence they entered, assuming that was where they were going. She had believed so, since it seemed that Rainar’s path was headed straight for them.

It did not take long for the rain to follow the thundering crashes and come pouring down on them in hard blowing sheets. It was all she could do to stay on with the wind blowing the rain down so hard it threaten to nock her off, not to mention it had already completely soaked through her robe in a matter of seconds.

She was shaking so hard from the cold and her knuckles were white from clenching to Rainar’s mane. She had be a stride Rainar’s back for over twelve hours now, with the exception of the tiny break for diner. When she had gotten tossed from his back she had been too weak to hold on, the food had helped some of course and the calm pace that had allowed her to sleep for a little while helped as well, but she was not sure how much longer she could continue to go on. They raced across the valley of the grasslands at a break neck pace, the wet grass slapping at her almost as hard as the rain. She found suddenly that it was hard to breathe and she began to feel nauseous.
She was feeling light headed and thought she might throw up. She gasped a little for air, but tried to remind herself that taking calm steady breaths would help ease the nausea.

She tried to keep her wits about her, but she was tired and she didn’t feel well at all. It came on so suddenly it seemed and she couldn’t think of why. She had no idea how long they had been running in the rainstorm, but it seemed like hours. It must be well into the night and she hoped Rainar would stop soon for she needed to rest. Rainar seemed just as steady to her as when he was walking earlier and he seemed just as calm, although she thought she could sense a hint of urgency coursing thru his muscles as he ran. He seemed to be slowing a little his gait relaxing into an easy canter. The weather had not given up, but at least she did not have to hang on so tight anymore she thought, as she flexed her fingers to get feeling back into them. She still couldn’t breath very well and her last thought was maybe he is slowing down; maybe we are finally going to stop.

Rainar felt her slump over on his back and sensed she had passed out. He slowed to a walk almost immediately, trying not to dislodge her from his back. They did not have much longer to go before they reached cover. There was a cave at the base of the mountains, hidden in an alcove that could easily be assessed as a crack, but nothing more. Rainar walked quickly, but steadily towards the entrance to the cave where they could rest and find warmth. When he reached the base of the mountain he had to nose around a little bit in order to find it, but it did not take too long to find the crack in the side of the rock wall that was part of the eastern side of the mountain. Its sheer rock face rose about a half a mile up towards the sky before the mountain took on a slope and the tree line began. He slid thru the opening carefully so as not to nock her off. Rainar had to stop a moment to let his eyes adjust to the semi-darkness of the stone maze that lead to the entrance of the cave.

The entrance to the cave was narrow and did not leave much room to maneuver. Once inside it opened up into a round shaped room that was quite spacious. It was not cluttered with stalagmites and stalactites like most natural caves you might explore. The walls of the cave were smooth and had a red and brown marble look to them. The colors swirled around and occasionally mixed together to form reddish-brown circles. In the center of the cave there was a tiny wade pool that had a pale green color to it. Around the pool there were smooth round stones with flat tops that could be sat on and towards the backside of the cave there was a stone bed with white pelts draped across it. Beside the bed there was a half-moon like hole in the wall with a fire roaring inside of it.

Rainar walked over to the rock bed, getting as close to it as he could without pinching her leg up against the side. The edge of the bed came approximately to Rainar’s shoulder, which could be measured at about 14 hands high; Rainar himself was 15 hands. He took is nose and nudged her slowly from his back onto the bed. She fell slightly, but came to rest in the pile of soft white pelts without much of a fuss. She was soaked to the bone just as he was and needed to get out of her robe so that she could warm up more quickly. Lysa would be here soon he knew, so he went over to the fire and curled up beside it to wait.

Chapter 2
Not much later Lysa arrived at the entrance of the cave, soaked to the bone herself. She wore a brown dress with a black cloak that had gold fringes. Her brown hair was braided and hung to her waist and she held a black bag in her left hand. She entered the room to find the girl lying on the bed and Rainar curled up by the fire drying out. She walked over and woke Rainar as she set the black bag she had been caring down by the fire with a clank. “Hey fella” Lysa said, “Long journey was it?” He nickered and raised his head a little so that she could scratch his ears. “Well just warm yer self up by the fire and I will get the little misses out of that wet robe so she won’t be catching herself a cold.” Lysa said softly as she head toward the bed. When she removed the robe Lysa found that the girl had nothing on underneath of it and she swore under her breath. Lysa had no idea why the child wore only the robe of her master and nothing else, even her feet were bare. She should be dressed for colder weather and a lady of her status always wore something, even if it was only the silk gown that they wore in their bedchambers.

Lysa also noticed that the child had cuts on her feet, ankles, and lower calf; small angry marks that had swollen a bit. Lysa cursed again under her breathe and swore to herself that she would not allow the child to continue her journey while she was in such a state. She walked over to the black bag that she had left by the fire and took out a pair of fawn colored pants, a green tunic, and a pair of knee high black boots. She also grabbed some herbal salve and a towel. She went back to where the child lay and began to dry her off with the towel, vigorously rubbing until the color came back to her skin. Then she dressed her in the pants and the tunic so that she would no longer be bare. After that Lysa turned her attention to the child’s feet, dressing them with the salve as carefully as she could. She did not want to wake her with pain that would not be kind after the journey she had undertaken.

Pulling up one of the pelts to cover the child was the last thing Lysa did before she turned back to the fire and began to make dinner for the three of them. She took a cauldron, a bag of grain, and some other ingredients out of the bag and set to work. The first thing she made was a warm grain mash for Rainar whom accepted it gratefully when she placed it in front of him, and then she made a stew for herself and the child. She knew not when the child would awake, but the stew would keep for a while and there would be plenty for her to eat. When Lysa had completed her tasks, she set down with a bowl of stew and some biscuits she had brought with her and ate as she basked in the warmth of the fire.

She had long since discarded her wet robe, but she had given her clothes to the child to wear and had nothing dry for herself. It was odd, that the child and her were of the same size, but she was glad because otherwise she would have had to send the child on with nothing but the robe to wear. She did not want the child meeting her master wearing only a robe; it would be an embarrassment for them both. When Lysa had finished eating she took a pelt from the bed and positioned it on the floor beside where Rainar laid. She curled up next to him and used his front leg for a pillow. She was very tired it was not long before she was asleep.

It could not have been more than a couple of hours later that the child awoke. She sat up, a little frightened at first, because she did not recognize where she was. She glanced around the room, taking in the beauty of it. She noticed Rainar lying by a roaring fire that was in a recess of the wall. There was a woman lying beside him whom she did not know, both were fast a sleep. The smell of food caught her attention as well and she felt her stomach grumble. She had no idea how long she had been a sleep or where they were, or even how they had gotten where they were. She removed the pelt and went to get out of the bed when another thought struck her; she had on clothes. The woman must have dressed her when she was sleeping and made the food for her and Rainar. Was this the person who sent the parchment she wondered? Would all of her questions finally be answered?

She slid down of the bed as carefully as she could. She winced at the pain that went through her feet when she put her full body weight on them. She glanced down at the angry red marks, found they had swollen up and grumbled. She slowly walked over to where the woman lay and addressed the situation. Obviously the woman, whom did not look to be much older than her, was not a threat. The woman had given her clothes, boots, and took care of her cuts. Not to mention, Rainar would have never let the woman near him, or herself for that matter, if she were a foe and wanted to harm either of them. She stopped just a few feet away from the woman and squatted down on her heels. “Excuse me,” she said in a rather loud tone that startled Rainar and the woman. The echo of her words sounded off the walls of the cave a few times making it even louder than she had intended it to be.

 

Ooohhh a new character, Lysa, and the plot thickens. Good job.

 

Very good.MOOOOOOOORREEEEE!!!!!!!!

 

Rainar looked a little annoyed with her for waking him up so rudely, but Lysa smiled and sat up. “Hello there,” Lysa said, “Tis good to see that ye have awoken. I have made a meal for us. Thought ya might be hungry after such a long journey.” For a moment there was complete silence as she moved over to where the cauldron rested in the fire. It sure smelled good she thought, and just then her stomach answered her thoughts with a growl. She picked the bowl and spoon up off of what seemed to be a table, and helped herself. As she began to dip out the stew she asked Lysa, “Who are you and why have you helped me so?” Once again there was silence, which lasted much long than the first. She moved over and sat down by the make shift table, carefully placing herself on one of the round stones that was near the table. As she began to eat Lysa answered a few of her questions.

“My name is Lysa Mooncloud and I am servant to the one ye seek.” Lysa said. “I was sent here to attend to ya, and to find out if yer ok. Twas a good thing I did, for ye were half naked and so sick ye passed right out on Rainar’s back.” The child looked surprised for a second or two and then some recognition flashed across her face. Not long after that she managed to look a little embarrassed. “Do you know who I am?” she asked Lysa. And Lysa replied with a “No, I do not.” as she stood up and moved over closer to the fire. She reached into her black bag and pulled out another bowl and spoon. She dished herself out more stew and then she carried it over to where the child sat. Lysa placed herself across the table on one of the round stones and set her bowl down. When she had herself adjusted she turned her attention back to the conversation. “Well, who are ye then?” Lysa asked.

“My name is Orinia Celestine, born of Vira and Brogar Celestine and my home is Glouscan Castle which lies in the heart of GlennRivin.” Orinia replied. “I awoke in a clearing in the Briar Patch lying in a mushroom bed without a stitch on, cept a white pelt that was draped over me. Rainar was standing a few feet away from where I was lying, with a scroll dangling from his neck and a robe across his back. In the scroll there was a parchment that said I could never return to my home and that I must allow Rainar to take me to some destination. I was not allowed to say goodbye to my brother and I did not have a chance to write my father and tell him what had happened, and my mother went to the heavens many moons ago. I felt compelled to go after reading the parchment, but I also felt as though I had no choice. Is there anything you can tell me Lysa, about what is going on and where my journey shall lead me?” As she spoke, many expressions crossed her face. Lysa watched the expressions and listened to the story with intent. She felt sorry for Orinia, and she felt even sorrier that she would not be able to shed a whole lot of light on the situation.

“I am sorry,” Lysa said, “The only thing I can tell ye, is that yer journey is very important. Ya must let nuthin come between ye and yer destination; many things depend on yer survival, and arrival at yer destination. I’m even sorrier to say that I can’t be answerin yer questions about whom sent the parchment and why ye were picked for this journey. I know that sounds horrible of me, but tis best, and besides I swore to my master that I would not. Tis not my place, I hope ye understand that.” Orinia nodded, but said nothing. “Ye must be getting yer rest though, Rainar will want to head out early in the mornin before the dawn breaks.” Lysa said in a quiet voice. “I too must be on my way, for I have fulfilled my duty and there is nothing else I can do for ye.” They both finished their meal in silence. When dinner was finished Lysa helped Orinia to bed and then went to wash up from the meal. She quietly cleaned and placed everything back in her black bag and stoked the fireplace to assure warmth throughout the night. When everything was done she settled down next to Rainar as she had done before and fell to sleep.

Orinia awoke that morning to Lysa softly singing as she lay a breakfast of jelly and rolls out on the table. “Good morning,” Orinia said in a tired voice. “It seems as though we just crawled into bed.” She shuffled out of bed and slowly walked over to where Lysa was standing

 

She's alive! She's alive!

 

She picked up a roll and spread some jelly on it and then went and sat down cross-legged by the fire. She looked around and noticed that Rainar was not in the cave and she turned to Lysa with a questioning look. “Rainar went out for a bit, but he’ll be back soon.” Lysa replied to Orinia’s look. “I am sure he will want to get goin soon, so ye must pack yer things and be ready. You may wash yer self in the pool if ye would like, might be a good start to yer day.” Lysa smiled and then went back to her singing as she finished with breakfast.

Orinia took Lysa’s advice and went to bathe in the pool. She left her clothes in a pile by the pool and timidly tested the water with her toes. It felt just right, kind a like bath water she thought and as she slipped in. Lysa brought her over a towel and some soap and then left her alone to bathe. Orinia heard Lysa leave the cave, but she didn’t bother to ask her where she was going. The water felt good on her skin and she took the time to wash her hair as thoroughly as possible. Her hair was getting long she thought as she let the black curls run thru her fingers. She hadn’t had it cut since her mother had died and it hung well past her waist. Closing her eyes she lay back in the pool and floated for a few moments. She stared up at the ceiling for a bit and then closed her eyes. The only sound in the cave was the sound of her moving her legs and arms thru the water. She loved the quiet solitude of the cave and the fact the there wasn’t someone constantly watching over her, like there was in the castle.

An hour had past before she chose to leave the pool. As she was getting out she noticed that the pool did not reflect her image. She had been told as a child that water would reflect an image of what you looked like, but she had never seen any water that did so. For that matter, she had never seen what she looked like. She was told that she was a picture of her mother, and yet all at the same time, oddly more beautiful. She couldn’t imagine being more beautiful than her mother. She hoped that on her journey she would find such a pool and get a chance to see her self in it. She toweled herself off and put on the clothes Lysa had given her. She was happy to note that whatever salve Lysa had used on her had completely diminished all of her sores and scratches. She felt alive and fresh and ready to get going. Not even her muscles showed signs that she had ever felt sore or tired. She wanted to ask Lysa what she used and if she had any of the salve to spare, it might come in useful on her journey. She thought that it might be magical too, for it had worked so quickly.

As soon as she was dressed she brushed her hair and tied in a neat knot at the base of her neck. She packed what little she now owned in a small bag that Lysa had given her and she sat it by the door along with her cloak. She straightened the bed and finished cleaning up what was left of breakfast. Just as she was finishing up, Lysa and Rainar walked thru the cave entrance. Orinia’s first thought was how different they both looked. Lysa wore a light green flowing dress that hung so far down it covered her feet. It was sleeveless with just two thick straps holding it up.

It brought out her green eyes and her hair hung loose and came to a stop just below her shoulders. Orinia noticed how very shiny and straight it was. The only piece of jewelry she wore was a headband that was made up of tiny dangling, pale green stones. Rainar wore a black English-type saddle with silver leaf engravings and silver tassels that chimed softly when he moved. His bridle was of the same material and had silver tassels that dangled from it as well. His coat and his hooves were the shiniest she had ever seen and she couldn’t help but think how fabulous he looked.

Lysa smiled at Orinia and said, “I brought a few more things for ye. Ye shouldn’t be going on this next part of yer journey in my clothes.” Lysa giggled as she let go of Rainar’s bridle and walked over to where Orinia was standing. “Don’t look so stunned, tis just me silly.” She said laughingly as she began to pull a beautiful white dress out her bag. “Here, go take those clothes off and put this on.” The dress that Lysa handed her was the loveliest dress Orinia had ever seen. She gently took it from Lysa and walked over behind the bed to change. It felt soft on her skin she thought as she pulled it on over her head and let it slide down into place. It only had one shoulder strap, and it clung tightly to her until about her waist. From her waist down it had a flowing look; similar to that of the dress Lysa was wearing.

When she was finished, Lysa undid Orinia’s knot and brushed her hair out till it shown. She placed a blue headband, with tiny blue teardrop like gems dangling from it, around her head. She attached it under Orinia’s hair, so that all you could see was the part that went across her forehead. Then she gave her a bracelet that matched to wear around her wrist and a pair of tiny white sandals that fit perfectly.



[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited June 05, 2002).]

 

Interesting about the pool/reflection. Keep it up Satiana.

 

Anyone else besides Big B have a comment or two on my story?

 

Excellent work. Keep it up.
Though your plot seems to be progressing rather slowly but maybe it's just your style.

 

I have to say that I'm quit envesous of your great skill at discribing things. I am hooked. The story is great so far and I will be cheaking back to read more. The only thing that is missing is that you have not given a good picture of the girl. I see her as tall with dark hair and scratches on the legs but thats it. Great work! Keep it up, I want to read this through.

 

Sorry to everyone who has been following the story. My parents got very ill and I had to go home during school. Then I went home again to make sure things were getting better.

But, now I am back and I will have more time to write. So, look for some new posts soon.

AND NOW FOR MORE


Lysa took the clothes that Orinia had been wearing, stuffed them into her pack, and then tied the pack to Rainar’s saddle. “There now, ye should be all set to go. But, there are some things I must be explaining to ye before ya do.” Lysa said as she turned and walked back over to where Orinia was standing. “Within the next couple of days, some of yer answers will be provided to ya by a great source of power. Ye must listen carefully to all that the great source has to say, and ask questions if need be. Let nuthin go unanswered, for if ye lack knowledge or understanding, ye will fail in yer journey. When she finished speaking, Lysa took a hard long look at Orinia then nodded, and walked over to the wall between the fire pit and the bed.

She stood with her back to Orinia and did not say a word for some length of time then began to chant in a tongue foreign to Orinia’s ears. Lysa’s voice was melodic and floated up and down for a few moments before it resided.

Lysa then turned around and motioned for Orinia to come over to her. When Orinia was standing directly in front of Lysa she began to chant the same melodic tune over again. Taking her hands and tracing around the edges of Orinia’s body creating an aura like shadow that gave Orinia the chills. When the chant came to an end Orinia heard the soft chiming of Rainar’s saddle and bridle as he appeared next to her. Lysa then motioned for Orinia to sit astride Rainar, so she turned to him and did as Lysa requested. She thought it was odd that they had not spoken since the chanting had begun and she wondered what the chanting meant or did. Before she could get her thoughts together and ask Lysa what was going on, Lysa pressed a piece of parchment paper identical to that of the first one she had found around Rainar’s neck, into the palm of her hand and then proceeded to disappear into thin air.

Orinia was shocked to the core of her being. How is that possible, she thought, as she looked around the empty room. She had never seen anything like that before and wasn’t sure it was even possible. She turned to the parchment in her hand then, for she was sure it contained instructions, or maybe even an explanation of what had just happened. With shaking fingers she unrolled the piece of parchment and read it’s contents.

The parchment read as such:

My dear child, once again there is not much time for explanation, for a portal will open in the wall directly in front of you in a few moments. It will appear as a blue oval like shape and will be large enough for the both of you. The second it appears you must walk through it like you would a door.

Do not be frightened. You will feel nothing and see nothing for a moment or two once inside, and then you will be transported onto a path in the woods. Follow the path until you reach the bridge.

I know I said to speak to no one, but do to your condition when you reached the cave, I felt the need to send Lysa to you. However, she is to remain your only contact, if any. Once you have been transported it is important to don the robe I gave you.

Please hurry child.

Just as she had finished reading the piece of parchment Orinia felt Rainar lunge forward and new it was time. She caught a glimpse of the blue shaped oval in the wall just before she passed into the darkness.




[This message has been edited by Satiana Fearbringer (edited June 05, 2002).]