HAPPY SNOGGLETOG EVERYONE!
LinkaAvalanche and I have written a short story for you all to enjoy this holiday. If you are wondering, the story takes place before the prologue(To Be Or Not To Be) of our original story (Healing Scars, Creating Memories). Please review and ENJOY!
Kinla's POV
"The candles were burning and dragons and vikings were snoring. All was quiet on the island of Shivering Shores. All but one (that was me) was tucked in, and sleeping. Instead, she was sneaking around the sheep pens, holding a torch. Not only for light, but to help her on her mission of fun. Reaching the her destination, she held the torch close to the wooden fences. One of the posts caught flame. She ran a circle around the pens, flames of doom springing up from everywhere. The sheep were going wild! All she had to do was make it back to the house without being caught; It only took her about three minutes. Her mission was complete. The duty was done. She had succeeded mission number-"
"THATS ENOUGH KINLA!" The village chief, Jaugur exclaimed.
"But I didn't tell you what number mission that was! You said you wanted ALL the details." I threw my hands in the air.
"You must go find all of those sheep by yourself; before Snoggletog tomorrow." Jaugur pointed to the door. I took this as a clear sign to get out.
I walked out the door to see my sisters standing right there.
"Nice going Kinla. . .I'm so proud of you!" my one sister Linka exclaimed, wrapping me in a huge hug.
"You do realize we're NOT helping you." Finla crossed her arms.
"But-" Finla cut me off again.
"No, Kinla!" she demanded as if she was in charge.
"What's with you Finla?" Linka asked.
"Yeah, you've been acting off lately." I added. Linka and I looked at each other.
"Don't tell me I'm the only one who hasn't gotten over Uncle Crow's death." Finla gestured dramatically.
"Finla, it's a part of life," Linka continued.
"You may as well get use to it." I left my sisters standing there as I went to go find the sheep.
I was deep into Nightmare territory, with my lance in hand; I spotted a sheep up ahead.
"Hey sheep, come here!" I yelled out. Startled, the sheep darted off into the bush. I dodged around trees, trying to catch up to it.
Suddenly, I heard an uncomfortably close roar of a Nightmare. I froze. I tried to ready my lance and I wanted to turn around, but I didn't. I could feel the warm breath of the beast on the back of my neck. I couldn't think of what to do! If I attacked it, it would blast me. So I tried another option. Dropping my lance, I slowly turned around, being sure not to make eye contact. I could still feel its breath so I backed up to a safer distance. It followed me! I needed to know if it was stalking me or trying to be friendly. So I looked up, taking another step away. It didn't attack me! And boy was I glad because my lance was now almost ten feet away.
I studied the beast and noticed that it was staring at my bag, but I couldn't understand why. Suddenly, the sheep popped out of the trees. I jumped at it but it saw me coming, taking off back to safety. I wanted to go after it but I hadn't forgotten that there was a huge Monstrous Nightmare right behind me.
I guess he thought I needed a reminder, so he gave me one. A push with his nose nearly sent me to my knees.
"Hey! I didn't forget about you. Follow me!" I started walking to where the sheep retreated. Swiftly, the orange reptile flew ahead, caught the sheep, and returned in less than a minute. "Wow, thanks!" I tied up the escapee then pulled a fish out of my bag. "I bet you wanted this, didn't you?" He sniffed around my hand, gently grabbed it and ate it. The next thing I knew, he was taking off with me in his talons. "Hey! What are you doing!?" He grunted then dived! But when I opened my eyes, I was being held right above another sheep! I smiled as I tied that one up. "Thanks! Do you know where the rest are!?" I swear he nodded as he took off again.
"Finally! You're done." Jaugur closed the gate to the new pen as I started walking away "Kinla? Where is your lance?" I threw my hands on my head. I totally forgot to think of a story about how I lost one of my favorite lances.
"My lance?" I stammered. He nodded, waiting for an answer. "It was smashed then burnt by a Thunderdrum."
"Kinla? Thunderdrum's don't breathe fire." He put his hands on his hips as my sisters walked up to us.
"Did I say Thunderdrum!? I meant to say a Monstrous Nightmare!" I rolled my eyes then got into my 'suspenseful storytelling mode'. "He snuck up right behind me, his dark body blending in with the forest. He crushed my lance with his giant talons while he grabbed it out of my hands then burnt it in one scorching shot!" Jaugur didn't really seem satisfied but I ran home anyway. I didn't want to risk giving away what really happened.
My sisters came through the door a few minutes later, carrying Snoggletog decorations for the house. We decorated for a few silent minutes, getting the stuff on the roof done.
"So Kinla. How much of that story was true?" Linka asked.
"What!?" I looked down at her from the top of the ladder.
"Come on Kinla! The three of us all know that you almost always make up stories when you might get in trouble. We also know that in every story, part of it is true. So. . ." she rolled her eyes at me then started shaking the ladder.
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you!" she stopped, giving me an anticipating look. "The part that was true was when the Nightmare snuck up behind me." Linka and Finla looked aghast!
"A Nightmare really snuck up behind you!? And you're still alive?" Linka joked. I faked a punch at her after I climbed down from the roof.
"Come on! I'm not that wimpy!" I smiled.
"Well, there was that one time-"
"Alright, alright! Fine. Maybe I don't always tell the full truth, and maybe I was planning to set the pens on fire again tonight. But I'm not perfect and no one ever told me I had to try to be." I cut Finla off to defend myself. My sister and I all laughed as we went inside.
It was Snoggletog morning and the whole village was out and about giving gifts to those they had them for. We weren't expecting any, so we just sat on our front steps watching the chaos.
The three of us exchanged gifts this morning and we wouldn't be getting any from Uncle Crow so we didn't have anything to do.
Almost everyone had gone back inside when Jaugur walked up to us, holding something behind his back.
"Happy Snoggletog girls!" he greeted us with a very confident look on his face.
"You too!" we said together. He turned to me.
"Is this the lance you lost Kinla?" he smiled smartly, pulling the object from behind him. My eyes grew wide as I looked to him and back at the weapon. I didn't know what to say! I couldn't believe he went looking for it! He handed it to me, waiting for an explanation. I grabbed it as I stood up. I was still speechless.
"Um. . ." was all that escaped before I tripped into the house.