"I'd like that," said the Maid of Innail. Zenibel had been on a walk herself when she'd spotted the one who had destroyed the Landrost. The young bard had been wandering with her cat, Ash. Sure, she felt bad spying on the Maid, but she couldn't stop herself. She had an insatiable curiosity.
Zenibel moved slowly near the stranger and her friend. Of course, right when it was silent, Ash meowed. Loudly. Zenibel winced and dashed behind a bust without thinking. Everything seemed too loud in the moonlit night. There were no birds chirping, or any horses neighing, or any kind of animals loud; but her beating heart sounded like a battering ram. When Zenibel heard them walking toward her, she stepped out.
"Hi! How are you?" she asked, smiling nervously.
"I'm quite well, actually," the Maid of Innail answered. Zenibel was sure they'd be suspicious...
"That's fabulous!" she exclaimed, right then she saw her cat trying to kill a bird. Zenibel sighed. "Ash, you come here right now! And by the light, let the bird be." She spoke to the cat in the speech. The cat meowed again, and jumped on Zenibel's back with his claws out.
Ow, Ash! That hurt!
Well, you should have let me have the sparrow.
Zenibel tried to ignore the kitten that was on her shoulder, but it was kind of hard when it wouldn't stop talking and clawing her shoulder. She almost forgot the company she stood in front of. The two were looking at each other quizzically.
"Well, I best be going," Zenibel said, laughing nervously. "It was nice speaking to you," she inched away slowly. The couple went back to talking about what they wanted to do next.
Zenibel walked to the house of the people who had taken care of her for as long as she could remember. They weren't her parents; she wasn't even related to them. Still, they cared for her as their own. Zenibel hadn't really even know her real parents at all. All she really had of them was a claw necklace she always wore. It used to have a small glass orb in it, but Zenibel had pulled it out one day, years ago. She looked at it now, wishing she could still be with tem wherever they were.
She skipped up to the cozy, brick building. She feared someone might have awoken and found her missing. Zenibel slowly pushed the door open, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was dark.
"Where were you, young lady?" Tinsel demanded.
"I couldn't sleep," Zenibel said, rushing up the stone steps. "Night!"
When she got to her room, she made a mage light so that she could read without wasting candles. She grabbed a book of poems written by a man named Dernhil. Zenibel thought he was one of the best poets ever to live. She flipped the book open to a random page
The breath of heaven teases my lips
With a single petal dislodged from the sky:
My love, you are that single petal.
The gazelle looks up from the pool
Blinded by one spark of Light's radiance:
My love, you are that single spark.
The peacock cries in the empty garden
For the memory of a tear outshining him:
My love you are that single tear.
O petal that is my garden of delight!
O spark that is my heart's conflagration!
O tear that is my swelling ocean of sorrow!
Zenibel's light brown hair fell in her face as she read. Ash, still on Zenibel's shoulder, started pawing at the strand. Zenibel had to stop reading halfway though the poem. She looked fondly at the mischievous cat. No matter how annoying he could be, Zenibel loved him all the same.
The cat had many markings and had a mask around his eyes. He had a long ring tail that swung anxiously. He had icy blue eyes that seemed indifferent, yet wild at the same time.. Zenibel smiled and hugged the crazy kitten.
Why must you insist on squeezing me like that? Ash asked.
It's called a hug. Zenibel replied, just as Tinsel stormed into the room. She glared at the young bard.
"Tomorrow may be your birthday, but that doesn't mean you can stay up all night." Zenibel looked around the mall room she'd lived in for almost all her life, in the pale light of dawn.
"But the sun is coming up already. Must I sleep?" She asked, putting the book away on the shelf of a bookcase.
"By the light, girl! You haven't slept in days! Sleep for a few hours. I'll wake you to break your fast," she told Zenibel. Then she made her way out of the room.
Zenibel shrugged and recited a poem aloud. She particularly liked this one. It was called "The Weight of the World".
Dawn came the hail, a frosty flail,
Down fell the icy rain.
The torches flared with desperate light
And savage lightening stabbed the night
Which screamed like a soul in pain.
His black brow bound with clouds around
The Landrost raised his hand:
"Be they so fair and strong and tall,
I'll crush these walls and golden falls
And I will rule this land!"
Their hearts aflame, defenders came
With staff and sword and bow.
And bravely on the walls arrayed
Where Innail's maid stood unafraid
Before her stormy foe.
"Not all your might gives you the right
In our fair streets to tread,
And you'll not take this fearless town
For I'll cast down your iron crown
Or die," the lady said.
It was from the Ballad of the Maid of Innail. It always made Zenibel wonder what the Maid's real name was. She was awfully curious. She should have asked when she had the chance. Ah well, she thought.
She walked over to the window and watched the sun rise. It was many colours this morning; there were countless shades of pink, purple, and orange. She stood there for an hour or so.
When Tinsel returned to Zenibel's' room, she made her way over to the bed where Zenibel was supposed to be sleeping. When Tinsel saw her form standing at the window, she looked as though she might jump out of her skin. Then, she sighed.
"Zenny, Zenny, Zenny. Do you want to fall asleep at the dinner table? Today of all days!" she chastened.
"I'm not tired," she replied. "I got plenty of sleep yesterday." With that, she rushed out of her bedroom into the hall. She tripped over air, as she often did. Then she stood up and hopped down the stair skipping two at a time.
When she reached the bottom she headed straight for the kitchen. It was a force of habit. She stretched her arms, but when she saw someone she didn't know it the cupboard, she froze. They most have noticed her presence as well, because they looked up to glare at her.
She tried to scream, but the creature was already there, covering her mouth. It's glowing red eyes were the only thing Zenibel could see of it's face.
Disclaimer: Sad as it may be, I do not own the Books of Pellinor. I only own the few OC's I've already created. And be sure that more are on the way.
Hi everyone! This is the first fan fic I've written in a while. About three months or more, I'd say. I hope you like it!
I won't update until I get at least 5 reviews. And if you do reaview, then I'll reply to it in the next chapter. Even the anonymous ones! ^^
Flames accepted, Constructive critisism encouged.
~Snb