"Finally! I never thought I would be able to talk again!" Kally confessed at breakfast on the morning when the girls were able to talk again.
"And we all promise never to pass notes again?" Randi asked. "I never want to go through that again."
"Of course, Lark will anyway no doubt, but I agree," answered Shauni, to which Lark made a face at.
"Ha ha. These "pick on Lark" comments are really uncalled for. Why can't we pick on someone else for a change?," demanded Lark.
"Lark, dear, since when is telling the truth "picking on Lark"?"
"Oo, you're so clever. I believe this has already happened to you twice Shauni, so I wouldn't be talking if I were you!," Lark shot back at Shauni.
"Ouch! Okay Lark, you can sheath the fangs now," interjected Lydi.
"And if you're going to continue teasing me, come up with some new jokes, K? I mean, you can only hear the same insult so many times before it becomes a compliment."
"Look at it this way Lark, we admire that you have the audacity and the rudeness to make the teachers so angry and we don't want you to forget it," soothed Shauni.
"Thanks guys." So breakfast continued until…… "Shauni! Are you saying I'm rude!?" The other girls exchanged knowing glances.
"Well, at least your not as slow as I thought when you missed that."
"So now I'm slow?"
"Did I say that? What I meant was.. Oh! There's the bell, better get to class!" Shauni scurried out.
"Shauni! Hey! Wait, I'm confused!," Lark shouted as she followed the other girls to the classrooms.
The girls sat idly doodling or counting flagstones as Master Bangham, the science teacher, lectured.
"Now, if you were outside looking at the sun, and it suddenly exploded, how long would it take you to realize it?" he asked the drowsy pupils.
"Why would we be looking at the sun?" Lark whispered to her neighbor.
"Queenscove! Would you like to tell me what your incite was to my inquiry?" Master Bangham asked.
"Is there a right answer here?" Lark asked him pertly.
"Good point, you may inform us whether you would like to or not," at this statement the other girls lifted their heads to look at Lark. Lark stood and met Master Banghams eyes.
"Sir, I was just pointing out the inaccuracy of your question. Why would we be looking at the sun? Unless I heard wrong during another of your fascinating lectures, that is harmful to one's eyes," Lark answered honestly. The other girls snorted and were oddly impressed with Larks boldness.
"It was a hypothetical question. A question used to give an example, it is not supposed to be accurate," Master Bangham growled.
"I understand that, Sir. I just thought, from another of your speeches, that science was always a precise art."
Master Bangham sighed. "Sit down, Lady Kyleah. And next time I call on you to learn what your incite is, remind me of this incident."
"Will do, Sir," replied Lark, smiling.
At dinner that night:
"So, Lark, did you meet your quota for making people angry today?," asked Kally.
"Almost. I just need one more. And here she comes."
Terena of Runnerspring was approaching the gangs table.
She wore her normal look of disgust on her acne covered face with the blunt gray eyes. Her lifeless mousy brown hair hung limply over her shoulders, and the fit of her lavender dress showed a girl who had not yet reached a growth spurt but who ate so much that she was growing horizontally. Her companion was the dreaded and hated Cosette of Stone Mountain. Her twin sister Rosabel was the opposite, well-liked and popular.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Loudmouth Lark and her gang of followers," mocked Cosette.
"Loudmouth Lark. It suits me, I think," agreed Lark.
"Oh please. Everyone knows that you only pretend to be tough. I bet you couldn't defend yourself against a two year old!" Cosette cackled.
"Maybe. But I'm sure fighting you wouldn't be that hard, I mean you haven't even got the maturity level of a two year old."
"Oh yeah? Well, not-uh!"
"Or the brains of one either, obviously."
"You aren't going to let her talk to you like that! Are you Cosette?," demanded Terena of her leader.
"Course not! No one walks all over a Stone Mountain!"
"You? A Stone Mountain? Everyone knows your mother found you under a rock and brought you home!"
"Why you!," roared Cosette, and lunged at Lark.
The fight lasted several minutes. Lark had the upper hand for most of it, but Cosette landed several good punches as well. It was obvious to Larks friends if not to anyone else that the teachers purposely took their time in stopping the fight. Finally, Mistress Fiona and Master Bangham broke in and pulled the girls apart, and hauled them to Lady Cavall's office.
"What on earth has gotten into you! This is not the way young noble ladies conduct themselves! I, in all my years as Headmistress, have never seen a group of more troublesome girls. It is apparent to me that my methods of discipline are not sufficient. Therefore, I am instituting a new punishment. For as long as it takes, the two of you are to be bound together." Lady Cavall motioned to her assistant, who stepped forward, iron chains in hand. "Come here you two."
Silently, Lady Cavall wrapped the chains around both girls' ankles, and locked them. She looked up, satisfied. Going back to her desk, she took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Lark.
"Use this to find the key to your chains. If you work as a team, you'll find it faster, if you don't, you may be locked together for a long, long time. Go down to the healer and get those bruises taken care of. Dismissed."
Lark turned quickly, and began walking. She dragged Cosette after her. Once in the hall, the bickering began again.
"Great. This is all your fault!" Cosette informed Lark.
"Excuse me? My fault? You're the one who came over to me and started insulting me!" Lark told her. "Alright, look. Seeing as how there's no way out of this, well, unless I kill you, we're just going to have to get along. Agreed?"
Sigh. "I guess. You kill me? I think it'd be the other way around."
Lark gave her an annoyed look. Cosette sighed again. It was going to be a few very long days. Or months. Or years.
"Open the letter," Cosette told Lark. Lark unfolded the parchment. A small map fell out. Cosette bent to pick it up. "What does the letter say?"
Rules for The Chains
- You may only speak to the person bound to you.
- The breaking of any rule will result in a new quest for the key with another map
- You are forbidden to tell others about the quest
- You are forbidden to try and find a way out of the chains
- If it takes you more than one week to find the key, you will be chained together for one month and then given a new quest
"Let's see the map," said Lark.
The map was of the school grounds and the surrounding village. It was marked with small X's on several buildings in the village. The cooper, the silversmith, the tavern, the tailor, the merchants, the notaries and a shack in the woods.
"To find the key, you must visit the places stared on the map, you'll find an order is a need, Follow the order or else you'll see, it will be harder than it has to be. Work together it will be a snap, cooperate and don't loose the map, choose an option, the choice is yours, make the right one, but it shall not be fun." This was the poem written at the bottom of the map.
"An order? Do you know what that means?" Cosette asked.
"I think we have to go to these places in a certain order."
"Fine, look, we'll get started in the morning." Cosette said with a yawn, and headed to her room.
"Hey! Ouch, Cosette!" squealed Lark as the chain dug into her ankle.
"Oops," murmured Cosette as she walked back to Lark.
"What makes you think we are sleeping in your room? Why not mine?"
"It's probably infested," muttered Cosette under her breath. Lark choose to pretend she hadn't heard it. "We'll sleep in my room tonight, and yours tomorrow."
Lark sighed. She was to tired to argue. "Fine, let's go get my stuff."
When they reached Cosette's cramped room, they spread several quilts on the floor for Lark and carefully got into their beds. Cosette had to sleep on the edge so that there was enough give to the chain so that Lark was squashed against the bed frame. Cosette fell asleep instantly, but it took Lark longer, due to Cosette's deafening snore.
The next morning:
Lark gently prodded her sleeping roommate. "Cosette! Cosette! Wake up," Lark said loudly into Cosette's ear.
Still the girl slumbered. Lark grunted. Silently, she reached for the pitcher sitting on the night stand. Lifting it over Cosette's head, she poured a generous amount. Cosette's hand automatically reached up and violently pushed to pitcher so hard that the remaining ice cold water splashed onto Lark. They both screamed.
"Lark! What the heck are you doing, trying to kill me?" sputtered Cosette.
"If I was going to kill you, I would have smothered you while you slept, it would have been quieter." replied Lark with grim humor, "Sorta wish I had," she added. Cosette smirked.
"Shall we get started?" she asked.
"Sure. Where's the map thingy?" Cosette pointed to the map lying on the table. Lark picked it up.
"Where should we start?" Cosette wondered aloud.
"The coopers."
"Why?"
"Alphabetical order."
So the girls started into the village. It was early still, and the townspeople still slumbered. Walking to the Coopers store, they say a message tacked to the door. Taking it down, this is what they read:
The Dragon's Lair
Why hello there! So glad that you care to stop buy and take a glance. I have something to share, a bit of advice: your path lies close to the dragons lair. This poem shall help you if you would roam. Follow these directions for they will lead you home and speed the way. Pay them heed for you shall see, that this simple poem is all that you need.
- Take five steps right, to help ease your plight.
- Now go strait, mind you close the gate
- Turn where the sun sets and do not get burned
- Stride on the side for as far as you dare, but do take care
- Follow your feet and you will meet the next of your needs.
I hope I have helped you dear lady. Use this wisely along with your wits, and you'll have no reason to call it quits. Beware your journey and take care, should you find the dragon's lair. There's little time to spare, so do with it what you shall.
Farewell.
"Well, that helps a lot!" said Cosette sarcastically.
"What are you talking about, of course it does! Come on, lets follow the directions."
Cosette and Lark went five steps right, and went out the gate by going strait. (Sorry, I can't get out of rhyming mode!)
"Which way does the sun set?" Cosette asked.
"Umm, west."
"Right, so we have to go this way," Cosette infered.
"Cosette! You moron, that's east!" Lark laughed and shook her head.
"I knew that!" Cosette said indignantly.
"Course you did."
The path they followed led them to the shack that was an X on the map.
"Well, this is it. The map says we find the next clue here," concluded Lark.
"Look! Oh, great. Another poem," said Cosette, as she pulled down the 2nd poem tacked to the door of the shack.
Author's Note- There will be a chapter for every part of the girls' quest, so there's another chapter for the 2nd poem, the third poem, and so on.