Zik was awakened the next morning by voices. His friends had never bothered to wake him, he noted with slight annoyance. With a sigh he sat up. Branwyn and Bromleah by the fire turned their heads at the movement, and his best friend grinned at him.
"Mornin'," Brom said. "Hungry? Turns out Branwyn's a pretty good cook.."
"Good morning." Zik clambered out of his sleeping tussac and joined his friends at the fire. "So now when you find how she can cook, you decide to get along with her?" He winked at Brom, who pushed him. Branwyn laughed. The two boys looked at her in slight surprise. The freckle-faced girl blinked.
"What?" she asked.
"You laughed," Zik said in wonder. "You..You haven't laughed since we joined together, is all.."
Branwyn was silent for a while before she sniffed decidedly. "I can laugh."
"But you don't," Brom pointed out.
"Well... I don't have much to laugh at, usually."
"We can take care o' that, can't we, Zik?" Bromleah chuckled, and Zik nodded with a grin. After breakfast the three packed up and set off down the dusty road again, this time heading West, where the SnowBlink Mountains lay many, many weeks away. They conversed together as they walked, for they were becoming fast friends, though Branwyn and Bromleah got into little arguements sometimes. Zik was always there to intercede, however.
It was early afternoon when the group broke through the trees and came upon a meadow.
"That's odd," Branwyn spoke up, shielding her eyes and gazing across the open field before them.
"What is?" Zik asked, curious.
"The silence...The birds that we've been hearing since this morning...They're no longer singing...Not in this meadow.." Branwyn furrowed her brow.
"..Is that bad?" Zik ran his earth-toned eyes over the field.
Branwyn snorted. "Of course it is. Or..well, it might be. Keep your eyes peeled. Anything could happen. Out there, we are unprotected, for there are no trees or bushes to shield us. We must be careful."
They set off across the meadow, flitting their eyes this way and that, watchful and wary. They had barely reached the middle of the great field when the ground in front of them slowly began to move. Zik drew back and gasped. Bromleah reached back for his spear, while Branwyn unsheathed her sword. Zik took out his small bow and arrows. The ground before them rose up to uncover a large, hairy beast, with fangs for teeth and hideous claws.
"What is it?" Bromleah cried.
"A Ullais, belonging to the family of Freyanothus!" Branwyn answered, brandishing her sword. The light glinted fiercely off the blade, causing the beast to screech out in pain as the blinding light glanced off its blood-red eyes.
"Do we have to fight it?" Zik shouted above the din of the roaring animal.
"Damn you, Zik! What the hell do you think?!" Branwyn cursed. "That we stand up and give him a bouquet?! Don't worry, I know how to take care of this thing!! Bromleah, Zik, distract it." Quick as a flash, Branwyn began to scurt about the beast, confusing it, while Bromleah used his weapon and Zik took out his slingshot and shot various rocks at the creature's head. The warrior girl slashed her sword at the beast's leg, and then leapt onto its back, plunging the blade into its neck with a cry of steel-studded anguish. The beast let forth an ear-splitting yowl as Branwyn jumped from its back, sword in hand, and landed (literally) on Zik. They were both sent crumpling to the ground. The beast was already running swiftly away, blood gouging from its body.
Bromleah ran over as Branwyn helped Zik to his feet. "Sorry about that," she told him. "But, you see, I needed to land isomewhere/i..."
"Ouch," Zik grunted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's ok..And geez, were you ever somethin'..I mean.." He felt his face become hot under Branwyn's stare, and looked away. Bromleah had to admit upon Branwyn's stunning performance, and they all collected their wits, etc., and kept on.
"Mornin'," Brom said. "Hungry? Turns out Branwyn's a pretty good cook.."
"Good morning." Zik clambered out of his sleeping tussac and joined his friends at the fire. "So now when you find how she can cook, you decide to get along with her?" He winked at Brom, who pushed him. Branwyn laughed. The two boys looked at her in slight surprise. The freckle-faced girl blinked.
"What?" she asked.
"You laughed," Zik said in wonder. "You..You haven't laughed since we joined together, is all.."
Branwyn was silent for a while before she sniffed decidedly. "I can laugh."
"But you don't," Brom pointed out.
"Well... I don't have much to laugh at, usually."
"We can take care o' that, can't we, Zik?" Bromleah chuckled, and Zik nodded with a grin. After breakfast the three packed up and set off down the dusty road again, this time heading West, where the SnowBlink Mountains lay many, many weeks away. They conversed together as they walked, for they were becoming fast friends, though Branwyn and Bromleah got into little arguements sometimes. Zik was always there to intercede, however.
It was early afternoon when the group broke through the trees and came upon a meadow.
"That's odd," Branwyn spoke up, shielding her eyes and gazing across the open field before them.
"What is?" Zik asked, curious.
"The silence...The birds that we've been hearing since this morning...They're no longer singing...Not in this meadow.." Branwyn furrowed her brow.
"..Is that bad?" Zik ran his earth-toned eyes over the field.
Branwyn snorted. "Of course it is. Or..well, it might be. Keep your eyes peeled. Anything could happen. Out there, we are unprotected, for there are no trees or bushes to shield us. We must be careful."
They set off across the meadow, flitting their eyes this way and that, watchful and wary. They had barely reached the middle of the great field when the ground in front of them slowly began to move. Zik drew back and gasped. Bromleah reached back for his spear, while Branwyn unsheathed her sword. Zik took out his small bow and arrows. The ground before them rose up to uncover a large, hairy beast, with fangs for teeth and hideous claws.
"What is it?" Bromleah cried.
"A Ullais, belonging to the family of Freyanothus!" Branwyn answered, brandishing her sword. The light glinted fiercely off the blade, causing the beast to screech out in pain as the blinding light glanced off its blood-red eyes.
"Do we have to fight it?" Zik shouted above the din of the roaring animal.
"Damn you, Zik! What the hell do you think?!" Branwyn cursed. "That we stand up and give him a bouquet?! Don't worry, I know how to take care of this thing!! Bromleah, Zik, distract it." Quick as a flash, Branwyn began to scurt about the beast, confusing it, while Bromleah used his weapon and Zik took out his slingshot and shot various rocks at the creature's head. The warrior girl slashed her sword at the beast's leg, and then leapt onto its back, plunging the blade into its neck with a cry of steel-studded anguish. The beast let forth an ear-splitting yowl as Branwyn jumped from its back, sword in hand, and landed (literally) on Zik. They were both sent crumpling to the ground. The beast was already running swiftly away, blood gouging from its body.
Bromleah ran over as Branwyn helped Zik to his feet. "Sorry about that," she told him. "But, you see, I needed to land isomewhere/i..."
"Ouch," Zik grunted, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's ok..And geez, were you ever somethin'..I mean.." He felt his face become hot under Branwyn's stare, and looked away. Bromleah had to admit upon Branwyn's stunning performance, and they all collected their wits, etc., and kept on.