Yeah, I know, I know, its been a while. So sue me. I've been busy taking these crappy preformance tests. (CAPT tests.) stands for Connecticut Achievement Preformance Test) Yeah, well I'm screwed because my 7th and 8th grade math teacher was supposed to teach us percentages and decimals and instead she taught us about the wind. Don't even ask, she wore cork shoes to school. Catholic schools suck. So glad I go to public schools now!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adrienne sighed as she made camp. She had had a hard day of riding. Hanging Periwinkle's saddle
on a low tree branch, she proceeded to rub grass into his back. Periwinkle sighed in contentment as he was
rubbed down. To show his appreciation, he turned and gently blew into her neck. Adrienne was just consider-
ing whether she should light a fire, when she was alerted by the light snap of a twig. Periwnkle's ears went up
and he immediately took an aggressive stance, shielding Adrienne from the direction of the sound. A few
minutes passed and nothing happened, so they settled down. Adrienne lit a fire and started preparing her meal,
while Periwinkle happily munched his grass.
Towards sunset, Adrienne was staring dreamily into the fire. Suddenly a girl appeared beside them.
She sat down quite calmly as she took a place by the fire. Adrienne jumped and stammered, "W-who are you?!"
The stranger's eyes flickered as she replied, "I am Lady Mariel of Catle Barkaa in Carthak." Adrienne's eyes
bulged; she was speaking to Carthaki nobility! "M-My lady. Forgive me, I didn't-" The lady looked up and said,
"Quit stammering, I'm no lady. I'm the same age as yourself from the looks of it." Adrienne queried, "Lay,
would ye-", but was interrupted again. The girl rubbed her temples tiredly, "Just call me Mariel. What's your
name?" Adrienne smiled, "Me name's Adrienne."
"So, Adrienne, what brings you here?" Adrienne briefly related her story. "You're a girl!, You're
something at masquerades!" Adrienne peered out at the mysterious girl, "So, tell me your story." Mariel laughed
bitterly, "My story? All right, I warn you its not pretty.I grew up in my castle sa the daughter of a great lord.
I was tutored with my 7 brothers and 5 sisters. My father had a dream the night I was born, he saw his next
child being trained as a warrior. When he found out I was a girl, he didn't question the dream, and I was trained
as a female warrior from when I was 4 years old. There was a feast in my honor on my 10th birthday. It was to
celebrate not only my birthday, but I had beaten my glaive master, something that had never been done before.
What started as a feast, ended as a bloodbath, my family was murdered in front of my eyes. The only reason I'm
still here is because my three brothers and little sister and I had been in the stables admiring my new horse. He
had been a present from my uncle; best trained war horse I've ever rode. I've made a Bloodvow with my
remaining family to avenge those slaughtered so long ago!" Perhaps it was the firelight, but Mariel's eyes were
blazing, full of anger and rage!
Suddenly the sky clouded over. Jagged lightning tore the sky in two. Adrienne had to yell to make
herself heard, "Maybe we should get some shelter, its storming pretty bad." Mariel looked around slowly, in a
daze, then shook herself out of her reverie. She said, "Adrienne, I want you to come to my camp and meet my
brothers and sister. Besides, I don't want you to meet any bandits in the night. They'd eat a pretty girl like you
up!" Adrienne silently noticed that the sky seemed to be clearing up as Mariel grew more cheerful!
The walk to Mariel's campsite was short and quiet, as they led their horses over the rocky terrain.
Finally, firelight came into view. Mariel made a curious noise in her throat; she sounded like a baby wolf crying.
Another cry answered hers, coming from the direction of the fire. Adrienne opened her mouth to ask a question
when a hand circled her face and clapped down over her mouth!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bwah hah hah hah hah! I know, I know it was bloody wrong of me to leave you at a cliffhanger. But hey, thats life! Anyways, for all you Mercedes Lackey readers out there, you might have recognised the 'Bloodvow' bit, so I'm sorry. Enjoy!
-Arynnl
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adrienne sighed as she made camp. She had had a hard day of riding. Hanging Periwinkle's saddle
on a low tree branch, she proceeded to rub grass into his back. Periwinkle sighed in contentment as he was
rubbed down. To show his appreciation, he turned and gently blew into her neck. Adrienne was just consider-
ing whether she should light a fire, when she was alerted by the light snap of a twig. Periwnkle's ears went up
and he immediately took an aggressive stance, shielding Adrienne from the direction of the sound. A few
minutes passed and nothing happened, so they settled down. Adrienne lit a fire and started preparing her meal,
while Periwinkle happily munched his grass.
Towards sunset, Adrienne was staring dreamily into the fire. Suddenly a girl appeared beside them.
She sat down quite calmly as she took a place by the fire. Adrienne jumped and stammered, "W-who are you?!"
The stranger's eyes flickered as she replied, "I am Lady Mariel of Catle Barkaa in Carthak." Adrienne's eyes
bulged; she was speaking to Carthaki nobility! "M-My lady. Forgive me, I didn't-" The lady looked up and said,
"Quit stammering, I'm no lady. I'm the same age as yourself from the looks of it." Adrienne queried, "Lay,
would ye-", but was interrupted again. The girl rubbed her temples tiredly, "Just call me Mariel. What's your
name?" Adrienne smiled, "Me name's Adrienne."
"So, Adrienne, what brings you here?" Adrienne briefly related her story. "You're a girl!, You're
something at masquerades!" Adrienne peered out at the mysterious girl, "So, tell me your story." Mariel laughed
bitterly, "My story? All right, I warn you its not pretty.I grew up in my castle sa the daughter of a great lord.
I was tutored with my 7 brothers and 5 sisters. My father had a dream the night I was born, he saw his next
child being trained as a warrior. When he found out I was a girl, he didn't question the dream, and I was trained
as a female warrior from when I was 4 years old. There was a feast in my honor on my 10th birthday. It was to
celebrate not only my birthday, but I had beaten my glaive master, something that had never been done before.
What started as a feast, ended as a bloodbath, my family was murdered in front of my eyes. The only reason I'm
still here is because my three brothers and little sister and I had been in the stables admiring my new horse. He
had been a present from my uncle; best trained war horse I've ever rode. I've made a Bloodvow with my
remaining family to avenge those slaughtered so long ago!" Perhaps it was the firelight, but Mariel's eyes were
blazing, full of anger and rage!
Suddenly the sky clouded over. Jagged lightning tore the sky in two. Adrienne had to yell to make
herself heard, "Maybe we should get some shelter, its storming pretty bad." Mariel looked around slowly, in a
daze, then shook herself out of her reverie. She said, "Adrienne, I want you to come to my camp and meet my
brothers and sister. Besides, I don't want you to meet any bandits in the night. They'd eat a pretty girl like you
up!" Adrienne silently noticed that the sky seemed to be clearing up as Mariel grew more cheerful!
The walk to Mariel's campsite was short and quiet, as they led their horses over the rocky terrain.
Finally, firelight came into view. Mariel made a curious noise in her throat; she sounded like a baby wolf crying.
Another cry answered hers, coming from the direction of the fire. Adrienne opened her mouth to ask a question
when a hand circled her face and clapped down over her mouth!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bwah hah hah hah hah! I know, I know it was bloody wrong of me to leave you at a cliffhanger. But hey, thats life! Anyways, for all you Mercedes Lackey readers out there, you might have recognised the 'Bloodvow' bit, so I'm sorry. Enjoy!
-Arynnl