OK, sorry for the delay everyone. Things to do, people to see, jobs to find..... you know the deal. I'll have the next chapter up in a day or two, so stay tuned.
Note to the readers: This chapter is written from the perspectives of two different characters, our mysterious newcomer, and a young Dinotopian boy. I'll indicate whose point of view it is currently. That said, enjoy!
Otto:
Watching over the girl was boring. Ever since the struthiomimus Windfoot had found her unconscious in the rye field, all she had done was lay in bed, hardly moving at all. It wasn't fair! I was fourteen summers old after all, I belonged outside helping to care for the crops that were our livelihood. Looking after a sick stranger was not how I imagined I'd be spending this day. But Papa had asked me to stay and look after the mysterious girl. I didn't like it, but the Dinotopian way is to always help your fellow creature in need. Others first, self last after all. So though I wished I could be outside plowing the soybean field with Gentleeyes the triceratops, my place for now was inside the inside the infirmary with the girl.
Sitting there, all I had to do to keep me occupied was to study the prone figure lying in the infirmary bed. I was never good at guessing ages, but I thought that she was maybe seventeen of eighteen summers old. Her hair was light brown and the color of her almond eyes was unknown, since she hadn't opened them since being found. She looked to be shorter than me by a few inches. Her clothes were peculiar, the strangest attire I had ever seen. Her shirt was so simple, no buttons or anything! Her trousers were huge, far too big to fit her snugly. Her shoes looked like a cross between stout boots and house slippers. I wondered where she was from to wear such bizarre apparel.
I got bored just sitting there, staring at the girl, so I went back to my room to grab a scroll I was studying. I unraveled the scroll when I returned to the infirmary and began reading, stopping every now and then to glance at the stranger. So accustomed was I to her quiet, sleeping prescence that it caught me completely off guard when I glanced at my patient, and deep blue eyes met mine.
Robin:
I felt myself lifting out of the darkness slowly, oh so slowly. I opened my eyes and for the briefest moment, I thought I was still on the cruise ship and it ad all been a dream. One look around at the soft yellow walls of the strange design convinced me that my adventures were real. Anyway, I couldn't be on the ship. The bed was much too comfortable for me to be there.
As I began coming to my senses, I realized I couldn't have seen dinosaurs when I was out in the fields. I was tired, travel worn, and I hadn't eaten anything in at least a day. A rumble from my stomach assured me that that was still true. I decided that I must have been delirious from the strain and ended up seeing prehistoric creatures. About that time, it came to my attention that I wasn't alone in the room. Sitting in a chair of dark wood was a boy much younger than myself, thirteen of fourteen years old. He had a head of unruly black hair that seemed to grow any which way it pleased. Eyes of hazel solemnly studied what looked like a scroll, and though he had a serious look on his face as he read, he had a look about him that identified him as a born prankster.
The boy glanced up from his scroll at me, looked as if he was about to start reading again, but then did a double take, sharply turning his head in my direction. I guess he had been waiting for me to wake up. We stared at each other for awhile, neither of us saying a word. After a fashion, I cleared my throat.
"Uh, I don't mean to sound rude," I said, "but could I possibly have something to eat and drink? I'm famished."
The boy nodded dumbly, and leapt out of his chair, scrambling out of the room. A short time later, he reappeared, followed by a tall, dark woman with a kindly face whose was carrying a tray loaded with food. Propping myself up in bed, the woman, the boy's mother perhaps, set the tray on the table next to the bed. Everythinh looked so good, from the mug of soup and the vegetables with rice, to the cut fruit with a big glass of ice cold juice. The lady gestured for me to eat, and without any furthur hesitation, I attacked the food with a ravenous hunger. When every last drop of soup, every last grain of rice, and every last slice of fruit was gone, only then did I sit back, my stomach full at last. The woman smiled.
"When you say you're famished, you mean it!" the woman announced in good humor. I grinned back, cheerful at finally getting a meal under my belt.
"My name is Beatrice Spyri, five mother Austrian," the woman said, "And this," the woman indicated the boy who stared at me intently, "is Otto, my son."
I didn't have a clue what she meant by 'five mother Austrian', but I supposed no harm would come from telling these people my name.
"I'm Robin Thatcher," I replied.
Beatrice nodded, smiling. "If you don't mind me asking Robin, how did you come to arrive here at Seabreeze Farm?"
These folk had taken me in, given me a bed, and fed me, without ever knowing who I was. I owed them my story at the very least. So I told Beatrice and Otto everything, from the storm that swept me out to sea, to the point where I fainted in the rye field and everything in between. The only part I left out was seeing the dinosaurs. It was just some hallucination brought on by hunger and fatigue, and there was no need to tell the Spyris something silly like that. Beatrice didn't react at all as I recounted my tale, but Otto's eyes got big when I mentioned the dolphin, and he started fidgeting after that. When I finished my narrative, I was met with silence. Minutes passed. Finally, Beatrice got up, strode over to my bed and sat down on the edge. She looked at me with an expression that was a blend of sympathy and happiness.
"Otto," she said at last, not taking her eyes off me, "go fetch your father and Windfoot please. Papa needs to hear this, and I'm sure our new friend Robin would like to thank the one who found her."
Otto nodded and raced out of the room. I looked at Beatrice, slightly puzzled but not worried about the request.
"Windfoot?" I questioned. Beatrice didn't answer.
"My dear," Beatrice voiced at length, "I have some things I need to explain to you. This is very important for you to hear" I merely nodded. Beatrice continued.
"What happened to you in not an unknown occurance on this island. Many thousands before you have been washed or brought ashore with the aid of dolphins, having survived storms, shipwrecks, encounters with the reef, and other misfortunes. Because you were brought here on the back of a dolphin you, like your predecesors, are what we call a 'dolphinback'. Never fear. My husband Lucas and I will make arrangements for you to travel to Waterfall City, a place of learning. We are close to Pooktook, so it won't be a problem. In Waterfall City, you will gain knowledge of our society, our customs, and learn all that is needed to become a citizen. The answers to any questions you may have can be found there."
I was very confused. Pooktook? Waterfall City? Learn about the society and become a citizen? Didn't Beatrice know that all I wanted to do is go home? I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could utter a word, Otto returned with the two that his mother had sent him to bring back. The man, Lucas, was tall and muscular, bearing a remarkable resemblance to his son. But it was not Lucas I was looking at, it was his companion. Standing by Lucas, about two feet taller than the man was a brown and tan strutiomimus. The slender, ostrich like dinosaur slowly made its way to my bedside. Intelliget eyes looked me over as I continued to sit frozen. It made a few small chirping noises. It rasped something at me and I realized against all reason that it was actually speaking to me.
"Breathe deep," the struthiomimus intoned. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I remained frozen in shock.
"Welcome to Dinotopia," Lucas said quietly.
Note to the readers: This chapter is written from the perspectives of two different characters, our mysterious newcomer, and a young Dinotopian boy. I'll indicate whose point of view it is currently. That said, enjoy!
Otto:
Watching over the girl was boring. Ever since the struthiomimus Windfoot had found her unconscious in the rye field, all she had done was lay in bed, hardly moving at all. It wasn't fair! I was fourteen summers old after all, I belonged outside helping to care for the crops that were our livelihood. Looking after a sick stranger was not how I imagined I'd be spending this day. But Papa had asked me to stay and look after the mysterious girl. I didn't like it, but the Dinotopian way is to always help your fellow creature in need. Others first, self last after all. So though I wished I could be outside plowing the soybean field with Gentleeyes the triceratops, my place for now was inside the inside the infirmary with the girl.
Sitting there, all I had to do to keep me occupied was to study the prone figure lying in the infirmary bed. I was never good at guessing ages, but I thought that she was maybe seventeen of eighteen summers old. Her hair was light brown and the color of her almond eyes was unknown, since she hadn't opened them since being found. She looked to be shorter than me by a few inches. Her clothes were peculiar, the strangest attire I had ever seen. Her shirt was so simple, no buttons or anything! Her trousers were huge, far too big to fit her snugly. Her shoes looked like a cross between stout boots and house slippers. I wondered where she was from to wear such bizarre apparel.
I got bored just sitting there, staring at the girl, so I went back to my room to grab a scroll I was studying. I unraveled the scroll when I returned to the infirmary and began reading, stopping every now and then to glance at the stranger. So accustomed was I to her quiet, sleeping prescence that it caught me completely off guard when I glanced at my patient, and deep blue eyes met mine.
Robin:
I felt myself lifting out of the darkness slowly, oh so slowly. I opened my eyes and for the briefest moment, I thought I was still on the cruise ship and it ad all been a dream. One look around at the soft yellow walls of the strange design convinced me that my adventures were real. Anyway, I couldn't be on the ship. The bed was much too comfortable for me to be there.
As I began coming to my senses, I realized I couldn't have seen dinosaurs when I was out in the fields. I was tired, travel worn, and I hadn't eaten anything in at least a day. A rumble from my stomach assured me that that was still true. I decided that I must have been delirious from the strain and ended up seeing prehistoric creatures. About that time, it came to my attention that I wasn't alone in the room. Sitting in a chair of dark wood was a boy much younger than myself, thirteen of fourteen years old. He had a head of unruly black hair that seemed to grow any which way it pleased. Eyes of hazel solemnly studied what looked like a scroll, and though he had a serious look on his face as he read, he had a look about him that identified him as a born prankster.
The boy glanced up from his scroll at me, looked as if he was about to start reading again, but then did a double take, sharply turning his head in my direction. I guess he had been waiting for me to wake up. We stared at each other for awhile, neither of us saying a word. After a fashion, I cleared my throat.
"Uh, I don't mean to sound rude," I said, "but could I possibly have something to eat and drink? I'm famished."
The boy nodded dumbly, and leapt out of his chair, scrambling out of the room. A short time later, he reappeared, followed by a tall, dark woman with a kindly face whose was carrying a tray loaded with food. Propping myself up in bed, the woman, the boy's mother perhaps, set the tray on the table next to the bed. Everythinh looked so good, from the mug of soup and the vegetables with rice, to the cut fruit with a big glass of ice cold juice. The lady gestured for me to eat, and without any furthur hesitation, I attacked the food with a ravenous hunger. When every last drop of soup, every last grain of rice, and every last slice of fruit was gone, only then did I sit back, my stomach full at last. The woman smiled.
"When you say you're famished, you mean it!" the woman announced in good humor. I grinned back, cheerful at finally getting a meal under my belt.
"My name is Beatrice Spyri, five mother Austrian," the woman said, "And this," the woman indicated the boy who stared at me intently, "is Otto, my son."
I didn't have a clue what she meant by 'five mother Austrian', but I supposed no harm would come from telling these people my name.
"I'm Robin Thatcher," I replied.
Beatrice nodded, smiling. "If you don't mind me asking Robin, how did you come to arrive here at Seabreeze Farm?"
These folk had taken me in, given me a bed, and fed me, without ever knowing who I was. I owed them my story at the very least. So I told Beatrice and Otto everything, from the storm that swept me out to sea, to the point where I fainted in the rye field and everything in between. The only part I left out was seeing the dinosaurs. It was just some hallucination brought on by hunger and fatigue, and there was no need to tell the Spyris something silly like that. Beatrice didn't react at all as I recounted my tale, but Otto's eyes got big when I mentioned the dolphin, and he started fidgeting after that. When I finished my narrative, I was met with silence. Minutes passed. Finally, Beatrice got up, strode over to my bed and sat down on the edge. She looked at me with an expression that was a blend of sympathy and happiness.
"Otto," she said at last, not taking her eyes off me, "go fetch your father and Windfoot please. Papa needs to hear this, and I'm sure our new friend Robin would like to thank the one who found her."
Otto nodded and raced out of the room. I looked at Beatrice, slightly puzzled but not worried about the request.
"Windfoot?" I questioned. Beatrice didn't answer.
"My dear," Beatrice voiced at length, "I have some things I need to explain to you. This is very important for you to hear" I merely nodded. Beatrice continued.
"What happened to you in not an unknown occurance on this island. Many thousands before you have been washed or brought ashore with the aid of dolphins, having survived storms, shipwrecks, encounters with the reef, and other misfortunes. Because you were brought here on the back of a dolphin you, like your predecesors, are what we call a 'dolphinback'. Never fear. My husband Lucas and I will make arrangements for you to travel to Waterfall City, a place of learning. We are close to Pooktook, so it won't be a problem. In Waterfall City, you will gain knowledge of our society, our customs, and learn all that is needed to become a citizen. The answers to any questions you may have can be found there."
I was very confused. Pooktook? Waterfall City? Learn about the society and become a citizen? Didn't Beatrice know that all I wanted to do is go home? I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could utter a word, Otto returned with the two that his mother had sent him to bring back. The man, Lucas, was tall and muscular, bearing a remarkable resemblance to his son. But it was not Lucas I was looking at, it was his companion. Standing by Lucas, about two feet taller than the man was a brown and tan strutiomimus. The slender, ostrich like dinosaur slowly made its way to my bedside. Intelliget eyes looked me over as I continued to sit frozen. It made a few small chirping noises. It rasped something at me and I realized against all reason that it was actually speaking to me.
"Breathe deep," the struthiomimus intoned. I didn't know what to say, what to do. I remained frozen in shock.
"Welcome to Dinotopia," Lucas said quietly.
