Hi guys, I'm back from vacation and ready to get back into writing so here goes. I think I figured all the problems with chapter 4 and 5 out, so this should be six, but who knows? Thank you so much for your patience!
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I woke up with a start. Light was streaming in the windows, but it was not that that woke me. I had felt my skin tightening, as I reached up and touched my face the wrinkles were slowly receding and the hair on my pillow was no longer white but was gradually darkening into its natural chestnut. Lastly I felt my spine begin to uncurl.
"Chrys?" I said nudging him. "What the hell is happening to me? I thought you said this potion was supposed to last 24 hours!" He rolled over and looked at me.
"Oh my God, I must not have put enough of thyme in. That's one of the key ingredients. Sorry."
"You're sorry? I'll bet you're sorry, but I'm the one that will have to wear a heavy woolen cloak in midsummer."
"Look, Arina, you are a great person and all, but you're a spoiled brat sometimes. I said I'm sorry and I am, I must have made a mistake but you know what, there's nothing I can do about it now, is there?"
"If I'm such a spoiled brat, why did you want to come with me, or even help me for that matter?" I shot back, offended.
"Because I lo... never mind, it doesn't matter anyway, because I'm here, and there's no place else for me to go. And I am sorry, especially since you have to wear that cloak, but there is nothing else for me to do."
"Well, fine, we should get out of here. We still don't know specifically where we are going." We both rolled out of bed at the same time. I smoothed my dress and put on my shoes and belt as Chrys did the same, with his shoes. I pulled on the aforesaid heavy woolen cloak and wrapped it around me hiding my face. My ankle felt almost totally healed and I could walk unaided in minimal pain. I walked quickly and inconspicuously out to where our horses were tethered. Chrys came out after paying the innkeeper. I kept my face hidden under the folds of my cloak until we were out of Grimsby Village at which point I let the hood fall back partway. There were several houses dotting the edge of the forest but we did not know how to tell which one we wanted. Suddenly I remembered something,
"Chrys, wait, I remember the name of Mari's daughter." She had told me a few months ago, when her husband had died. "Its Ramona."
"That's great. I have an idea. Wait here." He went over to one of the houses were an old woman was washing clothes in a washtub.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but I was wondering if you know of a Ramona living somewhere in these parts." I overheard him saying. The old woman was now talking but too softly for me to hear, but I saw her pointing. Chrys strode back to where I was holding the horses.
"What a nice lady, she said that a Ramona lived just over that rise," Chrys informed me. We walked carefully over the hill wondering what would appear in front of the house. Nothing did, and it looked exactly like the other ones we had seen. Chrys went up to the door and knocked. A woman who looked exactly like a thirty year younger Mari answered.
"Yes?" She said cautiously. "Can I help you?"
"I think you can, I was looking for a Ramona," Chrys replied.
"Well, you found her, I'm the only Ramona in this area. May I ask why you are looking for me?"
"Actually, we are looking for you and your mother."
"We? Who else is with you? My mother is staying with me for a while, how did you know she was here?" All of a sudden I saw Mari emerge from the cottage.
"Ramona," she said reproachfully, she had talked to me in that way. "Why don't you invite our young guest in?" Suddenly she glanced my way and she nodded. "Come here, child, I have taken care of you for sixteen years, you know I won't bite and you can be sure my daughter won't either. You can tie the horses here." I came when she beckoned and tied the horses where she indicated and followed her inside. Chrys and I explained to Mari and Ramona how we had escaped, while Mari examined my ankle.
"Well, Chrys, I must say your plan was much better and much more thought out than mine. I can see that and you will find I am not one to old back praise where praise is due. Arina, dear you did do something strange to this ankle but it appears to be all right now." Chrys thanked her for her compliment and then went out to care for the horses, with Ramona.
"Mari," I said, watching the others go. "I need to talk to you about Chrys."
"I thought you would, dear, can you tell me how you feel about him."
"Well," I said, thinking about the different emotions he had drawn from me over the last day and a half. "I like him a lot, but at times he infuriates me. I don't know what to think. Tell me your opinion."
"Well, to tell you the truth, dear, I think he loves you and I think you love him." I didn't know how to respond to this, and to this day I don't know what would have happened if Prince Vonecart himself hadn't strode in the door.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he asked. "Oh don't get up, darling, and don't try to fight me. I'm not here from your father, the old man is a dunce. He couldn't have tamed you at all, but you will find me different. I paid a great deal of money for you and I want you and I always get what I want." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Come along, my darling." Gone from my head were any thoughts of loving Chrys, anything I had felt was gone like a flash. I hated him with all my heart and soul, everything he had told me was a lie. Gone was the desire to run my fingers through his hair. I wanted now to rip it out by its roots. The one person I had trusted had betrayed me. For I had no doubt it was him. It had to have been him, when he left me there for that fifteen minutes. He had gone and left a message for Vonecart with directions as to where I had gone. He had purposely left out some of the thyme from the potion so it would only last 12 hours and Vonecart would be able to find me. The only thing I wasn't sure of by the time Vonecart had finished his speech was how much he had been paid to hand over the information. I felt tears streaming down my face, and wasn't sure if they were triggered by Vonecart's appearance or by my loss of faith in Chrys. I was roughly pulled out of the house and into the yard. Mari tried to pull me back but one of Vonecart's men pushed her away. I refused to look in Chrys' direction. At the time I thought that looking at him was some sort of acceptance of his winning, I didn't want to believe it, but it couldn't have been anyone else. Vonecart pushed me into the carriage he had waiting and told the driver to head to the border to Gelgonheimer. I remember nothing of the trip except that I wept the entire time.
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That's all I've got for today! I am working on Chapter 7, but I'm having some problems with it. Please review and if you think Arina is dumb because she can't figure out she was in love with Chrys on her own, please remember that she has hardly ever experienced love in her life so she might not really recognize it. Thank you!
P.S. If and when you review (please do) give me your honest opinion. I am just about the worst critic of my own work so just tell me what you honestly think and I would really appreciate it. Bye!
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I woke up with a start. Light was streaming in the windows, but it was not that that woke me. I had felt my skin tightening, as I reached up and touched my face the wrinkles were slowly receding and the hair on my pillow was no longer white but was gradually darkening into its natural chestnut. Lastly I felt my spine begin to uncurl.
"Chrys?" I said nudging him. "What the hell is happening to me? I thought you said this potion was supposed to last 24 hours!" He rolled over and looked at me.
"Oh my God, I must not have put enough of thyme in. That's one of the key ingredients. Sorry."
"You're sorry? I'll bet you're sorry, but I'm the one that will have to wear a heavy woolen cloak in midsummer."
"Look, Arina, you are a great person and all, but you're a spoiled brat sometimes. I said I'm sorry and I am, I must have made a mistake but you know what, there's nothing I can do about it now, is there?"
"If I'm such a spoiled brat, why did you want to come with me, or even help me for that matter?" I shot back, offended.
"Because I lo... never mind, it doesn't matter anyway, because I'm here, and there's no place else for me to go. And I am sorry, especially since you have to wear that cloak, but there is nothing else for me to do."
"Well, fine, we should get out of here. We still don't know specifically where we are going." We both rolled out of bed at the same time. I smoothed my dress and put on my shoes and belt as Chrys did the same, with his shoes. I pulled on the aforesaid heavy woolen cloak and wrapped it around me hiding my face. My ankle felt almost totally healed and I could walk unaided in minimal pain. I walked quickly and inconspicuously out to where our horses were tethered. Chrys came out after paying the innkeeper. I kept my face hidden under the folds of my cloak until we were out of Grimsby Village at which point I let the hood fall back partway. There were several houses dotting the edge of the forest but we did not know how to tell which one we wanted. Suddenly I remembered something,
"Chrys, wait, I remember the name of Mari's daughter." She had told me a few months ago, when her husband had died. "Its Ramona."
"That's great. I have an idea. Wait here." He went over to one of the houses were an old woman was washing clothes in a washtub.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but I was wondering if you know of a Ramona living somewhere in these parts." I overheard him saying. The old woman was now talking but too softly for me to hear, but I saw her pointing. Chrys strode back to where I was holding the horses.
"What a nice lady, she said that a Ramona lived just over that rise," Chrys informed me. We walked carefully over the hill wondering what would appear in front of the house. Nothing did, and it looked exactly like the other ones we had seen. Chrys went up to the door and knocked. A woman who looked exactly like a thirty year younger Mari answered.
"Yes?" She said cautiously. "Can I help you?"
"I think you can, I was looking for a Ramona," Chrys replied.
"Well, you found her, I'm the only Ramona in this area. May I ask why you are looking for me?"
"Actually, we are looking for you and your mother."
"We? Who else is with you? My mother is staying with me for a while, how did you know she was here?" All of a sudden I saw Mari emerge from the cottage.
"Ramona," she said reproachfully, she had talked to me in that way. "Why don't you invite our young guest in?" Suddenly she glanced my way and she nodded. "Come here, child, I have taken care of you for sixteen years, you know I won't bite and you can be sure my daughter won't either. You can tie the horses here." I came when she beckoned and tied the horses where she indicated and followed her inside. Chrys and I explained to Mari and Ramona how we had escaped, while Mari examined my ankle.
"Well, Chrys, I must say your plan was much better and much more thought out than mine. I can see that and you will find I am not one to old back praise where praise is due. Arina, dear you did do something strange to this ankle but it appears to be all right now." Chrys thanked her for her compliment and then went out to care for the horses, with Ramona.
"Mari," I said, watching the others go. "I need to talk to you about Chrys."
"I thought you would, dear, can you tell me how you feel about him."
"Well," I said, thinking about the different emotions he had drawn from me over the last day and a half. "I like him a lot, but at times he infuriates me. I don't know what to think. Tell me your opinion."
"Well, to tell you the truth, dear, I think he loves you and I think you love him." I didn't know how to respond to this, and to this day I don't know what would have happened if Prince Vonecart himself hadn't strode in the door.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he asked. "Oh don't get up, darling, and don't try to fight me. I'm not here from your father, the old man is a dunce. He couldn't have tamed you at all, but you will find me different. I paid a great deal of money for you and I want you and I always get what I want." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Come along, my darling." Gone from my head were any thoughts of loving Chrys, anything I had felt was gone like a flash. I hated him with all my heart and soul, everything he had told me was a lie. Gone was the desire to run my fingers through his hair. I wanted now to rip it out by its roots. The one person I had trusted had betrayed me. For I had no doubt it was him. It had to have been him, when he left me there for that fifteen minutes. He had gone and left a message for Vonecart with directions as to where I had gone. He had purposely left out some of the thyme from the potion so it would only last 12 hours and Vonecart would be able to find me. The only thing I wasn't sure of by the time Vonecart had finished his speech was how much he had been paid to hand over the information. I felt tears streaming down my face, and wasn't sure if they were triggered by Vonecart's appearance or by my loss of faith in Chrys. I was roughly pulled out of the house and into the yard. Mari tried to pull me back but one of Vonecart's men pushed her away. I refused to look in Chrys' direction. At the time I thought that looking at him was some sort of acceptance of his winning, I didn't want to believe it, but it couldn't have been anyone else. Vonecart pushed me into the carriage he had waiting and told the driver to head to the border to Gelgonheimer. I remember nothing of the trip except that I wept the entire time.
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That's all I've got for today! I am working on Chapter 7, but I'm having some problems with it. Please review and if you think Arina is dumb because she can't figure out she was in love with Chrys on her own, please remember that she has hardly ever experienced love in her life so she might not really recognize it. Thank you!
P.S. If and when you review (please do) give me your honest opinion. I am just about the worst critic of my own work so just tell me what you honestly think and I would really appreciate it. Bye!