Authoress' Note: Wow...sorry it's been so long!!!!! my life has been CRAZY and there's been NO time at all..but, anyhow, i'm finally updating (a great cheer rises up from the anxious crowd) thank you, thank you...now, kudos to mountaindew (hey, i cried), hemlock (wait and see), and sopraniluna (i hav everything BUT the flu...hehe)
Well, kids...i'm too tired to type somethin long and interestin...goodnight, all!!!! mwah!
~Jenny the chica~
Chapter Twelve: In Which Hope is Found and a Journey Begins...
Hard as it was for Celia to not throw her arms around the old woman in joyful hope, Celia's mouth merely dropped, until she realized it a few moments later, and regained herself. Overflowing with curiosity, Celia threw away any past teachings of etiquette, and, trembling with anticipation, hurried up to the woman.
"Yes? What do you know about it?" Celia had been waging war with her need to remain dignified, but here she broke down into tearful pleading. "Please, I need to find this place! You have to help me! Wherever it is, please tell me how to get there, to the prince who has been taken there!"
The old woman pursed her lips for a while in thought. "Yes, I know of the way there. But the road is long and hard, and few find it. And those who do will not find a welcome within."
The iciness of the woman's words dimmed Celia's hope slightly, but she knew what she had to do. "Please, besides all that, is there a possible way there?"
"Yes, there is. But I cannot tell you the way. I can send you to my sister, however, and she might be able to help you. Here, ride on this."
At this, a white horse, looking very regal, and painfully reminding Celia of Camille's disappearance, appeared, literally out of thin air. Celia covered her mouth with her hand to trap her gasp.
The woman merely smiled her toothless grin, and added, "Just tap her three times behind her right ear, and she will return to me. She knows the way to my sister, so you merely have to hold on. Be safe dearie, and good luck!"
Celia smiled and nodded, stepping up on a tree trunk to mount the horse, bareback. It had been a long time since she had ridden so, but she remembered what she had learned even then from her brothers.
Once she had gotten situated, she heard a whispered, "Hold on, dearie!" Celia turned to thank the woman again, but no one was there when she looked. Shrugging, as she was eager to be off, she threw her shaking arms around the horse's neck, scooted up against her arms, and closed her eyes as the horse began to gallop.
Celia prayed to herself that this would work, all the while wondering whether or not this was possible. Celia fought hard on the ride to the woman's sister not to succumb to the depression that she was feeling overcome her.
Celia felt absolutely terrible about ruining her and her husband's happiness, and now, even as she was setting out to save the one dearest in the world to her, she couldn't help but wonder if it just might not work...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia woke up from her flooding doubts to the jarring pace of the old woman's horse. Just as she awoke, it seemed, the horse slowed. The pace drifted into a steady walk, and she sat up to see what had caused it. A cave was upcoming, and the horse was headed dead into it.
Celia had no choice but to close her eyes and wait, shaking with fear, anxiety, hope, and, most of all, hunger. Celia had obviously missed breakfast and had hoped that the woman's sister would have food along with information. From the looks of this cave, however, it seemed that Celia's hopes were not to come true yet.
As she approached the cave, getting ever nearer and nearer, Celia saw a figure step out. When she first saw it, she made out a small figure, who seemed more hunched than her sister. But then, to Celia's amazement, the tiny figure straightened and, seeing the horse, laughed merrily and ran over to greet it, along with Celia.
The figure came closer and closer until Celia realized that it was not another old lady, but a little girl, who was carrying one armful of wood for a fire, and stroking the horse with the other.
"Hello." Celia managed at last. "Can you tell me where the sister of a mysterious old woman is? I was told to ride the horse until he stopped, and I would reach her, but I don't see her. Can you tell me how to get to her?"
It wasn't until she was finished speaking that she realized how vague her question had been. But what all did she know about the woman? Nothing more than she had said. Celia sighed.
But the girl laughed. "She," was all the girl said, without turning her gaze from untangling the horse's mane. It took Celia a few moments to realize that she was referring to the horse.
Celia smiled, tensely remaining patient. "Thank you. About the woman's sister, do you know anything?"
The small girl, she couldn't have been more than eight, smiled, just now raising her head to acknowledge Celia. "Well, you don't have to search any longer. She's right here."
Celia was near the breaking point with being fed up with the little girl. Taking a strained breath, she said, "Thank you. Now please tell me where the woman is."
At this remark, the little girl burst into a round of high-pitched giggles that, although painfully endearing, made Celia want to cover her ears in frustration and exhaustion.
Celia gaped at the girl, who took another short breath, a curt pause in her incessant giggling. After wiping a few tears from her eyes, followed by a few ending peals of laughter, the girl gasped for breath.
Still laughing and crying, the girl addressed Celia suddenly in an almost superior way. "I'm sorry. I'd forgotten how many-" a few hiccupped giggles "-always come here-" more giggling "-expecting an old crone-" yet more giggles, accompanied this time by a snort.
The girl broke into giggles once more. After a few moments, she struggled to regain her composure to finish her cut off sentence, "-like my sister."
One final note: Now, don't y'all be leavin without reviewin, ya hear??
heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee...whew...
Well, kids...i'm too tired to type somethin long and interestin...goodnight, all!!!! mwah!
~Jenny the chica~
Chapter Twelve: In Which Hope is Found and a Journey Begins...
Hard as it was for Celia to not throw her arms around the old woman in joyful hope, Celia's mouth merely dropped, until she realized it a few moments later, and regained herself. Overflowing with curiosity, Celia threw away any past teachings of etiquette, and, trembling with anticipation, hurried up to the woman.
"Yes? What do you know about it?" Celia had been waging war with her need to remain dignified, but here she broke down into tearful pleading. "Please, I need to find this place! You have to help me! Wherever it is, please tell me how to get there, to the prince who has been taken there!"
The old woman pursed her lips for a while in thought. "Yes, I know of the way there. But the road is long and hard, and few find it. And those who do will not find a welcome within."
The iciness of the woman's words dimmed Celia's hope slightly, but she knew what she had to do. "Please, besides all that, is there a possible way there?"
"Yes, there is. But I cannot tell you the way. I can send you to my sister, however, and she might be able to help you. Here, ride on this."
At this, a white horse, looking very regal, and painfully reminding Celia of Camille's disappearance, appeared, literally out of thin air. Celia covered her mouth with her hand to trap her gasp.
The woman merely smiled her toothless grin, and added, "Just tap her three times behind her right ear, and she will return to me. She knows the way to my sister, so you merely have to hold on. Be safe dearie, and good luck!"
Celia smiled and nodded, stepping up on a tree trunk to mount the horse, bareback. It had been a long time since she had ridden so, but she remembered what she had learned even then from her brothers.
Once she had gotten situated, she heard a whispered, "Hold on, dearie!" Celia turned to thank the woman again, but no one was there when she looked. Shrugging, as she was eager to be off, she threw her shaking arms around the horse's neck, scooted up against her arms, and closed her eyes as the horse began to gallop.
Celia prayed to herself that this would work, all the while wondering whether or not this was possible. Celia fought hard on the ride to the woman's sister not to succumb to the depression that she was feeling overcome her.
Celia felt absolutely terrible about ruining her and her husband's happiness, and now, even as she was setting out to save the one dearest in the world to her, she couldn't help but wonder if it just might not work...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Celia woke up from her flooding doubts to the jarring pace of the old woman's horse. Just as she awoke, it seemed, the horse slowed. The pace drifted into a steady walk, and she sat up to see what had caused it. A cave was upcoming, and the horse was headed dead into it.
Celia had no choice but to close her eyes and wait, shaking with fear, anxiety, hope, and, most of all, hunger. Celia had obviously missed breakfast and had hoped that the woman's sister would have food along with information. From the looks of this cave, however, it seemed that Celia's hopes were not to come true yet.
As she approached the cave, getting ever nearer and nearer, Celia saw a figure step out. When she first saw it, she made out a small figure, who seemed more hunched than her sister. But then, to Celia's amazement, the tiny figure straightened and, seeing the horse, laughed merrily and ran over to greet it, along with Celia.
The figure came closer and closer until Celia realized that it was not another old lady, but a little girl, who was carrying one armful of wood for a fire, and stroking the horse with the other.
"Hello." Celia managed at last. "Can you tell me where the sister of a mysterious old woman is? I was told to ride the horse until he stopped, and I would reach her, but I don't see her. Can you tell me how to get to her?"
It wasn't until she was finished speaking that she realized how vague her question had been. But what all did she know about the woman? Nothing more than she had said. Celia sighed.
But the girl laughed. "She," was all the girl said, without turning her gaze from untangling the horse's mane. It took Celia a few moments to realize that she was referring to the horse.
Celia smiled, tensely remaining patient. "Thank you. About the woman's sister, do you know anything?"
The small girl, she couldn't have been more than eight, smiled, just now raising her head to acknowledge Celia. "Well, you don't have to search any longer. She's right here."
Celia was near the breaking point with being fed up with the little girl. Taking a strained breath, she said, "Thank you. Now please tell me where the woman is."
At this remark, the little girl burst into a round of high-pitched giggles that, although painfully endearing, made Celia want to cover her ears in frustration and exhaustion.
Celia gaped at the girl, who took another short breath, a curt pause in her incessant giggling. After wiping a few tears from her eyes, followed by a few ending peals of laughter, the girl gasped for breath.
Still laughing and crying, the girl addressed Celia suddenly in an almost superior way. "I'm sorry. I'd forgotten how many-" a few hiccupped giggles "-always come here-" more giggling "-expecting an old crone-" yet more giggles, accompanied this time by a snort.
The girl broke into giggles once more. After a few moments, she struggled to regain her composure to finish her cut off sentence, "-like my sister."
One final note: Now, don't y'all be leavin without reviewin, ya hear??
heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee...whew...