Hello again! Here's the next chapter, great big thank you to all those who reviewed, I appreciate it tons. In this chapter, you'll get an up date on Amanda and Elizabeth and find out what happens when another one of their friends gets a hold of the book....
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*Update*
Amanda did get to go visit her new fief and fell in love with it immediately, as did its inhabitants with her. Elizabeth was taking lessons from the Queen and two other noble ladies on 'Lady airs' while her sister was absent and would soon be ready to go find a husband. Both were doing rather well at court and have made their friends and enemies (as if that wasn't already apparent). The Yamani princess and her escorts are due to arrive soon and Kel and her Knight master have returned from the Centaur hunt earlier on in the book. Amanda and Kel are becoming fast friends. They have fun training together when both aren't busy with their work, one running a fief and the other training to be a knight and such. Elizabeth has a boy friend, some Squire whose gone heads over heals for her (as if anything else was expected). She's also finally learned to ride her horse and she and Black Mystic race often. Amanda hasn't had anymore duels with nobles who can't keep their mouths shut, but a few found some rather nasty pranks pulled on them and no one knows who did it.That's all for now, but don't worry, you'll be hearing more about these two later on.
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(A/N: this goes back to a few minutes after the book began to glow, time passes differently between the two worlds, you'll find out later on why....)
Sarah came down the stairs, grabbing her book bag as she went. She was supposed to be there early to meet with Jon, her boy friend, and figure out what they were going to do that night. She spotted the book lying on the table, she picked it up and studied it for a moment. [Amanda must've left this here...what's this?] She thought to herself as she spotted a new picture in the corner. It was of two girls, one dressed as a noble lady the other as a boy noble. "That's strange...." muttered Sarah as she put it in her book bag. "I could've sworn that wasn't there before. I'll ask Amanda about it when I get there." She grabbed a bagel off the table and headed out, her mom waiting for her out in the car.
"You got everything you need, honey?" asked Sarah's mom as she pulled out of the drive way, on the way to the school.
"Yep. Other than an excuse to get out of the parade, I'm set," replied Sarah, shrugging her shoulders. They arrived at the school a few minutes later and she quickly ran into the band locker room, hoping to find John there. Luckily she did.
"Where've you been?" asked Jon as he gave her a hug.
"At home. Amanda and Elizabeth spent the night," replied Sarah, and that was all that needed to be said. Any time those three got together, they were up to at least 1 if not 2 or 3 in the morning. "Which reminds me, have you seen either of them? I need to give Amanda this." She pulled out the book and showed it to Jon, watching with amusement as his jaw dropped slightly and his eyebrows raised in the air.
"Are those things real?" he asked, pointing to the jewels.
"Elizabeth bought it, what do you think?"
"Darn. They'd be worth a nice chuck of cash if they were...let me see it for a second." He took it from her, flipping through the pages as he scanned the words. Sarah was about to leave to put her bag up when he grabbed her arm. "Hold up a sec," he said, looking rather irked about something.
"What is it?" asked Sarah, getting worried. "What's wrong?"
"There are characters with Amanda's and Elizabeth's names in here, and the descriptions sound a good bit like them. Like this, only Amanda has two differently colored eyes, she's proud of it and everyone here knows it. And only the Elizabeth I know would be mean to guys like that," said Jon, showing her what he was talking about.
"Don't be mean, Jon," said Sarah, taking the book from him. She read it for a few minutes before turning rather pale. "Ok, this isn't cool. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this, lets just go find them and ask what this is all about..." She closed the book, and once again it began to glow.
"Oh my-" The light flashed and the two disappeared. In the corner opposite from Amanda and Elizabeth's picture, one of Sarah and John appeared, both dressed as commoners and looking rather happy. The book did not fall to the floor, how ever, it floated and landed gently beside Allie, Brenna and Mouse's locker, almost as if an invisible hand had been guiding it there...
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When Sarah's world had become light again she was on a rode, dressed in a shirt and ridding breeches with boots. Jon was beside her, wearing a sleeveless sailor shirt with breeches, sandals and a dagger at his side. "Oh, my gosh," whispered Sarah as she took in everything around her. "Oh my gosh..."
"It's ok, Sarah," said Jon, grabbing her hand as she began to get dizzy. "Sarah..."
"Oh..." She fell to the ground in a dead faint, being half caught by Jon as he laid her gently on the road.
"Oh, great," muttered Jon sarcastically as he sat on the road beside her. "Not only do I have no idea where I am, Sarah's out cold and will be in one heck of a mood when she gets up, what else could possibly go wrong..."
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Onua trotted along on her horse, two others with her as they made their way to the stables and fields where the extra horses were kept for the Queen's Riders. They rounded a bend in the road and stopped suddenly, seeing a young man sitting on the side of the road with a young woman draped across his lap, obviously concerned about something.
"Good day, lad!" called Onua as she approached them, cautious of a trap. "Do you need some help there?"
"Do I?!" he yelled, sounding exasperated. "I have absolutely no idea where I am and my girlfriend is out on the side of the road and I have no way of getting her anywhere for help or finding where I could even get help!"
"Settle down, lad!" admonished Onua as she and her companions dismounted. "We'll help you. What your name?"
"Jon, and she's Sarah."
"How did you come to get here, Jon?" asked one of Onua's companions, a tall man called Sarge.
"I haven't the slightest clue," admitted Jon. "One minute we were in the band room holding this book and the next I'm standing over there with Sarah and she goes faint on me from shock."
"Does she do this often?" asked Onua as she checked the girl's pulse and temperature, she wasn't sick just a little shaken and would come around soon she decided. "Sarge, you and Penny ride on to the stable. Hitch up the wagon and bring it here so we can get these two to some place other than the middle of the road." Penny was Sarge's niece and was staying with Onua for awhile before she went back home to be married.
"Who do want to pull the wagon?" asked Penny as she mounted her horse.
"Brownie or Trish, which ever is awake," replied Onua, getting a blanket from her saddle and putting it behind Sarah's head for support.
"Thanks for the help," said Jon as he sat down beside Sarah, worry still etched in his face.
"Where did you two say you were from?" asked Onua as she sat on Sarah's other side, her horse next to her.
"Providence, where am I right now?"
"Between Pirate's Swoop and Corus just a few minutes ride from where the Queen's Riders keep their extra horses during the year. I've never heard of Providence before, though. It is on the other side of the Roof of the World?" replied Onua, trying to wrack her head of the names of the other countries over there.
"What that?" asked Jon, frowning slightly.
"The Roof of the World? If you don't know then you must not be from that direction. Do you live near the Emerald Ocean?"
"I live near the Atlantic Ocean, but I've never heard of the Emerald Ocean," replied Jon, getting confused. {People here are dressed differently and they ride horses on unpaved roads carrying swords and knives. Then there was the book...what the hell is going on here? First Amanda and Elizabeth being on that book's cover and then....oh shoot.}
Onua saw Jon go very white all of a sudden, as if remembering something. "What's the matter?" she asked, shifting around so she could face him.
"The book...and Amanda and Elizabeth's names in it...and the picture...my gosh I hope I'm wrong..." murmured Jon, making Onua think he had cracked.
"What are you talking about?" she said crossly, getting up as she did.
"Look, just forget about it. Even if I am right, it'll do little to help our situation. Why are you out here?"
"Our stable hand that stays at the Stables year round wrote us saying he was quitting as soon as we could find him a replacement, which by the way do you have any experience working with horses?"
"Only from when Sarah would drag me along horse back riding back home," shrugged Jon, thinking quickly. "But Sarah knows a lot about horses and caring for them and maybe she'd help you."
"I'd help whom?" asked Sarah as she opened her eyes, groaning in pain.
"Easy lass," said Onua, holding a canteen up to the young woman's mouth and letting her drink it dry.
Sarah sat up slowly, supported on either side by John and Onua as she took stock of her surroundings once more. "Damn," she mumbled, shaking her head, "It wasn't a dream..."
"Try nightmare," sighed Jon as he heard a soft rumbling in the distance. It got closer and soon the trio could see it was Penny on a wagon being pulled by a large brown mare with a black mane and white fetlocks. Sarah got up shakily and walked to the horse and wagon when it pulled up beside them. "Aren't you a beauty?" asked Sarah as she rubbed the mare's nose, letting it sniff her and nibble at her hand.
"Good timing, Penny," said Onua as she helped the other two get in to the back, telling them to sit on the floor and hold on tight. She then took the reins from Penny and turned the wagon around before urging the horse to a steady gallop down the road. With the wind whipping through her hair and some new friends, Onua wasn't sure things could get much better...
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Sarah sighed happily as she thought about the events of the past few hours; sure they were lost and very far from home, but now she had a new home and a job. One that she loved and couldn't be happier about.
She was to live with Jon in the hut next to the Stable year round and take care of the horses with his help. Onua had tested her knowledge of horses, and had found it very large and well rounded. Jon was to help her out with the heavy parts of the job and when he wasn't they had worked out a deal with the local fisherman, a friend of Onua's, that he could go and find work there for a good part of the day.
Once every two or three weeks Onua was to come down with their pay and bring them a few supplies from Corus or Pirate's Swoop, where ever she was. During those trips she would inspect the stables and check over the horses, bringing some Wildmage with her if one of the horses was sick and needed tending.
"Sarah!" called Jon as he waved a hand in front of her face. "Earth to Sarah!"
"Oh, sorry about that," said Sarah as she snapped back to the present, looking slightly embarrassed.
Onua laughed, Sarge and Penny just smiling as their eyes twinkled merrily. "What say we go meet the herd if you're not too busy day dreaming," she suggested, eyes dancing mischievously.
"Let's go," she replied, getting up with a grin. She pulled Jon with her, making sure he didn't try to stay behind.
"What are you trying to do?" he protested, trying to get free. "Horses don't like me that much. I thought we already found that out awhile ago."
"These are different horses, and maybe they'll like you," suggested Sarah, not letting go.
"Fine. But if I get bit..."
"You won't. I promise."
"That's what you said last time and I had to get stitches by the time we were done," muttered Jon under his breath. Sarah followed Onua to the pasture, Jon in tow, to look at the mares and geldings they had there. There were about 20 or so in all, 3/4 mares and 1/4 geldings. A gray mare with white markings and mane came up to the fence, lipping Onua's hand affectionately.
"This is Daisy," said Onua. "She's been here for about 5 years now, she'll only let me ride her and isn't strong enough to do what I need a horse to do so we let her stay here in case I need a back up. Most of the horses here are 1st or 2nd years though, when camp for new trainees comes around again we'll take them up to the camp grounds near the palace and bring those left over back down a few weeks later. Occasionally we'll sell a mare to the King's Own when a few of their mounts have been killed, or when a regular Rider needs a new horse he or she will come down here for a day or two and pick one out to replace their old one."
"What happens to a horse if no one ever picks it?" asked Sarah softly.
"Then it stays here with you until it's gone," replied Onua gravely. "I won't ever kill a horse, no matter how old or useless it is. It's still a horse and I won't let it be hurt." Daisy butted Onua playfully, making the woman sigh mockingly as she pulled out a carrot for the horse.
"That's good. I would refuse the job if they were taken away some where for 'retirement'."
"I don't blame you," said Onua, smiling brightly. "I think we're going to get along just fine. Do you need to go and tell anyone or can you start today?"
"I guess we can start today since there is no way to tell our parents we're gone," answered Jon shrugging his shoulders as he did. "Will there be anyone else working here other than us two?"
"Yeah, a boy and girl from the village down the road come here to work every other day. They have the weekends off, but they'll help you if you're in a jam," supplied Penny, turning as she heard the sound of horses walking up the path. It was a tall man with long hair and a shorter woman with wild, curly brown hair.
"Hullo Onua!" called the man, raising a hand as he did. {That guy looks like a stork, being so tall and skinny,} thought Sarah as she watched Onua greet him warmly.
"Numair!" she called back, waving. "I thought you weren't coming for a week!"
"Yeah, well the plans got changed a little," said the young woman beside him, making a face.
"What happened, Daine?" asked Onua, holding Numair's horse's head while he dismounted.
"Squire Keladry found a baby griffin and I have to find it's parents before they find her," Daine sighed, shaking her head. "I'm going to leave in a few minutes so I can get one of its feathers and begin searching. The sooner, the better."
"Can you spare enough time to meet my new stable hands for this place?" asked Onua. "This is Sarah and Jon, they'll be the ones who are here year round from now on."
"It's very nice to meet you both," she said sincerely, "But what happened to Herman? That old guy who worked here before?"
"He quit and went for early retirement," explained Sarge. "It was a good thing too, in a few more years we would've had to made him do it."
"That's too bad, he was a nice guy. Anyway, goodbye!" She urged her mare, Cloud, into a gallop and headed back out onto the road, heading for the small town where Raoul and Kel were staying with his troop of the King's Own.
"So where are you two from?" asked Numair, addressing Sarah and Jon.
"Well, it's kind of a long story..."
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Numair sat back in his chair by the fire, staring into the flames. He remembered a story similar to those two had told him from somewhere else, but where? He struggled with it for a few minutes longer before giving up for the night, everyone else already asleep in their rooms. Either the gods willed him to be the forgetful or he was not meant to know something that had been told to him, so he let it go with a sigh and got up, walking to his mat on the floor and laying down quietly.
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Sarah lay on her bed by the window, feeling the breeze gently on her face. [You know] she thought to herself [I think I'm going to like it here...]
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So, what do you think? Good? Bad? Totally horrible or completely ingenious? Let me know by clicking that little box in the corner and reviewing like good readers, thanks a million and Happy Holidays if I don't get another chapter up before Christmas!
By the way, Next Chapter: Some one else gets sucked in and you'll get to hear some about our new couple in Tortal AND find out what happened to the original pair!