Everyone stood around a smallish mound of dirt, heads bowed. Several of
them were crying. Unfortunately, Liney and Gregory were both still
unconscious, and Neal had to stay with them, so none of the three knew
about Anne Marie and her untimely...death.
"I'll tell them when...later." Kel said, eyes welled up with tears and doing her best not to let them stream. Dom put his arm around her. Kel looked at it for a moment and blew her nose in his sleeve.
"Should we start to kill off the assholes who did this to her?" Peter asked, comforting Kate who was sobbing into his shirt.
"In a moment, " Raoul said, laying a flower on the top of the mound of dirt. "May Anne Marie, our friend, rest in peace."
"Numair, would you do the spell now?" Daine asked.
Numair nodded solemnly and clapped his hands. The mound of dirt burst into flame and became ashes in seconds.
"What did you do that for?" Kaitlin demanded, clutching a hand to her heart. "You scared the stuffing outta me!"
"I'm guessing it's so nobody, like, desecrates her body or something." Rosefyre said knowledgably.
"What's desecrates?" Asked Cleon.
"That's right," said Alanna. "Mainly animals, but also Stormwings who might catch the lingering scent of decaying flesh."
"What's desecrates?" Cleon asked again.
"That's disgusting!" Krizsta cried. "Stormwings are just plain gross."
"Most Stormwings are just plain gross." Corrected Maria, scratching her tail that wouldn't go away.
"Whatever," said Krizsta, sticking out her tongue.
"What's desecrates?" Cleon asked loudly, beginning to become highly annoyed.
"So, should we begin to eliminate the evil dudes like Rosefyre said to do in her prediction thingy?" Diana asked.
"Oh," Rosefyre sighed, "so that's what I predicted."
George nodded. "Aye lassie. I also thing tha' we should get to doing it before they do." He gestured to the wall where several more archers had appeared.
"What's desecrates?" Cleon yelled stomping his foot.
"Time for revenge." Kate said narrowing her eyes to slits, but still not letting go of Peter's arm.
Raoul turned to Raganas, Krizsta and Samkin. "Go brush and tack up some horses. Tack one up for me, Raganas, and Kriz, will you do one for Buri?"
"Oh, and Samkin, when you finish go back to the woods and see if you can find one of two big flat rocks we can use to sharpen the spear points with." Buri added.
"Yes Sir and Ma'am!" Samkin said hopping to attention and saluting.
Raganas giggled and muttered, "You're weird, dude," to him has all three of them left.
Cleon had completely given up on his trying to figure out what 'desecrates' meant and was sitting on the ground trying to spell it.
"Kathryn, Marc, if you'll follow me, I'm going to teach you dagger tricks." George said. "It's always handy to have something to throw besides a kick or a punch."
"Goody!" Kathryn cried. Wiping away her last tear. "I was wanting' to learn this stuff!"
"I wanted to learn it more!" Marc said.
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huh!"
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huh!"
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!"
Marc and Kathryn could be heard arguing with each other until George had led them out of earshot.
"Slings!" Amy said.
Olivia rushed up. "Ready for action, mum!"
Caprice followed. "Present and accounted for!"
Lady Light came last. "Um, guess who's back? Back again?"
"Oooh!" Kaytee said leaping up and down, her hand raised. "I know! Call on me!"
Lady Light stared at Kaytee for a second. "Uh, Kaytee?"
"You're back!" Kaytee said happily. "Do I win something?"
"No," Amy said. "Anyway, sling shooters, off to find rocks!" She herded her friends off toward the forest.
"ACHOO!" Cleon sneezed. "Oops, I've sneezed on an anthill." He looked around happily and added, "Cool."
"Do we have any food?" Asked Neal as he walked up. "I'm half starved." Neal definitely looked starved. His skin had acquired a slight gray tinge and he had large bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
Dom looked down at his cousin. "There's bread in the sack by that log there. Are Line and Gregory healed?"
"Just finished," Neal said, cramming whole loaves of bread into his mouth. "They're sleeping now."
"Oh," Alanna said patting her former squire on the back. She would have patted his shoulder, but she couldn't reach.
"We should probably get back to practicing, if we're to attack soon." Maria said to Kel.
"You're right." Kel said. "Swords! Come with me. We're going on horseback this time."
Maria grabbed Kaitlin, who was slightly afraid of horses and dragged her over to a sweet chestnut gelding, while taking the brown bay mare on her left. Diana took the story gray mare with an attitude problem that was tied to a secluded tree. Raganas had tacked up a large black gelding of at least fifteen hands for herself and Raoul's large mare Amberfire for *AN: Bet you can't guess who she tacked up Raoul's horse for! Bet you can't guess!* Raoul. *AN: Whoa, how would you have ever guessed?* Krizsta had tacked up a stout brown mare for herself and a flea-bitten white stallion for Buri. Samkin had already finished tacking and brushing his mount, a black stallion with white socks, and was searching for a suitable rock in the forest. Kel and Alanna supervised while they tacked up Peachblossom and Alanna's new horse, Dusk, a gray-black stallion with a startlingly white mane.
"Do we get to ride horses too?" Asked Kate, eyes wide and hopeful, but only after she tore them away from Neal, who she had decided, was very cute when tired. "I like horses."
"I don't think you're ready for archery on horseback yet," Daine said. "Even though you are very good at regular archery. There's only so much help a horse can give."
"Dommy! Dommy!" Cried Rosefyre. "Daine won't let us ride the horses!"
"Yea, Nuncle Dom!" Peter said, catching on. "Make her be nice!" He pointed at Daine and stomped his foot for emphasis.
Dom shifted uncomfortably. "Daine's the animal lady. I can't over rule her when it comes to that."
Kate, Peter and Rosefyre pretended to pout, making Dom whine to Daine again. "Please?" He asked cutely.
"No!" Daine said firmly. "And that's final. Let's go fletch some arrows or something.' She marched off, Dom and the three teens following at a jog.
"But what am I supposed to do while everybody trains?" Asked Cleon.
"Wait," Neal said, holding up a hand to silence Cleon, the completely ignored human bean. "Who's missing? Where's Anne Marie?"
Numair put a hand on Neal's shoulder. "She was killed by the enemy. She challenged them, foolish girl, armed with nothing but a sword. The shot her."
Neal's eyes teared up. "No!"
"Yes!" Cleon said.
"She will live on in out hearts and out minds." Numair said. "We must concentrate on other things."
"Yes," Neal agreed, wiping his eyes.
"You have to concentrate on your healing, Neal." Cleon said. "Like for me. I got this nasty boo-boo on my pinky finger." He showed Neal a cut the size of an ant.
"Suffer through it." Said Liney, yawning and stretching. "It'll build character. Did I miss anything important when I was out?"
"You have no idea," muttered Numair.
~*~
"You know what this place needs?" Maddy asked of nobody in particular. "Homey touches. You know, candles, curtains on the windows above the candles. Blankets next to the candles, but within reach of the flickering flame."
"Do you have some sort of obsession with fire, Mads?" Meron asked, trying to ignore his leash, but not doing as well as Maddy.
Maddy nodded happily. "Slap my ass and call me 'Pyro'!"
"I don't really understand what you said but," Meron shrugged and reached out his hand.
"It's not something you're actually supposed to do, hun." Maddy said, smartly. "It's similar to a rhetorical question but it's more of a statement than a question."
"Are you feeling alright?" Meron asked. "It's just that sounded really...smart!"
Maddy blinked and shook her head around a bit. "I'M AN AEROPLANE!" She screeched.
"Oh," Meron said, gratefully. "I was afraid there for a second."
How can these two, er, weird little kids be of any use to us? Nell thought. It's just one normal, slightly insane, lad and a normal, really insane, lass. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear what was being said.
"Meron, have you got the Gift?" Maddy asked.
"Not really." Meron said. "I can light matches and barely fires. But that's it."
"Lightly the rug on fire." Maddy said, leaping up and down. "Please?"
"Um, OK!" Said Meron happily. He pointed at the rug and it abruptly caught on fire.
Nell was snapped from her thoughts. "Oh my!" She cried making the Sign against evil on her chest.
"Hey lady," Maddy said. "Why are you fiddling with your breasts?"
Nell blushed magenta. "I wasn't."
"You were!" Maddy persisted.
"I wasn't!" Nell said, tightening her hold on the whip.
Meron noticed and kicked Maddy in the shin. "Shut up." He muttered in her ear.
"OK!" Maddy said happily, starting to frolic around Nell in circles.
"I choose not to comment on this." Nell said in a robotic tone. "Anyway, we're here." There was an empty prison cell with a barred gate. She herded Maddy and Meron in, without untying them. They could untie themselves but she didn't want to get near them.
Once Nell had her back to the two teens Meron leaned over and hissed in Maddy's ear, "She's completely forgotten about the rug."
~*~
Yey and Verily! Although I have no idea what that means...I suppose it's good, it has 'yey' in it after all. Whatever. I hope you liked it! *Yawns from sleep deprivation* It took a really long time to write it, you know. Review please! I need at least ten more reviews until I continue, though that shouldn't be too hard, right guys? Right!
Luv,
LadyKnight
"I'll tell them when...later." Kel said, eyes welled up with tears and doing her best not to let them stream. Dom put his arm around her. Kel looked at it for a moment and blew her nose in his sleeve.
"Should we start to kill off the assholes who did this to her?" Peter asked, comforting Kate who was sobbing into his shirt.
"In a moment, " Raoul said, laying a flower on the top of the mound of dirt. "May Anne Marie, our friend, rest in peace."
"Numair, would you do the spell now?" Daine asked.
Numair nodded solemnly and clapped his hands. The mound of dirt burst into flame and became ashes in seconds.
"What did you do that for?" Kaitlin demanded, clutching a hand to her heart. "You scared the stuffing outta me!"
"I'm guessing it's so nobody, like, desecrates her body or something." Rosefyre said knowledgably.
"What's desecrates?" Asked Cleon.
"That's right," said Alanna. "Mainly animals, but also Stormwings who might catch the lingering scent of decaying flesh."
"What's desecrates?" Cleon asked again.
"That's disgusting!" Krizsta cried. "Stormwings are just plain gross."
"Most Stormwings are just plain gross." Corrected Maria, scratching her tail that wouldn't go away.
"Whatever," said Krizsta, sticking out her tongue.
"What's desecrates?" Cleon asked loudly, beginning to become highly annoyed.
"So, should we begin to eliminate the evil dudes like Rosefyre said to do in her prediction thingy?" Diana asked.
"Oh," Rosefyre sighed, "so that's what I predicted."
George nodded. "Aye lassie. I also thing tha' we should get to doing it before they do." He gestured to the wall where several more archers had appeared.
"What's desecrates?" Cleon yelled stomping his foot.
"Time for revenge." Kate said narrowing her eyes to slits, but still not letting go of Peter's arm.
Raoul turned to Raganas, Krizsta and Samkin. "Go brush and tack up some horses. Tack one up for me, Raganas, and Kriz, will you do one for Buri?"
"Oh, and Samkin, when you finish go back to the woods and see if you can find one of two big flat rocks we can use to sharpen the spear points with." Buri added.
"Yes Sir and Ma'am!" Samkin said hopping to attention and saluting.
Raganas giggled and muttered, "You're weird, dude," to him has all three of them left.
Cleon had completely given up on his trying to figure out what 'desecrates' meant and was sitting on the ground trying to spell it.
"Kathryn, Marc, if you'll follow me, I'm going to teach you dagger tricks." George said. "It's always handy to have something to throw besides a kick or a punch."
"Goody!" Kathryn cried. Wiping away her last tear. "I was wanting' to learn this stuff!"
"I wanted to learn it more!" Marc said.
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huh!"
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huh!"
"Uh-uh!"
"Ya-huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!"
Marc and Kathryn could be heard arguing with each other until George had led them out of earshot.
"Slings!" Amy said.
Olivia rushed up. "Ready for action, mum!"
Caprice followed. "Present and accounted for!"
Lady Light came last. "Um, guess who's back? Back again?"
"Oooh!" Kaytee said leaping up and down, her hand raised. "I know! Call on me!"
Lady Light stared at Kaytee for a second. "Uh, Kaytee?"
"You're back!" Kaytee said happily. "Do I win something?"
"No," Amy said. "Anyway, sling shooters, off to find rocks!" She herded her friends off toward the forest.
"ACHOO!" Cleon sneezed. "Oops, I've sneezed on an anthill." He looked around happily and added, "Cool."
"Do we have any food?" Asked Neal as he walked up. "I'm half starved." Neal definitely looked starved. His skin had acquired a slight gray tinge and he had large bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
Dom looked down at his cousin. "There's bread in the sack by that log there. Are Line and Gregory healed?"
"Just finished," Neal said, cramming whole loaves of bread into his mouth. "They're sleeping now."
"Oh," Alanna said patting her former squire on the back. She would have patted his shoulder, but she couldn't reach.
"We should probably get back to practicing, if we're to attack soon." Maria said to Kel.
"You're right." Kel said. "Swords! Come with me. We're going on horseback this time."
Maria grabbed Kaitlin, who was slightly afraid of horses and dragged her over to a sweet chestnut gelding, while taking the brown bay mare on her left. Diana took the story gray mare with an attitude problem that was tied to a secluded tree. Raganas had tacked up a large black gelding of at least fifteen hands for herself and Raoul's large mare Amberfire for *AN: Bet you can't guess who she tacked up Raoul's horse for! Bet you can't guess!* Raoul. *AN: Whoa, how would you have ever guessed?* Krizsta had tacked up a stout brown mare for herself and a flea-bitten white stallion for Buri. Samkin had already finished tacking and brushing his mount, a black stallion with white socks, and was searching for a suitable rock in the forest. Kel and Alanna supervised while they tacked up Peachblossom and Alanna's new horse, Dusk, a gray-black stallion with a startlingly white mane.
"Do we get to ride horses too?" Asked Kate, eyes wide and hopeful, but only after she tore them away from Neal, who she had decided, was very cute when tired. "I like horses."
"I don't think you're ready for archery on horseback yet," Daine said. "Even though you are very good at regular archery. There's only so much help a horse can give."
"Dommy! Dommy!" Cried Rosefyre. "Daine won't let us ride the horses!"
"Yea, Nuncle Dom!" Peter said, catching on. "Make her be nice!" He pointed at Daine and stomped his foot for emphasis.
Dom shifted uncomfortably. "Daine's the animal lady. I can't over rule her when it comes to that."
Kate, Peter and Rosefyre pretended to pout, making Dom whine to Daine again. "Please?" He asked cutely.
"No!" Daine said firmly. "And that's final. Let's go fletch some arrows or something.' She marched off, Dom and the three teens following at a jog.
"But what am I supposed to do while everybody trains?" Asked Cleon.
"Wait," Neal said, holding up a hand to silence Cleon, the completely ignored human bean. "Who's missing? Where's Anne Marie?"
Numair put a hand on Neal's shoulder. "She was killed by the enemy. She challenged them, foolish girl, armed with nothing but a sword. The shot her."
Neal's eyes teared up. "No!"
"Yes!" Cleon said.
"She will live on in out hearts and out minds." Numair said. "We must concentrate on other things."
"Yes," Neal agreed, wiping his eyes.
"You have to concentrate on your healing, Neal." Cleon said. "Like for me. I got this nasty boo-boo on my pinky finger." He showed Neal a cut the size of an ant.
"Suffer through it." Said Liney, yawning and stretching. "It'll build character. Did I miss anything important when I was out?"
"You have no idea," muttered Numair.
~*~
"You know what this place needs?" Maddy asked of nobody in particular. "Homey touches. You know, candles, curtains on the windows above the candles. Blankets next to the candles, but within reach of the flickering flame."
"Do you have some sort of obsession with fire, Mads?" Meron asked, trying to ignore his leash, but not doing as well as Maddy.
Maddy nodded happily. "Slap my ass and call me 'Pyro'!"
"I don't really understand what you said but," Meron shrugged and reached out his hand.
"It's not something you're actually supposed to do, hun." Maddy said, smartly. "It's similar to a rhetorical question but it's more of a statement than a question."
"Are you feeling alright?" Meron asked. "It's just that sounded really...smart!"
Maddy blinked and shook her head around a bit. "I'M AN AEROPLANE!" She screeched.
"Oh," Meron said, gratefully. "I was afraid there for a second."
How can these two, er, weird little kids be of any use to us? Nell thought. It's just one normal, slightly insane, lad and a normal, really insane, lass. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear what was being said.
"Meron, have you got the Gift?" Maddy asked.
"Not really." Meron said. "I can light matches and barely fires. But that's it."
"Lightly the rug on fire." Maddy said, leaping up and down. "Please?"
"Um, OK!" Said Meron happily. He pointed at the rug and it abruptly caught on fire.
Nell was snapped from her thoughts. "Oh my!" She cried making the Sign against evil on her chest.
"Hey lady," Maddy said. "Why are you fiddling with your breasts?"
Nell blushed magenta. "I wasn't."
"You were!" Maddy persisted.
"I wasn't!" Nell said, tightening her hold on the whip.
Meron noticed and kicked Maddy in the shin. "Shut up." He muttered in her ear.
"OK!" Maddy said happily, starting to frolic around Nell in circles.
"I choose not to comment on this." Nell said in a robotic tone. "Anyway, we're here." There was an empty prison cell with a barred gate. She herded Maddy and Meron in, without untying them. They could untie themselves but she didn't want to get near them.
Once Nell had her back to the two teens Meron leaned over and hissed in Maddy's ear, "She's completely forgotten about the rug."
~*~
Yey and Verily! Although I have no idea what that means...I suppose it's good, it has 'yey' in it after all. Whatever. I hope you liked it! *Yawns from sleep deprivation* It took a really long time to write it, you know. Review please! I need at least ten more reviews until I continue, though that shouldn't be too hard, right guys? Right!
Luv,
LadyKnight