DISCLAIMER: Nope, still not mine.
Author's note(s): Okay, well, this morning I decided that I should update this. So I walked away from Final Fantasy (a hard thing indeed) and plopped down on the computer, hehe. Sheesh, I've been a total video game junkie lately.
Magegurl_05: Thank you for pointing out the alarm clock error. ^-^;;; I have another story about this time period and once I was so tired I put that the main character stepped into the bathroom and started the water for a shower. Heh, so yes, I forget my time periods sometimes.
Lady of the Lilacs and Alien: Very nice. You're the only ones who caught that. ^_^ Brownie Points for reading my author's note.
Crystal Lili: I'm glad you liked the remark about kids, my mom says something about how kids run everywhere. I just rephrased it. ^-~ I mean -cough- it was right off the top of my head. Thanks for the uniqueness comment. I get called unique a lot, only it's not always meant that nicely. O_o
Destined
'Shattered Dawn'
****
The tips of golden sunshine had barely touched her when Kel's eyes fluttered open. She sighed and pulled herself from underneath her warm covers. Though the best way to do so was with sudden movement, she was all too aware of the sparrow's presences. She also happened to value her eyes.
Looking out the window, she decided she had just enough time for some glaive practice to warm up her muscles. She heard Tobe stir nearby. Soft footsteps headed towards his corner as he retrieved his own staff.
With a yawn, he joined Kel as she walked toward their usual practice area. Other children soon joined them, each nodding politely to the lady. She nodded back and began her own practice, leaving them to warm up themselves.
After ending a complete dance with a spin, she noticed they were now waiting on her. Putting on her 'Lump' face so as to avoid smiling, she began instructing them.
So intent was she on them that she didn't notice another presence until he coughed. She whirled around surprised, to find twinkling blue eyes watching her. A grin was growing underneath them.
"You didn't send any sparrows," he said, by way of greeting.
She laughed, a hearty laugh that was rare in these war days. In fact, had he approached her at any other time in the day, with the same joke, she might well have managed a polite nod, but he had found the right time. Somehow this time, before all of the refugees were awake, was her stable rock. It was the calm before the storm.
His grin grew before changing into a yawn. "My men are saddled and ready when you are, lady."
She nodded wordlessly and watched as he joined his men by the gate. She opened her mouth to call for the end of the lesson only to find the children had all disappeared. She smiled to herself. They knew her too well.
Knowing a child would come soon enough, she turned to admire the sunrise. It broke through the mountains, giving them a backdrop that looked fit to be on a canvas. The oranges swirled with the red and the pink stood, watching them. Her sense of peace was enforced again and she breathed a sigh.
Gydo raced out a moment later, dragging her sword behind her. The sword was enough to shatter the peaceful feeling. It was a reminder of war. When she reached Kel, she curtseyed and presented it to Kel. She smiled and patted the girl on the head before heading towards the stables to saddle Peachblossom.
She stepped through the open doorway and immediately found herself nose to nose with her contrary gelding. She jumped back, slightly unnerved, and heard a laugh from beside her.
"I saddled him for ya, milady."
Ignoring his taunting laugh, she took the reins from him and even managed to murmur a thank you.
"I'll be back around midday, Tobe."
He nodded and ran off, most likely to find Gydo.
"And trouble," she added ruefully.
She led Peachblossom to the gathered men and mounted him there. Holding up a hand, she motioned to the guardsman. He opened the gate with a bow.
She rode the great warhorse out, ignoring the beautiful sunrise she had, only moments before, been admiring. Her ears were filled with the sounds of horses and men. Her thoughts could only focus on the war now. The sunrise was forgotten.
****
"-fell off his horse and landed right in the mud puddle," ended the man, barely able to speak through his laughter. The other men of the Own joined in his laughter. Only Kel was excluded. She hadn't been listening.
Her eyes flickered to her left. Movement, she thought.
"Probably just a rabbit," she told herself. The sparrows would've warned her had there been trouble.
She rode on, calming her uneasy feeling by promising to have a sparrow investigate it as soon as one returned.
There it was again, only this time to the right. She frowned, ignoring the increase in her heartbeat.
"You're being silly, Kel," she chastised herself. "This IS a forest. There are bound to be animals moving around."
"Better to be safe," answered the more responsible part of her.
She raised a hand and the men fell quiet instantly. Their eyes were intent upon her. Dom opened his mouth to ask something, but she shushed him impatiently.
Minutes went by and there was no sign of movement again. Kel breathed a sigh of relief and motioned again, letting them know all was fine. The men's animated talk started up again. She ignored them again.
Her ears perked up this time, picking up a startled yell. She whirled to see if the others had heard it. From their talk, she guessed they had not.
She looked around, anxious for a sparrow. She frowned when she saw none. Now she knew something was wrong.
She felt a tingling sensation. Someone was watching them. Plastering a fake smile on her lips, she approached Dom.
"Someone is watching us," she said, keeping her voice light and cheery. She could only hope that someone wouldn't be able to hear her.
A trumpet call sounded to her left. She knew it to be from New Hope. With a groan, she spurred Peachblossom, and heard the men do the same. They had barely broken through the brush before an arrow grazed her left shoulder. She fought to stifle a curse.
Her eyes locked onto a group of rocks to their right. Peachblossom set off at a gallop towards them. Another arrow pierced her right shoulder, this time lodging in it. She let out a gasp as she realized how sharp it was. As she wrenched it free from her arm, her eyes widened. The end looked like a needle. There was a black liquid on the tip of it.
She looked around and found Dom holding an identical arrow.
A shout rang out from their left. All of the horses stopped, immobile. She whirled and found herself facing a man with short black hair. His green eyes twinkled excitedly. She knew he was a mage.
He spoke a word that Kel did not recognize. She tried to kick Peachblossom forward, but he didn't move. She watched helplessly as light green fire spiraled towards both she and Dom. Reacting instinctively, she threw herself from the saddle, slapping the ground to help her fall.
She saw Dom land rather ungracefully on the ground. He had tried the same move, but he was not fast enough. The green embedded itself into his skin and he dropped to the ground.
Kel threw herself to her feet and raced towards the woods, knowing she couldn't help them if she was captured too.
The mage's laugh echoed loudly. She winced at the sound, but continued running. Another yell rang out and she found herself immobile. She desperately tried moving her legs, but they weren't listening to her. She felt herself turn and walk back toward the spot she had just moments before been fleeing from.
She noted the other men were all frozen in running positions. They, also, had tried to flee. Dom was still lying next to his horse.
Abruptly, her feet stopped moving. She moved her eyes to look at the mage. His own emerald eyes were twinkling, moving more animatedly than before. He repeated the strange word and Kel could only watch as the green fire embedded itself into her own skin, just as it had Dom's moments before.
It hit her arm in the same place the needle had. She felt it mixing with the liquid the arrow had placed in her bloodstream. Her vision was becoming tunneled. She fought it angrily.
"I can't help them by falling asleep now," she thought defiantly.
She heard New Hope's trumpet call. They were checking on her.
The mage's voice echoed in her thoughts. "Let it take you, Protector of the Small. You can only let it take you."
She cursed at him, something she normally wouldn't do. There was still hope. They would find her. She only needed to hang on longer.
He laughed again before motioning with a hand. A soldier stepped from the shadows and grabbed the trumpet from someone's saddlebag. Placing it to his lips, he played the expected response perfectly.
The mage's triumphant laughter was the last sound she heard before everything went black.
****
Sergeant Hanover bellowed his last order. The headwoman, Fanche he reminded himself, shot the last soldier in his neck. He watched as the Scanrans retreated into the woods.
He motioned the trumpeter to call for Keladry's party. He was anxious. The group had been too small for a real attack. It didn't seem right.
He strained his ears weakly until he heard the answer. He let out a relieved sigh. At least nothing had gone wrong.
The sergeant turned to the gatekeeper, motioning for him to open the gates. The stormwings were already gathering. Under the order of Lady Keladry, all dead must be buried. He picked a burial detail before turning and heading towards headquarters.
A shout made him turn.
He watched as a man galloped through the gate, flashing his Tortallan colors. He dismounted his horse and raced to the nearest soldier, demanding to speak to Lady Keladry.
Sergeant Hanover rushed toward the man, intercepting him from the surprised soldier.
"Lady Keladry is out on patrol, might I take the message?"
The man's eyes widened in fear. He opened his mouth to speak before closing it and forcing the letter into the sergeant's hands. He beckoned Hanover to open it.
With a frown, he did. His eyes scanned over the message.
'Kel, I'm returning at once.
On my way home, I ran into Numair and he looked over the letter. He
declared it a fake and, after examining it for nearly an hour, decided
it was from the Scanrans.
I'll explain more when I get back. Just please, whatever you do, don't
go out on patrol.
-Sir Merric'
[A/n: I know they normally sign their entire title, but I don't have a copy of the book anymore and I forgot it, ^-^;; Is it Hollyrose? For some reason that's sticking in my mind]
His eyes narrowed and he immediately called men forward.
"Find Lady Keladry right now," he said breathlessly.
He climbed the ramparts, watching as the men spurred their mounts forward. Upon reaching a certain point, they all backed up. He watched as they tried to break through the invisible barrier before one finally rode back to report.
"We cannot get in, milord. It is a spell."
The sergeant cursed. There was no one in the camp with a Gift strong enough.
He found Tobe lingering nearby. Recognizing the boy, he called him forward hurriedly.
"Your mistress uses griffin feathers often. Does she have any in her room just lying around?"
The boy nodded and ran off to retrieve them before asked. Sergeant Hanover mounted his horse and rode to the barrier.
Tobe's face was bright red from running when he popped up next to the sergeant again. He thrust five feathers into the man's hand.
The sergeant held on over his eye the same way he had seen Keladry do before. He then reached his hand out timidly. It passed through the barrier.
"Just an illusion," he called.
The men tried to copy his movement, but the barrier remained firm for them. Finally, the sergeant was forced to go down the line, holding a feather over their eyes, until all were through.
That done, they all galloped through the woods, searching for any sign of Lady Keladry. They shouted, but got no response. His anxiety mounted.
A scout galloped back towards him, his eyes wide with fear. "There's a clearing nearby where most of the men are. Lady Keladry and Sergeant Domitan are not with them."
He raised an eyebrow but followed wordlessly.
"Why wouldn't they have answered our shouts?" he asked himself. The answer became clear once they turned the corner.
The men were still, all remaining unmoving in strange positions. He saw many of his men make the sign of evil across their chest.
"'Tis unnatural," murmured one.
Ignoring them, the sergeant moved closer to inspect the men. He placed a hand on a man's neck, feeling for a pulse. Finding one, he shivered as he saw the man's eyes following him. He motioned for them to be carried back. Their horses had to be left.
He examined the clearing for any sign of Lady Keladry or Sergeant Domitan. He found none.
He growled angrily.
"She's been taken and I have failed her."
****
Author's Note2: This one was much more fun to write, heh. Hope you enjoyed it. Oh yea, and as usual, sorry for the typos. Haven't edited yet. I find I have a problem with pronouns, so if I have called Kel a him or Dom a her-
-Cleon clears his throat loudly, causing UrbanCinderella to turn to him- Can I say it?
-UrbanCinderella lets out an exasperated sigh before holding up hands in submission. Cleon steps forward eagerly- So if she called Kel a him or Dom a her, please pardon my sweet sunrise for her typos.
Author's note(s): Okay, well, this morning I decided that I should update this. So I walked away from Final Fantasy (a hard thing indeed) and plopped down on the computer, hehe. Sheesh, I've been a total video game junkie lately.
Magegurl_05: Thank you for pointing out the alarm clock error. ^-^;;; I have another story about this time period and once I was so tired I put that the main character stepped into the bathroom and started the water for a shower. Heh, so yes, I forget my time periods sometimes.
Lady of the Lilacs and Alien: Very nice. You're the only ones who caught that. ^_^ Brownie Points for reading my author's note.
Crystal Lili: I'm glad you liked the remark about kids, my mom says something about how kids run everywhere. I just rephrased it. ^-~ I mean -cough- it was right off the top of my head. Thanks for the uniqueness comment. I get called unique a lot, only it's not always meant that nicely. O_o
Destined
'Shattered Dawn'
****
The tips of golden sunshine had barely touched her when Kel's eyes fluttered open. She sighed and pulled herself from underneath her warm covers. Though the best way to do so was with sudden movement, she was all too aware of the sparrow's presences. She also happened to value her eyes.
Looking out the window, she decided she had just enough time for some glaive practice to warm up her muscles. She heard Tobe stir nearby. Soft footsteps headed towards his corner as he retrieved his own staff.
With a yawn, he joined Kel as she walked toward their usual practice area. Other children soon joined them, each nodding politely to the lady. She nodded back and began her own practice, leaving them to warm up themselves.
After ending a complete dance with a spin, she noticed they were now waiting on her. Putting on her 'Lump' face so as to avoid smiling, she began instructing them.
So intent was she on them that she didn't notice another presence until he coughed. She whirled around surprised, to find twinkling blue eyes watching her. A grin was growing underneath them.
"You didn't send any sparrows," he said, by way of greeting.
She laughed, a hearty laugh that was rare in these war days. In fact, had he approached her at any other time in the day, with the same joke, she might well have managed a polite nod, but he had found the right time. Somehow this time, before all of the refugees were awake, was her stable rock. It was the calm before the storm.
His grin grew before changing into a yawn. "My men are saddled and ready when you are, lady."
She nodded wordlessly and watched as he joined his men by the gate. She opened her mouth to call for the end of the lesson only to find the children had all disappeared. She smiled to herself. They knew her too well.
Knowing a child would come soon enough, she turned to admire the sunrise. It broke through the mountains, giving them a backdrop that looked fit to be on a canvas. The oranges swirled with the red and the pink stood, watching them. Her sense of peace was enforced again and she breathed a sigh.
Gydo raced out a moment later, dragging her sword behind her. The sword was enough to shatter the peaceful feeling. It was a reminder of war. When she reached Kel, she curtseyed and presented it to Kel. She smiled and patted the girl on the head before heading towards the stables to saddle Peachblossom.
She stepped through the open doorway and immediately found herself nose to nose with her contrary gelding. She jumped back, slightly unnerved, and heard a laugh from beside her.
"I saddled him for ya, milady."
Ignoring his taunting laugh, she took the reins from him and even managed to murmur a thank you.
"I'll be back around midday, Tobe."
He nodded and ran off, most likely to find Gydo.
"And trouble," she added ruefully.
She led Peachblossom to the gathered men and mounted him there. Holding up a hand, she motioned to the guardsman. He opened the gate with a bow.
She rode the great warhorse out, ignoring the beautiful sunrise she had, only moments before, been admiring. Her ears were filled with the sounds of horses and men. Her thoughts could only focus on the war now. The sunrise was forgotten.
****
"-fell off his horse and landed right in the mud puddle," ended the man, barely able to speak through his laughter. The other men of the Own joined in his laughter. Only Kel was excluded. She hadn't been listening.
Her eyes flickered to her left. Movement, she thought.
"Probably just a rabbit," she told herself. The sparrows would've warned her had there been trouble.
She rode on, calming her uneasy feeling by promising to have a sparrow investigate it as soon as one returned.
There it was again, only this time to the right. She frowned, ignoring the increase in her heartbeat.
"You're being silly, Kel," she chastised herself. "This IS a forest. There are bound to be animals moving around."
"Better to be safe," answered the more responsible part of her.
She raised a hand and the men fell quiet instantly. Their eyes were intent upon her. Dom opened his mouth to ask something, but she shushed him impatiently.
Minutes went by and there was no sign of movement again. Kel breathed a sigh of relief and motioned again, letting them know all was fine. The men's animated talk started up again. She ignored them again.
Her ears perked up this time, picking up a startled yell. She whirled to see if the others had heard it. From their talk, she guessed they had not.
She looked around, anxious for a sparrow. She frowned when she saw none. Now she knew something was wrong.
She felt a tingling sensation. Someone was watching them. Plastering a fake smile on her lips, she approached Dom.
"Someone is watching us," she said, keeping her voice light and cheery. She could only hope that someone wouldn't be able to hear her.
A trumpet call sounded to her left. She knew it to be from New Hope. With a groan, she spurred Peachblossom, and heard the men do the same. They had barely broken through the brush before an arrow grazed her left shoulder. She fought to stifle a curse.
Her eyes locked onto a group of rocks to their right. Peachblossom set off at a gallop towards them. Another arrow pierced her right shoulder, this time lodging in it. She let out a gasp as she realized how sharp it was. As she wrenched it free from her arm, her eyes widened. The end looked like a needle. There was a black liquid on the tip of it.
She looked around and found Dom holding an identical arrow.
A shout rang out from their left. All of the horses stopped, immobile. She whirled and found herself facing a man with short black hair. His green eyes twinkled excitedly. She knew he was a mage.
He spoke a word that Kel did not recognize. She tried to kick Peachblossom forward, but he didn't move. She watched helplessly as light green fire spiraled towards both she and Dom. Reacting instinctively, she threw herself from the saddle, slapping the ground to help her fall.
She saw Dom land rather ungracefully on the ground. He had tried the same move, but he was not fast enough. The green embedded itself into his skin and he dropped to the ground.
Kel threw herself to her feet and raced towards the woods, knowing she couldn't help them if she was captured too.
The mage's laugh echoed loudly. She winced at the sound, but continued running. Another yell rang out and she found herself immobile. She desperately tried moving her legs, but they weren't listening to her. She felt herself turn and walk back toward the spot she had just moments before been fleeing from.
She noted the other men were all frozen in running positions. They, also, had tried to flee. Dom was still lying next to his horse.
Abruptly, her feet stopped moving. She moved her eyes to look at the mage. His own emerald eyes were twinkling, moving more animatedly than before. He repeated the strange word and Kel could only watch as the green fire embedded itself into her own skin, just as it had Dom's moments before.
It hit her arm in the same place the needle had. She felt it mixing with the liquid the arrow had placed in her bloodstream. Her vision was becoming tunneled. She fought it angrily.
"I can't help them by falling asleep now," she thought defiantly.
She heard New Hope's trumpet call. They were checking on her.
The mage's voice echoed in her thoughts. "Let it take you, Protector of the Small. You can only let it take you."
She cursed at him, something she normally wouldn't do. There was still hope. They would find her. She only needed to hang on longer.
He laughed again before motioning with a hand. A soldier stepped from the shadows and grabbed the trumpet from someone's saddlebag. Placing it to his lips, he played the expected response perfectly.
The mage's triumphant laughter was the last sound she heard before everything went black.
****
Sergeant Hanover bellowed his last order. The headwoman, Fanche he reminded himself, shot the last soldier in his neck. He watched as the Scanrans retreated into the woods.
He motioned the trumpeter to call for Keladry's party. He was anxious. The group had been too small for a real attack. It didn't seem right.
He strained his ears weakly until he heard the answer. He let out a relieved sigh. At least nothing had gone wrong.
The sergeant turned to the gatekeeper, motioning for him to open the gates. The stormwings were already gathering. Under the order of Lady Keladry, all dead must be buried. He picked a burial detail before turning and heading towards headquarters.
A shout made him turn.
He watched as a man galloped through the gate, flashing his Tortallan colors. He dismounted his horse and raced to the nearest soldier, demanding to speak to Lady Keladry.
Sergeant Hanover rushed toward the man, intercepting him from the surprised soldier.
"Lady Keladry is out on patrol, might I take the message?"
The man's eyes widened in fear. He opened his mouth to speak before closing it and forcing the letter into the sergeant's hands. He beckoned Hanover to open it.
With a frown, he did. His eyes scanned over the message.
'Kel, I'm returning at once.
On my way home, I ran into Numair and he looked over the letter. He
declared it a fake and, after examining it for nearly an hour, decided
it was from the Scanrans.
I'll explain more when I get back. Just please, whatever you do, don't
go out on patrol.
-Sir Merric'
[A/n: I know they normally sign their entire title, but I don't have a copy of the book anymore and I forgot it, ^-^;; Is it Hollyrose? For some reason that's sticking in my mind]
His eyes narrowed and he immediately called men forward.
"Find Lady Keladry right now," he said breathlessly.
He climbed the ramparts, watching as the men spurred their mounts forward. Upon reaching a certain point, they all backed up. He watched as they tried to break through the invisible barrier before one finally rode back to report.
"We cannot get in, milord. It is a spell."
The sergeant cursed. There was no one in the camp with a Gift strong enough.
He found Tobe lingering nearby. Recognizing the boy, he called him forward hurriedly.
"Your mistress uses griffin feathers often. Does she have any in her room just lying around?"
The boy nodded and ran off to retrieve them before asked. Sergeant Hanover mounted his horse and rode to the barrier.
Tobe's face was bright red from running when he popped up next to the sergeant again. He thrust five feathers into the man's hand.
The sergeant held on over his eye the same way he had seen Keladry do before. He then reached his hand out timidly. It passed through the barrier.
"Just an illusion," he called.
The men tried to copy his movement, but the barrier remained firm for them. Finally, the sergeant was forced to go down the line, holding a feather over their eyes, until all were through.
That done, they all galloped through the woods, searching for any sign of Lady Keladry. They shouted, but got no response. His anxiety mounted.
A scout galloped back towards him, his eyes wide with fear. "There's a clearing nearby where most of the men are. Lady Keladry and Sergeant Domitan are not with them."
He raised an eyebrow but followed wordlessly.
"Why wouldn't they have answered our shouts?" he asked himself. The answer became clear once they turned the corner.
The men were still, all remaining unmoving in strange positions. He saw many of his men make the sign of evil across their chest.
"'Tis unnatural," murmured one.
Ignoring them, the sergeant moved closer to inspect the men. He placed a hand on a man's neck, feeling for a pulse. Finding one, he shivered as he saw the man's eyes following him. He motioned for them to be carried back. Their horses had to be left.
He examined the clearing for any sign of Lady Keladry or Sergeant Domitan. He found none.
He growled angrily.
"She's been taken and I have failed her."
****
Author's Note2: This one was much more fun to write, heh. Hope you enjoyed it. Oh yea, and as usual, sorry for the typos. Haven't edited yet. I find I have a problem with pronouns, so if I have called Kel a him or Dom a her-
-Cleon clears his throat loudly, causing UrbanCinderella to turn to him- Can I say it?
-UrbanCinderella lets out an exasperated sigh before holding up hands in submission. Cleon steps forward eagerly- So if she called Kel a him or Dom a her, please pardon my sweet sunrise for her typos.