Discalimer: the bits of fairy tales that you recognize aren't mine, what you don't recognize as anything already written/published/copyrighted is. :o) on with the story!
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Pain shattered into my consciousness as I returned to my body. Slowly, it subsided to a dull ache that was centered in my head. Cedric hadn't kept his promise to me, I thought dully.
Slowly, painfully, I opened my eyes. The light that brutally bombarded my eyes stung, and quickly shut them, moaning pitifully.
"Ah, you're awake." A beautiful voice soothed my hurts, and I felt my stiff lips turn into a smile. "We thought we'd lost you after Coram brought you in." A gentle hand stroked my hair.
"How long?" I croaked. My voice was scratchy from disuse.
"What was that?" The hand stopped stroking my hair, and I could feel breath on my face.
I coughed lightly a few times. "How long?" I managed to whisper after a while. "How long have I been, asleep?" I almost said 'dead' but caught myself.
"Almost two days now."
"No!" I sat up abruptly, remembering Sky's instruction about getting to Syrlan before Beltaine. The pain of sitting up made me lie down again quickly.
"Don't do that! What was 'no' about?"
"What day is it? Is it after Beltaine?" I hissed, wishing I had better control over my voice.
"It's Beltaine today. If you have a sweetheart," I heard the scorn in her voice, "You won't be able to meet him tonight. You broke your nose into shatters when you fell down."
"But I didn't fall down," I whispered in confusion.
"You wouldn't remember, dove, Coram said that you'd knocked yourself out cold. By all means, you should have been dead." How right she was, I had been dead, but I wasn't about to tell her that.
"Oh." I said, my voice small.
"Now drink this," a cup was put to my lips, but I refused to drink. I could not be asleep if I were to make it to Syrlan by nightfall. So I let the stuff dribble down my chin, swallowing at intervals. I relaxed and yawned, whimpering at the pain that came.
I heard footsteps retreating and I slowly sat up when I heard a door slam. My eyes opened in little slits and I looked around the room. The door was to my left. I slipped out of bed and gradually stood up. The waves of dizziness that hit me pushed me back onto the bed, and I sat there, contemplating my situation.
Once again, I tried to stand, and once again, I failed. Then soft footsteps made me crawl back into a sleeping position.
"Sparrow! Lady Sparrow!" I opened my eyes a crack. A man was standing in the doorway, looking at me. I didn't recognize him.
Sighing, he walked over to my bedside and stood there for a while just breathing. I listened to the regular rhythms of his breathing and matched mine to it.
Suddenly I was being picked up, carried, and concealed by this strange man. The beating of his heart thudded in my ear as I twisted in his arms, wondering what was going on?
"Stay put, don't wiggle. Sky sent me to help you. He does not ask you to do the impossible." Oh. I stopped squirming immediately. "Open your eyes, Chosen One, look at me."
I looked up and stopped breathing. "Who are you?" I gasped out. The face I was looking at was horrible, a skeletal mask.
"I am Death, Chosen One." The skull smiled at me, "Most people don't see me this way, only you and those who are about to die."
"Oh. I see. Well," I shuddered, "How are you going to help me?"
"Very straightforward, I see. Well, I will set you on the way to Syrlan." He stopped and stepped into a niche in the wall. "We must go at once to the stables. For you, it will be a painful journey. I am sorry, but we cannot risk being seen."
"How are we traveling?"
"By Sky's magic. Now, cling tight to my cloak." I had a small sensation of moving, and then fiery paroxysms of pain shot through my body. I screamed silently, my fingers tearing at Death's cloak.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.
I was me again, tired, and sore. I breathed in and smelled the pungent odor of horse manure. I sneezed violently a few times, hoping desperately that no one had heard me.
"Stand, Chosen One." Death set me on my feet and I wavered between collapsing and walking.
Peering through eyes averse to the outside light, I walked to the stables, gripping Death's emaciated hand.
We ended up standing outside the stall of the great grey stallion that Cedric and I had tried to escape on.
"This is Windrunner," Death said softly. I reached out a trembling hand to stroke the stallion's velvety nose.
"Hello Windrunner," I crooned. Windrunner nickered in response.
"Are you ready to ride?" I nodded an affirmative. "No you aren't." Death shook his head. "You are in no shape to ride at all. Even still, you must, so I will put you outside the eastern gate. You must fly after that. Do not stop unless you absolutely have to."
"Thank you," I said softly, feeling a tear welling up in my eye.
"Are you ready for pain again?"
"I am." I took Death's hand and Windrunner's reins and almost collapsed with the intensity of the pain. The stallion screamed in pain, his cries echoing around my head.
Then everything was still and quiet.
Windrunner panted heavily beside me, rolling his eyes nervously. I caught my breath and Death hoisted me up into the light saddle.
"Good luck, Chosen One." Death clasped my hand tightly, and then disappeared.
"Thank you," I murmured into the wind.
"Fly," it replied. I clucked gently to Windrunner and prodded him with my heels.
"Come on, let's go." I clucked again and we set out at a jarring trot. "Argh." I moaned. "Faster, let's go."
Windrunner snorted and moved into a rocking canter. Ah, much more comfortable for me, even though every movement still hurt unbearably.
"Hey, you! Stop!" I heard the cry behind me. I looked and saw swarms of guards and Outriders galloping behind me.
Why did they always have to be there when I was trying to escape? "Go!" I called to Windrunner. He flew into a ground-eating gallop.
Very suddenly, he halted. I crashed into his neck with an "Oomph."
"Um," I sighed. There were many men coming at me from all sides, all except one. That one direction was west, the way that I did not want to go.
Oh well, I thought to myself. That's our way out. I dug my heels into Windrunner's sides and he charged forward obediently.
"Sharain na'sylth ka Varien!" I screamed over my shoulder. It was a war cry that I had learned from when Syrlandan soldiers from the capital had come to our town. I had no idea what it meant.
I put my eyes forward then, and crouched down low over Windrunner's withers and urged him onward.
"Fly," the wind whispered in my ears, "Fly!"
And I did.
~*~
A/N: heehee...how'd you like that chapter? I liked it...
I did steal something from another story...I stole the image of Death from Piers Anothony's Incarnations of Immortality series. (it was good, you should read it if you haven't.)
Soon, my readers, soon, she will know who she is. I promise that she will meet up with Cedric again. (they are in love, after all.)
But anyway, have fun reading this and review!
~*~
~*~
Pain shattered into my consciousness as I returned to my body. Slowly, it subsided to a dull ache that was centered in my head. Cedric hadn't kept his promise to me, I thought dully.
Slowly, painfully, I opened my eyes. The light that brutally bombarded my eyes stung, and quickly shut them, moaning pitifully.
"Ah, you're awake." A beautiful voice soothed my hurts, and I felt my stiff lips turn into a smile. "We thought we'd lost you after Coram brought you in." A gentle hand stroked my hair.
"How long?" I croaked. My voice was scratchy from disuse.
"What was that?" The hand stopped stroking my hair, and I could feel breath on my face.
I coughed lightly a few times. "How long?" I managed to whisper after a while. "How long have I been, asleep?" I almost said 'dead' but caught myself.
"Almost two days now."
"No!" I sat up abruptly, remembering Sky's instruction about getting to Syrlan before Beltaine. The pain of sitting up made me lie down again quickly.
"Don't do that! What was 'no' about?"
"What day is it? Is it after Beltaine?" I hissed, wishing I had better control over my voice.
"It's Beltaine today. If you have a sweetheart," I heard the scorn in her voice, "You won't be able to meet him tonight. You broke your nose into shatters when you fell down."
"But I didn't fall down," I whispered in confusion.
"You wouldn't remember, dove, Coram said that you'd knocked yourself out cold. By all means, you should have been dead." How right she was, I had been dead, but I wasn't about to tell her that.
"Oh." I said, my voice small.
"Now drink this," a cup was put to my lips, but I refused to drink. I could not be asleep if I were to make it to Syrlan by nightfall. So I let the stuff dribble down my chin, swallowing at intervals. I relaxed and yawned, whimpering at the pain that came.
I heard footsteps retreating and I slowly sat up when I heard a door slam. My eyes opened in little slits and I looked around the room. The door was to my left. I slipped out of bed and gradually stood up. The waves of dizziness that hit me pushed me back onto the bed, and I sat there, contemplating my situation.
Once again, I tried to stand, and once again, I failed. Then soft footsteps made me crawl back into a sleeping position.
"Sparrow! Lady Sparrow!" I opened my eyes a crack. A man was standing in the doorway, looking at me. I didn't recognize him.
Sighing, he walked over to my bedside and stood there for a while just breathing. I listened to the regular rhythms of his breathing and matched mine to it.
Suddenly I was being picked up, carried, and concealed by this strange man. The beating of his heart thudded in my ear as I twisted in his arms, wondering what was going on?
"Stay put, don't wiggle. Sky sent me to help you. He does not ask you to do the impossible." Oh. I stopped squirming immediately. "Open your eyes, Chosen One, look at me."
I looked up and stopped breathing. "Who are you?" I gasped out. The face I was looking at was horrible, a skeletal mask.
"I am Death, Chosen One." The skull smiled at me, "Most people don't see me this way, only you and those who are about to die."
"Oh. I see. Well," I shuddered, "How are you going to help me?"
"Very straightforward, I see. Well, I will set you on the way to Syrlan." He stopped and stepped into a niche in the wall. "We must go at once to the stables. For you, it will be a painful journey. I am sorry, but we cannot risk being seen."
"How are we traveling?"
"By Sky's magic. Now, cling tight to my cloak." I had a small sensation of moving, and then fiery paroxysms of pain shot through my body. I screamed silently, my fingers tearing at Death's cloak.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone.
I was me again, tired, and sore. I breathed in and smelled the pungent odor of horse manure. I sneezed violently a few times, hoping desperately that no one had heard me.
"Stand, Chosen One." Death set me on my feet and I wavered between collapsing and walking.
Peering through eyes averse to the outside light, I walked to the stables, gripping Death's emaciated hand.
We ended up standing outside the stall of the great grey stallion that Cedric and I had tried to escape on.
"This is Windrunner," Death said softly. I reached out a trembling hand to stroke the stallion's velvety nose.
"Hello Windrunner," I crooned. Windrunner nickered in response.
"Are you ready to ride?" I nodded an affirmative. "No you aren't." Death shook his head. "You are in no shape to ride at all. Even still, you must, so I will put you outside the eastern gate. You must fly after that. Do not stop unless you absolutely have to."
"Thank you," I said softly, feeling a tear welling up in my eye.
"Are you ready for pain again?"
"I am." I took Death's hand and Windrunner's reins and almost collapsed with the intensity of the pain. The stallion screamed in pain, his cries echoing around my head.
Then everything was still and quiet.
Windrunner panted heavily beside me, rolling his eyes nervously. I caught my breath and Death hoisted me up into the light saddle.
"Good luck, Chosen One." Death clasped my hand tightly, and then disappeared.
"Thank you," I murmured into the wind.
"Fly," it replied. I clucked gently to Windrunner and prodded him with my heels.
"Come on, let's go." I clucked again and we set out at a jarring trot. "Argh." I moaned. "Faster, let's go."
Windrunner snorted and moved into a rocking canter. Ah, much more comfortable for me, even though every movement still hurt unbearably.
"Hey, you! Stop!" I heard the cry behind me. I looked and saw swarms of guards and Outriders galloping behind me.
Why did they always have to be there when I was trying to escape? "Go!" I called to Windrunner. He flew into a ground-eating gallop.
Very suddenly, he halted. I crashed into his neck with an "Oomph."
"Um," I sighed. There were many men coming at me from all sides, all except one. That one direction was west, the way that I did not want to go.
Oh well, I thought to myself. That's our way out. I dug my heels into Windrunner's sides and he charged forward obediently.
"Sharain na'sylth ka Varien!" I screamed over my shoulder. It was a war cry that I had learned from when Syrlandan soldiers from the capital had come to our town. I had no idea what it meant.
I put my eyes forward then, and crouched down low over Windrunner's withers and urged him onward.
"Fly," the wind whispered in my ears, "Fly!"
And I did.
~*~
A/N: heehee...how'd you like that chapter? I liked it...
I did steal something from another story...I stole the image of Death from Piers Anothony's Incarnations of Immortality series. (it was good, you should read it if you haven't.)
Soon, my readers, soon, she will know who she is. I promise that she will meet up with Cedric again. (they are in love, after all.)
But anyway, have fun reading this and review!
~*~