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!
~*~
For the next day, I rode Windrunner. He lived up to his name, too- easily, he out distanced the horses of the Outriders and the guards that were following us.
I was in a state of constant pain while I rode Windrunner. His gaits were smooth, but just not smooth enough for my injuries. I was jarred unmercifully by them.
Somewhere along my ride, I fell asleep, clinging onto Windrunner. I know, because I woke up face down in the mud of someone's yard.
"Papa!" I groaned as I woke to a little child's scream.
"Papa! There's a- a- a person in the yard!" I could hear footsteps pounding toward me through the earth. Soon, I was rolled over by a pair of rough hands.
"Who're ya?" The coarse voice cut through my pain, and jarred me back to myself.
"Sp-sparrow." I stuttered, spitting out mouthfuls of mud. "Where's m' horse?" My words came out slurred, as if I were a drunkard.
"Hmm." The man who held me down now picked me up. I opened my eyes and blinked at the world around me.
The man who held me upright was tall, and well muscled. The beard that covered the bottom half of his face was mostly grey, but streaked with brown.
I looked beyond him to a small boy no older than five. He must have been the one to call his papa, I decided. He was horse-like. A long face contained big teeth and wide brown eyes. A messy forelock had crept into his eyes, but he quickly brushed it away.
"Papa, she's starin' at me," The little boy whispered loudly.
The big man shook me violently, "Stop doing witchcraft. We heard of a little lady up in Kith who calls herself Sparrow. They says she bewitched Prince Cedric. I ain't taken no chances with my family."
"I wasn't doing witchcraft," I protested in a small voice. "I'm not a witch."
"Right." The big man hauled me into a little lean-to on the side of his house. "Stay here and I'll get you something to eat." As he walked away I heard him mutter, "Don't want no witches in my house."
I rolled my eyes and sat there, grateful to be rid of Windrunner's constant motion. Shortly, the big man returned with two pieces of bread and a hunk of meat.
"Thank you!" I said to him.
"You're welcome." He replied gruffly. I tore into the bread immediately, taking bites out of the ham at intervals.
"Mmm, good," I mumbled through a mouthful of food. I wondered idly to myself if Windrunner had food. "My horse!" I said as I sat bolt upright.
"What horse?" the big man asked.
"My horse, big grey stallion, good bloodlines, fast. Have you seen him?" I looked frantically around the yard, as if Windrunner could hide there.
"Look, girl, I haven't seen your horse. He's not here." The big man eyed me suspiciously. "Where would you get such a fine horse anyway?"
"Um," I couldn't tell him that it was Cedric's own stallion.
"You stole it didn't ya?"
"No, I didn't! I swear!" I inched toward the doorway.
"Yes you did, I can see it in your eyes, in the shifty way they move. You stole that horse you're talking about. I'm reporting you." He lunged toward me, but I was already out of the shack and running. I hiked up the skirt that I was wearing and found my stride.
It was wonderful to be running again.
I made sure that I was running east, toward Syrlan. I could hear the man pounding along behind me, getting farther and farther away with each stride that I took.
I found Windrunner along my way, and happily I mounted him. We galloped eastward, flying like the wind. I stopped once to pick herbs that would numb the pain in my head, and ate them quickly.
Another time I stopped to hide from the patrols that were obviously looking for me. That time, I hid in a cave that was nearby, and tied Windrunner far enough back so that he wouldn't whinny to the other horses.
I knew who I was again, as I traveled as fast as I could to Mirkyn. My travel was abnormal, for the distance I traveled should have been made in days, not in a single day and night.
Sky must have helped me somewhere along the way, for I only ran into the one patrol of Outriders.
By noon, I had reached the outskirts of Kith. I rode through the capitol city as fast as possible, keeping to the very outskirts beyond the wall. Evening found me in Syrlan, and I rejoiced.
Knowing I couldn't stop now for anything, I pushed Windrunner harder. The long run didn't seem to affect the stallion at all; he just plowed onward.
When midnight found me still in the saddle, I wasn't tired at all. I had energy to spare, and it appeared that Windrunner did too. I rode through the lush forests that blanketed the Syrlandan countryside.
Over the horizon, I saw a grey shape before me: Mirkyn. I was almost at my goal!
"Go! Fly!" I whispered to Windrunner. He responded with a whinny of delight and raced onward.
The first rays of sunlight shot over the horizon, framing Mirkyn perfectly. I sighed at its beauty, but kept going.
It was the dawn of Beltaine.
I let my mind wander to Cedric, and our kiss of three nights before. I wondered if he was going to celebrate Beltaine with a pretty maid from the city or a Princess from a different land.
I shoved my thoughts away from that prospect, and nudged Windrunner into an even faster gallop.
We came to the gates of Mirkyn and were halted by the guards there.
"State your name and business." A tired looking guard said.
"Runner Liana, and I am here to see King Omar." I sat tall in the saddle, praying that they would let me in.
"If you have a complaint to voice to the King, then you missed your day. That was yesterday." The guard looked at me. "Don't you know that Beltaine is a national festival?"
"Of course I know!" I glared at the guard. "This is urgent. This is about the war." I chewed on my lip nervously.
"Hold on, I'm coming down." The guard disappeared, and then reappeared in front of the gate. "Get off your horse," he said tersely.
I did as he asked. When I stood on the ground, I found that my legs were extremely sore from the unaccustomed riding. "Ow," I moaned pitifully to myself.
Windrunner snorted and nudged me gently.
"You are Liana?" The guard asked me.
"Yes, I am a Runner from Hill Town. My name is Liana Fairchild, and I have spent the last month or so as a prisoner of Lamar. I must see the King. I have vital information for him." I took a breath and continued. "If you don't let me in to see the King, all of Syrlan will fall, and life as we know if will come to an end. Most likely, you will die; your wives, sisters or lover will be taken as prisoners, slaves and whores for Lamarans. Now will you let me see the King?" I locked eyes with the guardsman and he stared back in confusion.
"How do you know all this?" he whispered in a shocked voice. "You don't seem older than twenty!"
"I'm not." I sighed, and stood a little straighter. "I'm only seventeen. I'll be eighteen in the fall. Please, let me see the King." I felt a tear slipping from my eyes.
"Come this way please." I followed the guardsman with Windrunner in tow. He led me through the city, taking me directly to the palace.
"Where can I put my horse?" I asked the guard. Windrunner was in need of food and water, and I wanted him to be taken care of.
"I'll take care of him, don't worry. Here, Jack will take care of you from here." The guardsman took Windrunner's reins from my hand and led him away.
"Come on, little Runner. I'll take you to the Chamberlain." We found the Chamberlain quickly enough. He was standing in front of a pair of big wooden doors, frowning at anyone who passed.
"Chamberlain, this Runner needs to see the King." The Chamberlain's frown deepened.
"Why? I'm afraid I cannot allow it. He is in Counsel with the envoy from Lamar." The Chamberlain stared down at me, as if I were dirt.
"I have to see the King! I have vital information for him about the war! I have to see the King." I was a good three hand spans shorter than the Chamberlain, which made it very easy for him to look down his nose at me.
"But this treaty will end the war. There is no need for your information." The Chamberlain looked at Jack, "Take her away, please."
"No damn way." I said, angered at his lack of feeling. Before either of them could stop me, I raced up to the doors and gave one of them a solid kick. It made a sound like a dull clunk. I kicked the door again and again until Jack pulled me away.
I screamed like a madwoman, so infuriated at being thwarted so close to my goal. I kicked, I bit, I scratched and I punched. In my fury, I didn't hear the great doors being opened.
"Sparrow!" I heard.
I stopped, looked and stared. "Cedric," I whispered, my eyes wide.
A/N: Yes, finally, I updated. Sorry it took so long...but school got in the way. you know...i think we're getting closer to the end. Don't worry, it's not the last chapter (yet).
Tallemera-was this chapter better beacuse it had Cedric? I hope so...haha
Black Jaguar- i tried reading Discworld stuff a long time ago. I have to find it again. Always need different books to read!!!
CherryChica-this long enough? I finally got it up here...thanks for shoving me along...and i made mudpies over the weekend. I didn't eat them though.
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!!!
Read again!
(don't forget to review...hint hint)
Shards Of EvenSong
(oh...tell me what you think about this new penname!)
:o)
~*~
For the next day, I rode Windrunner. He lived up to his name, too- easily, he out distanced the horses of the Outriders and the guards that were following us.
I was in a state of constant pain while I rode Windrunner. His gaits were smooth, but just not smooth enough for my injuries. I was jarred unmercifully by them.
Somewhere along my ride, I fell asleep, clinging onto Windrunner. I know, because I woke up face down in the mud of someone's yard.
"Papa!" I groaned as I woke to a little child's scream.
"Papa! There's a- a- a person in the yard!" I could hear footsteps pounding toward me through the earth. Soon, I was rolled over by a pair of rough hands.
"Who're ya?" The coarse voice cut through my pain, and jarred me back to myself.
"Sp-sparrow." I stuttered, spitting out mouthfuls of mud. "Where's m' horse?" My words came out slurred, as if I were a drunkard.
"Hmm." The man who held me down now picked me up. I opened my eyes and blinked at the world around me.
The man who held me upright was tall, and well muscled. The beard that covered the bottom half of his face was mostly grey, but streaked with brown.
I looked beyond him to a small boy no older than five. He must have been the one to call his papa, I decided. He was horse-like. A long face contained big teeth and wide brown eyes. A messy forelock had crept into his eyes, but he quickly brushed it away.
"Papa, she's starin' at me," The little boy whispered loudly.
The big man shook me violently, "Stop doing witchcraft. We heard of a little lady up in Kith who calls herself Sparrow. They says she bewitched Prince Cedric. I ain't taken no chances with my family."
"I wasn't doing witchcraft," I protested in a small voice. "I'm not a witch."
"Right." The big man hauled me into a little lean-to on the side of his house. "Stay here and I'll get you something to eat." As he walked away I heard him mutter, "Don't want no witches in my house."
I rolled my eyes and sat there, grateful to be rid of Windrunner's constant motion. Shortly, the big man returned with two pieces of bread and a hunk of meat.
"Thank you!" I said to him.
"You're welcome." He replied gruffly. I tore into the bread immediately, taking bites out of the ham at intervals.
"Mmm, good," I mumbled through a mouthful of food. I wondered idly to myself if Windrunner had food. "My horse!" I said as I sat bolt upright.
"What horse?" the big man asked.
"My horse, big grey stallion, good bloodlines, fast. Have you seen him?" I looked frantically around the yard, as if Windrunner could hide there.
"Look, girl, I haven't seen your horse. He's not here." The big man eyed me suspiciously. "Where would you get such a fine horse anyway?"
"Um," I couldn't tell him that it was Cedric's own stallion.
"You stole it didn't ya?"
"No, I didn't! I swear!" I inched toward the doorway.
"Yes you did, I can see it in your eyes, in the shifty way they move. You stole that horse you're talking about. I'm reporting you." He lunged toward me, but I was already out of the shack and running. I hiked up the skirt that I was wearing and found my stride.
It was wonderful to be running again.
I made sure that I was running east, toward Syrlan. I could hear the man pounding along behind me, getting farther and farther away with each stride that I took.
I found Windrunner along my way, and happily I mounted him. We galloped eastward, flying like the wind. I stopped once to pick herbs that would numb the pain in my head, and ate them quickly.
Another time I stopped to hide from the patrols that were obviously looking for me. That time, I hid in a cave that was nearby, and tied Windrunner far enough back so that he wouldn't whinny to the other horses.
I knew who I was again, as I traveled as fast as I could to Mirkyn. My travel was abnormal, for the distance I traveled should have been made in days, not in a single day and night.
Sky must have helped me somewhere along the way, for I only ran into the one patrol of Outriders.
By noon, I had reached the outskirts of Kith. I rode through the capitol city as fast as possible, keeping to the very outskirts beyond the wall. Evening found me in Syrlan, and I rejoiced.
Knowing I couldn't stop now for anything, I pushed Windrunner harder. The long run didn't seem to affect the stallion at all; he just plowed onward.
When midnight found me still in the saddle, I wasn't tired at all. I had energy to spare, and it appeared that Windrunner did too. I rode through the lush forests that blanketed the Syrlandan countryside.
Over the horizon, I saw a grey shape before me: Mirkyn. I was almost at my goal!
"Go! Fly!" I whispered to Windrunner. He responded with a whinny of delight and raced onward.
The first rays of sunlight shot over the horizon, framing Mirkyn perfectly. I sighed at its beauty, but kept going.
It was the dawn of Beltaine.
I let my mind wander to Cedric, and our kiss of three nights before. I wondered if he was going to celebrate Beltaine with a pretty maid from the city or a Princess from a different land.
I shoved my thoughts away from that prospect, and nudged Windrunner into an even faster gallop.
We came to the gates of Mirkyn and were halted by the guards there.
"State your name and business." A tired looking guard said.
"Runner Liana, and I am here to see King Omar." I sat tall in the saddle, praying that they would let me in.
"If you have a complaint to voice to the King, then you missed your day. That was yesterday." The guard looked at me. "Don't you know that Beltaine is a national festival?"
"Of course I know!" I glared at the guard. "This is urgent. This is about the war." I chewed on my lip nervously.
"Hold on, I'm coming down." The guard disappeared, and then reappeared in front of the gate. "Get off your horse," he said tersely.
I did as he asked. When I stood on the ground, I found that my legs were extremely sore from the unaccustomed riding. "Ow," I moaned pitifully to myself.
Windrunner snorted and nudged me gently.
"You are Liana?" The guard asked me.
"Yes, I am a Runner from Hill Town. My name is Liana Fairchild, and I have spent the last month or so as a prisoner of Lamar. I must see the King. I have vital information for him." I took a breath and continued. "If you don't let me in to see the King, all of Syrlan will fall, and life as we know if will come to an end. Most likely, you will die; your wives, sisters or lover will be taken as prisoners, slaves and whores for Lamarans. Now will you let me see the King?" I locked eyes with the guardsman and he stared back in confusion.
"How do you know all this?" he whispered in a shocked voice. "You don't seem older than twenty!"
"I'm not." I sighed, and stood a little straighter. "I'm only seventeen. I'll be eighteen in the fall. Please, let me see the King." I felt a tear slipping from my eyes.
"Come this way please." I followed the guardsman with Windrunner in tow. He led me through the city, taking me directly to the palace.
"Where can I put my horse?" I asked the guard. Windrunner was in need of food and water, and I wanted him to be taken care of.
"I'll take care of him, don't worry. Here, Jack will take care of you from here." The guardsman took Windrunner's reins from my hand and led him away.
"Come on, little Runner. I'll take you to the Chamberlain." We found the Chamberlain quickly enough. He was standing in front of a pair of big wooden doors, frowning at anyone who passed.
"Chamberlain, this Runner needs to see the King." The Chamberlain's frown deepened.
"Why? I'm afraid I cannot allow it. He is in Counsel with the envoy from Lamar." The Chamberlain stared down at me, as if I were dirt.
"I have to see the King! I have vital information for him about the war! I have to see the King." I was a good three hand spans shorter than the Chamberlain, which made it very easy for him to look down his nose at me.
"But this treaty will end the war. There is no need for your information." The Chamberlain looked at Jack, "Take her away, please."
"No damn way." I said, angered at his lack of feeling. Before either of them could stop me, I raced up to the doors and gave one of them a solid kick. It made a sound like a dull clunk. I kicked the door again and again until Jack pulled me away.
I screamed like a madwoman, so infuriated at being thwarted so close to my goal. I kicked, I bit, I scratched and I punched. In my fury, I didn't hear the great doors being opened.
"Sparrow!" I heard.
I stopped, looked and stared. "Cedric," I whispered, my eyes wide.
A/N: Yes, finally, I updated. Sorry it took so long...but school got in the way. you know...i think we're getting closer to the end. Don't worry, it's not the last chapter (yet).
Tallemera-was this chapter better beacuse it had Cedric? I hope so...haha
Black Jaguar- i tried reading Discworld stuff a long time ago. I have to find it again. Always need different books to read!!!
CherryChica-this long enough? I finally got it up here...thanks for shoving me along...and i made mudpies over the weekend. I didn't eat them though.
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!!!
Read again!
(don't forget to review...hint hint)
Shards Of EvenSong
(oh...tell me what you think about this new penname!)
:o)