Disclaimer: Me? Kidnap all of Garth Nix's characters and hide them under my
bed? I'm shocked! However could you THINK such a thing?! Ellimere, Sam, be
quiet! I'm /not/ letting you out!
Kavindra: Awwww, thanks. I'm still grinning insanely. Y'know, you're the only one who reviewed my story after I changed it. *sulks, snarls* grrrrr . . . your review really made me smile (okay, laugh hysterically, but whatever). As to the who's-going-to-save-Lirael thing, well, you'll just have to wait *evil grin*. But don't worry, it won't be long-- if it's not in this chapter, it'll be in the next. Happy reading!
Later that night, Firi reflected that she had rather expected some sort of ominous music to accompany her mother's terrible words, or perhaps a clap of thunder-- even lightning would have done. As it happened, though, the only accompaniment the statement got was the hopelessly optimistic twitter of a bird on the windowsill.
Her jaw dropped, and she concentrated all of her much-depleted energy on shutting it again. She couldn't believe it.
/Goodness/, thought a tiny voice in the back of Firali's mind, /that last statement certainly was rather melodramatic/.
She abruptly pulled herself back to the situation at hand. This was serious. This time, Firi paid no attention to the inner voice that murmured, /tsk, tsk. Drama, drama/. A naturally carefree and cheerful person, that inner voice was, as she had explained once to her friend, "kinda my way of keeping my sanity when things get serious, y'know?". However, it often got in the way-- especially when she accidentally blurted out what it said. And now it was about to.
She tuned in to what her mother was saying. It would not do to miss this. Inconveniently enough, however, her brain had shut down almost completely, and Firali's uncomprehending, panicked mind was tossed around in a thunderstorm of black and red.
Ellimere, in the midst of her own near hysteria, vaguely noticed the glazed look in her daughter's eyes. She really had expected little more-- the princess was very young, after all. But the queen had no choice but to tell her.
This is a really short chapter, but oh well. The next one, which I'm typing as you read this, will be a lot longer. Please, give me reviews!
Kavindra: Awwww, thanks. I'm still grinning insanely. Y'know, you're the only one who reviewed my story after I changed it. *sulks, snarls* grrrrr . . . your review really made me smile (okay, laugh hysterically, but whatever). As to the who's-going-to-save-Lirael thing, well, you'll just have to wait *evil grin*. But don't worry, it won't be long-- if it's not in this chapter, it'll be in the next. Happy reading!
Later that night, Firi reflected that she had rather expected some sort of ominous music to accompany her mother's terrible words, or perhaps a clap of thunder-- even lightning would have done. As it happened, though, the only accompaniment the statement got was the hopelessly optimistic twitter of a bird on the windowsill.
Her jaw dropped, and she concentrated all of her much-depleted energy on shutting it again. She couldn't believe it.
/Goodness/, thought a tiny voice in the back of Firali's mind, /that last statement certainly was rather melodramatic/.
She abruptly pulled herself back to the situation at hand. This was serious. This time, Firi paid no attention to the inner voice that murmured, /tsk, tsk. Drama, drama/. A naturally carefree and cheerful person, that inner voice was, as she had explained once to her friend, "kinda my way of keeping my sanity when things get serious, y'know?". However, it often got in the way-- especially when she accidentally blurted out what it said. And now it was about to.
She tuned in to what her mother was saying. It would not do to miss this. Inconveniently enough, however, her brain had shut down almost completely, and Firali's uncomprehending, panicked mind was tossed around in a thunderstorm of black and red.
Ellimere, in the midst of her own near hysteria, vaguely noticed the glazed look in her daughter's eyes. She really had expected little more-- the princess was very young, after all. But the queen had no choice but to tell her.
This is a really short chapter, but oh well. The next one, which I'm typing as you read this, will be a lot longer. Please, give me reviews!