Disclaimer: Garth Nix has a life, so he doesn't write more Old Kingdom
stories. I have no life, so I DO write Old Kingdom stories. Thus, I cannot
be Garth Nix. Therefore, I make no money and do not wish to be sued. Got
it?
A/N: Wow, I started updating, like, every day or two. Now it takes me more than three days! Shame on me. Anyhoo, hope everyone had a supercalafragilistic (or however you spell that!) Halloween. Okeydoke, now that all that's out of the way, time for the notes to the reviewers . . . oh, wait, two more things first: for one, I WANNA FRIGGIN' FLAME!!! Lol, is that too much to ask? I know a lot of writers who are bombarded with 'em-- hey, guess I should take it as a compliment . . .
Secondly, please review this! I mean, if you're reading this right now, and not planning on doing so, well, it takes such a tiny amount of your time to make someone (me) happier. And I make a point of always writing a little to the reviewers in the next chapter, 'cause I love it when someone does that to me. So when you write a review, be it nice or evil, several things happen: 1) I go around grinning for the rest of the day, completely delighted that someone REVIEWED my STORY, 2) you get a comment/answer in my next chapter, 3) I make an effort to put out my next chapter sooner than usual, 4) I will, unless I have a good reason not to, take your suggestions on how I can make it better, and it'll be more pleasurable for everyone to read, and 5) I'll type up a nice long review to a story I see, because I like the idea of paying it forward and giving something nice because I received something nice, thus brightening another's day. So review!
Fire Pixie: Ohmigosh, thank you sooooooooo much for adding me to your favorites! Whoa, talk about a warm fuzzy feeling! I was super cheery for, like, three days after (after that, I went back to my naturally grouchy and snappish self(-: ) Thanks.
otakuprincess: why, thank you, that really made my day . . . NOW GIVE ME THAT PROMISED EMAIL!!!! I've been waiting for a looooong, loooooong time. ( lol, thanks for the nice review.
Kavindra: For the twenty-zillionth time, thanks so much for the nice review! Your reviews are a big chunk of what makes me sit down in front of the laptop and type up another page when I don't feel like it. More specifically, yes, Leth does indeed have some power, power which will be rather important to my story . . . sorry, can't say more . . . I wanna flame!!! Now I'm sulking in the corner . . . oh, wait! Constructive criticism-- almost as good. I agree about the 'yah' but he had to scream SOMETHING, and it couldn't be an actual word, for reasons you'll understand when you find out about Leth's power . . . ooooh, I love giving teasers! And if it were 'aaagggghhhh' or something, it would sound like just a scream of fear, when it's supposed to be fear and anger. Happy to pass your story along. Anyway, gotta get to MY story . . .
* * * * * *
An analytical corner of the part of Firali's mind that still worked supposed that she was going into shock. The rest of Firi's brain was divided fairly equally between being comatose and trying desperately to listen to Ellimere's words.
It seemed to be years ago that the servant, Jalen, had called her into her mother's room, and decades since Firi had been perturbed by of a feeling of foreboding.
"So," the queen finished, "we can make nothing of it. Uncle Sameth was thinking that you, being Abhorsen-in-Waiting, might understand a bit of it. Do you, dear?"
"Yes, I . . . I think so," Firali replied slowly, pausing frequently. "In the Fifth Precinct-- in Death, that is-- the Fifth Gate is a waterclimb . . . the opposite of a waterfall. To get to the Sixth Precinct of your own accord, you need a spell . . . it'll make you get off the waterclimb, onto the Sixth Precinct . . . nobody knows how long it goes on for . . . and . . . apparently . . . it's got Lirael stuck there . . ." her voice faltered as she realized what she was saying.
"And we can figure the rest out ourselves," Ellimere added, realizing how close her daughter was to breaking down.
Firi smiled gratefully at her mother and took a deep breath. "So when am I leaving?" she asked.
Seeing the look of surprise on Queen Ellimere's face, Firali said reasonably, "Well, I need to find her, and I'm the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, I could help. So when am I leaving?" she repeated.
Ellimere's eyes flashed dangerously. "/Absolutely not/!" she snapped, sounding like her old self again. "You are most certainly NOT going /anywhere/!
"But, Mother--!" Firi began.
"But nothing! For one thing, the kingdom needs you. What happens if an army of the Dead attack in Belisaere while you're off trying to rescue Lirael? We'd have no one, no one at all, to help keep the Dead down in the Old Kingdom! And for another thing--"
Firali suddenly noticed the tears threatening in her mother's eyes.
"--I lost my father, I lost my mother, I may have lost Lirael, and /I'm not losing you/!" Ellimere cried.
There was nothing for the young princess to say.
"Now, then," Ellimere's voice softened, as she continued as though nothing had happened. "You'll stay here and do the job of the Abhorsen, until Lirael comes back."
* * * * * *
Well, remember, please review! Next chapter, or the one after it, will definitely have more action, as the story is finally beginning to get underway. PLEASE review!
As always, EvilG
A/N: Wow, I started updating, like, every day or two. Now it takes me more than three days! Shame on me. Anyhoo, hope everyone had a supercalafragilistic (or however you spell that!) Halloween. Okeydoke, now that all that's out of the way, time for the notes to the reviewers . . . oh, wait, two more things first: for one, I WANNA FRIGGIN' FLAME!!! Lol, is that too much to ask? I know a lot of writers who are bombarded with 'em-- hey, guess I should take it as a compliment . . .
Secondly, please review this! I mean, if you're reading this right now, and not planning on doing so, well, it takes such a tiny amount of your time to make someone (me) happier. And I make a point of always writing a little to the reviewers in the next chapter, 'cause I love it when someone does that to me. So when you write a review, be it nice or evil, several things happen: 1) I go around grinning for the rest of the day, completely delighted that someone REVIEWED my STORY, 2) you get a comment/answer in my next chapter, 3) I make an effort to put out my next chapter sooner than usual, 4) I will, unless I have a good reason not to, take your suggestions on how I can make it better, and it'll be more pleasurable for everyone to read, and 5) I'll type up a nice long review to a story I see, because I like the idea of paying it forward and giving something nice because I received something nice, thus brightening another's day. So review!
Fire Pixie: Ohmigosh, thank you sooooooooo much for adding me to your favorites! Whoa, talk about a warm fuzzy feeling! I was super cheery for, like, three days after (after that, I went back to my naturally grouchy and snappish self(-: ) Thanks.
otakuprincess: why, thank you, that really made my day . . . NOW GIVE ME THAT PROMISED EMAIL!!!! I've been waiting for a looooong, loooooong time. ( lol, thanks for the nice review.
Kavindra: For the twenty-zillionth time, thanks so much for the nice review! Your reviews are a big chunk of what makes me sit down in front of the laptop and type up another page when I don't feel like it. More specifically, yes, Leth does indeed have some power, power which will be rather important to my story . . . sorry, can't say more . . . I wanna flame!!! Now I'm sulking in the corner . . . oh, wait! Constructive criticism-- almost as good. I agree about the 'yah' but he had to scream SOMETHING, and it couldn't be an actual word, for reasons you'll understand when you find out about Leth's power . . . ooooh, I love giving teasers! And if it were 'aaagggghhhh' or something, it would sound like just a scream of fear, when it's supposed to be fear and anger. Happy to pass your story along. Anyway, gotta get to MY story . . .
* * * * * *
An analytical corner of the part of Firali's mind that still worked supposed that she was going into shock. The rest of Firi's brain was divided fairly equally between being comatose and trying desperately to listen to Ellimere's words.
It seemed to be years ago that the servant, Jalen, had called her into her mother's room, and decades since Firi had been perturbed by of a feeling of foreboding.
"So," the queen finished, "we can make nothing of it. Uncle Sameth was thinking that you, being Abhorsen-in-Waiting, might understand a bit of it. Do you, dear?"
"Yes, I . . . I think so," Firali replied slowly, pausing frequently. "In the Fifth Precinct-- in Death, that is-- the Fifth Gate is a waterclimb . . . the opposite of a waterfall. To get to the Sixth Precinct of your own accord, you need a spell . . . it'll make you get off the waterclimb, onto the Sixth Precinct . . . nobody knows how long it goes on for . . . and . . . apparently . . . it's got Lirael stuck there . . ." her voice faltered as she realized what she was saying.
"And we can figure the rest out ourselves," Ellimere added, realizing how close her daughter was to breaking down.
Firi smiled gratefully at her mother and took a deep breath. "So when am I leaving?" she asked.
Seeing the look of surprise on Queen Ellimere's face, Firali said reasonably, "Well, I need to find her, and I'm the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, I could help. So when am I leaving?" she repeated.
Ellimere's eyes flashed dangerously. "/Absolutely not/!" she snapped, sounding like her old self again. "You are most certainly NOT going /anywhere/!
"But, Mother--!" Firi began.
"But nothing! For one thing, the kingdom needs you. What happens if an army of the Dead attack in Belisaere while you're off trying to rescue Lirael? We'd have no one, no one at all, to help keep the Dead down in the Old Kingdom! And for another thing--"
Firali suddenly noticed the tears threatening in her mother's eyes.
"--I lost my father, I lost my mother, I may have lost Lirael, and /I'm not losing you/!" Ellimere cried.
There was nothing for the young princess to say.
"Now, then," Ellimere's voice softened, as she continued as though nothing had happened. "You'll stay here and do the job of the Abhorsen, until Lirael comes back."
* * * * * *
Well, remember, please review! Next chapter, or the one after it, will definitely have more action, as the story is finally beginning to get underway. PLEASE review!
As always, EvilG