Disclaimer: I promise to put them back when I'm done and take good care of
them, Mr. Nix . . .
A/N: Yes, I know, I know, it's been over a week since I last updated. *hangs head* Well, if I'd gotten more reviews, maybe I would've posted sooner! Shame on you . . . 'Skaath' is pronounced SKAHTH, okay? By the way, here's a rather important note: I know a few of you have commented that not much has really happened yet. Well, for one thing, everything I've done so far has basically just been setting the stage for the story. I've barely started, really, and it'll get a lot more action soon. Other thing: I don't know if anybody realized, but this is going to be a VERY long story that'll take quite a while to write. If I continue at my normal pace, it prob'ly won't be finished by the end of the year. Hope that's okay. You learn a lot of info in this chapter, hope you like it . . .
"blah" = speech /blah/ = thoughts ~~blah~~ = mental speech
'Vindra: ohhhh, yeah, but I don't think the rock would be so happy to be called his pet! BTW, you're getting verrrry close in your speculations . . . you'll find out for sure either in this chapter or the next. If you think you're getting close to something, email me! I'd love to hear what you think but we don't want your thoughts to spoil it for anyone else, NOW DO WE? lol . . . by the way, thanks for the plotbunny tip-- I got them a nice, fresh, Mary Sue to munch on. Poor girl, she's in shreds now . . .
Swanny: hope you found the Garth Nix section again . . . sorry about the Reservoir thing-- I couldn't remember! 'Gray' is, I guess, the American word for 'grey', and yes, I did mean gray-- maybe it's not on your screen, but on mine, it's grayish. And as for everything else you said, well, everything'll be explained in this chapter. SO START READING!!!
* * * * * *
Or rather, it didn't exactly SPEAK to him. Letharen picked up the amazing stone and heard --well, not /heard/, exactly-- something he could only describe as a voice, within his head.
~~I beg your pardon, little pebble, but why are you handling me? Put me down this instant!~~
It was a rather lofty "voice", arrogant and cultured. Leth gaped. "I-- I-- mmmm-- uh--" he stuttered. The rock seemed to sigh mentally, and then Leth felt the strangest sensation-- almost as though something was looking through his brain, flipping through it like a book.
Suddenly, he felt the stone's presence draw back with a start.
~~Mother Flint and Father Boulder! You are he, you are the one!~~ it sent in shock.
Now, Leth had had enough. Between Lirael's disappearance and this-- this /rock/-- speaking to him, telling him he was "the one"-- Leth moaned. He took a deep breath and said shakily, "okay, start from the beginning,"
~~You are the one!~~ sent the stone with what appeared to be a mixture of reverence and impatience.
"What do you mean?" asked Letharen, with only curiosity in his voice. The magnitude of this-- he was talking to a rock!-- appeared to sink in, and he was getting over his fear. He loved rocks, and now he could talk to them!
~~Well, let us start at the beginning. I am Ss'kaaath'ri, and you are Letharen.~~
"Leth, please," he broke in faintly. The rock, which had been far more pleasant to the boy since realizing that he was "the one", continued.
~~Very well. Leth. I had forgotten humans were so interested in short- names. This being the case, you will call me . . . hmmm . . . Skaath, I think. And really, little pebble Leth, there's no need for you to speak aloud-- how vulgar!~~
At that, a little of Leth's self came back to him. "No thanks, I'll stay how I am. Why should I change to make you happy?" he asked pointedly, aloud. The rock-- Skaath-- snorted mentally.
"Anyway," Leth continued, "what's this 'one' you mentioned? Why am I he? What does that mean? And why in the name of the Charter can I talk to a rock?!"
~~In my day, pebbles like you knew this kind of thing! Ah, well . . . the times aren't like they once were . . . anyway, YOU are the one-- the heir of Kibeth's Nameless.~~
Letharen looked blank. " 'Kibeth's Nameless'?"
~~Yes, Kibeth's Nameless-- Mother Flint, where do I start? Pebble Leth, you know that rhyme that smaller pebbles learn, about the Great Charters? 'Five Great Charters knit the land', et cetera?~~ Skaath asked.
Leth nodded mutely.
~~Well, you know how it tells that most of the Great Charters were put in bloodlines, and many of the Bright Shiners were the first of each of the bloodlines-- Saraneth for the Abhorsen, etc?~~
The boy groaned inwardly. Not bloodlines again! But, "yes, I know," he muttered.
~~Right. And you know how one of the Bright Shiners decided that blood was too shaky to put a Great Charter in, so they put it "in stone and mortar"-- the Charter Stones. And you also know how, a little over twenty years ago, the heirs of the Bright Shiners stood against the Destroyer in a ceremony enacted by the Remembrancer.~~ stated Skaath. It wasn't a question, but Leth nodded again anyway.
~~And you know that, in this ceremony, Kibeth, in the form of a dog, stood for herself?~~ Skaath continued.
Letharen nodded yet again, but said in confusion and annoyance, "I don't understand. What are you leading up to?"
It was by far one of the most curious experiences in Leth's life to feel the stone roll its eyes in Leth's head.
~~Foolish young pebble! Don't you get it?! YOU ARE THE HEIR OF KIBETH AND HER NAMELESS ONES-- those who are not chosen by bloodline, those who have an affinity toward stone, which they can speak with, because Kibeth placed their and her Great Charter in the Stones, those who can use Free Magic, and who hate bloodlines!~~
* * * * * *
Ooooh . . . the plot thickens! Hope those who were speculating about Leth's power weren't disappointed by the outcome! If it was unclear to anybody, please tell me so in your reviews and I'll clarify . . . please, please, PLEASE review!
--EvilG
A/N: Yes, I know, I know, it's been over a week since I last updated. *hangs head* Well, if I'd gotten more reviews, maybe I would've posted sooner! Shame on you . . . 'Skaath' is pronounced SKAHTH, okay? By the way, here's a rather important note: I know a few of you have commented that not much has really happened yet. Well, for one thing, everything I've done so far has basically just been setting the stage for the story. I've barely started, really, and it'll get a lot more action soon. Other thing: I don't know if anybody realized, but this is going to be a VERY long story that'll take quite a while to write. If I continue at my normal pace, it prob'ly won't be finished by the end of the year. Hope that's okay. You learn a lot of info in this chapter, hope you like it . . .
"blah" = speech /blah/ = thoughts ~~blah~~ = mental speech
'Vindra: ohhhh, yeah, but I don't think the rock would be so happy to be called his pet! BTW, you're getting verrrry close in your speculations . . . you'll find out for sure either in this chapter or the next. If you think you're getting close to something, email me! I'd love to hear what you think but we don't want your thoughts to spoil it for anyone else, NOW DO WE? lol . . . by the way, thanks for the plotbunny tip-- I got them a nice, fresh, Mary Sue to munch on. Poor girl, she's in shreds now . . .
Swanny: hope you found the Garth Nix section again . . . sorry about the Reservoir thing-- I couldn't remember! 'Gray' is, I guess, the American word for 'grey', and yes, I did mean gray-- maybe it's not on your screen, but on mine, it's grayish. And as for everything else you said, well, everything'll be explained in this chapter. SO START READING!!!
* * * * * *
Or rather, it didn't exactly SPEAK to him. Letharen picked up the amazing stone and heard --well, not /heard/, exactly-- something he could only describe as a voice, within his head.
~~I beg your pardon, little pebble, but why are you handling me? Put me down this instant!~~
It was a rather lofty "voice", arrogant and cultured. Leth gaped. "I-- I-- mmmm-- uh--" he stuttered. The rock seemed to sigh mentally, and then Leth felt the strangest sensation-- almost as though something was looking through his brain, flipping through it like a book.
Suddenly, he felt the stone's presence draw back with a start.
~~Mother Flint and Father Boulder! You are he, you are the one!~~ it sent in shock.
Now, Leth had had enough. Between Lirael's disappearance and this-- this /rock/-- speaking to him, telling him he was "the one"-- Leth moaned. He took a deep breath and said shakily, "okay, start from the beginning,"
~~You are the one!~~ sent the stone with what appeared to be a mixture of reverence and impatience.
"What do you mean?" asked Letharen, with only curiosity in his voice. The magnitude of this-- he was talking to a rock!-- appeared to sink in, and he was getting over his fear. He loved rocks, and now he could talk to them!
~~Well, let us start at the beginning. I am Ss'kaaath'ri, and you are Letharen.~~
"Leth, please," he broke in faintly. The rock, which had been far more pleasant to the boy since realizing that he was "the one", continued.
~~Very well. Leth. I had forgotten humans were so interested in short- names. This being the case, you will call me . . . hmmm . . . Skaath, I think. And really, little pebble Leth, there's no need for you to speak aloud-- how vulgar!~~
At that, a little of Leth's self came back to him. "No thanks, I'll stay how I am. Why should I change to make you happy?" he asked pointedly, aloud. The rock-- Skaath-- snorted mentally.
"Anyway," Leth continued, "what's this 'one' you mentioned? Why am I he? What does that mean? And why in the name of the Charter can I talk to a rock?!"
~~In my day, pebbles like you knew this kind of thing! Ah, well . . . the times aren't like they once were . . . anyway, YOU are the one-- the heir of Kibeth's Nameless.~~
Letharen looked blank. " 'Kibeth's Nameless'?"
~~Yes, Kibeth's Nameless-- Mother Flint, where do I start? Pebble Leth, you know that rhyme that smaller pebbles learn, about the Great Charters? 'Five Great Charters knit the land', et cetera?~~ Skaath asked.
Leth nodded mutely.
~~Well, you know how it tells that most of the Great Charters were put in bloodlines, and many of the Bright Shiners were the first of each of the bloodlines-- Saraneth for the Abhorsen, etc?~~
The boy groaned inwardly. Not bloodlines again! But, "yes, I know," he muttered.
~~Right. And you know how one of the Bright Shiners decided that blood was too shaky to put a Great Charter in, so they put it "in stone and mortar"-- the Charter Stones. And you also know how, a little over twenty years ago, the heirs of the Bright Shiners stood against the Destroyer in a ceremony enacted by the Remembrancer.~~ stated Skaath. It wasn't a question, but Leth nodded again anyway.
~~And you know that, in this ceremony, Kibeth, in the form of a dog, stood for herself?~~ Skaath continued.
Letharen nodded yet again, but said in confusion and annoyance, "I don't understand. What are you leading up to?"
It was by far one of the most curious experiences in Leth's life to feel the stone roll its eyes in Leth's head.
~~Foolish young pebble! Don't you get it?! YOU ARE THE HEIR OF KIBETH AND HER NAMELESS ONES-- those who are not chosen by bloodline, those who have an affinity toward stone, which they can speak with, because Kibeth placed their and her Great Charter in the Stones, those who can use Free Magic, and who hate bloodlines!~~
* * * * * *
Ooooh . . . the plot thickens! Hope those who were speculating about Leth's power weren't disappointed by the outcome! If it was unclear to anybody, please tell me so in your reviews and I'll clarify . . . please, please, PLEASE review!
--EvilG