Hey hey! Sorry the update's taken me such a long time.. I have so much stuff to do outside of fanfiction, and so many stories that require my attention here! ^-^ But I finally settled down long enough to write a quick chapter for this... enjoy!
Disclaimer: Tammy's stuff is Tammy's stuff, and that's that. Ah, Chaeli's mine, as is Kitoko, Ilsa, and whoever else I might happen to create.
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The Power Within
By Hollie Black
The first thing Chaeli noticed as the ship's captain and its crew expertly maneuvered their vessel into the crowded docks of the port-city was the smell. It was as if a fancy scents shop and a refuse container had collided, creating smells that were extremely pleasant, devoutly unpleasant, and all the ranges in between. Having spent half of her life living in slums along the bank of the River Zekoi, she was hardly a stranger to the atmosphere of water-side cities, but this particular place was as alien to her as anything.
Houses, shops and warehouse buildings were all squashed in tightly, as if some giant being had stumbled across the place and squeezed the whole street together with its hands. A broad walkway divided the docks from the homes and shops, and it was packed as tightly as the buildings were with people. The people were also strange to her; she saw some Carthaki, dark skinned and haired and all with an air of purpose. Also she recognized the majority as Tyran, for most had the same general make up as Ilsa had, tall, slim and tanned from long labor in the sun.
But there were others as well. Chaeli watched a man with brown skin, black hair and eyes and a strange white hooded cloak as he conversed with a Tyran merchant. The merchant seemed to have no interest in what the other man was saying, however, and he gestured a rude dismissal. The first man returned to a group of men and woman all with the same coloring and garb as he, and they bowed their heads together in private discourse.
Not far along, Chaeli spotted a family of blonde-haired, blue-eyed people with skin so fair they stood out among the crowd of mainly southerners. The husband seemed to be attempting to barter a boat off of two men with jet black hair, greased and looped, who Chaeli recognized with a shudder as Copper Islanders. She had heard of far too many stories of the cold-hearted Copper Islanders to be comfortable being even this distance from then. Where the blonde man and his family had come from though, she couldn't fathom a guess.
Busy place, isn't it? she heard a voice behind her ask. Chaeli turned, her eyes searching for the speaker, but though there were many people up top as the boat docked, she saw no one looking her way. Except, that is, for a very small bird.
The thrush, no bigger than the palm of Chaeli's hand, was mottled brown and yellow on its back and wings, with a dove-gray belly and a brown head. It flapped its wings to keep aloft, staring at her with beetle black eyes.
Oh, no, Chaeli thought, panicked. Not again, great merciful Mother, not again! Heart racing, she turned her back to the thrush, praying to the Goddess that this was all a very bad dream. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see the thrush, perched on the guardrail with his head cocked to one side, looking at her curiously.
It's rude to ignore someone when they speak to you, it said.
"Please," Chaeli whispered through clenched teeth, "please, don't hurt me, just leave me alone!"
Hurt you? The thrush sounded amused. Why would I want to do that, fledgling?
"Please, just go away!" She kept her tight voice low as she checked anxiously over her shoulder again and again, to make sure no one was listening.
Now fledgling, I can't do that. You need someone to watch over you, the People have been worried.
Her fear temporarily forgotten, Chaeli asked, "the People?"
Yes, the thrush answered, as if she should already have known. You know, us of claw and fur, wing and scale. Our kind.
"Our kind?" Chaeli repeated, flabbergasted. "I've nothing in common with you, I just need to make this madness go away!" Her self-control had reached its breaking point and fear gripped her like a vice. She had thought she'd left most of her problems back in Carthak. To find that her greatest trouble still plagued her... She shivered.
You aren't mad, the thrust told her, not unkindly. You're a little silly right now, but you're not mad.
"This isn't happening," the sensible side of Chaeli said. "This is a dream, a perfectly harmless little dream. Pretty soon, Sauda will wake you up, and the ship will have docked and you won't have ever met that little bird."
Kitoko.
Chaeli looked down at the thrush, startled. "What did you say?"
My name is Kitoko, not 'little bird.' This is not the first time we've met, you know. Correctly interpreting Chaeli's confused expression, Kitoko elaborated. I am one of a flock of thrushes that spends winters in the western courtyard of the palace of the human who used to order you around and was mean.
Chaeli searched her memory for birds that fit that description at Pazia's palace. An image popped into her mind; a swarm of brown, yellow and russet, pecking and pulling mercilessly at the princess's hair and face after she had dealt Chaeli and another slave, Miriam, particularly heavy blows when she thought they'd dallied with their work. Chaeli and Miriam had escaped untouched, and it had been the last time she'd ever seen the birds in the courtyard; she had always figured Pazia had somehow captured or killed the small birds.
The thrush didn't seem to be finished talking, and he chirped softly to regain her attention.
We were worried about you when you left, fledgling, Kitoko said with sympathy in his voice. So I was elected to find you and make sure you did not run astray. We feared you may have left the nest too soon.
This was all just too much for one fourteen year old girl to handle.
"Just stop already!" she cried, garnering weird stares from those nearby. Curious faces watched as she yelled at the tiny thrush, who, unlike most birds that would've flown away, sat patiently during her rant, barely even blinking.
"Leave me alone," she sobbed finally, falling to her knees and curling up into a ball right against the railing, covering her head with her arms. The thrush watched patiently for a few minutes, and when he sensed that she was calm again, he flew down from the rail to perch on her knee.
You are fighting something that cannot be fought, Kitoko said, though their audience of course couldn't hear him. Please try to calm yourself, fledgling; as I told you before, you have no madness in you.
Chaeli picked up her head, teary and red-rimmed brown eyes locking with black ones. "How do you know?" she asked hoarsely.
Fledgling, do you really think I would perch on the knee of a madwoman? The People are smarter than that, I assure you. Are you sufficiently calmed now?
Mutely, Chaeli nodded. Good, Kitoko said as he took flight once more. Come along then, the humans are getting off this infernal thing, and I'd like to as well.
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Yup, so, that's it for now. Short, I know, and once again, I'm sorry! But I simply don't have time to write more now, and I don't think that I'll have time to do more in the near future. And, if I do find time, I really want to dedicate that to an update of my LotR fic, Lian: Part Two. I'm sooo behind in that... *blushes* Anyways, so that's it for now. One last thing before I go... thank yous! My favorite part of all!
Larzdinn- I don't know what to say either! I'm so flattered! Thank you very much... and yes, I've noticed a lot of MSs, and I do plan to try my hardest to keep Chaeli from being one. I don't want to make her perfect, I want her to seem real. A real person in a fictional world, with weaknesses and strengths, flaws, talent, and everything else. And as for the times... *sigh* the only reason that I didn't put in exact dates is because I'm still trying to figure that out myself, but I don't have the time (yet) to do it. I can tell you that it takes place after the Immortals, but not long after... it begins about in Kel's second year... whenever the date of that is. (Don't have my book handy) Anyways, I will figure that out eventually... I hope. ;o) Thanks so much for the positive review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Sarai-IceElf- Hehehe... Exceeding the bandwith... ah, you're too much, really. Always make me laugh! Thank you soooooooooooo much for the positive stuff, it means so much!! And I CANNOT WAIT for more of RR!!! I know I already told you that in my review the other day, but I really can't wait!! ^-^ J'adore ta histoire!
ElveNDestiNy- You're making me blush! Ah yes, I am a MAJOR fan! One of my friends introduced the Protector of the Small quartet to me about a year and a half ago... and I've been hooked ever since! Hehe, and since Immortals was my all time fave, I just had to write a fic that would include Daine & Numair! (though, they won't show up till later on... :( Anyways, thanks so very much for all the flattery, and I sincerely hope that this chapter met with your approval!
Quiet One- Hehe, I know you didn't forget me... like I'd let ya. ;o) Don't worry bout it, I definitely know what's it's like to be insanely busy! Aargh, why'd school have to come this year anyways? It totally gets in the way of fanfiction time! Hehe, and I can't wait for the revised ES!!! And the next chap for the PotC fic!!! I know they're gonna rooocccckkk!!! Hehe!
Okay, I think that's everyone... thanks guys!! You all totally rock my socks!
Always,
~Hollie