Hey! This is my first try as an author, so please, please review! I hope
you enjoy.
The world my story takes place in is not mine. It is Mercedes Lackey's. Most of the characters are original, but any character from her books are just that, from her books. I hope you enjoy, and I hope all of my friends are happy with their characters! Also, my italics don't work yet (emphasis, hopefully, on the yet), so I'm going to put thoughts between *.*, and of course, mindSpeech between :.:, sorry about the confusion!
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The sun rose on a sleeping castle, surrounded by fields and cottages, the sky just barely turning from dark to light. As the inhabitants of the stables began to stir, so did those in the castle.
A young girl, about fifteen years old, opened her hazel eyes and started to stretch, only to find herself rolling off the bed and onto the cold floor. She crashed to the ground in a ball of blankets and arms, as her roommate awoke with the noise.
"Kaida, you okay? We're going to have to put you into a walled bed if you keep falling out like that." The other girl laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement, as Kaida untangled herself from the blankets, finding her muscles to be no match for the thick cloth, and began to rub her head, covered in frizzy, brown hair, achingly. "Maybe all of those bumps account for your craziness."
Kaida glared at her golden-haired friend, "Well at least my insanity has an excuse," she quickly retorted, "while you just seem to grow less sane only by living and breathing. Who knows, Edana, maybe my insanity is rubbing off on you." She grew quiet as her stomach rumbled. "Let's get something to eat."
Both of the girls laughed as they set down to the Great Hall for breakfast. "Kaida, you are always hungry. I swear, we could feed half of the castle on what you eat alone." Edana ducked at the playful punch Kaida threw at her. "Hey, Tala, over here, before she kills me!" Edana waved to a girl with brown eyes, and wavy, brown hair, dressed completely in black, who looked as if she would kill anyone who was that cheerful in the morning.
The tall, sinister-looking girl took the distance between them and her room in quick, long-legged strides, as she pulled Kaida into a head- lock and patted her on the head. "Good job, Kaida, keep up the good work." She feigned shaking in fear as Edana gave her the most evil look she could muster. "I'm shaking in my boots! Remind me never to cross blades with Edana when she's half-asleep and hungry."
Two girls, almost identical in the way they moved, tumbled out of the room Tala had just left, one hastily pulling on a boot as the other dragged her by the elbow. "Aaralyn, you still trying to force Nida into waking up before noon? I don't think it's working."
"Kaida, I'd like you to try to wake her up after she's stayed up half the night going on about Elcan. She speaks like he is a god or a king or something." Aaralyn rolled her brown eyes, and shook her head, waving straight golden brown-yellow hair at her twin, "And it's impossible to get to sleep at a reasonable hour when you have cats and dogs and birds screeching in your ears for hours. I still haven't gotten her to explain why she feels the need to care for so many animals."
"Well, he is the most handsome thing to ever grace Valdemar!" Nida's deep brown eyes began to sparkle as she thought of her dashing young minstrel, running her hands through her dark brown hair in a vain attempt to tame it, "And you forgot about the squirrel."
"I always wonder whether she's gone and gotten herself lifebonded to your twin, Kaida," Edana murmured, "though I guess it's pretty unlikely."
Tala chuckled, "I worry for my sanity, if they are going to be together all of the time. We'll never hear the end of it."
Kaida gave a knowing smile, "You're already insane. You *have* lived with *us* most of your life."
The five girls walked into the hall, talking and laughing about who knows what, and took their places at the table they had claimed for their own, where two girls and two young men were already seated. The girls were both thin and lanky, with brown eyes and long, straight, brown hair. One of the boys had long, straight, red hair and blue eyes, while the other had curly brown hair and hazel eyes to match Kaida's. "Sanne, move over! I get to sit next to Elcan," shouted Nida, as she pulled Kaida's twin from in between the other boy and one of the girls. The girl started when she looked away from her laughing friends, and realized that she was now seated next to the red-headed youth.
Tala smiled as she looked at her friend. *I don't think I've ever seen Sanne turn that color of red before. For that matter, I haven't seen anyone turn that color before. I wonder what has her turning into a beet.*
Aaralyn groaned softly when she realized that the other girl was there, sitting sullenly in the far corner of the table. *Oh no! I forgot Lamya was visiting from Haven. I hope she doesn't decide to pick a fight again. She can be so annoying to deal with. Being with her makes me physically ill.*
"Sanne, Raul, I fear we have been overtaken by a mob of insanity. It is best we just give in, they only get stronger if we resist." Elcan smiled as all five of the latecomers started to glare, and the twins started to pummel him. "Raul! Help! They're going to kill me!"
Raul smiled, shaking his red hair, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "I value my neck too much to help you. Sorry." He chuckled as Elcan threw him a mock moan of despair. "And anyway, I don't want them to kill me before I eat this delicious-looking breakfast." With that, the friends managed to pause their attacks on Elcan, and throw themselves at their meal.
***
"I love food!" Kaida smiled contentedly as they strolled out into the forest at a leisurely pace.
Nida rolled her eyes playfully. "Is that *all* you think about?" She looked at Aaralyn, who winked at her, and they both burst out laughing.
:Nida, I don't think she's the only one who thinks about only one thing : Aaralyn mindSent playfully, as Elcan, taking advantage of Nida's laughter, lifted her up and started carrying her, despite many kicks on Nida's part.
Sanne shook with ill-concealed laughter, taking control of herself, only to look up at Aaralyn and burst into laughter again. "So Nida, are you going to be swooning after him for the rest of your life?"
Nida looked down at the ground, trying to hide her blush. "Well.uh.I don't know.I guess it depends on where life takes all of us."
"Hey Sanne, what do you think you're going to do with your life? We know your dreams about helping the world, but how do you want to go about doing that?" Aaralyn's expression turned from laughter to thoughtfulness in the blink of an eye.
"I really don't know. I have no idea what I want to do with myself. I mean, what are the options? You don't exactly go to the Palace and say 'Hey, Queen Selenay, any positions open for all around do-gooders?' What about you, Edana?"
Edana paused for a moment, "I don't know. I've always dreamed about being a Herald, but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm really not sure what I want to do. Hey Tala, what do you think?"
Tala started at the unexpected question, realizing that she didn't have an answer on hand. "I-I don't know.What is there really for me to do?"
Raul blanched at the confusion in his sister's eyes. That is a question that seems to plague her constantly. She doesn't seem to see any use in anything she does, though helping the weapons-master train everyone is so important, and she's so good at it. He grew quiet as he tried to puzzle out a way to make her realize that she wasn't useless.
Lamya rolled her eyes, full of cynicism, and laughed, as she pushed to the middle of the group. "What is it with you guys. Always talking about the future, wondering what's going to happen to you, trying to help the world. You sentimental fools haven't changed a bit since last time I saw you. Poor Sanne, can't figure out how she's going to curse the world with her attempt to help, while Tala is too stupid to even get that far. You all really make me laugh." Tala was struggling to keep herself from pounding Lamya into the ground, her fists balled and eyes flashing with suppressed anger, almost as if filled with a growing flame, while Raul rushed to hold back Sanne and Kaida. With his back turned away from his sister, Raul didn't see her give up on ending the conflict peacefully.
Lamya's smirk turned to a frown as she realized that no one was stopping Tala from attacking her. "Whoa! Let's not be too angry! I'm only telling you the truth." She began to back away as Tala's pace began to quicken, "Come on! You don't want to make a decision you would regret." Lamya turned and ran, screaming as Tala charged at her.
Tala caught up to Lamya, punching her squarely in the face, her red eyes flashing and her hair turning from brown to a dusty red. "Sentimental and weak, are we?" She pulled her arm back again, prepared to beat Lamya to a pulp, when Edana caught her arm and pulled her off of the screaming girl.
Edana glared at Lamya, suddenly silent as the barrage of attacks stopped. "You coward. You think that we won't fight back. You'd better learn to take care of yourself, because I'm not going to stop Tala next time you decide to provoke her." Lamya got to her feet, only pausing for a second before stalking off without a word. Edana let go of Tala, as they all watched the retreating figure, "That bitch. Do we really have to spend a month with her?" She smiled as Tala began to mutter under her breath, "I guess not. The way things are going, she's going to have herself killed or chased away by one of us sooner or later."
***
Dinner that night was unusually quiet. Raul was concentrating on keeping his sister from pounding Lamya into the floorboards again, while Nida was trying to hold Sanne from alternately attacking Lamya and storming back to her room. Kaida spent her time watching Edana and Lamya, who were busy staring each other down.
Elcan and Aaralyn continued desperately to force conversation at the table. "Elcan, you haven't played for us in a while. Won't you take up your lute before we go to sleep? This is promising to be a boring evening, unless we find something to liven it up." Aaralyn smiled weakly as Elcan started to describe the song he was working on now, frantically dragging on any possibility to fill the silence. Lamya finally got fed up, and stormed off in a huff, while Kaida followed Edana back to their room.
***
Sanne followed after her cousin to their room, shaking with anger, horrified that she was related to the one who was causing everyone so much trouble. "What the hell is wrong with you, Lamya! Why do you insist on picking a fight every time you stay here? Leave us alone, for once, and forget the past, can't you? Stop taking your anger at yourself out on my friends and I!"
"Leave me alone, okay Sanne. You don't get it! You were always the favorite in our family, weren't you. Always perfect, always got what you wanted, you didn't have to deal with you parents leaving you with an annoying cousin for three years! So just leave me alone!"
Sanne sighed with frustration, giving up on lecturing her cousin for the night. struggled with her anger and confusion until her eyelids forced themselves shut. *What happened with her and her parents? There was always something odd going on in that part of the family. I know she was miserable staying with my parents and I for a few years while her parents completed some sort of training, but they came back for her. I wonder what her parents were doing anyway.* She managed to drift to a peaceful, dreamless sleep, escaping emotional battles until the next morning.
***
Aaralyn and Nida dragged Elcan to the courtyard, demanding that he perform for them, or he would not be allowed to bed that night. He began tuning his lute, glaring at them in mock anger, while they held their own private conversation.
: Nida, I can see why you love him so much. You are perfect for each other!:
: So you admit I'm not completely insane? :
: Fine, but only because you two are lifebonded :
Nida failed to suppress her mental shock at her twin's blunt, unsuspected remark. It is impossible to lie mind-to-mind :What! You really think so? I mean, lifebonds are so rare.:
: Nida, it's obvious! I mean, half of your waking moments are spent on him, and vice versa. I think the only way to get you two a little less extreme is for you to acknowledge that :
At that remark, Elcan finished tuning his lute, and began to play. The music pulled the twins in, so that all they could think of was the beauty of the music.
: Elcan, that was beautiful : Nida's senses came back to the world around her, after floating in the world painted by Elcan's songs. : It was truly amazing. It's like listening to a real Bard play. I could practically feel the music! :
: I have to agree, Elcan. You are definitely more skilled than you admit. :
Elcan flushed under the compliments : Thank you ladies. Now, it is safe for me to collapse into bed? :
: Not before I talk to you two! : Elcan and Nida started in surprise. : As I said to Nida before, you two are obviously lifebonded. I mean, it's obvious. Why else would you be so stuck on each other, and how else would you be able to talk mind-to-mind? It's no use trying to hide the fact that you two are head-over-heels in love with each other, all of us have figured it out. :
: Are we that obvious? : Elcan looked shocked at the thought of everyone realizing it. : I mean, we were just figuring it out ourselves.:
: Yes, you are that obvious. : Aaralyn smiled at the shock on both of their faces : I'm done with my speech, so you can go to bed. I'm sure I've given you two enough food for thought to keep you up all night. My work is done. :
Elcan went off to his room, while Aaralyn and Nida headed back to theirs, all of them thinking about the changes that could come from their discussion.
***
Kaida sat on an armchair in their room, overwhelmed by her own thoughts, as Edana stared out the window.
*I can't believe that bitch. I remember the other time she came here. It was a couple years after Sanne and her parents came to live with us, and Tala and Raul had just recently moved in. We were sleeping in tents for a couple nights since we were rebuilding some of the rooms in the castle. She and Tala got into a fight about something, I can't remember what. Lamya shoved Tala into the fire pit, I think, but the flames didn't hurt her. I must have been really tired at the time. I'm sure Tala wasn't thrown into the fire, or she would have been badly burned. Of course, I also could have sworn the flames rose to cover Lamya instead, so I must have been seeing things. Edana and I dragged Lamya and Tala out of the fire, but she was still badly burned on her whole left side of her body. She blames that whole incident on all of us, and for some reason, Tala blames it on herself also. She seems to think that Lamya was burned because of her, but that's not possible. Tala was unconscious when we dragged her away from the fire. The heat must of made her pass out, or something. No matter who's to blame, though, Lamya has hated us all ever since.* Kaida felt sleep overcoming her, as she drifted into a troubled, fitful rest.
The world my story takes place in is not mine. It is Mercedes Lackey's. Most of the characters are original, but any character from her books are just that, from her books. I hope you enjoy, and I hope all of my friends are happy with their characters! Also, my italics don't work yet (emphasis, hopefully, on the yet), so I'm going to put thoughts between *.*, and of course, mindSpeech between :.:, sorry about the confusion!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun rose on a sleeping castle, surrounded by fields and cottages, the sky just barely turning from dark to light. As the inhabitants of the stables began to stir, so did those in the castle.
A young girl, about fifteen years old, opened her hazel eyes and started to stretch, only to find herself rolling off the bed and onto the cold floor. She crashed to the ground in a ball of blankets and arms, as her roommate awoke with the noise.
"Kaida, you okay? We're going to have to put you into a walled bed if you keep falling out like that." The other girl laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement, as Kaida untangled herself from the blankets, finding her muscles to be no match for the thick cloth, and began to rub her head, covered in frizzy, brown hair, achingly. "Maybe all of those bumps account for your craziness."
Kaida glared at her golden-haired friend, "Well at least my insanity has an excuse," she quickly retorted, "while you just seem to grow less sane only by living and breathing. Who knows, Edana, maybe my insanity is rubbing off on you." She grew quiet as her stomach rumbled. "Let's get something to eat."
Both of the girls laughed as they set down to the Great Hall for breakfast. "Kaida, you are always hungry. I swear, we could feed half of the castle on what you eat alone." Edana ducked at the playful punch Kaida threw at her. "Hey, Tala, over here, before she kills me!" Edana waved to a girl with brown eyes, and wavy, brown hair, dressed completely in black, who looked as if she would kill anyone who was that cheerful in the morning.
The tall, sinister-looking girl took the distance between them and her room in quick, long-legged strides, as she pulled Kaida into a head- lock and patted her on the head. "Good job, Kaida, keep up the good work." She feigned shaking in fear as Edana gave her the most evil look she could muster. "I'm shaking in my boots! Remind me never to cross blades with Edana when she's half-asleep and hungry."
Two girls, almost identical in the way they moved, tumbled out of the room Tala had just left, one hastily pulling on a boot as the other dragged her by the elbow. "Aaralyn, you still trying to force Nida into waking up before noon? I don't think it's working."
"Kaida, I'd like you to try to wake her up after she's stayed up half the night going on about Elcan. She speaks like he is a god or a king or something." Aaralyn rolled her brown eyes, and shook her head, waving straight golden brown-yellow hair at her twin, "And it's impossible to get to sleep at a reasonable hour when you have cats and dogs and birds screeching in your ears for hours. I still haven't gotten her to explain why she feels the need to care for so many animals."
"Well, he is the most handsome thing to ever grace Valdemar!" Nida's deep brown eyes began to sparkle as she thought of her dashing young minstrel, running her hands through her dark brown hair in a vain attempt to tame it, "And you forgot about the squirrel."
"I always wonder whether she's gone and gotten herself lifebonded to your twin, Kaida," Edana murmured, "though I guess it's pretty unlikely."
Tala chuckled, "I worry for my sanity, if they are going to be together all of the time. We'll never hear the end of it."
Kaida gave a knowing smile, "You're already insane. You *have* lived with *us* most of your life."
The five girls walked into the hall, talking and laughing about who knows what, and took their places at the table they had claimed for their own, where two girls and two young men were already seated. The girls were both thin and lanky, with brown eyes and long, straight, brown hair. One of the boys had long, straight, red hair and blue eyes, while the other had curly brown hair and hazel eyes to match Kaida's. "Sanne, move over! I get to sit next to Elcan," shouted Nida, as she pulled Kaida's twin from in between the other boy and one of the girls. The girl started when she looked away from her laughing friends, and realized that she was now seated next to the red-headed youth.
Tala smiled as she looked at her friend. *I don't think I've ever seen Sanne turn that color of red before. For that matter, I haven't seen anyone turn that color before. I wonder what has her turning into a beet.*
Aaralyn groaned softly when she realized that the other girl was there, sitting sullenly in the far corner of the table. *Oh no! I forgot Lamya was visiting from Haven. I hope she doesn't decide to pick a fight again. She can be so annoying to deal with. Being with her makes me physically ill.*
"Sanne, Raul, I fear we have been overtaken by a mob of insanity. It is best we just give in, they only get stronger if we resist." Elcan smiled as all five of the latecomers started to glare, and the twins started to pummel him. "Raul! Help! They're going to kill me!"
Raul smiled, shaking his red hair, blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "I value my neck too much to help you. Sorry." He chuckled as Elcan threw him a mock moan of despair. "And anyway, I don't want them to kill me before I eat this delicious-looking breakfast." With that, the friends managed to pause their attacks on Elcan, and throw themselves at their meal.
***
"I love food!" Kaida smiled contentedly as they strolled out into the forest at a leisurely pace.
Nida rolled her eyes playfully. "Is that *all* you think about?" She looked at Aaralyn, who winked at her, and they both burst out laughing.
:Nida, I don't think she's the only one who thinks about only one thing : Aaralyn mindSent playfully, as Elcan, taking advantage of Nida's laughter, lifted her up and started carrying her, despite many kicks on Nida's part.
Sanne shook with ill-concealed laughter, taking control of herself, only to look up at Aaralyn and burst into laughter again. "So Nida, are you going to be swooning after him for the rest of your life?"
Nida looked down at the ground, trying to hide her blush. "Well.uh.I don't know.I guess it depends on where life takes all of us."
"Hey Sanne, what do you think you're going to do with your life? We know your dreams about helping the world, but how do you want to go about doing that?" Aaralyn's expression turned from laughter to thoughtfulness in the blink of an eye.
"I really don't know. I have no idea what I want to do with myself. I mean, what are the options? You don't exactly go to the Palace and say 'Hey, Queen Selenay, any positions open for all around do-gooders?' What about you, Edana?"
Edana paused for a moment, "I don't know. I've always dreamed about being a Herald, but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm really not sure what I want to do. Hey Tala, what do you think?"
Tala started at the unexpected question, realizing that she didn't have an answer on hand. "I-I don't know.What is there really for me to do?"
Raul blanched at the confusion in his sister's eyes. That is a question that seems to plague her constantly. She doesn't seem to see any use in anything she does, though helping the weapons-master train everyone is so important, and she's so good at it. He grew quiet as he tried to puzzle out a way to make her realize that she wasn't useless.
Lamya rolled her eyes, full of cynicism, and laughed, as she pushed to the middle of the group. "What is it with you guys. Always talking about the future, wondering what's going to happen to you, trying to help the world. You sentimental fools haven't changed a bit since last time I saw you. Poor Sanne, can't figure out how she's going to curse the world with her attempt to help, while Tala is too stupid to even get that far. You all really make me laugh." Tala was struggling to keep herself from pounding Lamya into the ground, her fists balled and eyes flashing with suppressed anger, almost as if filled with a growing flame, while Raul rushed to hold back Sanne and Kaida. With his back turned away from his sister, Raul didn't see her give up on ending the conflict peacefully.
Lamya's smirk turned to a frown as she realized that no one was stopping Tala from attacking her. "Whoa! Let's not be too angry! I'm only telling you the truth." She began to back away as Tala's pace began to quicken, "Come on! You don't want to make a decision you would regret." Lamya turned and ran, screaming as Tala charged at her.
Tala caught up to Lamya, punching her squarely in the face, her red eyes flashing and her hair turning from brown to a dusty red. "Sentimental and weak, are we?" She pulled her arm back again, prepared to beat Lamya to a pulp, when Edana caught her arm and pulled her off of the screaming girl.
Edana glared at Lamya, suddenly silent as the barrage of attacks stopped. "You coward. You think that we won't fight back. You'd better learn to take care of yourself, because I'm not going to stop Tala next time you decide to provoke her." Lamya got to her feet, only pausing for a second before stalking off without a word. Edana let go of Tala, as they all watched the retreating figure, "That bitch. Do we really have to spend a month with her?" She smiled as Tala began to mutter under her breath, "I guess not. The way things are going, she's going to have herself killed or chased away by one of us sooner or later."
***
Dinner that night was unusually quiet. Raul was concentrating on keeping his sister from pounding Lamya into the floorboards again, while Nida was trying to hold Sanne from alternately attacking Lamya and storming back to her room. Kaida spent her time watching Edana and Lamya, who were busy staring each other down.
Elcan and Aaralyn continued desperately to force conversation at the table. "Elcan, you haven't played for us in a while. Won't you take up your lute before we go to sleep? This is promising to be a boring evening, unless we find something to liven it up." Aaralyn smiled weakly as Elcan started to describe the song he was working on now, frantically dragging on any possibility to fill the silence. Lamya finally got fed up, and stormed off in a huff, while Kaida followed Edana back to their room.
***
Sanne followed after her cousin to their room, shaking with anger, horrified that she was related to the one who was causing everyone so much trouble. "What the hell is wrong with you, Lamya! Why do you insist on picking a fight every time you stay here? Leave us alone, for once, and forget the past, can't you? Stop taking your anger at yourself out on my friends and I!"
"Leave me alone, okay Sanne. You don't get it! You were always the favorite in our family, weren't you. Always perfect, always got what you wanted, you didn't have to deal with you parents leaving you with an annoying cousin for three years! So just leave me alone!"
Sanne sighed with frustration, giving up on lecturing her cousin for the night. struggled with her anger and confusion until her eyelids forced themselves shut. *What happened with her and her parents? There was always something odd going on in that part of the family. I know she was miserable staying with my parents and I for a few years while her parents completed some sort of training, but they came back for her. I wonder what her parents were doing anyway.* She managed to drift to a peaceful, dreamless sleep, escaping emotional battles until the next morning.
***
Aaralyn and Nida dragged Elcan to the courtyard, demanding that he perform for them, or he would not be allowed to bed that night. He began tuning his lute, glaring at them in mock anger, while they held their own private conversation.
: Nida, I can see why you love him so much. You are perfect for each other!:
: So you admit I'm not completely insane? :
: Fine, but only because you two are lifebonded :
Nida failed to suppress her mental shock at her twin's blunt, unsuspected remark. It is impossible to lie mind-to-mind :What! You really think so? I mean, lifebonds are so rare.:
: Nida, it's obvious! I mean, half of your waking moments are spent on him, and vice versa. I think the only way to get you two a little less extreme is for you to acknowledge that :
At that remark, Elcan finished tuning his lute, and began to play. The music pulled the twins in, so that all they could think of was the beauty of the music.
: Elcan, that was beautiful : Nida's senses came back to the world around her, after floating in the world painted by Elcan's songs. : It was truly amazing. It's like listening to a real Bard play. I could practically feel the music! :
: I have to agree, Elcan. You are definitely more skilled than you admit. :
Elcan flushed under the compliments : Thank you ladies. Now, it is safe for me to collapse into bed? :
: Not before I talk to you two! : Elcan and Nida started in surprise. : As I said to Nida before, you two are obviously lifebonded. I mean, it's obvious. Why else would you be so stuck on each other, and how else would you be able to talk mind-to-mind? It's no use trying to hide the fact that you two are head-over-heels in love with each other, all of us have figured it out. :
: Are we that obvious? : Elcan looked shocked at the thought of everyone realizing it. : I mean, we were just figuring it out ourselves.:
: Yes, you are that obvious. : Aaralyn smiled at the shock on both of their faces : I'm done with my speech, so you can go to bed. I'm sure I've given you two enough food for thought to keep you up all night. My work is done. :
Elcan went off to his room, while Aaralyn and Nida headed back to theirs, all of them thinking about the changes that could come from their discussion.
***
Kaida sat on an armchair in their room, overwhelmed by her own thoughts, as Edana stared out the window.
*I can't believe that bitch. I remember the other time she came here. It was a couple years after Sanne and her parents came to live with us, and Tala and Raul had just recently moved in. We were sleeping in tents for a couple nights since we were rebuilding some of the rooms in the castle. She and Tala got into a fight about something, I can't remember what. Lamya shoved Tala into the fire pit, I think, but the flames didn't hurt her. I must have been really tired at the time. I'm sure Tala wasn't thrown into the fire, or she would have been badly burned. Of course, I also could have sworn the flames rose to cover Lamya instead, so I must have been seeing things. Edana and I dragged Lamya and Tala out of the fire, but she was still badly burned on her whole left side of her body. She blames that whole incident on all of us, and for some reason, Tala blames it on herself also. She seems to think that Lamya was burned because of her, but that's not possible. Tala was unconscious when we dragged her away from the fire. The heat must of made her pass out, or something. No matter who's to blame, though, Lamya has hated us all ever since.* Kaida felt sleep overcoming her, as she drifted into a troubled, fitful rest.