Chelsey had been walking for about half an hour by the time she saw the top
of the palace. She jumped up in excitement as she ran towards the castle;
sure it was the home of King Jonathan lll and Queen Thayet. She had seen a
picture of part of the palace on the cover of "Alanna: The First
Adventure."
The girl stopped and held her nose. The dust of the road was coming up from her jogging and making her eyes water. She sneezed. Chelsey heard the breaking of wood above her head. She realized just in time and dived out of the way as a tree branch came tumbling down. She climbed off the ground while wiping dirt from her shirt and pajama bottoms, which were blue and had stars and moons. Chelsey gulped at the thought of being a second or two late in the jump.
She continued walking, but at a slower pace. She didn't know how the branch almost fell on her. Hopefully she had not already made an enemy. Chelsey had read all of the Tortall books to know how cruel some could be, and didn't want them against her. She definitely didn't want to be a hero. It would be nice, but she wasn't a fighter. This made Chelsey think of Daine, the wild mage. She wasn't really a fighter, but she was smarter than Chelsey when it came to war tactics and such.
The girl sighed. She would never be like her heroes. She wasn't brave nor was she able to remain calm during war, though, she had never been in one.
She brushed a piece of her curly, shoulder length, light brown hair behind an ear and started walking quicker. She had been walking for about half an hour when she finally saw Corus. She stared at the large market crowded with commoners, nobles, traders, and merchants. She certainly had never seen anything like it!
Chelsey headed into the town and smells of freshly baked bread reached her nose. She could also smell the daisy that a little girl nearby was handing out. She gave Chelsey one. Chelsey smiled and thanked the child, noticing that the girl didn't take her eyes off her strange attire. Some of the other people turned to watch as Chelsey strolled past, whispering into each other's ears. The girl tried to ignore them. Hopefully they would just think she came from a far away land. She didn't want to explain that she came from another world, and be thought of as a psycho her first day.
Chelsey stood in front of a stand where an elderly lady with a crooked back and nose sold fruits. She seemed friendly enough. The girl's stomach growled in protest to not being fed since the night before. She reached in her pocket for some money, but found nothing. Of course blunder head, she thought angrily. Why would she had had any money when she left her world around two thirty in the morning?
The food deprived girl shook her head at the lady who held her hand out readily. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money. And if I did, it wouldn't be any your folk use." Chelsey said as she started away from the fruit stand. The woman grabbed the girl's arm with gently fingers.
"Look lass, I don't know ye and it looks to me that you're new to Tortall. You don't talk like anyone I know, and ye certainly don't dress like anyone from around here neither." She said with in a soft voice. Chelsey saw pity in the lady's eyes and frowned. She hated when people felt sorry for her. All she had to heart to do though was except an apple from the woman. Chelsey took a big bit out of the apple and smiled as the cool juices trickled over her tongue. She was so hungry! She thanked the lady and thought that she reminded her of her grandmother as she went off on her way.
"S'cuse my lass. I was wondering where you be headin?" A male's deep voice came from behind.
The girl stopped and held her nose. The dust of the road was coming up from her jogging and making her eyes water. She sneezed. Chelsey heard the breaking of wood above her head. She realized just in time and dived out of the way as a tree branch came tumbling down. She climbed off the ground while wiping dirt from her shirt and pajama bottoms, which were blue and had stars and moons. Chelsey gulped at the thought of being a second or two late in the jump.
She continued walking, but at a slower pace. She didn't know how the branch almost fell on her. Hopefully she had not already made an enemy. Chelsey had read all of the Tortall books to know how cruel some could be, and didn't want them against her. She definitely didn't want to be a hero. It would be nice, but she wasn't a fighter. This made Chelsey think of Daine, the wild mage. She wasn't really a fighter, but she was smarter than Chelsey when it came to war tactics and such.
The girl sighed. She would never be like her heroes. She wasn't brave nor was she able to remain calm during war, though, she had never been in one.
She brushed a piece of her curly, shoulder length, light brown hair behind an ear and started walking quicker. She had been walking for about half an hour when she finally saw Corus. She stared at the large market crowded with commoners, nobles, traders, and merchants. She certainly had never seen anything like it!
Chelsey headed into the town and smells of freshly baked bread reached her nose. She could also smell the daisy that a little girl nearby was handing out. She gave Chelsey one. Chelsey smiled and thanked the child, noticing that the girl didn't take her eyes off her strange attire. Some of the other people turned to watch as Chelsey strolled past, whispering into each other's ears. The girl tried to ignore them. Hopefully they would just think she came from a far away land. She didn't want to explain that she came from another world, and be thought of as a psycho her first day.
Chelsey stood in front of a stand where an elderly lady with a crooked back and nose sold fruits. She seemed friendly enough. The girl's stomach growled in protest to not being fed since the night before. She reached in her pocket for some money, but found nothing. Of course blunder head, she thought angrily. Why would she had had any money when she left her world around two thirty in the morning?
The food deprived girl shook her head at the lady who held her hand out readily. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any money. And if I did, it wouldn't be any your folk use." Chelsey said as she started away from the fruit stand. The woman grabbed the girl's arm with gently fingers.
"Look lass, I don't know ye and it looks to me that you're new to Tortall. You don't talk like anyone I know, and ye certainly don't dress like anyone from around here neither." She said with in a soft voice. Chelsey saw pity in the lady's eyes and frowned. She hated when people felt sorry for her. All she had to heart to do though was except an apple from the woman. Chelsey took a big bit out of the apple and smiled as the cool juices trickled over her tongue. She was so hungry! She thanked the lady and thought that she reminded her of her grandmother as she went off on her way.
"S'cuse my lass. I was wondering where you be headin?" A male's deep voice came from behind.