Ok, so as my beta readers have abducted my story, I'm re-posting Chapter
Two – with a LOT of changes!
Disclaimer: The usual. I own no-one, except those you haven't met in Misty's world yet.
Btw, writing between two : symbols means MindSpeak, between two ~ symbols means thoughts.
Chapter Two
The path was flashing away beneath them. Edeladry had never known it was possible to move this fast...
Feeling detached from everything, Edeladry was considering asking Kiara why the ground was running away from them, but decided it was too much bother. If she thought, the pain would come back...
Kiara sped up, and the world blurred. The colours were beautiful, swirling around her... She wanted it to last forever... when the blackness came.
~
Josie suddenly found herself being pulled towards the North road. She could hear Healer Tiane calling her back, but she seemed so far away. She looked up, to see a dust cloud in the distance, moving towards her at an astonishing speed.
The shape solidified and she saw a tiny figure clinging to a Companion. She was driven to her knees by the pain, until something closed around her. For a moment she panicked, not knowing what this alien presence was. She looked up, to see the Companion standing over her.
:You can't help my Chosen if you feel her pain. I've simply closed you off from it. Now GET UP!:
Josie stood up, confused. She thought Companions only talked to their Chosen...
:Believe me, it's a stereotype I could do without. Do you have any training in your Gift? No, didn't think so.: Josie heard a huge sigh in her head.
:Doesn't your Master realise they've got a potential disaster in their village?:
"Yes, that's me Josie the troublemaker," she said barely suppressed sobs thick in her voice. "The one who'll never make a good healer because she doesn't have the dedication and the right frame of mind..."
:Enough. Ready yourself, and don't fight me. Now, this may hurt a little...:
Josie felt disorientated for a moment. She had no idea who, where or what she was...
She blinked once, then looked down at the girl, now cradled in her arms. Her grotesque scars were fading as she watched, and she was sleeping the true sleep, not fever-dreams.
"What the...?"
:I didn't have any time to waste on the intricacies of Healing, so I worked through you. You have a powerful Healing Gift, little one. But it will destroy you, your Master and your entire village, if something's not done about it.:
Josie blinked again, confused, but before she had time to react to what was going on, a hand wrenched her round by her shoulder and screeched, "What on earth do you think you're doing, you stupid girl! How dare you attempt to Heal someone without supervision –"
:Let her go.:
Healer Tiane whipped her hand from Josie as if it were burnt.
:You do not deserve the robes you wear. The Healers of Valdemar do not manhandle children.:
Tiane and Josie glared at each other, but Josie had been pushed too far. The hate in her eyes was so furious as to cause Healer Tiane to look away first.
With triumph still singing in her heart, Josie jumped at a sudden stirring at her feet. She knelt down to look into the younger girl's eyes, which were just beginning to open. She smiled reassuringly and said, "It's all right, you're all better now..."
The girl's eyes widened with fright.
"Alhenio carim..." [1]
Healer Tiane gasped. "A Karsite? What is this devilry...?"
Josie glared at her. "It's happened before!"
"And he is as rotten as the rest!"
Before Josie could think of a retort, there was a whisper in her mind.
:Get yourself and my Chosen over my saddle, and hold on tight. We have to get out of here before the rest of the village learn they have a Karsite in their midst...:
And in a thought she leapt, leaving Tiane and the rest of the village in the dust behind her.
~
All Karsite is modified Sindarin... hey, Sindarin had the right syntax, and it saved me having to make it up!
[1] I do not understand...
Disclaimer: The usual. I own no-one, except those you haven't met in Misty's world yet.
Btw, writing between two : symbols means MindSpeak, between two ~ symbols means thoughts.
Chapter Two
The path was flashing away beneath them. Edeladry had never known it was possible to move this fast...
Feeling detached from everything, Edeladry was considering asking Kiara why the ground was running away from them, but decided it was too much bother. If she thought, the pain would come back...
Kiara sped up, and the world blurred. The colours were beautiful, swirling around her... She wanted it to last forever... when the blackness came.
~
Josie suddenly found herself being pulled towards the North road. She could hear Healer Tiane calling her back, but she seemed so far away. She looked up, to see a dust cloud in the distance, moving towards her at an astonishing speed.
The shape solidified and she saw a tiny figure clinging to a Companion. She was driven to her knees by the pain, until something closed around her. For a moment she panicked, not knowing what this alien presence was. She looked up, to see the Companion standing over her.
:You can't help my Chosen if you feel her pain. I've simply closed you off from it. Now GET UP!:
Josie stood up, confused. She thought Companions only talked to their Chosen...
:Believe me, it's a stereotype I could do without. Do you have any training in your Gift? No, didn't think so.: Josie heard a huge sigh in her head.
:Doesn't your Master realise they've got a potential disaster in their village?:
"Yes, that's me Josie the troublemaker," she said barely suppressed sobs thick in her voice. "The one who'll never make a good healer because she doesn't have the dedication and the right frame of mind..."
:Enough. Ready yourself, and don't fight me. Now, this may hurt a little...:
Josie felt disorientated for a moment. She had no idea who, where or what she was...
She blinked once, then looked down at the girl, now cradled in her arms. Her grotesque scars were fading as she watched, and she was sleeping the true sleep, not fever-dreams.
"What the...?"
:I didn't have any time to waste on the intricacies of Healing, so I worked through you. You have a powerful Healing Gift, little one. But it will destroy you, your Master and your entire village, if something's not done about it.:
Josie blinked again, confused, but before she had time to react to what was going on, a hand wrenched her round by her shoulder and screeched, "What on earth do you think you're doing, you stupid girl! How dare you attempt to Heal someone without supervision –"
:Let her go.:
Healer Tiane whipped her hand from Josie as if it were burnt.
:You do not deserve the robes you wear. The Healers of Valdemar do not manhandle children.:
Tiane and Josie glared at each other, but Josie had been pushed too far. The hate in her eyes was so furious as to cause Healer Tiane to look away first.
With triumph still singing in her heart, Josie jumped at a sudden stirring at her feet. She knelt down to look into the younger girl's eyes, which were just beginning to open. She smiled reassuringly and said, "It's all right, you're all better now..."
The girl's eyes widened with fright.
"Alhenio carim..." [1]
Healer Tiane gasped. "A Karsite? What is this devilry...?"
Josie glared at her. "It's happened before!"
"And he is as rotten as the rest!"
Before Josie could think of a retort, there was a whisper in her mind.
:Get yourself and my Chosen over my saddle, and hold on tight. We have to get out of here before the rest of the village learn they have a Karsite in their midst...:
And in a thought she leapt, leaving Tiane and the rest of the village in the dust behind her.
~
All Karsite is modified Sindarin... hey, Sindarin had the right syntax, and it saved me having to make it up!
[1] I do not understand...
