I hate having writer's block so much!!! *rips hair out* I try to console
myself by claiming that it is a professional ailment, but . . . gah!
Anyway, I struggled through mind blanks, revision, summer colds and exams
to present this to you - eventually. Though I suspect that it is probably
not done to the best of my ability, I hope it will keep you lot satisfied!
Also I am ecstatic about the number of reviews I've received - I'm hoping
that the next couple of chapters will allow the 250 mark to be broken. I'm
so sad. I really have no life. 'Tis true, reviews are the elixir of my
existence!
Shieldmaiden: Wow. Thank you for your never-ending supply of reviews. That sort of dedication cannot go unrewarded! *grin* I'm still alive!!!!!!!!!! Right, anyway, yeah . . .
XXX: 'Kay! 'Tis updated! : ) They are probably going off on a tangent, yeah. - I don't overstretch myself - much!!
Numair's Daine: Thank you, and sorry I haven't reviewed your fic for ages - I haven't been on the site.
Martini: I know I took my own sweet time about this, thank you for the reviews!
Rhapsody07: Why does Gainel annoy you? Anyway, yes it's a premonition - what a pity it didn't finish . .!
Sabrina11: Thank you : P
Flack: No that's not sad, that's just really good to hear! I'm glad that it could keep you interested.
Snakefeather: I will not leave this story unfinished, don't worry. It may just take some time to be completed!
Wildmage101: Sorry I kept you waiting! When I got your last review I realised how long it had been since I updated last. Forgive me. : ) And sunscreen on her tongue? Weird mental image!
Daine: Thank you!
Erynwen: Thank you - how can I deny you an update when you phrase it like that?!
Bahja: I'll try and put another shipping in, but I don't think I can do the one you suggested for reasons not yet known!
Shadowweaver1: Cheers for the comments! Nah, won't kill Numair, I don't think!
Starlight: And then I get . . .? What? Unfinished sentences - confusion! Sorry bout cliffy : )
Tamorafan: !!! Pyromaniac !!! - oh, and thanks!
Dracos Myth: Thank you, I tried.
Zara: Maybe this next chapter will help clear up some of the confusion. Ill admit that I've lost myself in some parts!
Lady Satine Threepwood: Les Mis and Tamora Pierce? Interesting combination! Don't worry, she won't die . . . yet!
ASV: Yeah, more fluff soon, but not quite yet!
Bojanglesbiscuit: Thank you!
Egit: More fluff after a little bit of sadness and angst I'm afraid. This chapter should explain the meaning of her dream.
Kylaia: Be afraid, be very afraid! How was x2? Why haven't you updated your story - pleas don't abandon it!
Kit49: It wasn't too nasty a place to stop was it? Thank you anyway, so here's some more : )
Shadowfax: next time a chapter is cut off, return to the previous one and try again - I find that that usually solves the problem. Thanks for the review!
Queen's Own: I think it was your begging that got me to write this chapter - either that or a five month absence from writing was doing funny things to my mind!
E molto grazie to anyone I missed!
And When Dreams Come True
The rain was coming down in sheets now, a liquid veil limiting everyone's range of vision to about a foot and a half in front of their noses. Numair had tried to protect the whole ride from the downpour by creating a canopy with his Gift, but Buri had overruled him, ordering him to save his strength for the upcoming fight. Consequently there wasn't a single person who wasn't drenched to the bone, shivering violently as water slipped across frozen skin and drops cascaded as small rivers off noses and brims of hats. The wind did nothing to help the matter, lashing against them, whipping hair into faces and eyes, blinding people even further. Regardless of this the group pressed on, driven by their duty.
"Commander, this is a foolish thing to do in such weather. Must we continue?"
The young Rider's cry was faint, barely audible through the wind but Buri heard it all the same and swung round, anger flashing momentarily in her dark eyes.
"Yes, we must. The spidrens will be as disadvantaged as we are by this weather. They will be forced to stay together under shelter, and so we can rout them out and . . ."
She left the sentence hanging, allowing everyone's overactive imaginations to end it with a suitably grisly scenario. Daine noted with sympathy the pale, sickened look that crept under shadow across the faces of some. All the mounts shared her own disgust, and their complaints nearly deafened the girl; with a grimace she shut off her magical hearing, leaving only her senses to detect any immortals.
Daine glanced over at Numair briefly and bit her lip in amusement at the sight of him. One hand was resting against his forehead, shielding his eyes from the onslaught of rain and the other hand was clenched so tightly around Spots' reins that his knuckles had turned white. 'Of course that could just be the cold,' she thought absent-mindedly. Numair was balancing precariously astride the gelding's back, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before he fell off, regarding the weather. Looking up he noted the amusement in her face and scowled darkly at the girl.
A familiar tugging sensation pulled at the back of the girl's mind and an image of gold flashed inside her eyelids, warning her of the presence of immortals nearby. Urging Cloud forward, she caught up with the Commander.
"Buri, the spidrens are near. They're 'bout half a mile west, give or take."
"How many?" the K'miri questioned, already making mental preparations.
"Around about thirty, I'd say, though some of them are young ones."
"Nevertheless, they all still present a danger. What about the humans?"
"Couldn't say. Can't sense them with my magic." The girl looked troubled. It was no good asking any of the people to help her count the humans - all the animals had long since fled the forest due to the presence of the spidrens. Buri nodded, smiling grimly and headed off west with the ride following close behind.
As they plunged into the forest, the pungent scent of wet earth and the cloying sweetness of trampled fruits stirred around them. Overhead the glistening canopy of leaves afforded a little protection from the weather but the only thing that they noticed was the silence that resounded through the trees. A Rider yelped quietly as old grey webbing brushed her cheek but wilted under Buri's reproving glare. The Commander exchanged a quick glance with Daine, asking without words for directions. The girl moved to the head of the ride, leading them close to a rocky area near a river that had swelled to double its size in the rain and was hammering viciously at the banks. As the others drew level she pointed to a darkened shadow in the face of the rock.
"In there," she whispered. "There's a whole nest of them creatures hiding in that cave."
Buri signalled the message to the others, warning them to keep an eye open for the renegade humans who were hiding somewhere near the clearing. They nodded their understanding and silently slipped their weapons from their resting-places on their bodies. Numair removed something from his saddlebags, shrouding the object carefully with his magic.
"It's blazebalm, magelet," he explained, indicating the jelly-like substance which he now was levitating towards the entrance to the cave. Daine nodded - she remembered the war weapon all too well since it had killed Kitten's mother, Flamewing, three years ago. At a signal from Buri, Numair hurled the blazebalm into the cave and quickly sealed the entrance with a veil of his magic.
Through the sparkling fire a huge explosion of wicked flames roared into being, slamming spidren bodies against the walls with the force of it. Screams from the dying immortals ripped into the air as they were burnt alive, their last defiance ringing clear only to be swallowed by more eager tongues of flame. Daine shuddered involuntarily as she felt the immortals thrash and die; behind her she could hear some of the younger recruits retch into the undergrowth, disgusted by this apparent act of murder. What if there had been human prisoners in there as well? Her blood ran cold with the thought. There had been no reports that any humans had been abducted from the nearby villages but all the same . . .
"Are you alright, Daine?" A large hand settled on her shoulder and she looked up into worried brown eyes. His soft enquiry roused her from her reverie and she smiled weakly at the lanky mage. Entwining her fingers with his she squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"I'm fine, Numair. I was only wondering if . . ."
An arrow slammed into a trunk that stood no more than a metre away. Daine leapt backwards, stifling a scream of shock. She had forgotten about the human renegades. Numair pulled her out of the path of another missile as she suddenly noticed that all the renegades had appeared without warning in the surrounding bushes. Stringing her own bow, she shot, albeit not to kill.
The Riders had their own weapons drawn and quickly began to dispatch the attackers, taking advantage of the poor organisation and bad visibility. The enemy was falling one by one , most wounded, some dead.
Daine's breath was coming in gasps from the exertion of fighting after a long ride and from the rush of adrenaline. As she turned and lowered her bow, images of a place similar to this flashed through her mind. 'I've been here before,' she realised. This was where she had been in her dream as three different scenes of death had appeared. She wasn't dead; she hadn't been injured so far by a quarrel, which only left the third option open, the uncompleted one
"Gods, no" she whispered in horror, realisation dawning too late. Suddenly, a glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; she was moving, but fire whipped across her neck, the metal teeth burning. Nearby someone ran forward as the world began to spin. She could feel the warm trickle of blood as it flowed down the curve of her neck and spilled across her collarbone. She was vaguely aware of the tell-tale hiss of another arrow headed towards her, but dizzy from the first shot, she could not react.
Suddenly an indistinct figure bounded forward and seizing Daine around her waist, threw her to the ground. A sharp scream burst from the figure's lips, and they stumbled, trying to drag out the arrow that was embedded deep in their back. Another arrow slammed into their chest, driving them to their knees, where they swayed, trying to fight off the darkness that threatened to claim them. Their dark hair fell across their face, half- concealing the expression of acceptance and resignation that flickered across their gentle features.
The battle around her ceased to exist as recognition of the tortured figure that lay at her feet struck her. Her mind froze, unwilling to register any grief, unwilling to register anything at all and she dropped to her knees, numb. Stretching out a trembling hand, she touched her saviour's shaking frame. The movement seemed detached from reality, but as soon as she felt the clammy skin beneath her fingertips, a dry sob rose in her throat and her world came crashing down.
*****
Sorry that it's a short chapter - you deserve more for having waited so patiently for so long. Nevertheless, I think that it's a good cliff-hanger, no? I will post more after this if you forgive me for the wait.
Ciao!
Shieldmaiden: Wow. Thank you for your never-ending supply of reviews. That sort of dedication cannot go unrewarded! *grin* I'm still alive!!!!!!!!!! Right, anyway, yeah . . .
XXX: 'Kay! 'Tis updated! : ) They are probably going off on a tangent, yeah. - I don't overstretch myself - much!!
Numair's Daine: Thank you, and sorry I haven't reviewed your fic for ages - I haven't been on the site.
Martini: I know I took my own sweet time about this, thank you for the reviews!
Rhapsody07: Why does Gainel annoy you? Anyway, yes it's a premonition - what a pity it didn't finish . .!
Sabrina11: Thank you : P
Flack: No that's not sad, that's just really good to hear! I'm glad that it could keep you interested.
Snakefeather: I will not leave this story unfinished, don't worry. It may just take some time to be completed!
Wildmage101: Sorry I kept you waiting! When I got your last review I realised how long it had been since I updated last. Forgive me. : ) And sunscreen on her tongue? Weird mental image!
Daine: Thank you!
Erynwen: Thank you - how can I deny you an update when you phrase it like that?!
Bahja: I'll try and put another shipping in, but I don't think I can do the one you suggested for reasons not yet known!
Shadowweaver1: Cheers for the comments! Nah, won't kill Numair, I don't think!
Starlight: And then I get . . .? What? Unfinished sentences - confusion! Sorry bout cliffy : )
Tamorafan: !!! Pyromaniac !!! - oh, and thanks!
Dracos Myth: Thank you, I tried.
Zara: Maybe this next chapter will help clear up some of the confusion. Ill admit that I've lost myself in some parts!
Lady Satine Threepwood: Les Mis and Tamora Pierce? Interesting combination! Don't worry, she won't die . . . yet!
ASV: Yeah, more fluff soon, but not quite yet!
Bojanglesbiscuit: Thank you!
Egit: More fluff after a little bit of sadness and angst I'm afraid. This chapter should explain the meaning of her dream.
Kylaia: Be afraid, be very afraid! How was x2? Why haven't you updated your story - pleas don't abandon it!
Kit49: It wasn't too nasty a place to stop was it? Thank you anyway, so here's some more : )
Shadowfax: next time a chapter is cut off, return to the previous one and try again - I find that that usually solves the problem. Thanks for the review!
Queen's Own: I think it was your begging that got me to write this chapter - either that or a five month absence from writing was doing funny things to my mind!
E molto grazie to anyone I missed!
And When Dreams Come True
The rain was coming down in sheets now, a liquid veil limiting everyone's range of vision to about a foot and a half in front of their noses. Numair had tried to protect the whole ride from the downpour by creating a canopy with his Gift, but Buri had overruled him, ordering him to save his strength for the upcoming fight. Consequently there wasn't a single person who wasn't drenched to the bone, shivering violently as water slipped across frozen skin and drops cascaded as small rivers off noses and brims of hats. The wind did nothing to help the matter, lashing against them, whipping hair into faces and eyes, blinding people even further. Regardless of this the group pressed on, driven by their duty.
"Commander, this is a foolish thing to do in such weather. Must we continue?"
The young Rider's cry was faint, barely audible through the wind but Buri heard it all the same and swung round, anger flashing momentarily in her dark eyes.
"Yes, we must. The spidrens will be as disadvantaged as we are by this weather. They will be forced to stay together under shelter, and so we can rout them out and . . ."
She left the sentence hanging, allowing everyone's overactive imaginations to end it with a suitably grisly scenario. Daine noted with sympathy the pale, sickened look that crept under shadow across the faces of some. All the mounts shared her own disgust, and their complaints nearly deafened the girl; with a grimace she shut off her magical hearing, leaving only her senses to detect any immortals.
Daine glanced over at Numair briefly and bit her lip in amusement at the sight of him. One hand was resting against his forehead, shielding his eyes from the onslaught of rain and the other hand was clenched so tightly around Spots' reins that his knuckles had turned white. 'Of course that could just be the cold,' she thought absent-mindedly. Numair was balancing precariously astride the gelding's back, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before he fell off, regarding the weather. Looking up he noted the amusement in her face and scowled darkly at the girl.
A familiar tugging sensation pulled at the back of the girl's mind and an image of gold flashed inside her eyelids, warning her of the presence of immortals nearby. Urging Cloud forward, she caught up with the Commander.
"Buri, the spidrens are near. They're 'bout half a mile west, give or take."
"How many?" the K'miri questioned, already making mental preparations.
"Around about thirty, I'd say, though some of them are young ones."
"Nevertheless, they all still present a danger. What about the humans?"
"Couldn't say. Can't sense them with my magic." The girl looked troubled. It was no good asking any of the people to help her count the humans - all the animals had long since fled the forest due to the presence of the spidrens. Buri nodded, smiling grimly and headed off west with the ride following close behind.
As they plunged into the forest, the pungent scent of wet earth and the cloying sweetness of trampled fruits stirred around them. Overhead the glistening canopy of leaves afforded a little protection from the weather but the only thing that they noticed was the silence that resounded through the trees. A Rider yelped quietly as old grey webbing brushed her cheek but wilted under Buri's reproving glare. The Commander exchanged a quick glance with Daine, asking without words for directions. The girl moved to the head of the ride, leading them close to a rocky area near a river that had swelled to double its size in the rain and was hammering viciously at the banks. As the others drew level she pointed to a darkened shadow in the face of the rock.
"In there," she whispered. "There's a whole nest of them creatures hiding in that cave."
Buri signalled the message to the others, warning them to keep an eye open for the renegade humans who were hiding somewhere near the clearing. They nodded their understanding and silently slipped their weapons from their resting-places on their bodies. Numair removed something from his saddlebags, shrouding the object carefully with his magic.
"It's blazebalm, magelet," he explained, indicating the jelly-like substance which he now was levitating towards the entrance to the cave. Daine nodded - she remembered the war weapon all too well since it had killed Kitten's mother, Flamewing, three years ago. At a signal from Buri, Numair hurled the blazebalm into the cave and quickly sealed the entrance with a veil of his magic.
Through the sparkling fire a huge explosion of wicked flames roared into being, slamming spidren bodies against the walls with the force of it. Screams from the dying immortals ripped into the air as they were burnt alive, their last defiance ringing clear only to be swallowed by more eager tongues of flame. Daine shuddered involuntarily as she felt the immortals thrash and die; behind her she could hear some of the younger recruits retch into the undergrowth, disgusted by this apparent act of murder. What if there had been human prisoners in there as well? Her blood ran cold with the thought. There had been no reports that any humans had been abducted from the nearby villages but all the same . . .
"Are you alright, Daine?" A large hand settled on her shoulder and she looked up into worried brown eyes. His soft enquiry roused her from her reverie and she smiled weakly at the lanky mage. Entwining her fingers with his she squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"I'm fine, Numair. I was only wondering if . . ."
An arrow slammed into a trunk that stood no more than a metre away. Daine leapt backwards, stifling a scream of shock. She had forgotten about the human renegades. Numair pulled her out of the path of another missile as she suddenly noticed that all the renegades had appeared without warning in the surrounding bushes. Stringing her own bow, she shot, albeit not to kill.
The Riders had their own weapons drawn and quickly began to dispatch the attackers, taking advantage of the poor organisation and bad visibility. The enemy was falling one by one , most wounded, some dead.
Daine's breath was coming in gasps from the exertion of fighting after a long ride and from the rush of adrenaline. As she turned and lowered her bow, images of a place similar to this flashed through her mind. 'I've been here before,' she realised. This was where she had been in her dream as three different scenes of death had appeared. She wasn't dead; she hadn't been injured so far by a quarrel, which only left the third option open, the uncompleted one
"Gods, no" she whispered in horror, realisation dawning too late. Suddenly, a glint of metal at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she spun, ready to meet the impending onslaught; she was moving, but fire whipped across her neck, the metal teeth burning. Nearby someone ran forward as the world began to spin. She could feel the warm trickle of blood as it flowed down the curve of her neck and spilled across her collarbone. She was vaguely aware of the tell-tale hiss of another arrow headed towards her, but dizzy from the first shot, she could not react.
Suddenly an indistinct figure bounded forward and seizing Daine around her waist, threw her to the ground. A sharp scream burst from the figure's lips, and they stumbled, trying to drag out the arrow that was embedded deep in their back. Another arrow slammed into their chest, driving them to their knees, where they swayed, trying to fight off the darkness that threatened to claim them. Their dark hair fell across their face, half- concealing the expression of acceptance and resignation that flickered across their gentle features.
The battle around her ceased to exist as recognition of the tortured figure that lay at her feet struck her. Her mind froze, unwilling to register any grief, unwilling to register anything at all and she dropped to her knees, numb. Stretching out a trembling hand, she touched her saviour's shaking frame. The movement seemed detached from reality, but as soon as she felt the clammy skin beneath her fingertips, a dry sob rose in her throat and her world came crashing down.
*****
Sorry that it's a short chapter - you deserve more for having waited so patiently for so long. Nevertheless, I think that it's a good cliff-hanger, no? I will post more after this if you forgive me for the wait.
Ciao!