DISCLAIMER: Blah blah blah... I don't own it. *Sigh*
NOTE: Hey to all of my reviewers I love you AlyEvenstar! You are reviewing
one of my friend's stories, too: Rambling Thestral. She's great! I love the
Tamora Pierce books, too! Everyone should read a really great story called:
A Dream Come True, by: three amigas! They are awesome! I hope you enjoy my
'lovely' story. I promise some special characters will be joining soon...
^.^
The travel had been long and rough. Gamine was tiring. She had no idea how long it had been since she had left her home on foot— it could have been weeks or months. She had managed to kill or hide from passing orcs since then. Her tattered dress had once been green, but it had now turned an ugly brown color. She had not been able to take a decent bath since she had left, for she knew she had to get wherever she was going soon.
She decided to stop for the night in a village she came across. She had no clue where she was. She had avoided towns before, but she knew she needed to join civilization again so that she could be sure other people were real. Now, though, she decided to put the little money she had managed to steal before the orcs had reached them to good use.
Gamine was about to enter the town when she thought of something, "A young woman traveling all by herself is just asking for trouble. How am I going to get out of this?"
She turned around and headed back the way she had come. Once she reached the woods, she dropped to her knees and pulled out her sword. Soon, dark- blonde locks of hair were falling to the ground. Once she was done, she put her hands up to her head, where her hair now fell just past her ears.
"This is better," she thought to herself.
Pulling her small pack out again, she took out a loose shirt and a pair of pants much too large for her. She had no choice, though; she could not pretend to be male while wearing a dress. After pulling on the large clothing, she turned back towards the town.
Gamine stopped at the first tavern she reached. There, she paid for a night's stay and warm water for a bath. She was led to her room by a brusque maid. Closing the door, Gamine sighed with happiness; she could finally have a real bath.
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* ^*^*
Armir sat in his home— the home that was supposed to be theirs...together. All hopes of that were gone now. He regretted it. However, he had to move on. Now that there had been a suitable time in which he had grieved his beloved, he was going to have to begin wooing another. He had to marry a girl soon before he was no longer wanted... At least, that is what his mother had told him.
He did not wish to marry anyone else, though. He would rather die than go back on his love for Gamine. He remembered her sandy blonde hair and sparkling eyes, her pale skin and callused hands— they were beautiful hands to him. That was when he decided that he was not going to marry. He would leave his home and travel!
This decision being made, Armir prepared for his journey.
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* ^*^*
Gamine had bought some new clothes from a small shop next to the tavern. These fit her much better than the ones she had taken from her father. Now, clean, she felt much better. She now sat on a stool in the ale house, drinking a mug of spirits. Their taste was sweet to her after only drinking muddy water for so long.
Her cloak was pulled up, hiding her small smile as she heard a comical song, sung by two short men. She looked over to see that they were not actually Men, but hobbits, a race of beings her father had spoken of. Her smile disappeared as she remembered her father. She had left him to think her dead.
Her thoughts were interrupted as yells broke out near the hobbits. They were closely followed by complete silence. Many of the Men that had been enjoying the hobbits' song were now sidling away from them. Gamine sat up, and looked over. The hobbits were still the center of attention, but it was not the kind of attention that anyone would want. She noticed the other two hobbits, also standing in the middle of the circle. They moved quickly away, towards their rooms.
Gamine noticed a cloaked figure like herself sweep after them. Making a split-second decision, she followed the figure. She came to the hobbits' room and placed her ear to the door. She heard muffled noises and then nothing. She listened intently, hoping the small beings had not come to harm. She did not know, nor did she care, why the Men in the tavern had been afraid of them.
Finally, she knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she opened it to find four small beds that were seemingly occupied. She went to the nearest one and found that there was no hobbit, but a pile of pillows underneath the blankets. She ran to the small window and saw the edge of a cloak sweep out of sight across the street.
Gamine quickly exited the building and went to the tavern across the way. For some reason, she felt it was her duty to protect the halflings. When she reached the neighboring building, she found the room the hobbits had gone in, and she kept watch the whole night by that door. She only nodded to sleep once, but she quickly came awake again as she heard screams of rage from the tavern across the street— unnatural screams. As the black riders left the tavern, she shuddered, glad she was keeping watch over the small creatures inside the room at her back.
The travel had been long and rough. Gamine was tiring. She had no idea how long it had been since she had left her home on foot— it could have been weeks or months. She had managed to kill or hide from passing orcs since then. Her tattered dress had once been green, but it had now turned an ugly brown color. She had not been able to take a decent bath since she had left, for she knew she had to get wherever she was going soon.
She decided to stop for the night in a village she came across. She had no clue where she was. She had avoided towns before, but she knew she needed to join civilization again so that she could be sure other people were real. Now, though, she decided to put the little money she had managed to steal before the orcs had reached them to good use.
Gamine was about to enter the town when she thought of something, "A young woman traveling all by herself is just asking for trouble. How am I going to get out of this?"
She turned around and headed back the way she had come. Once she reached the woods, she dropped to her knees and pulled out her sword. Soon, dark- blonde locks of hair were falling to the ground. Once she was done, she put her hands up to her head, where her hair now fell just past her ears.
"This is better," she thought to herself.
Pulling her small pack out again, she took out a loose shirt and a pair of pants much too large for her. She had no choice, though; she could not pretend to be male while wearing a dress. After pulling on the large clothing, she turned back towards the town.
Gamine stopped at the first tavern she reached. There, she paid for a night's stay and warm water for a bath. She was led to her room by a brusque maid. Closing the door, Gamine sighed with happiness; she could finally have a real bath.
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* ^*^*
Armir sat in his home— the home that was supposed to be theirs...together. All hopes of that were gone now. He regretted it. However, he had to move on. Now that there had been a suitable time in which he had grieved his beloved, he was going to have to begin wooing another. He had to marry a girl soon before he was no longer wanted... At least, that is what his mother had told him.
He did not wish to marry anyone else, though. He would rather die than go back on his love for Gamine. He remembered her sandy blonde hair and sparkling eyes, her pale skin and callused hands— they were beautiful hands to him. That was when he decided that he was not going to marry. He would leave his home and travel!
This decision being made, Armir prepared for his journey.
*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* ^*^*
Gamine had bought some new clothes from a small shop next to the tavern. These fit her much better than the ones she had taken from her father. Now, clean, she felt much better. She now sat on a stool in the ale house, drinking a mug of spirits. Their taste was sweet to her after only drinking muddy water for so long.
Her cloak was pulled up, hiding her small smile as she heard a comical song, sung by two short men. She looked over to see that they were not actually Men, but hobbits, a race of beings her father had spoken of. Her smile disappeared as she remembered her father. She had left him to think her dead.
Her thoughts were interrupted as yells broke out near the hobbits. They were closely followed by complete silence. Many of the Men that had been enjoying the hobbits' song were now sidling away from them. Gamine sat up, and looked over. The hobbits were still the center of attention, but it was not the kind of attention that anyone would want. She noticed the other two hobbits, also standing in the middle of the circle. They moved quickly away, towards their rooms.
Gamine noticed a cloaked figure like herself sweep after them. Making a split-second decision, she followed the figure. She came to the hobbits' room and placed her ear to the door. She heard muffled noises and then nothing. She listened intently, hoping the small beings had not come to harm. She did not know, nor did she care, why the Men in the tavern had been afraid of them.
Finally, she knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she opened it to find four small beds that were seemingly occupied. She went to the nearest one and found that there was no hobbit, but a pile of pillows underneath the blankets. She ran to the small window and saw the edge of a cloak sweep out of sight across the street.
Gamine quickly exited the building and went to the tavern across the way. For some reason, she felt it was her duty to protect the halflings. When she reached the neighboring building, she found the room the hobbits had gone in, and she kept watch the whole night by that door. She only nodded to sleep once, but she quickly came awake again as she heard screams of rage from the tavern across the street— unnatural screams. As the black riders left the tavern, she shuddered, glad she was keeping watch over the small creatures inside the room at her back.