A two updates in two days, I hope you feel privileged. I feel
privileged to be able to do more than homework and running on a Monday
night; eating and sleeping are great. I don't know how long this story will
be, but I guess it will be over my original plan of 15 chapters; the
chapters are shorter than I had planned. Please review; if you don't I
might just put Stella at a cliff-hanger and leave her there for all
eternity. Of course, the location and some of the characters belong to
Tamora Piece, may she write many more books set in Tortall.
Stella was suddenly wide awake; it's amazing what dangerous sharp objects will do. She scrambled away from the knife point and stood up to look at her assailant. He was a short and plump little boy, about six or seven years old, with pale brown hair and lightly tanned skin. She gasped with relief; she didn't think he could hurt her. In fact, the knife he held in his hand was the same one that Fury had slipped into her hand the night before.
"Who are you?" she asked. He was well dressed; he certainly wasn't a beggar or a woodsman's child.
"I am Lord Lucas of Lakefront," he told her in a supercilious tone, as though Stella ought to be bowing down at the very site of him. "And now, I think I shall deign to inquire who you might be," he appeared to think Stella was some sort of garden slug.
Stella glared at him; she had never cared for disdainful nobles-she had learned to judge at an early age which people were likely to yell at her and slap her, and which were likely to remember her name and toss her a sweet. Lord Lucas looked like the offspring of the yelling and slapping variety. "I am Stella Groomsman," she said in a tone that matched his haughtiness exactly. "And now, I think I shall deign to inquire what you might be doing here." Well, thought Stella, what does he expect after waking me up the way he did.
"I am getting my parents to better appreciate me by running away from home. I'm going to hire you as a guide." Stella resisted the urge to spank him-it was incredibly difficult.
"You are, are you?" Stella didn't want to be employed to a spoiled brat who was only half her age.
"Yes, I am." He had to be one of those kids who had never been told no in his life, there was no question in his mind. "You can start by caring for my mount whilst I refresh myself. You should have some expertise in that line of work at least, even if you are probably a terrible valet. It's a shame I couldn't get some proper service to run off with me." He sighed as though burdened with running the universe.
Stella felt his horse walk up behind her then. She was a tolerant and patient seeming mare. Dapple grey and about nine years old, she looked as though Locus wasn't the first spoiled brat she had toted around for no thanks. Hello dear, she said to Stella. Her saddle was still on her from the night before, she was coated in sweat and grime, she looked absolutely exhausted, and Stella could tell she was terribly thirsty.
Stella took a deep breath, preparing to start in on a lecture in proper horse care when Pinecone trotted up-looking just as disheveled as Lucus's horse. He gave a horse cough, you were saying?
"Right," Stella said. "Look, Lord Lucas, my horse is a mess too. So am I. So are you. You have to take care of yourself if you are going to run away. You have to be independent. And, you have to take care of Mouse here. If you don't know how, I'll show you, but you have to do the work yourself, I have other things to do." I just can't think of them right now, she told herself.
She began to show him how to untack a horse. Midway though, he began to actually help her.
"It is interesting," he said in a condescending tone, "to get a new perspective on life by performing the menial chores of life often done by servants." The only thing that saved him from being pounded into the ground right then was that Stella didn't want to end up tried for the murder of a noble. "You are hired. You do all right, and you know a few useful things."
"No, no, no, no. I resign. Your parents will be looking for you; if I'm found near you I'll probably be accused of kidnap which on top of horse- theft could land me in prison for a really long time." Not to mention that the idea of spending more than a few more minutes in the company of Lord Lucas was enough to make her stomach drop out.
"Oh, so you're the one." Lucas smiled smugly.
"Which one?" Stella panicked.
"The stable girl that's run of with one of the kings horse; Father said she might be near our land. People were talking about it until the . Anyways, if you don't come with me, I'll run back home and send all the guards after you. Mama would be ever so proud if I caught a thief."
Stella let out a string of words "Mama" probably wouldn't have wanted her baby hearing and glared at him. "All right," she growled, "I'll come with you." She didn't want to be turned in as a horse thief. What choice did she have?
Quote time: "We came to this town with long hair. We stand now with haircuts. This guy is going to get it bad." -Sulia Serafine, I think this quote is from A Life Less Ordinary
Stella was suddenly wide awake; it's amazing what dangerous sharp objects will do. She scrambled away from the knife point and stood up to look at her assailant. He was a short and plump little boy, about six or seven years old, with pale brown hair and lightly tanned skin. She gasped with relief; she didn't think he could hurt her. In fact, the knife he held in his hand was the same one that Fury had slipped into her hand the night before.
"Who are you?" she asked. He was well dressed; he certainly wasn't a beggar or a woodsman's child.
"I am Lord Lucas of Lakefront," he told her in a supercilious tone, as though Stella ought to be bowing down at the very site of him. "And now, I think I shall deign to inquire who you might be," he appeared to think Stella was some sort of garden slug.
Stella glared at him; she had never cared for disdainful nobles-she had learned to judge at an early age which people were likely to yell at her and slap her, and which were likely to remember her name and toss her a sweet. Lord Lucas looked like the offspring of the yelling and slapping variety. "I am Stella Groomsman," she said in a tone that matched his haughtiness exactly. "And now, I think I shall deign to inquire what you might be doing here." Well, thought Stella, what does he expect after waking me up the way he did.
"I am getting my parents to better appreciate me by running away from home. I'm going to hire you as a guide." Stella resisted the urge to spank him-it was incredibly difficult.
"You are, are you?" Stella didn't want to be employed to a spoiled brat who was only half her age.
"Yes, I am." He had to be one of those kids who had never been told no in his life, there was no question in his mind. "You can start by caring for my mount whilst I refresh myself. You should have some expertise in that line of work at least, even if you are probably a terrible valet. It's a shame I couldn't get some proper service to run off with me." He sighed as though burdened with running the universe.
Stella felt his horse walk up behind her then. She was a tolerant and patient seeming mare. Dapple grey and about nine years old, she looked as though Locus wasn't the first spoiled brat she had toted around for no thanks. Hello dear, she said to Stella. Her saddle was still on her from the night before, she was coated in sweat and grime, she looked absolutely exhausted, and Stella could tell she was terribly thirsty.
Stella took a deep breath, preparing to start in on a lecture in proper horse care when Pinecone trotted up-looking just as disheveled as Lucus's horse. He gave a horse cough, you were saying?
"Right," Stella said. "Look, Lord Lucas, my horse is a mess too. So am I. So are you. You have to take care of yourself if you are going to run away. You have to be independent. And, you have to take care of Mouse here. If you don't know how, I'll show you, but you have to do the work yourself, I have other things to do." I just can't think of them right now, she told herself.
She began to show him how to untack a horse. Midway though, he began to actually help her.
"It is interesting," he said in a condescending tone, "to get a new perspective on life by performing the menial chores of life often done by servants." The only thing that saved him from being pounded into the ground right then was that Stella didn't want to end up tried for the murder of a noble. "You are hired. You do all right, and you know a few useful things."
"No, no, no, no. I resign. Your parents will be looking for you; if I'm found near you I'll probably be accused of kidnap which on top of horse- theft could land me in prison for a really long time." Not to mention that the idea of spending more than a few more minutes in the company of Lord Lucas was enough to make her stomach drop out.
"Oh, so you're the one." Lucas smiled smugly.
"Which one?" Stella panicked.
"The stable girl that's run of with one of the kings horse; Father said she might be near our land. People were talking about it until the . Anyways, if you don't come with me, I'll run back home and send all the guards after you. Mama would be ever so proud if I caught a thief."
Stella let out a string of words "Mama" probably wouldn't have wanted her baby hearing and glared at him. "All right," she growled, "I'll come with you." She didn't want to be turned in as a horse thief. What choice did she have?
Quote time: "We came to this town with long hair. We stand now with haircuts. This guy is going to get it bad." -Sulia Serafine, I think this quote is from A Life Less Ordinary