Sorry about the delay again. Drivers Ed is the biggest waste of time.
I am going to try to update every Friday from now on, and maybe Mondays or
Wednesdays too depending on my schedule. As always, the location and some
of the characters belong to the magnificent Tamora Pierce.
A shadow seemed to be forming out of the darkness around them. Twisting and shaping itself until it had tangible form. Stella thought it might be gathering itself into one of the shadow men. Don't panic, she thought; and then she promptly proceeded to panic. "Hurry," she called to the boy behind her. He kicked Mouse sharply but the small pony was already running as fast as she could, and besides, she was tired from a day of traveling.
"She can't keep up," Lucas called to Stella. And Stella saw that the shadow was inching closer and closer to Mouse and Lucas. She swallowed and tried to judge the distance to the village, she thought that maybe if they could get close enough to the lantern light the shadow creature would leave them alone.
It was too far, Mouse would never make it. "I'm coming," she called back. In an act of will, she turned Pinecone around and raced back towards Mouse. She turned again, so that Pinecone and Mouse were running in the same direction. She slowed Pinecone and Mouse to a trot. Then she reached and put her arms around Lord Lucas's waist. "Ready?" she asked. He was too frightened to nod. She tried to lift him out of the saddle and put him in front of her. He was too heavy. In the end she slid him off the side of Mouse and pulled him, kicking and screaming, up to Pinecone's withers.
The second Lucas was secure on Pinecone Stella urged him to a faster pace. Pinecone quickly pulled ahead of Mouse. The pony struggled to keep up, panicking at the scent of evil behind her. It smelled of death and rotting things. But Mouse was couldn't catch up to Pinecone, Pinecone, in his own would not be persuaded to slow down. Stella kept throwing anguished glances over her shoulder as Mouse was overtaken. Tears filled her staring as Mouse was surrounded by the shadow, she seemed to age, die, and decay within seconds. After a minute there was nothing left of Mouse except bones.
Pinecone ran faster and faster. They gained the shelter of the lantern light instants before the shadow. As soon as they entered the village the shadow pulled back and condensed itself into several robed figures, which shrank back into the darkness to wait. Pinecone slowed to a trot and Stella guided him to a rather dingy looking inn, the only one in the village.
There was no stable boy so Stella had to care for Pinecone herself, trying to calm his nerves and her own, while Lord Lucas sat in a tearstained heap in the corner.
"Come on," Stella said, "let's go dry off." She took his hand and led him across the courtyard to the inn door. The interior of the inn was brightly lit, and it looked as though the owners had tried to keep it in good condition, but were currently short on money. A delectable smell was coming from the large and very battered pot hanging over the cooking fire. It was very warm. Stella couldn't help smiling.
They were greeted by a middle aged woman in a dress that looked like it had seen better days. "What can I do for you lads?"
Of course, in her winter clothes, no one would be able to tell she was female. With her hair tied back simply she probably looked like a thirteen-year-old boy. Stella decided not to correct the woman's mistake, maybe a disguise would keep her for being noticed; she breathed a quiet prayer of thanks that Lucas was too tired to notice and pipe up about the mistake.
"Supper and rooms for the night, please," Stella stammered out between chattering teeth.
"Just set your packs in the corner there, Lissar will carry them up." She cast about the room for an empty table and led them to one near the fire. Stella was surprised at how crowded the inn was; it seemed to be the only gathering place in the run-down village. She brought each of them large bowls the soup, which was mostly vegetable but had good chicken broth in it, and fresh bread. It had been ages since their last hot meal, and many hours since the last time they had eaten, and both dug in eagerly. Lord Lucas attacked his vegetables with surprising relish.
The inn was surprisingly crowded for the weather and the time of year, or perhaps it wasn't surprising that the people of the village should gather together in difficult times. In any case, the innkeeper and his wife and daughters were kept busy. Stella and Lucas had stayed in the dining room after most of the crowd had left. Stella tucked herslef into a corner, nursing a cup of hot cider while the innkeeper's twins, two tall skinny girls of about ten, cleaned up the tables.
After a while, the innkeeper himself came out and slumped into a chair by the fire. His daughters' bright eyes fell on him at once, and "Tell us a story, Da" they both pleaded simultaneously. Their father gave a weary chuckle and agreed.
"Which story?" he asked with a quiet sigh.
"The one about the night-" started Melia,
"Wizards." Delia finished the sentence.
At the girls words Stella felt a shiver run down her spine. She had the sudden sensation of remembering a dream. She knew instantly that this had happened before and that this was part of her own story. Swallowed hard and then settled back, silent as a stone, to listen to the tale.
By the way, Melia and Delia are based on real people. Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.
Quote: "So its always a new story. I mean it's the same, but its different." - Solomon The Price Arthur Miller
Thank you so much for reading and please review.
A shadow seemed to be forming out of the darkness around them. Twisting and shaping itself until it had tangible form. Stella thought it might be gathering itself into one of the shadow men. Don't panic, she thought; and then she promptly proceeded to panic. "Hurry," she called to the boy behind her. He kicked Mouse sharply but the small pony was already running as fast as she could, and besides, she was tired from a day of traveling.
"She can't keep up," Lucas called to Stella. And Stella saw that the shadow was inching closer and closer to Mouse and Lucas. She swallowed and tried to judge the distance to the village, she thought that maybe if they could get close enough to the lantern light the shadow creature would leave them alone.
It was too far, Mouse would never make it. "I'm coming," she called back. In an act of will, she turned Pinecone around and raced back towards Mouse. She turned again, so that Pinecone and Mouse were running in the same direction. She slowed Pinecone and Mouse to a trot. Then she reached and put her arms around Lord Lucas's waist. "Ready?" she asked. He was too frightened to nod. She tried to lift him out of the saddle and put him in front of her. He was too heavy. In the end she slid him off the side of Mouse and pulled him, kicking and screaming, up to Pinecone's withers.
The second Lucas was secure on Pinecone Stella urged him to a faster pace. Pinecone quickly pulled ahead of Mouse. The pony struggled to keep up, panicking at the scent of evil behind her. It smelled of death and rotting things. But Mouse was couldn't catch up to Pinecone, Pinecone, in his own would not be persuaded to slow down. Stella kept throwing anguished glances over her shoulder as Mouse was overtaken. Tears filled her staring as Mouse was surrounded by the shadow, she seemed to age, die, and decay within seconds. After a minute there was nothing left of Mouse except bones.
Pinecone ran faster and faster. They gained the shelter of the lantern light instants before the shadow. As soon as they entered the village the shadow pulled back and condensed itself into several robed figures, which shrank back into the darkness to wait. Pinecone slowed to a trot and Stella guided him to a rather dingy looking inn, the only one in the village.
There was no stable boy so Stella had to care for Pinecone herself, trying to calm his nerves and her own, while Lord Lucas sat in a tearstained heap in the corner.
"Come on," Stella said, "let's go dry off." She took his hand and led him across the courtyard to the inn door. The interior of the inn was brightly lit, and it looked as though the owners had tried to keep it in good condition, but were currently short on money. A delectable smell was coming from the large and very battered pot hanging over the cooking fire. It was very warm. Stella couldn't help smiling.
They were greeted by a middle aged woman in a dress that looked like it had seen better days. "What can I do for you lads?"
Of course, in her winter clothes, no one would be able to tell she was female. With her hair tied back simply she probably looked like a thirteen-year-old boy. Stella decided not to correct the woman's mistake, maybe a disguise would keep her for being noticed; she breathed a quiet prayer of thanks that Lucas was too tired to notice and pipe up about the mistake.
"Supper and rooms for the night, please," Stella stammered out between chattering teeth.
"Just set your packs in the corner there, Lissar will carry them up." She cast about the room for an empty table and led them to one near the fire. Stella was surprised at how crowded the inn was; it seemed to be the only gathering place in the run-down village. She brought each of them large bowls the soup, which was mostly vegetable but had good chicken broth in it, and fresh bread. It had been ages since their last hot meal, and many hours since the last time they had eaten, and both dug in eagerly. Lord Lucas attacked his vegetables with surprising relish.
The inn was surprisingly crowded for the weather and the time of year, or perhaps it wasn't surprising that the people of the village should gather together in difficult times. In any case, the innkeeper and his wife and daughters were kept busy. Stella and Lucas had stayed in the dining room after most of the crowd had left. Stella tucked herslef into a corner, nursing a cup of hot cider while the innkeeper's twins, two tall skinny girls of about ten, cleaned up the tables.
After a while, the innkeeper himself came out and slumped into a chair by the fire. His daughters' bright eyes fell on him at once, and "Tell us a story, Da" they both pleaded simultaneously. Their father gave a weary chuckle and agreed.
"Which story?" he asked with a quiet sigh.
"The one about the night-" started Melia,
"Wizards." Delia finished the sentence.
At the girls words Stella felt a shiver run down her spine. She had the sudden sensation of remembering a dream. She knew instantly that this had happened before and that this was part of her own story. Swallowed hard and then settled back, silent as a stone, to listen to the tale.
By the way, Melia and Delia are based on real people. Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.
Quote: "So its always a new story. I mean it's the same, but its different." - Solomon The Price Arthur Miller
Thank you so much for reading and please review.