Of course, the location and some of the characters belong to Tamora
Pierce. I'm sorry for the delay in updating, I'm working on some other
writing projects as well as crew season right now so updates might become
more sporadic than they already are, if that's possible.
Stella opened quivering eyelids a few hours later. Her limbs felt fuzzy and limp and her head felt as though it had been trampled by a herd of horses. Her mind was oddly lucid.
"Hmm, I wonder if this is what it's like to be hung over," She said aloud. The sound that came out of her throat was choked and grainy as though she had the flu.
Pinecone whuffled anxiously at her face, nuzzling her all over to make sure she wasn't too badly injured.
"I'm fine, really, I think I'll be able to sit up in a week or two," she told him, because she didn't have the strength to bat his head away. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply a few times before opening them again. This time she noticed that the sun was shining, making some of the rocks glitter with sparkles that had been hidden by the dimness. A minute or so later, she thought she heard a bird call. Maybe this isn't such an awful place after all, she thought to herself, maybe it needs a second chance.
"Stella, Stella, Stella!" She recognized Lord Lucas's voice and barely had time to brace herself before he ran up to her and nearly trampled her. She winced as he stopped just in time; the wince hurt her head more. "I thought you were dead when they made the big earthquake. I thought they killed you somehow. But then, they just vanished. Only, there's something else here now. They keep swooping by and scaring me or creeping up behind me, but Pinecone has been fighting them off. I think they were the wizards' servants or something only they refused to leave with them."
It was too much for Stella to take in at once, she fainted again. This time only a few minutes passed before she was aware of Pinecone slobbering all over her forehead. She slowly pulled herself back up to wakefulness. Lord Lucas was still hovering at her side.
"Water," she gasped but he made no response. "Please, get me some water," she panted. Finally, he blinked and scurried off to grab one of the canteens. Stella realized that she was still in the center of the barren lands as she forced herself into a sitting position.
Lord Lucas passed her the canteen and she began taking slow, careful sips of the silvery liquid. It soothed her throat and eased her headache. She began to feel more awake and aware of their situation. She looked at the sky and calculated that it was early afternoon.
"Now," she whispered, "tell me all that about servants and monsters again." Lord Lucas set off explaining at a frantic pace that brought back Stella's pounding headache. It took her ten minutes to conclude that The Night Wizards appeared to have vanished but their demon servants had not. According to Lord Lucas's observations, it seemed that they did not have kindly intentions towards mankind or horsekind.
Lord Lucas and Pinecone helped Stella up and, leaning on Pinecone, she made her way to the edge of the rocks. She pulled some bread out of the saddlebags and they had lunch. Stella made herself eat despite the fact that the earth still seemed to be jumping up and down beneath her.
"We have to warn the king about the demons and the Night Wizards," she told Lord Lucas, while trying to pretend it wasn't really a few weeks ride to the palace.
"But you'll get in trouble if you go back because of Pinecone." Stella was amazed that he had remembered.
"That doesn't matter any more," she told him. She had to warn everyone, even if it meant that she would go to prison. In the early morning she had been unable to resist the urge to confront the Night Wizards, now, she couldn't resist the urge to warn the king. It seemed as if Destiny weren't quite done with her.
Thank you for reading and pleas review
Quote: "You plan too much, you end up with nothing." - Victor The Price Arthur Miller
Stella opened quivering eyelids a few hours later. Her limbs felt fuzzy and limp and her head felt as though it had been trampled by a herd of horses. Her mind was oddly lucid.
"Hmm, I wonder if this is what it's like to be hung over," She said aloud. The sound that came out of her throat was choked and grainy as though she had the flu.
Pinecone whuffled anxiously at her face, nuzzling her all over to make sure she wasn't too badly injured.
"I'm fine, really, I think I'll be able to sit up in a week or two," she told him, because she didn't have the strength to bat his head away. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply a few times before opening them again. This time she noticed that the sun was shining, making some of the rocks glitter with sparkles that had been hidden by the dimness. A minute or so later, she thought she heard a bird call. Maybe this isn't such an awful place after all, she thought to herself, maybe it needs a second chance.
"Stella, Stella, Stella!" She recognized Lord Lucas's voice and barely had time to brace herself before he ran up to her and nearly trampled her. She winced as he stopped just in time; the wince hurt her head more. "I thought you were dead when they made the big earthquake. I thought they killed you somehow. But then, they just vanished. Only, there's something else here now. They keep swooping by and scaring me or creeping up behind me, but Pinecone has been fighting them off. I think they were the wizards' servants or something only they refused to leave with them."
It was too much for Stella to take in at once, she fainted again. This time only a few minutes passed before she was aware of Pinecone slobbering all over her forehead. She slowly pulled herself back up to wakefulness. Lord Lucas was still hovering at her side.
"Water," she gasped but he made no response. "Please, get me some water," she panted. Finally, he blinked and scurried off to grab one of the canteens. Stella realized that she was still in the center of the barren lands as she forced herself into a sitting position.
Lord Lucas passed her the canteen and she began taking slow, careful sips of the silvery liquid. It soothed her throat and eased her headache. She began to feel more awake and aware of their situation. She looked at the sky and calculated that it was early afternoon.
"Now," she whispered, "tell me all that about servants and monsters again." Lord Lucas set off explaining at a frantic pace that brought back Stella's pounding headache. It took her ten minutes to conclude that The Night Wizards appeared to have vanished but their demon servants had not. According to Lord Lucas's observations, it seemed that they did not have kindly intentions towards mankind or horsekind.
Lord Lucas and Pinecone helped Stella up and, leaning on Pinecone, she made her way to the edge of the rocks. She pulled some bread out of the saddlebags and they had lunch. Stella made herself eat despite the fact that the earth still seemed to be jumping up and down beneath her.
"We have to warn the king about the demons and the Night Wizards," she told Lord Lucas, while trying to pretend it wasn't really a few weeks ride to the palace.
"But you'll get in trouble if you go back because of Pinecone." Stella was amazed that he had remembered.
"That doesn't matter any more," she told him. She had to warn everyone, even if it meant that she would go to prison. In the early morning she had been unable to resist the urge to confront the Night Wizards, now, she couldn't resist the urge to warn the king. It seemed as if Destiny weren't quite done with her.
Thank you for reading and pleas review
Quote: "You plan too much, you end up with nothing." - Victor The Price Arthur Miller