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Thom dipped his quill into the ink well and jotted down a few notes. He was trying to learn how to scry (I think that's the word). It was harder than he had imagined. He frowned at the bowl of water and then stood and sighed. He was supposed to meet Brandon in the library to study. He reached for his journal, and knocked over the ink well. He ripped his journal away from the spill with a curse and then froze. As the ink spread an image gathered atop the murky surface. Alanna was their, so was that black haired guy they helped save during the sweating sickness, and in the farthest corner he saw Devon and some other guy, a big guy with chestnut hair brown eyes and who was standing just a little to close to Devon for Thom's comfort. The image on the ink seemed to swirl and shift. Ten huge people stood before an alter. One of them threw a bolt of power at Devon the big guy. It illuminated shadows and for a split second he though her saw someone else, but it was gone. Suddenly the image cleared away and it was simply ink.
Thom swallowed his face ashen. He didn't hear Brandon knock, finally the other boy entered the room.
"Hey Thom, oh man what a mess! Need some help cleaning it up?" Brandon asked
"Wha- uh, sure. Yes please." Thom stuttered
"I'll go get some rags." Brandon walked away
Thom stared and the shadowy puddle and something eerie happened. His reflection wavered in the surface, darkened by shadows. He watched motionless as his face aged by quite a few years and then life drained out of his him, leaving his reflection cold and pale with blank staring eyes. Pale orange light, like hands almost, grabbed at his face and dragged the reflection farther away, as though the puddle was miles deep.
"Okay, got the rags!" Brandon blinked "Hey relax man it's just some ink, no one will care. You can get a new bottle tomorrow."
Thom smiled shakily and nodded. He mutely took a rag from Brandon and started to sop up the mess.
--------------
Devon felt a chilling sensation as she awoke from her slumber. It was one of the days off, Ramona and Ulf had 'business' to attend to. She dressed and made her way to the castle. When she reached the pages wing she way horses and riders, obviously packed for a trip. One young man tossed his pack into a wagon. It was Gary. She picked up a small stone and tossed it at his head. He spun around and saw her. She pointed to the empty stables, he nodded.
Five minutes later they both crouched in a stall to avoid being seen.
"What's happening?" Devon asked softly
"The squires are going to the Great Southern Desert, to visit Persopolis." Gary whispered
"Something bad is going to happen Gary. I have a feeling." Devon frowned "Is Alanna going?"
Gary blinked "Actually yes she is."
Devon opened her mouth to say they couldn't let Alanna go, but something odd happened. Instead the words that same from her mouth where "I need to go to. Something's going to happen and I need to be there, But Alanna can't know."
And then it seemed like a good idea. Devon frowned, what had happened... oh well it didn't matter really.
"Devy I'm not sure if I can do that...maybe... I've been told to stay back by the wagons. If we put you back there then we might pull it off. Once we reach Persopolis you'll have to stay hidden though." Gary said
"Right. Do I have time to pack?" Devon asked
"No we leave anytime now. Come one we need to get you into that wagon." Gary urged
"Wait" Devon reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and some charcoal. She jotted down a note to Stefan. He would relay it to George. She shoved the note into the crack in the wood where all such notes to George went.
Following Gary from the stable and to the caravan was hard, she had to remain unseen, but soon she found herself buried under packs and cases. She heard a voice cry out orders and then the wagon moved. From outside the wagon she heard Gary mutter
"My pack's next to you. The book in the front pocket is good. You'll like it."
Devon took the book and settled in for a long trip.
-------------
They came up with a routine. Every time they stopped Gary would slip her water or food. At night Gary waited till every one was sleeping, made sure not to alert the guards and warned her that it was safe to come out and take care of any business or to stretch.
After a week of being stuck in the hot sweaty cart they finally arrived. She heard the boys talk and whisper about it. She whished she could see the city.
It was several hours before she was let out of the cart. Gary snuck down and got her out before the boys came to get their packs.
It was dark and with no where else for her to sleep without risk of discovery, Gary told she could sleep in his room. He made a comfy cot for her in the room's small closet like wardrobe. It was perfect for her. Gary knew she would want to change, so he lent her on of his shirts.
"Use this for now. I'll get you some clothes."
She was nearly asleep when he returned. She had brought a fresh shirt and a pair of breeches. She changed in the wardrobe. The clothes where too big, but not to the point that they where weren't wearable.
"Thanks Gary. I won't ask where you got them." Devon said softly
He nodded and turned to go to his own bed. Devon closed the door to the wardrobe and fell asleep.
Thom dipped his quill into the ink well and jotted down a few notes. He was trying to learn how to scry (I think that's the word). It was harder than he had imagined. He frowned at the bowl of water and then stood and sighed. He was supposed to meet Brandon in the library to study. He reached for his journal, and knocked over the ink well. He ripped his journal away from the spill with a curse and then froze. As the ink spread an image gathered atop the murky surface. Alanna was their, so was that black haired guy they helped save during the sweating sickness, and in the farthest corner he saw Devon and some other guy, a big guy with chestnut hair brown eyes and who was standing just a little to close to Devon for Thom's comfort. The image on the ink seemed to swirl and shift. Ten huge people stood before an alter. One of them threw a bolt of power at Devon the big guy. It illuminated shadows and for a split second he though her saw someone else, but it was gone. Suddenly the image cleared away and it was simply ink.
Thom swallowed his face ashen. He didn't hear Brandon knock, finally the other boy entered the room.
"Hey Thom, oh man what a mess! Need some help cleaning it up?" Brandon asked
"Wha- uh, sure. Yes please." Thom stuttered
"I'll go get some rags." Brandon walked away
Thom stared and the shadowy puddle and something eerie happened. His reflection wavered in the surface, darkened by shadows. He watched motionless as his face aged by quite a few years and then life drained out of his him, leaving his reflection cold and pale with blank staring eyes. Pale orange light, like hands almost, grabbed at his face and dragged the reflection farther away, as though the puddle was miles deep.
"Okay, got the rags!" Brandon blinked "Hey relax man it's just some ink, no one will care. You can get a new bottle tomorrow."
Thom smiled shakily and nodded. He mutely took a rag from Brandon and started to sop up the mess.
--------------
Devon felt a chilling sensation as she awoke from her slumber. It was one of the days off, Ramona and Ulf had 'business' to attend to. She dressed and made her way to the castle. When she reached the pages wing she way horses and riders, obviously packed for a trip. One young man tossed his pack into a wagon. It was Gary. She picked up a small stone and tossed it at his head. He spun around and saw her. She pointed to the empty stables, he nodded.
Five minutes later they both crouched in a stall to avoid being seen.
"What's happening?" Devon asked softly
"The squires are going to the Great Southern Desert, to visit Persopolis." Gary whispered
"Something bad is going to happen Gary. I have a feeling." Devon frowned "Is Alanna going?"
Gary blinked "Actually yes she is."
Devon opened her mouth to say they couldn't let Alanna go, but something odd happened. Instead the words that same from her mouth where "I need to go to. Something's going to happen and I need to be there, But Alanna can't know."
And then it seemed like a good idea. Devon frowned, what had happened... oh well it didn't matter really.
"Devy I'm not sure if I can do that...maybe... I've been told to stay back by the wagons. If we put you back there then we might pull it off. Once we reach Persopolis you'll have to stay hidden though." Gary said
"Right. Do I have time to pack?" Devon asked
"No we leave anytime now. Come one we need to get you into that wagon." Gary urged
"Wait" Devon reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and some charcoal. She jotted down a note to Stefan. He would relay it to George. She shoved the note into the crack in the wood where all such notes to George went.
Following Gary from the stable and to the caravan was hard, she had to remain unseen, but soon she found herself buried under packs and cases. She heard a voice cry out orders and then the wagon moved. From outside the wagon she heard Gary mutter
"My pack's next to you. The book in the front pocket is good. You'll like it."
Devon took the book and settled in for a long trip.
-------------
They came up with a routine. Every time they stopped Gary would slip her water or food. At night Gary waited till every one was sleeping, made sure not to alert the guards and warned her that it was safe to come out and take care of any business or to stretch.
After a week of being stuck in the hot sweaty cart they finally arrived. She heard the boys talk and whisper about it. She whished she could see the city.
It was several hours before she was let out of the cart. Gary snuck down and got her out before the boys came to get their packs.
It was dark and with no where else for her to sleep without risk of discovery, Gary told she could sleep in his room. He made a comfy cot for her in the room's small closet like wardrobe. It was perfect for her. Gary knew she would want to change, so he lent her on of his shirts.
"Use this for now. I'll get you some clothes."
She was nearly asleep when he returned. She had brought a fresh shirt and a pair of breeches. She changed in the wardrobe. The clothes where too big, but not to the point that they where weren't wearable.
"Thanks Gary. I won't ask where you got them." Devon said softly
He nodded and turned to go to his own bed. Devon closed the door to the wardrobe and fell asleep.