And Abbe wasn't there. Jaz looked around frantically for his companion,
but she was nowhere to be found. Trying to avoid panic, Jaz searched his
pockets for a stick of gum. None were there. A cold breeze found its way
in through the cracks in the walls, and Jaz shivered, still in his wet
clothes, and scrunched himself tightly into a corner. The latch on the
door rattled. Jaz hoped it was Abbe and prayed it wasn't Miss N.
"What the?" the exclamation left his lips before he could think. He had no real reason to freak out like that. Only the fact that a slightly transparent little girl in a kerchief and patched dress was standing in the doorway. Her hair was long, red, and curly. Her eyes were a dim green.
"Sorry to frighten you," she spoke in a hollow echoing voice. "But I am afraid you have little choice in what will happen to you now." Jaz had not time to reply to this outrageous statement. "I have already taken your friend to your destination. You will meet up with her there to recieve further instruction."
"And where exactly are we going?" He felt a bit stupid asking questions to a kid that was only half his age. She smiled.
"We're going to the future where you will battle Lord Tank, the heir of Darnoc."
"Okay, so where are we going?" He had touched a nerve. 'Well good,' he thought watching her eyes go stormy. 'Serves her right for giving me such a demented answer.'
"JAZ YOU MOCK ME! I AM SACRAFICING MYSELF SO THAT DARNOC WILL FALL! Besides, If you do this, Ashley's chances of survival will double." A sly smile played about her face. As expected, Jaz scrambled to his feet at these words.
"So, we're going to...to the future?" Jaz still couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. "Why?" The little girl rolled her eyes.
"I told you! So that you can defeat Tank and his army of brass players."
"Okay, so why is Abbe already there?"
"I brought her to the future while I was analyzing your little jaunt with Miss N. I had to make sure that you were fit to go into the future see? Abbe is so...unique, that I could take her directly. She's very open to that kind of thing."
"So Miss N really did kiss me?" He opened his mouth in horror. The little girl's lips lifted in another smile.
"You would have tommorow night, but you'll know better by the time that actually happens." Jaz's head was spinning. It had taken a lot for him to understand that. And he wasn't what could be called....a moron.
"So, you said that you'll be sacraficing yourself to see Darnoc fall. Who exactly are you?" A shadow fell across the girl's face.
"I'm Aiden Darnoc." It took several seconds for this to properly sink in.
"Darnoc!" Jaz could think of little else to say. Aiden nodded.
"It's a very long story, and I don't feel like telling it twice, so why don't we just go into the future and get you some dry clothes? Besides, I don't want to keep Abbe waiting. She's a very odd sort of girl. She might float away on a cotton candy cloud or something if I leave her alone too long. Jaz privately agreed, but didn't say anything. His wet clothes were starting to freeze, and he could think of little else at the moment. Aiden made her way closer to him, and he did not move away. Once she had reached him, she slipped a small hand into his. Jaz felt suddenly very big brother like. And then he had to blink. When he opened his eyes, he was in a different place entirely.
Cassie looked down at herself. She was wearing a rich burgundy gown with gold lining on the sleeves and hem. A jewel encrusted handle of a dagger could be seen from a sheath on her belt. her insanely long, brown hair was in two small braids on either side of her head and gathered with a gold clip in the back. Now over her shock, Ashley was laughing at Cassie's clothes.
"What are you laughing at, you don't look much different!" Cassie said indignantly. Indeed, Ashley was wearing a similar dress in a blue so pale, it was almost white. Only her somewhat shorter hair was allowed to fall free, and a small, silver circlet went around her head.
"God we look like morons! Why the hell are we like this?"
"I think we look kinda nice," Cassie replied examining the shiny dagger with interest.
"Well you might not mind going out in public like this, but I have some dig..." Her words were cut off when a plump, oldish maid glared at them while coming down the stairs. As she retreated, the girls clearly heard her mutter
"Raising their voices in the Lord's manor! And him ill. What uncoothed guests! They're considered ladies?" Cassie glared after her. As if she had chosen to come here! Ashley looked rather hurt.
At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a slightly transparent little girl with red hair. Now as you have probably guessed, this little girl was Aiden Darnoc. She told her story to the girls, and gave them several important explanations.
"You have to go up to your rooms to get changed, your training begins today, and you can't go about that in satin and velvet can you?"
"What are we training for exactly?" Ashley asked nervously. "And why?" Aiden smacked her hand to her forehead.
"I completely forgot to tell you! I'm sorry. Well, it's like this. You are seven-hundered years in the past, and you two need to train in the use of swords and such. Your trainers are outside waiting. You should hurry. I can explain more later, but you know men, they hate to be left waiting..." And she shooed them up the stairs and into their room. Ashley still wore a very befuddled expression. If Cassie was in any way alarmed, or confused, she didn't show it.
"We have to wear tights!" Cassie cried in revulsion, holding up the little green leggings. Ashley wrinkled her nose th the assembled clothing, but a desperate look from Aiden gave them some sort of motivation. Aside from the funny, green tights there were also white tunics. They were rediculously embroidered, and the belts were far too fancy, but apparently dressing like this was so uncommon for a lady of title in this place anyways. Cassie supposed she should be grateful she could get out of the gown at all.
Once they were clothes to Aidan's satisfaction, they went through the endless, yet familiar maze of corridors until they reached the great hall and the doors to the outside. Several extremely hairy men were sipping some sort of beverage and talking quietly. They looked at the two new girls curiously as they passed. Ashley hoped very much that those looks were nothing more than curiosity as she followed Cassie and Aiden quickly with her head down.
"What the?" the exclamation left his lips before he could think. He had no real reason to freak out like that. Only the fact that a slightly transparent little girl in a kerchief and patched dress was standing in the doorway. Her hair was long, red, and curly. Her eyes were a dim green.
"Sorry to frighten you," she spoke in a hollow echoing voice. "But I am afraid you have little choice in what will happen to you now." Jaz had not time to reply to this outrageous statement. "I have already taken your friend to your destination. You will meet up with her there to recieve further instruction."
"And where exactly are we going?" He felt a bit stupid asking questions to a kid that was only half his age. She smiled.
"We're going to the future where you will battle Lord Tank, the heir of Darnoc."
"Okay, so where are we going?" He had touched a nerve. 'Well good,' he thought watching her eyes go stormy. 'Serves her right for giving me such a demented answer.'
"JAZ YOU MOCK ME! I AM SACRAFICING MYSELF SO THAT DARNOC WILL FALL! Besides, If you do this, Ashley's chances of survival will double." A sly smile played about her face. As expected, Jaz scrambled to his feet at these words.
"So, we're going to...to the future?" Jaz still couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. "Why?" The little girl rolled her eyes.
"I told you! So that you can defeat Tank and his army of brass players."
"Okay, so why is Abbe already there?"
"I brought her to the future while I was analyzing your little jaunt with Miss N. I had to make sure that you were fit to go into the future see? Abbe is so...unique, that I could take her directly. She's very open to that kind of thing."
"So Miss N really did kiss me?" He opened his mouth in horror. The little girl's lips lifted in another smile.
"You would have tommorow night, but you'll know better by the time that actually happens." Jaz's head was spinning. It had taken a lot for him to understand that. And he wasn't what could be called....a moron.
"So, you said that you'll be sacraficing yourself to see Darnoc fall. Who exactly are you?" A shadow fell across the girl's face.
"I'm Aiden Darnoc." It took several seconds for this to properly sink in.
"Darnoc!" Jaz could think of little else to say. Aiden nodded.
"It's a very long story, and I don't feel like telling it twice, so why don't we just go into the future and get you some dry clothes? Besides, I don't want to keep Abbe waiting. She's a very odd sort of girl. She might float away on a cotton candy cloud or something if I leave her alone too long. Jaz privately agreed, but didn't say anything. His wet clothes were starting to freeze, and he could think of little else at the moment. Aiden made her way closer to him, and he did not move away. Once she had reached him, she slipped a small hand into his. Jaz felt suddenly very big brother like. And then he had to blink. When he opened his eyes, he was in a different place entirely.
Cassie looked down at herself. She was wearing a rich burgundy gown with gold lining on the sleeves and hem. A jewel encrusted handle of a dagger could be seen from a sheath on her belt. her insanely long, brown hair was in two small braids on either side of her head and gathered with a gold clip in the back. Now over her shock, Ashley was laughing at Cassie's clothes.
"What are you laughing at, you don't look much different!" Cassie said indignantly. Indeed, Ashley was wearing a similar dress in a blue so pale, it was almost white. Only her somewhat shorter hair was allowed to fall free, and a small, silver circlet went around her head.
"God we look like morons! Why the hell are we like this?"
"I think we look kinda nice," Cassie replied examining the shiny dagger with interest.
"Well you might not mind going out in public like this, but I have some dig..." Her words were cut off when a plump, oldish maid glared at them while coming down the stairs. As she retreated, the girls clearly heard her mutter
"Raising their voices in the Lord's manor! And him ill. What uncoothed guests! They're considered ladies?" Cassie glared after her. As if she had chosen to come here! Ashley looked rather hurt.
At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a slightly transparent little girl with red hair. Now as you have probably guessed, this little girl was Aiden Darnoc. She told her story to the girls, and gave them several important explanations.
"You have to go up to your rooms to get changed, your training begins today, and you can't go about that in satin and velvet can you?"
"What are we training for exactly?" Ashley asked nervously. "And why?" Aiden smacked her hand to her forehead.
"I completely forgot to tell you! I'm sorry. Well, it's like this. You are seven-hundered years in the past, and you two need to train in the use of swords and such. Your trainers are outside waiting. You should hurry. I can explain more later, but you know men, they hate to be left waiting..." And she shooed them up the stairs and into their room. Ashley still wore a very befuddled expression. If Cassie was in any way alarmed, or confused, she didn't show it.
"We have to wear tights!" Cassie cried in revulsion, holding up the little green leggings. Ashley wrinkled her nose th the assembled clothing, but a desperate look from Aiden gave them some sort of motivation. Aside from the funny, green tights there were also white tunics. They were rediculously embroidered, and the belts were far too fancy, but apparently dressing like this was so uncommon for a lady of title in this place anyways. Cassie supposed she should be grateful she could get out of the gown at all.
Once they were clothes to Aidan's satisfaction, they went through the endless, yet familiar maze of corridors until they reached the great hall and the doors to the outside. Several extremely hairy men were sipping some sort of beverage and talking quietly. They looked at the two new girls curiously as they passed. Ashley hoped very much that those looks were nothing more than curiosity as she followed Cassie and Aiden quickly with her head down.