Ashley jerked awake. Her sleep had not been all that restful. It was
riddled with dreams. One had involved Nicole, Jaimie, Allysson, and the
big man who had bought the previous two. Her most recent, had been far
more interesting. She and Kyler had been...getting to know one another on
the shore of a secluded brook. Her face flamed at the memory, and she
flipped her pillow over to the cooler side. During a lull, in which Ashley
and Kyler were just sitting there, there came crashing sounds from the
woods. Conrad, in a bearskin dress, was sprinting through the trees,
intent on Ashley. Cassie came running as well, followed closely by Saber.
Cassie went to stand by Ashley and Kyler while Saber went to slay the
loathsome Conrad. They hadn't been staring at her dead body for too long,
when the entire band, in full uniform, cam marching in. How they managed
to stay in line and in step was nothing short of dream magic, as there were
many trees and rocks that could have hindered them. They halted, and
started cheering at the sight of Conrad. They began to sing Free at Last.
All except for Jaz who was looking At Ashley with resentment, hurt, and
jealousy written all over his face. Ashley felt guilt stab at her, and as
a distraction, she looked over at her friend who was wearing a random green
cloak, and was wrapped in Saber's arms. Jaz was still looking at her. As
was Kyler. She knew a moment of panic, and that was when she was awakened.
Sunlight was streaming into the room, Cassie was looking at her sleepily, and they were late for their archery lesson.
"What on Earth were you thinking Aiden?!" Allysson hissed. Aiden was several feet below the cage looking quite frightened. Dawn was approaching, and soon Ping-Pong would be out to check on his new captive. There was very little that could be done. Nicole seemed brought to her senses by Jaimie's betrayal. Her eyes were alert, and her mouth in an angry line.
"It's not my fault!" Aiden pleaded. "How was I supposed to know that Jaimie was only faking loyalty to our side?"
"Because you are the wise, all knowing person in every single good versus evil story!" Nicole said. "And, not to mention, I am starving. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had macaroni and hot dogs?" She shook the bars in despair. "I WANT OUT!" Aiden shook her head sadly.
"I can't. I'm only nine and a half, I can't be trusted with keys yet, and besides, I can't reach." She backed away as Nicole snarled. Suddenly, Aiden was vanished. Allysson groaned in dread as she saw who was coming towards them.
Ping-Pong looked happier than Nicole had ever seen him. Jaimie looked pained, but was smiling nonetheless.
"How are you doing?" she asked. Nicole glared.
"I've been quite a lot better actually" she said through clenched teeth. Jaimie shrugged, and stepped closer to Ping-Pong, who said nothing. For at least twenty minutes, he stared at them. He seemed to enjoy it very much. Twice, he ate one of his own braids, and finally, growing bored, he and Jaimie walked away. Nicole slumped back, thoroughly depressed. The day dragged on, night fell, and both prisoners had to resort to each other for warmth. This was very unsettling for Nicole, as she didn't much enjoy touching other people. Finally, as they were both nodding off, they heard a creak, and the door to their cage swung open.
"What the...!"
"Shh!" Jaimie's voice pleaded. "We're getting out of here! I got Ping-Pong to tell me everything, and we need to go to Egarots Moor to help the drummer people!" Nicole was far too hungry to ask questions. She leapt out of the cage with little thought to the sound she was making. "Quiet!" Jaimie begged. "If Ping-Pong wakes up...!" Allysson managed to climb out far more quietly and gracefully. When they were by the car, Aiden turned up, and handed Jaimie the keys smiling. She situated herself in the front passengers seat, planning to give Jaimie directions.
"Well, don't you see? If I hadn't pretended to be in league with Ping-Pong, we all would have ended up in that cage, and we wouldn't be here," Jaimie explained while she drove. "And besides that, once he had taken in a few margaritas, he told me everything."
"Umm..Jaimie, exactly what did you have to do in order to gain his trust completely?" Nicole asked uncertainly.
"Well, at least it's a good night to travel. Am I going the right way Aiden?"Jaimie asked in a slightly raised voice, and Nicole decided that she didn't really want an answer to her question.
"It's not much farther now!" Aiden said after about an hour. She said the same thing after another hour, and another. It began to grow light. And there, in the distance, was the black outline of a most formidable castle. "My home," said Aiden bitterly.
It suprised both friends that neither Kyler, nor Saber seemed the least bit antagonized that they were late. Indeed, when Ashley and Cassie found the two men, Kyler was shooting arrows at a well worn target, and Saber was sitting on a large rock smoking a pipe and watching with a smile in his eyes.
"Ah, Saber, look who has finally decided to grace us with their presence," Kyler said, not even turning around. But Saber did. He practically scrambled to his feet, and extinguished the pipe. 'Ah, such a gentleman,' Cassie thought dreamily, smiling. Kyler made his way to them as well, a grin also evident. Well, it was more a friendly smirk. Sexy to the core. Ashley's knees went weak. She grinned back at Kyler, and strode up to the target.
"Sorry we're late," Cassie said softly to Saber.
"No matter," came the equally soft reply. Their moment was interrupted by a loud thud. Cassie looked around to see the fletching on an arrow embedded deep in the bulls eye quivering. Kyler was more than a little impressed. Cassie wasn't half bad either, but she still messed up sufficiently so that Saber had to come and correct her. He wished Ashley would do something wrong so he could do the same, but she was almost flawless with that bow. Life was just not fair was it?
"You're in love with that long haired vixen aren't you?" He asked of Saber teasingly, later that night.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Saber replied testily. "Besides, you seem to be getting along fine with her friend!"
"Oh her!" Kyler said dismissively, but he didn't entirely meet Saber's eye. "Okay, fine!" he glared at the look on his friend's face. "But I'm not nearly as bad as you are with Her! I know it, her friend knows it. And you know it deep down."
"Yes, but you know everything," Saber said in his defense.
"That's not the point!" Said Kyler exasperated. "The looks you give that girl make me lose my appetite. Just do something! She won't resist."
"But if she does..."
"She won't. I know everything, remember?" Saber rolled his eyes, and said goodnight at his own door.
"I've got it!" Cassie said triumphantly as she changed from her special dinner clothes.
"What?" Ashley asked already in bed. She had been right on the verge of remembering Jaz's eyes when Cassie had spoken.
"Middle Earth is in the Bermuda Triangle!"
"You're crazy."
"No! Don't you see, people disappear, and nothing of them is ever found of them, and it's on Earth, but you have to go across water to get to it!"
"You're crazy."
"I'm sorry, I'm an only child."
"So am I."
"But it makes sense!"
"Yah okay."
"Just admit it makes sense."
"It makes sense."
"Does it really?"
"Cassie?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Shut up."
Sunlight was streaming into the room, Cassie was looking at her sleepily, and they were late for their archery lesson.
"What on Earth were you thinking Aiden?!" Allysson hissed. Aiden was several feet below the cage looking quite frightened. Dawn was approaching, and soon Ping-Pong would be out to check on his new captive. There was very little that could be done. Nicole seemed brought to her senses by Jaimie's betrayal. Her eyes were alert, and her mouth in an angry line.
"It's not my fault!" Aiden pleaded. "How was I supposed to know that Jaimie was only faking loyalty to our side?"
"Because you are the wise, all knowing person in every single good versus evil story!" Nicole said. "And, not to mention, I am starving. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had macaroni and hot dogs?" She shook the bars in despair. "I WANT OUT!" Aiden shook her head sadly.
"I can't. I'm only nine and a half, I can't be trusted with keys yet, and besides, I can't reach." She backed away as Nicole snarled. Suddenly, Aiden was vanished. Allysson groaned in dread as she saw who was coming towards them.
Ping-Pong looked happier than Nicole had ever seen him. Jaimie looked pained, but was smiling nonetheless.
"How are you doing?" she asked. Nicole glared.
"I've been quite a lot better actually" she said through clenched teeth. Jaimie shrugged, and stepped closer to Ping-Pong, who said nothing. For at least twenty minutes, he stared at them. He seemed to enjoy it very much. Twice, he ate one of his own braids, and finally, growing bored, he and Jaimie walked away. Nicole slumped back, thoroughly depressed. The day dragged on, night fell, and both prisoners had to resort to each other for warmth. This was very unsettling for Nicole, as she didn't much enjoy touching other people. Finally, as they were both nodding off, they heard a creak, and the door to their cage swung open.
"What the...!"
"Shh!" Jaimie's voice pleaded. "We're getting out of here! I got Ping-Pong to tell me everything, and we need to go to Egarots Moor to help the drummer people!" Nicole was far too hungry to ask questions. She leapt out of the cage with little thought to the sound she was making. "Quiet!" Jaimie begged. "If Ping-Pong wakes up...!" Allysson managed to climb out far more quietly and gracefully. When they were by the car, Aiden turned up, and handed Jaimie the keys smiling. She situated herself in the front passengers seat, planning to give Jaimie directions.
"Well, don't you see? If I hadn't pretended to be in league with Ping-Pong, we all would have ended up in that cage, and we wouldn't be here," Jaimie explained while she drove. "And besides that, once he had taken in a few margaritas, he told me everything."
"Umm..Jaimie, exactly what did you have to do in order to gain his trust completely?" Nicole asked uncertainly.
"Well, at least it's a good night to travel. Am I going the right way Aiden?"Jaimie asked in a slightly raised voice, and Nicole decided that she didn't really want an answer to her question.
"It's not much farther now!" Aiden said after about an hour. She said the same thing after another hour, and another. It began to grow light. And there, in the distance, was the black outline of a most formidable castle. "My home," said Aiden bitterly.
It suprised both friends that neither Kyler, nor Saber seemed the least bit antagonized that they were late. Indeed, when Ashley and Cassie found the two men, Kyler was shooting arrows at a well worn target, and Saber was sitting on a large rock smoking a pipe and watching with a smile in his eyes.
"Ah, Saber, look who has finally decided to grace us with their presence," Kyler said, not even turning around. But Saber did. He practically scrambled to his feet, and extinguished the pipe. 'Ah, such a gentleman,' Cassie thought dreamily, smiling. Kyler made his way to them as well, a grin also evident. Well, it was more a friendly smirk. Sexy to the core. Ashley's knees went weak. She grinned back at Kyler, and strode up to the target.
"Sorry we're late," Cassie said softly to Saber.
"No matter," came the equally soft reply. Their moment was interrupted by a loud thud. Cassie looked around to see the fletching on an arrow embedded deep in the bulls eye quivering. Kyler was more than a little impressed. Cassie wasn't half bad either, but she still messed up sufficiently so that Saber had to come and correct her. He wished Ashley would do something wrong so he could do the same, but she was almost flawless with that bow. Life was just not fair was it?
"You're in love with that long haired vixen aren't you?" He asked of Saber teasingly, later that night.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Saber replied testily. "Besides, you seem to be getting along fine with her friend!"
"Oh her!" Kyler said dismissively, but he didn't entirely meet Saber's eye. "Okay, fine!" he glared at the look on his friend's face. "But I'm not nearly as bad as you are with Her! I know it, her friend knows it. And you know it deep down."
"Yes, but you know everything," Saber said in his defense.
"That's not the point!" Said Kyler exasperated. "The looks you give that girl make me lose my appetite. Just do something! She won't resist."
"But if she does..."
"She won't. I know everything, remember?" Saber rolled his eyes, and said goodnight at his own door.
"I've got it!" Cassie said triumphantly as she changed from her special dinner clothes.
"What?" Ashley asked already in bed. She had been right on the verge of remembering Jaz's eyes when Cassie had spoken.
"Middle Earth is in the Bermuda Triangle!"
"You're crazy."
"No! Don't you see, people disappear, and nothing of them is ever found of them, and it's on Earth, but you have to go across water to get to it!"
"You're crazy."
"I'm sorry, I'm an only child."
"So am I."
"But it makes sense!"
"Yah okay."
"Just admit it makes sense."
"It makes sense."
"Does it really?"
"Cassie?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Shut up."