Maiden
Disclaimer: Well, there's nothing I took from anyone in this chapter, but later on there will be things from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books. As I'm not her, I don't own those things.
The short girl got on the bus, rubbing her eyes vigorously. It was way to early for anyone to be up! She plopped down next to one of her best friends, and laid her head on her bookbag, hiding her sensitive eyes from the newly risen sun.
The girl, Maegith, suddenly realized it was her birthday. "I must be the only girl in the tenth grade who could forget her own birthday," the girl though wryly. Suddenly, Maeg felt very old. She could remember her sixteenth birthday like it was yesterday...
Maegith woke in the small cot she shared with her sister quite suddenly. However, when she tried to sit up, she felt so dizzy she fell back onto the bed. She tried to call for her mother, but her oddly dry throat could only emit a hoarse croak. However, it seemed enough to wake her younger sister, a girl of eight.
Maegith had lived in the same small hut for her whole life. She and her family lived on a manor, where they worked night and day to please their lord. A few years ago, her father had died of old age and work. Now, it was just her mother and sister. It was lucky they were such a small family, because her mother hadn't even the money to find Maegith a suitable match, much less provide an adequate dowry. Maegith would have had many other siblings, except that her mother had a hard time at childbirth, and her six other children were stillborn.
So now, it was only her beloved little sister, Radella who heard her gagging. The younger girl now sleepily turned over to face her sister. "Sister, what is wrong?"
Maegith finally was able to talk; her tongue had seemed to shrink back to its normal size. "I don't know. I feel faint ..." The world seemed to swirl around Maegith, and she dimly heard in the background her sister frantically calling their mother.
"Mother! Mother! Something's wrong with Maegith!" Maegith could barely feel her mother's gentle touch. Suddenly, her mother's soothing hands touched the back of her neck and Maegith's world exploded in pain. Her mother's dim face seemed grave, and Radella broke out sobbing.
"What is it? What is wrong?" Maegith spoke slowly, her words hurting her even as a hurtful suspicion grew in her mind. She dreaded the answer she feared her mother would have.
However, her mother new better than to speak her own fears out loud. "I don't know, Daughter. I must get Cafell." Cafell was the healer of the manor. She was a cold, distant woman, but she knew her craft well, and to the sick she was not unkind. However, many did not trust her. An abnormally tall woman, Cafell had fey orange hair that shown like the sun, a pale face, and dark black eyes.
It was later when Cafell came, though how much Maegith could not tell. She had lost all sense of time, and the normal ten minutes it took for her mother to get the healer may as well have been ten hours. Regardless, Cafell finally arrived.
A natural, gifted healer, the tall Cafell looked Maegith over. She saw a well-formed young woman of sixteen lying in the bed. Her dark brown tresses lay scattered over the pillow. The girl's normally sun-browned face was paler than normal, but her cheeks were flushed with fever.
The older woman did a fast, but thorough examination of Maegith's body, her face growing grim. Finally, Cafell sighed and went over to the hearth. She poured hot water that Maegith hadn't even realized was there into a cup, and proceeded to take some herbs out of a pouch at her side and sprinkle them in. She brought the cup to the sick girl and helped her sit up. "Drink this. It will bring down your fever."
Maegith took a sip listlessly. "Cafell, will I die?"
Cafell looked at the girl appraisingly and sighed once more. "I suppose that depends on how much you wish to live, child. What you will pay."
Author's Note: Well, I couldn't resist a cliffhanger. *Evil laugh* And, I won't update until I get at least 3 reviews! Oh, I need the help of you, my loyal reviewers... who I'm sure there are some of... Anyway, I don't own the books (not even copies of them), so I need some help from you. First, what is the name of the organization that supports all creatures living in peace? This doesn't mean any of my characters will or will not be in it, I just need to know. Also, can you think of any ancient, really evil vampires who are mentioned but not given character traits or anything? Thanks for your help. Please review, and if you wish, e-mail me at the address in my profile. Bye for now!
Disclaimer: Well, there's nothing I took from anyone in this chapter, but later on there will be things from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books. As I'm not her, I don't own those things.
The short girl got on the bus, rubbing her eyes vigorously. It was way to early for anyone to be up! She plopped down next to one of her best friends, and laid her head on her bookbag, hiding her sensitive eyes from the newly risen sun.
The girl, Maegith, suddenly realized it was her birthday. "I must be the only girl in the tenth grade who could forget her own birthday," the girl though wryly. Suddenly, Maeg felt very old. She could remember her sixteenth birthday like it was yesterday...
Maegith woke in the small cot she shared with her sister quite suddenly. However, when she tried to sit up, she felt so dizzy she fell back onto the bed. She tried to call for her mother, but her oddly dry throat could only emit a hoarse croak. However, it seemed enough to wake her younger sister, a girl of eight.
Maegith had lived in the same small hut for her whole life. She and her family lived on a manor, where they worked night and day to please their lord. A few years ago, her father had died of old age and work. Now, it was just her mother and sister. It was lucky they were such a small family, because her mother hadn't even the money to find Maegith a suitable match, much less provide an adequate dowry. Maegith would have had many other siblings, except that her mother had a hard time at childbirth, and her six other children were stillborn.
So now, it was only her beloved little sister, Radella who heard her gagging. The younger girl now sleepily turned over to face her sister. "Sister, what is wrong?"
Maegith finally was able to talk; her tongue had seemed to shrink back to its normal size. "I don't know. I feel faint ..." The world seemed to swirl around Maegith, and she dimly heard in the background her sister frantically calling their mother.
"Mother! Mother! Something's wrong with Maegith!" Maegith could barely feel her mother's gentle touch. Suddenly, her mother's soothing hands touched the back of her neck and Maegith's world exploded in pain. Her mother's dim face seemed grave, and Radella broke out sobbing.
"What is it? What is wrong?" Maegith spoke slowly, her words hurting her even as a hurtful suspicion grew in her mind. She dreaded the answer she feared her mother would have.
However, her mother new better than to speak her own fears out loud. "I don't know, Daughter. I must get Cafell." Cafell was the healer of the manor. She was a cold, distant woman, but she knew her craft well, and to the sick she was not unkind. However, many did not trust her. An abnormally tall woman, Cafell had fey orange hair that shown like the sun, a pale face, and dark black eyes.
It was later when Cafell came, though how much Maegith could not tell. She had lost all sense of time, and the normal ten minutes it took for her mother to get the healer may as well have been ten hours. Regardless, Cafell finally arrived.
A natural, gifted healer, the tall Cafell looked Maegith over. She saw a well-formed young woman of sixteen lying in the bed. Her dark brown tresses lay scattered over the pillow. The girl's normally sun-browned face was paler than normal, but her cheeks were flushed with fever.
The older woman did a fast, but thorough examination of Maegith's body, her face growing grim. Finally, Cafell sighed and went over to the hearth. She poured hot water that Maegith hadn't even realized was there into a cup, and proceeded to take some herbs out of a pouch at her side and sprinkle them in. She brought the cup to the sick girl and helped her sit up. "Drink this. It will bring down your fever."
Maegith took a sip listlessly. "Cafell, will I die?"
Cafell looked at the girl appraisingly and sighed once more. "I suppose that depends on how much you wish to live, child. What you will pay."
Author's Note: Well, I couldn't resist a cliffhanger. *Evil laugh* And, I won't update until I get at least 3 reviews! Oh, I need the help of you, my loyal reviewers... who I'm sure there are some of... Anyway, I don't own the books (not even copies of them), so I need some help from you. First, what is the name of the organization that supports all creatures living in peace? This doesn't mean any of my characters will or will not be in it, I just need to know. Also, can you think of any ancient, really evil vampires who are mentioned but not given character traits or anything? Thanks for your help. Please review, and if you wish, e-mail me at the address in my profile. Bye for now!
