Thank you for the nice reviews! Here's Chapter 2!
Chapter 2: Voices of Warning
Lief, king of Deltora, was uneasy as he watched the moon, shining brightly above the white city of Tora. He sensed danger. The Belt glowed around his waist, the topaz blazing in the power of the full moon. The emerald and ruby were pale. How could that be, Lief thought. No evil can enter Tora, it's magic is too powerful.
Still, the feeling wouldn't cease. Instead, it seemed to grow stronger. Lief shook his head. The Shadow Lord had been weakened, and could not afford to send a powerful force to attack Tora or Del. Of course, it still existed, and a few followers still were hidden throughout Deltora, but more and more it seemed as if the shadow had given up. This only disturbed Lief more. Plans within plans…. Surely there was one more plot?
"Ah, I have grown to love danger," Lief told himself. I should not dwell on evil thoughts. There is too much good in my life. Especially now.
Gazing out the window, Lief wondered if he should test his feelings. If something was amiss, the opal would show him. If there was no danger, it would simply show him, perhaps on his way back to Del. But if there was something happening…
Without a second thought, he threw his hands across the Belt, and braced himself for the opal's power. Within moments, he was overtaken by a vision.
A carriage, pulled by black horses, their eyes wild with fear. A scream from inside the coach, a scream he knew well. A creature coming out from the forest, a Vraal. Three figures running to the carriage, and a group of men fighting the Vraal. They were some sort of bandits, by the looks. The door of the carriage opened, and--
Lief was torn from the vision by a harsh cawing. He crossed the room, and looked out the window again. A black bird was flying towards him. It swooped into his room, and he saw that it was Kree.
He tried to calm the bird, but Kree was anxious about something. He dropped the letter he carried and flew out the window as quickly as he had come.
Slightly baffled, Lief scoped up the parchment that had been dropped at his feet. He was surprised that it had come from his mother. He had expected it to be from Jasmine if Kree had delivered it. With a look of worry on his face, Lief read the letter.
Lief,
You must return to Del now, Jasmine has taken ill. I am going to her presently. Hurry back.
Your loving mother,
Sharn
On the bottom of the paper, was a quick drawing of a black bird hatching from an egg. Next to it was a question mark. What did this mean, Lief pondered. He looked over the note again, trying to decipher the hidden message. Three words had been underlined. It could simply be emphasis, but why mother?
Now, Jasmine, mother, and a hatching bird. Lief gasped. He had to get to Del. The meaning of his vision seemed all the more frightening as he realized what it meant. Jasmine was in danger, as was their unborn child.
He dashed out of his room, stopping only to awake Barda. Barda followed without question, mulling over Sharn's letter.
"I'll get Zeean. She might be able to send us to Del," Barda muttered. "But why such haste, Lief?" There was a confused look on his face. "She should be fine--"
"Then why would Mother write in code? And besides," he added in hushed tones, "I had a vision. A bad one."
Barda nodded, and ran to find the small Toran leader. Lief hoped that they would be in time…
In a few minutes, Lief and Barda were flying to Del.
Okay, please review! And sorry for yet another cliff hanger.