A/N- Sorry about the really long wait for this chapter, I'll try and have it up by Monday. School's been hectic, but I don't want to post really short chapters because of it, so I need to wait until I find time. Sorry about the lack of Raoul- I wish I hadn't killed him off so early in the story, he's great fun to write about. Maybe he'll make an appearance later on, I haven't completely decided yet.
If you happen to have any preferences or ideas for where you personally want this story to go, don't forget to voice them in a review- I'll read them all. Even if they involve a pink elephant- I truly will.
Sorry for any spelling of grammar mistakes- I'm writing as quick (But as good) as I can to try and get this up by the end of the week. A quick Hi to Freya, who I just found out likes Fan Fiction as much as I do!...
Disclaimer- is as always; if you don't know what it is, read the other chapters because I'm don't get paid by the word so until I do…
Chapter 26: Fryday, light bulbs and shoelaces
Recap in the castle: "Of course you don't look fat in that robe sir." She realised that probably wasn't what he wanted to hear, but she was too distracted watching Kai get trampled by a herd of squires. Herd wasn't really the right word to use though, in these circumstances stampede would be a better fit.
Recap in the woods: "O, the flashing neon sign stating 'Kel's in here, stupid!' was kind of a givaway."
"Veradaine Sarrasi you have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"
Daine realised he was right, she didn't have the faintest idea to what he was going on about- but she wouldn't let him know. "Nes I do."
"Did you just say yes or no?"
"Yo…"
"Are you merging yes and no together so you avoid giving a direct answer?"
"Naybe…" She slowly edged towards the slightly open door, hoping to make a dash for it while his back was turned…
"I hope you're not trying to edge out of that door Daine, I thought higher of you. Close." He commanded the door, and with a stream of magic, it unexpectingly closed.
"He…he…" Daine let out a gasp of what only could be described as a nervous laughter, wishing that she'd run when she had the chance.
"Take a seat Daine, we need to discuss what just happened here, and how to break it to the citizens of Tortall."
"I belived you just waged war without consulting anyone."
"Ah, so I did say that bit out loud then…" Jonathan said, stroking thin air musingly, where a beard should have been.
"You did, your…highness. You could just come straight out with it sir. Tell them like it is, or you could sugar coat it…"
"I've just had a brilliant idea Daine!" If light bulbs had been invented, and if they could float, one would be switched on above his head right now. "I'll sugar coat it!"
"That's what I just-"
"- and then I'll tell them that there will be a big festival in honour of…of.." Jonathan scanned the room,looking for inspiration- he found it laying on the table. "Of the faithful frying pan! I mean I did save your life with it just then, while you were cowering in the corner…Daine don't interupt! Of course I saved you, why would it be the other way around?... and it'll be called…Fryday! Haha!"
"What a great pun sir." Daine replied, with minimal enthusiasm.
"They'll be so worked up about celebrating that they'll forget to listen to my next sentence about the fact that there may be a bit of turbulance and/or bloodshed coming up in the next week/day/hour depneding on when I scheduale this... how great is my idea?"
"It's off the scales, sir."
(In the woods- the quest for kel continues…) Kids don't try these ideas/games involving our characters and a boulder at home- you could break a nail (or break your George/Neal)…
"So, any more bright ideas Alanna?" Dom asked.
"That last one would have worked if Neal hadn't gotten in the way…"
"There must be an easier way to move that boulder, there are three men here and one lady knight, we have to be able to do something…" Numair stated, rubbing his brow hoping to come up with better ideas than the past 'Let's blow it up!' That had failed, and so had the 'I bet it's not really there and that we can all just walk straight through it…' He didn't even want to remember the time they'd tried to ram it down with a makeshift battering ram- in otherwords a very reluctant Neal. He needed to think fo something fast, his intelligent reputation was at stake here. Neal still hadn't twigged about the three men and one lady knight joke… but after a couple of minutes of stifling giggles and couting on fingers (and toes) he'd realised that George, Numair, Dom and himself had infact made four men.He wasn't a happy bunny.
After a five minute time out that Dom had suggested, he was back and suggesting some ridiculous ideas for the taking."We could try walking through it again…"
"If it didn't work the first time, or the second for that matter, what makes you think it'll work this time?" Dom wondered what had made it different this time.
"It could- you never know until you try."
"Why don't you try it again Neal, and we'll sit here and save ourselves another headache. Feel free to try though anytime- or better yet, I'm willing to give you a little helping shove…or two…" Alanna had lost her temper after the 'let's try and squeeze through the gaps in the side' plan that George had suggested. They weren't all as limber as he was, and even he got stuck halfway- seeing two flailing limbs was only amusing for the first hour or so, after that it got a bit repetitive- and George had begun to run out of air. That's when the game of, 'Who could poke George hardest but get away quickest without getting hit with a flapping leg in the face' had begun to lose it's edge. It just wasn't as fun when he'd stopped kicking, and it wasn't a particularly good sign either.
"This is frustrating, we know she's in there, but we can't even move the dam boulder. She's probably fighting spidrens in there and we can't even shift a stupid overgrown rock…" George whined, kicking the boulder then limping away swearing.
"That's it!" Once again, the lightbulb would have appeared, if it existed, but this time, over Numair's head instead. He pointed towards the boulder.
"Well done Numair, you can spot the boulder. Now, I spy with my little eye something beginning with sit-down-and-think-of-a-clever-idea-before-we-all-go-insane-with-frustration." Alanna dropped subtle hints of her anger very now and then to boost the mood of the group.
"No Grumpy- I have an idea that has to work!" Nuamir exclaimed, standing up and striding over twards the entrance to the cave. "Why don't we just try and push it away? Theres a slight slope going downwards, so once it gets going it'll roll the rest of the way. I'm surprised we didn't try this first time around."
"That's your amazing idea?" Alanna asked, with one eyebrow raised in a doubtful look.
"Do you have a better one?"
"We could all go jump off a cliff. That'd be a good idea- or even better, we could push Neal off."
"An idea to get Kel out of the cave."
"Then no. Let's have a stab at yours then…"
Three hours had passed since Numair had had his amazing idea. They all gathered around the rock for the hundredth time that hour, and with careful deliberation, decided to go for it one last time.
"Neal, move right a bit- no not that much. There. Nuamir go left a stride- no the other left. Right, Alanna take three paces around that moss patch there, great.. and George move a bit closer will you? I won't bite…much." Dom had taken charge after the failed attempts of Numair, Alanna and most recently Neal. Mithros knows why they let him have a go at commanding- he first instruction was 'See the rock thing in front? Yeh, I didn't at first either…Move it out the way will you?' Dom began counting down from 5…
4…
3…
2…
One second…
They all heaved at once on the word One, so as Dom tied his shoelaces, the others struggled to get a good grip on the grazing boulder. After one or two rasping sounds, grunts and an odd faint, they finally budged it over. Just like Numair had predicted, it rolled down the hill like a sheep without legs. The cave loomed before them, dark and hiding secrets that were about to be discovered…