I have returned once more! I am not Chrissy P., yadayada. So far, I only own Tania and Ophelia (yes, I know it's different from the name in the book, which is Opheila, but I like Ophelia better. Ophelia and Tania, roaming the skies! Did I say that out loud?)
Chapter Three
Tania fed well on the doe. The hide she quickly cured and made into a new pack, using some of the bones to make ties.
After that task was finished, Tania gathered the remaining edible meat into her new pack and set off in search of a willow tree.
She found one, near a small creek, and made short work of a few branches. After she had finished, she sat by the creek and doused her face in water. Looking around at her surroundings, she saw a small gourd, and an idea stuck her. Tania picked it up, checking to see if there were any cracks or holes. There were none, and it was quite hollow.
Taking out her knife, Tania cut a small hole in the top, filled it with water from the creek, found a length of ivy vine, and wrapped the ivy around the 'neck' of the gourd, fashioning a water canteen to hang from her belt.
Satisfied, Tania looked around for something to cork it with. There was a small stone, that was just a bit big for the hole, and she stuck it in, letting the stone grind its own space.
Then, she heard something whisper behind her. Tania whirled around.
There, in the trees behind her, was a troop of multicolored, floating lights. They seemed to whisper faintly, and she wondered, for a moment, if they were dangerous. Then she shook the thought away. They most definitely were dangerous. Any beautiful thing could become dangerous in a pinch.
But, being the over-curious person she was, she stood up and walked over to them. They danced around her, like a throng of children.
The whispers became louder, and a little more clear, but Tania couldn't make heads or tails out of what they said. "What do you want?" she asked quietly. The whispers became excited, and danced around her faster. Then, they seemed to prompt her to move forwards, deeper into the trees.
She did so, following the lights. After walking for quite a while—the sun was much past it's zenith—Tania came to a clearing. In the center, there was an overgrown shrine sort of thing. The stone arched over like an old crone, but had a hollow inside. She crept towards it, glancing at the spirits. She started as she realized they were gone.
Reaching the shrine, she saw that the hollow's bottom was covered in dirt and leaf mold. Frowning, she brushed it away. Underneath, there was a wooden board. It might have once been highly polished, but now it was eroded and dull.
Tania dug away the dirt, and saw that the wood was a top of a chest. Excited now, she shoveled the dirt away with new vigor. After working at it for several minutes, she had uncovered enough to be able to open it. Taking out her knife, she cut at the iron bindings—which were little more than soft rust—and opened the chest.
Inside, there was a golden velvet cloth covering what lay within. Brushing it aside, she gasped with wonder. The stone the velvet had been coloring was large, as long as her forearm, and the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Pale, it was a mix of pale reds, blues, golds and greens. She sat in awe a moment, and then took each end, meaning to pick it up and put it in her pack.
As soon as her hand came in contact with it, though, it burst into a thousand brilliant colors. Orange, red, yellow, gold, green, blue, purple, white, black, even rich browns. Every color she knew—and some that she really didn't—was instantaneously upon the stone. Tania leapt back in shock.
The colors calmed, slowing into a more managable pace. Warily, she touched it again. Where her finger settled, bursts of dark gray splattered across the surface. But as Tania relaxed, the gray brightened into a deep, rich amber.
Tilting her head to the side, she studied it. Wherever she touched, some sort of color burst across it, though now it was steadily changing into a bright yellow. She wondered, if she was angry, if it would turn red.
Grabbing hold of it determinedly, Tania picked it up and set it in her pack, which she proceeded to shoulder. The stone wasn't all that heavy—it was actually surprisingly light. Sighing, she set off back into the forest, not really searching for anything in particular.
Done! For today, anyways. This was fun to write. Can you guess what—or who—the mysterious color-changing stone is? XDDD
Review!
Falcon