::looking v. guilty:: Please, forgive me for not updating sooner. My muses took a lengthy winter vacation, and have just recently returned! But, anyway, two chapters for you! Yay!!!
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12.
Thayer stood in the doorframe of Mirian's room. He saw her silhouetted against the light from the window and chuckled. She would be sore when she woke up.
She must have heard his chuckle, for she stirred and groaned softly. Her dark head rose from her arms and she stretched. Thayer watched her, wondering how she could seem so innocent one moment and then call him such vile names the next.
He shrugged and disappeared before she could see him watching her. His boots thumped softly on the stone floor as he jogged down the stairs.
"Breakfast is here!" He heard Lohen call. "Fresh caught yesterday too!"
"Good," grumbled Thayer, "I'm starving."
"You always are," Garrod replied from his place bending over the fire.
"Shut up. Give me food." Thayer walked in the doorway, inhaling the aroma of the meat roasting over the fire. "Smells good."
"Thank you," Lohen said proudly. "It was a nasty little bugger to catch, but I got him."
"What was it?" Garrod asked with curiosity.
"A rabbit. Flushed him almost as soon as I stepped into the pines." Lohen grinned. "He was one fast little guy, but not fast enough to escape my arrows!"
"Stop boasting about it. We know. You've been here longer than we have, so you know all the spots of good game."
"Hey, you've both been here long enough to have at least an inkling of where the best hunting is." Lohen grinned and continued the making of breakfast.
"Ah, he's right. Might as well just live with it." Garrod turned the meat and chuckled as he listened to Thayer grumbling.
"I still think we should gag him and make him listen to himself." Thayer growled, not in the mood yet for any of the jokes.
"Oh, but I do!" Lohen exclaimed. "I love to listen to myself!" He smiled and laughed loudly, enjoying the weak joke with Garrod. "Turn the meat, Gar, you'll burn it," He pointed out as Garrod slacked.
"Right."
"What's for breakfast?" None of the Three had heard Mirian's arrival through the laughter. She stretched and yawned. "Do we have breakfast?" She asked when her original question elicited no response.
"Why, yes, Princess we do," Lohen said smoothly, the first to recover from the shock that she had snuck up on them.
"Well," she tapped her foot impatiently, "What is it?"
"If it caters to your palate, we have a fresh caught bunny, from yesterday of course; completely drained of all excess fluids and devoid of any fur and headless as well. Or, if you prefer, we also have a lovely porridge left over from what was not eaten yesterday, seasoned with cinnamon and other such rarities." Lohen stopped and bowed. "Does that sound appetizing to you milady?"
Mirian shook her head. "Not really. I was hoping more for toast this morning and a good cup of tea. Of course, being the heathens you are, you wouldn't have any tea, so I will just have to settle for your mean fare whether I like it or not, won't I?" Mirian smiled brightly, innocently.
Thayer stared at his fingernails. "Well, that's another reason why you won't be going to your sister's wedding." He smiled as her scream of rage echoed around the room.
"You know, I should just run away!" She screamed at him.
"Try. You won't get far," Thayer replied breezily.
"Damn you!" Mirian retorted furiously, for lack of something better to say.
"Porridge? Or bunny?" Lohen walked up to her, holding out a plate of brown goop.
"No thank you," Mirian said, turning on her heel and walking back up the stairs.
"Suit yourself," Lohen murmured darkly. He set the plate down in front of Thayer, who ate it hungrily.
"Finally, Lohen, you have made something completely tasteless!" Thayer joked before settling down to the real meal.
Mirian stormed up the stairs, muttering darkly about not being treated like a princess. By the time she reached her room, she was in a full-fledged argument with herself.
"I really should leave! I mean, really, if they aren't treating me like a proper princess, then I have a right to leave, right? Of course I do!" She replied to herself, throwing her hands up in the air. "But, then again, if I run away I'm not being dignified as a Princess should be. I really should strive to be a proper Princess too, it would make Papa so proud!" Mirian continued to storm about her small room in an entirely un-princess-like manner. "Ah, but Papa always told me to be myself and right now…" She trailed off, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, thinking hard. "I think I'll run away."
Mirian smiled and picked a few of the shabbier dresses out of a chest. She smiled and hummed as she planed her escape, happily murmuring to herself about the fine things that she would do when she got back to civilization.
By the time she was ready to depart with the clothing she would need in a little sack, and some books nestled in with the dresses, she was in a fine mood. Quite happily, she walked out of her room, prepared for great adventure.
"Just where do you think you're going, eh?" Thayer stood in the doorway, leaning lazily against a wall.
"Home." Mirian said with a whimsical toss of her hair. "I'm going home, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She grinned and tried to saunter past him.
One large hand caught her delicate wrist. "And how were you planning on getting there, Princess?"
Mirian paused, and frowned. "I'd…ride?" Her words took on a questioning tone.
"Not if I have anything to do about it," Thayer said with a grim smile. "Come now, do you really want to run away?"
"Yes." Mirian wrenched her wrist out of Thayer's grasp and crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Do you know how to survive in the wild? Do you know how to make a fire, fend off the wild animals, or track?" He asked in quick succession.
"Well," She faltered, looking down at the ground, "No."
"I see. And how exactly were you planning on going home without these skills?" Thayer crossed his arms and mirrored her stubborn expression.
Mirian glared at him, but said nothing.
"Well, in that case," Thayer pushed himself off the wall, "I better help you take those things back to your room." He grinned and took her bags from her hands. Without further ado, he sauntered past her and up the stairs. "Come on, my dear Princess!" He called over his shoulder.
Mirian, fuming, followed him in angry silence.
Later that night, Mirian, never one to be dissuaded easily, climbed down her bed sheets and out of her window with her newly packed bags filled with more food, less clothing and book that she had found in the library on the wilderness.
"He never suspected anything," Mirian muttered triumphantly. "He thought that I was just going to read about little princesses being rescued by handsome princes. Hah!" She landed on the ground with a thump and slipped through the shadows to the stable.
"Here, Mouse, here I am," She crooned to the mare. The horse snorted sleepily in response. "That's a good girl." Mirian stared at the tack, puzzled about its use. "I wonder what I do with this?" She glared at it, as if hoping that it would tell her.
"Oh well," she sighed, after long minutes of glaring at the leather produced no results. She scratched Mouse on the nose absently, not truly noticing the rough woven halter that the mare had on.
"Well, um, why don't we put this blanket on you, and I'll sit on that…" Mirian settled a blanket onto the brown back and shrugged. Suddenly, inspiration hit her, "You have a-a- thing on!" She exclaimed, running her hands over the coarse halter.
Quickly, she found two sturdy lengths of rope and knotted them onto the side of the halter. Proudly, she stepped back and admired her handiwork. "That should do it!" She smiled and patted the mare on the shoulder. "Now, to get on…" She looked around for something that she could stand on, and grinned when she saw the ladder that was used to get up to the loft. "I think that that should work…"
Soon, after a few attempts that landed on the ground, Mirian sat astride Mouse, her bag balanced carefully in her lap. "Let's go," she murmured to the mare, and they set off together into the night.
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-A/N- My excuse: I have been very busy with Odyssey of the Mind. We had to solve this problem -Featured Creature- and that was taking up a lot of my time. I wrote a skit, revised it...revised it again and again...then on Saturday (March 20) We finally performed. So, now i have *loads* of free time. The pathetic part was that we got fifth out of five on our long term problem...and all that hard work. Soooo glad that it's over now! Yay!
But anyway...
Hailly- I get confused too. The alliances work like this: There are 3 out of four countries in a alliance. These are Lamar, Tarran and Wythin. Syrlan, the Renegade Kingdom is all by its lonesome. Wythin, not being very productive over the past couple of years, kind of fell out of the alliance, but they're working their way back in. Yeah...i hope that unconfuses stuff a bit. :-)
Please review! I know my updates are rather few and far between, but i still want reviews...::grins:: anyone who reviews gets a cookie! hehheh
EvenSong
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12.
Thayer stood in the doorframe of Mirian's room. He saw her silhouetted against the light from the window and chuckled. She would be sore when she woke up.
She must have heard his chuckle, for she stirred and groaned softly. Her dark head rose from her arms and she stretched. Thayer watched her, wondering how she could seem so innocent one moment and then call him such vile names the next.
He shrugged and disappeared before she could see him watching her. His boots thumped softly on the stone floor as he jogged down the stairs.
"Breakfast is here!" He heard Lohen call. "Fresh caught yesterday too!"
"Good," grumbled Thayer, "I'm starving."
"You always are," Garrod replied from his place bending over the fire.
"Shut up. Give me food." Thayer walked in the doorway, inhaling the aroma of the meat roasting over the fire. "Smells good."
"Thank you," Lohen said proudly. "It was a nasty little bugger to catch, but I got him."
"What was it?" Garrod asked with curiosity.
"A rabbit. Flushed him almost as soon as I stepped into the pines." Lohen grinned. "He was one fast little guy, but not fast enough to escape my arrows!"
"Stop boasting about it. We know. You've been here longer than we have, so you know all the spots of good game."
"Hey, you've both been here long enough to have at least an inkling of where the best hunting is." Lohen grinned and continued the making of breakfast.
"Ah, he's right. Might as well just live with it." Garrod turned the meat and chuckled as he listened to Thayer grumbling.
"I still think we should gag him and make him listen to himself." Thayer growled, not in the mood yet for any of the jokes.
"Oh, but I do!" Lohen exclaimed. "I love to listen to myself!" He smiled and laughed loudly, enjoying the weak joke with Garrod. "Turn the meat, Gar, you'll burn it," He pointed out as Garrod slacked.
"Right."
"What's for breakfast?" None of the Three had heard Mirian's arrival through the laughter. She stretched and yawned. "Do we have breakfast?" She asked when her original question elicited no response.
"Why, yes, Princess we do," Lohen said smoothly, the first to recover from the shock that she had snuck up on them.
"Well," she tapped her foot impatiently, "What is it?"
"If it caters to your palate, we have a fresh caught bunny, from yesterday of course; completely drained of all excess fluids and devoid of any fur and headless as well. Or, if you prefer, we also have a lovely porridge left over from what was not eaten yesterday, seasoned with cinnamon and other such rarities." Lohen stopped and bowed. "Does that sound appetizing to you milady?"
Mirian shook her head. "Not really. I was hoping more for toast this morning and a good cup of tea. Of course, being the heathens you are, you wouldn't have any tea, so I will just have to settle for your mean fare whether I like it or not, won't I?" Mirian smiled brightly, innocently.
Thayer stared at his fingernails. "Well, that's another reason why you won't be going to your sister's wedding." He smiled as her scream of rage echoed around the room.
"You know, I should just run away!" She screamed at him.
"Try. You won't get far," Thayer replied breezily.
"Damn you!" Mirian retorted furiously, for lack of something better to say.
"Porridge? Or bunny?" Lohen walked up to her, holding out a plate of brown goop.
"No thank you," Mirian said, turning on her heel and walking back up the stairs.
"Suit yourself," Lohen murmured darkly. He set the plate down in front of Thayer, who ate it hungrily.
"Finally, Lohen, you have made something completely tasteless!" Thayer joked before settling down to the real meal.
Mirian stormed up the stairs, muttering darkly about not being treated like a princess. By the time she reached her room, she was in a full-fledged argument with herself.
"I really should leave! I mean, really, if they aren't treating me like a proper princess, then I have a right to leave, right? Of course I do!" She replied to herself, throwing her hands up in the air. "But, then again, if I run away I'm not being dignified as a Princess should be. I really should strive to be a proper Princess too, it would make Papa so proud!" Mirian continued to storm about her small room in an entirely un-princess-like manner. "Ah, but Papa always told me to be myself and right now…" She trailed off, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, thinking hard. "I think I'll run away."
Mirian smiled and picked a few of the shabbier dresses out of a chest. She smiled and hummed as she planed her escape, happily murmuring to herself about the fine things that she would do when she got back to civilization.
By the time she was ready to depart with the clothing she would need in a little sack, and some books nestled in with the dresses, she was in a fine mood. Quite happily, she walked out of her room, prepared for great adventure.
"Just where do you think you're going, eh?" Thayer stood in the doorway, leaning lazily against a wall.
"Home." Mirian said with a whimsical toss of her hair. "I'm going home, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!" She grinned and tried to saunter past him.
One large hand caught her delicate wrist. "And how were you planning on getting there, Princess?"
Mirian paused, and frowned. "I'd…ride?" Her words took on a questioning tone.
"Not if I have anything to do about it," Thayer said with a grim smile. "Come now, do you really want to run away?"
"Yes." Mirian wrenched her wrist out of Thayer's grasp and crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Do you know how to survive in the wild? Do you know how to make a fire, fend off the wild animals, or track?" He asked in quick succession.
"Well," She faltered, looking down at the ground, "No."
"I see. And how exactly were you planning on going home without these skills?" Thayer crossed his arms and mirrored her stubborn expression.
Mirian glared at him, but said nothing.
"Well, in that case," Thayer pushed himself off the wall, "I better help you take those things back to your room." He grinned and took her bags from her hands. Without further ado, he sauntered past her and up the stairs. "Come on, my dear Princess!" He called over his shoulder.
Mirian, fuming, followed him in angry silence.
Later that night, Mirian, never one to be dissuaded easily, climbed down her bed sheets and out of her window with her newly packed bags filled with more food, less clothing and book that she had found in the library on the wilderness.
"He never suspected anything," Mirian muttered triumphantly. "He thought that I was just going to read about little princesses being rescued by handsome princes. Hah!" She landed on the ground with a thump and slipped through the shadows to the stable.
"Here, Mouse, here I am," She crooned to the mare. The horse snorted sleepily in response. "That's a good girl." Mirian stared at the tack, puzzled about its use. "I wonder what I do with this?" She glared at it, as if hoping that it would tell her.
"Oh well," she sighed, after long minutes of glaring at the leather produced no results. She scratched Mouse on the nose absently, not truly noticing the rough woven halter that the mare had on.
"Well, um, why don't we put this blanket on you, and I'll sit on that…" Mirian settled a blanket onto the brown back and shrugged. Suddenly, inspiration hit her, "You have a-a- thing on!" She exclaimed, running her hands over the coarse halter.
Quickly, she found two sturdy lengths of rope and knotted them onto the side of the halter. Proudly, she stepped back and admired her handiwork. "That should do it!" She smiled and patted the mare on the shoulder. "Now, to get on…" She looked around for something that she could stand on, and grinned when she saw the ladder that was used to get up to the loft. "I think that that should work…"
Soon, after a few attempts that landed on the ground, Mirian sat astride Mouse, her bag balanced carefully in her lap. "Let's go," she murmured to the mare, and they set off together into the night.
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-A/N- My excuse: I have been very busy with Odyssey of the Mind. We had to solve this problem -Featured Creature- and that was taking up a lot of my time. I wrote a skit, revised it...revised it again and again...then on Saturday (March 20) We finally performed. So, now i have *loads* of free time. The pathetic part was that we got fifth out of five on our long term problem...and all that hard work. Soooo glad that it's over now! Yay!
But anyway...
Hailly- I get confused too. The alliances work like this: There are 3 out of four countries in a alliance. These are Lamar, Tarran and Wythin. Syrlan, the Renegade Kingdom is all by its lonesome. Wythin, not being very productive over the past couple of years, kind of fell out of the alliance, but they're working their way back in. Yeah...i hope that unconfuses stuff a bit. :-)
Please review! I know my updates are rather few and far between, but i still want reviews...::grins:: anyone who reviews gets a cookie! hehheh
EvenSong