Wow! I didn't think I'd have this much of a positive reaction to my story! I would like to thank Last October, who lent me the idea of a girl getting dropped into Tortall. She is the reason this story was ever written. Next time you see her, applaud her! And now, I would like to thank my wonderful reviewers.
To Cede: I haven't decided exactly how old she is. But I was thinking a senior in high school. That way, she'd be the same age as Kel and the rest of the cast.
To DarkSinger: Thanks for the review. I hope you like this chapter.
To Queenofdakittys: You know, I'm not sure where I got the idea. Maybe that's it. Thanks for reviewing.
To Batya: You can read safely, my friend. I won't put anything squicky in. I promise.
To Wingedrider: I've actually been considering having her friends join her. But I'm not sure yet.
To Debra: Thanks for reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter.
To FanFan Fan: As I said before to wingedrider, I'm not sure yet.
To hillyhp2590: Cool! What did your costume look like?
Thanks for reviewing. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Last Time: The wind ruffled her hair and brought with it the smell of the ocean. Mia was looking around when a large shadow passed over her, momentarily blocking out the sun.
"What now?" She asked, looking up.
It was a hurrock. Mia knew her mouth was open as she watched it fly over her head. But what shocked her most was who she noticed following it. Running on foot behind the hurrock was none other than Kel and her friend, Neal and his cousin, Dom. A woman stood farther away. She looked as though she were crying. Mia glanced at the hurrock again. She noticed that it had something in its claws. She heard a wail on the wind. She realized what it was; a baby.
Kel and her companions came up to where she was standing. Their horses had followed them. They watched as the hurrock got farther away. Mia noted that Neal's shoulders were slumped and he appeared to be in shock.
"We'll never catch it. Neal, I'm so sorry." Kel was saying.
"We should have saddled the horses." Dom said.
Neal had a blank expression on his face. 'The baby must be his!' Mia mused. She then noticed Peachblossom standing behind Kel. She looked at the hurrock's fading figure. Doing some quick calculating, she made a decision,a nd she made it fast.
Someone tapped Kel on the shoulder. She whirled around to see who it was. As far as he had known, their group had been the only ones out here. They had come out here for a picnic because it was the first time they had all been together for a long time. To her surprise, the person tapping her on the shoulder ended up being a girl with shoulder length fiery red hair. Kel had never seen her before. The girl was currently looking at her anxiously.
"Can I borrow your horse?" The girl said.
Of all the questions the girl could have asked her, that was not one Kel had been expecting.
"No, I need him! And besides, he doesn't let anyone else but myself ride him!" Kel said, startled.
"Thanks." The girl said.
With that, she took a running leap and landed neatly onto Peachblossom's back. Dom and Kel stared at her in confusion. What in the world was this girl doing? Peachblossom had no saddle or reins! How would she stay on? The girl muttered something to Peachblossom and he started galloping after the hurrock. The girl leaned forward slightly. She had her hands gripped tightly to Peachblossom's mane. The three stared at her fading figure.
"What in the name of Mithros is she doing?" Dom asked.
Neal stared at the retreating figure of the girl.
"She's going to get my son back." He said.
Kel stared at him.
"How do you know that?" She asked.
Neal put a hand on both Dom's and Kel's shoulders. They heard a voice.
'Don't ask how I know your name, Neal. But I will get your baby back, I promise! Don't worry about me falling; I've been riding like this for three years. Tell Kel that I'm sorry I stole her horse, okay?'
Mia couldn't believe it. She had just stolen Kel's horse. The Kel. Her hero. And strangely, he had agreed to help her! Even better, she had mentally spoken to Neal, and through him, Dom and Kel! She hadn't known she could do that! It wasn't supposed to be possible. She decided not to think about it. This had to be a dream, there was no other possible explination that her brain could come up with that even remotely made sense! Deciding to think about it later, Mia leaned closer to Peachblossom's ear.
"Thanks for the ride." She told him.
The horse didn't answer, but she knew he had understood her. She went back to thinking about the hurrock. It was a few yards ahead of her now. 'How am I going to get it to let go of the baby? Even better, how am I going to get the baby down?' She wondered. 'Maybe, I could jump up and grab its claws and get it to let go. Then, I could catch the baby and drop down onto Peachblossom! But will it work?' Amelia decided not to think about that either. Now was a time for action, not logic! Logic could come later, when the hurrock wasn't flying away, and she was closer to getting the baby back. If the hurrock got to the cliffs before she had a chance to grab his claws, there wasn't much hope for the baby. And she had promised Neal that she would get his baby back, and Mia Hallard didn't break promises. Quickly, she muttered the plan to Peachblossom. He snorted in reply. Mia wasn't exactly sure if that snort was an agreement or Peachblossom's way of saying she was crazy. It didn't matter much anyway because either way, he began to run faster and faster until, they were right beneath the hurrock's claws. Amelia could clearly see the bundle of green cloth that was the baby now. She stood up carefully on Peachblossom's back, testling her balance, wishing she had the comfort of a riding saddle beneath her feet, even though she knew she could perform this trick without one. Finally, she stood up completely. Then, sending a prayer to which ever God or Goddess was watching, she jumped.
A/n: I know, I know. It is way too short for its own good. But I just HAD to end there. I want to keep you on the edge of your seats. Please do read the next chapter in the story of Amelia. Oh, and I want reviewers' opinions on these two topics.
-Should Amelia bring her friends next time?
-Should Amelia end up having the Gift? What about her friends?
Please let me know!