06-25-2009, 06:40 AM
1)
Daniel barely managed to redirect the swing as it sped towards Robin. Instead of flesh, the blade embedded itself in the soil.
"Robin, I- oh gods, I didn't see you there!"
Robin stood in shocked silence, but only for a moment. She smirked at him. "If this is how you play soldier Danny-"
"No, Robin I... GODS! I hate this! Three days. Three days of following an army and we're still no closer than when we left Javon!"
Frustrated, he sat down heavily on a rock and rubbed his eyes.
"Well," said Robin, "I was going to tell you dinner was ready in the tent, but..."
She sat next to him. "Training not going well?"
"It's going fine," he snapped. "We're just moving too slow."
"And what would happen if we caught up tomorrow?"
"I'd-"
"You'd wave that thing at them, and then all those soldiers would swarm all over you and you'd be dead."
Daniel opened his mouth to protest, and stopped. After a moment he asked "When did you become the sensible one?"
"I don't know... Scary isn't it?"
"Very," he chuckled.
Daniel looked at the sword still stuck in the ground. There was power in it, he could feel it now every time he picked it up. But this power, it made him feel almost drunk every time he held the blade in his hands. Marcus had said he needed to be the master, but it was like fighting a strong current, it was easier to ride the force rather than fight against it.
"Think Javon's going to be okay?" Robin's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"I don't know. I think so. Someday."
"Come on, food's getting cold."
Daniel sighed. "Right behind you." He sheathed the sword, but before he followed her, he looked back the way they'd come and wondered.
Hallah opened her eyes.
Firelight danced off the uneven stone of a cave ceiling of somewhere unfamiliar. She found herself wrapped in warm blankets, her seared arm bandaged with fresh cloth. She tried to sit up but found she was too weak to do more than prop herself up with her elbows.
"Hallah! You're awake!"
She turned to see Elyse the weaver bustle over to her side.
"Here, drink this dear," the matronly woman said and offered her a cup cool water which the girl drank eagerly.
"Where..." Halla began.
"The caves outside Javon," answered Elyse, pouring her some more water. "You've been asleep for days Hallah, ever since Alston brought you back, praise the gods. We thought you were lost too."
"Alston? Where-"
Elyse shook her head. "Not here I'm afraid. Said there was something he had to do. Bartel tried to stop him, but he just grabbed some supplies and left all alone. Foolish boy."
Hallah stared into the cup. Not alone, she thought. There was someone else, she couldn't quite place who in the fog of her memory, but there was someone else there with Alston as he tried to take her home.
Daniel barely managed to redirect the swing as it sped towards Robin. Instead of flesh, the blade embedded itself in the soil.
"Robin, I- oh gods, I didn't see you there!"
Robin stood in shocked silence, but only for a moment. She smirked at him. "If this is how you play soldier Danny-"
"No, Robin I... GODS! I hate this! Three days. Three days of following an army and we're still no closer than when we left Javon!"
Frustrated, he sat down heavily on a rock and rubbed his eyes.
"Well," said Robin, "I was going to tell you dinner was ready in the tent, but..."
She sat next to him. "Training not going well?"
"It's going fine," he snapped. "We're just moving too slow."
"And what would happen if we caught up tomorrow?"
"I'd-"
"You'd wave that thing at them, and then all those soldiers would swarm all over you and you'd be dead."
Daniel opened his mouth to protest, and stopped. After a moment he asked "When did you become the sensible one?"
"I don't know... Scary isn't it?"
"Very," he chuckled.
Daniel looked at the sword still stuck in the ground. There was power in it, he could feel it now every time he picked it up. But this power, it made him feel almost drunk every time he held the blade in his hands. Marcus had said he needed to be the master, but it was like fighting a strong current, it was easier to ride the force rather than fight against it.
"Think Javon's going to be okay?" Robin's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"I don't know. I think so. Someday."
"Come on, food's getting cold."
Daniel sighed. "Right behind you." He sheathed the sword, but before he followed her, he looked back the way they'd come and wondered.
* * *
Hallah opened her eyes.
Firelight danced off the uneven stone of a cave ceiling of somewhere unfamiliar. She found herself wrapped in warm blankets, her seared arm bandaged with fresh cloth. She tried to sit up but found she was too weak to do more than prop herself up with her elbows.
"Hallah! You're awake!"
She turned to see Elyse the weaver bustle over to her side.
"Here, drink this dear," the matronly woman said and offered her a cup cool water which the girl drank eagerly.
"Where..." Halla began.
"The caves outside Javon," answered Elyse, pouring her some more water. "You've been asleep for days Hallah, ever since Alston brought you back, praise the gods. We thought you were lost too."
"Alston? Where-"
Elyse shook her head. "Not here I'm afraid. Said there was something he had to do. Bartel tried to stop him, but he just grabbed some supplies and left all alone. Foolish boy."
Hallah stared into the cup. Not alone, she thought. There was someone else, she couldn't quite place who in the fog of her memory, but there was someone else there with Alston as he tried to take her home.