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Old 05-19-2008, 08:14 AM   #98
Folwren
Messenger of Hope
 
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States.
Posts: 5,228
Folwren is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Folwren is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Saeryn

Saeryn lay still, taking Modtryth’s advice of moving as little as possible. But it was harder to breathe calmly. At first, she was calm as Modtryth uncovered and inspected the wound, but when Rowenna returned and brought a question from Eodwine, and when Modtryth replied, she could not help the extra beat in her heart. Her eyes opened slowly and then closed again almost at once.

What were these strange thoughts and emotions? She hadn’t come back because she wanted to change her answer and marry him. She told that to herself often. But did Eodwine still want her as wife? Was that what his question had been earlier? She had sensed that before, right as he had asked it, and she had not been able to answer. What if she had had the strength to answer? What then would she have said?

She disliked these thoughts. They were troublesome and confusing. But she knew they had to be faced. Either that, or she must run again.

A groan escaped her lips. She turned her head away from Modtryth to hide the grimace of mental turmoil. She’d done enough running, and she couldn’t run now even if she wanted to.

If she could not face Eodwine and these decisions, why had she come back?

---

Javan


Javan heard voices up ahead. They were young and childish, and quarreling, so they probably belonged to the very people he was searching for. He had to round the tents to come to them, and when he finally came around, no one was there, and all was quiet. He looked back the way he had come, and up between the tents, but the boys were not there.

“H’m,” he thought aloud. “They must be somewhere around here. Cnebba! Garmund! Come on, we’ve got to get to work.”

There was a movement in the tree ahead. He hurried forward and looked up through the leaves. They were both perched on the branch right above his head, and before he could get the first word out of his sentence ‘Garstan’s waiting for us’, they had both jumped, landing right on him.

“‘ere! What’s the meaning of this! Ge’ off me!”

“Don’t let ‘im escape, Dam-Bam!” cried Cnebba.

“Well, you keep your own side under control, and I’ll keep mine!” The boys were grasping at his arms and shoulders, pinning him to the ground. The element of surprise had certainly worked in their favor.

Javan strained to get up, angry at being ambushed like this and pinned by two boys younger than he. He quickly realized he could not escape from Garmund’s grasp - the boy, although three years younger than he, was taller by a head that Javan - so he concentrated his force on his right side, with which Cnebba grappled.

He shook himself loose of Cnebba and twisted about to grab Garmund. With a heave of his body, he rose up, and they rolled over several times on the ground. When they stopped, Javan was on top. He paused, thinking about what he should do, and had decided not to continue fighting and just deliver his message from Garstan and get up and go when Cnebba attacked him from the side, knocking him off Garmund.

“Now, stop!” Javan shouted, his temper snapping. “Quit it! I came to get you two because Garstan wants your help with the tents!”

Last edited by Folwren; 05-19-2008 at 09:00 AM.
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