The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

General Chat  || Kitten  || WaV  || Pens  || Mi2  || GMP  || TiE  || FAQ  || Feed - The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 224 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:07 am 
Offline
2. Floating Rose
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:42 pm
Posts: 33
Location: Houston, Texas & Boulder, Co
Dibs!!!!

_________________
I'm not a Republican I'm a Capitalist which is completely different...really!

Rowanstar


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:27 am 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for great update-y goodness... I hope Willow is able to keep away from Tinari... I hope Willow is soon able to enjoy Tara snuggles...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:33 am 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:54 am
Posts: 106
Location: Denmark
Duibs? I get the dibs? Yay!

Great update just a right nice little surprise to find! So the Black Knight saved Cam, Jinna knows, Willow doesn't. And now sleek, evil prince Tinary comes to exploit the anger Willow feels towards Raven, or will she twist it? Too many questions!!? A really nice touch though, with the forest being Willow's mother, that made go all "aww", couldn't help it! Looking forward to more to be sure!

Fly forever free..

_________________
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly - my friends
~The Show Must Go On by Queen


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:34 am 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:54 am
Posts: 106
Location: Denmark
Ok, no dibs... I can live with just the update then... -grumbles- really thought I had an advantage becuase of the timezones here...

_________________
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly - my friends
~The Show Must Go On by Queen


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:55 pm 
Offline
12. Recently Gay
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:11 pm
Posts: 1666
Topics: 1
Location: Belfast
Great update.

What a tangled web you weave ;-)

I like the way your setting things up with Willow, Tinari and the Black Knight.

My feeling is that the tables will be turned on Tinari, there is no way that Willow will not learn of Cam's rescue and the set-up in the market place. But, her anger could win out regardless if she doesn't learn the truth about Tara.

All I have to say about Tinari is beware the wolf in Princely clothing.

That's my speculation for the day if you get my drift.

_________________
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 12:33 am 
Offline
32. Kisses and Gay Love
User avatar

Joined: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:36 am
Posts: 6222
Topics: 1
Location: Kitopia
Hello, :)

I have caught up with this fic and I wanted to let you know that I loved it.

oh and may I say I don't like Tinari one bit?

I have many ideas of who is what what is going to happen, who is going to do what.... But I will just wait and see in the following chapters.

Thank you for this fic,

Friendly,

Julia :)

_________________
Broken Dolls |The Stadium's Goddesses | Seeds Of Beauty

"Joie est mon caractère, C'est la faute à Voltaire; Misère est mon trousseau, C'est la faute à Rousseau." Gavroche. Victor Hugo, Les Misérables (chap. XV)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 6:29 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:54 am
Posts: 465
ooh both updates were fabulous ... I'm so enjoying your story. It unfolds in unexpected ways that I'm left on the edge of my seat! :D Keep up the great work! :D

_________________
Patience is a virtue I have yet to acquire
-- me


I am my beloved and my beloved is mine
-- King Solomon's Song of Songs


Only reality can escape the limits of our imagination
-- Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances


Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself
-- Jean-Paul Sartre


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:41 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Thanks for all the encouragement.

Rowanstar & Zampsa1975-

Do you sleep? Sometimes I think I may get replies before I post to the update thread!

Nenyath-

So close! Fear not, there are many more chapters coming. Glad you liked the forest bit, too. It's hard not to get all itchy to spill every little detail RIGHT AWAY, but I like suspense and mystery.

Paint the Sky-

You have a good point with all that honesty stuff. However, you may soon see that even the best intentions can be pulled off course with no warning. Oddly, I'm really developing a fondness for Jinna. I like giving her important things to do, and she's turning into the "no bullshit" character every solemn story needs. She grounds everyone around her. Tinari is also taking on a life of his own. I only hope I'm not giving wolves a bad rap for hanging out with him.

JujuDeRoussie-

Welcome! I love hearing that people are figuring out the who and what of this story as it develops. And for anyone who thinks it may be completely written and I spring chapters up here when the mood suits, think again. Chapter 20 is in the works this very moment, and it is giving me fits. So remember, your input, questions and remarks guide me to new ideas and places, and you may very well see the story turn the way you imagine. Then again, you may not...

LittleBit-

Thrills! Chills! Non-stop action! I live to keep you on the edge of your seat. I'm hoping to post the next update this weekend. Stay tuned.

_________________
There, but for the grace of her, go I.


http://citychickenfarm.blogspot.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:46 pm 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Hey taylorgirl6... it helps when you live on the other side of the globe... ;-)

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:26 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Chapter 20



Drawn faces and heavy hearts sat around the sagging table in the underground room far below the dangers of the castle above. Ulhetha stood with her hands resting on the edge of the table, eyes downcast. “I realize no one wants to hear this, but we must change our direction once more. The Black Knight is clearly not the person we had hoped.”

“And what about Cam?” Birch jumped up, furious with their lack of planning. “We must find him.”

“We will,” Ulhetha reassured him. “But from what I gather happened in the square…”

“That devil dragged him off!” the young man screamed. “Let’s track him down and return the favor.” He balled his fists and held them aloft. Several nods and grunts of agreement sounded in the darkened room.

Hale quieted them with his booming voice, “That is enough!” Ulhetha sat, and all eyes turned to the other elder. “We are right to be upset, but this anger will only lead us to behave like the Royal Guard we despise. Cam knew the risks of speaking his mind in the open market.” He glared at Birch. They all knew that Cam was liable to speak without provocation, and they had secretly hoped that Birch would tame him with his calm presence. “However, it would not be wise to make contact with the Black Knight again. We are on opposite sides of this fray. For now, we will watch him and try to discover his purpose here.”

“Hale,” Merl spoke unexpectedly, “I am not a man to rush in fool-heartedly, but do you not think we have watched and waited long enough?” Many sat forward on their stools and crates. Every breath went silent. “Cam, though stupid and rash, was right. I admired his courage, and I believe we must follow his lead.”

“We would follow one who would lead us so boldly,” Calla looked right at the old barkeep. Her blue eyes held him steady, challenging the source of his words. Hale joined her.

Ulhetha took stock of the crowd of rebels and then sighed dramatically. “I think you’ve just become a captain, Merl.”

“Captain?” his head began to spin. “You misunderstand. Calla,” he looked back at the woman he had befriended for so many years, “I am no leader.”

“Well that’s not entirely true, now, is it?” she retorted. They continued to glare at each other while the company around them squirmed and wrestled with questions and excitement.

“Very well,” Merl lowered his eyes. “I may once have been such a man.” He fiddled with his large hands, obviously wishing the conversation would head in a different direction. “I am but a humble barkeep now, Calla. I’m not young. What fight do you think is in me?”

“I have seen the fire in your eyes. You’ve traced every movement of the Royal Guard and the wyverns across this land, and you watch and listen to every person who walks through the threshold of your pub. You have been leading us for months without acknowledging it, you grumbling old brute. And though he is not proud," she announced, "this man once led the people's free army through the Known Lands!”

Several in the crowd stared with wide eyes. The last free army had not walked the Drylands for more than thirty years. They had been disbanded by the royal family when the Royal Guard was formed in the same year. The deeds of both armies were legendary. “Yes,” he answered the question they dared not ask. “It is true. Those days are far behind me, though.”

“Then I will inspire you to engage your skills once more,” Ulhetha raised her eyebrows at him, “for this battle will not be unlike that which you faced three decades past.” Merl raised his head in a sudden jerk. “We are bound for Torrent.”


______________________________________________________________________________



“You trusted her?” Aelish paced wildly about the guest chamber he had gracefully been given by the Queen’s servants. Raven stood by the window, looking out over the grounds below distractedly. “She was a girl. A child, Raven. What if she-“

“Do you not trust my instincts?”

Aelish quieted his rant. “I do."

“Then let the child prove herself. She will not fail us.”

Relaxing at his companion’s certainty, the tall man approached the window as well and gazed over the fine vineyards and orchards. “What is your intention now that we are here?”

Raven paused for a long time before he answered slowly, “We shall listen and watch.”

A light knock sounded at the chamber door. Aelish went to it and pulled the heavy oak toward him, inhaling sharply at the woman awaiting his discovery. “My Lady.”

“Please, my name is Willow.” At the sound of her name, Raven spun to face the entry. His heart quickened its pace as she entered, her dress trailing dark green silk and lace in her wake. She inclined her head to him and smiled slightly, though it appeared forced. “Black Knight.” He nodded to her, unwilling to correct the formal title in favor of his preferred name. “I hope I am not intruding?”

“Absolutely not,” Aelish took her elbow and guided her to a low couch set near the fire. A heavy chill had settled in through the castle walls, and the scent of snow and wind was in the air, making the handmaiden grateful for the blazing coals. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”

"I…" she hesitated, considering her words carefully, "I wish to welcome you to the castle. Perhaps I may guide you through the grounds, if it would please you?" She looked inquiringly at both men, but her eyes came to rest on the still figure of the dark man by the window.

"You know the kingdom well?" Raven stepped toward her, noting that she gazed up at him without the fear he was accustomed to seeing.

"Parts of it," she admitted. "Will you join me, then?"

Raven nodded, and Aelish stood, offering her his hand. "This will be delightful," he smiled broadly.

She rose, her hand settling in comfortably within his strong grasp, but her face fell at his words. "I'm sorry, Master Aelish, you misunderstand." His smile vanished. "I come with a separate invitation for you, one I hope you may find of interest." She paused, taking in his apprehension. "The Princess has requested your presence. She waits for you in the north hall."

"The Princess?"

"Yes," she grinned at how pale the tall man had suddenly turned. The two travelers exchanged a cryptic glance. "Shall I call for someone to show you the way?"

"No," his warm skin glowed anew with his smile. "Please, do not let me keep you a moment longer. It was a pleasure to see you, Willow." He left in a whisper of cloth and leather, and silence consumed the room.

Raven tilted his head toward the beautiful woman and extended his elbow for her to grasp. She placed her hand on his black arm without reluctance, and then guided him down the many corridors and passageways through the ancient building. Her familiarity with the castle was astonishing after so little time within its walls, but it was the fresh air and trees of the gardens which beckoned them out to explore the grounds to the north of the cold structure. Willow's hand felt odd clinging to the man she believed had killed Tara, the same man who had killed Cam just one day before. Tinari had instructed her to get close to the knight. Befriend him, earn his trust, then deliver him to the Prince in one week's time. Those were the orders she had agreed to carry out.

"This place is so full of color and light," Raven interrupted her thoughts. She found herself wondering a hundred things at once about this mysterious man. How long had it been since he had spoken with his voice instead of his mind? Did he have a voice at all? Why did he hide behind a mask and gloves? "Thank you for bringing me here."

"It is my pleasure." Willow found herself staring at the strange man, unable to pull her eyes away.

"Few would engage me in conversation." The handmaiden felt sure that he was smiling at her. "You do not fear me."

"Should I?" He dropped his head and looked away from her. "Raven?" she spoke his name for the first time. He took a step away from her and faced her. "When was the last time you ate or drank in the company of another person?"

Willow felt his sudden burst of laughter in her mind, and it nearly tickled her into a giggle of her own. "It has been many years." His voice was surreal, and it made her ponder what it sounded like in the heads of other people.

"I imagine your life must be lonely." He chose not to answer, instead offering his elbow once more. They walked along the border of pear trees as the sun dipped low on the horizon, peeking out from behind the thick grey clouds for the first time that day. "I grew up among trees," the handmaiden talked to him, sensing that he wished not to speak for a time. "I come here when I need rest. It's quiet. The apple blossoms smell nice in spring." She desperately wished to ask him about her vision in the marketplace, but she dared not expose her knowledge or abilities. Every time she brushed against him as the strolled, she saw glimpses of Tara behind the pear trees or along the hedgerow.

"What brought you to this place, so far from your trees?"

"Fire and death, the same as everyone else in these times."

"It follows us all."

"Does it?" she stopped, instantly regretting her sharp tongue. Raven straightened at her obvious temper. "Forgive me," she whispered, unable to face him.

"Forgiveness is a precious thing," a note of uncertainty trembled in his voice. "Let it be saved until it is truly needed."


______________________________________________________________________________



Jinna placed a cool cloth on Cam's forehead again, wiping away what remained of the dried blood. She had smuggled him out during the morning shift change in the dungeon, boldly directing the relieved guard to carry the boy's shrouded body over his immense shoulder. "Why do ye want this 'un, lil' bit?" he had grunted under the dead weight. "Dead bodies is nasty stuff."

"Tinari wants him," she had told him nonchalantly. The guard froze with Cam's body swinging over his back. "Says he needs to feed his wolves." The rest had been easy. Even a prison guard the size of a warhorse feared the Prince and his pack of rabid beasts. No one questioned that Raven had tortured and killed the boy the night before.

"Why did he spare me?" Cam asked through a swollen lip.

"Shut up, you idiot," Jinna warned. "He's a hero. And you're a loudmouth."

"Then why didn't he let the guard kill me?"

The maid huffed at him. "Didn't it ever cross your mind that he's trying to lay low? Maybe he needs you later. Maybe he knows he can't fight the entire Royal Guard by himself, and he needs some brave fool to ride into battle ahead of him." Cam scowled at her and turned away. His bruises and cuts looked bad, but he was remarkably uninjured. "But after your little stunt yesterday," she continued, "you're a dead man in this city. Your days of sunlight are over." Cam knew she was right. If the Royal Guard believed him to be dead, then that was how he must behave. Jinna dusted herself off and stood up, checking the boy's stock of food and supplies in the tiny underground room she had hidden him in. "If you're not here when I get back, I'll tell Raven to kill you for real this time."

"Back? Where are you going?"

"Someone has to tell Willow that Raven isn't evil, that he didn't murder you." Jinna didn't wait for any further argument. She ran down the narrow corridors and up countless flights of stairs, and a smile as wide as her lips could manage grew on her thin face. When Willow was told the truth, all would be right again. Jinna felt so sure and so safe, she never saw the arms from an obscured passage on her right reach out and grab her. Gasping, she found herself suddenly staring into the deadly face of Prince Tinari.


______________________________________________________________________________



"Cut it," the Queen waved her hand loosely at the boxwood hedge on the south side of the orchard. A dozen gardeners trailed in her wake, each awaiting an order. Three burst into action and hacked at the small-leafed hedgerow with vigor. "Burn them," she glanced at a bunch of wild onions sprouting from a pile of orange leaves, crisp and delicate where they had fallen from the apple trees above. "And get rid of those foul onions." The men bowed and jumped to work. "I have no tolerance for unkempt things," she drawled to her companion. The tall, thin man walked several paces behind her. "You have made many promises. Will you see them through to their conclusion?"

"I will, Majesty."

She smiled, and winter advanced another step. "Good. I wish to have her in my grasp before the wedding is announced next week."

"It will be as you require," he bowed slightly, his short blond hair ruffling gently over his head. "May I ask what will be done with her?"

The Queen seemed pleased at his inquisitiveness. "She will be fed to the Prince's wolves. With her magic gone, our two nations will be primed to join. This strong city will flourish with purity." She spun and stared into the young man's boyish face. "You intrigue me, you know."

"I do?"

"You have no fear that I will execute you for your own crimes."

"Majesty, my crimes pale to that of the Red Sorceress. I come from humble gypsy origins, it is true. But I alone have done what is necessary to eradicate magic in this land, even though it required the breaking of my clan. Surely you would not think it strange that I hold the witch responsible?"

The Queen practically glowed with admiration for her cohort. "You will go far in the new royal order, Ren."



______________________________________________________________________________


"Princess," Aelish bowed formally to the girl in the long, amber dress. She stood by the windows of the north hall which looked out over the training grounds and to the orchards on their right. Her radiant smile welcomed her guest, and she swept her arm wide to indicate a table and chairs, neatly arranged with tea service. Aelish helped the Princess into her seat, then remained standing and poured the golden liquid into delicate, porcelain cups.

"Thank you," River took her cup. "Please make yourself comfortable," she indicated the seat opposite herself. Aelish did as requested. He watched her sip the hot tea. Her fine, black eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she relished the taste, and the warrior felt his heart stir at the sight. "I am glad for your presence in my home." Her eyes remained firmly set on the cup in her hands.

"It is kind of you to welcome us so graciously," Aelish answered.

"My mother wishes to speak with Raven tonight. You will be expected as well." He nodded, unsure why she had mentioned the meeting. As if in reply, she raised her eyes to his. "You deserve fair warning. She intends to have you killed." Aelish felt the room go cold. He set the teacup back down on the polished surface of the table between them. "No matter your loyalties, and regardless of any pretense you show her, she has evidence from her military that Raven is indeed killing the wyverns. That, alone, is enough to warrant your death, though it would instead be labeled treason or some other such charge. Her role in the attacks is not commonly known."

"When will this occur?" Aelish thought of Raven, out walking alone with Willow.

"That, I cannot say," the sadness in the Princess's face could not dim her beauty, but it broke Aelish's heart no less. "I fear you have chosen a poor time to visit this city."

"I would not trade it," he addressed her boldly. "I will warn Raven when he returns. Thank you, Highness."

"Please," she moved to slow his departure, "stay a moment." He relaxed, wishing her hand had reached his arm. "Call me River."

"Very well, River," his smile warmed the chill in the room.

"I fear I must ask more of you, Aelish." River's voice was heavy with longing. "Surely you are loyal to the Black Knight?"

"I am. Though his ways are unorthodox, he has done more good than he wishes known."

"That is the question I am bound to find an answer to. Cam's family has asked me to have his body returned to them."

"What do you believe they will find when they are reunited with him?" Aelish sat forward.

He watched River stand and draw near the full length windows again. She spied her handmaiden walking closely with Raven along the border of the orchard. "Were I to believe that Cam had truly met the end you would have me think, do you believe I would allow your friend to walk with mine unattended?"

"Had the boy been taken by the guard, he surely would have died, River. Raven did only what he believed best." There was a quiet pleading in the man's voice, as if he needed the Princess to understand how he could befriend and trust someone who masqueraded as a monster. "But I'm sure you already knew that, as Jinna has told you."

"Jinna?" River spun. "You know where she is?"

Aelish stood, alarmed. The little girl was to have left Cam safely and returned to her normal duties this morning. "You mean to say you did not know Cam's fate before we spoke?"

"I did not."

"Yet you chose to warn us."

The Princess took three measured steps, bringing her within a breath of the rugged man. He knew she must be able to hear the pounding of his heart, so near was she. "Do not prove my instincts wrong."


______________________________________________________________________________



The walk had been pleasant. Willow recoiled at the thought. She should hate this man! She should hate him and lead him to his own death for what he had done to Cam, to Tara. How many others had he murdered in cold blood? What is happening to me? Panic drove her through new halls she had never seen, past unopened doors and paintings hung with shrouds, and finally into the dark passageways that few knew existed anymore. How could she have entered into a bargain with the Prince? I am a fool, she chastised herself. I am a fool and now it may cost me dearly. Images of the Black Knight flooded her eyes and darkened her sight. He plagued her. Though the vision of Tara's death had been all too real, once faced with him, she could not find the anger to want for his death any longer. So many have died because of me. Is that my purpose in this life? Am I but a bringer of death? Tinari would be furious if he knew. He would be furious if he knew a great many things, she argued with herself. Willow inhaled deeply, pleasantly surprised to catch the scent of greenery. A branch in the next corridor caught her eye, and she wound around the corner to find the wood she had summoned so few days before. Where once it had been filled with saplings and tender, young trees, it now flourished with heavy-barked firs whose roots and limbs pushed gaping cracks in the stone walls and floors. Her feet guided her delicately over the uneven ground, and her hands steadied her exploration by grasping the strong trunks. Her eyes closed, and her face relaxed. Pure, clean air, laced with the sweetness of sap, drifted over her nostrils. I miss the forest of my home. In her mind, the trees whispered back. She felt comforted and sat among the gnarled roots, leaning fondly against the flaking bark of a madrona.

"I know that this place is important, but I am called elsewhere," she spoke to the trees. "Ulhetha sees that which has not yet come to pass. Even Hepsebah wished me to go back to Torrent." The trees sighed and bobbed in the breeze, though neither a window nor a door could be seen for a great distance.

From within the many folds of her gown, Willow pulled the tidemark Reza had given her long before the thousands of transformations she had endured. It was still warm in her hand. "I have not forgotten you," she spoke to it, though it was the brown-haired boy her heart called out to. She knew not what had become of him, only that it was ill news for him not to have found her again. "Help me find those who are lost," she whispered, beginning the enchanting ritual for the message-bearing coin. "Bring them to me at the edge of the world."


______________________________________________________________________________



"Even now, as we hide," his voice was little more than breath, "she searches for us. Even now, she calls to us to join her. She calls to every gypsy, to every traveler of the wide world, to every free man and woman and child, and to those who have never tasted freedom. She calls. Can you hear her voice?" The tiny girl nodded, and Reza smiled at her. "And although she does not hear the answer, it rings over the hills and dry farmland, it flies on wings, it rides on horseback, and it carries on the smoke of a thousand fires. We will answer as well, though we must wait to go to her."

"Why?" The girl's hair bounced in lazy ringlets at her shoulders.

"We wait because what gifts we bring to her are not meant for battle. And battle is what awaits the Red Sorceress. But others will rise to her call, though darkness will look to overcome them all. Indeed, out of darkness a new light will shine, though none will see how bright nor how misfortunate it will turn out to be. You have heard the story of the beast and the girl who learned to love his heart, despite his terrifying face and claws?" Again, she nodded, eager to hear more of the tale. Every so often, footsteps could be heard on the floorboards above, and Reza would stop. They would both hold their breath and stare until the feet passed. "Love is not always simple," he went on. "And like the beast, sometimes things which are ugly or frightening turn out to be quite different in the end."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:24 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:54 am
Posts: 106
Location: Denmark
Dibs! I'll write more when I have read it ;)

Right, now that I've got my dibs, let's move on to the amazing update!

Things are comming together now huh? I hope Jinna will be alright, and Ren is back into the story? Interesting to see where that leads! She's got a big heart, River, I hope it will pay of in the end for her! Really glad that Willow feels that Raven is not as bad as he looks, though I still do wonder what happened to Tara! Something keeps telling me that Tara is Raven, or rather, Raven is Taran, the male dishuise Tara had to create for herself while trained.. Hmm.. And that tree Willow is sitting under, it shouldn't be a sapling or something from the forest of her childhood?

Really an intruiging update, one of those which doesn't explain much but just thickens the plot, well done! You said you longed to spill all the beans all at once, but you are doing great with throwing a couple at us now and then though!

Fly forever free,
-Nenyath

_________________
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly - my friends
~The Show Must Go On by Queen


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:18 am 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for another great update-y goodness... I hope Jinna is able to fend off Tinari's questions and that Tinari doesn't find Cam... So Ren is back... Queen sure does have nasty plans for River... I really really hope that River will replace the Queen and became a better one...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 3:07 am 
Offline
12. Recently Gay
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:11 pm
Posts: 1666
Topics: 1
Location: Belfast
So Ren is betraying his heritage. Does he know that Willow is the Red Sorceress? If he even has an inkling of that then his presence in the castle may prove very dangerous for her. Willow's rejection of Ren has set him on an extreme path, and I doubt there will be a way back for him.

Tinari's capture of Jinna has me worried, as does the fact that the resistance is yet to know of the true nature of the Black Knight's allegiance. I can only hope that River informs Willow of her thoughts on the matter.

Willow's relationship with Black Knight appears to be very interesting. Already she is having doubts about her bargin with Tinari, and the allusion to Beauty and the Beast in Reza's tale leads me to think that things will resolve themselves satisfactorily in this matter.

I still want to believe that the Black Knight is Tara, but I always tend to dismiss the obvious because my mind likes to convolute the plot.

Great stuff, like Nenyahth rightly said, the plot thickens!!

_________________
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:21 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:54 am
Posts: 465
you are weaving a fabulous little tale here! I like how you're bringing all the characters slowly together again ... and it makes perfect sense that the Queen would have Ren working for her. But you must tell us what has happened to Jinna???

_________________
Patience is a virtue I have yet to acquire
-- me


I am my beloved and my beloved is mine
-- King Solomon's Song of Songs


Only reality can escape the limits of our imagination
-- Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances


Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself
-- Jean-Paul Sartre


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:43 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Sorry it's taken so long to update. In-laws visited from Ireland, training schedule has been pure torture, blah blah blah.... I hope everyone hasn't forgotten where we left off. Enjoy!





Chapter 21


"Welcome," the Queen announced coldly. Two men knelt at her throne, heads lowered in respect. "Word of your deeds travels far." Lamplight glinted off the blades laid neatly on the stone floor. "But I did not invite you into my hall to exchange pleasantries, gentlemen." They both looked up, taken aback by her words. "I have been informed by my military that your noble ways set you apart from those commoners who fight the evil in our lands in these sad, dark times.” Tinari, robed in white silk, stood vigilantly at her side. A vague sneer graced his fine lips as she spoke. “And, under the advice of my guest, the Prince of Avinash,” she tilted her head to the dark man by her right hand, “we shall celebrate your arrival in our city, at which time you will swear allegiance to my rule and become a captain in my Royal Guard.” Aelish felt Raven stiffen at her announcement, though they both held their tongues through her speech. “This is an immense honor, Black Knight.” Her jaw tensed as she said his name, enunciating each word with ferocity. “You will attend the ball in your honor in four days time. Prince Tinari will escort you out of the city that very night, at which time you will take up the duties of a leader in the most powerful military the Known Lands have ever seen. Welcome, guests.”


__________________________________________________________________


Tinari had bound Jinna to a chair, wrists and ankles tied with rough rope. Her skin burned and ached. Screaming had not worked. He had taken her too far down into the tunnels to a place even she did not recognize. Though the light was dim, she could clearly see the red, hungry eyes of a wolf lying along the wall by the door. Tinari had spoken to it in a tongue she could not understand, and there it had remained since he had departed. Each day he came twice, bringing food and water to sustain her, but always depriving her enough to rob the strength from her wiry limbs. Often he spoke in deceptively soothing tones. “You see,” he had explained in a sugary voice, as though Jinna were an infant, “I have things to get done in the next few days, and I need to know that my actions are not being reported.... inaccurately.” His smile terrified her. “Fear not!” He beamed at her, showing all of his sharp teeth. “I have no intention of killing you, at least not right now. I’ll return you when the time is right.”

“And I’ll bite you when you untie me,” she had wanted to say, but prudence held her silent. Now, three excruciating days later in the cold underground room, her words sounded weak as she tried the retort out. The wolf growled at her. Stupid dog, she thought quietly. Willow will find me. Willow and River will look for me. They’ll find me, and then they’ll kill that horrible Prince. But a child who is lost and alone will soon lose hope, no matter how strong she may pretend to be.


__________________________________________________________________


“She has not returned,” River wrung her hands nervously. “It has been three days. We need to find her.”

Willow watched her friend pace and sit, then stand and pace again. The ritual had continued all evening. Many times they had discussed Aelish’s words, of Raven’s true deeds. She was no longer certain what to believe. “How are we to find her with Tinari and his wolves? I can’t cast any spells up here. Even casting underground is dangerous.” They had talked over a hundred ideas, and not a single one of them would work. Willow jumped up and grabbed River’s arm as she passed by the couch again. “Stop,” she said delicately. “Stop and breathe. We’ll think of something.”

“How can I stop?” the young woman’s face twisted as she tried not to cry. “Jinna needs us. She could be trapped or hurt or lost...”

“Jinna can take care of herself better than either of us knows.” Willow’s words calmed them both momentarily. “Right now, we have bigger things to figure out.” River gazed into her friend’s eyes and relaxed, allowing herself to be guided onto the couch. “Tell me again what Aelish said about Cam.”

“He only said that Raven did what he thought was best. That cannot mean he killed the boy. Jinna must have been with them.”

Willow turned away, closing her eyes. Could I be wrong? Could my vision have been something else? Much had transpired over the course of half a week, and every initial feeling she had had about Raven had become easier to dismiss and ignore as the days passed. She breathed deeply, trying to put her own feelings aside. “I will ask him. Tomorrow is the ball. I will ask him in the morning when the castle is busy preparing.”

River inhaled sharply. “Are you certain that’s wise?”

“He kills wyverns, River. Not Ancients.”


__________________________________________________________________


Early morning dew had frozen the orchards into delicate crystalline ornaments, their bare branches heavy and fragile with ice. Having finally driven off the gathering winter cloud-cover, the sun shone brightly off each glassy detail of the landscape. A figure moved slowly, methodically, following an ancient pattern of breath and form, its silhouette the only interruption in the perfection of the frozen tree world. Sword sheathed and daggers hidden, it focused its energy into balance. Limbs suspended like the plants surrounding it, the figure crouched, turned, twisted, and rose again. The motion formed its own beat, a rhythm borrowed from the earth with each rise and given back as the body fell once more.

Silent and hidden, a pair of green eyes followed every movement of the dark warrior. Willow blinked away the cold air, bending lower as the sun threatened to expose her. He is at peace, she mused, if only for a moment. Her throat tightened as she thought on all that had changed in but a few days. Never had the world seemed darker, though her eyes squinted in the bright winter light.

Raven bowed low to the earth. His footsteps had worn a pattern into the thin layer of snow that dusted the grass. No amount of breath could clear his mind. He could spend hours meditating in his battle training maneuvers as he had since dawn, but the image of Willow’s face would not let him be. Out of breath from the ceaseless effort, he drove himself on, but the quiet would not come. Still, silent, her visage haunted him.

That same face, shrouded in the leaves of a laurel, watched and waited. Something will happen, she told herself. He will do something to prove his evil nature. No one can deny their true nature forever. Convinced as she was, doubt nagged at her brain more and more with each passing day. Four days had they spent together, walking hand in arm through the gardens and fields surrounding the castle, learning the tiniest details about one another, but never speaking as boldly as they both wished. Willow wanted to curse him for finding his way into her heart, a heart which belonged to another. Her attempts to push him from her mind failed miserably. Likewise, Raven cursed himself for his boldness, for his obvious pursuit of a woman he could desire but not have. Both sighed, billowing out smoky curls of breath into the frigid air, unaware of the synchronization of their actions.

The rest of the kingdom had formed its own opinions about the Black Knight and his lady companion. Though they sought the solitude of open spaces, many had caught glimpses of them walking closely together, and that was sufficient for rumors to run rampant in kitchens and pubs from the castle to the far edges of the city. Some said it was love. Others called it a bizarre infatuation on the part of the handmaiden. Many believed the Black Knight had enchanted the young woman and intended to steal her away from her service to the royal family. But alone, quiet, unseen by hagglers, whores and traders, the two outsiders watched one another; Willow, wiping away the melting frost to clear her vision of Raven, who closed his hidden eyes and saw his true love in his mind.


__________________________________________________________________


Prince Tinari sipped the black tea, devoid of sweetness, bitter and thick as he had ordered it. He grimaced, not at the sharp taste, but at being forced to endure the company of a commoner. The Queen, distastefully laughing at the man’s simplicity, merely sickened him further. Together, the two were intolerable. Closing his eyes, the Prince of Avinash formed an image of his homeland in his mind. Gone were the icy winds and driving rains of the so-called Drylands. Instead, his face was bathed in radiant sunlight and his body was warmed from the stone upon which he sat. Rising formidably around him, the walls of his private temple were so tall that it had taken seventeen hand-carved blocks of pure sandstone to construct each one of them. Seventeen, he hummed delicately to himself, pleased with the divine number of his people. It had taken seventeen days to tame the River Avinash and thus make fertile the farmlands at the heart of his nation. Seventeen wolves graced the elegantly carved gates to the city on all four sides. And soon, his people would fast for seventeen days to honor their gods. Content that he would be among them, revered for his conquest of land and power, even the most dull conversation could be considered amusing to his refreshed mind. Tinari opened his eyes to more laughter and wit from the Queen and her guest.

“Tinari,” she crooned, “I must admit, your decision to make him a captain was most ingenious.” The Prince smiled and nodded his head slightly. “I have yet to meet a man who could turn down power.”

“Indeed,” he replied.


__________________________________________________________________


Frustrated, weary, and hungry down to his very bones, Cam continued to walk through the maze of tunnels and passageways below the castle and its grounds. It had been two days since he had left the comforts of the tiny room Jinna had abandoned him in, and her promise of return unfulfilled had left him with little but dread. His eyes were weak from lack of light, and his feet shuffled heavily over the uneven stone floor. He wanted to find her. He wanted to find a way out. He wanted to live. Dying underground was, in fact, so terrifying, it frequently sped his pace beyond what his fatigued muscles could bear. Driven to the ground for the hundredth time that day, though he was no longer certain whether it was day or night, Cam scraped his palms as he fell in a heap. He wanted to punch the walls in agony! But his fingers were swollen and sore, his skin too tender to bear the pressure. Biting back his tears, the young man braced himself against the wall beside him and let his head rest upon it while he breathed. Stale air coursed through his lungs and chapped his lips, but breathing quieted the pounding of his heart in his tight chest.

Through the silence, a ripple of barely audible laughter trickled through the mortar and into Cam’s ears. At first, he giggled back, mildly delirious after so many days of sensory deprivation. When it continued, long after his mind had rejected it as his own creation, his keen hearing led him to his feet to follow it. He stumbled and careened down roughly hewn halls, plowing blindly through the darkness and directly into a thick, wooden door. Cam felt the smooth boards with the tips of his fingers, searching and exploring until a tiny keyhole revealed itself. “At last,” he whispered, relief washing over him. He had found Merl’s pub.


__________________________________________________________________


“Pack more food than that, girl.”

“But,” Ivy protested, “City Lost is only two day’s ride from here. Three days if we walk.” All around the city, preparations were being made. Not all would ride out at once. Stealth was the only insurance of success. It had been decided only hours beforehand that they would leave within the following week, and they had agreed to meet at the edge of the ruined city by the sea. The journey would be perilous, but no war could be fought from within the city itself.

Ulhetha grunted as she folded the unbaked bread dough again on the floured table. Calla was busy at her side mixing more dough. “Well, were there no army in our way, it would be simple.”

Ivy set the large basket down on the floor in frustration. “How are we to get to the other side then?”

“That is not our problem to solve.”

Calla rolled her eyes. “Nor is it Merl’s, if you ask him. I thought you said he would lead us without hesitation.”

The old woman wiped flour from the younger woman’s face with a dry towel. “I told you he would not deny his duty. Don’t mix my words. He will do as he must.” She settled back into the rhythmic pounding of dough on the heavy table. Calla’s words played over in her mind many times, despite the certainty she had felt in seeing Merl’s future. Perhaps he merely needed time to adjust to the new role.

“What is it about Torrent that you thought would draw him to this battle?” Calla floured the table for another loaf.

Ulhetha dusted her hands on her apron and sat by the fire. She picked up the heavy poker and began stabbing at the glowing coals. “Another battle was waged there many years ago,” she began. “It was the last time the free army stood united."

"This has something to do with the Ancients, doesn't it," her remark was less of a question and more of an accusation. The two women had shared many conversations about the Queen and her Royal Guard, about the presence of the Prince of Avinash in their kingdom, and about the battle stirring at the edge of the Known Lands, but Merl seemed to be the one subject Ulhetha was reluctant to discuss. "You wish to wake the one below Torrent," Calla concluded. "That is what you mean when you speak of 'those who will join us,' is it not?" Ulhetha lifted the steaming kettle of water and poured it into a teapot at the edge of the old table. "Do you know what power you are playing at?"

"Do you think me young, girl?" the elderly woman glared fiercely. "While I may not remember the great flood itself, I know a fair bit about the forces at work around us."

"Yet you will not tell me what part Merl will play in this. You will not speak of the end, yet I know you have seen it. I know it has obscured your sight of the present."

Ulhetha breathed heavily, calming herself from within. Calla had always known precisely which nerve to trigger to get the argument she desired. The death of her mother and the destruction of her home had left her with little of the joy she was once known for. "Merl's part is already done. It was his deed which set about the motion of all that you see around you, and it will be by his hand that it all ends." She dusted flour off her apron and poured a cup of tea. "Now get that bread baked and help Ivy pack. We're leaving in the morning."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:32 pm 
Offline
12. Recently Gay
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:11 pm
Posts: 1666
Topics: 1
Location: Belfast
Dibs. Back later!!!

Great to see an update, I was about send out the search parties to look for it ;-)

What is the Queen up to? Honestly, everytime she appears I find it hard to take her actions on face value. I'm always looking into the machinations of her mind. At the moment I'm thinking, in relation to TBK, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. But then again TBK seems to be of the same mind in that respect.

The least said about Tinari the better - slimy bastard!!

I like that Willow's doubts about TBK are getting more apparent, and now that Cam has found his way to the pub surely TBK's true character should come to light.

I'm not sure I like the fact that Willow and River think that Jinna is with Cam. River should've trust her instincts and start searching for her, but hopefully Cam's appearance will put the wheels in motion there.

I have to say, the scene where Willow watches Raven and is watched in return was just beautiful, and the little insight into what they are both feeling was almost sad knowing that neither of them is in a position to actually feel that way. Although, it is pulling me strongly toward Tara is TBK scenario again. Arghh!! I'm never going to settle on that one :smash

Now, Merl. What did he do to set things in motion. Have I missed something? And, did his actions set off the whole Ancient on the rise thing, or just the resistance's jouney to Torrent. More damn questions! lol

Like i said earlier, great to see this back, I missed it.

_________________
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt


Last edited by Paint the Sky on Fri Jul 11, 2008 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:45 am 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for great update-y goodness... I hope that Tinari soon meets a messy end...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:54 am 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Finally having a day off that I can spend as I see fit, I'm making up for lost time. I'm also getting excited because we're getting to the part I've been dying to write for months now. I'll answer some feedback later. In the meantime, thanks for sticking around, everybody.




Chapter 22


Tara gazed out over the frosted plains, over trees glazed with ice, far beyond the distance one could walk within a day. Tall, glacier-bound mountains reached up toward the clear sky, challenging it with their frozen stance. Her eyes threatened to close from the pure, white light reflected, but she forced them open after each blink. No amount of punishment, no length of imprisonment could ever give her the peace her heart desired. Banishment from her homeland had been the first blow, Willow’s rejection the second. Now, everything she was, everything she had ever been, everything the future could hold for her was wrong. I am a perversion and a dishonor. Her breathing grew rapid and shallow. There is no forgiveness for my deeds.

Her bare skin began to redden in the cold. Gooseflesh crept up her exposed arms and legs, bringing with it a shiver that defied willpower. Tara took the bitter air into her lungs again, forcing her body to relax and accept the rapid drop in temperature. Born into the coldest place in the Known Lands, her flesh remembered the freedom it once possessed. Fur and wool were luxuries. Luxuries meant nothing to a warrior. Freedom, strength, intelligence; these were the things which kept a body warm on the coldest nights. Now, here, Tara’s naked form accepted its place in the frozen world. Her mind, following true, arrived calm and ready to accept its place as well.

“I will find her. I will go to her and lay my heart before her. I cannot deny what I am, nor can I seek forgiveness. Be it wrath or hatred, I will face it with flesh bared.” Tara opened her blue eyes to the sun and let herself think of Willow and only Willow for the first time in eight years. Her heart beat faster as her fingers felt the cool, red hair slip through her hands. “Tell me my fate, mo rhua.”


__________________________________________________________________


Merl awoke to sunlight pouring through his window, lighting the dust motes from piles of books and maps on the chest at the end of his bed. He sighed and closed his eyes. Since the meeting several days past, his life had become a whirlwind. Nothing could be what it once was now, not since the fateful day he had seen the red-haired girl in the slave line. He tried not to let his mind dwell on her, but his heart was desperate to see those eyes, to look into them and find Rowan, if indeed she was there. Kousa had taken her, to where he did not know, and he suddenly regretted the bargain he had struck with her. “Damn her,” he muttered. This was not the first time his sister had made someone disappear. Her own children had been gone for many years now, though they were terribly young when Merl last saw them. He longed to see them again, to feel a connection to some part of his family, so divided, so different than what it had been in his own childhood. Calla had become more family to him over the years than his own blood had ever been. “Damn her as well.” He grunted and rolled out of the bed, pulling his quilts back into order. Calla had been relentless in her pursuit of his past. Could she not see that some things were best left to silence? He tied the laces of his heavy boots slowly, methodically. No one discussed the people’s free army. It simply wasn’t spoken of.

She would be waiting for him in the meeting hall, that much he knew for certain. Today the first group would leave for Torrent, and Calla was among them. Torrent, he paused as his heavy feet descended the stair to his bar. Did he honestly believe he could walk into that city without the full weight of a lifetime of grief collapsing his very bones? Merl shook his head wearily and continued down to the bar and back into the storeroom. Ulhetha had known just what to say to make him go. Though he felt certain it would be the death of him, he would do just that.

Merl reached between the fold of his loose shirt and pulled out a key on a thin chain. As times had become more dangerous, he had moved its hiding place from the loose floorboard to his own chest. He slipped the key into the hidden panel door and turned the lock. Much to his surprise, a body collapsed inward, pushing the door back into his foot. A half-starved face blinked in the filtered light and gazed up at him, bewildered.

“Cam?” the old man knelt quickly, cradling the boy’s head in his immense hands. “Ancients among us!” he exclaimed. “You’re alive!”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” the frail young man grinned. “Spare a pint?”

Merl hopped around like a father with a newborn child, first carrying the withered Cam up to his still warm bed, then returning with food, water and ale. Cam attempted to wave him off, but weakness got the better of him, and Merl would not allow him to speak until he had restore his strength a bit. The boy ate like a wild dog, ravenous and shaking all through his meal.

“He didn’t kill you.”

“No,” Cam chewed on the last piece of bread, relishing the sensation of a full belly. “That’s not important now, Merl. I think something bigger is happening in that castle, and we have to get everyone out.”

“What do you mean, bigger?” Merl fussed over the boy’s cuts and scrapes. “What could be bigger than that black devil? He’s the reason we’re leaving.” Cam stared up at him, his hollow eyes lost. “Right,” Merl cursed himself, “how could you know? The council decided we must leave. The first group departs today.”

“So perhaps we will be safe after all...” he muttered.

“Everyone thought you were dead. They still think that. With no hero to lead us...” Merl paused and looked around the tiny room aimlessly. “Well, they decided I was to lead us all to Torrent.”

“Then it is true.”

The barkeep turned his head and looked at the boy. “What is true?”

“Jinna is lost. She smuggled me from the prison, but she never returned. It was her duty to set Raven’s reputation right.” He frowned suddenly. “I fear the worst for her.”


__________________________________________________________________


Throughout the castle and the whole of the kingdom, word of the Black Knight’s promotion was bursting like water through a dam. Tonight they would celebrate, despite the dour mood which had settled nearly permanently over each household and business. Surely this news showed a turning point! Hearts and eyes looked to the Queen once more, convinced that she desired the best for her people. And, under her power and authority, the Black Knight could once more be revered as a hero, a man who could set right the imbalance in the Drylands.

The only heart not lifted by the announcement of a ball, by the celebrations which drove the castle staff crazily about the kitchens and halls, was the Princess’ handmaiden. She sat alone in her chamber, staring mindlessly out the window over the orchards. Raven had been there hours before, and her intention was to face him, to ask him directly about Jinna, about Cam, perhaps even about Tara. Something, however, had stopped her. Alone in her reverie, her hands trembled as she realized what that Something was. Her eyes refused to shed tears, though her pale face and reddened cheeks bore the marks of tears past. The ball was but a few hours away. Tonight she would tell him the truth, and perhaps a few answers to her own questions would be given. “Tonight,” she whispered. “Tonight.” Her eyes moved westward and sought the unseen horizon of the ocean shore.


__________________________________________________________________


“You will accept him with grace and a humble mind,” the Queen lectured. “This is an honor to our entire nation. It is an honor to Avinash as well. I will not see you behave in anything less than a perfectly royal fashion. Do I make your role plain?”

“Yes, mother,” River answered quietly. He head was bowed, not in respect, but in dire sadness. The day had come. Long had it rested on the horizon, long had she feared it, though its distance had given her short comfort. The weeks of companionship with Willow had put her royal duty to the back of her mind. She longed for that companionship now, for Willow’s strong presence and guidance to hold her up when her legs cried out to betray her and let her fall to the floor. But, more than a marriage to an evil prince, she feared her own mother’s wrath. So it was fear that kept her upright, and fear which drove the demure answers from her lips into the stuffy air of her mother’s private chamber.

“Good. You will be the shining star of the ball, my dear. Do not disappoint me.”


__________________________________________________________________


Aelish polished his leather for the third time, intent on having it perfect. His fingertips were black with stain, and his nails would require a full hour of scrubbing after his efforts, but the ceaseless activity helped to clear his mind. Tonight they would attend a ball in their honor. Raven would be made a captain. They would be led away promptly after. Both knew that they would be marched to their death. While the thought of sabotage and death plotting should have shaken the warrior to his core, the only thought which held any sway over his mind was the Princess. She would be there tonight. He would bow before her. He would dance in her presence. Then he would leave, never to see her again.

The chamber door burst open, waking Aelish from his thought. Raven strode in, his own leather polished to a sheen it had not bore for many years. They nodded to one another, and Aelish continued his work. “Our blades are sharp, and the horses are ready,” he told his friend.

Raven nodded again. “Never before have we ridden into battle so well dressed,” he joked. Aelish looked up from his blackened hands and smiled. His companion rarely made light of anything. Their circumstance must be more dire than Raven had let on. A change had washed over them both since their stay in the castle had begun, and neither knew how to acknowledge it, though it seeped into every word and movement they shared.

“You will surely break her heart,” Aelish turned away, letting his mind find rest in the polishing.

“I must. Will your departure not bring the same for the Princess?”

He closed his eyes, breath feathering over his lips. “My heart has already broken enough for us both. Perhaps that will be enough to spare hers.”


__________________________________________________________________


Sunset came early, answering the call of winter’s need for darkness. Lamps were lit, curtains were drawn, and fires were built up. Musicians took their place at the end of the great hall, tuning strings and tightening drum skins as the temperature and light grew. Colorful gowns and dresses spun and twirled in the candlelight of twelve ornate chandeliers, turning to the lilting rhythm of the minstrels. At the far end, the Queen and the Princess sat upon their dais, smiling gently at the adoring crowd. Willow, resplendent in an emerald gown of velvet and lace, stood at the right hand of her friend. Both looked as though they were prepared to flee at a moment’s notice, if given the chance.

Three bells rang, each piercing the chatter and beat, until the crowd had parted and the music stopped. Following the red carpet to the double doors at the far end of the hall, everyone watched the two black figures approach, pause, and then stride confidently into the center of the ball. They knelt before the royal family in a flourish, then rose, heads still bowed.

“Welcome, honored guests,” the Queen’s voice filled the enormous hall. “Tonight we dance in celebration of you.” She waved her arms at the musicians. “Something joyful,” she commanded, and they obeyed with a stately tune, enchanting the crowd to take to their feet at once.

Defying every royal order and commandment ever spoken or written, Aelish remained at the foot of the dais, extending his right arm to the Princess. “Your Highness,” he spoke boldly, “I would be most honored to have your hand for this dance.”

River froze in shock. Would her mother permit such an audacious offer? Hearing no contest to the young man’s request, and with a not-so-delicate nudge from her handmaiden, the Princess stood, her fine, black hair swinging gracefully back from her shoulders. She descended the three carpeted steps slowly, her feet and hands trembling, until she reached Aelish’s outstretched hand. He clasped her own and steadied her. His brown eyes calmed her, and the music overwhelmed them as he swept her off into the spinning crowd.

Willow watched them go, a kind of jealousy carving at her own heart, though she knew the pain they must both be feeling. Her own eyes rose to see Raven slipping out into the garden courtyard beside the great hall. Free of her duty to the Princess, she followed him, genuinely relieved to part company with the bustle and heat of the dance. Crisp night air greeted her eagerly at the door, and the lightest flurry of snow descended onto the roses and dried flowers surrounding the stone path. Far from the light of the fires and candles, Raven stood in the pale moonlight under a bare maple. He appeared to be examining its bark with much interest. Willow’s footsteps in the light frosting of snow sounded in his ears, and he turned to face her. So used to him had she become, she no longer saw the black cloth. Somewhere in her mind, she had assigned a face to the faceless knight, and the eyes which stared at her plainly longed to stare forever. She could not deny her own similar desire, but she had not come to him tonight to declare her love for him. “I know what you feel,” she began, her voice strong and clear, “and I am certain you see it in my eyes as well.” He turned and faced her fully. “But I cannot love you, Raven, despite what my heart desires.” Surely, she could see his heart break, through the blackness, through the thick layers of leather and cloth which hid his shame from the eyes of others. “Tonight I have come to tell you why.”

“You need not. I understand.”

“No,” her words bit at him sharply. “You do not. And I must explain, if not for you then for myself.” Raven inhaled and prepared himself to listen to the words he knew would tear what was left of his to pieces. “I saw something when you first came into this castle. I touched you and I saw someone from my past.” Willow’s hands began to shake so violently that she clasped them together before her waist. “Her name was Tara. I don’t know what you did to her, nor what became of her after your encounter. Initially I thought you had killed her, but, try as I have for so many days, I cannot find that sort of evil in you now. I appeal to you with everything I have, Raven. I must know where she is. I cannot love you because it is her name my heart truly cries out for.” Willow stepped forward and took his gloved hands in her bare ones. “Forgive me for leading your heart to my own when it was not free to give, but you are the only connection I have to find her. Please tell me,” she begged.

Raven watched her speak, spellbound by her words and her love, even if it was not for him. Despite his strength, his own hands trembled at her touch. The scent of her hair and skin entwined with the crisp scent of snow were intoxicating, though he knew he could not pull her to him as he so desired. “I will tell you what you wish to know,” he agreed, but before his words could continue, a shadow fell over the door to the great hall. Raven looked up and stepped back from the handmaiden.

In the door stood a slight figure, simply dressed and unarmed. The same could not be said for the dozen guardsmen behind him, each wielding a broadsword. His short, blond hair and wicked sneer of triumph doubled as the guards flowed into the courtyard toward the couple at its far end. Willow turned as the man strode nearer, and her heart failed her. “Ren,” she whispered through shaking lips.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:42 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:54 am
Posts: 106
Location: Denmark
Dibs! Oh joy! Updates! :sigh
I'll be back when I have read them, thank you!

After reading;
And what updates indeed! I am so curios to see where leads now and I have a ton of questions! Will poor Jinna get out and what does the prince plan with her? If TBK is not Tara, who is he then and where is she? And those were just the most pressing..

Honestly, finding these two updates where a joy, and reading them an even greater one ;-) I love how this story progress, the ambiguity of the characters, the increasingly intricate relationship between them, and the choices they must all make to end the dark times they are facing.. Intruiging!

Fly forever free!
-Nenyath

_________________
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly - my friends
~The Show Must Go On by Queen


Last edited by Nenyath on Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:55 pm 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for great update-y goodness... I hope Ren's apperance doesn't rob Willow's chance to know about Tara...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:52 pm 
Offline
12. Recently Gay
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:11 pm
Posts: 1666
Topics: 1
Location: Belfast
I didn't expect another update so soon, but to say I'm happy to see it is an understatement.

How very unexpected to read about Tara, but a lovely surprise nonetheless. As we are seeing her after the same eight year period that has brought Willow to the castle etc that can only mean she survived her encounter with TBK. So a big yay for that, but what does she think she has done to deserve the punishment she is so evidently inflicting on herself? I'm looking forward to seeing more of her story, and if you want to keep her naked, thats ok too ;-)

Would you believe that my jaw actually dropped at the revelation that Merl knew Rowan cos I'm thinking Merl is Willow's father, yes? And, bloody hell, Kousa is his sister. As Alice said curiouser and curiouser. Loving these developments.

Good to see Cam safe and Jinna's plight highlighted, not to mention Raven's action acknowledged to a resistance member.

That's a hell of a cliff you've left us dangling from, I hope you get a little more time off soon, cos I really need to know if Ren expected Willow to be there when he came for Raven, or if was Willow was his target anyway, nevermind hoping to see more of Tara and if Merl and the resistance find Jinna before it's too late.

Fantastic stuff as usual, thank you.

_________________
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:41 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement. Again, I'm sorry I haven't been around to update in so long, so I figured you might appreciate a double update to reward you.


Paint the Sky-

What an exciting time to be in the Drylands! Yes, the Queen is a bit of a "player", I suppose you could say. Sadly, I'm afraid she may have gotten in over her head. It's terribly unlikely that she realizes the depth of Tinari's evil nature. As for him, we have yet to see just how bad he can be. After all, kidnapping is... well... kid's stuff! Something about him always reminds me of Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Evil to the last damn scene.
Quote:
Now, Merl. What did he do to set things in motion. Have I missed something? And, did his actions set off the whole Ancient on the rise thing, or just the resistance's jouney to Torrent. More damn questions! lol

You'll discover much more about Merl in each chapter from here on out. As ch22 shows, yep, he could certainly be Willow's father. Oddly enough, I'm only just now building his past as I write Willow's current struggles. So much of what he's done has influenced everything here, it will have to come to light before things can come to a close. Ulhetha knows much more than she's willing to spill, and that can only piss Calla off worse.

As for Tara, I thought everyone might like a glimpse into her mind. I've missed having her in on the action and plot development, and it's getting close to the time she'll be making a reappearance. As for the nakedness..... *grin* I can only suggest you read that passage with diligence. I think I said more than anyone will realize just yet.


Nenyath-

Congrats on today's dibs! Alas, poor little Jinna has turned into a pawn. Don't worry too much, though. She's resourceful beyond measure. As for TBK's identity, that will be revealed very soon now. Clearly Willow is done messing around, and she needs some answers. And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't defy an Ancient.


Zampsa-

More chapter-y goodness is in the works!




Thanks again for all the feedback. I'll try to keep the updates coming.

_________________
There, but for the grace of her, go I.


http://citychickenfarm.blogspot.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:03 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:54 am
Posts: 465
omg what two fabulous updates!!!! :D And talk about a cliffhanger! :D keep up the fantastic writing.

_________________
Patience is a virtue I have yet to acquire
-- me


I am my beloved and my beloved is mine
-- King Solomon's Song of Songs


Only reality can escape the limits of our imagination
-- Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances


Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself
-- Jean-Paul Sartre


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:07 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Chapter 23



“So good to see you again, Willow,” Ren grinned, for all the world looking like a boy who has found his long lost childhood friend. Raven stepped protectively between the two, though one man against thirteen was in no way a fair match. He felt Willow’s trembling hand reach for his arm, not pulling him away but seeking safety behind him. “No hello for your fellow gypsy?”

“What are you doing, Ren?” she asked, heart pounding. “What is this all about?”

He smiled again. “I have come to claim the Red Sorceress, to deliver her to the Queen. Surely you did not think you could hide forever, especially under her very nose?”

Raven spared not a glance in her direction, but kept himself facing Ren throughout the conversation. The guardsmen had fanned out behind their leader, swords drawn and ready. The Black Knight watched each of them, noting their size, obvious strengths and weaknesses, where their eyes rested or darted. Each moved with short, quick steps, nervous energy winding their limbs into protective stances. They feared him.

“This is insane, Ren. You and I are family,” Willow pleaded with the young man.

“Family?” His calm demeanor flipped to rage faster than an oil lamp lit with a torch. “You have the nerve to call us family after what you did?”

Willow wanted to look away in shame, wanted to hide behind her protector until the danger had passed, but she knew that her actions had been the cause of this confrontation. Clearly it had been brewing in Ren’s mind for all the lost years between them, though the handmaiden could not have foreseen such a conclusion as this. She wondered briefly what Raven thought of the mysterious dialogue. “What happened back then...” her mind drifted to flame and smoke, momentarily allowing herself to remember the painful details of the night of Hepsebah’s death, the death of so many, “It wasn’t my fault.” She raised her head to meet her former leader’s accusing gaze. “It was not my fault, Ren.”

“I lost my clan because of you!” he shouted. “My father died at the hands of mercenaries because of your impurities!” His face reddened with rage. “You brought that fate upon us, and I will see to it that you suffer for the lives you carelessly ripped apart.” He nodded to the guards on either side of the garden. “Seize her.”

They stepped forward, carefully surveying the risk of inflaming the Black Knight’s temper. The Queen, however, had specifically given Ren authority to use the Royal Guard as he saw fit in the pursuit of the Red Sorceress, as Willow had suddenly come to be known. Shocked as they were that he had named the Princess’ handmaiden that very night, they each wondered in turn what the Queen herself would say when the truth was known about the woman in whose charge her daughter had been placed for so many weeks. The first guard stepped within arm’s length of Willow. He reached out to her with a leather gauntlet clad hand and froze. Something inside his mind told him to stop. It was a voice, small and frail. It sounded like his son. He turned, convinced that the boy must have followed him from his post at the edge of the castle, and he was prepared to chastise the six-year-old for interfering with his job, when a crushing blow drove him to the ground. Raven stood over him, fists clenched. From within his cloak he pulled the hidden sword, freshly sharpened and polished not two hours beforehand. The remaining eleven guardsmen braced themselves for a short fight.


__________________________________________________________________


Signaling the musicians to cease, the Queen rose from her seat and smiled benevolently at her assembled friends. “And now, lords and ladies, I am pleased to make two announcements. First, as this is a ball in his honor, I should like all of you to congratulate the Black Knight for devoting his service to this throne. By morning he shall be a captain in the Royal Guard, an honor shared by few.” Everyone clapped and sighed in appreciation of the gesture. Oddly, the knight in question did not step forward to be received by his Queen. Unfazed, she continued. “I’m certain the ball has been most taxing on his social abilities,” she joked, and many laughed as though on cue. Aelish, having taken his leave of the Princess after leading her back to her seat, departed quietly toward the courtyard in search of Raven. “My second announcement brings me more joy than you may know. Prince Tinari?” The dark man approached and bowed low, taking her offered hand in his. “In an agreement between our nations, and after much preparation on both our parts, I am pleased to announce the betrothal of Princess River to the Prince of Avinash.” Exclamations of joy reverberated through the crowd. “It is with humble hearts we two nations shall come together in the Known Lands.” Taking River’s hand, she united the Prince and the Princess before her, stepping back to allow them center stage. Before bowing into darkness, she whispered into Tinari’s ear, “Find him. Now.”


__________________________________________________________________


Aelish burst through the door to a scene he could not believe. Raven and Willow were surrounded by Royal Guards. Heavy snow was beginning to blanket the courtyard where they struggled, each man falling in sequence below the kicks and punches delivered from the Black Knight. Of the twelve who had approached, only three now stood. Willow, refusing to abandon Raven to their swords, had kept herself in the center of the fray. Her efforts were slight in comparison, but none had yet caught her, nor had they wounded her. Something was amiss. Aelish quickly scanned the courtyard until he found the one person not involved in the fight. A tall, blond man, dressed plainly but clearly in charge, stood near the doorway, always watchful of Willow’s whereabouts. Needing no more information, Aelish drove at him with the force of ten men, knocking him to the ground with a double-fisted blow. Blood trickled from a cut on the young man’s head, but he made no effort to rise. Content, Aelish rushed in to help his comrade.

“This is the last time I take you to a formal event,” he shouted as he kicked a guard in the kidneys, pushing the man into a thorny bush headfirst.

Raven stood, dusting his tunic free of snow, and turned to the one man he had entrusted with his life. “We leave. Now.” He then turned to Willow and took her hand delicately. “I told you I would give you what you wanted, and I intend to do just that. But it has recently been brought to my attention that your safety is in jeopardy here.”

Willow surveyed the carnage in the once pristine garden courtyard. “You’re leaving.”

“We are.”

“So am I.”

Clasping her hand more firmly, Raven led them off at a run. He quickly relinquished control to the handmaiden, however, as she knew the halls and passageways of the castle better than any of them. Time had run out for each of them, though neither could have guessed what lay in store for the other. Now, with no time to consider options or reasons, they simply ran. Willow led them out a far side of the castle, down a path they each recalled, and directly to the stables. Two horses whinnied at their approach.

Raven swung the stable gates wide and leapt onto his black horse, pulling Willow up behind him. Aelish was right behind them, his horse pulling at the reigns as it sensed their panic.

“Wait!” Willow shouted. Raven leaned back, stopping his horse instantly. She saw no reigns in his hands, but let the thought go as more pressing needs weighed on her mind. “Cam and Jinna. Are they dead?”

“No,” Raven shook his head. “Both live. They left our care days ago.”

“They are missing. We cannot leave them behind. Jinna knows too much.”

“This is ridiculous!” Aelish shouted. “Every guardsman in this kingdom will be out for our heads in a matter of minutes, and you want to go back in?”

She stared at him with her powerful green eyes. No argument would be heard by her. “Leave me if you must, but I will not abandon them. Jinna is a child.” Without another word, and before Aelish had finished hearing her words, Raven set his horse off at a gallop. As they rode, Willow curled her arms around his waist. Though their speed was immense, her faith in him never waned.

“Can you find her?” he asked as they galloped down the road, damp with gathering snow.

Putting aside her fears of being caught using magic, Willow began to chant under her breath. A spell, simple but powerful, grew. It surged with her words, though Raven could not quite make out what she was saying. Behind them, Aelish followed at a dangerously close pace. As she chanted, he watched her body begin to glow.

She is below ground, Willow spoke directly into Raven’s mind, surrounding his brain with her words as he had done so many times with her. Take the gate you see on your left. The hall is wide and straight. Ride through. He did just as he was told, brazenly charging the mighty warhorse through the castle entrance and into the stone hall at the side of the massive keep. Following each direction, they spun around corners, descended stairways and galloped through halls leaving shocked guardsmen behind them with each turn. Barely able to remain upon the horse’s back when they leapt down another level into the dungeons, Raven dropped to the ground and lifted Willow from the saddle with practiced ease. “We’re close!” she shouted, taking off at a run. Her companions could do little but follow her blindly.

After two more turns, they came to a large, wooden door, locked and barred against them. Willow pounded against it with frustration, her skin still aglow from the spell. Raven nudged her aside gently and rammed the door with his shoulder. It moved only slightly. Aelish joined him, adding twice the power to each blow. Again and again they pounded at the door, pushing it further and further with each try until finally, splintering under the pressure, it broke inward and delivered them all into a dimly lit room. Unprotected and ill prepared in their entry, both men only barely heard the twang of a crossbow as they stumbled to find their footing. Thinking the culprit had missed, Raven glanced quickly at Aelish, then looked around the room until he spotted a figure dressed in white hovering in the darkness. Beside him sat a little girl, tied firmly to her chair.

“Raven?” Aelish asked in a curious voice. His companion turned his attention back to where they had landed inside the crumbled remains of the door, only to find the other warrior gazing at him with the strangest expression he had ever seen. Aelish’s hands crept up his chest to where a bolt protruded from between his ribs. He collapsed almost instantly.

Willow dove to where he slumped on the floor, failing to catch his head before he hit the stone. She looked up at Raven, then found Prince Tinari and his captive in the darkness. “Jinna!” she cried. The little girl struggled against her ropes and gag.

“I must thank you, Willow. It seems you have followed through on our bargain after all.” The Prince’s voice, as sweet as a spider in her own web, wound its way around them. “I had begun to wonder where your loyalties were, especially after the interesting stories Ren told me about you just now.” With a glance, another door swung open, revealing a bruised, bleeding, and fiercely angered Ren. In his hand was a sword abandoned by a lifeless guardsman in the courtyard far above their heads. “And now, though I could not have planned it so well had I tried, I find myself in a remarkable position of power.” He grinned, and the wolves behind him began to growl. “On one hand I have the infamous Black Knight, suddenly crippled by the loss of his dear friend. On the other, I have the equally well-known Red Sorceress, who has betrayed the masked man she loves.” He steepled his hands before his black, hungry eyes. “I cannot deny that I have desired this moment with all my passion,” he licked his lips, sharp teeth glowing within. “Have you not also hungered for the truth?” His eyes stared deeply into Willow’s. “How long have you walked hand in hand with a faceless hero? How many nights did you drift off to sleep, imagining the face of the man to whom you would surrender yourself, body and soul? Would you care to take a glance?” He stepped closer to Raven, hand lifted dramatically to snatch away the cowl. “Or do you fear his deformity so much that you would rather never know what lies beneath all that blackness?” He withdrew his hand with a flourish.

Willow glanced at the man standing beside her, fearing for all of their lives, but finding herself equally drawn in by the Prince’s alluring words. She could not deny that her mind had gone many times to a place she would rather not acknowledge. Raven turned to face her, blackness enveloping her sight. Avinash, her mind echoed back, reminding her of the warning from so long before. Avinash, it cried out to her. Avinash! Just then, without warning, the memory crashed down upon her.



“They make stories,” Jesse spat bitterly, carving a wooden heel for a boot in the vice upon his worktable. “Though they say they’re pure from th’ filth o’ magic, they lie. Never believe ‘em, li’l one.”

“Why not?” Willow asked, oblivious to the danger and warning in Jesse’s voice.

“Because they’re thieves, is why!” he charged at her, still holding the knife. The little girl shrank back in her chair, terrified of her big friend. “They say they wanna cleanse, but all they do is steal!” His face was red and flushed from anger. He panted and puffed a few times, then backed away, dropping the old knife to the table. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, shaken beyond anything Willow had ever seen. “I’m sorry.”

Willow, small and scared, stood and walked to where her friend leaned against a tall shelf. She wrapped her thin arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. “They took something from you.”

“Tha’ they did,” he agreed, turning to pat her head by his waist. She looked up at him with the purity of innocence, and tears welled up in his old eyes. “They took my Belle from me.” His face crumbled in sorrow, but he went on. “Once, long afore so many things changed in these here lands, I loved a woman.” He smiled at the memory, and the little girl smiled with him. “We loved each other good, we did, an’ I never thought ‘bout how things can end.” The wrinkles in his eyes returned. “T’was Avinash what killed my Belle. So never believe what they say,” he looked her right in the eye, saying each word slowly and carefully. “Never believe what they say. There’s magic in their words, an’ they’ll steal yours from you first chance they get.”




Willow looked from Raven to Tinari to Ren, seeing clearly for the first time since she had stumbled into the dark room so far below the surface of the castle. Under her hands, she felt Aelish’s heart slow its rhythm, daunted by the penetrating bolt in his chest. His breath was ragged and shallow. Her own shoulder wound ached at the memory of such a similar injury, and it grounded her so that she could face her fears, face the evil, and face the truth. “You,” she stared at Ren, “are nothing more than a scared little boy who can’t take the rejection of a woman.” He recoiled at her words. “And you,” her vicious stare turned to Tinari, “will never taste my magic unless you intend to choke on it.” Her hands glowed as they covered Aelish’s wound, and the light in the small room grew as her power unfurled itself. “Now back away or die underground.” The light in her eyes began to scorch their skin.

Raven, sensing the heat and power at his side, unsheathed his sword once more, twirling it deftly in his right hand. He stared into the black eyes of the Prince in silk robes. Tinari licked his teeth. Raven’s fingers tensed around the hilt of his blade, eager to drive the heavy sword into the throat of the evil wolf master. As if waiting for just such a signal, the wolves from their dark resting place leapt forth. Seven of them raced toward the cluster of people by the door, held back by one man and his sword. Ren, equally heedless of Willow’s warning, took that same moment to charge at her. Raven swung his sword with both hands as the wolves descended, slicing their bellies wide open. Blood sprayed wildly about the room, and the screech of death shattered everyone’s hearing. Two wolves lay split open on the dusty floor.

Jinna, still bound to the chair, watched with eyes wide as the carnage piled up around her. She strained against her bonds, terrified that one misstep could be the end of her. Tinari, however, never let anyone near her, despite the tangle of bodies and weapons. Out of the corner of her eye, Jinna saw Ren dive toward Willow, and she screamed through her gag.

Eyes and hands focused on Aelish, Willow could not see Ren coming, but she felt him. As her magic grew, so did her innate senses, and the ripple of air as the other gypsy rushed at her touched her hair and skin just enough to draw her attention to her right. Calm and centered, her motion toward him was nearly effortless, her gaze so quiet and undisturbed that Ren had less than a breath to consider the wisdom of his actions. Two steps away, he felt the floor beneath him shift, and with his last step his foot felt no earth at all. Willow’s right arm, extended softly, seemed to push him down. Down and down into the earth he fell, sword still grasped by his bare hand, his body surrounded by blackness on all sides. As he descended, the scent of the air around him changed, no longer earthy and damp, but now crisp and fresh, the hint of pines and fir trees lacing each inhalation. Ren opened his eyes just as the ground rushed at him, snow exploding in a powdery cloud as he landed with a thud.

What Jinna had seen defied all the logic that life had taught her. The man who had launched himself at the handmaiden had disappeared into the floor. Willow returned her attention to the wounded man where she sat, her bodily glow becoming brighter with each pulse of the magic flowing through her veins. Aelish’s eyes bulged from the power, and he coughed and spat as the bolt was pulled through his chest. No sign of the wound was left behind.

Teeth against steel clashed and clanged so near to Raven’s face that his mask was wet with blood and drool. Hungry wolves surrounded him, relentless in their attack. Try as he might, they were beginning to overwhelm him. Distracted by the light, he glanced at Willow and Aelish, instantly regretting such a simple misstep. With a growl and a flash of red, two wolves latched onto his left arm with every ounce of strength they possessed.

“Raven!” Willow cried out, suddenly aware of the dangers around them all. For the slightest moment, she allowed herself to think about what move she should make next. The castle, on the other hand, had its own ideas. Cackling with delight, the walls and floor of the underground chamber twisted and deformed, sending all of its victims into a heap. Her magic had fed it just enough. Willow closed her eyes and saw the red, hungry face. “No,” she whispered, “not now.”

Her head swam and her stomach churned. Fire surged through her veins and poured from her flesh back into the cool floor beneath her hands and knees. Laughter, her head ached. So much laughter. Make it stop.

“My freedom is inevitable,” came the answer.

“No,” she whimpered, shutting her eyes tightly in search of a quiet place in her mind to hide.

“Was not your own freedom bought with blood?”

Somewhere nearby, a voice tried to scream. Willow turned her head away from the awful sound. I must leave this place. Why did I come?

“I called to you. You came to find me.”

She could feel its hot breath on her skin, its sweat in her hair. It was everywhere, all around her. “You lie,” she called out to the beast. “I came for...” her voice quivered and failed when she could not recall who or what had drawn her underground. I am underground. Her bearings returned slowly, twisting her stomach further into knots.

“No one is here now. No one lives but you. You are the key to the lock which binds me to stone.”

Pain shot up Willow’s arms, into her wrists, her elbows, coursing through her shoulders and stealing the air from her lungs. She tried to wretch, but her muscles were already seized in spasm. “Lies,” she said through clenched teeth.

“All that you have known is lies. I am no different. Free me, and I will tell you the truth.” The voice was slowly becoming more human, more delicate.

“Lies!” she fought back. “I will have no more lies!” Willow opened her eyes to darkness. The room continued to spin, but figures danced in her vision. The beast was not among them. “I know why I came.” The color was gone from her flesh, and her body shook violently. Too much had been drained. Too much had been stolen. “And you cannot stop me from leaving.” Her eyes rolled back, the world melted into black around her, and the handmaiden collapsed.


__________________________________________________________________


Raven stared down at the wolves piled about his boots. The floor was thick with blood and fur, the air tainted with the smell of death. His left arm bled in profusion, covering his sleeve and gauntlet in red. Ren had disappeared. Aelish lay by the door, still immobile. And Willow... He turned to find her, forcibly calming himself when he spotted her in a heap alone on the floor. She was not moving.

“Pity,” came the smooth voice from behind, “I would have liked a taste of that one myself.” Tinari strode around the room, dagger in hand, playing with the sharp tip of the blade. Nary a single drop of blood spoiled his white silk. “I suppose you thought her a fine prize for the lonely hero?” he mocked. With the tip of his polished boot, he pushed her prone form onto its side, revealing the lifeless face of the handmaiden for Raven to stare into. “Not too late, is it? Still warm, I’m sure.”

His cold grin intensified Raven’s grip on the sword in his right hand. “There are no more dogs to fight for you.”

In answer, Tinari lowered his stance, holding the dagger before him. He charged at the Black Knight, aiming for the wounded arm. Raven twisted out of his way, barely able to return the blow. To his surprise, he suddenly saw the Prince’s true intent, far too late to prevent him. Tinari grabbed Jinna by her ropes, cutting her free and holding the blade below her throat. Still gagged, she cried out ineffectively. “This is not the end, Black Knight,” he chuckled victoriously. “But it is a fair beginning.” Backing himself and his captive slowly out the door which had been broken, Tinari never parted his gaze from Raven. As the blackness of the hall threatened to swallow them, an odd expression crossed the Prince’s smug face. He fell back without warning, losing his grip on the kitchen maid, dagger falling from his grasp and skittering off into the passageway beyond. Aelish sat up stiffly, a proud, if pale, grin crossing his face. His boot had risen behind the Prince’s heel just in time, and Jinna now rested safely in his strong arms. He pulled the gag from her mouth gently. Tinari scrambled to his feet and took off at a run, unwilling to try his chances unarmed.

Unable to find the words to express his own relief, Raven took three steps and fell to his knees, clasping Aelish in his hands. They looked each other in the eyes as best they were able, and Aelish smiled. “Sorry I was late.”

“Willow!” Jinna jumped up and ran to her still friend, fearing the worst. The two men followed her, each searching for some sign of life in the pale body. “Is she breathing?” the little girl panicked.

Raven pushed the other two away, taking the gypsy’s head into his hands. He bent low to her face, listening, feeling for breath, then did something so odd the others could not fathom his reasoning. He whispered words in her ear, low and quiet, a message only the handmaiden could have heard. A moment went by, followed by another, and then something truly miraculous occurred. Willow’s eyes fluttered, her chest rose and she coughed in spasms, and she fell against Raven’s chest once more, though this time breathing as one in a deep sleep. He lifted her body in his arms and turned for the door. “We must go.”

“Wait,” Aelish answered. Raven swung round, his arm still bleeding and shaking below the handmaiden’s shoulders. “Not this time, old friend.” His eyes were soft and purposeful in the dim light, and Raven could see that they had come to a crossroads. “I am not whole. I will slow you, as will the child. I’ll get her to safety. Take Willow. Go!” Waiting not one second longer, the Black Knight carried the Red Sorceress from the underground passageways into the darkness and snow of an early winter’s night.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:30 am 
Offline
12. Recently Gay
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 4:11 pm
Posts: 1666
Topics: 1
Location: Belfast
A nice action packed chapter that once again moves us forward in the story.

I loved Willow's conviction, at last, that what happened at the circle was not her fault. But Ren, what an asshole, not that we didn't know that already, to betray everyone and everything that was his heritage because of Willow's rejection. Hopefully the Queen will have a suitable punishment for him now that Willow has escaped her clutches.

I can't help but feel that Tinari will be even more dangerous now that his plans are falling apart, but I am looking forward to his final downfall.

What did Raven say to Willow? You always leave us with these little mysteries, and has Willow's magic loosened the bindings on the Ancient beyond repair?

As usual, I'm left wanting more!

_________________
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:04 am 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for good update-y goodness... Good that Tinari got an advance payment for his crimes... I really hope River is able to escape the castle and her mothers and Tinari's wrath...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:48 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2006 3:54 am
Posts: 465
Truly an awesome update! :D

_________________
Patience is a virtue I have yet to acquire
-- me


I am my beloved and my beloved is mine
-- King Solomon's Song of Songs


Only reality can escape the limits of our imagination
-- Rivka Galchen, Atmospheric Disturbances


Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself
-- Jean-Paul Sartre


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:09 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:07 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Seattle, WA
Paint the Sky-

I figured it was about time Willow got over her past and moved forward into the powerful role she was destined for. I've kept her quiet for a long time while we waited for everything to change, and now it's time to step up and take charge. I hope you like her assertive changes.

Tinari is such a fun bad guy to write for. And yes, now that he's been snubbed, I think he'll forego the restraints of polite society in favor of revenge.

As for the words between Raven and Willow, you'll know soon enough. They've clearly reached a breaking point of sorts, as you'll see at the end of this next chapter.


Zampsa1975-

Oh, heck. Did I leave River in there?? I'd better go back for her soon....



LittleBit-

Glad to see you liked it!




I hope you all enjoy the next installment. I'll try not to hoard the chapters as I get caught up in the creation of them.









Chapter 24




Deep within the dungeons below the castle halls, a small boy ran in the dark. His bare feet slipped on the stone every few steps, but his heaving chest would not let him slow despite how badly it ached. He turned time and again, searching for the way out. He had followed his father in and hidden in the shadows, undiscovered by anyone. Now, after all that he had seen, he ran for his life. The stale air burned in his lungs, the soles of his feet slapped the stone and dirt with a weary rhythm, but on he pushed, too terrified to slow his pace. After what felt like hours, he emerged into a carpeted hallway, dimly lit by flickering torches. He paused, uncertain where he was or which way he should go. He looked right, then left, his unkempt brown hair flopping over each shoulder as his head pivoted from side to side. The sound of marching feet drove him into the shadows, his thin body pressed tightly against the nearest wall. He held his breath for what felt like an eternity as the soldiers passed. Daring to open his eyelids, the hall was once again clear. He looked left, the direction the soldiers had headed down, then turned right and ran again. Nothing looked as it should. He knew that he had never followed his father into this part of the castle.

Father, he thought, fear brimming up in his mind once more. His father would be furious had he known what the little boy had been up to. They had talked that evening before they parted. “Stay here,” Father had said. “I’ll be back when you wake up.” The little boy had nodded, pretending to fall asleep in the uncomfortable bed of the inn they he stayed in for so many nights. Father always left. Every day he was gone for many hours. He would return for supper, then leave again. “I have business to attend to. Be a good boy and wait here for me until morning.” Then he would ruffle the boy’s hair, tuck him in tightly, and leave. He always left. Arms and legs pumping as he ran through one passageway after another, the boy shook the image of his father from his mind. This time had been different. This time he had followed. Father didn’t know. And now, Father was gone. Gone. Gone. He pushed himself harder, desperate to find the way out.

Blind to the tapestries and suits of armor he had already passed, the little child never saw the woman step in front of him before he ran into her. He bounced onto his backside on the floor and looked up. Standing over him with a look of genuine concern stood a lady dressed in the finest gown he had ever seen. Her hair was tied up perfectly in a neat plait down her neck, and the gold edges of her burgundy dress glittered in the lamplight. His instincts told him to run, but the woman had him at a disadvantage. Towering over his tiny body, she reached out to grasp his hand. “Don’t be afraid. I can see you’re lost.”

“I’m not lost,” he answered in a plain, calm voice. “My father is lost.”

“Your father?” The beautiful woman’s expression turned curiously as she examined his face anew. He looked like no one she could think of.

“He fell.”

“Take me to him,” she replied quickly. “He must need help.”

“No!” the little boy shouted, finding his feet with the woman’s aid. “We cannot go back!”

“Alright,” she soothed. “Why don’t you tell me who your father is so we can find him together?”

“His name is Ren. I’m Wake. Father is a friend of the Queen. Are you the Queen?”

Shocked but instantly pleased with her find, the woman smiled at him. “No, I’m not the Queen. My name is Mistress Kousa.” She held his hand tightly. “I’m sure I can help you find your father.”


__________________________________________________________________


“What did he do to her?” Jinna asked again. Aelish had been very good at avoiding her questions so far. “Tell me, or I won’t show you the way out of this castle!” She stomped her foot childishly and refused to walk any further.

Helpless without his guide, Aelish turned around and faced the maid. “I don’t know, Jinna. He took her away so that they could both be safe.”

“She’s not safe without me and River.”

Aelish knelt before the little girl and looked her in the eye. “Do you believe me when I say that he is a good man?”

Jinna thought about his words for a long time before she answered. She thought about the rumors, about all the wyverns he had killed. She thought about the burning villages and towns, about the people driven into slavery. She thought about Willow, about how something in her had changed since Raven had arrived. And she thought about herself. Never before had anyone cared about her until Willow and River had taken her under their wings. “Where will he take her?”

Aelish sighed and put one hand to his chest where the recent wound still pained him. Though the arrow was long since gone, its presence haunted his flesh almost as much as the method by which it was removed. “If indeed your friend is the Red Sorceress, then they will be bound for the edge of the world.” Jinna stared at him in wonder. “City Lost sits at the edge of the Known Lands, perched on a rocky cliff over the sea. Raven and I were there not long ago. Something calls him to that place. I could see it in him,” his eyes looked back upon days past, “as clearly as if I had seen his very eyes.” He turned his focus back to the little girl in front of him. “There is a prophecy.” She nodded, knowing the story of which he spoke. “That is where we will find them.”


__________________________________________________________________


Reza wanted to cry out in pain and anger. He wanted to let loose the fury and fear which took up residence in his mind and body, but the stained blanket in his mouth held back any sound he might allow through. He closed his eyes tightly, desperate to choke out the images he would remember forever. His shaking hands held his knees to his chest as he rocked and sobbed in the darkness. Reza knew his role. He knew his destiny, and he knew the end would come, but the in between times were becoming more than he could bear. And so he rocked and held himself in the dark safety of his hiding place. No one asked him for stories, no one crawled into the protection of his lap. No one was left. Something had happened. Something so terrible had occurred that even now, hours after the blood and screaming, Reza’s mind still could not rest.

Gently, he released the blanket from his clenched jaw. He ran his tongue over his swollen, dry lips, then whispered a prayer. “Call to me. Call me from this place. I know it is not my time to go, but I beg of you, call to me, and I will run to the edge of the world to join you!” He opened his eyes and looked about the tiny space, recounting how many days he had hidden his little friends here, one at a time, quietly sneaking each one out when the opportunity arose. Some of them wanted to refuse, but in the end they all left. They knew it was best. They had trusted him. “They trusted me,” he closed his eyes again, stricken with pain and loss.

A slight stirring in the dust caught Reza’s attention suddenly. He threw himself back into the low wall behind him in fright and looked about the room in a panic. Tiny, hungry blue eyes looked back at him from the far corner. “Mara?” he whispered, eyes bulging wide. A little girl emerged into the slant of light through the floorboards. Her face was covered in dirt and dried blood, but she appeared unharmed. Reza reached for her and took her into his arms fully, holding and kissing her like the prized possession she was. “You’re alive!” he whispered as loudly as he dared. Dazed and in shock herself, the little girl gazed up at him. She was the only one who had lived through the night apart from the young man. “I must get you out before he finds you.”

With a creak and a snap, a floorboard directly over their heads broke loose. Dust-filled light poured into the crawl-space, flooding Reza and Mara in gold. Caked with dried blood, limping, and minus one precious eye, Sanjer snorted triumphantly at the two. “Too late.”


__________________________________________________________________


Willow’s head lolled against her protector’s shoulder as they rode slowly through the thickening snow. The movement woke her in increments, taunting her with memories and possibilities. In her mind, it was still late summer. The snow would not return for many weeks. Sunlight warmed her cheeks, but she kept her eyes closed, hopeful that the feeling of Tara’s arms wrapped tightly around her would not fade. She had not felt anything so real, so convincing since her time in Torrent, and Willow was not about to let go of the sensation if any choice was to be given to her. The arm under her neck, however, could not fulfill her desire, and its shaking became violent. Abruptly brought to the present, cold and damp down to her skin, sore from head to toe, Willow opened her aching eyes. The face above her stared blindly ahead and was no longer black but white with snow. It bobbed and nodded with the rhythm of the horse’s gait, threatening to let them both slip from their perch astride the mighty animal at any moment.

“Raven,” she spoke, frightened at how small her voice sounded in the vast field of snow and ice around them. “Raven?” She sat up just in time to catch the rider as he began to slide sideways. Awkwardly, she held his heavier body upright against her own, mentally begging the horse to stop. Sensing the shift in its riders’ positions, the warhorse fulfilled Willow’s wish and gently halted its steady gait. The handmaiden strained against the sudden contrast of balancing herself and another body so high up in the air, but she held fast to Raven with both arms, determined not to let either of them fall. “You’ve got to wake up. I can’t help you if you don’t,” she begged.

How many times must I save your life, mo rhua? The voice inside her head was as clear as the layer of ice over the snow upon which they stood. She wondered briefly where it had come from, but it failed to spark a memory for her when so much in the present demanded her attention.

The warrior in her grasp sighed heavily and lifted his head. For the first time she could recall, Willow heard the sound of his breath, every bit as ragged and uneven as the bite wounds covering his arm. He seemed to look at her, but clearly his strength was gone. “Just help me get down from this damned horse!” she yelled at him. The sound of fear in her voice woke him from his stupor. Now was not the time to rest. Wincing under his mask, Raven lifted himself in the saddle and dropped to the snow beneath them. Willow followed him, slow and clumsy in her own movements. Reorienting herself amidst so much white, she saw red where her companion stood. “Let me look at that,” she reached for the injured limb.

Suddenly, he jerked the arm away, falling into a sitting position at the bottom of the low hill they had stopped beside. “I’m fine,” he told her. Cradling the wound in his other hand, he looked away, unwilling to meet her gaze.

“Fine?” she stumbled after him, falling to her knees in the powder. “Your arm is torn to shreds in a dozen places, and you cannot ride. That is not fine, if you ask me.” She was indignant, her green eyes flaring at him like torches. She grabbed his arm once more, this time forcefully. “I swear sometimes, men can be the most stubborn creatures,” she mumbled as the tense arm relaxed in her care. Bluish-white flesh peeked from between the horrid amounts of blood and cut skin, and it had entwined itself in the heavy fabric of his shirt. “Give me your knife,” she demanded.

“Why?” he asked, shrinking back from her slightly. “I can tend to my own wounds.”

Frustrated with all that had happened that night, Willow grabbed Raven’s arm roughly, staring his straight in the eye, or at least where his eye should have been had he not still been wearing his mask. “Don’t be a child. I need to cut the shirt away to clean and dress your wounds.”

The Black Knight jumped to his feet in anger. “Do not speak to me like that!” his voice boomed in her mind.

“I will speak to you as I see fit!” she screamed back. “If you act as a child, I will treat you like a child.” Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she let loose the build-up of emotions. “And if you act as a monster, intent on keeping your precious face hidden, then so be it!”

“I am not the only one who has hidden.” Willow quailed at his sharp words. “How long did you intend to lead me along until it was convenient to drop me in Tinari’s net?”

Shock at his accusation hit the handmaiden squarely in the chest. Never before had she seen such a display of feeling from the Black Knight. His normally reserved nature had cracked and splintered, revealing all the pain and torment of four days spent in the company of lies. “It was not-”

“It was everything to me!” he held his body upright and rigid as he faced her. “I loved you!” he screamed, though his voice had changed. Dropping to his knees in the snow, he whispered the words again, this time sealing Willow’s recognition. He had spoken, not with his mind, but with his true voice. Puffs of mist curled from both of their mouths, caught momentarily by the moonlight which had granted them a stage so late in the night. Willow stared blindly at him as her body grew cold. Minutes, hours, perhaps even days and years passed as they breathed together in the cold winter air. Without warning, Raven found his feet and stumbled off into the darkness


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:35 pm 
Offline
2. Floating Rose
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:42 pm
Posts: 33
Location: Houston, Texas & Boulder, Co
DIBS!!!!!

Dude!!! That was Awesome!!! Is Raven who I think he is? or shall i say she is?
Can't wait for the next update!!!!!

_________________
I'm not a Republican I'm a Capitalist which is completely different...really!

Rowanstar


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Raven
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:53 pm 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
Yay for excellent update-y goodness... So Raven is Tara? And yes you should very soon get River out of trouble and into Aelish's arms...

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 224 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  Next

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 37 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron

W/T Love 24/7 since July 2000
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group