| Links to the last sequential Sisters entry, 08/06/04 |
[07 Jan 2005|12:57am] |
Standing behind one of the markers and watching as the night grew darker Norrah stuck to the shadows. Pacing for a few steps every time her muscles cramped but always making sure she stayed silent. She was ready for anything, especially the horse and rider that had been heading in her direction for the better part of an hour. She’d been waiting the better part of two days, not daring enough to light a fire in case a fire attracted too many eyes she found food in the bushes. Red vine berries were in high season and plentiful so she was eating a great deal of those as well as the various plants that she recognized as edible. She’d grab a leaf every once in a while and start chewing it into a paste before swallowing it, it almost tasted good that way; and it didn’t make her gag. She fumbled a moment with her satchel and pulled out the nightglass she had found earlier. When she peered through it she could see perfectly in the dark although there was a green hue to everything and she could even see for long distances. Spotting the horse and it’s rider was no problem. They were riding at full tilt straight towards the markings. It was also no problem spotting the bandits following close behind her. “Well shit, looks like trouble,” Norrah slid the glass inside the pocket of her pants and climbed atop the tallest marker, crouched low so no one would spot her. As the horse drew nearer Norrah could see it was in a lather and that the girl on it’s back was dead tired. Which was probably why she hadn’t noticed the five men following her. Groaning inwardly Norrah urged the rider to perk up a bit when she noticed the hand on the hilt of the sword. ‘She’s playacting, she wants them to think she’s tired, good job girlie!’ Norrah thought as she readied to jump down. The first two bandits strode into camp laughing and chuckling amongst themselves. Watching the girl in the saddle and grinning wider as she all but fell out of the saddle. “Watcha think boy-o? Should we just be stealin’ her wares, or be testin’ her too?!” The man guffawed loudly thinking this was quite the witty remark. “I dunno meself boy-o, I’ma thinkin’ we’ll hafta be getting’ t’others ‘pinion on it,” The first ‘boy-o’ lets out a shrill whistle and the other three appear from out of no where surrounding Hunter in the middle of the markers. Hunter grins a little and spinning in a quick ‘befuddled’ circle she starts stammering stupidly. Until she heard the voice, it sent prickles all over her arms and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
“Whoo are youuu?” Said the unearthly voice, “How dare youuuu threaten a daughter of the blood! Leave now or witness the wrath ooof Araaaaa!!!” The men all went ghostly pale and took a step back, “Who in blazes are ye, that Ara be willin’ to protect ye eh?” This new man stepped forwards and was about to grasp Hunter by the arm, then he let out a cry of pain clutching his arm to his side. “Gods above it burns!!!! It Burns!!! She tried to strike me down! Ara!!! Blast it burns!!!” Crying almost deliriously he staggered away from the markers and towards the woods all the while screaming about how much it burns. His friends looking carefully around them made their way out to follow their friend. “Didn’t see a blasted thing…” “-How she works, melds with the dark that one-“ “-Lucky she didn’t strike ‘im dead ‘e is. Ara bein the meanest goddess around these parts y’know?”
As the men walked away Hunter drew her sword guarding herself carefully. “Who’s there?” “Good. At least you are not particularly stupid,” Norrah walked along the tops of the markers watching Hunter carefully. “I asked a question!” “Mmm, Lady of the manor are you? Careful ye might be wishin’ you were back at home in yer nice feather bed soon enough.” Hunter visibly stiffened. “Show yourself, and give me your name peasant!” Norrah laughed softly, “No one’ll be sending orders my way on this mission. I’ll do things my way or I’ll not be doin’ ‘em at all. And as for me name I’ll be givin’ it when I’ve gotten yers Missy.” Norrah grinned as she imagined steam billowing out of the uppity Miss’s ears. She crawled down the side of the marker and landed lightly on her feet running around behind Hunter. “You’ll get my name as soon as I can see your face!” “You’ll be hard pressed to see mucha anything this time o’ the night Missy. Or hadn’t you noticed the lack of light?” Hunter spun round quickly her sword pointed directly at the spot Norrah had just vacated. Norrah walked carefully to another marker. “Would you stop being so damned-“ “Ah ah! Ye’ll be wantin’ to watch yer language Miss Priss. I’m not one that’s taken a likin’ to the coarse languages of menfolk.” “Don’t call me that!” “What, Miss Priss? Why shore thing Missy. I’ll be holdin’ off on that for a while then.” Grinning Norrah smoothly sidestepped the lunge attack Hunter aimed at her and brought out her knives silently. “Mmm, close but not close enough I’m afraid Missy. Besides, ye’ll be needin’ me on this quest of ours. Just wait until ye see me usin’ me knives!” Norrah laughed huskily and parried Hunters next thrust with great ease. Startled Hunter paused for a moment “You have eyes like a cat,” she snarled at the stranger, “but your knives would be much like the claws off a kitten, Mmm yes, Kit then. Since you’ll not give me your name I’ll call you Kit. Short for kitten, after all a Cat is much more dangerous,” Still seething inside Hunter grins maliciously as there is no comment from Norrah, “Struck a nerve then did I Ki-ahh!” Gasping softly Hunter maintains her hold on her sword but barely as Norrahs arm circles her neck and the knife presses against her throat, “Who’s the kitten now Missy? Mmm?” Norrah puts a little pressure into the knife. “Hunter….My name’s Hunter!” The taller blond girl gasps out. “Norrah,” the small red head puts simply, she lets go off Hunter. “But I think I like the whole Cat analogy,” Grinning softly she leans against a marker and puts her knives away. Perhaps we’ll have to talk about the need for names on this… expedition of ours.” “I think, Norrah, I might begin to like you at some point. Not yet, but at some point.” “Perhaps this is what they called a beautiful friendship before the change,” Smiling the two girls sat on the ground beside each other and talked until dawn.
As the sun rose Hunter noticed a figure moving in their direction from the sea-side of the markers, when she told Norrah of the figure her reply was, “Aye, an’ she’ll be here shortly that one, she’s made quick work of the past mile, and she’s spotted us, or she should have by now,” “You couldn’t have seen her a mile back from there! You’d have to have a halks eyes!” Hunter looked at Norrah for a moment and when Norrah didn’t reply she just shook her head and stood up moving to the other side of the stone marker, picking up her bedroll and the other items she hadn’t put away when she had a woken. Norrah on the other hand appeared to have put her things away shortly after she woke up, there was no trace of her having even slept anywhere and Hunter pondered on this as she stowed her things in the saddlebags. Norrah remained watching the new comer with avid interest learning about her as she drew near. Tall and slender with long blond hair, the girl walked at a brisk pace, either from excitement or a natural need to speed walk, she was definitely a no-nonsense type of girl. ‘Hunter should like her well enough,’ Norrah thought to herself scoffing only a little. She carried a bag identical to the ones Norrah and Hunter had, ‘She must be one of us then, one more to come then. Then I suppose we have to figure out where in the hell we are supposed to be going.’ As Norrah pondered these thoughts she vaguely registered the sound of a sword being drawn from a scabbard and she smiled she withdrew a knife and just as Hunter brought the sword down to nick Norrahs arm the knife deflected it. “Ye’ll have to be a mite quicker on the draw Missy, though I seriously doubt ye’ll ever be quick enough to best me!” She laughed softly and sprang away from Hunter in a low crouch the second knife coming out in a fluid motion and the two circled each other cautiously. Hunter lunged and thrust the sword neatly almost scratching the smaller girls neck, but he girl bent backwards in to a neat bridge and having startled the experienced swordswoman, kicked the sword away with her foot as she flipped backwards. “Wha-?” Hunter looked at her in amazement and laughed. “You’ve a few tricks up your sleeve kitten, but when do I get to taste the bite of your claws?” Teasing the smaller girl and trying to push her into a mad fight Hunter began to thrust and lunge the sword again having it neatly deflected time and time again by Norrahs knifes, what the two hadn’t bargained on were the two crossbow bolts that landed in the ground a slight half an inch from their feet. Norrah flipped the knife in her right hand and crouched to a throwing stance while keeping one eye on Hunter. “The Hell was that for?!” Norrah exclaimed hoarsely, not wanting to admit she had been caught off guard by the Amazonian girl. “Sisters should not fight.” She said simply. “We’re not fighting, just testing each other,” Hunter said simply and a little angrily. “Sisters have no need for tests. They know each others strengths and weaknesses from birth and know how to fill the gaps so there is no weakness. It is said that in the battle to come, if there is weakness then all will be in vain,” Norrah and Hunter looked at each other and faced the new comer as one, all weapons trained on the new girl. “Who are you?” Hunter asked bluntly. “My name is Dyanne, I come from sea towns to the east. I was told my talents would be needed here and so I came,” she said it all so blithely that the other two were a little unnerved. “Y’came because you were told to?” Norrah asked unbelievingly. “If’n when a person tries to tell me what ta do, I’ll be givin’ ‘em a kick in the arse and doin’ tha’ opposite!” She nodded her head to make it a point, and Hunter just grinned a little at the spunk in the tiny girl. Dyanne laughed softly, “I wasn’t told in any normal way, I woke up one morning and the chest was on the table, and I knew it was time,” She grinned softly. “I sure wish I had seen her though,” “Seen who?” hunter asked as her spine stiffened. “Well, The Mother of mothers of course. Celeste,” Hunter laughed as Dyanne finished. “You’re not serious are you? Celeste? She died before half of the old timers succumbed to the madness!” Norrah looked at Hunter, “There was no madness and Our mother still lives, at least, she lives a half-life to my knowledge,” Dyanne looked at the other two and sat on the ground, putting the crossbow down, “I think we all need to have a chat,” **********
Edana shivered and hunkered down closer against Emitsap’s neck trying to keep out of the wind that blew back between the chimaera’s wings. Looking over the ground as everything slowly changed, from desert to scrub lands and then to the heavily wooded and forested areas of the hill-lands had been quite a sight for Edana. She had marveled at how tall the trees grew, and how many different four-legged beasts lived throughout the scrub-lands and hill-lands that never ventured into the desert-land.
They had only stopped briefly to get some sleep, and Emitsap had only ever allowed her four hours sleep before waking her up with a nudge of his nose; and she was far to nervous to sleep while he was soaring 500 ft up in the air. By the fifth day, Edana had become a little cranky and was desperately in need of sleep. They were soaring high above a forest when she felt a great rumble in Emitsaps throat, a signal she had learned meant there was something up ahead. She dug quickly in her satchel and retrieved the double-eyed spy glass and put them to her face to focus them. Once Focused her eyes surveyed the nearby land. She squealed softly when she saw the four markers just ahead thrusting the spyglass back in her satchel, Edana silently urged Emitsap to hurry and get there.
The first moment she had spotted the markers she thought it was odd that there was no one there but then forgot it in her excitement about arriving at last. So, she never noticed the blond aiming her cross-bow or the brunette drawing her sword. She never noticed the red-head leaning against the stones with a smirk on her face (but in all honesty that’s ok because the brunette and blond didn’t see her either).
The chimaera landed gently and rumbled a soft warning to the small woman. Edana softly brought out her amethyst staff. Walking carefully and as silently as she possibly could, she was about to round the corner of one of the markers when a voice called out, “Who are you and what business do you have in this place?!” “My name, and my business are unimportant at this time!” Edana snapped, “What is important is whether or not our meeting holds any significance for the rest of my journey!” Almost snarling Edana cross-steps to the other side of the marker. The girl who laughed jumped soundlessly from the top of the marker in front of Edana, “Relax Missy, She be the last of us,” One of the others made a scoffing noise and two girls walked out of the shadows, one holding a large sword and the other bracing her crossbow. “How can you be sure? She looks more like a djipsy than one of us,” Hunter pointed her sword at Edana and Norrah stepped in front of the sword, “I have me ways darlin’. I’ll be trustin’ them more ‘n the word of any person.” Norrah smiled and turned to Edana, who stood with her staff at her side and ready to fight if the need arose. Dyanne looked at Hunter and lowered her crossbow, “Sisters know sisters,” She spoke softly and it was barely more than a whisper of the wind. It was becoming quite clear that Dyanne rarely spoke more then when it was necessary and it was more often than not, very cryptic.
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