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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 17, 2005 12:16:19 GMT -5
Goodie...
.... hmmm... ought to update again, oughtn't I?
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 17, 2005 12:17:55 GMT -5
“Storm! There you are!” she heard Ronim shout, and heard his footsteps walking towards him, “Happy hunting?”
Ada thought she was going to be sick in fright. She could feel Storm behind her, and heard him sniffing and the growling intensify. She was shaking in fright, and wanted to protect her neck, but didn’t dare move.
Storm suddenly barked. “What’s that, boy? What have you found?” Ronim asked, moving around the bush. He was crouching down to look underneath – swallowing bile rising in her throat, she tried to relax and look unconscious, all too aware that she was still shaking.
She heard Ronim moving branches aside, muttering, “Greedy animal – what is it this time, a murfur or-” His voice stopped, and Ada couldn’t help but tense in fear. He’d seen her. “Or is it a little bird?” he said softly.
There was silence. Ada didn’t dare open her eyes, and fought to keep from leaping to her feet and running as fast as she could.
“All right, girl,” she heard Ronim say firmly, “Come out. I can see you.”
There was such authority in his voice that she almost leapt straight to her feet. But at the last moment, she managed to stay still and continued to feign unconsciousness.
“Come out,” repeated Ronim, a little louder and angrier. Before Ada could make up her mind to continue her act or to pretend to wake up, he suddenly seized her by her short hair and dragged her out of the bush. She couldn’t help but cry out at the pain as he hauled her through the branches and thorns and held her up by her hair.
“Oh, awake now?” said Ronim, releasing her hair. She just managed to find her feet before she fell and opened her eyes, trying to look confused – she had perfected the wide-eyed innocent look after years of sneaking cakes from the food caravan with Phyl. Staring around in bewilderment, she saw Bastus and Mantio looking at her in amazement as though she had just sprung out of thin air. Behind them she could just see the campfires. She might be able to run for it – she guessed she was faster than them.
But she wasn’t so sure about Ronim. She turned to look at him, and was slightly surprised. She had expected someone as old as Mantio and Bastus, but he looked quite young – only a few years older than Becki, she guessed. He was very pale, dressed in black and with thick black hair, and piercing dark eyes – eyes that gave her the uneasy feeling that he could see straight into her mind.
“How much did you hear?” demanded Mantio, seemingly recovered from his confusion and striding towards her, grabbing the front of her tunic and pulling her towards him, “Why were you listening?”
“Mantio!” said Ronim sharply, forcing his hands off Ada and pulling her away, almost protectively. Holding her shoulders, not hard but enough to stop her running away, he looked into her eyes. They looked very different than they had a moment ago – now they seemed softer, kind even.
“Don’t worry, dear,” he said gently, “Those two are just worried. Are you all right?”
“Er, yes, sir, I’m fine,” she said, “But, well, my head hurts a bit, but nothing that won’t mend-”
“Oh, good,” said Ronim, and he actually sounded relieved. “So what exactly did you hear under there?”
“I – I don’t know what you mean, sir,” said Ada in a suitably confused voice, silently thanking Hollus for assigning her to the Players and not to the Dancers, “I was out collecting firewood for the bonfire, but I tripped – I guess I must have knocked myself out on the branches, cos I don’t remember anything until you pulled me out from under that bush and woke me up, sir.” She pointed at the cut on her head, as though as evidence.
“It’s all right, dear,” soothed Ronim, tightening his grip on her shoulders slightly, “You’re not in trouble. But did you hear anything about what we were saying?”
“Oh no, sir,” said Ada fervently, “The only thing I remember is you pulling me out of the bush, sir. Why, what were you saying?” she asked innocently, looking at the three of them.
Mantio and Bastus looked assured, but Ronim’s eyes darkened. “You know what, little Nomafya?” he said, “I don’t think I believe you. I think you heard every word we said. So what do you think we ought to do with you?”
“I – I don’t know, sir,” stammered Ada. She was shaking so hard that if Ronim wasn’t still holding her shoulders, she would probably have collapsed. She wished she could just stand up to him bravely, but for all her bravado in her plays with the others, all she wanted to do was curl up back under the bush with her hands over her ears.
“Well, we can’t just let you go, I hope you realize,” said Ronim, in light tones as though they were just discussing the next Nomafya performance and he was telling her she would have to switch parts, “Because our plans are something of a delicate nature, and we can’t have you telling everyone, can we?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, sir,” said Ada, keeping her eyes wide.
“Oh, I think you do,” said Ronim.
“What should we do?” said Bastus, looking at her as though he was extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, “Do we – ah -”
“Kill her?” said Ronim in a matter-of-fact way, sending a jolt of fear through Ada, “I wouldn’t recommend it. Nomafyas are very close-knit bands, and someone would be sure to notice her disappearance.”
“They know where I am,” said Ada, suddenly inspired, “I’ve already been gone too long. They’ll probably come looking for me.”
“Undoubtedly,” agreed Ronim, “So we had better decide what to do with you quickly.”
“Could we kill her and make it look like a ferox attack?” suggested Mantio, “Maybe Storm-?”
“That’s an idea,” said Ronim, “But Storm’s bites have a certain effect on some people, especially Nomafyas… it’s not worth the risk. No, I have a much simpler idea. Hold her for me, would you?”
It happened so quickly Ada didn’t have a chance to react. Mantio strode forwards and grabbed Ada’s arms, forcing them behind her. She cried out as she felt pain stab up her injured arm, and her head span. “Quiet,” hissed Mantio in her ear, and gripped it harder. Ada bit her lip to keep from making a noise, and tried to block out the pain.
Ronim meanwhile suddenly grabbed her hair and wrenched her head back, and with the other hand gripped her neck, pulling her face up towards his. “What are you doing?” shrieked Ada, struggling to free herself from Mantio, but with Ronim holding her hair and neck she couldn’t move an inch.
“Don’t worry,” said Ronim, “You won’t feel a thing – well, I don’t think you will.”
Ada knew she had to do something. She opened her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. “HELP!” she shouted, “SOMEONE HELP!”
“Silence,” said Ronim in a strange voice – she could easily hear it above the screams, and it resounded in her head, and she immediately stopped screaming. She tried to, but the sound got lost somewhere in her throat, and no noise escaped her mouth.
“Just relax,” soothed Ronim, looking into her eyes, not blinking. Ada unwillingly found herself drawn to his own eyes, and stared back into them, unable to tear herself away. They were completely black, no light in them at all, not even reflected from the moons. She almost felt as though she was falling into the darkness of them. She gazed into them, transfixed, no longer trying to escape, completely frozen.
Suddenly, something small, white and wisp-like flew from his eyes into her own. She shuddered as she felt cold suddenly hit the front of her head, and numbness spread through her brain. She screwed up her eyes and fought to free herself from the icy tendrils probing into the very depths of her mind.
“Don’t fight,” she heard Ronim saying, removing his hand from her neck and resting it on her forehead, feeling strangely cool, and the coldness inside her head increased, making Ada physically shiver. She couldn’t escape it – it was everywhere in her head, freezing her entire brain, tendrils creeping deeper and deeper in –
Ronim removed his hand, and the ice vanished, suddenly withdrawing back to the front of her brain, leaving the numbness in its path. Ada felt her eyes fly open again, and the white wisp flew back into Ronim’s eyes and vanished. Ronim let out a deep, slow breath and took a step back, releasing Ada’s hair. “You can let her go,” she heard him saying to Mantio, and, after a second, her arms fell back to her sides.
“How are you feeling?” he asked her, looking searchingly into her eyes.
“Fine,” said Ada dully.
“What are you doing here?”
“I can’t remember.”
“Who am I?”
“No idea,” said Ada, “Who are you?”
“No-one important,” said Ronim, a smile spreading on his face, “We just found you here, Ada. You’d fallen over while gathering branches.”
Ada slowly followed his pointing finger to the branches. “Oh,” she said slowly, “Branches. That was it. I don’t know why I forgot.”
“You hit your head, remember?” said Ronim.
“Oh. Yes.” She could feel something niggling in the back of her mind, something she’d forgotten – she tried to remember it, but found it too tiring, and gave up.
“What’s happened?” said Mantio, sounding confused.
“Nothing,” said Ronim firmly, “She’s just a little confused. Hadn’t you better get back to the bonfires? And your tribe of Nomafyas? You just had a wonderful performance,” he said to Ada.
“Really?” said Ada dully, “All right. Bonfires. Nomafyas. Getting back. Right. Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome,” smiled Ronim, patting her shoulder, “Off you go.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Hello,” she added to Mantio and Bastus as she walked past, feeling as though she was in some very odd dream.
As she walked away, she heard the three men start talking, and a loud laugh. She smiled absently as well. She couldn’t remember who they were, but they seemed nice. She distantly acknowledged the fact that her ankle was very painful, but it didn’t seem important.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 18, 2005 15:13:18 GMT -5
Ummm.... nah.
;D
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 20, 2005 3:45:47 GMT -5
Awwww, honey! Will post more when I get back from Frankie's, aka the Land of No Internet.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 20, 2005 20:23:58 GMT -5
Poor internet-less Frankie!
Yay for soon posty-posty!
*dances in the streets*
AUGH! CAR!
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 22, 2005 6:15:26 GMT -5
I WILL post more now.... BUT.... at Frankie's I had a plot revelation, so all this may be re-written soon.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 22, 2005 6:17:57 GMT -5
She wandered back to the fireside and sat down again between Phyl and Mrs Mola without a word. “Hey,” said Phyl, noticing the cut on her head, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” replied Ada, a distant smile on her face. She did feel fine.
“Did you get the firewood?” asked Mrs Mola.
It took Ada a moment to remember. “Oh. Branches. I fell over and hit my head.”
“Oh dear!” Mrs Mola quickly pulled out a cloth from her pocket and held it against Ada’s bleeding head. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“No,” answered Ada automatically, “Actually, wait – I think my arm’s hurt. And my ankle.”
Phyl took over holding the cloth, and Mrs Mola examined her arm and ankle. “My goodness! Ada, your arm’s broken!” she said in alarm.
“Is it?” said Ada vaguely, “Oh.”
“You must have hit your head pretty hard!” said Phyl, laughing as Mrs Mola ran off to get a Healer, “When Divor broke his leg he screamed the camp down!”
“I can’t remember doing it,” shrugged Ada, staring absently into the fire.
Phyl frowned as he saw the blankness of her expression. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, “Other than having a broken arm and gash in your head.”
“I’m fine,” said Ada, “I think I am, anyway… I don’t really remember.”
“Hmm,” said Phyl, frowning. He lifted the cloth to look at the gash on her head, and quickly pressed it to it again.
A Healer came and looked at Ada, and bandaged up her arm tightly with a splint and taped a piece of bandage on the gash on her head. “Your ankle is only twisted,” she said, “So rest it for tonight. Your arm’s going to take a bit more mending though. How did all this happen?”
“I fell over and hit my head,” repeated Ada mechanically.
The Healer frowned, and knelt down in front of Ada, looking into her eyes. She saw nothing there. “How are you feeling?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” said Ada, smiling vacantly.
“What do you remember happening in the woods?”
“I fell over and hit my head,” repeated Ada.
“All right,” said the Healer, taking a deep breath, “We know that. Did anything else happen?”
“No,” replied Ada automatically, and then said, “Yes, I saw three people.”
“Who?” asked the Healer.
“No-one important. They just found me there. I’d fallen over while gathering branches.”
“Can’t you say anything else?” said the Healer, looking both exasperated and concerned. Ada just stared at her in confusion.
The Healer got to her feet without another word and walked over to Becki, who was standing nearby. Ada watched them both talking in low voices, and Becki occasionally looking at her with an anxious expression on her face. The niggling feeling at the edge of her mind was getting stronger and stronger, starting to eat into the numbness that filled the rest of it. She knew she was forgetting something – but she had no idea what it could be.
She heard a bird singing behind her. Turning round, she saw a small blue rainphax had landed on a nearby log, and was now looking at her. It chirruped very loudly, still looking at her.
“Hellooo,” she said, smiling. Birds were nice.
The bird chirped back. It fluttered over to her and landed on her hand.
‘Follow me.’
The voice suddenly entered her head, seemingly bypassing the inconvenience of ears. Ada almost fell off the log in surprise. She quickly glanced around, but no-one was looking at her. She looked down at the rainphax again. It was looking at her with no signs of fear, eyes shining as if it knew something she didn’t. It jerked its head towards the trees.
‘Follow me.’
It suddenly took off and flew away towards the trees. She watched it flying away, her awareness suddenly sharpening. The daze which had surrounded her since leaving the woods started to fade away.
She could hear the rainphax singing in the woods now. She glanced at the people closest to her – they were deep in conversation. She hesitated for a moment, and then got to her feet, wincing as she put weight on her ankle, and walked quickly towards the trees.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 22, 2005 21:10:26 GMT -5
Oooh... talking birdies.
INTERESTING!!!!
*waits for more*
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 23, 2005 3:05:57 GMT -5
Not really talking... giving messages 'bypassing the inconvenience of ears'.
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Post by reasonably_crazy on Aug 23, 2005 23:36:26 GMT -5
Heh... That's a good way to put it...
I wish I could do that.
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Post by Hobbit-eyes on Aug 24, 2005 12:13:43 GMT -5
What, bypass the inconvenience of ears?
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