Post by creamwolfgurl on Apr 30, 2007 5:22:09 GMT -5
A boy stood in front of a raven-haired man. A fire roared beside them, painting haunting, ever-changing shadows on the walls.
Then the man spoke in a booming voice. “Prince, you have your task. Go!” The boy nodded, turned on his heel and left. Some winged creature darted out beside him. The man settled back on a chair. “We shall see.” He muttered.
*****
I stood at the kitchen drawer, rifling idly through it, thinking of my dream. I could remember what happened, but the people themselves were shadowy, like a faded photograph.
Something flashed out of the corner of my eye. Quickly, I turned my head.
The sequins on the curtain winked innocently.
Eying it narrowly, I turned back to the drawer, watching carefully. Nothing. With a sigh, I looked back at the kitchen.
Flash.
Swinging my head around, I scanned again. Just light playing over the windows.
“Swift! Get to bed.”
My head shot up, eyes wide. Oops, past my bedtime. I scarpered.
Outside, the near-full moon rose was barely visible, smothered by clouds. I didn’t notice, as I was smothered in dreams.
I didn’t know that shadows were moving steadily closer, that someone was preparing for a war in a different world.
In the morning everything was exactly normal. Mum dragged me out of bed while I complained that it was the middle of the night, we ate breakfast in the almost-silence and I walked to school, arriving late. None of the teachers bothered to give me detention for lateness anymore, I never turned up. Instead they gave me despairing looks and probably hoped I wasn’t in their class. Walking to form class, I checked my watch and did a fast hip-shaking boogie to the other side of the walkway. The date was 6th August 05 and it was my birthday on the 10th. When I got to my form room, I groaned. Another new kid. They kept feeling sorry for me- “She’s got no friends.”- and would prattle on about something I didn’t care about until I snapped and told them to move the hell away from me before they got hurt. Mostly, they ignored me and after I’d threatened them again, I punched them. That usually got me sent to the Principal, unless the teacher didn’t see. She didn’t mainly; I’d got sneaky after the fourth time.
But for once, the new kid didn’t attach herself to me-“Thank god.”- and the day was uneventful. Uneventful in the fact I didn’t get told off more than twice and didn’t get in any fights. Two tests were nothing I cared about, seeing as I did reasonably well in them.
I walked to my edge-of-suburbia Auckland home with dragging feet. Cripes I was tired. I just wanted to sleep. But then, when it got near to bed, I was wide-awake and not at all drowsy. That was so damn contrary. I felt like kicking something, in its place, bed seemed like the place to be.
Lying in bed, I watched the moon outside my window. It was a perfect sphere and somehow that made me glad. I’m not sure why, I’d never really cared one way or another before.
As I stared, eyes drooping, as I drifted among dreams, something called outside my window. It called my name, soft, lilting and gentle. And it was a boy’s voice.
“Swift. Swift, you must come. The moonlight calls.”
Shocked, I jerked fully awake, shivering. I’m just imagining, I thought, nothing is actually there. Still, I wasn’t going anywhere near my window. Not in this lifetime. And now I was wide-awake. I slipped out of bed, started fussing with the posters on my walls. Anything to stop me thinking about the voice.
As I passed the full-length mirror, I glanced at it. That was me, Swift, standing there. I saw a pale seventeen-and-a-half year old girl, with black hair and wide blue eyes that I knew went so dark they looked black sometimes. Normally when I was angry. I was fairly tall,somewhere over 5 foot, slender and now I felt uneasy. I crept back to my bed and huddled in a ball. Curled against the headboard, I slowly fell into the dark pool of sleep.
*****
Jak padded silently back and forth through Swift’s garden, in his shifted form of a great winged-cheetah. His spotted hide camouflaged him and his wings were coloured in the same way. You barely noticed they were there. It helped, as he was hiding, to slip through the shadows of the trees in the backyard, and this is what Jak did.
A whinny made him turn, green eyes glinting. But it was only Sairon. Sairon was Jak's friend and companion. He was a tiny horse, knee high and full-grown. A little chestnut pintaloosa stallion with an attitude, a same-coloured pair of wings and bright blue eyes. He was unable to shapeshift, although he used to be able. He had no wish to however.
Jak sighed and changed back. Where the cheetah had stood, there was now a boy with chocolate-brown eyes and scruffy hair the same colour, about 17 or 18 years old. He was tall, about 5’11”, and tanned, with a thin, wiry frame that was stronger than it looked. Annoyance was coursing through him. He had to get that girl to come.
He grumbled quietly to Sairon. How come he gets stuck persuading the chosen one to come and help? Luck of the draw, Sairon told him.
Well, bollocks to that! She was coming, and they’d be on their way by tomorrow night.
Or else.
*****
I woke with only a vague memory of a dream. The voice was far from my thoughts and, simply so ridiculous in daylight, I put it in the back corner of my mind and left it there.
Mum stood in my doorway. “Come on Swift, you’ll be late for school.”
I waited ‘till she’d gone downstairs to make breakfast before I shrugged. What did I care about school?
That’s right. Not one itsy little bit.
I was sitting in bed, wide-eyed and tousle-haired when the same voice from last night came through the window. Yet this time, it sounded normal, not spooky and disembodied.
“Oi, Sairon, come outta the tree! We’ve gotta get the girl, whatshername.”
Swift.
“That’s it.”
I crept to my window, peering out. A boy stood below, talking to a ……..horse!? A miniscule horse!? God, this was weird.
Jak, she’s seen us.
“She has? Where is she?”
Bedroom window. Look up.
I flung myself backwards, chest heaving. Silently, I threw on whatever clothes and hurried downstairs.
“Swift, hurry up dear, your breakfast’s getting cold.” My mother stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh, Mum? I’m not hungry. You’ll have to eat without me. Bye.” I kissed my mother’s cheek, yelled goodbye to my dad and rushed out of the house.
I walked quickly, eyes jumping around me, searching for anyone following. Nothing drew my eye; nothing could be heard except the normal sounds. Nothing was out of place.
I hadn’t expected them to be that good but a thought struck me: what if they were waiting ahead or at home or something?
My eyes swept the street again. Still nothing. Irritation forced its way through fear. I was going to be edgy all day ‘cause of a boy and his weird horse.
Something moved behind me.
“Leave me alone!” came my fierce words as I flung myself around. Still just an empty street. Empty except for a mangy cat running across the road.
I went through school in a frenzy of anticipation. Every person that tapped on my shoulder narrowly missed being punched in the face. In one case, I actually hit the guy, but I’d pulled my punch so it wasn’t too bad.
He didn’t need to tell everyone I’d broken his nose. Maybe fractured it.
Plus, I got sent to the principal’s office again and treated to a lecture about kindness to others and respect- “Don’t be antisocial.”, “Violence is not the answer.”, “You should…” Blah, blah, blah. It all fuzzed together in a haze of boredom.
Once again, walking to my house was: step, scan street, tense at footfall behind me, swing around, sigh, turn back and repeat.
Zilch happened that entire afternoon. But when I went to bed…
I walked into my room, yawning, about to put my pj’s on, teeth cleaned. And reaching for my blanket, I felt a shiver go down my spine and dance along my neck. He was here.
I felt the whisper of air above my head as I went into attack mode. Turning, I swept my knee up and rammed my fist into his belly. He kicked my legs away so I went down. He jumped, pinning me.
Even so, I scratched and bit. I almost got a scream out before his hand was over my mouth. The horse flew over, perched above my head.
Methinks she’ll be a fighter. Would the Chosen One bite I wonder?
Grimly the boy raised his free hand. It was bleeding from my bite. “Yes. She’s probably an excellent shapeshifter.” He swivelled his head to look at me properly.
“Aren’t you?”
I managed a muffled “Wha da buck ya orn?”
“Oh crap.” he said calmly. “It seems the Chosen One can’t shapeshift.”
This is not good Jak. What are we to do? The horse had a droll tone as he spoke. Then he stated, quite calmly. We’re dead. They’ll think we switched ‘cause we couldn’t find the real Chosen One.
In case you’ve forgotten, I was getting suffocated (nearly) by the boy’s weight, combined with the hand over my mouth. There was another scuffle, partly because I bit him again, partly I was scared.
Then he muttered something I didn’t hear and the horse leapt away. I heard it going through my stuff, looking for something.
Found some string. That do?
”Nah, we need rope. Hey, check she’s got a dressing gown and we’ll use the string from there.
Found it.
“Sweet. Bring it here.”
At those words I bucked desperately, catching him off guard. They were going to kidnap me! Help! I thought frantically, Help!
“Quick, Sairon, pass it here.”
My dressing gown rope hit the back of my head. The boy groaned. “Sairon, what was that?”
I am a horse you know.
“How could I forget?”
I made a growling noise, trying to fight free. But too late, he had the rope and tied it rapidly and securely around my hands and ankles. Then the horse jumped to him, something over its back.
Gag her.
“NO!” I managed to croak. “Cripes, don’t, please. I’ll shut up.”
They both looked at me consideringly. “Please?” I whispered.
I don’t trust her.
“Neither. Gag her?”
Yeah. Else she’ll squeal.
Next thing I knew, some rag was stuffed in my mouth and they both hauled me to my feet. I nearly passed out when the boy changed into a giant cheetah. In fact, I think I did, ‘cause the next thing I knew, I was on the cheetah’s back, held by my old dressing gown rope.
The horse was standing in front of me, perfectly balanced. It turned its head and stared at me straight on. I am Sairon, and the boy is Jak.
I blacked out again. It was too much.
Then the man spoke in a booming voice. “Prince, you have your task. Go!” The boy nodded, turned on his heel and left. Some winged creature darted out beside him. The man settled back on a chair. “We shall see.” He muttered.
*****
I stood at the kitchen drawer, rifling idly through it, thinking of my dream. I could remember what happened, but the people themselves were shadowy, like a faded photograph.
Something flashed out of the corner of my eye. Quickly, I turned my head.
The sequins on the curtain winked innocently.
Eying it narrowly, I turned back to the drawer, watching carefully. Nothing. With a sigh, I looked back at the kitchen.
Flash.
Swinging my head around, I scanned again. Just light playing over the windows.
“Swift! Get to bed.”
My head shot up, eyes wide. Oops, past my bedtime. I scarpered.
Outside, the near-full moon rose was barely visible, smothered by clouds. I didn’t notice, as I was smothered in dreams.
I didn’t know that shadows were moving steadily closer, that someone was preparing for a war in a different world.
In the morning everything was exactly normal. Mum dragged me out of bed while I complained that it was the middle of the night, we ate breakfast in the almost-silence and I walked to school, arriving late. None of the teachers bothered to give me detention for lateness anymore, I never turned up. Instead they gave me despairing looks and probably hoped I wasn’t in their class. Walking to form class, I checked my watch and did a fast hip-shaking boogie to the other side of the walkway. The date was 6th August 05 and it was my birthday on the 10th. When I got to my form room, I groaned. Another new kid. They kept feeling sorry for me- “She’s got no friends.”- and would prattle on about something I didn’t care about until I snapped and told them to move the hell away from me before they got hurt. Mostly, they ignored me and after I’d threatened them again, I punched them. That usually got me sent to the Principal, unless the teacher didn’t see. She didn’t mainly; I’d got sneaky after the fourth time.
But for once, the new kid didn’t attach herself to me-“Thank god.”- and the day was uneventful. Uneventful in the fact I didn’t get told off more than twice and didn’t get in any fights. Two tests were nothing I cared about, seeing as I did reasonably well in them.
I walked to my edge-of-suburbia Auckland home with dragging feet. Cripes I was tired. I just wanted to sleep. But then, when it got near to bed, I was wide-awake and not at all drowsy. That was so damn contrary. I felt like kicking something, in its place, bed seemed like the place to be.
Lying in bed, I watched the moon outside my window. It was a perfect sphere and somehow that made me glad. I’m not sure why, I’d never really cared one way or another before.
As I stared, eyes drooping, as I drifted among dreams, something called outside my window. It called my name, soft, lilting and gentle. And it was a boy’s voice.
“Swift. Swift, you must come. The moonlight calls.”
Shocked, I jerked fully awake, shivering. I’m just imagining, I thought, nothing is actually there. Still, I wasn’t going anywhere near my window. Not in this lifetime. And now I was wide-awake. I slipped out of bed, started fussing with the posters on my walls. Anything to stop me thinking about the voice.
As I passed the full-length mirror, I glanced at it. That was me, Swift, standing there. I saw a pale seventeen-and-a-half year old girl, with black hair and wide blue eyes that I knew went so dark they looked black sometimes. Normally when I was angry. I was fairly tall,somewhere over 5 foot, slender and now I felt uneasy. I crept back to my bed and huddled in a ball. Curled against the headboard, I slowly fell into the dark pool of sleep.
*****
Jak padded silently back and forth through Swift’s garden, in his shifted form of a great winged-cheetah. His spotted hide camouflaged him and his wings were coloured in the same way. You barely noticed they were there. It helped, as he was hiding, to slip through the shadows of the trees in the backyard, and this is what Jak did.
A whinny made him turn, green eyes glinting. But it was only Sairon. Sairon was Jak's friend and companion. He was a tiny horse, knee high and full-grown. A little chestnut pintaloosa stallion with an attitude, a same-coloured pair of wings and bright blue eyes. He was unable to shapeshift, although he used to be able. He had no wish to however.
Jak sighed and changed back. Where the cheetah had stood, there was now a boy with chocolate-brown eyes and scruffy hair the same colour, about 17 or 18 years old. He was tall, about 5’11”, and tanned, with a thin, wiry frame that was stronger than it looked. Annoyance was coursing through him. He had to get that girl to come.
He grumbled quietly to Sairon. How come he gets stuck persuading the chosen one to come and help? Luck of the draw, Sairon told him.
Well, bollocks to that! She was coming, and they’d be on their way by tomorrow night.
Or else.
*****
I woke with only a vague memory of a dream. The voice was far from my thoughts and, simply so ridiculous in daylight, I put it in the back corner of my mind and left it there.
Mum stood in my doorway. “Come on Swift, you’ll be late for school.”
I waited ‘till she’d gone downstairs to make breakfast before I shrugged. What did I care about school?
That’s right. Not one itsy little bit.
I was sitting in bed, wide-eyed and tousle-haired when the same voice from last night came through the window. Yet this time, it sounded normal, not spooky and disembodied.
“Oi, Sairon, come outta the tree! We’ve gotta get the girl, whatshername.”
Swift.
“That’s it.”
I crept to my window, peering out. A boy stood below, talking to a ……..horse!? A miniscule horse!? God, this was weird.
Jak, she’s seen us.
“She has? Where is she?”
Bedroom window. Look up.
I flung myself backwards, chest heaving. Silently, I threw on whatever clothes and hurried downstairs.
“Swift, hurry up dear, your breakfast’s getting cold.” My mother stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh, Mum? I’m not hungry. You’ll have to eat without me. Bye.” I kissed my mother’s cheek, yelled goodbye to my dad and rushed out of the house.
I walked quickly, eyes jumping around me, searching for anyone following. Nothing drew my eye; nothing could be heard except the normal sounds. Nothing was out of place.
I hadn’t expected them to be that good but a thought struck me: what if they were waiting ahead or at home or something?
My eyes swept the street again. Still nothing. Irritation forced its way through fear. I was going to be edgy all day ‘cause of a boy and his weird horse.
Something moved behind me.
“Leave me alone!” came my fierce words as I flung myself around. Still just an empty street. Empty except for a mangy cat running across the road.
I went through school in a frenzy of anticipation. Every person that tapped on my shoulder narrowly missed being punched in the face. In one case, I actually hit the guy, but I’d pulled my punch so it wasn’t too bad.
He didn’t need to tell everyone I’d broken his nose. Maybe fractured it.
Plus, I got sent to the principal’s office again and treated to a lecture about kindness to others and respect- “Don’t be antisocial.”, “Violence is not the answer.”, “You should…” Blah, blah, blah. It all fuzzed together in a haze of boredom.
Once again, walking to my house was: step, scan street, tense at footfall behind me, swing around, sigh, turn back and repeat.
Zilch happened that entire afternoon. But when I went to bed…
I walked into my room, yawning, about to put my pj’s on, teeth cleaned. And reaching for my blanket, I felt a shiver go down my spine and dance along my neck. He was here.
I felt the whisper of air above my head as I went into attack mode. Turning, I swept my knee up and rammed my fist into his belly. He kicked my legs away so I went down. He jumped, pinning me.
Even so, I scratched and bit. I almost got a scream out before his hand was over my mouth. The horse flew over, perched above my head.
Methinks she’ll be a fighter. Would the Chosen One bite I wonder?
Grimly the boy raised his free hand. It was bleeding from my bite. “Yes. She’s probably an excellent shapeshifter.” He swivelled his head to look at me properly.
“Aren’t you?”
I managed a muffled “Wha da buck ya orn?”
“Oh crap.” he said calmly. “It seems the Chosen One can’t shapeshift.”
This is not good Jak. What are we to do? The horse had a droll tone as he spoke. Then he stated, quite calmly. We’re dead. They’ll think we switched ‘cause we couldn’t find the real Chosen One.
In case you’ve forgotten, I was getting suffocated (nearly) by the boy’s weight, combined with the hand over my mouth. There was another scuffle, partly because I bit him again, partly I was scared.
Then he muttered something I didn’t hear and the horse leapt away. I heard it going through my stuff, looking for something.
Found some string. That do?
”Nah, we need rope. Hey, check she’s got a dressing gown and we’ll use the string from there.
Found it.
“Sweet. Bring it here.”
At those words I bucked desperately, catching him off guard. They were going to kidnap me! Help! I thought frantically, Help!
“Quick, Sairon, pass it here.”
My dressing gown rope hit the back of my head. The boy groaned. “Sairon, what was that?”
I am a horse you know.
“How could I forget?”
I made a growling noise, trying to fight free. But too late, he had the rope and tied it rapidly and securely around my hands and ankles. Then the horse jumped to him, something over its back.
Gag her.
“NO!” I managed to croak. “Cripes, don’t, please. I’ll shut up.”
They both looked at me consideringly. “Please?” I whispered.
I don’t trust her.
“Neither. Gag her?”
Yeah. Else she’ll squeal.
Next thing I knew, some rag was stuffed in my mouth and they both hauled me to my feet. I nearly passed out when the boy changed into a giant cheetah. In fact, I think I did, ‘cause the next thing I knew, I was on the cheetah’s back, held by my old dressing gown rope.
The horse was standing in front of me, perfectly balanced. It turned its head and stared at me straight on. I am Sairon, and the boy is Jak.
I blacked out again. It was too much.
