Post by cloverbud on Sept 5, 2007 18:55:08 GMT -5
this is when Cloverbud and David meet, from David's point of view, and it's in first person. i plan to rewrite the actual segment when they meet later on, which is within chapter 3
please leave a review if you read this. thanks!
It all happened so quickly, so quickly that I could not move out of the way before I could figure out what was going on. The next thing I knew, someone had slammed into me, and I fell onto my back, all breath forced from my lungs. I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open, as I tried to sit up. At first the scenery around me was a blur, but it soon cleared in a few seconds. I turned my gaze, glaring, at the creature lying beside me, my rage apparent as I yelled at it.
“What’d ya do that for?” My eyes were on fire- I knew they were- as I rubbed my sore head.
The creature, I noticed, was a hamster, a female. Her fur was a pale brown, and she wore a pale green dress stained with blood, with a darker green cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She sat up also, glancing at me with semi-terrified, wide green eyes. “I-I-I’m so-sorry,” she stammered, apparently nervous. Her voice sounded timid, afraid, and it was almost a soft whisper. Probably because of the tone of my voice. I inhaled sharply, wishing now that I had used a kinder voice. I tried to speak, but my words were caught in my throat, and I couldn’t get them unstuck. I realized, as angry as I was at the time, even though it had simmered, that this hamster next to me was beautiful. I had never seen another creature as beautiful as she was. I tried once more to speak, and this time it worked, and it came out in a whisper.
“Why were you running?”
The hamster closed her eyes for a split-second, and I could hear a deep intake of breath. “I’m being chased by a cat in Redswish’s army. I don’t know where he is now.”
New anger sweltered inside me, my eyes narrowed, and I clenched my paws in fists of fury. “Life was so much easier without having to worry about that fox.” I stood, and then bent back over, offering my paw to the hamster, and it shook slightly. I felt the need to introduce myself. “I’m David Weldsparr, by the way.”
The hamster accepted my paw, and I pulled her upright. Her paw felt so soft, so warm in mine. She glanced back the way she had come. “I’m Cloverbud Warsong. I think the cat’s coming…”
Cloverbud Warsong. What a pretty name. Cloverbud, I’d never heard that before. It would explain all the green. Cloverbud’s paw had slid from mine, and I riveted my gaze from her to the direction she looked in. A cat emerged from the trees, and my heart began to pound faster, more urgently. A tingling sensation zapped through me as Cloverbud grabbed my paw, pulling me with her as she ran from the cat, narrowly avoiding trees.
“We have to run!” she cried; even though she was afraid her voice had a bossy edge to it. “He’s coming!”
I peeked over my shoulder, seeing the cat chasing after us. Cloverbud must have had no idea where she was going; she was headed straight for Redswish’s camp.
“Cloverbud, you’re going the wrong way!” I bellowed, desperate for a direction change. “You’re going to his camp!”
“I don’t know which way to go.” Her green eyes were sincere, filled with fear as she looked at me. “I’ve never been here before!”
Without even looking I could tell that the cat was gaining on us. I did the first thing that came to mind- I swerved, bringing Cloverbud with me, and we fell into an area behind some bushes. The cat was unable to stop himself, and he tried to halt as he continued to run. When he finally did, he sniffed the air, trying to find our scent. I don’t know where he ever ended up.
Cloverbud inhaled deeply, leaning against an Oak Tree. “Maybe he’ll leave me alone now.”
My eyebrows immediately raised, curiosity now nagging at me. “How long has he been chasing you?”
Cloverbud sighed before speaking. I could already tell that she had a lot to say, that she had relayed this story more than once to another creature. “The cats have been chasing me for several weeks. Both me and my brother. They captured my family, you see, but me and Sid got away. Popear, the cat, caught me yesterday, and tied me to a tree. Three creatures, a rabbit named Cotton, sister of Queen Larcia, a cat named Smoky, and a mouse named Kristen. Then Popear returned, and we had to run, and we were separated. We were going to Meadowlark to see if Queen Larcia knew how we could stop that fox.” She opened her eyes, her gaze hardening. I could feel heat waves of anger escaping her body. “I don’t even know if my family is still alive. But I do know something. That fox must be stopped.”
I know my mouth must be hanging open. I was utterly amazed. She spoke the truth, that something had to be done. Still, I was filled for sorrow for her, for losing her family. I knew how that felt, though no one outside of my family knew it. “You’re right, Cloverbud,” I managed to whisper. “Something must be done.”
Cloverbud rubbed her left shoulder, where her dress was stained by a crusty red substance. “I’m new to this territory. I don’t know my way around. Creatures that I have met these past few weeks have told me a bit of the layout of the land. But I would be better off if I had a map.”
I shook my head, a little sadly. Poor hamster, all alone in strange land. I too, wished that someone would make maps around here. “I know I don’t have one. I don’t know anyone that does.” It had really just hit me why her dress was stained with dried red liquid. I squinted at her shoulder, trying to examine it. “Are you hurt?”
Cloverbud nodded. “Captain Blacknose, one of the cats, got me with his dagger. But I’ll be fine.” She was brave, selfless even. I knew that her shoulder must be paining her, even if she refused to admit it. She lifted her head above the bushes they were hiding in. “I think the cat’s gone.”
“You’re right.” I stood, dusting off my robe. “We need to get out of here.”
I could sense her wariness as she left the shelter of the bushes, open to the world and all its dangers. But she was right about the cat- he was nowhere to be seen.
We padded through the forest in silence, Cloverbud strangely looking at her paws. I myself couldn’t think of anything to say. And then she broke the silence.
“So, where do you live?”
I continued to face forward- I hated it when other creatures asked me this question. “In a tunnel with my family not far from here.”
Cloverbud began to swing her arms in rhythm with her steps. “My family used to live in a village, but it was burned down by a wildfire. Then we lived in a valley. But Redswish’s army came along, and captured everyone, all but me and Sid. I have been running southwest ever since, trying to escape the cats.”
I felt a surging anger at the fox, and admiration for Cloverbud. She had gone through a lot. She must be tougher than she looked.
“Where is Redswish’s camp exactly? I’ve been told it’s near here.”
I pointed in a southwestern direction. “Southwest of here.” And then something occurred to me. “Where are we going?”
We were randomly walking in a northeastern direction, and I noticed that it was the way to Meadowlark.
“I don’t know,” Cloverbud shrugged. “Where should we go?”
“I think we should go to Meadowlark,” I declared, thinking of how much pain Cloverbud must’ve gone through- what I’d gone through, all caused by Redswish. “So that we can stop Redswish.”
Cloverbud strode off in front of me, her leadership air returning. “Then that’s where we’ll go. To Meadowlark!”
Cloverbud shielded her eyes as she tramped off in front of me, trodding on fallen leaves; I heard them as they crunched beneath her feet. Why was she leading if she had no idea where she was going?
please leave a review if you read this. thanks!
It all happened so quickly, so quickly that I could not move out of the way before I could figure out what was going on. The next thing I knew, someone had slammed into me, and I fell onto my back, all breath forced from my lungs. I gasped for air, my eyes snapping open, as I tried to sit up. At first the scenery around me was a blur, but it soon cleared in a few seconds. I turned my gaze, glaring, at the creature lying beside me, my rage apparent as I yelled at it.
“What’d ya do that for?” My eyes were on fire- I knew they were- as I rubbed my sore head.
The creature, I noticed, was a hamster, a female. Her fur was a pale brown, and she wore a pale green dress stained with blood, with a darker green cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She sat up also, glancing at me with semi-terrified, wide green eyes. “I-I-I’m so-sorry,” she stammered, apparently nervous. Her voice sounded timid, afraid, and it was almost a soft whisper. Probably because of the tone of my voice. I inhaled sharply, wishing now that I had used a kinder voice. I tried to speak, but my words were caught in my throat, and I couldn’t get them unstuck. I realized, as angry as I was at the time, even though it had simmered, that this hamster next to me was beautiful. I had never seen another creature as beautiful as she was. I tried once more to speak, and this time it worked, and it came out in a whisper.
“Why were you running?”
The hamster closed her eyes for a split-second, and I could hear a deep intake of breath. “I’m being chased by a cat in Redswish’s army. I don’t know where he is now.”
New anger sweltered inside me, my eyes narrowed, and I clenched my paws in fists of fury. “Life was so much easier without having to worry about that fox.” I stood, and then bent back over, offering my paw to the hamster, and it shook slightly. I felt the need to introduce myself. “I’m David Weldsparr, by the way.”
The hamster accepted my paw, and I pulled her upright. Her paw felt so soft, so warm in mine. She glanced back the way she had come. “I’m Cloverbud Warsong. I think the cat’s coming…”
Cloverbud Warsong. What a pretty name. Cloverbud, I’d never heard that before. It would explain all the green. Cloverbud’s paw had slid from mine, and I riveted my gaze from her to the direction she looked in. A cat emerged from the trees, and my heart began to pound faster, more urgently. A tingling sensation zapped through me as Cloverbud grabbed my paw, pulling me with her as she ran from the cat, narrowly avoiding trees.
“We have to run!” she cried; even though she was afraid her voice had a bossy edge to it. “He’s coming!”
I peeked over my shoulder, seeing the cat chasing after us. Cloverbud must have had no idea where she was going; she was headed straight for Redswish’s camp.
“Cloverbud, you’re going the wrong way!” I bellowed, desperate for a direction change. “You’re going to his camp!”
“I don’t know which way to go.” Her green eyes were sincere, filled with fear as she looked at me. “I’ve never been here before!”
Without even looking I could tell that the cat was gaining on us. I did the first thing that came to mind- I swerved, bringing Cloverbud with me, and we fell into an area behind some bushes. The cat was unable to stop himself, and he tried to halt as he continued to run. When he finally did, he sniffed the air, trying to find our scent. I don’t know where he ever ended up.
Cloverbud inhaled deeply, leaning against an Oak Tree. “Maybe he’ll leave me alone now.”
My eyebrows immediately raised, curiosity now nagging at me. “How long has he been chasing you?”
Cloverbud sighed before speaking. I could already tell that she had a lot to say, that she had relayed this story more than once to another creature. “The cats have been chasing me for several weeks. Both me and my brother. They captured my family, you see, but me and Sid got away. Popear, the cat, caught me yesterday, and tied me to a tree. Three creatures, a rabbit named Cotton, sister of Queen Larcia, a cat named Smoky, and a mouse named Kristen. Then Popear returned, and we had to run, and we were separated. We were going to Meadowlark to see if Queen Larcia knew how we could stop that fox.” She opened her eyes, her gaze hardening. I could feel heat waves of anger escaping her body. “I don’t even know if my family is still alive. But I do know something. That fox must be stopped.”
I know my mouth must be hanging open. I was utterly amazed. She spoke the truth, that something had to be done. Still, I was filled for sorrow for her, for losing her family. I knew how that felt, though no one outside of my family knew it. “You’re right, Cloverbud,” I managed to whisper. “Something must be done.”
Cloverbud rubbed her left shoulder, where her dress was stained by a crusty red substance. “I’m new to this territory. I don’t know my way around. Creatures that I have met these past few weeks have told me a bit of the layout of the land. But I would be better off if I had a map.”
I shook my head, a little sadly. Poor hamster, all alone in strange land. I too, wished that someone would make maps around here. “I know I don’t have one. I don’t know anyone that does.” It had really just hit me why her dress was stained with dried red liquid. I squinted at her shoulder, trying to examine it. “Are you hurt?”
Cloverbud nodded. “Captain Blacknose, one of the cats, got me with his dagger. But I’ll be fine.” She was brave, selfless even. I knew that her shoulder must be paining her, even if she refused to admit it. She lifted her head above the bushes they were hiding in. “I think the cat’s gone.”
“You’re right.” I stood, dusting off my robe. “We need to get out of here.”
I could sense her wariness as she left the shelter of the bushes, open to the world and all its dangers. But she was right about the cat- he was nowhere to be seen.
We padded through the forest in silence, Cloverbud strangely looking at her paws. I myself couldn’t think of anything to say. And then she broke the silence.
“So, where do you live?”
I continued to face forward- I hated it when other creatures asked me this question. “In a tunnel with my family not far from here.”
Cloverbud began to swing her arms in rhythm with her steps. “My family used to live in a village, but it was burned down by a wildfire. Then we lived in a valley. But Redswish’s army came along, and captured everyone, all but me and Sid. I have been running southwest ever since, trying to escape the cats.”
I felt a surging anger at the fox, and admiration for Cloverbud. She had gone through a lot. She must be tougher than she looked.
“Where is Redswish’s camp exactly? I’ve been told it’s near here.”
I pointed in a southwestern direction. “Southwest of here.” And then something occurred to me. “Where are we going?”
We were randomly walking in a northeastern direction, and I noticed that it was the way to Meadowlark.
“I don’t know,” Cloverbud shrugged. “Where should we go?”
“I think we should go to Meadowlark,” I declared, thinking of how much pain Cloverbud must’ve gone through- what I’d gone through, all caused by Redswish. “So that we can stop Redswish.”
Cloverbud strode off in front of me, her leadership air returning. “Then that’s where we’ll go. To Meadowlark!”
Cloverbud shielded her eyes as she tramped off in front of me, trodding on fallen leaves; I heard them as they crunched beneath her feet. Why was she leading if she had no idea where she was going?