Ok so this isn't fanfiction... but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere in here that you can post original stories.
It's a short story, called Darkness of the Morning, although I really don't see what the title has to do with the story... and it's not really all that short, at least, it won't be when it's done. hehe. Yeah, it's not totally finished. Or anywhere near finished, really.
Warning: I haven't really written much before now so there are probably a LOT of weird mess ups.
(oh and by the way, if there is anything goofy or weird, tell me!!!! I won't be offended or anything like that.
)
Anyways.... here it is.
.......
I am going to escape, thought Rana. Her hands trembled as she placed an old rope halter on the horse's head. She glanced around the barn. Seeing no one there, she sighed with relief and jumped up on the mare's back. Footsteps sounded around the corner. Rana froze.
No! I can't get caught now! She thought, panicking.
I'll just have to try and run past. A young girl walked around the corner. "Rana! What are you doing?" Asked Eala, Rana's best friend."Oh Eala, you scared me so bad. I thought you were Corlan!" said Rana.
"No. You are not thinking of-"
"Yes, I am running away. I told you before, Ea. If you want to come, get on. If not-"
A man shouted from outside the barn. Rana looked around nervously. "Ea!" She hissed. "Get on or hide!" Eala froze, staring at the door. They heard Corlan's heavy footsteps coming toward them. "Ea!!" Rana squeaked.
Stay calm, Rana! As Corlan came closer to the door, Rana couldn't stand it anymore, and she grabbed Eala's arm. "Jump!" Rana ordered.
Eala’s eyes were wide with fear as Corlan appeared in the doorway. "EALA!” Rana screamed, angry and terrified. Eala swung up behind Rana.
"Hey! What’re you doin’, scum? You’re supposed to be-" Corlan yelled in rage as Rana dug her heels into the horse's sides. Eala screamed and clung to Rana’s waist as they galloped out of the barn and down the path to the city gates.
"You thief! Get back here!" A merchant's angry voice called. Sennel fled through the marketplace with his stolen oranges, running into people and knocking over tables. He ran toward the gate.
To Alcarion I come! He thought. As a young boy, he was captured by a band of Saingor-Nossen slave traders, and taken from his home to Saingor's capital, where he was bought by a farmer. He was determined to get back home.
As he ran to the gate, the soldiers blocked the way. "Please let me through, my mother will be angry if I don't get home soon!" Sennel pleaded innocently.
"More likely a slave trying to run away. Who's your master, boy?" One of the soldiers said, grabbing Sennel's neck.
"Let me go!" He glared at the soldier. “I must bring the-” Suddenly, a small grey horse with two Saingor-Nossen girls on its back came bolting down the road. They looked terrified.
The soldier let go of Sennel, picking up his spear.
"Halt!" The soldiers ordered as they formed a wall of sharp points. The girl in front kicked the horse into an even faster run.
As they got closer, refusing to slow, the soldiers fled from the horse's path.
Sennel took the opportunity to run through the gateway. The girls charged out of the city.
Sennel ran after them. "Wait! Where are you going?" He called. They ignored him and galloped on, into the dark forest.
Rana glanced back at the boy running after them. He was far behind now. “I wonder who he is?” She mumbled.
"We're free!" Rana shouted defiantly as they approached the forest. The city looked so tiny now. The horse was covered in lather, and slowed to a trot. "Easy, boy." Said Rana as she tugged on the rope. He slowed to a walk, and Rana slid off, falling down. "Oops." She quickly stood back up and grabbed the horse's rope, stopping him. Eala slowly got down, and brushed horsehair off her dirty skirt. Rana led the horse at a walk through the forest to cool him down.
By the time Rana came back, Eala had a good fire going. Rana tied the horse to a tree branch, and sat down by Eala.
"Where do we go now?" Eala asked.
"We have to leave Saingor. If we don't, someone will eventually find out that we are slaves."
"Were." Rana corrected. "Not anymore, we’re free now. I don't know what other lands we could go to... I've heard to the west there is a country that is at war with Saingor. We probably shouldn't go there, considering we’re Saingor-Nossen."
"What about the Northern Kingdom?" Eala suggested.
"The elves? They would never let us live there."
"Then where? To Calemar, the dragon-infested swamp?" Ea said with disgust.
"Ea. There are no dragons! Only in stories."
"Then, Rana, where do you want to go?"
"I don't..." A twig snapped. Then another. Rana looked around, trying to see what was there.
The gnarled tree branches above them quivered as the wind whispered in the leaves. Eala picked up a nearby fallen branch, her hand shaking.
The moonlight faintly shining through cast eerie shadows on the ground below, as Rana brandished one of the logs from the fire.
"Who are you?" Rana called above the sound of the groaning trees, trying not to sound frightened.
"I'm not trying to catch you." The boy who followed them earlier came into view. "My name is Sennel. I am also escaping Saingor, and couldn't help but overhear your conversation-"
"Why were you following us in the first place?" Rana demanded.
"I thought maybe you would like a guide... most servants of Corlan never leave the city... so I figured you-"
"We don't need help, thank you very much," said Rana, sticking her log back in the fire.
"Oh yes, of course, you are perfectly fine, and know exactly where you're going. I'll just go on myself while you two defenseless girls get lost in the woods and die, certainly, if that is what you wish." He started to turn around and pretended to leave.
"Wait! Don't go!" Eala called. "Where are you heading?"
"To Carador, a town in Alcarion. That is where I am from." Sennel replied.
"The people there... would they return us to Corlan?" Eala asked.
"No, of course not. The Alcarien people aren't like the Sain- uh, sorry, I didn't mean-"
"It's ok, Sennel." Eala said. "We would like it very much if you showed us the way there," she said. "I'm Eala, by the way, and she is-"
"Rana."
"Still sure you don't need a guide, Rana?"
"Well I guess... you can come with." she replied, in a rather rude tone of voice, before going back to lay down by the fire. Sennel and Eala stayed up, talking for a while, before retiring for the night.
Before the dawn, Sennel got up and searched for water. He found a small creek, and drank from it before heading back.
When he came back, a little before the sunrise, Rana and Eala were still sleeping. He peeled one of his stolen oranges and ate it. Rana soon awoke.
"Good morning, Rana." Sennel said, smiling and tossing her an orange.
"Thank you," Rana said and quickly ate it. Sennel noticed she was very thin, and had a long scar on her face.
"Where are you from?" Sennel asked.
"I've always lived in Cearog." She replied.
Eala, who had just woken up, yawned, and started walking over to them.
"Ea! Catch!" Sennel shouted as he tossed her an orange.
The ground was still wet with dew, and the first light of dawn shone around the old oak trees when they started off again.
Rana leapt onto the grey mare's back, helping Eala on after. Sennel walked beside them.
Eala suggested that they all take turns walking, but Sennel refused, saying he needed the exercise.
Rana sighed. Everyone was silent, and the temperature was rising quickly. The trees were thick and tall, and it seemed to Rana they were closing in around her. The air was humid, and smelled vaguely of rotten flesh.
By mid-day, they were all dripping with sweat. They plodded along quietly, the mossy forest floor muffling their footsteps.
"Sennel... what is it like in Carador?" Rana asked, tired of the awkward silence.
"Better than Cearog, that's for- ah! Sorry!" Sennel's cheeks went red.
"Cearog's not very nice, is it? I never liked it either, but it's all I knew." Eala said, laughing a bit.
“We’re escaping from that horrid… place… talk bad about the city all you like. It’s run by that… that stupid Cearo.” Rana added.
“So how old are you?” Eala asked Sennel.
“Thirteen." he paused. "Two more years and I can become a knight of the Alcarien king.” He smiled. “Then maybe I can…” he trailed off.
“You can what?” Eala prompted.
Sennel sighed. “Kill Cearo. I know… it’s impossible, there’s no way I could ever do it… but I at least want to try.” He blurted out.
“I hope you do kill him.” Rana said. “And maybe I’ll help you.” she joked.
“Ha. A girl, fighting?” Sennel teased.
“And what is wrong with that?” Rana demanded, glaring at him.
“Um… well… it’s just… girls don’t fight! It’s not allowed.” he replied, slightly embarrassed.
Rana snorted. “Not allowed? Well, it’s ‘not allowed’ to kill the king, but that’s not stopping you, now is it?”
Sennel groaned. “Ok. Fine.” he grumbled, shaking his head. “You, fighting?” he said, after a pause, laughing.
“I can fight just as well as any boy.” Rana said.
Sennel’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”
“Yes. I’m sure I could beat you.” She said.
“Is that a challenge?” Sennel laughed.
“It certainly would be… if I had a weapon,” Rana said.
Sennel looked around on the forest floor, and quickly found two sticks a couple feet long, and handed one to Rana. “You were saying?” he grinned.
Rana yelled and charged at him before he finished talking.
Eala led the horse as Sennel and Rana tried to whack each other with the sticks. She sighed. They were having fun, smiling and laughing… but she couldn’t see what was so enjoyable about it.
She looked around. The branches overhead groaned and clattered ominously, casting sinister shadows on the forest floor. A shadow seemed to move from one tree to another, but she guessed it was only her imagination.
“You aren’t as bad as I thought you would be,” Sennel said as he blocked her stick from hitting him in the gut.
Rana raised an eyebrow. “As bad, hmm?”
Sennel tried not to laugh. She swung at his head, and he easily knocked it away.
Rana was even more determined to beat him now. She made her blows faster and harder, and Sennel did the same. Soon, Sennel’s stick hit her across the face. “Ah!” She fell to the ground, holding her cheek and moaning.
Sennel dropped his stick and rushed to her, red faced. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t aiming for your head, are you injured? Let me see, come on now, get up.” He said so fast Rana could barely understand him. He held his hand out to her. Rana took hold of it, and jerked him to the ground, then quickly stood up and pointed the stick at his neck. Seeing Sennel’s puzzled look, she burst out laughing. “What do you take me for, a dainty princess?” she laughed. Sennel got to his feet.
“Well you are a girl, after all. And you acted like you were hurt…”
Rana just laughed. “Told you I would win.”
“Ah, but you didn't win. You being a girl, I didn’t fight nearly as hard as I would have if you were a boy.”
“Ha! A likely story.”
A twig snapped behind Eala, startling her. She whirled around, but no one was there.
Rana and Sennel were arguing, but other than that, the forest was now silent.
“Rana!” Eala hissed.
“What?” Rana and Sennel looked at her. A shadow darted from one tree to another. Another twig snapped.
Suddenly, a large man jumped out, rushing toward Eala with a sword drawn. She screamed. Sennel pulled out his sword and jumped in front of her.
“Run!” he yelled at Rana and Eala, as the man’s heavy sword clashed into his.
They didn’t need to be told twice. Eala grabbed Rana’s arm and pulled her away, and they hid behind a tree while the Saingor-Nossen man tried to kill Sennel.
“We can’t just leave him! That man is huge! He’ll kill Sennel!” Rana said.
“What can we do? We certainly can‘t fight!” Eala replied. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
Rana glanced at the small dagger she had stolen from Corlan’s weapon room.
“Don’t even think about it, Rana!” Eala warned, seeing her look at the dagger.
Sennel frantically parried blow after blow from the Saingor-Nossen man. He was obviously one of Cearo’s soldiers, trained to kill anyone and everyone who opposed him.
“What do you want?” Sennel asked.
“Just to catch those worthless slaves!” He growled, thrusting his sword at Sennel’s chest.
Sennel knocked it away. They fought for what seemed an eternity to Sennel. His arms burned from the effort, getting weaker by the second.
Their swords locked together, and Sennel jerked his, sending the man’s sword flying. Sennel looked surprised, then pointed his sword at the man’s chest. “Leave now.” Sennel said calmly. The Saingor-Nossen man glared at him, furious that he was beaten by a young boy. “Leave, or I will have to kill you.”
The man growled, then turned and ran off.
Rana and Eala came out from hiding.
“Why did you let him go?” Rana demanded. “He was a servant of Cearo! And,” she added angrily, “He was trying to kill us! He’ll just come back another time and try again!”
Sennel scowled. “You don’t seem as different from your former master as you claim to be.”
Rana glared at him. “I am only concered for our safety. If that man goes back to Corlan, he’ll likely send even more men out after us!" She shook her head and brushed past him.
Corlan's red eyes shone with rage. "Worthless scum! How could you let them get away!" He shouted at the slave catcher.
"I... I'm sorry, my lord, but they-"
Corlan stepped forward and slapped the man so hard he fell down. "You foolish peasant! I don't care if they had a whole army with them! You can not let them escape! Do you know how dangerous they could be, idiot? The smaller one, Ala I think her name is, may know much of Cearo's plans. If that information falls into the wrong hands..." Corlan glared at him. "Find the slaves. Kill them if you must! But if you fail," he said. roughly grabbing the man by the neck, "You will have the most painful, slow death my servants can conjure." he shoved the man to the floor.
The slave catcher's eyes were wide with fear. "Yes, my lord. I will not fail you again." he bowed, then escaped from the room as fast as possible.
....
So... if you read that all or even part of it, what did you think of it?
Was it interesting? Anything stupid or totally out of place I need to change?
Any suggestions? Are there any boring parts?
Thanks for reading my story!
