Young Writers Society

The hillside we trekked over was studded with rocks and rabbit holes. The centaur stepped carefully to avoid laming himself; Siren walked beside him with one hand on his side to steady herself. Kira walked alone, scowling.

I bounced back, and climbed up to her shoulder. She shrugged me off impatiently, but I caught hold of her shirt, and hanging on, swaying from side to side as she walked, I asked, "Come on blondie, spill your secrets. Where are you from? Everyone else has told why they're here, what're you doing? Join the crowd and be sociable!" I hitched my leg over her arm and clung on like I was hugging a tree trunk. Grinning up into her dour face, I whispered confidentially, "Tell Kallik every teensie-weensie, disgusting little detail."

Kira glared at the Imp, his hold was secure so there was no way to easily shake him off.

"I'd rather not." She said, focusing. Water began to seep from her arm, making Kallik slip and fall to the ground.

"Is that more of your blonde sense talking?" I inquired. Kira shrugged and stalked ahead. I followed her, trailing Siren and Brucken. When I caught up with her, she turned around and squatting on the ground, gripped my shoulder with suprising strength. Her blue eyes looked into mine, and she ground out between her teeth, "Stop it, Imp. Don't ask me again."

I wriggled free. "Don't pinch, Kira. Imp's prerogative."

Behind us, the centaur suddenly stopped, and raised his head, one hoof lifted. As a picture of supreme alertness, it left little to be desired. Siren asked him anxiously, "What? What is it?"

Evidently he did not reply, for she repeated the question, "What is it, Brucken?"

But now I had heard it too. "It's horses!" I exclaimed. "Lots of them, too. Twenty . . . " I cocked my head to one side. "I'd say about twenty, thirty. Heading this way fast."

"Oh great!" Kira exploded. "What do we do? Run or fight, or what?"

"Nark said that Siren had to be got in safety to his people. I say we respect his final wish, and do as he says." I pondered. "Does that mean run away and hope we aren't noticed, or else embark on a suicidical mission of fighting that will most likely end in death for some or all of us?"

"The way you put it, there doesn't seem to be much of a choice," Siren said dryly. "I'd rather fight, but . . . "

"For once the Imp has spoken sense." Kira squinted into the sun. "We run."

"Who died and made you Supreme Ruler of the Universe?" I demanded.

Kira gave a cold look. "You aren't in any position to lead, Imp. You've got the amulet, and it won't answer to the rest of us. You can't be trusted to be unbiased. Siren is the main liability, as we're not loosing her. She can't be the main liability and the leader. Brucken is simply out of the question, as only one of us can understand him."

"So tell me, O great and fearless leader," I mocked. "What's our plan of action?"

Behind us the band of horsemen came over the hill, the sun dancing and reflecting off their weapons and armour.

"We run!" Kira yelled. Her first command, and we obeyed it.

Siren hated running but there was no reason to argue, but there might be a way to help. She quickly shape shifted to horse, she ran next to Kallik and Kira. They hopped on her back and Brucken ran next to her. *I think that is everyone * They had to out run the riders or they were in for some major trouble.
“Hold on, there’s a jump up a head and it isn’t a pretty site.” She yelled at them. She had seen this place on a map before and was hoping that the man that had made the map was exaggerating on the size of the jump. They could make it though, they had to. If not the bridge was close by.

Kira held onto Siren tightly. The humans were close and the gorge was wide.

Brucken and Siren leapt and Kira felt gravity leave them as they soared over the gap. She could help the grin that spread across her face as the adrenaline rushed through her.

They landed roughly and the equine pair galloped into the trees as arrows rained down around them.

Siren breathed a sigh of releaf that they had made it across, Kallik and Kira slid off and she shapeshifted back to her humen form.
"They will be crossing the bridge in about ten minutes if they are still persuing (sp) us. Were do we go from here?" She asked looking at Kallik, she may as well let him lead to where ever that thing he had was taking them.

**Hey, Jules, is Nark dead? I ask merely for information**

I opened my hand and the amulet shone on my palm. Throughout the ride, I had clenched my fist very tightly over the precious object, partly to keep it safe, partly in order to hold onto something so that I could persuade myself that if I clenched my fingers tight enough, I wouldn't fall off.

I pointed. "That way."

That way was through a large gorge with high rocky sides and a hard packed sand path winding its way through at the bottom. Inside, the light fell from above in warm, thin waves of goldenness, touching all it could, and shrouding what would not or could not be touched in dark shadows, as though it resented not being able to make its presence felt.

The sounds of Brucken's hooves clopping on the hard ground echoed off the walls, going higher, richcocetting off the sides of the canyon until they burst out of the top.

Kira strode ahead, only turning when she missed me. "Imp! What're you doing? You need to be leading!"

I refused to hurry. I was following in Siren and Brucken's shadow, a huge, shapeless darkness like a blot of ink on the sandy ground. Being there shielded me from the sun. In the cool shade, I could think. I needed to get my thoughts in order. What was I doing following this group of creatures? For that matter, what was I doing guiding this group to a place of which I knew nothing whatsoever?

Kira called again, and I said, not moving out of the shade, "We need to be going forward. That's all for the moment, and you can lead us forward until we get out of this canyon. You do know which way is forward, don't you?"

Kira glared at the Imp, but turned when she felt a smile coming across her face. He had a unique sense of humor that Kira rarely saw amongst Elementals and humans.

She took the lead and followed the path that wound through the enormous rocks.

((Somebody post, please?))

Siren shape shifted into a wolf and ran alongside the others. She was getting tired, and Nark still hadn't showed up. What was taken him so long?

To her dismay she saw a group of men standing not but 100 yards from them weapons out.

"Okay," I said brightly. "Blondies, here's your cue."

"Imp, even we can't take all of those," Kira snapped.

"So what? Honourable surrender? Kamikaze charge?"

"Kamikaze charge!" Siren proposed eagerly.

Kira frowned, and said reluctantly, "I think we may have to surrender."

"What! Without even a fight?" Siren demanded.

"Yes! Imp, need I remind you to keep the amulet safe?"

"And secret, dearest blondie."

The men marched up to us, and the leader, a short, red-headed man ordered, "Put down your weapons. If you come along peaceably, we won't have to hurt you."

That's big of you, I thought sourly, but Kira and Siren gave their weapons into the soldiers' hands. We were then prodded into the midst of the group, and marched foreward.

After a bit, Kira looked at the soldier guarding her, and demanded, "Where are you taking us?"

Siren looked around the small group of men. She had to get away. She thought about shape shifting, but whatever she changed into she would not be able to get away before she was grabbed again. She looked over at Kira, they just had to get away. Imp didn't look happy as he had to hide the Amulet. She sighed, they would need to get away soon.

*Hope I ain't to late to join in.

Name:Wasko
Age:Unknown
Species:Water Element
Appearnce:Dark hair, pale skin, wears leather, always appears to be wet, carries a kantana.
Character:Unknown
Abilities:Controls water, uses it as a weapon, can freeze or unfreeze water at will, can turn into water, and can breathe underwater, can make water appear anywhere.

Wasko took a step out of the water he knew there was trouble about and people needed his help. He would have to leave his home. He promised he would be back.

*Of course you can join*

"Siren." Kira murmured. Siren looked at her and Kira extended her hand inconspicuously. "Grab my hand."

Siren glanced at the offered hand. "Why?"

"Just do it, and grab Kallik, too."

Siren took Kira's hand and grabbed Kallik's arm. "Now what?"

"We get out of here." Kira closed her eyes and focused on the touching immortals. She felt her body loosen and seem to float. She guided her body and the others' to a tree covered hill, out of the sights of their captors.

Her body tightened back and they were all standing on the hilltop.

"Whoa." Siren said, looking at her hands. "Did we just turn into mist?" Kira nodded, grabbing her throbbing forehead. She had exerted herself too much. It took more to transport the three of them this far than to transport just herself.