Young Writers Society

Christophe:

I set up my stall in the market square and pulled my hood up. I couldn't risk having Tallow or one of the other miners spotting me. They would know I was a Gypsy and then they would link me to Gwen... And my sister would get in trouble too.

I sighed and removed the swords from the wagon and laid them out beside it on a makeshift wooden table I had made from the spare planks I had found in the wagon.

I had just put the Elvish swords away when a young man appeared at the stall, looking at the swords. I removed the clothe I had bought in Waterly from my wagon and laid that out beside it.

"Can I help you?" I asked the young man. I think he was a solider-well, he was wearing armour.

Robin:

Here he was, bumping along the road towards
the manor again. Robin's heart thudded with anxiety.

Beside him, his fellow singer was drinking in the
town's landscape. She seemed not to care that she
was being escorted to her jailor's home.

"So... your name? Mine is Luke Elrabin."

Roseanna

"So... your name? Mine is Luke Elrabin." Luke says.

"Oh, my name is Roseanna, but call me Rose." I say.

"A theif named Rose. Kind of ironic, isn't it?" He says.

"No, I was born under a rose tree. Or, at least, that's what I am told."

"The truth?"

"I don't know."

Now, one would think a theif would be bothered knowing before long she would be in a jailers home. But I had been in stranger situations, much, much stranger.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked cauciously.

"Hmm, a multitiude of things, I guess. Just some odd things that have happened in my life." I say.

"Like?"

"When I was four, a rattlesnake came up to me and startedwrapping around my hand. Then it uncoiled itself and went away. A day later, I found out the snake had it another little girl, and she had died on the spot. But it was found coiled around her arm. I'm mostly just wondering why it didn't kill me."

"Thats odd." The jailer agreed. I finger my small knife between my fingers. I wouldn't hurt the jailer, he had helped me. It felt odd, being helped by a jailer.

"Why do you steal?" The jailer asked.

"Because, I have no other ways to live." My answer sounded rehearsed.

"With your voice, there are plenty of options." Luke said.

"Really?" I ask, sort of amazed.

Peter

He grabbed the lantern and followed Tallow into the shaft. It was dark compared to the light outside, but the lantern helped and soon Peter was used to the light. He still held the lantern tightly. He hoped Tallow was right about the...whatever was down there having sensitive eyes.

"You must be pretty high up in command if you are so aware of the lesser-known goings on down here," Peter said, trying to make conversation. He had to admit, the prospect of what could be lying in wait made him uneasy.

"You could say that," Tallow said.

"Or you are strangely interested in the doings of others," Peter said.

"You could say that as well," Tallow said.

Peter walked a few paces behind Tallow through the mines. He watched him carefully as they walked. He wasn't so sure of this man anymore. Peter sensed there was more behind him, and his connection to the chairmen, than he let on.

Joseph

The swords on the stall before him were of no make he could recognise. He, like just about everyone else in Westhaven, had heard much about Elven craftsmanship, but he had no way of knowing that the perfectly made weapons before him were a testament to that skill.

"Can I help you?" The man behind the stall asked. Joseph gave him a quick look up and down, confirming his suspicions quickly. Yes, the trader was almost certainly a gypsy. But Joseph had never had a problem with the travellers, that was the concern of the thugs in the hills.

Still, Joseph had to at least appear that he was following the town's general policy towards gypsies, no matter his personal feelings. Duty had to come first, after all. He drew himself up a little, not even coming close to making himself look imposing. "Uh, yes." He started, then looked around quickly. There were no other guards, and few other people. A brief indiscretion would not harm anyone, surely?

Joseph gave the trader a polite smile. "Those swords - where are they from, and how much would one cost?"

Tallow

With one hand, Tallow slowly drew out the short club he carried, holding it loosely before him as the two of them crept deeper into the tunnel. A single, almost imperceptible glyph flared to life at the very end of it, not giving off enough light to add to that of the lantern, but hinting that the weapon was far from simple.

The troubleshooter had his own reasons for being so close with Peter's questions. There were few people he trusted with most of the details of his life. He doubted that even Gibson and Mills knew a great deal about who he really was, which comforted him. It evened the playing field between them somewhat.

But, more importantly, there were other things he wanted to concentrate on at that particular moment. He barely even heard the young man's questions, focused instead on the quiet chittering of something deep in the darkness surrounding them, the scuffles of bare hands and feet over solid rock. His grip tightened on the cloth-wrapped handle of his club, and he crouched slightly as he continued to walk forward, as if expecting an attack at any moment.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, but really could not have been more than an hour, Tallow turned to look at Peter. "We're getting close. See how it's getting lighter?" He kept his voice low, knowing that it was likely that Mills was somewhere nearby.

Peter nodded, and Tallow placed a hand against the wall, closing his eyes for a few moments. Thousands of images flickered briefly behind the lids of his eyes, sounds that only he could hear echoed deep within his mind. To him, the chattering of the tunnel-things became almost a maddening roar, like waves of sound crashing against his will. He saw momentary pictures of the things - both those that had once been human, and the beasts that had inhabited the tunnels long before. A monolithic altar appeared and disappeared, roughly carved from the black, silver-veined rock around it.

And before the altar, a thin, self-satisfied smile on his face, stood the chairman. His eyes swept the area quickly, and then seemed to settle on the spot from where Tallow's vision began. He frowned for a moment, then waved a hand.

A howling sound filled Tallow's mind, cries of pain from the creatures that could be heard even by his real body, as well as the pain of having his consciousness forced back into the physical world. He let out a gasp as his eyes snapped back open, prevented from gleaning any more details of the underground temple.

But he had seen what he needed to, and had a good ieda about what Mills intended to do now. He could not fully understand why, but he knew it could only cause him problems, in the long run. "He's already down there." Tallow growled, "And he's able to use them, at least to some extent." That detail truly worried him, given that he had only the barest comprehension of what 'they' were, and then not even all of the beasts. He had seen only the half-humans, the sickly creatures with grey skin pulled taught over their bodies, gangly limbs and eyeless faces with mouths full of savage, yellowed teeth. He had no desire to see whatever insane monster had been able to turn a miner into such a thing.

He grabbed Peter's shoulder, starting to drag him out of the tunnel, siezed by a sudden mixture of panic and a need to see one thing through. "He wants to kill the gypsies. Not for any of the reasons he's given before, as well. Not even the reasons he told me. We have to find them."

Christophe:

The solider smiled politely. "Those swords - where are they from, and how much would one cost?"

I grinned and leaned in close to him. "These are mainly Elvish," I told him, keeping a look out for any other soldiers. "Some are of Gypsy make, but all are worth at least a small bag of gold--each."

I stepped back and went back to sorting out the clothe from Waterly. The boy would decide soon enough. I pulled my hood up higher when I saw the man who had to be Tallow march into town followed by a young man. They were headed for the bakery.

Gwen:

I was just putting the last batch of pastries into the oven when the cook gasped and left the room at a run. I closed the oven slowly and then spun round to see what she was on about only to see Tallow in the doorway. He entered the kitchen and looked around. Peter close behind him.

I backed away from them slowly, hoping Tallow wouldn't see me but it was too late. Tallow's eyes were already on me.

"What's going on?" I asked, relieved when my voice didn't shake.

Then I noticed that they were covered in dirt. Had they been in mines? Tallow paused, glancing towards Peter who moved to stand in the doorway.

"We need to talk," Tallow announced.

I looked around to see the kitchen empty. Oh, hell. I was in trouble.

*My characters are lost* =|

((Oh, sorry. Um, Stephan has left Christophe and confronted Gwen because of something Chris said and Jane and Charlene are still sort of talking to Ana. Hope that helps.))

Luke:

I tensed as Lord Norwood's residence came into view.

"Don't worry," murmured Rose. "I've got your back."

"Very reassuring." I loosened the small knife I carried
concealed in my boot. No way would anyone take me by surprise.

The manor was a stunning sight next to the squalor about it.
There were grand, stained-glass windows in many colors.
A wide porch wrapped around the front wing.

"Good evening, my lords and lady," said a serving girl.

"Ah, hello," I stammered. "I'm Robin."

Rose butted in, "I like Luke better."

The farm was quiet; it's two principle occupants either were in town or working at the mine. The crops held a silent vigil over the field; the plants moved with the breeze. Suddenly, from deep inside the field; there came a brilliant flash of light and a loud boom. The sound reverberated across the field; then became silent once more.

The field moved once more with the breeze, except for the plants that were in a three foot radius of the blast; which had been vaporized. At the center of the crater was a naked man; where crops had been present only an instant before.

Minutes after the blast, a gryphon had landed in the crater; the only witness to it. Her name was Reth'sa and she was a member of the rangers. She had heard stories of this before; but she had always dismissed them. Here in front of her was a visitor from another place! When the shock wore off; she regained her composure and began to check on the traveler. He was alive and breathing, but unconscious. She took a blanket from her pack and rolled his body up into the blanket. Then, grabbing the bundle with her talons; she took flight and carried the bundle over to the farm house.

Once there, she considered what to do with the traveler. The first thing to do would be to get a translation potion for him from Aldlyn, but she wouldn't be able to carry him all that distance and she kind of doubted that he would survive the trip in his current state. He would have to stay behind, perhaps with the farmers. She didn't know how they would feel about taking in a stranger who couldn't speak a word of common, especially one who was responsible for destroying a number of their crops.

Reth'sa frowned, she would probably have to pay them for the damages and to house the traveler until she returned. The stories of the travelers were always exciting, she hadn't counted on them being so expensive.

Name: Alpha
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Occupation: Traveler, working as a farm hand.
Location: Originally from California, he has suddenly found himself at a farm in Westhaven.
Appearance: His appearance is average, except for gray eyes. He'll become stronger as he works on the farm.
Personality: He is unable to understand what other characters are saying, nor can anyone understand him. He is intelligent and resourceful, handy traits to have in a new world. Until Reth'sa returns with a potion, his vocabulary will be whatever he can pick up. More details will emerge later.
Other: He's a modern Californian, but with no modern conveniences or equipment of any kind. He's completely dependent on the charity of others, at this point. His character will deepen as the story progresses.

Name: Reth'sa
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Occupation: Gryphon Ranger
Location: Travels frequently.
Appearance: A large gryphon, brown feathers, and kind of intimidating.
Personality: Efficient and experienced, she isn't used to working with others, much less teaching them.
Other: I'm not exactly sure if she is a Watcher or not, they probably talk to one another, but they probably stick to guarding towns, where rangers deal more with roads and wilderness.

Sorry I've been gone for a while. It's been crazy week for my school's musical.

Ana

Charlene had gladly agreed to join Ana at the farm until Peter would return from working in the mines. Ana was ecstatic that she could stay at her home and near where her parents had once lived so happily.

Jane had even decided to accompany them to the farm with Charlene's belongings for her visit. It was serving as a much needed break from her part planning, of which Charlene finally coaxed Ana into attending.

The three were within sight of the farm when something landed with a great thud in the middle of one of their fields.

"What was that?!" Jane gasped.

Ana jammed her heels into her horses side and sent him galloping toward the farm, leaving Charlene and Jane to follow behind. She had to see what was going on. If someone was causing problems at their farm, so help her...

She turned in the fence that surrounded the farm, and straight over the back fence into the fields. She was shocked to find a large animal - a gryphon she assumed though she had never actually seen one in person - standing in front of an unclothed man.

"W-Who are you?" Ana asked.

Peter

Tallow had whisked Peter back to Westhaven before he could manage to get an explanation out of him. They went straight to a small kitchen and - again before Peter could get an explanation - Tallow nearly assaulted a young girl.

"We need to talk," he insisted.

The girl, Gwen was her name, looked like she was being condemned.

"I'm sorry," Peter spoke up, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "But I think you should really let him tell you."

Gwen:

"I'm sorry," Peter said. He didn't sound too confident. "But I think you should really let him tell you."

I sank down on the floor and hugged my knees to my chest. "It's okay, Peter," I told him. "I thought he might realise someday..." I jerked my head towards Tallow. "I just didn't think it'd be so soon."

Tallow looked down at me while Peter gave me a concerned look. I lowered my head and refused to look at them.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

Tallow

Only being able to guess at the extent of Mills' power, Tallow was forced to act fast. That meant making rash, unplanned decisions, and that was not something he liked. Acting on the spur of the moment, on little more than a hunch and a whim, could easily lead to fatal mistakes. Fatal for the gypsies, of course, but also fatal for him, and everyone he had ever been in contact with. Maybe siding against the chairman had not been the best of ideas. But no...if I had sided with him, things would have turned out worse in the end.

"What do you want to know?" The baker girl asked.

Tallow realised that she probably thought he was going to turn her out of town, something that had not even crossed his mind before. Of course, when her real identity had been reported to him a few days earlier by one of the informants he had in town, he was thinking of following his orders to the letter. But events had managed to jump out of his hands, and now he was forced down a completely different path.

"I need to know why my employer wants to kill you." He said, "You, and your brother."

She hesitated, looking at him skeptically, as if expecting him to attack her at any moment. "Because we're gypsies, of course." She said, cautiously.

Tallow stiffened a little, on the verge of an outburst. Why do they all have to hide so much from me?! He took a deep breath. "It's something to do with one of the old gods, I know that much. But I couldn't work anything else out before he picked up on what I was doing. So I need to know why you and your brother have such unique blood. What is it that sacrificing you two will gain for him?"

Peter gave him a confused, concerned look. "Wait, why do we need to know that? Won't it do just to keep her out of the chairman's hands?"

The troubleshooter paused long enough for them to see that he had let something slip - maybe just his rapacious hunger for knowledge, maybe something worse, maybe even something beneficial that he was just not comfortable divulging. "The more I know about what's happening, the easier it is for me to deal with it." He said, simply.

Gwen:

I stared at Tallow. Old Gods? Sacrifice? Unique blood? Why did he want to know about that? I sighed and stood up, moving to the bench I went back to making bread.

"You really want to know?" I asked and glanced towards Tallow; he nodded. "Alright, I"ll tell you." I paused, looking up at them. Tallow was waiting for me to continue. "My brother and I are the children of the old Gypsy King. We come from a long line, Tallow. All the way back to the Elves." I finished making the dough and turned to take the bread out of the oven. "Maybe your employer wants us for both our blood and our position... I know nothing of the Old Gods or sacrifice, but I'm guessing it's linked."

Tallow sighed and shook his head. "Of course it's linked, Gwen--no, Morwenna."

I flinched when he used my real name and turned my back on him, putting the next batch into the oven. Peter was watching me with a frown when I turned back to them.

"My brother is here," I mused, looking towards the doorway behind Peter. "He's so stupid..." Tallow and Peter watched me while I worked. "What?" I asked, frowning.

"What do we do about your brother, Gwen?" Peter asked.

"Christophe," I said, a little resigned. "I don't know... But I need to talk to him."

We fell silent for a moment while I thought of how to tell my brother... I gasped, suddenly realising something.

"There's a ball tonight, isn't there?" I asked. Tallow and Peter exchanged glances. "We could meet up then, my brother and I. It would be too dangerous to talk to him now."

Tallow nodded absently. We have a plan, I thought as I watched the two men before me.