Post by journeycat on Nov 9, 2009 13:51:34 GMT 10
Title: Over the Edge
Rating (and Warnings): PG
Prompt: #15 Disguise
Word Count: 966
Summary: Scanra has kidnapped the princesses, and the rescue plan is clear-cut and simple: follow the trail down, cross the rapids, and then follow the trail back up. But plans change, as Keladry, Faleron, and Merric will soon discover.
Author's Notes: This is a brief excerpt from The Scanran Deception. It'll probably be revised when I actually get to this point, but the gist will remain the same.
-----
The trail was long and narrow, just wide enough for a horse to pick its way carefully—if it hugged the canyon wall closely—and falling away sharply so that the slightest misstep would send it, and its rider, careening over the edge. The mere thought of the plummet made Keladry dizzy; just because she was no longer afraid of heights did not mean she was not sensitive to them, and the river below was a thin blue snake that was surely too shallow to save a man unlucky enough to have lost his footing, assuming he would even fall into the river instead of the forest lining its banks. One slip, just one, and her life would be over.
“It’s a long fall.”
Faleron’s voice was mild, but she caught the hint of uncertainty.
“I know,” she said, just as evenly. “But we don’t have much of a choice, do we?”
“We should go back,” Merric disagreed, shrugging off his pack and letting it slump on the ground. “It’s too risky.”
He was right—it was risky. Kel bit her lip and gazed forward. They had to get to the other side of the cliff, but the only bridge across had been recently cut, and they might waste precious time looking for another. The only other course of action was to take this steep, dangerous path all the way down to the ground, cross the rapids, and then make their way up a path on the opposite cliffside.
That took time, too. But the princesses were in danger—and not so very far away. She could not abandon them. What would she tell Roald? That her rescue group, hot on the heels of the Scanran mercenaries who kidnapped his sisters, turned away because it was too scary?
“We have to go on,” she said quietly. “Lianne and Vania need us. I don’t want Maggur to get his hands on them. Do you?”
“We should at least go back for the rest of our party,” Merric insisted. “Fal, tell her.”
Faleron frowned and said, “They won’t do anything except forbid us from going after them. Besides, a large party will be that much more of a hazard on the trail. I’m with Kel. We should leave a sign for our scouts to find, and go after the bastards. Three knights against three Scanran swords is hardly a concern.”
“You’re overconfident,” Merric snapped. “You’ll get us killed.”
It was silent then, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The wind keened low as it blew across the barren ground, cold and eerie to the three lonely knights who milled uncertainly on the high cliff. Overhead, a single buzzard looped a slow circle in the pale, sunless sky. There were still remnants of slushy snow; Tortall had not yet had a proper snowfall, but the Scanran border had already seen enough. Faleron was gazing over the edge, his expression distant and determined. Merric was pale, angry, his mouth drawn taut. She herself felt strangely calm.
“We go,” Kel said finally. “For Conté.”
Merric gritted his teeth, but Faleron cut across him with a faint smile, saying, “For Conté.”
And no one could argue with that...except Merric.
“This is a terrible idea,” he insisted as they heaved their packs up again. “We can just go back to the others, or find a bridge further off—there has to be one—”
“No,” she said patiently. “We have to do this. How can you just leave them at the mercy of hired Scanran swords?”
“They obviously want them for ransom,” he said loudly. “They won’t want to ruin potential bargaining tools. Don’t you see?”
Faleron rolled his eyes and said, “Settle down, cousin, and stop acting so frightened.”
“I’m not frightened, I’m practical! Listen to me!”
Kel had never seen him this furious. He was breathing heavily, the sweat dripping down his face. It seemed like the closer they had gotten to Scanra, the edgier he had become. This was the first time he had even really spoken since word had reached New Hope that the princesses were kidnapped. And every second they argued, Lianne and Vania were getting further away.
So she said, “Merric, you either follow, or go back.”
Faleron waited impatiently at the edge, one foot on the path. “Merric, you’re being a girl. Knights don’t throw tantrums, you know.”
When Merric just stood there, fists clenched and fuming, Kel lost her patience and said sharply, “Then stay here and do nothing. We have a duty to carry out.”
She had reached Faleron, and he was turning to begin the long trek down, when Merric spoke.
“I tried to warn you,” he said softly. “I tried to get you to stop, and turn back. But you wouldn’t listen to me. Too caught up in your own self-righteousness.”
“Merric,” Faleron said, exasperated, “what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you, cousin. Always one step ahead, always have to be the best. Not anymore. Not ever again.”
Kel went cold. “Merric,” she whispered.
And suddenly his face transformed into something ugly and disdainful: a stranger’s face, full of hatred. His pale blue eyes were ice. “A son of Hollyrose was never meant to follow a daughter of Mindelan.”
Merric pushed.
She was shunted backwards hard into Faleron. For a moment, they were suspended in time. Faleron’s arms pinwheeled desperately; she reached out and clutched at empty air. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Kel felt herself fall back, twisting against Faleron. His mouth was a perfect O of surprise. His dark eyes were wide and startled and uncomprehending. Her foot sought support and found only empty air.
The last thing she saw was Merric’s face, remote and white and vacant.
In a rush of wind and adrenaline, they fell.
Rating (and Warnings): PG
Prompt: #15 Disguise
Word Count: 966
Summary: Scanra has kidnapped the princesses, and the rescue plan is clear-cut and simple: follow the trail down, cross the rapids, and then follow the trail back up. But plans change, as Keladry, Faleron, and Merric will soon discover.
Author's Notes: This is a brief excerpt from The Scanran Deception. It'll probably be revised when I actually get to this point, but the gist will remain the same.
-----
The trail was long and narrow, just wide enough for a horse to pick its way carefully—if it hugged the canyon wall closely—and falling away sharply so that the slightest misstep would send it, and its rider, careening over the edge. The mere thought of the plummet made Keladry dizzy; just because she was no longer afraid of heights did not mean she was not sensitive to them, and the river below was a thin blue snake that was surely too shallow to save a man unlucky enough to have lost his footing, assuming he would even fall into the river instead of the forest lining its banks. One slip, just one, and her life would be over.
“It’s a long fall.”
Faleron’s voice was mild, but she caught the hint of uncertainty.
“I know,” she said, just as evenly. “But we don’t have much of a choice, do we?”
“We should go back,” Merric disagreed, shrugging off his pack and letting it slump on the ground. “It’s too risky.”
He was right—it was risky. Kel bit her lip and gazed forward. They had to get to the other side of the cliff, but the only bridge across had been recently cut, and they might waste precious time looking for another. The only other course of action was to take this steep, dangerous path all the way down to the ground, cross the rapids, and then make their way up a path on the opposite cliffside.
That took time, too. But the princesses were in danger—and not so very far away. She could not abandon them. What would she tell Roald? That her rescue group, hot on the heels of the Scanran mercenaries who kidnapped his sisters, turned away because it was too scary?
“We have to go on,” she said quietly. “Lianne and Vania need us. I don’t want Maggur to get his hands on them. Do you?”
“We should at least go back for the rest of our party,” Merric insisted. “Fal, tell her.”
Faleron frowned and said, “They won’t do anything except forbid us from going after them. Besides, a large party will be that much more of a hazard on the trail. I’m with Kel. We should leave a sign for our scouts to find, and go after the bastards. Three knights against three Scanran swords is hardly a concern.”
“You’re overconfident,” Merric snapped. “You’ll get us killed.”
It was silent then, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The wind keened low as it blew across the barren ground, cold and eerie to the three lonely knights who milled uncertainly on the high cliff. Overhead, a single buzzard looped a slow circle in the pale, sunless sky. There were still remnants of slushy snow; Tortall had not yet had a proper snowfall, but the Scanran border had already seen enough. Faleron was gazing over the edge, his expression distant and determined. Merric was pale, angry, his mouth drawn taut. She herself felt strangely calm.
“We go,” Kel said finally. “For Conté.”
Merric gritted his teeth, but Faleron cut across him with a faint smile, saying, “For Conté.”
And no one could argue with that...except Merric.
“This is a terrible idea,” he insisted as they heaved their packs up again. “We can just go back to the others, or find a bridge further off—there has to be one—”
“No,” she said patiently. “We have to do this. How can you just leave them at the mercy of hired Scanran swords?”
“They obviously want them for ransom,” he said loudly. “They won’t want to ruin potential bargaining tools. Don’t you see?”
Faleron rolled his eyes and said, “Settle down, cousin, and stop acting so frightened.”
“I’m not frightened, I’m practical! Listen to me!”
Kel had never seen him this furious. He was breathing heavily, the sweat dripping down his face. It seemed like the closer they had gotten to Scanra, the edgier he had become. This was the first time he had even really spoken since word had reached New Hope that the princesses were kidnapped. And every second they argued, Lianne and Vania were getting further away.
So she said, “Merric, you either follow, or go back.”
Faleron waited impatiently at the edge, one foot on the path. “Merric, you’re being a girl. Knights don’t throw tantrums, you know.”
When Merric just stood there, fists clenched and fuming, Kel lost her patience and said sharply, “Then stay here and do nothing. We have a duty to carry out.”
She had reached Faleron, and he was turning to begin the long trek down, when Merric spoke.
“I tried to warn you,” he said softly. “I tried to get you to stop, and turn back. But you wouldn’t listen to me. Too caught up in your own self-righteousness.”
“Merric,” Faleron said, exasperated, “what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you, cousin. Always one step ahead, always have to be the best. Not anymore. Not ever again.”
Kel went cold. “Merric,” she whispered.
And suddenly his face transformed into something ugly and disdainful: a stranger’s face, full of hatred. His pale blue eyes were ice. “A son of Hollyrose was never meant to follow a daughter of Mindelan.”
Merric pushed.
She was shunted backwards hard into Faleron. For a moment, they were suspended in time. Faleron’s arms pinwheeled desperately; she reached out and clutched at empty air. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Kel felt herself fall back, twisting against Faleron. His mouth was a perfect O of surprise. His dark eyes were wide and startled and uncomprehending. Her foot sought support and found only empty air.
The last thing she saw was Merric’s face, remote and white and vacant.
In a rush of wind and adrenaline, they fell.
That took a very unexpected turn!! Poor Faleron! I was just about to say that Faleron, Merric, and Kel make the most awesome trio, but then nooooooo!
I'm curious and I must have MORE!
