Some of this chapter's a bit confusing at the moment, and muddled up. Sorry if you don't get it, just PM me (if you're from the Clan) and i'll answer all your questions :)
Please remember it's a first draft...
Chapter 3
Kira thought fast. Should she tell Lisa? Or make up someone?
“New girl. I only started today.” Kira lied. Lisa smirked and said,
“Really? You seem to know a lot for a new girl.” Kira panicked. Lisa was getting suspicious. Slowly Kira backed up, but Lisa kept closing in. When she realized that there was nowhere for the hooded girl to go, Lisa pushed her. Taken by surprise, Kira stumbled, tripped over and landed on the ground. Her hood came away. Kira got off the ground as Lisa took a step back from her.
“Y-You!” she cried. Then, before Kira’s very eyes, the shock turned to anger.
“You!!” Lisa screamed. The group of girls had come back around the corner, hearing Lisa’s screams. They now looked at Kira with equal shock.
“Well don’t just stand there, grab her!” Lisa hissed. Hearing this, the girls ran at Kira and she bolted away. Kira knew exactly where she was going. The Forest. Kira ran as fast as she could, her heart pumping, her muscles acing, but the girls hot on her heels. Kira made a sudden turn, which confused the girls. They started to run after Kira again, this time a little bit behind. As Kira entered the Forest, her followers stopped. They were not going in there. Slowly, one by one, the girls turned and headed back to school. Kira slowed to a jog, breathing heavily, and collapsed onto the Forest floor. Only then did she realise that she was shaking. With loud rasping breaths, Kira crawled over to a rock and sat on it.
The figure lurked in the trees, always watching the girl. He wondered why those others had been chasing her. He strode towards her, hidden from view. He was behind her, about to grab her when he stopped. It was not time yet. Give her another day’s freedom. So he crept away, always keeping her in sight. All he had to do was wait for her and watch.
“…Nine…Ten…Fourteen!” Kira finished counting the money and stood up. A burst of pain in her stomach was gone as quickly as it had come. She needed to buy some food, fast. Putting her hood back up, she left the Forest and was striding down a street when she took a look around. Spotting the Inn she had seen earlier, Kira swung open the door and stepped inside. There was laughter and muttering, men and women talking to each other, the scrape of knives, forks and chairs, which brought happiness to Kira. She had never been anywhere so cheerful. She made her way to the bar.
“What’ll it be love?” the woman behind the bar asked.
“Could I get a… lamb brew and jug of water?” Kira answered. The woman wrote Kira’s order down in a small notebook and gave it to the chef.
“That’ll be three silvers please,” the woman said, turning to Kira with an outstretched hand. Kira dug in her pocket and pulled out them out.
“Here,” she said, giving the woman the money. As the lady walked off to get Kira her change, Kira looked about her and saw, in the corner of the room, a dark figure. She could just make out a pair of dark green eyes, staring at her. Kira blinked hard, and the figure was gone.
“There you go,” the bar woman had returned, holding a steaming bowl of lamb brew in one hand and the change in the other.
“Oh, thank you,” Kira took the bowl from the woman. Kira stuffed the money back into her pocket and said,
“Could I have my water please? And maybe a fork?” the woman went to get them and shortly returned.
“Thanks again,” said Kira as she went to sit down at a table.
*
Kira stepped out of the Inn half an hour later, greeted by a cold blast of air, and the sun starting to set. She used up most of her money buying groceries so she wouldn’t have to come back to town for a few days, and was heading back to the Forest when she came across two men, one of them holding something. Kira put the bags down and went to see what they were talking about. Her mouth dropped. In one of the man’s hands was a magnificent bow, made of polished oak wood. The man was bragging about it to the other man who was standing, looking at the bow in awe. But where were the arrows? Kira spotted them. Hanging over the man’s shoulder in a quiver were thirty or more beautiful arrows.
“Here! You boy” the man shouted, looking at Kira. Kira still had her hood on so the man could not see her face.
“Me?” Kira asked.
“Yes! You boy. Come here and hold my bow and quiver of arrows,” the man cried.
“What do you want me to do with them?” Kira asked, bewildered.
“I want you to come with me back to my house, and hold these. They are heavy, and I don’t want to hurt my shooting arm,” said the man. Kira jogged over to the man and took the bow from him, then put her head through the gap between the wood and string so that one arm was through the gap, and one end of the bow resting on Kira’s other shoulder. The man then passed Kira the quiver of arrows, which she hung over her free shoulder. She now had both hands free.
“Come on then,” the man said. He started to walk down the road, with the other man following. They were deep in conversation so neither looked back. It was now or never. Kira paused where she was, but the men just kept walking down the street. She ran to her groceries and picked them up, then with one last glace over her shoulder, Kira ran off into the Forest with the bow.
She’s good, very good. Thought the figure as he stood behind a tree watching Kira as she ran into the Forest with the man’s bow. She had only seen him once and had probably forgotten him. She ran past the tree he was hiding behind and kept running into the Forest. He followed at a jog.
Kira had to stop and double back for her bag. Once it had been retrieved, as it was already dark, Kira took out a lantern, and tried to set up a camp. It was a difficult job, and the cold was coming on, numbing Kira’s fingers. At last Kira had a suitable shelter and willingly she crawled in, took off her shoes and snuggled deep inside her sleeping bag. Forgetting the bow, her groceries, and her bag at the side of the shelter, Kira closed her eyes and entered the world of sleep.
The Wolf Pack howled longingly, waiting for their pack leader to return the call, but like last night, it never came. The pups and older wolves were tired, the pads of their feet throbbing painfully after a full day and night of running. They stopped at a stream and drank their fill, before flopping down onto the ground for well-earned rest. The other wolves went off in a small group to find food. Tomorrow at dawn, the search for their lost pack leader would continue.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Chapter 2
Kira walked along the road to the edge of the Forest and began to hear the talking and laughing of people as they went out. Just before the turn Kira stopped and dropped her bag. After a minute or two, Kira’s hand emerged from the bag clutching a cloak, long and black with a large hood. Quickly, Kira put her arms in the holes and hid her bag in the Forest. Satisfied that her face was not shown, she continued on. The town was aloud with jabbering of women, shouts of men, the clip clopping of horse hooves, and loud baby wailing - ignored by the chatting mothers. As Kira made her way past Bakeries, Barbers, and an Inn, she smiled to herself. She looked up, and her smile faded. There, at the end of the town on a hill, was the tall grey house with a sign that read:
‘Ms. Ferdin’s house for children’
The Orphanage. Even though she knew no one could see her face, Kira started to worry, glancing in all directions in case someone was about to shout,
“Look! There she is! The runaway. Quick, someone grab her!” At the thought Kira bolted down the street and into an alley. Once covered by darkness Kira tried to calm herself.
“No one is coming to get you, just do what you have to do and get back to the Forest,” she murmured under her breath. Squinting as she emerged from the alley, new hope awakened in Kira. The Orphanage Kids would be at school. Kira made her way, weaving in and out of people as they passed. All though she hated doing it, Kira was very good at pick pocketing.
But she was not the only one who knew it. Hiding in the shadows a figure watched Kira as she did her weaving and picking, and he followed the hooded figure as they moved down the streets and up to the Forest. Once he could get them alone…
Kira decided to go and visit the school. What harm could it do? She looked at the Church clock. Half past twelve. Lunch time at school. She slowly made her way up the hill to where the school was. It was near the Forest so if need be, Kira could run into the trees. Still pick- pocketing as she went, Kira did not realise how close she was until the towering building of the school was before her. Kira started to walk round the back, where the kids had their lunch but she stopped to listen to a group of girls, who were standing by the wall.
As she made her way to the middle of the crowd, Kira’s heart gave a jolt. In the middle of the group, chatting loudly for all to hear was none other than Lisa. Kira felt a surge of anger and went to see what they were talking about.
“She ran away a few days ago,” Lisa was saying.
“She didn’t!” Cried a girl from the crowd.
“Oh yes she did! I don’t know how but I went to ring the bell for breakfast in the morning and she was gone!” Kira noticed Gemma standing next to Lisa, and the anger started to grow.
“How do you think she did it?” Another littler girl from the crowd asked. Wanting to be the centre of attention, as always, Lisa bragged,
“I know how she did it,” Lisa felt all of the eyes of the crowd, smiled and said; “she got up and simply left. Even she’s smart enough to see that no one likes her.” At this, there were a couple of sniggers from the girls and Kira gasped. They were talking about her. Keeping her face well hidden, Kira tried to make her voice sound different.
“Where did she go?” She said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice. The girl standing next to her looked at Kira and there was a murmur from the crowd.
“Ha! She ran off into the woods or something, but probably got kidnapped.” Lisa said, searching for the girl who had spoken.
“Serves her right too. She should have known from the start.” Gemma spat and crossed her arms. Kira sighed and turned to leave. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Lisa, brown hair swinging violently, was standing there; her hands now on her hips, with a glare of menace in her blue eyes.
“Who are you?” she growled.
“I’ll tell you once your ‘posy’ has disappeared” Kira replied coolly. All eyes were now on the mysterious figure, Kira, but no one could see her face.
“Fine. Go on, all of you.” Lisa turned to her crowd and they angrily scuttled away.
“Now, who are you?” She asked again.
Kira walked along the road to the edge of the Forest and began to hear the talking and laughing of people as they went out. Just before the turn Kira stopped and dropped her bag. After a minute or two, Kira’s hand emerged from the bag clutching a cloak, long and black with a large hood. Quickly, Kira put her arms in the holes and hid her bag in the Forest. Satisfied that her face was not shown, she continued on. The town was aloud with jabbering of women, shouts of men, the clip clopping of horse hooves, and loud baby wailing - ignored by the chatting mothers. As Kira made her way past Bakeries, Barbers, and an Inn, she smiled to herself. She looked up, and her smile faded. There, at the end of the town on a hill, was the tall grey house with a sign that read:
‘Ms. Ferdin’s house for children’
The Orphanage. Even though she knew no one could see her face, Kira started to worry, glancing in all directions in case someone was about to shout,
“Look! There she is! The runaway. Quick, someone grab her!” At the thought Kira bolted down the street and into an alley. Once covered by darkness Kira tried to calm herself.
“No one is coming to get you, just do what you have to do and get back to the Forest,” she murmured under her breath. Squinting as she emerged from the alley, new hope awakened in Kira. The Orphanage Kids would be at school. Kira made her way, weaving in and out of people as they passed. All though she hated doing it, Kira was very good at pick pocketing.
But she was not the only one who knew it. Hiding in the shadows a figure watched Kira as she did her weaving and picking, and he followed the hooded figure as they moved down the streets and up to the Forest. Once he could get them alone…
Kira decided to go and visit the school. What harm could it do? She looked at the Church clock. Half past twelve. Lunch time at school. She slowly made her way up the hill to where the school was. It was near the Forest so if need be, Kira could run into the trees. Still pick- pocketing as she went, Kira did not realise how close she was until the towering building of the school was before her. Kira started to walk round the back, where the kids had their lunch but she stopped to listen to a group of girls, who were standing by the wall.
As she made her way to the middle of the crowd, Kira’s heart gave a jolt. In the middle of the group, chatting loudly for all to hear was none other than Lisa. Kira felt a surge of anger and went to see what they were talking about.
“She ran away a few days ago,” Lisa was saying.
“She didn’t!” Cried a girl from the crowd.
“Oh yes she did! I don’t know how but I went to ring the bell for breakfast in the morning and she was gone!” Kira noticed Gemma standing next to Lisa, and the anger started to grow.
“How do you think she did it?” Another littler girl from the crowd asked. Wanting to be the centre of attention, as always, Lisa bragged,
“I know how she did it,” Lisa felt all of the eyes of the crowd, smiled and said; “she got up and simply left. Even she’s smart enough to see that no one likes her.” At this, there were a couple of sniggers from the girls and Kira gasped. They were talking about her. Keeping her face well hidden, Kira tried to make her voice sound different.
“Where did she go?” She said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice. The girl standing next to her looked at Kira and there was a murmur from the crowd.
“Ha! She ran off into the woods or something, but probably got kidnapped.” Lisa said, searching for the girl who had spoken.
“Serves her right too. She should have known from the start.” Gemma spat and crossed her arms. Kira sighed and turned to leave. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Lisa, brown hair swinging violently, was standing there; her hands now on her hips, with a glare of menace in her blue eyes.
“Who are you?” she growled.
“I’ll tell you once your ‘posy’ has disappeared” Kira replied coolly. All eyes were now on the mysterious figure, Kira, but no one could see her face.
“Fine. Go on, all of you.” Lisa turned to her crowd and they angrily scuttled away.
“Now, who are you?” She asked again.
The Forest - my story in progress...
Chapter 1
The howl was long, sad and lonely. It shattered the tranquillity as the Forest echoed with it. The howl broke off, but the Forest remained quiet, listening and waiting for another howl to follow. It was the same with Kira. She huddled in her sleeping bag and waited. But it never came. Kira sat up and slid out of her sleeping bag. Thirsty, she crept out of her shelter and went to the river to drink. As she looked into the water Kira saw her reflection by moonlight. Her ginger-brown hair swayed in the icy wind, her beige lips going pale in the cold, her sandy-brown skin beginning to get goose bumps and her olive green eyes looking back up at her. In the reflected image in the water, Kira saw an old oak tree in the background.
After she had finished her drink, Kira scrambled to the tree and sat with her back against it. Her mind started to wonder, and after a while it rested in the past. Kira started to remember the orphanage she came from. The one she had been at all her life. The past few days had been bad, so Kira had run, ending up here in the Forest. She floated into memories… there was Lisa and her horrible gang of girls that would always pick on or bully Kira. What harm had she done to them? She vaguely remembered a time, not long ago, where one of the Lisa’s closest friends - Gemma - was walking past Kira. She had whispered,
“Did you know that there is actually a reason we pick on only you?” stunned, Kira asked “Not really. But what is the reason?” Gemma smirked,
“It’s because you’re different.” Kira frowned, puzzled.
“I don’t understand. How am I different?” Gemma sighed and started again,
“Let me put it in a way you would understand, if me and Lisa and all the rest of us were dogs, you would be a threat to us. You aren’t meant to be here.” Kira didn’t know if Gemma was lying or not so she asked one last question,
“Where do I belong?” Gemma rolled her eyes and replied,
“How am I supposed to know? All I know is it’s not here!” Kira felt a thump and opened her eyes. She was lying on her side. She had fallen asleep. She shivered and, exhausted, crawled into the tent and into her sleeping bag and drifted to sleep.
*
“BBuuzzz…BBuuzzzz” Kira slapped her cheek; the fly fell to the ground. She stretched and yawned. Picking herself up, Kira blinked and rubbed her eyes. Yawning, Kira took a step forward and tripped over her sleeping bag, falling into the dirt.
“Oww!” she cried meaninglessly. Kira was too tired to realise her hurt. Stretching again as she got up for the second time, Kira wiped herself of dirt and continued to the river. Sitting where she had last night, Kira washed her face. She watched the last few drops of waterfall into the river and looked into its crystal-clear depths. Kira saw waterweed, and rocks. Suddenly a fish swam by and Kira felt a pang of hunger. She hadn’t eaten for a long time. She needed to leave here and head for the town. Kira had come to her last option: Stealing. She knew it was wrong, and would be punished if caught but having no money and not wanting to beg, in case recognized by someone, Kira was forced to steal.
She went back to her shelter and started to undo it. Pulling four pegs out of the ground and untying the string on one side and doing the same with the other, Kira had a big tarpaulin draped over a branch. She unhooked the tarpaulin and folded it up, leaving it to one side. She then went to her sleeping bag, crumpled up and ready for shaking. Kira shook it hard and left it hanging over the branch. Now her bag. Reaching into a hollow of the oak Kira lifted her bag out of it and checked the contents. Once happy that everything was there, Kira grabbed her things, stuffed them in her bag and stared to walk back to town.
A few hundred miles to the West, the Wolf Pack were panting and jumping, not resting for a moment, as they loped through the trees of the Forest in search of their pack leader.
The howl was long, sad and lonely. It shattered the tranquillity as the Forest echoed with it. The howl broke off, but the Forest remained quiet, listening and waiting for another howl to follow. It was the same with Kira. She huddled in her sleeping bag and waited. But it never came. Kira sat up and slid out of her sleeping bag. Thirsty, she crept out of her shelter and went to the river to drink. As she looked into the water Kira saw her reflection by moonlight. Her ginger-brown hair swayed in the icy wind, her beige lips going pale in the cold, her sandy-brown skin beginning to get goose bumps and her olive green eyes looking back up at her. In the reflected image in the water, Kira saw an old oak tree in the background.
After she had finished her drink, Kira scrambled to the tree and sat with her back against it. Her mind started to wonder, and after a while it rested in the past. Kira started to remember the orphanage she came from. The one she had been at all her life. The past few days had been bad, so Kira had run, ending up here in the Forest. She floated into memories… there was Lisa and her horrible gang of girls that would always pick on or bully Kira. What harm had she done to them? She vaguely remembered a time, not long ago, where one of the Lisa’s closest friends - Gemma - was walking past Kira. She had whispered,
“Did you know that there is actually a reason we pick on only you?” stunned, Kira asked “Not really. But what is the reason?” Gemma smirked,
“It’s because you’re different.” Kira frowned, puzzled.
“I don’t understand. How am I different?” Gemma sighed and started again,
“Let me put it in a way you would understand, if me and Lisa and all the rest of us were dogs, you would be a threat to us. You aren’t meant to be here.” Kira didn’t know if Gemma was lying or not so she asked one last question,
“Where do I belong?” Gemma rolled her eyes and replied,
“How am I supposed to know? All I know is it’s not here!” Kira felt a thump and opened her eyes. She was lying on her side. She had fallen asleep. She shivered and, exhausted, crawled into the tent and into her sleeping bag and drifted to sleep.
*
“BBuuzzz…BBuuzzzz” Kira slapped her cheek; the fly fell to the ground. She stretched and yawned. Picking herself up, Kira blinked and rubbed her eyes. Yawning, Kira took a step forward and tripped over her sleeping bag, falling into the dirt.
“Oww!” she cried meaninglessly. Kira was too tired to realise her hurt. Stretching again as she got up for the second time, Kira wiped herself of dirt and continued to the river. Sitting where she had last night, Kira washed her face. She watched the last few drops of waterfall into the river and looked into its crystal-clear depths. Kira saw waterweed, and rocks. Suddenly a fish swam by and Kira felt a pang of hunger. She hadn’t eaten for a long time. She needed to leave here and head for the town. Kira had come to her last option: Stealing. She knew it was wrong, and would be punished if caught but having no money and not wanting to beg, in case recognized by someone, Kira was forced to steal.
She went back to her shelter and started to undo it. Pulling four pegs out of the ground and untying the string on one side and doing the same with the other, Kira had a big tarpaulin draped over a branch. She unhooked the tarpaulin and folded it up, leaving it to one side. She then went to her sleeping bag, crumpled up and ready for shaking. Kira shook it hard and left it hanging over the branch. Now her bag. Reaching into a hollow of the oak Kira lifted her bag out of it and checked the contents. Once happy that everything was there, Kira grabbed her things, stuffed them in her bag and stared to walk back to town.
A few hundred miles to the West, the Wolf Pack were panting and jumping, not resting for a moment, as they loped through the trees of the Forest in search of their pack leader.
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