Part 3

I awoke as the sun set, bruised and unrested. The horses were approaching a clearing with a pile of ash in the middle. It was clearly a common campsite. The men dismounted and one lifted me down with surprising gentleness. They set up blankets around the fire pit and one began collecting wood.
     Very soon, the fire was burning brightly and the men began talking amongst themselves as they sat together.
     "We ought to start at first light if we're to make it to Morden by nightfall. I shouldn't want to spend another night on the ground if I can help it," said the largest, with a quick glance my way. He'd been the one to sit behind me on the ride, and his burly frame was cast into sharp relief by the firelight.
     Morden. I knew the name well. The eastern province was home to refugees and those who wished to avoid attention. Like my captors, I presumed.
     "Have you received word from the others? Have we been discovered?" asked another, with a pointed noise and hair that would be a sandy color had it been clean.
     "No, I checked in town. As of this afternoon, no one knew we had found the girl."
      The girl. Me.
      No one knew yet that I was gone.
     "They will find out soon enough. Eventually, you know who will come looking for her."
     "I suspect it will be sooner rather than later. At least we were able to get her out before then."
     The men paused in their conversation as one rose to fetch one of the bags that had been tied to the horses. He tossed it to me. I caught it in surprise. Bread, fairly fresh - they must have gotten it in town earlier in the day - and dried meat. There was a generous amount, too. I hadn't been expecting fresh bread. I smiled gratefully at the men on the other side of the fire.
     "Well, need that when you're done, girl. Don't go eating it all." Despite the stern words, the faces that looked out at me were soft. I tore a piece of the loaf and took several pieces of meat, then passed the bag over. Each companion took a portion as well, then turned back away from me.
     "Do you think there'll be complications crossing the border?" the third man asked. He was rather small, but his surly looks made him easily the most intimidating of the three.
     "If we can get into Morden by evening, I doubt the border patrol will even know they're looking for us. Once we're in, we can lay low for a while, and there shouldn't be too many problems. But of course, the best laid plans and all that... who knows?"

Part 2

It was a long walk into the woods, where three horses were patiently waiting, tied to a tree. The trek did not bother me, though. There were no thoughts, only the steps I took.
When we reached the horses, one of the men roughly pulled the pack form my shoulders and strapped in onto one of the horses, which already bore supplies on its back.
I was lifted onto the tallest horse, a man sitting behind me, his large arms keeping me in place, keeping me from escaping.
As if I would try to escape. Escape to where? I had already been alone when they came for me, there was nothing to go back to. I could only think of the present, only think of the feel of the thick horse hair bristling beneath my skirt. There was no past, there was no future. Everything was laid out before me in the coming dawn.
I nodded off into sleep, the last image before my eyes a thin winding trail of coarse dirt that my horse gently padded over.

Something New? Part 1

When they came for me, I did not scream.

The burly men slipped in through the back gate, and finding no one to block their way, proceeded to my room. I sat by the window, hands folded. They slipped rough rope around my wrists, and pulled me to my feet. When I left, I was able to take only a pack strapped over my shoulders: nothing else.

I could taste the crisp autumn air and shivered in the chill wind. A year ago at this time, I would have been with my family, pulling out the old blankets to use when the evenings got cold. I never would have guessed that, in a year, I'd be leaving my home forever.

In some ways, I was not sorry to see it go.

------------------

Hello, readers. We're back, and chock full of new ideas just waiting to jump onto the page. Your turn, Mars!

Delia's Story, Part 3

The fog around her began to shift and dissipate. As she stood up, the hoofbeats were joined by sleighbells, and the grayness of the fog turned white.
     White as snow.
     No longer was she in the quiet suburban town with her square white house. No longer was she in the apple-crisp autumn she had experienced only moments before. She stood between snow-covered trees, looking out onto a white expanse leading to a distant town. Children played in the snow, and the fields were crisscrossed with sleigh tracks.
    Shaking off a minor headache - a side effect of the jump - she set off toward town. She had an appointment to keep.

2

Delia tried to walk with purpose, tried to walk tall. But her suitcase was heavy, and each time she took a step it would knock painfully against her knees and her posture would deflate. She sighed with resignation and hugged the case to her chest, taking broad and unflattering steps. At least she would not be injured walking like this. Where was she anyways? She could barely see the green walk beneath her, for the misty fog billowed in more and more, until her clothes were soaked and her hair damp and obscuring her vision. Delia stopped walking, plopped down on the ground, sitting on her suitcase. She put her head in her hands and felt the cold against her skin, the light tingle.
Then she heard the heavy sound of hoofbeats growing near.

A New Story

Mars and I have decided to begin a new tale. Let's see where this one goes...

Delia grasped the worn handle of her suitcase. The clunky bag seemed heavier each time she used it, as though she had packed up all of her memories between the neatly folded socks. Looking out into the foggy street, she lifted the bag and began away from the small white house she had called home for the past few months. She had not gotten too attached to the place. She had learned that it was easier that way. The large brown suitcase did not hold too many memories from this gray street. Tucking her bangs behind her ears and squaring her shoulders, she began down the street alone. She was alone so often, now. That was part of why she was leaving. When she reached the end of the street, the fog seemed to swallow her up, and she disappeared into the gray.

FINE I WILL PARTICIPATE IN CHANNLEGE

What I liked:

How we added more characters and how the characters were relatable and how I hated half of them and loved the other half. I think it's good that not all f them are bland, like bland potato salad.


Also, the fact that there was so much to work with and so much more we CAN work about.

What I disliked/ What we can work on:

1. Evening things out, some things do not flow well.
2. What are we going to do with Taliss?
3. Yeah. Let's edit.
Ediiiiiiitttttttt

Heh..... - Just Ella.

Writing Challenges No. 1

I have a challenge I think you'll really like, Mars, but first I want to hear what you think of our first draft of Rudolph and Isadora. So my first challenge is to write a thoughts and responses post like the one I wrote on Saturday. When you publish that, you may start a new writing challenge, and both you and I will have 72 hours to complete it.

-Pica

Draft One Thoughts and Responses (Pica)

Draft One of Rudolph and Isadora is finally done, after about eight months. Although both Mars (formerly The Politick) and I are ecstatic to have a finished draft, there's quite a but or revising that still must be done. We'll keep you updated on the changes we make, and hopefully will continue to post newly added or updated segments from the story. For now, both Mars and I will post our thoughts about the first draft. Starting on Monday, will will take turns issuing each other writing challenges while we do our preliminary edits. We'll do our best to keep The Bookbird and the Wordgirl running even though we've finished our story - although in a way, we've only just begun.

The Good Parts

• I like our overall outline, although there are certainly parts that need fixing.
• I like the characters we have - I'd love to develop them deeper.
• Some parts are written really well, I want to keep and develop those.

The Less-Good Parts

• Lots of inconsistency - we have to go through and make sure all of our facts are straight.
• I kind of want to get rid of Taliss - other than the dragon, there is no other mention of magic. Unless, maybe we can make one of the characters magic users... I'm thinking Alisen, or maybe Lilia.
• I'd like to fill in a lot of the plot gaps - there needs to be more development in all of the character relations, and Quin and Alisen don't really have stated backstories.
• Um... Ros? That whole subplot doesn't make any sense to me.

What do you think of our first draft?

Rudolph and Isadora, Part 100 – THE END

That night, the moon was full. Darkness settled on the palace like a gentle blanket. Fireflies flew through moonlit fields, and roses bloomed pale and full. A gentle breeze warmed the grounds, smelling like fresh grass and summertime.
     Isadora stepped out onto her balcony, letting the breeze play with the ends of her golden hair and the hem of her silver skirt. She knew Julien was inside, waiting for her. After that first awful night, he had changed completely. He now waited for her. He let her begin their tentative kisses. Her let her decide how far apart they slept in the enormous bed that stood in their room. She glanced back at him, sitting in a large armchair by the fire, reading a book. She liked him best at times like these, when he seemed ungaurded, relaxed, unprincely. He looked up, as if feeling her gaze, and smiled at her in that way of his, the one that had first loosened her heart when it was aching for Quin, the one that revealed his kindness, the one that seemed to say I'll still love you, no matter who you chose, all those months ago.
     "Julien?" she asked, stepping back into the bedroom. "Would you... would you like to go on a walk with me?"
     Standing up and gently taking her hand, he replied, "Of course. I'd love to, Isadora."
     They walked hand in hand through the long corridors out into the garden. Under the star-strewn sky, Isadora and Julien wandered through mazes of flowers, talking softly. Finally, Isadora stopped and faced her husband.
     "Julien, I just wanted to apologize. I'm... I'm so sorry."
     "What for?" he asked.
     "I've been awful to you in the past months. And so... I just wanted to apologize. And perhaps make it up to you somehow."
    "Oh Isadora - my Isadora -" Julien moved to embrace her, but before her could, she rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. As she pulled away, her cheeks colored, but she took Julien's hands in her own.
     "I love you, Julien."
     Julien opened his mouth as if to respond, but there was nothing more to say. Isadora put her arms around him and said, "I'll meet you inside in a moment, alright?"
     Julien nodded and walked back to the castle. Isadora stood for a moment in the garden, then turned and walked the other direction. She needed a moment to sort out her own feelings. A warm feeling in her chest rose to her throat, making her want to laugh and cry at the same time. She walked around the outskirts of the garden on her way back to the castle, gazing at the open fields surrounding her. She finally reached the main road again, and went to join Julien, but as she walked back, she saw a silhouette near the stables, dark against the full moon. A new stableboy, one whose silhouette made her think of the forest, homemade soup, and lost love.