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| Jack was running. From what, he did not know. He sensed an ominous presence behind him. He rounded the corner and saw the church. that was a safe place. A feeling of warmth grew as he neared the building. He ducked inside and promptly approached the front. At the front, in the center, stood the cross. Something deep insde Jack stirred deep within him, and he knelt before the cross. The sweat on his face turned cold when he heard an audible voice: "Jack, seek the Living Water. Find the source. Scale the mountain. Take your partner for this is the adventure you have sought all your life." Then he woke up. **** Jill awoke with a start. The morning sun blinded her momentarily when her eyes opened. She couldn't believe she'd slept so late! She jumped when the pounding on the door came again, and sleepily scrambled out of bed to the door. When she opened the door, Jacks raised fist was the first thing she saw. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't sure if you hear me knocking." "Of course I heard you. Probably everyone nearby heard you pounding like that. What do you want?" "Well, for starters, that was the fourth time I knocked, and it is well past 10:00! I figured that you would be comping at the bit, wanting to get back to mighty Eagleflight. Are you ready?" "Ten o'clock?! Are you serious? I haven't slept that late since before I learned to shoot a bow! Yes, I'll be our shortly." Jack stopped the door as Jill moved to close it. "Jill, I had a dream last night." "A dream?" So what? she thought. "It was more than a dream, actually." What is he getting at? "Well, what was it?" "I dreamt that I was running away from something. I don't know what, but it was bad, whatever it was. Finally I reached the church and my terror melted away. A strange warmth and joy grew in my heart as I approached the cross. I knelt, and immediately God spoke to me. He said..." Jill interrupted, "Woah, time out. God spoke to you?" She raised her eyebrows incredulously. "Yes, is there a problem with that?" She waved him off. "Keep going." "Okay...He said to seek the Water of Life, at the source, up the mountain. I don't think I can do this alone." "Wow, you are really sereious, aren't you Jack? You really think God literally spoke to you in a dream." There was a certain fascination in her voice, as if hoping to believe something she knew to be impossible. "Nothing like this has happened to me either, " Jack reassured her, "I have always believed in God, but I had never experienced anything like that until now. It seems real, close, and tangible. If anything in my life has ever been real, this is it." "Jack, I need some time to process all this..." "That's fine. I'll go get your horse ready. Where we go with it is up to you." *** Jill had time to think while she got ready to go, but she wasn't exactly sure what to think. It sounded exciting, this dream of Jack's and the prospect of real adventure, but she had doubts. After all, it did sound kind of crazy, and what were they really searching for anyway? Some mystical "Water of Life"? It seemed more like a fairytale than a serious quest. But still... There was the sincerity in Jack's face when he told her, and she knew he didn't think it was just a dream. Furthermore, she didn't wish to go back to the ordinary life she'd left behind at Eagleflight quite yet. "I'll go with him," she resolved aloud to herself. | | |
| She heard her horse moving through the brush, not very far off, and paused to listen. The sound of Dasha's hooves was too even, too directed, for the horse to be roaming free. But how could someone be riding her? Who could it be? Jill was extremely curious, but knew she must be cautious, and tried to find a place where she could see the horse before it saw her.
Soon Jill could hear the saddle creaking and then the horse came into view - but was reined to a halt before she could see the rider. Jill leaned forward in an attempt to peer around the bushes blocker her view, but as she did so, her foot slipped and she tumbled out into the clearing, and found herself looking into the surprised face of the man in the saddle. After a moment of shocked silence, she stammered, "I... you... that's my horse!"
***
Jack couldn't decide whether this mighty warrior looked relieved, perplexed or irrate. Mostly he was shocked that this warrior was a woman! And a very good looking one at that!
"Oh, you must be the one we've been looking for then!" Jack exclaimed in response to the warrior woman's assertion that he was riding her horse.
Jack dismounted with a feigned confidence (he was really quite nervous that she would whip out some deadly weapon at any moment). He thrust out his hand, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jack Attack!"
"Jill of Eagleflight," came the suspicious reply, "but how did you come upon such an odd surname, and what are you doing with my horse?"
"My surname is Attack because I refuse to be known as Jack of Topaz. I want adventure and excitement in my life! I want to advance, not retreat; attack, not cowardly run away! As for the horse, I discovered it out in the wild, and have spent the last several hours searching for its owner. And now, may I ask you, Jill of Eagleflight, why someone from such a prestigious city would be found deep in the wood of the Valley?"
***
Jill was trying not to laugh, and at the same time deciding how she should handle the situation. While she wanted to just take her horse and get back home, she knew that wasn't terribly practical; besides, she was rather curious about this Jack Attack.
"I was only taking Dasha out for a trial ride before I begin training..."
She could tell by the look on Jack's face that he was waiting for the rest of the story, but she was reluctant to say that she, a warrior from Eagleflight, had been thrown from a horse. She finished lameley, "she bolted while I was... busy with...uh...some things." Before Jack could ask any questions, she added, "But how did you find her?"
***
"How did I find her?" Jack repeated the question, "Well, I saw her caught up in the brush back east, near the river." He turned took at the sunset and said, "Maybe we should be getting back."
"Well, where should we go?" Jill asked, "How far are we from Eagleflight?"
"Oh, several hours...we're a lot closer to Topaz," he replied.
"Topaz?! I CANNOT go to such a lazy, remote city. My townsfolk would never let me hear the end of it!"
Good, Jack thought. "Let's set out then."
"Let's?! I can't very well drag you along." She said disdainfully.
"Well, it's about an hour's hike to Topaz. I could easily leave you here to figure out where to go. I thoroughly know these woods, this valley. So what shall it be, warrior?"
***
As they neared Topaz, Jill was left to her thoughts. How did she get where she was? How was it that she was trapsing through the woods, on the way to the little lazy Topaz, with this strange man walking in front of her horse? Why was it that she was riding, and he was leading? Actually, it wasn't so bad. Not really. It sort of made her feel like a princess, atop her steed, being led by a very capable man. That man. He was the last person in the world she wanted to be with, yet she could think of no one better to be here with, now, in this place. He was very strange, that much was sure. Yet his strangeness intruiged her. She was curious about him. Suddenly Topaz didn't sound too bad. Princess Jill. Maybe this is the way life was meant to be. Prince Jack? Woah, Jill! You barely even know him. Forget that.
As they passed up the "Welcome to Topaz" sign, Jack finally broke the long uninterrupted silence. "Well, here are. Still awake?"
"...yes," Jill said slowly, still being roused from her daydream. Welcome to your kingdom, Princess, she thought to herself.
All was still in the sleepy little town. It sounded strange to Jill. She was more accustomed to commotion and noise. Yet there was something nice about the peaceful hush. Jack huided the horse around the corner. "There's the hotel and villas," he said, "I will spot you the money, if necessary."
She debated in her mind for a minute, then decided to accept his offer. "Okay, Just for tonight. I'll probably head back in the morning." Was that disappointment on his face?
"Alright," Jack said, "Let me guide you to the hitching post." They turned around, and then Jill remembered seeing the post quite a ways from the villas. As they walked, Jack's demeanor seemed to changed. "What is life like in Eagleflight?" he asked with a sort of longing in his face. "Is it adventurous? What are the people like? I'd very much like to know."
"It's... fast-paced... competitive. Everybody's always rushing around." She shrugged. "I guess some people might consider that to be "adventurous'. It can get boring though."
"Boring?"
"Coming here is the most adventurous thing I've done in a long time... maybe ever."
"It must all be in your perspective then, or maybe your life is really boring for a warrior." They laughed.
"So tell me, Jack Attack," She said in a teasing tone of voice, "what other sciting things do you do, besides rescuing lost warriors and their horses?"
"Nothing really," he admitted, "This is also one of the most adventurous things I've ever done. Normally life is very slow and nothing happens at all. I explore the woods to find what adventure I can."
"So I guess we're not all that different after all."
A moment of silence hung between them.
"Well, I suppose you should be getting to your room," Jack said, "You will want yo be rested up for your long journey back home tomorrow."
"Yes," Jill said, then dismounted and removed the saddle from Dasha's back. She grabbed a handful of straw and began to rub down the horse, but jack stopped her.
"I'll take care of that. Go on and get some rest."
She wearily smiled her thanks and turned to go. She turne back suddenly and said, "Good night...and thank you!"
"You are welcome. See you tomorrow."
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| This is the story Allegra and I have written to this point. We mail it back and forth to each other, but figured it would be good to put it on the internet to have a place where it will be safe in case we ever lose the papers. Most of the time, where there is an asterisk, it signifies a change in
authorship. There is a little bit of change within the same section
from time to time as well.
Hope you enjoy!
Quest For Life (may come up with a less generic title later)
Chapter 1 - Dasha's Dash pt. 1
Life was still in the little tow called Topaz. Nestled near the foot of Mount Kinsey, the quain village was the perfect picture of a tranquil life. Across the Valley of Vinici and past the Lewis River (which was more of a stream these days, and barely even that) lay the mighty fortress of Eagleflight. Here champions and warriors trained, raced, fought, and otherwise carried on business. Life at Eagleflight was very fast-paced and stressful, a stark contrast to the slow, peaceful town, Topaz.
Our story begins with two people: Jack and Jill. Jack belonged to the peace-loving town, and while he was not opposed to peace, he found himself longing for action, sometimes even at the price of tranquility. Jill, on the other hand, was from war-waging, conquering Eagleflight. Though she was an accomplished archer and horseback rider, and very skilled with the sword, she often wondered if there was more to life -- or would less be more? Little did these two know what lay in store for them ahead.
***
It was a cold, clear November morning. Today should be perfect for a ride. Jill had been hoping for a day like this to take Dasha out. The two-year-old was a timid horse and hadn't been a favorite of that year's foals, so no one had worked with her much. But Jill felt like doing something new and getting away from the stress of life in Eagleflight.
They took the trail to the Valley; it was the longest, also covered a good variety of terrain. Dasha was skitterish at first, but soon settled in. Midmorning, they reached a meadow, and Jill coaxed Dasha into a canter. Suddenly Dasha spooked, and Jill, who had been concentrating on Dasha's gait, was not prepared for the sudden rear. She lost her seat and fell hard, and Dasha kept running.
***
The gentle November breeze whisped across Jack's face as he stood, overlooking the babbling brook. Jack had heard all about the river's glory days, when torrents would tear through, many feet above the rocks on which he now was sitting. Though Jack had done a lot of exploring in these parts, he had never followed the river the source. Perhaps he should make that his next expedition. But for now, life called for him back at Topaz. He turned to start his trek back up the mountain, when a suddent movement caught his eye to his left. He cautiously approached the thicket from where the movement came, when suddenly a horse emerged, rearing and neighing in protest to the disturbance Jack brought about. Jack spoke soothingly to the beast, reached into his napsack, and pulled out an apple. Then the foal was calm, munching on her new-found snack. Jack realized this horse must be a run-away, based on the saddle and reigns dangling loose. He straightened the salld, mounted the horse, and said, "Let's find out who you belong to."
***
Jill sat up slowly. Dasha's hoof-falls still rang in her ears. The realization dawned on her gradually - she was stranded 30 miles from her home, without a horse, and only the clothes she was wearing. She could not make it back on foot before dark, and by then it would be far too cold for just the light jacket she had on. But sitting in the middle of a meadow would obviously get her nowhere. She stood and surveyed the area, picturing her location on a map of the whole region, and decided the best course of action would be to follow Dasha - toward Topaz, and the unknown.
***
After looping the Eagleflight side of the valley, the sun begant to set over Mount Kinsey, and Jack knew he had to get back to Topaz quickly, or he may be stranded in the cold November weather. Thankfully he had this horse, but where did she come from? She seemed like a wild horse, and assuming she had come from Eagleflight, he let his imagination run wild. "I bet your master is a rutheless warrior. Hes the strongest, finest warrior in all of Eagleflight, isn't he? And you're his newest projecct? Jesu think of all the places you'll see! You will be a part of history as it is happening! I sometimes wish I were a horse!" Jack sighed.
Faint in the distance, Jack heard a soft cry, from a child, or perhaps a woman. The horse's ears pricked at the sound, and they headed in that direction. As they came closer, the cry became learer (and it was definitely a woman's voice): "Dasha!"
Jack slowed the horse to a trot as he laid eyes on his anticipated "mighty warrior" for the first time.
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| Well we did it. We decided to create a xanga site together. *Groans, moans, and "awww's" go here.* We will be posting a story we are currently in the process of writing together, with the one who received the last letter posting what the other wrote last. Enjoy!
-- A & A. 
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