Continuation of NaNo
Nov. 2nd, 2008 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sagesariaKarrah Chapter 2. Chapter word count: 1052
Chapter 2
The rain still hadn’t stopped by nightfall. Karrah lay on the futon in her room, half-dressed, staring at the ceiling and listening to the pattering water on the roof. Once again she was wide awake, mind too restless to settle down to sleep. She was planning this time. Dareth had drawn a map for her, tracing the route across the Karana plains to Freeport. It would be a long trip, and Karrah spent the time in the dark thinking of what she would need to carry for the travel.
Suddenly her thoughts were disrupted. She sat up, listening carefully; she could hear something in the other room. Scuffling, creaking; somebody was in the dojo. And she seriously doubted that the other students would be awake at this hour.
She dropped back onto the futon and shut her eyes, feigning sleep. She heard the door slither open, followed by more creaking in the hardwood floors, which sagged ever so slightly as the intruder stepped on the thin boards.
They stopped right beside her. She stayed motionless, continuing to pretend she was asleep. Suddenly there was a rush of air above her. She clapped her hands in front of her, catching a wrist. As she opened her eyes she found herself staring up the blade of a dagger, inches from her throat. A thick sappy substance rolled from the metal it coated.
Pushing the dagger away from her she sat up in time for the attacker to rush to the door. She caught a glimpse of black clothes and dark skin slink through the doorway into the main hall before she scrambled to her feet to give chase. The attacker was ahead the whole way out of the building, out of sight before Karrah could reach the door. She flew out the exit into the rain, suddenly overcome with blinding downpour. She stopped, her bare feet already protesting the wet grass underneath them. She looked around, squinting in the dark and the wet and shaking wet hair from her eyes trying to find her opponent, or at least see that they were gone.
A flash of lightning crackled behind her. She whipped around at the sudden flash, and in the blinding light there was the attacker again, silhouetted by the lightning. Then jumped down from the roof, dagger raised, targeting Karrah. At the last minute she sidestepped, avoiding the attack. At last her opponent was close enough to get a better look.
In a more distant lightning flash she made out more details. Female body type. Short black hair tied back. Blue skin; she must have been a dark elf. Narrow yellow eyes the only feature on her face not hidden by a mask.
She attacked again, swinging her dagger, but Karrah blocked harshly with her open hand. She heard a clattering of metal as the blade flew out of the rogue’s hand and onto the marble street. While her opponent was momentarily off balance Karrah took advantage, grabbing the dark elf’s wrist and twisting to force her arm behind her back. From there however the rogue snapped her head back, hitting Karrah in the nose. She winced and her grip faltered, the assassin took her chance to wrench herself free. Shaking off the blow Karrah followed quickly after the dark elf trying to find her knife in the dark. She grabbed her by the shoulder, but the rogue turned, brushing off Karrah’s hand with a smooth sweep of her arm. The two then locked in combat, Karrah fighting to keep the rogue in her sights, and making swipes at her face, trying to pull the mask off. Attacks were blocked on both sides, neither of them making a connection in their hits.
Until Karrah attacked with a kick, and the rogue side-stepped, taking advantage of her opponent’s thrown balance by grabbing her leg and throwing her to the ground. There was a splash of mud and before Karrah could recover the rogue sent a kick past her face. The kick never touched Karrah, but a sharp pain shot across her cheek and a startling warmth from her own blood jarringly contrasting with the cold rain as her head jerked to the side from the blow. Looking up again she saw a tiny blade, red with blood, retract into the rogue’s sandal before she was kicked hard in the stomach.
“Oof!”
She fell flat on her back, suddenly finding herself gasping in an attempt to breathe; the wind had been knocked out of her. The rogue loomed over her, drawing a second knife from her belt. She knelt over Karrah, straddling the monk’s waist. Karrah felt light-headed; was it the lack of air? The rogue raised her knife, her intention clear.
“What’s going on out there?!”
The rogue suddenly jumped up as torches around the dojo started lighting, then she turned and ran, disappearing into the dark. Karrah struggled to sit up, forcing her lungs to reset themselves and breathe again. The guild crowded around the door, still in their uniform pajamas, carrying lanterns and looking for the source of all the ruckus.
“Karrah! Are you alright? What happened?”
One of the students slung Karrah’s arm around his shoulders and pulled her to her feet. The world spun as she stood, and she kept her head low to keep from getting sick.
“A-a rogue. I don’t know where she went.”
The guild scattered, searching the perimeter while Karrah was dragged back into the dojo. Her head lolled on her chest and she barely tried to walk with the boy supporting her. Her legs may as well have been unfeeling masses of lead. Her whole body was going numb as her vision blurred; she didn’t feel the warmth of the dojo as they escaped the cold rain, or the floor beneath her dragging feet, or the other body carrying her dead weight.
“Give her to me.” Master Dareth’s voice was faint and distant, barely recognizable as Master Dareth. Her hazing vision only comprehended a mass of color as she was passed to him. Her eyes rolled in her head.
“Karrah? Karrah can you hear me?” his voice was fading fast, “Someone wake the herbalist, quickly!”
She knew nothing more of that night.
Chapter 2
The rain still hadn’t stopped by nightfall. Karrah lay on the futon in her room, half-dressed, staring at the ceiling and listening to the pattering water on the roof. Once again she was wide awake, mind too restless to settle down to sleep. She was planning this time. Dareth had drawn a map for her, tracing the route across the Karana plains to Freeport. It would be a long trip, and Karrah spent the time in the dark thinking of what she would need to carry for the travel.
Suddenly her thoughts were disrupted. She sat up, listening carefully; she could hear something in the other room. Scuffling, creaking; somebody was in the dojo. And she seriously doubted that the other students would be awake at this hour.
She dropped back onto the futon and shut her eyes, feigning sleep. She heard the door slither open, followed by more creaking in the hardwood floors, which sagged ever so slightly as the intruder stepped on the thin boards.
They stopped right beside her. She stayed motionless, continuing to pretend she was asleep. Suddenly there was a rush of air above her. She clapped her hands in front of her, catching a wrist. As she opened her eyes she found herself staring up the blade of a dagger, inches from her throat. A thick sappy substance rolled from the metal it coated.
Pushing the dagger away from her she sat up in time for the attacker to rush to the door. She caught a glimpse of black clothes and dark skin slink through the doorway into the main hall before she scrambled to her feet to give chase. The attacker was ahead the whole way out of the building, out of sight before Karrah could reach the door. She flew out the exit into the rain, suddenly overcome with blinding downpour. She stopped, her bare feet already protesting the wet grass underneath them. She looked around, squinting in the dark and the wet and shaking wet hair from her eyes trying to find her opponent, or at least see that they were gone.
A flash of lightning crackled behind her. She whipped around at the sudden flash, and in the blinding light there was the attacker again, silhouetted by the lightning. Then jumped down from the roof, dagger raised, targeting Karrah. At the last minute she sidestepped, avoiding the attack. At last her opponent was close enough to get a better look.
In a more distant lightning flash she made out more details. Female body type. Short black hair tied back. Blue skin; she must have been a dark elf. Narrow yellow eyes the only feature on her face not hidden by a mask.
She attacked again, swinging her dagger, but Karrah blocked harshly with her open hand. She heard a clattering of metal as the blade flew out of the rogue’s hand and onto the marble street. While her opponent was momentarily off balance Karrah took advantage, grabbing the dark elf’s wrist and twisting to force her arm behind her back. From there however the rogue snapped her head back, hitting Karrah in the nose. She winced and her grip faltered, the assassin took her chance to wrench herself free. Shaking off the blow Karrah followed quickly after the dark elf trying to find her knife in the dark. She grabbed her by the shoulder, but the rogue turned, brushing off Karrah’s hand with a smooth sweep of her arm. The two then locked in combat, Karrah fighting to keep the rogue in her sights, and making swipes at her face, trying to pull the mask off. Attacks were blocked on both sides, neither of them making a connection in their hits.
Until Karrah attacked with a kick, and the rogue side-stepped, taking advantage of her opponent’s thrown balance by grabbing her leg and throwing her to the ground. There was a splash of mud and before Karrah could recover the rogue sent a kick past her face. The kick never touched Karrah, but a sharp pain shot across her cheek and a startling warmth from her own blood jarringly contrasting with the cold rain as her head jerked to the side from the blow. Looking up again she saw a tiny blade, red with blood, retract into the rogue’s sandal before she was kicked hard in the stomach.
“Oof!”
She fell flat on her back, suddenly finding herself gasping in an attempt to breathe; the wind had been knocked out of her. The rogue loomed over her, drawing a second knife from her belt. She knelt over Karrah, straddling the monk’s waist. Karrah felt light-headed; was it the lack of air? The rogue raised her knife, her intention clear.
“What’s going on out there?!”
The rogue suddenly jumped up as torches around the dojo started lighting, then she turned and ran, disappearing into the dark. Karrah struggled to sit up, forcing her lungs to reset themselves and breathe again. The guild crowded around the door, still in their uniform pajamas, carrying lanterns and looking for the source of all the ruckus.
“Karrah! Are you alright? What happened?”
One of the students slung Karrah’s arm around his shoulders and pulled her to her feet. The world spun as she stood, and she kept her head low to keep from getting sick.
“A-a rogue. I don’t know where she went.”
The guild scattered, searching the perimeter while Karrah was dragged back into the dojo. Her head lolled on her chest and she barely tried to walk with the boy supporting her. Her legs may as well have been unfeeling masses of lead. Her whole body was going numb as her vision blurred; she didn’t feel the warmth of the dojo as they escaped the cold rain, or the floor beneath her dragging feet, or the other body carrying her dead weight.
“Give her to me.” Master Dareth’s voice was faint and distant, barely recognizable as Master Dareth. Her hazing vision only comprehended a mass of color as she was passed to him. Her eyes rolled in her head.
“Karrah? Karrah can you hear me?” his voice was fading fast, “Someone wake the herbalist, quickly!”
She knew nothing more of that night.
Tags:
