NaNo update, blah blah blah
Nov. 7th, 2008 05:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sagesariaAlso a note that if my word count total doesn't match perfectly to what I post, it's because of a combination of two things; I update my word count at the end of the day around Midnight even if I haven't finished a chapter, and I also tend to go back and add words to previous chapters but I'm too lazy to repost them. I'll probably repost when I actually EDIT the story after November. Whenever that is.
Karrah chapter 7, chapter word count: 1589
Chapter 7
The rest of the travel that day was long and uneventful. They walked all day, and as the sun set on the plains they were happy to set up camp. Thankfully the rain stopped again, so they were able to put their bedrolls out again, though since it was cloudy still they pitched tents just in case.
Ryder built a fire again, and they all sat around it to rest their feet. Karrah, for once, sat with them, lying on her stomach on the bedroll set aside for her. Helen and Ameila sat on the other side of the fire talking, while Ryder sat next to Karrah, writing something in a little green book with worn out paper in it. Karrah watched him, resting her chin on her arms. She didn't ask what he was writing, but the question was evident on her mind, and Ryder looked up at her to answer.
"Jus' some new lyrics."
"You write songs?"
"Sho'. I wroyt a lot o' whot we perfo'm. I ain't much of a singer, but I got the bard's way with words."
Without even being prompted, he held his book out to Karrah, pointing to a page with a finished project on it. She sat up on her elbows, taking the book and reading the poem on that page. A love ballad about the summer and the trees of Kelethin. Ryder smiled as he saw her eyes soften as she read it.
"It's beautiful. I never thought you would be so good with words."
Ryder chucked, "I get that a lot. But it's alroyt, I don't take meself serious either. 'swhoy I let Ameila sing instead."
Karrah's lips twitched a little at that, almost smiling again.
"I wroyt melodies too. I'm be'er at that than singin."
He rifled through his pouch by the bedroll and fished out his recorder. Karrah settled down to listen. Ryder touched the wood instrument to his lips and began to play a soft, sweet melody, likely a love song or a lullaby. Karrah listened quietly, closing her eyes.
When she opened them again, Ryder was gone from her side, and instead of music she only heard faint mumbling. She sat up, the blanket that wasn't over her before sliding off of her chest, and looked around. The fire was lower than she remembered it, and Ryder was suddenly on the other side of the fire, talking quietly with Helen; Ameila was asleep.
He stopped his conversation and looked over at her with a smile.
"Did we wake ye?"
"...What?" she had to process the question a moment.
"Our chatterin' on. We di'n't wake ye up, did we?" he repeated the question, standing to stride over and sit at her side again. She rubbed her eyes before raising an eyebrow at him.
"I was asleep?"
Ryder blinked, then suddenly laughed lightly.
"My dear Karrah, you were out loyk a loyt befo' I even finished."
Karrah blinked, slowly lowering her gaze as she realized that she really didn't remember hearing the end of his song. She had actually fallen asleep. She couldn't believe it.
Noting her bewildered expression, Ryder tilted his head, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oy," he said, more serious, "It's alroyt...I ain't offended or nothin'."
"No..." Karrah shook her head, "It's not that..."
"Wot is it then?"
"...Nothing. Nevermind." She shrugged it off, settling back onto the bedroll. Ryder shrugged and padded back to Helen's side, leaving Karrah to her own devices.
***
Karrah sat up awake again that night. To her it was a miracle that she had fallen asleep before. Since then she was back to herself; she had only pretended to go back to sleep to keep from worrying the others. She was amazed at herself for even caring what they thought.
She put another log on the fading campfire and looked around. Helen and Ryder had gone to sleep long ago, an unusual stillness over the camp without them chattering away and playing music. She looked between the three bards, her eyes falling on Ryder last and longest.
He was stretched out on his side on the bedroll, pillowing his head on his hands. His blanket was crumpled at his feet from how much he had readjusted in his sleep. Karrah watched him breathing quietly, his face perfectly still. He even seemed to smile a little in his sleep. Slowly, she grasped the blanket in one hand, dragging it toward herself and pulling it lightly over Ryder's body to cover him again. Once he was covered she let her hand drop to her side again, watching the light of the fire dance in his hair. His auburn hair was all over his face and fanned over the bedroll.
With no one else watching Karrah suddenly didn't care that she was staring. That she was lost in thought at how handsome he was, how sweet he looked like this. Only now was she truly admitting that his charisma had its hold on her.
She hesitated, raising her hand again. It hovered over Ryder a moment before she lowered it, slowly trailing her fingers through his hair. So soft. So well kept. She ran her fingers through it and stroked it several times, finding no tangles or flaws. She couldn't get enough of it. She only pulled her hand away when he suddenly moved, sighing and shifting his weight in his sleep.
Suddenly Karrah looked up, sensing something behind her; a faint swish of the air as though something just rushed past. She stayed crouched and looked around quickly, scanning the surroundings. Someone was there, out of sight. She tense, on high alert, suspecting exactly who it was preparing to strike.
Suddenly the figure appeared from the corner of her eye, swiping a blade at her. She leaned back to just barely avoid the dagger about to slit her throat. Jumping to her feet she saw her opponent. A female rogue again. It must have been the same one from Qeynos; she recognized those eyes.
Karrah didn't waste any time tackling the rogue, who absorbed the impact and turned so she didn't fall and now held Karrah by the arms. The monk retaliated by flipping, pulling them both away from the camp; their safety was her immediate priority. Still in the rogue's grasp, she then resorted to using her feet; she hooked a leg around her attacker's in an attempt to drop her. She didn't fall but her stance faltered, loosening her grip just enough for Karrah to twist free and strike her opponent in the chest with both open hands.
The blow only knocked her back one pace, and she countered with another swing of her dagger. Karrah blocked, grabbing the attacker's arm with the same hand she was attacked with; the right. Holding tight she spun into her opponent, driving her left elbow into the rogue's stomach. She gave her no time to recover; from there she grabbed the dark elf under and around the arm, and leaning forward, flipped the rogue over herself and threw her to the ground. The rogue landed hard on her back, and Karrah did a flipping jump through the air. Straightening out, she landed by her opponent's side on one foot, her other foot landing harshly on the rogue's chest a second later, pinning her down. Her dagger gone, the rogue had to use her own hands, attempting to strike the back of Karrah's knee to bring her down. When she tried to attack Karrah's leg, the monk instead twisted her foot around to pin the rogue's arm to the ground, then flipped once again and landed on top of her, straddling her waist. Her arms trapped under Karrah's knees, she struggled as Karrah finally took the chance to slip the mask off of the dark elf's face.
At last the face of her pursuer was known. She took that chance to memorize it. A narrow face, about her age. Thin lips that curled in a sneer. Her eyes were tiny and dark, slightly sunken in her head.
"Who are you?" Karrah demanded, balling her hand into a fist, ready to beat the answer out of her opponent if need be. But the rogue didn't answer, instead pressing her feet flat into the ground and forcing her waist up hard, bucking Karrah off balance so she could roll free. Now on the ground, Karrah started to push herself to her feet, but stopped when she saw the rogue's dagger next to her. She reached for it, but then the rogue's foot came down hard on Karrah's hand. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming as she heard a crunch with the impact. While the monk was distracted from the pain, the rogue took up her dagger, smirking as it started to rain hard on the field again. Karrah struggled to pull her hand free, her only thought on the pain, and the rogue took her chance, raising her dagger.
Suddenly there was a loud "PANG!!!" sound and the rogue fell to the ground without warning. Karrah looked up, and there was Ameila with a frying pan she had just struck the rogue with.
"Thought you could use some help." she said. Karrah clutched her hand, nursing it, as she also saw Helen and Ryder awake behind Ameila.
"You alroyt?"
"Come on, let's get her into the tent."
As the group hurried back to the camp to escape the rain, they failed to notice the rogue on the ground slipping away.
Karrah chapter 7, chapter word count: 1589
Chapter 7
The rest of the travel that day was long and uneventful. They walked all day, and as the sun set on the plains they were happy to set up camp. Thankfully the rain stopped again, so they were able to put their bedrolls out again, though since it was cloudy still they pitched tents just in case.
Ryder built a fire again, and they all sat around it to rest their feet. Karrah, for once, sat with them, lying on her stomach on the bedroll set aside for her. Helen and Ameila sat on the other side of the fire talking, while Ryder sat next to Karrah, writing something in a little green book with worn out paper in it. Karrah watched him, resting her chin on her arms. She didn't ask what he was writing, but the question was evident on her mind, and Ryder looked up at her to answer.
"Jus' some new lyrics."
"You write songs?"
"Sho'. I wroyt a lot o' whot we perfo'm. I ain't much of a singer, but I got the bard's way with words."
Without even being prompted, he held his book out to Karrah, pointing to a page with a finished project on it. She sat up on her elbows, taking the book and reading the poem on that page. A love ballad about the summer and the trees of Kelethin. Ryder smiled as he saw her eyes soften as she read it.
"It's beautiful. I never thought you would be so good with words."
Ryder chucked, "I get that a lot. But it's alroyt, I don't take meself serious either. 'swhoy I let Ameila sing instead."
Karrah's lips twitched a little at that, almost smiling again.
"I wroyt melodies too. I'm be'er at that than singin."
He rifled through his pouch by the bedroll and fished out his recorder. Karrah settled down to listen. Ryder touched the wood instrument to his lips and began to play a soft, sweet melody, likely a love song or a lullaby. Karrah listened quietly, closing her eyes.
When she opened them again, Ryder was gone from her side, and instead of music she only heard faint mumbling. She sat up, the blanket that wasn't over her before sliding off of her chest, and looked around. The fire was lower than she remembered it, and Ryder was suddenly on the other side of the fire, talking quietly with Helen; Ameila was asleep.
He stopped his conversation and looked over at her with a smile.
"Did we wake ye?"
"...What?" she had to process the question a moment.
"Our chatterin' on. We di'n't wake ye up, did we?" he repeated the question, standing to stride over and sit at her side again. She rubbed her eyes before raising an eyebrow at him.
"I was asleep?"
Ryder blinked, then suddenly laughed lightly.
"My dear Karrah, you were out loyk a loyt befo' I even finished."
Karrah blinked, slowly lowering her gaze as she realized that she really didn't remember hearing the end of his song. She had actually fallen asleep. She couldn't believe it.
Noting her bewildered expression, Ryder tilted his head, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oy," he said, more serious, "It's alroyt...I ain't offended or nothin'."
"No..." Karrah shook her head, "It's not that..."
"Wot is it then?"
"...Nothing. Nevermind." She shrugged it off, settling back onto the bedroll. Ryder shrugged and padded back to Helen's side, leaving Karrah to her own devices.
***
Karrah sat up awake again that night. To her it was a miracle that she had fallen asleep before. Since then she was back to herself; she had only pretended to go back to sleep to keep from worrying the others. She was amazed at herself for even caring what they thought.
She put another log on the fading campfire and looked around. Helen and Ryder had gone to sleep long ago, an unusual stillness over the camp without them chattering away and playing music. She looked between the three bards, her eyes falling on Ryder last and longest.
He was stretched out on his side on the bedroll, pillowing his head on his hands. His blanket was crumpled at his feet from how much he had readjusted in his sleep. Karrah watched him breathing quietly, his face perfectly still. He even seemed to smile a little in his sleep. Slowly, she grasped the blanket in one hand, dragging it toward herself and pulling it lightly over Ryder's body to cover him again. Once he was covered she let her hand drop to her side again, watching the light of the fire dance in his hair. His auburn hair was all over his face and fanned over the bedroll.
With no one else watching Karrah suddenly didn't care that she was staring. That she was lost in thought at how handsome he was, how sweet he looked like this. Only now was she truly admitting that his charisma had its hold on her.
She hesitated, raising her hand again. It hovered over Ryder a moment before she lowered it, slowly trailing her fingers through his hair. So soft. So well kept. She ran her fingers through it and stroked it several times, finding no tangles or flaws. She couldn't get enough of it. She only pulled her hand away when he suddenly moved, sighing and shifting his weight in his sleep.
Suddenly Karrah looked up, sensing something behind her; a faint swish of the air as though something just rushed past. She stayed crouched and looked around quickly, scanning the surroundings. Someone was there, out of sight. She tense, on high alert, suspecting exactly who it was preparing to strike.
Suddenly the figure appeared from the corner of her eye, swiping a blade at her. She leaned back to just barely avoid the dagger about to slit her throat. Jumping to her feet she saw her opponent. A female rogue again. It must have been the same one from Qeynos; she recognized those eyes.
Karrah didn't waste any time tackling the rogue, who absorbed the impact and turned so she didn't fall and now held Karrah by the arms. The monk retaliated by flipping, pulling them both away from the camp; their safety was her immediate priority. Still in the rogue's grasp, she then resorted to using her feet; she hooked a leg around her attacker's in an attempt to drop her. She didn't fall but her stance faltered, loosening her grip just enough for Karrah to twist free and strike her opponent in the chest with both open hands.
The blow only knocked her back one pace, and she countered with another swing of her dagger. Karrah blocked, grabbing the attacker's arm with the same hand she was attacked with; the right. Holding tight she spun into her opponent, driving her left elbow into the rogue's stomach. She gave her no time to recover; from there she grabbed the dark elf under and around the arm, and leaning forward, flipped the rogue over herself and threw her to the ground. The rogue landed hard on her back, and Karrah did a flipping jump through the air. Straightening out, she landed by her opponent's side on one foot, her other foot landing harshly on the rogue's chest a second later, pinning her down. Her dagger gone, the rogue had to use her own hands, attempting to strike the back of Karrah's knee to bring her down. When she tried to attack Karrah's leg, the monk instead twisted her foot around to pin the rogue's arm to the ground, then flipped once again and landed on top of her, straddling her waist. Her arms trapped under Karrah's knees, she struggled as Karrah finally took the chance to slip the mask off of the dark elf's face.
At last the face of her pursuer was known. She took that chance to memorize it. A narrow face, about her age. Thin lips that curled in a sneer. Her eyes were tiny and dark, slightly sunken in her head.
"Who are you?" Karrah demanded, balling her hand into a fist, ready to beat the answer out of her opponent if need be. But the rogue didn't answer, instead pressing her feet flat into the ground and forcing her waist up hard, bucking Karrah off balance so she could roll free. Now on the ground, Karrah started to push herself to her feet, but stopped when she saw the rogue's dagger next to her. She reached for it, but then the rogue's foot came down hard on Karrah's hand. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming as she heard a crunch with the impact. While the monk was distracted from the pain, the rogue took up her dagger, smirking as it started to rain hard on the field again. Karrah struggled to pull her hand free, her only thought on the pain, and the rogue took her chance, raising her dagger.
Suddenly there was a loud "PANG!!!" sound and the rogue fell to the ground without warning. Karrah looked up, and there was Ameila with a frying pan she had just struck the rogue with.
"Thought you could use some help." she said. Karrah clutched her hand, nursing it, as she also saw Helen and Ryder awake behind Ameila.
"You alroyt?"
"Come on, let's get her into the tent."
As the group hurried back to the camp to escape the rain, they failed to notice the rogue on the ground slipping away.
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Date: 2008-11-08 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-08 01:49 am (UTC)