I have a plan: lets write a story together. The way this'll work is this::::

I am section one. When is it my turn I will write a bit, it could be anywhere from 500 words to 5,000. The next person will read what I wrote and proceed to write section two which may be as short or as long as that person wishes. And so on. The person on section three won't write their bit until sections one and two are written and so on. Add any twists to the plot you like, introduce new characters, kill off a few, it turns into your story for as long as you're working on your section. If you'd like to participate post a comment saying "I am Section --------" Just use the number after the last person's post. Any Qs email me. And when you are done with your section email it to me and I'll post it in this post. After we're "done" I'll edit it a little, give it a title and re-post it with each person's name above their section. Interested? Post! After I get five people or so committed to play, I'll post the first section right here. Please don't post your section in any comment. You can have more than one section but no more than one in a row.

"I'm section one!"

Section One: Sarah::

Lady Khaera kal’Seya ti’Gorunn tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for her horse to be saddled. When at last the groom led Pepper out of the stable she nearly exploded. "Finally!" she snapped, stamping her foot with all the anger she could put into the gesture. "Now help me on!" she ordered with all the hauteur the proud teenager could summon. The groom tugged his cap respectfully. "As the lady wishes." he said dully then lifted her into the side-saddle. As soon as she was settled well she slapped his steadying hands away from her waist. "Don't touch me, you filthy servant!" she yelled then yanked the reins out of his hands and jerking Pepper's head cruelly to one side she whipped his shoulders with the long rein ends. Pepper took off at a fast canter, Khaera, many as her faults were, no one could say she could not sit a horse well. Fifteen minutes later she joined a group of her peers, all mounted, all ready for a wonderful ride over her father's estate.

Six miles away in a small town a young woman stepped out of a house with a basket with a few small bottles of liquid in it in her hand. A worried-looking man who had been pacing back and forth on the road hurried to meet her. "Healer." he said respectfully. "William," she smiled. "Go inside quickly, your wife has a healthy new son to introduce to you." William’s eyes grew wide then tears shone in them. “Thank you.” he said huskily then brushed past her into the house. Fey’ara smiled and crossed the dirt yard to the road and turning left, walked hurriedly into the woods.
Fey’ara slipped through the woods as silently as an elf, as she moved through the trees a remarkable transformation came over her; her green eyes seemed to widen and tilt up slightly, her whole face seemed finer and her shoulders, which had been slightly slumped with fatigue straightened, increasing her height by at least an inch. Presently she came to a log on the ground, covered in moss, lichens and fungi. Her lips turned up in a smile as she knelt beside it. A knife appeared in her hand and she began carefully cutting specific growths off and placing them in individual squares of cloth she tied with string. She worked steadily until her basket was more than half full of the little bundles of cloth. She stood and placed her hands on the small of her back and stretched luxuriously then picked up her basket without any apparent effort then continued her trek through the woods. The sun, which had been hidden behind layers of grayish clouds began to peep through them, piercing the heavy foliage here and there, striking the forest floor with a greenish tinge. Fey’ara reached a small river not much later and removed her sandals and soaked her dirty, slightly swollen feet in the cool water. She sighed with relief and lay back on the mossy bank and closed her eyes, her face a picture of contentment.

No ten feet away a large wolf lay on the ground, head between its paws, apparently asleep although it was carefully positioned in such a way that if Fey’ara was to stir, the wolf could be gone before she could turn around and see it.

Several hours later Fey’ara was walking towards the village, basket in hand, nearly overflowing with bundled herbs as well as the cloth-wrapped fungi. Just before she became within sight of the road, the wolf leaped into the path, less than ten feet in front of her. Its eyes were glowing an unearthly yellow, its coat flecked with sweat and its sides heaved. Fey’ara’s eyes opened wide with astonishment. “Gal’drien!” she cried, “I thought I felt your presence several hours ago. What is wrong?” She who is the offspring of he who cares for the land is in danger! Gal’drien responded. “You mean Lady Khaera?” asked Fey’ara I cannot remember your human terms. Gal’drien responded shortly as he sent her a mental picture of who he meant who was, indeed, Khaera. “What is wrong?” Fey’ara asked. No time! Come! Gal’drien leaped past Fey’ara with powerful bounds, carrying him out of sight in seconds. Fey’ara picked up her skirts and ran after him at an impossible speed, catching the galloping wolf in a few moments without seeming to strain, while the wolf struggled to stay ahead of her. They ran thus for under ten minutes before the wolf slowed. Between those trees and across the meadow. Gal’drien panted, You must hurry! Fey’ara seized her skirt again and ran across the meadow. She stopped at the other side and walked briskly into the forest on the other side, scanning the underbrush around her for any sign of Khaera. She walked around a large tree and spotted the problem immediately. A steep hillside, so sheer some would call it a cliff dropped fifty feet down till it leveled off. At the bottom was ten or twelve young adults sprawled across the pine needle-carpeted ground at unnatural angles. She automatically sought out Khaera, to see where she was. The girl was lying farthest away, a limp heap of bloody silks and satins, her face covered by her hair and an outstretched arm. Two of the other youths she could see were dead, if their obviously broken necks were any indication. One was sitting up, a dazed expression on his face although he appeared unhurt. His horse’s reins were twined around his hand. One horse was dead, lying across his mistress who was dead or close to it. Three more had broken legs and were frantically fighting to stand. The rest had fled, she presumed as she picked her careful way down the hillside. She could see what happened in her mind’s eye. Khaera and her friends had been galloping recklessly across the pasture. When they reached the other side Khaera was in the lead-it was her father’s property, after all. She knew where to go and they didn’t. She did not know about the dangerous hill, all but invisible unless you were right on top of it. She had been urging her horse to greater and greater speeds when suddenly it slipped over the edge, Khaera flung over its neck like a rag doll to where she landed and had not moved. The other horses had sensed something wrong, but forced to keep up at the very least a canter they had all fallen over the edge in one muddled mess. The one boy sitting up was most likely the last one to hit the hill and therefore was going the slowest. Fey’ara reached the bottom and quickly scanned each limp form, deciding which ones were dead and which ones were not. She went to Khaera second to last, breathing a sigh of relief after touching the girl’s neck. She was alive, but barely. The conscious boy stood shakily. “They’re all dead!” he said hysterically. “They’ve all died and I’m dying too!” Fey’ara walked over to him coolly and shook his shoulders. “Snap out of it.” she commanded. He blinked twice then looked startled and angry. “How dare you lay a hand on me, peasant.” he demanded. “I am Lord Guerin and you are....are...scum.” Fey’ara slapped him across the face. “Shut up.” she ordered. “Do you know where the manor is?” The boy opened his mouth with an astonished expression on his face then closed it as he met her blazing eyes. “Yes.” he said quietly. “Good.” Fey’ara nodded. “Get on your horse and ride to the manor as fast as you can. Send all the Healers you can find-tell them Fey’ara summons them. Tell Khaera’s father to send men with litters.” Fey’ara turned away from him and began to go to Khaera. “But I’m injured.” he complained piteously. Fey’ara turned around “Where?” He held out his arm. On it was a scrape not four inches long and barely a fourth that wide. “It hurts.” Fey’ara’s jaw dropped. She clenched her fists at her sides and unclenched them a few times then stalked toward him menacingly. “Listen to me.” she said very quietly and her soft tone was a thousand times more frightening then her loud ones. “Three of your friends are dead, the other eight will be dead in under an hour if they do not receive immediate care and you are complaining about a scrape? I have gotten worse ones carrying wood. Go, my young Lord.” she spat the last word out with extreme contempt and whirled around and immediately began to brush Khaera’s hair away from her face delicately. The boy set his mouth in a grim line then mounted his skittish horse with some difficulty and set off down the valley. Fey’ara never turned around but her lips turned up in a rather satisfied sort of way. Thirty minutes later six Healers scrambled down the hill clutching bags and baskets full of unguents, potions, bandages, poultices and assorted medicines. Assistants carried more bags and baskets and one was loaded down with perfectly straight, thin sticks, the kind used for splints. Fey’ara glanced over in their direction from where she crouched over a young girl, barely more than twelve by her estimation. “All of them have been examined.” she said softly. Those three lying side by side are dead. The rest are living. Do not touch Khaera. Her condition is the worst and if she is moved even slightly without knowing exactly what to do she will die.” The Healers nodded and almost silently began slipping around to the sides of the youths. Fey’ara stood and motioned a Healer to her side and issued soft instructions on what to do next. After retrieving assorted items from the assistants she carried them to Khaera’s side and bent over the girl. By the time the menservants arrived with the litters all the injured were ready to be moved and the dead were wrapped in black cloths, Fey’ara beckoned two of the strongest menservants to her side. They came to her quickly with one of the litters. “Yes m’lady?” the taller asked respectfully. “Kneel down.” Fey’ara told them briskly. They did so immediately although their faces were questioning. Fey’ara took the litter and placed it in between them and the girl. “Hold out your hands” her tone was imperious. The two med stretched out their hands to Fey’ara who guided them to Khaera’s knees, thighs, back and neck. Fey’ara cradled Khaera’s head in her hands. “Lift slowly and place her on the litter on my word. Ready, now.” The men lifted Khaera’s limp form and gently placed her on the cloth structure. “Good.” Fey’ara wiped the sweat from her face with a rag hanging from her waist. “Now pick up the litter and we shall return to the manor, keep her from being shaken in any way as much as possible.” The men nodded and lifted it with extreme care, Fey’ara gathered her things quickly and guided the men out of the forest, eleven litters following, three of which carried black-wrapped corpses.

Section Two: Bridget
Thirteen years before Khaera is injured, before Fey’ara takes charge,something entirely different but just as important is happening. Faracross the world, in a country much like our China, two young mothers aregiving birth to babies. The first one’s labor is difficult, and it isnot certain that she will live through it. The astrologers all say thatthe child will be a girl, but in this they are deceived. At the firstsqualls of the newborn, it is obvious that it is a boy. This is the firstof many times that someone will be deceived by him. His name is Gulat-Yu,which means “one who changes”. The second mother dies before the child is born, and the healer must cuther belly to take the child out. This child is a girl, with one black eyeand one blue eye, an almost unheard of thing in this land of Latohk. Sheis quiet, with her mismatched eyes taking everything in. Her father isabsorbed in silent weeping over his dead wife. The daughter’s name isTila D’Kilaj Latak-Yu, which means “one who is wild as the wind”. Two unusual children, both born on the same day, one destined for good,one for evil. The sequence has been set in motion. 13 years later Tila D’Kilaj Latak-Yu (called Tila by her friends, for the sake of time)is slumped across her bed, crying. The hour of her wedding draws nearer bythe moment. She has never met her future husband, but the word around townis that although he comes from a wealthy family, he is cruel, conniving; hewould not hesitate to beat his wife if he was displeased with her. It is not apprehension of her new husband that worries her; she hasalready decided to run away. What troubles her is that she will be leavingher family, her friends, and the only home she has ever known. The hourgong strikes; it is time to get ready. Tila wipes away her tears, knowingshe can wait no longer, for her servants will be in soon to help herdress. She wraps a few precious belongings and some food in a piece of silk, thentosses it lightly out of her window. Fortunately her bedroom is low to theground and it is easy to climb out the window. Their gardener, Gulat Nial(meaning “flower changer”), is in the garden, and she presses her bodyagainst the wall as he passes by. She hopes he has not seen her. It seems he hasn’t, because she passes through the gardens uncaught. Thegates at the edge of the compound are guarded, but she has anticipatedthis, and heads instead for the West wall. Testing the first stone to seeif it will make a good foothold, she begins her climb. The wall is high,and she does not look down for fear she should lose her nerve. Suddenly her left foot loses its hold, and then her right. Her hands griptight, but she is clearly not a climber, and she finds herself slipping,and lands with a soft thud. There is a rustling in the bushes behind her,and Gulat Nial and one of his assistants step out of the bushes.“We’re sorry, Tila, we really are, but you understand.” Theassistant comes forward and takes her arm, in a firm but not cruel grip.Tila fights it, hitting the assistant with her bundle of belongings. She is dragged away, and taken to her room. Her servant Moni-Ta (meaning“child of the fish-people”) is waiting to dress her. She holds a gownof blue, with pale blue lines on it representing water, and small goldenfish swimming around the bottom. Above the water, there is a brilliantsunset, with an enormous sun, setting into the sea, graced with washes ofpurple, pink, and orange. Mermaids poke their heads above the water towatch. It is truly a beautiful gown, but it stands for Tila’s wedding,and must therefore be detested. Tila sits down on her bed, numb. It has happened. The unthinkable hasactually happened. She is now the wife of Gulat-Yu. Her escape plans arenow ruined, for if she caught now her husband has the right to kill her,and she has no doubt the he will. She waits now for her servants to finishpacking her things, and then she will be off to her new home. THEIR newhome. The thought of it makes her sick. Gulat-Yu is worse than she imagined. He is heavy, with oily hair and acruel smile, when he smiles at all. How can she possibly stand him? Hiseyes are small, black, and greedy, and they gleam with the delight ofdeception. She stands up in front of her mirror. The mirror is made of the finestmaterials, gold, silver, and the pale greeny-blue wood of the feli tree.She stares at herself, at the dress that played part in her ruin. Thedress is still beautiful, unblemished. The colors bring out her eyes, boththe black one and the blue one. On an impulse, she kneels down and opens the gilded box that sits to theright of her mirror. Inside is a dagger, plain, rough, and utterlyunsuited to the box it sits in. This was given to her by her friend JakaShilu-Yu (“one who fights well”) a year ago, “in the event that youever need to defend yourself”. The dagger is steel, with a wooden hilt, without decoration, except aninscription at the top just below the hilt. It says “Ora gatu jilapulaki, tuka shale, wi jat jaka huri.” (May the dagger fly straight,plunge deep, and make the fighter strong.) Tila whispers to herself, “May it plunge deep.” Lady Khaera drifts in and out of dream. Strange images dance through herhead, unbidden, unfamiliar, unusual. Two women, both in the throes oflabor, two children, one born by deception, one by death. Strange eyes,one blue and one black, with pain written in their depths. A celebration,a wedding, where not everybody celebrates. A dagger, with an inscription in some foreign language. The girl lifts itout of its box. Outside voices push into her mind. “She should notawaken yet. It is unnatural!” The girl presses it to her chest. “Shemust sleep, else she will die!” The girl closes her eyes, and…. Screams erupt in her chest and force their way up. Lady Khaera opens hereyes wide, screaming for all she is worth. What had she seen? Visions werenot common with nobility. Names come without permission and withoutmeaning. Latohk. Gulat-Yu. Tila D’Kilaj Latak-Yu. That was a long name,worthy of a noble. Things are happening far away. Fates are tied together.and hers is one of them.

Section Three: Keri T
Khaera tried to shake the images of the vision but they stayedwith her. Even as she was carried inside, even as she was laid gently downupon her bed, even as cool hands took hers as the pain, pain, pain rackedher body. Screams that were not her own tore her throat raw and she triedto struggle against the firm hands. Suddenly, one day, she woke up. Really woke and there, leaning over her was that girl. The one who showed up every year. The disgusting peasant who always smelled like dirt. Khaera didn’tunderstand why her father always saw her. Whenever she visited, Father andshe would shut themselves up in his study for hours and hours. Not lettinganyone come in. Hilda said that this peasant was a witch but Khaera knewbetter than to believe in such servant’s superstition. But whatever shewas, Khaera didn’t like her one bit.~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~Fey’ara stared down at Lady Khaera’s sweat soaked brow her wounds hadfinally healed but then as the body healed itself on the outside, itworsened on the inside. Four days after her healers had begun smilingagain Lady Khaera kal’Seya ti’Gorunn had contracted a fever. She hadbeen delirious, calling out such nonsense as Gulat-Yu, two eyes, Tila,wedding must not pass, and others things that made sense only to twopeople present. Fey'ara the healer and Lord Kroinasu tro'Gulutn ti'Gorunnwho would look at each other with worried glances full of meaning. Openyour eyes Fey'ara implored silently. She didn't like Khaera one bit. Shewas a spoiled brat who always sniffed and held the pretty little nose upas high as it would go at the sight of anyone lower than her. But, she wasLord Kroinasu's only daughter and she would learn in time the ways fittingone of her birth. Hopefully. Fey'ara and Lord Kroinasu went a long a wayback. She had been by his side when her met the love of his life, Shenarawas of the same race as Fey'ara. Their race was one of healers who lovedthe land and those on it with a passion. (Most humans did not even know ofthe existence of the Rey folk only special ones did. Such as LordKroinasu.) Fey'ara had been a special guest at the wedding of Kroinasu,when he was appointed worthy of knowledge of the Rey folk. Fey'ara stilledlaughed sometimes remembering the look on his face when King Olungoro hadtold him that he had just married one of another race. But he had lovedShenara anyway before she died and had welcomed the knowledge that the Reyhad shared with him. And now Fey'ara was letting his only child slip awayfrom him. Suddenly Khaera's eyes flew open and Fey'ara lost all thesympathy she had been feeling for the girl. “What are you doing herein my home?” she questioned the healer. “Saving you miserable life.That's what I'm doing here in your home.” “How dare you talk to methat way you brat. Get on your knees,” Only then did Fey'ara notice thatall the attendants were doing just that. “Why should I? Your fatheris a close friend of mine and I am given freedom to act as I like in hishome. Now lay your pretty little self back down until I give youpermission to even sit up.” Fey'ara pushed the sputtering Lady back ontothe bed cushions and swept out of the room. Kroinasu who had been listeningoutside looked worried. “Are you sure you weren't a little tohard on her? After all she has been through quite a lot.”“Don't be nonsensical my friend. You spoil that girl far toomuch as it is. You really should have come to live with the Rey whenShenara died giving birth to that thing in there. We would have raised hermuch better that that nurse.” “You know very well why I didn't.”“Excuses, excuses. Be done with them and ride with me today totalk to the king you haven't seen him in such a long time and he's longingto see you.” “But what about Khaera?” “She is doingmuch better and besides, she won't miss you for only a few days.”Kroinasu sighed “I'll ride with you. To tell the truth, I'llenjoy talking with the king. You just don't cut it for a stimulatingdiscussion.” Fey'ara's laughter tinkled like little bells at the jest.“Perhaps the reason for that is merely that you can't keep up with meand the king is able to dumb it down enough for you your lordship.”“Isn't being able to condense things a sign of higherintelligence?” “I don't know but that you just admitted that youwere stupid.” Fey'ara's laughter tinkled merrily once again as she leftto gather what little things she had brought with her while staying in theroom next to Khaera's chamber leaving Kroinasu searching for an adequateresponse. ~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~It was a three day ride to the center of all the trees where the Rey whowere not masquerading as humans lived in harmony with nature. The king'spalace was no more than a large cave. Make that a very large cave. As theyrode, the two friends chatted, sang, and were just quiet together. The daywas fine with twittering birds, babbling brooks and a perfectly clear sky.It was halfway through the first day of riding when Fey'ara asked “Well,do you feel it yet?” Kroinasu was silent for a bit and then said, “I, being human, am not as in tune as you are with nature Fey'ara Idon't know what you are talking about.” “All I meant was doyou feel that tight bit of yourself that is Lord Kroinasu tro'Gulutnti'Gorunn who has to oversee this and protect that unwinding and becomingmore Kroinasu who is he who cares for the land. I mean, my friend, do youfeel less stressful and more relaxed?” Kroinasu looked confused“Oh. I suppose so.” Abruptly, the twittering birds stoppedtwittering, the babbling brooks seemed to halt, and as the two looked up,clouds rolled and covered the sky. “This isn't-” Lightning flashedand thunder drowned the word “natural” as it came from Fey'ara'smouth. She looked at the sky again. Lighting began striking all aroundthem. The horses panicked and took off. It seemed that the lighting wasbeing aimed at them. Forks of it burned the path in front and behind thegalloping mounts as the riders desperately tried to take control. Rainbegan to pour down in sheets. Fey'ara saw Kroinasu yell at his horse infrustration but didn't hear him. The thunder was deafening and rolled outseconds after each flash. Finally a fork hit its mark and right on eachhorses head. They tumbled to the ground and Fey'ara lostconscientiousness.

Section Four: Tori::

Gulat-Yu kicked his chair. Gentleman, gentleman, gentleman. He kicked thechair again. Dumb chair. It never moved. It sat there, enduring thetorments of Degra Jet Tu’Kimil, Gulat-Yu’s father. Gulat-Yu refused tobe gentlemanly like his dim-witted father. He hated living in the housethat reminded him everyday of his dead siblings. Tukla, Krit’su,Fey’ara. Both Tukla and Krit’su had died when they were born.Fey’ara, Gulat-Yu’s oldest sister, had gone missing. She had neverreturned. The search for her had been worldwide. She had been born withpeculiar powers. The people called her a Rey. Whatever that was. Gulat-Yu sighed. He had never wanted them to die. True, everything hadbeen Fey’ara this and Fey’ara that, but Gulat-Yu did love her. She washis sister. Gulat-Yu hated thinking about them. Felling bitter, he stalkedout of the house and went to meet his new bride. Tila D’Kilaj Latak-Yu dried her eyes. Crying would not help. She tookthe knife and tucked it into her belt. She walked to where the picture ofKhaera, her twin sister, hung. Khaera was taken away long ago. She wasneeded. There was a knock at the door. It would be Gulat-Yu. Tila did notwant to be his bride. However, she had accepted the covenant. Why, oh why.Because she was desperate. Tila slipped down the stairs and met Gulat-Yu.He was worse than the last time she’d seen him. His clothes, face, andexpression were all ugly. “Tila D’ Kilaj Latak-Yu.”“Gulat-Yu.”Tila’s two mismatched eyes stared hard at Gulat-Yu’s beady ones. Sherefused to lower her gaze. Gulat-Yu held out his arm and reluctantly Tilaput hers into it.“Here we go,” She thought to herself. “The start of a new and veryunpleasant life.” Gulat-Yu looked into his bride-to-be’s cold stare and led her toward thehouse of his father. There Degra Jet Tu’Kimil sat on the floor in thesmall room off the living room next to Samrul’Yet, Tila’s father.Everything from his mismatched boots to his short name told Gulat-Yu hewas poor. Tila’s name was false; she would never be as rich as itproclaimed. True, she was coming to live with the wealthiest family inSakrut De’ Krim, meaning simple place, the tiny village where Gulat-Yuhad grown up. When the couple-to-be was settled, Degra and Samrul startedthe ceremony, talking in low voices, chanting unknown words. Tila caughtthe last of them, Tru medik saraakitsu jusuijet, meaning they will livetogether forever. After this, Degra and Samrul each took the hand of theiroffspring and slowly joined them together until Tila was holding hands withGulat-Yu. Gulat-Yu shuddered. This was all. It was final. He was married. “No.”“Tila D’ Kilaj Latak-Yu, as your husband, I am ordering you to comeout of there.” Gulat-Yu snapped. Tila had no choice. Slowly she rosefrom the chair in which she had been seated and opened the door to theparlor. All Gulat-Yu had done since she had married him three weeks agowas order her around.“Yes, Gulat-Yu?”“A child has come.”Tila, caught off guard, nearly fell over.“You mean…”“There is a child in our house. The maids brought it in. It is waitingfor you in the kitchen.”Tila noticed that he had already begun to refer to the child as ‘it.’He didn't care about him, or her, whichever the poor thing was. She got upquickly and entered the kitchen. Immediately she caught up the child inloving arms. Nestled in her arms, the child began to coo and shortly fellasleep. It was evidently a girl, barely six months old. “Rhea Tu’Kierna Sajik,” Tila whispered. “Child of endless dreams.” Tila satwith Rhea curled beside her for several minutes before Gulat-Yu burst into where Tila was sitting.“Well?” he asked. “What are you going to do with it?”“‘It’ is a girl, and she’s staying here. Her name is Rhea Tu’Kierna Sajik.”“No. I will not permit such a foolish name in my household. Endlessdreams get a person nowhere. Her name will be Siiriak De’Furkiit,fiercest hunter.”Tila stood up. “She is mine. She will always be regarded as mine. I havethe ability to name her whatever I wish. Her name is Rhea Tu’ KiernaSajik, and that’s that.” From nowhere Gulat-Yu pulled out a clumsy yetsharp dagger. “Siiriak De’Furkiit, or you both will be struck down. I have made mydecision. Leave or you will feel my wrath.” “I will never feel your wrath again!” Tila screeched and ran out ofthe house. She ran until she came to the edge of town and stopped. Rheahad started crying. Tila desperately tried to calm the baby. She walkedslowly until they had reached a clump of trees. The moon was shiningbright in the sky. “Rhea, Rhea, my Rhea Tu’ Kierna Sajik, dream forever. Dream on and onand let no one interrupt you. Most of all, let your best dreams cometrue.” Gulat-Yu paced around his household in a towering temper. Why had sheleft? All he had done was act fatherly toward the child. So what if hewanted it to be a fierce hunter? It needed a name, after all. And, ofcourse, endless dreams got you nowhere. He knew that from spending nightafter night, hour after hour, wishing for Fey’ara and Tukla andKrit’su to come back to him. He knew that it would only grow up with itshead in the clouds, stuffed with dreams and dream-powers. People would callit a Trijiak Y’Kreito, a dream-watcher. Dream-watchers were able topredict things and receive visions. The people of Sakrut De’ Krim wouldfear it. It. Was it a girl or a boy? Or was it a Rey, like Fey’ara? Or aTarikituit, a dancer? Gulat-Yu hadn’t asked. Or had Tila told him?Thinking about it gave him a headache. Besides, they were gone. If Tilaever came back, Gulat-Yu had the right to kill her as a traitor. Suddenlyhe felt drowsy and went up to his bedroom to sleep. Yet he tossed andturned for hours. Tila…Rhea…Siiriak… Trijiak…Rey…Tarikituit …Tila…Rhea… Tila woke up yet again to the early rays of morning. It was the third timethat night she’d woken up. Rhea, next to her, had just blinked her eyesopen also. She looked at Tila with fierce green eyes, nothing likeTila’s black and blue ones. Tila gasped. The child’s blonde hair,green eyes, and fierce gaze could mean one thing: she was Tarikituit. Rheawas a noble dancer of other lands. That meant she came from the same place that Tila’s long-lost twin sister was; China. And she had to bereturned. There was no telling what the China people would do to Tila ifthey found she had taken in a Tarikituit, one of only two born everyhundred years. One was a girl, and the other a boy. They must leave forChina immediately. Tila had no other choice. She picked Rhea up and tookthe first step toward what was going to be the longest, most exciting,most dangerous trip of their lives. Tila’s anyway.

Section Five: Old Fashioned Girl::

The wind howled around the corners of the darkened house; vines swung fromthe hanging plants on the raised terrace. The grove of bamboo growing nearthe corner of the tiered building rustled and swayed in the breeze. Faroverhead the darkened storm clouds billowed around the yellow moon. Theentire night was silent, but it was not a peaceful silence. It was thetype of silence that falls over a battlefield just before the generalyells “Charge!” or at the beginning of an important race when everyoneholds their breath, waiting for the moment when everything will fall intoplace. The moon peaked out from behind the cloud again; a beam of bluelight traveled over the house once more. It seemed to pause for a momenton the rustling bamboo that was swaying back and forth. Oddly enough, thebreeze that had been blowing through the surrounding trees just a momentbefore had stopped yet the bamboo was still moving.A figure parted the stalks and peered out into the darkened courtyard, shepulled back into the shadow sharply when a dog barked sharply in thedistance. The moon broke through the clouds, sending ray of light downonto her searching face. Two wide eyes stared into the night; one a clearblue and the other a startlingly dark black.Tila D’Kilaj Latak-Yu darted out of the thicket toward the shadows nearthe door of the house. The ragged bundle that she clutched to her chestlet out a thin cry that sounded like a clap of thunder in the still air.She pulled into the shadows and began breathing soft words into thebaby’s ear, “Hickla’ de la hantha-letion-ta” over and over sherepeated the words into the squirming infant’s ear. When the child wasfinally calm, Tila began creeping through the front door.She had decided to take the child to the land were she would be safe. Safefrom Tila’s oppressive husband--Gulat-Yu, the man who had ruined her lifeforever. She had considered ending it all on the very night they had beenmarried, but something had stopped her. Even as she had held the sharpeneddagger against her body, she almost felt as if something was dragging itaway. Of course, Someone higher knew that this child would be needing herin the future. She crept over the thick carpets of the house until she wasright out side the door of the chamber that she had slept in only nightsbefore. The ragged, gruesome sound of her husband’s breathing came formits dark interior. Tila was determined that even if she was to flee fromthis man and give him the satisfaction of being rid of her forever, shewould take from him his most precious belonging. Clutching the baby to hershe began edging into the room, staying neat the wall so as to avoid thecreaking floorboards. Around the corner; two more steps; the babysquirmed; she paused, willing it to be silent; the man in the bed gruntedand rolled over; she held her breath; the snoring resumed; she took onemore step forward; her free hand slid over the surface of a polishedtrunk. It was unlocked, she was certain of that, and she began to lift theheavy lid. A small squeak came from her precious bundle and she paused inher lifting. Beads of sweat clung to her face and her arms were shakinglike twigs in the wind. Further up the lid until finally it was open. Shereached her hand in and sighed silently as it closed around a soft,flannel package. She began to draw it out but then she realized somethingwas wrong; the snoring had stopped and the room was completely silent. Sheturned and there towering over her was Gulat-Yu. His ugly face twisted intoa snarl and he raised a shining dagger into the air as he shouted,“You will never be able to escape the long arm of Gulat-Yu, TilaD’Kilaj Latak-Yu. Neither you, nor your miserable foundling!” and hestated to bring the weapon down upon them just as a giant bolt oflightning streaked across the sky. Tila screamed and dodged the flailingweapon; backing up until she felt the wall between her shoulder blades. Hestill came slashing with the knife; she clutched the baby and scream oncemore with what she was sure would be her last breath on earth. Suddenly agrey shape leaped across the room onto Gulat-Yu and the knife fell to thefloor with a clatter.