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glacial_queenInvitations had gone out, letting people know that Karla was planning to take a trip back to Kaeleer. Nothing special, just a short day-long trip, complete with picnic.
Of course, that was nothing special if you didn't know about the kind of picnic Mrs. Beale was capable of putting together with a bit of notice. Or if you weren't impressed with visiting unicorns all day. Whichever.
The portal opened up at the Hall, where the staff was packing up a single Coach with all of the supplies a group that size might need: sweetfeed, sugar cubes, apples, carrots--and provender for the picnickers, too. Guests would find themselves ushered into other Coaches; large wheeled conveyances that were powered by Craft and could be drawn by horses on roads or powered by Craft to travel over the Winds. Karla, Jaenelle, and Lucivar were not there to greet the Fandom folks; the latter two had gone ahead to ready everything on Sceval's end, and the former had vanished that morning, offering apologies and deliberately vague explanations of an errand that needed running.
Not that anyone at the Hall was going to let her absence slow down their timetable any. As soon as the last person was seated and comfortable and the last basket stowed, the Coaches took off, catching the nearby Opal Wind to speed them along.
The ride was on the longish side, lasting about an hour--apologies had been made, but Sceval was a closed Territory and portals were not permitted--but soon enough they were touching down again. This time, there was no extended hike through the woods, the Coaches landed in a large open meadow, next to a cheerful brook. Large blankets were already laid out, and the coachmen clambered down to open the doors and then begin unpacking the mountains of food they'd brought.
There were two people waiting for everyone when they climbed out. One was Karla, the other was a solemn dark-haired girl who looked about eight or nine. She gave the assembled group a tremulous smile and clutched Karla's hand tightly. Karla gave her a fond smile before looking up at her assembled friends.
"Welcome to Sceval," she said, waving with her free hand. "Lucivar and Jaenelle are already out visiting the herd, which you're welcome to do. There's food to eat if you're hungry and plenty of places to explore if you get restless. I didn't, uhh, plan any activities, so hopefully there's enough here to keep you entertained!"
[NFB for off-islandness]
Of course, that was nothing special if you didn't know about the kind of picnic Mrs. Beale was capable of putting together with a bit of notice. Or if you weren't impressed with visiting unicorns all day. Whichever.
The portal opened up at the Hall, where the staff was packing up a single Coach with all of the supplies a group that size might need: sweetfeed, sugar cubes, apples, carrots--and provender for the picnickers, too. Guests would find themselves ushered into other Coaches; large wheeled conveyances that were powered by Craft and could be drawn by horses on roads or powered by Craft to travel over the Winds. Karla, Jaenelle, and Lucivar were not there to greet the Fandom folks; the latter two had gone ahead to ready everything on Sceval's end, and the former had vanished that morning, offering apologies and deliberately vague explanations of an errand that needed running.
Not that anyone at the Hall was going to let her absence slow down their timetable any. As soon as the last person was seated and comfortable and the last basket stowed, the Coaches took off, catching the nearby Opal Wind to speed them along.
The ride was on the longish side, lasting about an hour--apologies had been made, but Sceval was a closed Territory and portals were not permitted--but soon enough they were touching down again. This time, there was no extended hike through the woods, the Coaches landed in a large open meadow, next to a cheerful brook. Large blankets were already laid out, and the coachmen clambered down to open the doors and then begin unpacking the mountains of food they'd brought.
There were two people waiting for everyone when they climbed out. One was Karla, the other was a solemn dark-haired girl who looked about eight or nine. She gave the assembled group a tremulous smile and clutched Karla's hand tightly. Karla gave her a fond smile before looking up at her assembled friends.
"Welcome to Sceval," she said, waving with her free hand. "Lucivar and Jaenelle are already out visiting the herd, which you're welcome to do. There's food to eat if you're hungry and plenty of places to explore if you get restless. I didn't, uhh, plan any activities, so hopefully there's enough here to keep you entertained!"
[NFB for off-islandness]
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Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-11 11:04 pm (UTC)But how much did she really want to know about it? There were disturbing blank spots in her memory that extended even before that; whole months that were gone without a trace. Did she want to know what her mind had buried for so long?
Something poisonous, no doubt. A pretty poison, with no cure.
And where had that thought come from?
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-12 08:24 am (UTC)He took in a deep breath. Had Karla said something about it to him at the time, or had he just made a leap on his own? Sometimes he wished he had Ben's eidetic memory.
"Terrible things," he said finally. "Maybe the dream is your mind's way of telling you you've become strong enough to face them."
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-18 12:05 pm (UTC)She gave him a self-conscious smile. "Probably the last thing I should ask any of Karla's friends. You're always right in the thick of things, whenever she tells us of the happenings on the island. No matter what, you're all standing there, with her. Perhaps I should go to this island for awhile, too."
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-18 12:27 pm (UTC)Then he glanced into the crowd, briefly seeking out the familiar shock of blonde hair and too-much energy that was Karla. "I've never been asked to be brave," he said. "Just to be perfect. And that's a different game entirely."
He glanced back to Jaenelle.
"The island is no miracle cure, no perfect haven, no magical lesson," he said. "That's just what some of us like to believe it is."
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 09:46 am (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 09:49 am (UTC)*I have a sudden and pressing need to drink some water or use the bushes or some such thing,* he sent, psychic thread humming with wry amusement. *Farewell for now, Lord Ender. I look forward to speaking with you another time.*
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 09:55 am (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 10:04 am (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 10:11 am (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 10:19 am (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 10:24 am (UTC)Like Agio.
"The more power you have, the less imperfect you're allowed to become," he added. "We both know that's true."
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 10:49 am (UTC)Within the Abyss.
"But why would that affect the landens?"
Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-19 12:31 pm (UTC)Re: Visit with the Unicorns
Date: 2012-02-28 08:57 am (UTC)They were to be protected and cared for, not seen as easy pickings in a battle.
Somehow that hadn't seemed like much of a shield to the people of Agio.
"I hope that the change I feel coming will be accomplished without spilled blood. But I don't think that's likely. Not anymore, I don't."
Once she might have hoped otherwise...