PlaneShift

Fan Area => Roleplaying (Communitive Storywriting) => Topic started by: Mathy Stockington on February 03, 2008, 08:06:18 pm

Title: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 03, 2008, 08:06:18 pm: The Invisible Foe

Part One

Finding Leama

As I sit and think about the events of this past summer I get very teary eyed. There were some great times, but mostly it was a very sad summer for me. I will explain:

You see I come from far away. Leama is my sister, as you know. Did you know she ran away from home? You did not? Isn't she gutsy, right? Well Leama had some strange ideas that there should be love when you marry and there is no rush looking for the right person. As a matter of fact Leama wanted to make friends with as many people as she could. I think I know why, she loved to talk. If you ever have trouble sleeping, just let Leama talk you to sleep. It works for me, I am her sister, Mathy, and I would know. Actually I am just eighteen months older then Leama and I love her dearly.

So let me tell you how this all started. One day Mother came to me, I live on a nearby farm with my husband that Father choose for me. There is no love between my husband and myself, but it is a good life. He is kind to all our neighbors. As for me, he really does not talk to me unless he wants me to do a special chore for him. I cook, clean and take care of our small house and farm while he is out in town taking care of business. One day Mother came to me and told me that Father wished to see Leama. I told Mother that I did not want to bring Leama home. She wanted a different kind of life then we had and I respected her for that. So Mother left to tell Father what I said. Oh, I forgot to mention something, after Leama found happiness in Hydlaa, she sent me a letter telling me where she was. I never told anyone about the letter, but Mother always thought I knew where Leama went and she was right. The next day something happened that shocked me. My husband told me, not asked me, that I had to bring Leama home. He wanted me packed and ready to leave to get her first thing in the morning. I thought if I defied him, he would hit me of which he would have every right to do because I was his wife, his possession as it were.

Feeling that I was about to ruin my sister's life I headed out to Hydlaa to tell Leama Father and Mother wished to see her. It was a very long trip, but gratefully uneventful. Then I arrived in Hydlaa and as soon as I got there I knew why Leama wanted to stay here. Our home is different from here. At home hardly anyone talked mostly we worked hard on our farms all day. The wives spent the evenings cooking and cleaning all night. It was not an easy life, but not a bad one considering it put a roof over my head and food in my stomach. Hydlaa was different. Maybe it was the people walking all around talking as they worked or it was the sky, the bluest sky I had ever seen, or maybe it was just a feeling that this was a happy place to be. There was no question that this was different then our home town. Certainly there was a feeling that the people here were happy to be here. As soon as I arrived, I felt something that I never felt before, these people cared about each other.

It was easy to find Leama surrounded by people I knew she called 'friend' telling a story of how she left her home to find friends and love because she did not want to be like her sisters who were married off to complete strangers that had no love for them. My sister Leama looked so happy standing there in front so many people telling them her story. It broke my heart to take her from all she ever wanted. I knew I had no choice but to do as I was told or my husband might hurt me. I also knew Father and Mother would be very upset with me for not doing as I was told. So there I stood waiting for Leama to finish her story and see me standing there. Once she did, she let out a big scream and ran towards me and nearly knocked me over with the biggest hug I had ever gotten.

Leama introduced me to all her friends. Being that I have never had to learn names because I had no friends at home, it was hard for me. So I smiled at everyone and was polite greeting so many people it was overwhelming for me. After a lot talking, of which Leama is good at, she finally said good night to her friends and took my hand to show me were we were to sleep. We went up a small hill and she told me she slept under stars right there. It was dark but the stars seemed to keep us company as they twinkled in the night sky. It was so peaceful again my heart was heavy for what I was about to do.

As tired as I was I knew I would not get much sleep that night. Leama wanted to talk. First she told me about how nice everyone was to her. How there were so many races of people here and most got along very well. If there was ever a problem someone always looked out for her being she was so small, even small for a dwarf. Of course she told me of all the handsome dwarfs that lived here and how she hoped one day to meet a special one and marry him because she loved him and he loved her.

As the sky darken I still felt peaceful until Leama told me something that I never expected. She told me she had met someone who scared her. She thought that he left town, but found out that he was still around. Leama looked terrified, the moonlight making her look even more pale and fragile. I just had to hug her. She was genuinely frightened. This made me worry even more about what I had to tell her. When I sent Leama back home someone might be out there that could hurt her. It was bad enough to take Leama from her dreams of friends and having a lover, but to put her life in real danger, I was beside myself. Finally we went to sleep under the brightly glowing stars with the quarter moon shedding its light on us. I felt peaceful and yet very concerned for my dear sister that had no idea why I was even there because she never let me say one word, of which typical of her.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Donari Tyndale on February 03, 2008, 08:07:32 pm: Nice start, Mathy. I am looking for more :)
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Suno_Regin on February 03, 2008, 08:16:20 pm: Very nice, good job. :)

One thing you might wanna change, though - you have too many spaces inbetween paragraphs; two suffice. Other than that, I'm surprised.

Is this your first story? :D
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 03, 2008, 08:35:27 pm: Suno

This is my first attempt at writing, yes.

Thank you for the feedback.

Mathy
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on February 04, 2008, 01:00:07 am: Oh Mathy this is so good!!!!! :D

One thing, if this is in Yliakum..i dont think there are any stars, seeing as we are all in a large stalagtite/mite whatever its called ;)

Besides that, i loved it and I look forward to more \\o//
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Aerianna Kzin on February 04, 2008, 03:06:31 am: Very nice, was fun to read, hope there will be more to come as it it's called part one :)

and you can just say the crystal shining down on them..I've made that stars mistake in game as well.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 06, 2008, 05:20:47 pm: Part Two

Leama's Fear

The next day we picked apples from the tree to break our fast. The day was sunny and warm with a feeling of good things to come here. I never felt that before. Instead of thinking about all my chores, I looked forward to the day. Leama looked at me and suddenly had a sad smile on her face. She said that she knew it was time to go home. I told her that Mother and Father missed her and wanted to see her again. Leama looked at me and knew I was lying, but never said a word. After breakfast she took me for a walk. We saw people working at the furnaces and she took me to the mines where people worked and talked. All the time as we went place to place, people greeted us. I was amazed about how different it was here then at home. Everything about being here was so different from home. The grass greener, the sky bluer, the air sweeter, the complete atmosphere of this place made me feel like I was welcomed. At home all people walked with their heads down and never said a word to anyone passing by. It was a nicer a day as I was expecting. I never expected to like it here.

Then suddenly Leama stopped and she turned white as a ghost. I asked her what was wrong and she told me not to worry. All the way back to our place where we slept she kept looking around scared that someone was there she could not see. There was fear all over her face. I took her hand as we walked slowly back to where she felt safe. Yet Leama still did not seem to feel safe even when we returned her place under the dark sky to rest. I held her until she finally stopped shaking and she went to sleep. This was not the day to tell her she had to leave soon to go home and her whole life was about to change. It seemed whatever, or whomever, bothered Leama so much did not want me to take her away from her new home and did not want me to mention anything to her yet.

The next day Leama explained that she had a terrible feeling when the man she was afraid of seemed to be around. She tried to explain how she knew he was there even though she could not see him, but I really could not understand it. I listened her tell me he was not there all the time, but when he was she knew it. It was like a strong gust of wind reminding her of his presence and to watch out for herself. Leama looked terrified and I was worried again about sending her back home but soon I would have to tell her that it was time to leave.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on February 06, 2008, 07:43:23 pm: wonderful story - keep it coming, I am looking forward to the next bit now.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 08, 2008, 07:52:36 pm: THE INVISIBLE FOE

Part Three

The Explanation

The next day Leama was very quiet of which was very unusual for her. She seemed oblivious of the beautiful day that lie in store for us and all the people of Hydlaa, instead she seemed to have a lot on her mind. There was not much to do; most of her friends were working. We decided to spend the day together because she could easily take a day off from work. I thought to myself, I wished I could do that back at home. So she sat on her little hill looking down at the furnaces and the people working at them in Hydlaa. The Azure Sun was a bright yellow ball in the sky warming everyone as they did their chores. It was a rather pleasant day with a slight breeze. This was so unlike at home where I never had time to notice the weather. A sudden sadness came over Leama that I had never seen before. Even at home she was always happy, seeing the best in every situation. She turned to look at me, smiled and said something in a small voice that I did not hear. Finally, loud enough she asked me when she had to leave her new home. I told her in a couple days so she could say good-bye to her friends. Slowly she nodded her head, smiled at me again and continued to look down at the people working. We just sat there, saying nothing for a long time. Then suddenly Leama told me she was scared. I took her hand in mine, feeling her soft skin next to my rough skin. Then she started to cry. My heart again was broken. I hugged her close as we sat side by side. Once she stopped crying, she told me she would explain it to me.

One day she was standing up here on this hill and a man came up here to stand next to her. He was not a dwarf therefore stood much taller then she. He was handsome but in a way unlike anyone she had ever met. He supported a beard and mustache of dark brown hair and had sky blue eyes. It was almost like he had powers that could she could not explain. Leama said she heard of magic that was used to heal people and to keep some people safe. She had the feeling if he had magic in him; it was unlike any that the people she knew possessed. This man was different, she had a feeling he would change her life forever. It scared her and intrigued her all at once. He looked at her and asked her if she knew the story of this hill and she could only stare at in total awe and shake her head no, unable to speak that simple word. Everything about him was so astonishing. So he told her a tale that was long forgotten because all she could do was look into his eyes and stare at him. Leama told me that she wished she could get closer to him and touch him, but she knew not to do that. There was an attraction to this man, it was a different feeling then she ever had before. He seemed to understand her without even saying a word to him. After he told her his story he bowed and said, "We shall see each other again" and left. When he left it seemed he took a part of her with him. It scared her to think of it. So she stayed there for a long while before taking a walk around. A strange feeling that something was different and would always be stayed with her all that day. Leama wondered if she would see him again, she wondered if she wanted to. Many days went by and this strange sensation would not go away. It was like he took something that belonged to her and she could not have it back or maybe he gave her something, she did not know. Leama did not know his name or where to find him, for she looked everywhere for him. Something inside her told her not to tell anyone about him and never mention it. I was the only one who knew.

After she told me her story we walked to the mine because she wanted to get some work done before she left for her journey. Suddenly while she was there at the mine with her friends digging for gold, he was there again. No he was not there, it was more like she sensed him, just his presence. Suddenly she went down to the ground feeling very faint. People just stared at her because she would not move. Slowly Leama rose dizzily and we walked back to where she slept on the top of the hill. That is how it all started she told me with a small whisper voice filled with fear, she also told me that no one knew about this and asked me not to tell, so I promised I would never say a word to anyone she knew about this strange happening.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on February 08, 2008, 08:17:06 pm: Great!!! \\o//

Cant wait for more :D
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 10, 2008, 05:53:35 pm: THE INVISIBLE FOE

Part Four

Strange Occurrence

I had been here for three days now. Never had I seen a more wonderful place. The people treated me like family just as they did Leama. I watched Leama as she worked hard to dig her gold as I sat under the magnificent blue sky and just give the gold to the person next to her. Possessions never meant anything to her. Once a handsome dwarf gave her some fish and ale for the gold she had dug and given to him.

This day she stopped half way through her work day to cook the fish and eat. So we sat and ate as she told me this was a real treat because she mostly ate the apples from the trees in the plaza. Then suddenly a shadow covered Leama, like someone was standing over her, but no one was there, and there were no clouds in the sky and she looked very frightened. I looked up above her and saw nothing to make this happen. It was a very odd occurrence with no explanation that I could see, just the darkness over only Leama, no one else. Then I looked at my sister, who at one moment was happy to be eating a special meal now looked very ill, pale and she held her stomach like it pained her. Leama looked like the life had been drained out of her, like someone or something took her soul from her. She gave the rest of her food to someone else who was happy to eat the treat. Leama smiled at me with her frightened eyes and said it was time to go back to work.

That night we talked for a short while, Leama still looked slightly pale. I told her the reason for my coming to see her here. I told her that Mother said she had to return home to talk with Father. I even told her how my husband demanded me to come and get her and how I feared reprisal if I did not get her to go home. She looked at me and nodded and we went to sleep. This night there was not the peaceful feeling that I had experienced during the last two nights.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Suno_Regin on February 10, 2008, 06:52:03 pm: Love the descriptiveness. \\o//
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Velh Krome on February 11, 2008, 02:17:27 am: Your story explains Leama's constant fears quite nicely! Looking forward on the next parts to come!
Besides its content I really like that narrating, first person style of it!
Keep it coming!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 12, 2008, 08:15:44 pm: Part Five

The Party

The next day Leama woke with a smile. She seemed her old self and we went down to the lake to freshen up for the day after we ate our apple for breakfast. Leama told me she only ate one apple at a time so there would be plenty for everyone that wanted one. She always impressed me at how she thought of others before she thought of herself.

We walked around and this time she showed me the library with all its interesting books in it and she showed me the entrance to the sewers so I would be careful not to fall down there. Once she had been down there and told me of the very large and dangerous one eyed rats that lived there, not to mention the smell, she said with a smile as she winked her eye at me. She showed me the statue called Laanx, one of the gods of Hydlaa surrounded by its pretty water fountain. Looking up I could see red temple of Laanx also.

Then she stopped walking and turned to face me. Looking at me, she told me she wanted to say good-bye to her friends before she left. I mentioned a party or a gathering. This made her smile so I put up a note telling anyone who wished to come; Leama was having a party that night.

Before the party we washed up and made sure our clothes were clean. We did not talk much. I could tell she was hoping that all her friends would come to say good-bye to her. Many of her friends worked very hard and might not be able to come. We slowly walked down the hill and to my surprise the people there were in great numbers. Everyone greeted Leama as she entered the group. There was food and ale for everyone. One person said they never would miss a party and especially if it was for her friend Leama and she would certainly be there.

Then she turned to stand in front of the group of all friends. The sky was just turning a bright red as the Azure sun set making Leama look angelic. With a smile and very sad eyes she told everyone that she had to go back home, her parents missed her. All at once there was silence. One by one each person went to Leama and hugged her telling her how they would miss her. They all wanted to know if she would return and when. Some gave her things she might need for a long journey like this. There was advice given so she could stay safe. By the time the night was over, Leama had a big sack full of food, water, ale, and daggers. There was more then just all the things her friends gave her, there was so much love for my little sister it made me want to cry at the thought that I was taking her from a life and people she obviously loved with all her whole heart. That night I was sure she would sleep well with all the food she had eaten and ale she drank.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: eldoth_terevan on February 13, 2008, 05:02:26 pm: Thats good writing, not even taking into account the Planeshift aspects to it, which are woven in nicely.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 14, 2008, 07:36:49 pm: Part Six

A Bad Dream

As we looked up at the dark night sky I turned to Leama, hugged her and told her I was sorry for taking her away from her new life. She told me that she understood. Then we went to sleep close to each other so I could feel her small warm body and watch her as her breath even out as she slept. Then Leama started to move a bit. I woke, looked at her and realized she must be dreaming. With a happy feeling I went back to sleep myself. Dreams can be filled with such happy thoughts, but not always.

Leama dreamed of being in a field with flowers everywhere. It was a beautiful place; the day was warm and full of peace. Then it all changed. Suddenly the man she feared was standing in front of her and he smiled his amazing smile that made her heart stop. She asked him what he wanted and why he had such an affect on her. He stood there, smiled and said he would have an earth shattering affect on her and she would never ever understand it until the time was right. All he told her was the he was in her life for a reason and it was for her to find out why. Then he gently took her in his arms, held her a very short moment, smiled at her and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

Leama sat up fast and woke me up also. She was pale and sweating. Something had bothered her greatly; I would never know what it was and I knew it.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 16, 2008, 08:31:46 pm: Part Seven

The Final Day in Hydlaa

As we routinely did, we rose in the early light of the day, ate our apples and washed. This day would be different though, it was Leama's last day here in Hydlaa. Neither one of us knew if she would return. I thought that she would not and Leama hoped she would. Talking to Father was not easy, he expected things done his way and would have no one object to his demands. The truth was I did not know why he wanted her to return home. There was talk that a young female dwarf had died in our home town, though no one knew why, and her husband needed a new wife to tend to him and his farm. All of the young lady dwarfs were now married in our town so it made sense that Leama was needed to return home.

I had thought of something during the night. I wanted to stay here to experience this life for a short while longer. I knew I would never have my freedom again, so I wanted to stay. Being here was like living out a fantasy and I wanted it a little longer. Very quietly I mentioned this to Leama. To my surprise she told me this is a magical place and I should stay as long as I wanted. So I wrote a short note to my husband telling him to expect me later because I wanted to stay here longer then I thought. This is a beautiful place after all. Leama told me she would gladly deliver it to him and hoped that he would understand.

So we walked around greeting people as they went to work and did their daily chores. People from the party greeted Leama and told her to be safe. Some gave her more advice like remembering to stay on the main road while she walked home. Everyone had a big smile for Leama. It was good because she would always remember this day and I wanted it to be a happy memory.

Everyone thought we were both going back together though and many people wished me a safe trip back also. This made me think again that I should travel home with Leama. As we sat on a stone bench, her feet not touching the ground because she was so small, Leama said that she wanted me to stay here if I wanted to and not to worry about her. Then she said it might be for the best for her to get away from that man she was so afraid of. One thing Leama felt pretty certain of was that her foe would not leave his home just to torment her. Maybe she had to leave she thought silently.

The day went by fast. So many people invited her to dinner at the Kada El tavern that she decided to go. That evening she told me it was a wonderful place to gather with friends to eat, drink and talk. So as we strolled there she told me that there were a great many steps to go up to the tavern. Leama remembered I had a fear of heights. She did not want to tell me earlier so I would not worry. So we walked to the steps and stopped so I could look at them. I asked Leama to hold my hand so we could slowly walk up the steps. Suddenly a large blue stone Kran came up to us, carefully picked me up and carried me up the stairs. He gently put me down so I would be safe and told me that I could not miss a special dinner for Leama because of a few steps. I had to look way up at him, almost making me dizzy due to his great height, shocked yet grateful and then I looked down all those steps that I would have taken very slowly due to my fear. He told me he would carry me down when we were ready to leave. You have no idea how grateful I was to know someone was looking out for me. This was a new experience for me. Now I truly understood why Leama loved it here.

When I walked to the door into the tavern, I just stood there. Never had I seen a place like this before. It seemed to be a place where men might gather after a hard day at work to eat and drink. It was dark yet inviting somehow. A lady should not be there I thought until I looked and saw many ladies there. I slowly stepped over the threshold. Some ladies were sitting at tables eating, some down a set of steps sitting by a fire to keep warm. Everywhere we went people greeted us. I was actually beginning to learn names and say hello without keeping my head down. This was all very new to me. Let me tell you that I saw a lot of very handsome dwarfs around of which helped me keep my head up also.

Leama bought us dinner and ale and said there was no reason to keep the money now, we sat to eat. Soon enough people pulled up chairs to sit with us and make sure we were ready for our trip. This is when Leama made the announcement that I was staying on for a while. All the people cheered for me and seemed to like the idea I would be their newest resident. The evening went very well, food, drink and good company for all. Then someone came up to me and whispered in my ear that a tall handsome man had bought us a room for the night so we would not have to sleep outside on Leama's last night in town. This worried me because the offer seemed to come from someone that sounded much like the man Leama was so fearful of. I thought not to tell Leama where the offer came from, we had a room for the night and that was all that mattered. For me it meant I did not have to walk down those steps and this made me very happy. Leama knew that and accepted the room graciously.

It was time to sleep once everyone had left to go to their homes for the night. I did not want Leama to be tired and have to stop to many times during her trip home on the first day so it was best to get a good nights rest. All in all it should take at least fourteen days for her to get there. I already told the families on her route that she would be stopping by. One very nice family asked me what she looked like so they could make sure they took good care of her. I thought a moment and realized she looks just like me and told them that, we all laughed. If Leama stayed on the road I told her to go on and did not get curious as she sometimes does then it would not be a problem. That was if she listened to me, of which was rare.

This was her last day here and she seemed to enjoy herself and I was glad to think she would have this memory for as long as she could keep it. It is good to have happy memories.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on February 16, 2008, 11:40:41 pm: Great!!!!! More more more!!! \\o// \\o// \\o//

I just love the little details that you weave in so intricately, like the way her feet could not reach the ground from the bench. I can picture it in my head so well, keep up the great work :thumbup:
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 18, 2008, 07:53:06 pm: Part Eight

Departing – Day 1

At first when I woke up I was confused where I was, and then I remembered someone bought us a room for Leama's final night in her beloved land. Looking over to the other bed where she was sleeping, I realized she was not there. The tub of bath water was still warm and it looked used with bedclothes hanging off the side of the tub. I knew Leama would not leave without saying good bye to me so she could not be far. Well I said to myself it is time to let Leama have some time alone and I went down the small set of stairs, hugging the wall as I went due my fear of heights, to get fresh bath water and have some food sent upstairs for me to eat.

Having been served delicious food to break my fast and a nice hot bath was a luxury I could get used to this I thought. Time was passing by so I had to get out of the bath and find Leama. After I was dressed I left our room and asked if anyone had seen her. I was told she had gone to the roof. My first thought was of the steps to get there and suddenly the same Kran that helped me yesterday was there to help me today. He picked me up and took me to the roof. He laughed at me because I weighted so little. Gently he put me down again once we found Leama looking out over the land she loved. The Kran told me he would be back to take me down and I smiled thankfully at him.

Slowly I walked toward Leama as she looked at the city from the roof of the tavern. She looked sad, but at the same time resigned to what she had to do. Sensing my presence she turned towards me knowing I would not get to close to the railing. For a moment we just looked at each other, then she said it is right for her to go back home. Maybe she thought she should not have left in the first place and if she had stayed home she would not have the troubles she had now. She smiled at me and said it was time to go now.

We hugged each other closely with tears in our eyes and she walked down the stairs to get her things and leave. I stayed up on the roof for a short moment until the Kran came to me. He told me to stay a while because I would be able to see Leama walk away with her sack until she became a tiny spec walking with her head down full of sadness and worry. The pretty green grass against the beautiful blue sky was lost to me. All I wanted to do was run after Leama and make her stay of which I did not, but I desperately wanted to. Together the big blue Kran and I watched as Leama walked away from her beloved new home, her cherished new life, back from once she came. When we could no longer see Leama, the Kran picked me up and brought me downstairs as he promised with a big smile on his face because he enjoyed every moment of helping me. Sadly I leaned against his rock hard chest and wept.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on February 18, 2008, 08:22:38 pm: explains a great deal... keep it coming.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 20, 2008, 08:27:46 pm: Part Nine

Departing – Day 1

Up to this point Mathy has told this tale. Now that we are separated again I will continue the story.

As I walked down the path past all the places that had become so familiar I became saddened. There was a feeling deep down inside of me that I would not be back any time soon, if ever, I did not know. I kept wondering if I wanted to return knowing that someone that had such an impact on me was watching me and I did not know why. At least the journey would give me plenty of time to think.

Once I was far enough away I would take out the map Mathy gave me to negotiate my way home, home, I thought Hydlaa was to be home forever. For now I would enjoy the scenery and the walk. So I walked a while and then that terrible feeling came over me like I was being watched. I turned around and saw no one near by and I was scared again.

So I took a moment to sit down on a large rock to rest and drink some water. I must remember to ration my food and water to make it last. Then like magic I saw an apple on the ground. There were no apple trees around so I could not help but wonder if he was trying to protect me for my trip home or just give me a departing gift or just let me know he was there. It scared me again.

This gave me time to think. I jumped down and picked up the apple and then slowly I climbed back up to the top of the large rock. As I examined the apple I noticed there were no holes in the skin so I was pretty sure that if I ate it I would not be poisoned. The apple was big enough to keep me from being hungry for a whole day for a journey such as this.

It was a feeling I had that made me think he had given me the apple. I was so confused, was he out to hurt me? Did he want to help me? How would he change my life? I thought that maybe he was not real, a figment of my imagination, but he so seemed real during the two times I saw him. The hug he gave me was warm. Did he possess some kind of magic? Was it good or hurtful magic? Why would he want to hurt me? I liked my little peaceful existence and did not want any intervention from anyone. Why was this happening to me?

I jumped down off the large old worn rock I sat on and sadly picked up my things and continued to walk while I put the apple away so I could eat it later.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on February 21, 2008, 02:50:51 am: oh wow I didnt expect the narrative change, i LOVE IT!!! more mroe more!!! \\o//
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 22, 2008, 07:36:15 pm: Part Ten

Departing – The Night of Day 1

I actually enjoyed walking and being by myself. I thought up silly little songs to sing as I walked. It helped me from thinking about what I was doing and why. Father, oh Father, I wish he had left me be I sang. I smiled to myself as I sang. It was good no one was near by because I was a horrible singer, though I did not care at that moment.

Though I really was sad because I was just starting to get into a routine each day. I had my friends who surprised me that they listened to my stories. Laughing to myself when I thought of the first time I started to tell a story to one person and so many gathered around to listen. After that it happened all the time. Though sometimes I felt badly knowing I was taking the hard working people from their jobs. I must say it brought me joy to see them smile or laugh at something I said. Even if they just sat listening to me and never took their eyes off me. A storyteller I became to these wonderful people who graciously called me friend, a source of entertainment that all of us enjoyed.

It was starting to get dark now and I knew I had to stop to rest for the night. How I longed for my small spot on the hill by the plaza! What was it Mathy told me? That I should sleep by the biggest rock I could so no one would see me. She told me to make sure I kept my sack close by me or even use it as a pillow if I could. Most importantly I was to make sure I could reach my daggers if I needed them. I wondered if I should eat first or find the rock I needed to sleep by.

Then suddenly I smiled, if this was all I had to worry about I had no troubles at all. Then reality came back to me and I knew I had much to concern myself over if I wished to make it back to Father safely. Father himself was of course was a major concern for me too.

There it was right off the side of the path; it was a large rock. Big enough for me to hide near so no one would see me. I laughed to myself about being happy to find big rock that looked like it had been there for ages. The rock was old and weathered. As the Azure sun darkened it turned the sky a beautiful red and I could see the deep crevices in the rock.

Many people have walked past this rock and I wondered at all it had seen and heard through the years. I walked around it to make sure no one else was using it and it seemed that I could sleep there the night. I took out my apple and sat on my rock to eat. Once I climbed up on it the rock had a perfect little indentation for me to sit on it.

It was a nice evening, the sky such a pretty red color, just before the Azure Sun darkened, a bit cold, but I was heading north so that did not surprise me. I never thought if I brought warm enough clothes to take on this trip, I hoped so. Climbing down off the rock again carefully not to fall, I looked around the rock again. It was so big that I could not see over the top of it so I felt safe. Taking my sack with me I went behind the rock away from the road and slept for the night. Tomorrow will be another big day of walking and walking.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 24, 2008, 09:06:10 pm: Part Eleven

Day 2 of the Journey

The Azure Sun started to brighten and awoke me from my sleep. I slept really well all things considered. Though as I rose I felt stiff, my back hurt from sleeping on the hard ground instead of the soft grass as I was accustomed. So as I sat up I stretched and wished for a nice hot bath to make me feel better. Well there will not be any baths probably until I got back to Father's house unless I could find the homes of the people that Mathy told me about. I ate another apple and started on my way.

As I walked I had many thoughts. I remembered the house I lived in all my life. I was not looking forward to going back. That was a house not a home; there was not any love there. I received more hugs in Hydlaa then I ever had in that house. I feared that I would not be allowed to leave and I would never escape again. More then anything I was doing this for Mathy and I hoped that she would stay in Hydlaa forever and never go back. I hated she was in a loveless marriage. Again I wondered what was going to happen to me, I did not want a loveless marriage either.

Thinking and walking was great for me. It is so peaceful here. The birds singing and the sky so blue with its puffy clouds made the dirt road not seem so lonely. Then suddenly I felt it before I saw it. It was that dark cloud with its terrifying shadow over me. The pretty sky was gone and all I could see was darkness. He was back again. I said out loud leave me alone as I looked up the darkness that surrounded me. Now standing still I was very frightened and I knew he was laughing at me.

Then he appeared before me, as real as could be. If I put my hand out I thought I could touch him, but I was too scared. All he did was look at me with those deep penetrating blue eyes of his and smile. Please go away, I have done nothing to you, I thought. He was amazingly handsome; I knew his hair would be soft and skin warm. He just looked down at me as he enjoyed my discomfort. He said I am here to stay no matter where you are and I will continue to change your life forever. No words were spoken. It was as if he could see into my mind as I could his. Then as soon as he came, he left. I shook my head to understand what had just happened and I could not.

The pretty clouds were back in the sky but I did not care. I felt drained and tired. There was no place to sit down nor hide or rest, so I had to continue. It was hard to walk; my feet and legs felt heavy and my head hurt. I was completely drained of all my energy. He took it all from me and I knew he would return. Helplessly I walked on no longer joyful at my surroundings, but very scared to be alone. Yet I was not alone, he was there and probably will always be. It became a very slow and agonizing journey for the rest of the day.

As the sky started to darken I realized I had to find a place to rest. Looking around I saw no rocks to hide near. All I could see was open spaces and grass everywhere. Thinking hard I tried to remember what Mathy said about leaving the traveled path. Try as I might I could not remember so I would have to find a place to rest for the night. I went up a hill and down another until I found a nice place that looked safe

Here off the dirt path I put my sack down and slowly lied next to it hugging it close, my head pounded, my legs and feet hurt me beyond any pain I ever had before in my short life. So tonight I will rest on the soft lush grass with all my joints hurting and thoughts and fears of the unknown. It will be interesting to see if I would have the strength to get up in the morning I thought.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 26, 2008, 05:31:16 pm: Part Twelve

Day 3 of the Journey

As I woke up this day, I felt different. The parts of my body that hurt yesterday did not hurt today. It was a good sleep, one that regenerated my body and made me ready for the next part of my journey. I listened to the birds sing and smiled at the pretty blue sky with its happy clouds of all different shapes.

Then upon rising I saw a small lake. Standing there I looked around to make sure I was all alone and I was. I walked to the lake and put my hand in the water. It was a beautiful blue color and it looked clean, though it was cold. This might be my last chance to bathe and I did want a bath so much. So I looked around, saw I was still alone and started to take off my clothes to take my bath.

Slowly I entered the water and washed myself. It was not to be a long restful bath but still I was happy to be clean. Once out of the water I allowed the Crystal to warm and dry my body and my long dark hair. I washed my dirty clothes as well. This was the best I had felt since I left Hydlaa. I put my clean clothes on the ground to dry as I dressed in my other clean clothes. Today will be a good day, I had to make up for time I lost yesterday and I knew I would.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Donari Tyndale on February 28, 2008, 10:20:23 pm: More!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on February 28, 2008, 10:22:30 pm: Part Thirteen

Day 3 of the Journey continued

Nothing mattered because I had a great day walking up and down the grassy hillside enjoying my peace and quiet. If I really thought about it this was the first time I felt happy, well not happy but serene, since I left Hydlaa. I did not care that I might be lost. It was getting late so I thought to sit and eat something before I went to sleep.

Out in the distance I saw something far away. They looked like small animals chasing each other for the fun of it. I smiled to myself thinking maybe they had something else in mind. Who was to say that every living thing does not experience love? Maybe the two of them loved each other.

Sitting there on the soft grass, I thought about love as I watched the small animals in the distance. Many times I had seen couples holding hands and looking deeply into each other's eyes. Thinking back I wondered then as I did now what they were looking for as they looked at each other.

Once I saw a couple walk into an apple tree because they were not looking where they were going. I almost laughed when an apple fell on his head and someone ran by quickly to pick it up and run away again. As I put my head down on the ground to sleep, I wondered, 'What is love?'
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on February 29, 2008, 12:13:51 am: Great!!! :D

More!!! \\o//
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Suno_Regin on February 29, 2008, 12:43:33 am: Wow, you're writing so fast now. Good job. :)
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 01, 2008, 09:05:52 pm: Part Fourteen

Day 4 Lost

Again I woke up feeling happy. Sleeping on the soft grass rather then the hard dirt was a great way for me to sleep through the night. In Hydlaa I had been sleeping under the night sky for so long I did not know any better. Then I sat up without any pains and looked around at the beautiful green peaceful hillside. There was a patch of pink flowers growing up ahead and thought that must smell as pretty as they looked.

The thought made me smile. There was no one in sight again and I was alone with my thoughts. I pulled another apple for breakfast from my sack and turned it over and over in my small hands. This one was shiny and clean as all the others in my sack because I washed them before I started my journey. It was just a bit bigger then the others and that was good because I was hungry. On this day I did not see any lakes to wash in though I was not as dirty as before because I was walking on the soft green grass instead of the dusty dirt road.

It was time to look at the map again that Mathy gave me. Yesterday I did not look at so it would take some time to figure out where I was. I remembered Mathy told me not to leave the main road so I was unsure the map would not help me at all. What I should have done was ask Mathy how to really read a map before I left. I laughed as I thought about it. She knows I have no sense of direction.

Mathy said many times if I did not know exactly where I was going I was certain to get lost. I stood up and looked around. It was true, I left the main path and walked for a full day and now I was very lost. Yet walking on the grass was much easier then the hard dirt road. If I had not left the main path I would never found the lake to wash myself and my clothes, so leaving the path was a good thing.

Now I looked around shielding my eyes with my hand against the strong blue sky with its bright crystal to see if I could figure out where I was. I really was not sure but I did not think it was a good idea to retrace my steps of yesterday, so I continued forward. This time I walked more towards where I hoped the main path was. Always trying to stay wallwards or at least what I thought was wallwards, I continued on until I saw something in front of me in the distance. There were the small animals I saw yesterday playing in the grass. They were chasing each other and jumping all around just like two little children. They seemed to be having so much fun.

As I walked I thought now of my childhood. Did I ever play like that? Was it always a working childhood? From my earliest memory that is all I can recall. I remembered Mother teaching me how to plant the seeds and how to pick the vegetables when they were mature enough. Then once I was old enough she taught me to cook them. So it seemed all I have ever done was work of some kind.

I wondered as I walked if there was more to life then just work. After all I worked in Hydlaa also. I mined for gold though it never seemed like work because we all did it together. But it was work, and that seemed like what life was about. I wanted more, I wanted to have a husband to love and care for. I wanted to have his children and have a home for them to grow up in. Just think of it I told myself, a home full of love, children and all the good things that life has to offer. So there is more to life then just work as I thought before. At least I hoped so.

I walked on further not thinking of anything particular. I was happy here surrounded by the pretty scenery of green grass, small hills and a pretty blue sky. I took off my boots to walk in the soft grass. It was peaceful here. This uneventful day was almost to an end. I could sleep under the dark sky in peace again, or least I hoped I could.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 03, 2008, 07:27:44 pm: Part Fifteen

Day 5 Lost

This day I woke with a start. I sat up fast and realized I was not alone. Here I was in the middle of nowhere without even a rock to hide behind and I was found. The sun was not bright quite yet but the sky was not completely dark. I was cold, very cold except where he lay next to me. His body heat next to mine kept us both warm where we touched.

Being that it was not completely dark I could see him. Slowly I put my hand on him as not to startle him. He stirred a little and got closer to me for warmth and went back to sleep. Very gingerly I put my head back down on my sack and laid there. What was I to do? The last thing I needed was a travel companion, or maybe I did. I did not bring enough apples for him too. So I laid there and did not move until the sun rose.

Maybe he would leave and I would not have to worry. It seemed like a long time until he moved away from me letting me know he was awake. I then sat up and smiled at him. He seemed to know I meant him no harm and sat there next to me looking back at me. All of a sudden he jumped up and seemed to want to play with me. Maybe he thought I was his play mate. Again I reached out and touched him, his fur was cold where I touched him but it did not seem to bother him as I could tell. He made a small noise and trotted off.

Then I sat up to eat my apple to start my day. In a short time he returned after I quickly ate my apple in his absence. It looked like I had a travel companion after all. I thought to myself what shall I do with him? All I could is hope he could not keep up with me. Then I smiled at this cute little groffel and petted him as I stood up. He sat by me looking up at me like he was saying, 'Where to my new friend?" I petted his soft cold brown hair and once again smiled at him. Then we headed off again for another day of walking.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 05, 2008, 08:32:26 pm: Part Fifteen - II

Day 5 Lost

Today I knew I had to find the main road or I was lost for good. Actually my new pet seemed to want to help me with this. It was strange like he knew that I was lost. He kept pushing me in a different direction then I wanted to go in.

As the day drew on I gave up and let him lead me. Slowly the landscape changed from the wonderful lush hillside to a barren one of rocks and dirt. It was even getting colder as we walked on. Maybe the hills were keeping me warm but they were far behind us now. I wanted to stop and rest a bit but he kept walking.

Such a small creature seemed to have a lot of energy. He kept me walking at a pace I was not used to going at all. This was not like my normal walks when I would think or sing as I traveled. It was like I almost ran behind him to keep up with him. I even told him it was not fair because he had four legs and I only two. He seemed not to care. All he wanted to do was guide me to the main path where I should have been all along.

As the sun darkened; I knew it was getting late in the day. This pace made me very tired and I wanted to rest but the groffel was relentless. Then I saw it, it was uninviting as was a sore tooth but we had found it. This small brown groffel lead me to it. In front of me lay the main road I needed to travel on. The day of wonderful hills of beautiful soft green grass were gone behind me. I knew this dismal land was where I had to be. I wanted to go in a total different direction and the groffel seemed to know better, guiding me in the right direction to find the road back to my childhood home.

Finally we stopped for the night and I petted him and gave him an apple for helping me to get back to the road I needed to be on. As we ate together, I thought if I had not picked up the apple that my nemesis had left for me, I would not have had enough to make it through my trip. I wondered if my foe knew it. I had not seen him nor felt his presence in days, but was he still there with me, watching my every move? Was he trying to help me or was he trying to scare me? I wondered if he was my enemy or friend. Certainly I wanted and needed to find this out. I had to know.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 07, 2008, 10:07:07 pm: Part Seventeen

Day 6 - The accident – part one

When woke up on this morn I ached something awful. Again I slept on the hard ground behind a rock. This time I missed the lush greenery more then I can tell you. The hard ground was very unforgiving and my back hurt greatly. This was no way to start a long day of walking in this barren land. At least I was half way home now.

Then I realized I was alone. My new travel companion was gone. Looking as I rose from where I was, I could not even see his tracks. In all this dirt there should have been a trail. The sky was blue with no wind so it could not have been covered up. It made me wonder and also scared me. Where did that little groffel come from and why? Had the incredibly handsome man I hoped to leave back in Hydlaa follow me all this way? He told me he would change my life forever. What did that mean? I never did anything to him, why would he bother me and why in such a strange dramatic way?

I sat up and carefully climbed up the large rock that was very cold to the touch. Finally on top of it I realized I left my sack on the ground. That meant I had to go down and get it so I could eat my apple. With my back hurting me something awful I climbed back down using the indentations in the rock to put my feet and hands in as I went back down. Still close to the top I slipped and fell all the way to the hard ground under me.

I felt it before I heard it, my ankle, and the pain of landing on it with all my falling weight it cracked. I had broken my ankle. Now what was I to do? I could not walk on it. So I looked in my sack and found one of my dirty shirts and with all my being, as I gritted my teeth against the terrible pain, I wrapped it as tightly as I could. The pain took my breath away it hurt so much, I never broke a bone before, making me hope I would never break another bone ever again. While I bandaged it up, I could see the bone where I had broken it almost protruding through my skin. I thought it was a bad break. No longer hungry, all I wanted to do was see if I could put my weight on it and walk.

Slowly I rose and picked up my sack only using my good leg. The sack weighed slightly less then it did when I first started out though it was still heavy. Then I tried to take a step. The pain was so dreadful that I fell down to the hard ground getting dirt all over my clothes and on my face and in my mouth. I pulled my bad ankle up to rub it and it only hurt all the more. So I sat there and cried.

The tears coming down my checks streaked the dirt and made me look and feel even worse. I loved being clean; this was the worst thing that could have happened to me. I was in a desperate situation for the first time in my whole life and did not know what to do. I sat there and cried. My whole body wracked with tears of hopelessness.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on March 07, 2008, 10:48:10 pm: I just want to rush up and help her...
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 09, 2008, 06:20:33 pm: Part Eighteen

Day 6 - The accident – part two

It was time to think about how to start walking again. I thought I could stay there for the day and be able to walk on it tomorrow. It would do no harm. I walked so fast yesterday that I must be ahead of myself or at least on time. So I sat with my back that still hurt against the old hard cold rock as my ankle throbbed something awful.

Sleep overcame me even with the great pain I was in. When I woke I was lying down in the dirt instead sitting up and my ankle was propped up on a mound of small rocks. Now how did that happen I wondered until I looked up and there he was. He smiled that wonderful smile of his as he looked at me. Then he said I had made a real mess of things for myself breaking my ankle. I looked at him and said nothing but thought that I knew what I did and how bad it was.

I knew without words he understood me just by looking in my eyes. It was still a wonder to me though. His voice was a soothing sound to my ears and that in its self made me feel better though I hoped he did not know it. Slowly he stood up and looked down at me. I knew I was filthy and I was embarrassed by that as well as my ankle. He came to sit close by me and asked me if I really thought I was alone on this trip. He asked me if I knew he watched my every move. I instantly thought of my bath at the lake and blushed as he laughed at me.

Then he told me he had sent the groffel. I just stared at him and asked him why. He told me there was no way to be rid of him, that we were soul mates until which time it was unnecessary for him to be there for me and by the looks of things that might be along while indeed. Deep down inside of me I knew what he had said was true. I felt he was a part of me but I did not know why.

I watched as he searched for something in his pocket under his armor. First he told me he was going to fix my ankle for me and then he would help me wash up. He handed me a small vial with a clear liquid in it and told me to drink it. I smelled it first and it was awful. All he had to do was look at me and I drank it all down, I had no choice, I saw that in his eyes.

Then he warned me that what he was about to do was going to hurt. He looked at my ankle and uncovered it from my shirt that I wrapped it in and touched it with his warm hands. As gentle as he was the pain was dreadful. Though for some reason that I did not understand his warm gentle touch and his eyes of blue like the sky made the pain just a bit better.

I watched everything he did until he told me to look away. The pain would be unbearable for just a moment he said and then I would not feel a thing. He took my ankle in his warm hands and suddenly twisted it. The pain was so horrendous that I lost consciousness.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Suno_Regin on March 09, 2008, 06:28:18 pm: Ouch :P

Keep it up \\o//
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 11, 2008, 10:34:09 pm: Part Nineteen
Day 6-The accident–part three

When I woke it was dark, I had my head in his lap, he was looking down at me as he gently tried to wipe the tear streaked dirt off my face. He handed me an apple and told me to eat it. As I ate he said he pushed the bone back in place and that is why it hurt so very much, but I could now walk on it again because of the potion he gave me. So I tried to get up to see if I could walk, but he held me still. Wait till the morn though to make sure everything was healed as it should be he said with his eyes, not a word spoken, but I clearly understood.

Though when he did speak his voice was like music; so soothing to my ears. Everything about him amazed me. Then he left me again, but this time he returned quickly. He carried a wooden bowl full of water in both his large hands. The water was warm and he took a cloth from his sack to clean my face. With his warm, gentle hands he cleaned my face and hands. I felt a tingle all over my body as he touched me.

This man was helping me and I did not know why. I opened my mouth to ask him and he put his finger to my lips to quiet me. There would be no answers for me this day. All I had to do was look in eyes and I could read his mind. I put my head down on my sack and slept until the Azure Crystal brightened the sky the next morn.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on March 12, 2008, 02:47:26 am: I LOVE IT!!!!

More!!!!! (please?)
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 13, 2008, 07:00:24 pm: Part Twenty

Day 7

I woke to a beautiful blue yet slightly cloudy sky. The day was going to be pleasant not extremely cold of which was good because I hated the cold wind against my body as I walked. I was alone but I expected that to happen.

My ankle seemed to be better but I wanted to see for myself. My boots lay next to me; he must have taken them off me so there would be no swelling. For some reason my feet were not cold even exposed to the elements as they were yesterday when I woke. I pulled up my pants just a bit to look at my ankle and all I could see was a bruise on one side where the broken bone had almost come through my skin. On closer inspection I realized I could see his handprints where he had touched me. This made me think even more about him. What was this all about?

There was no pain yet something else was different this time. Instead of feeling weak and drained from seeing him I felt energized and even happy. I had to resign myself to what he said that we were soul mates and therefore somehow part of each other.

As I walked today I would reason this out but for now I had to get on the road to continue my journey. Sitting up I decided not to climb up the rock again to eat my apple so I broke my fast right there on the ground. My surroundings were dismal to me. All I could see was dirt, brown ugly dirt. There was no grass nor hills just an awful feeling that nothing could grow in this hard ground that lay under my feet.

That made me think this place was dead. It was just a place to pass through because no one would dare to stay here. I lived off the land my whole life and it saddened me to think of it. Even as the sun warmed me I thought this place had no one to love it and care for it to make it alive. It was dead to all that passed through it.

I put on my boots without pain. It was like it never happened. Picking up my sack that was now dirty, I walked on. This was going to be a day of deep thought. I did not want to sing. Being a person who had to have a reason for all that happened I had to think and get an answer to this situation.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on March 14, 2008, 10:07:11 pm: Leama, on the request of my wife, I have printed this off for her to read. I will let you know her thoughts soon as I know. HoodedOracle.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 16, 2008, 01:07:32 am: Part Twenty-One

Day 7 – Why

Walking was so easy. I thought I would have some pain but there was none. Somewhat clean and fed I was ready to take on my journey again. Before I left the large rock I had fallen off from, I looked at the map that Mathy gave me and found exactly where I was.

At this point I was more than half way there yet I had much to think about. At least the gloomy surroundings would not distract my thoughts. I just wanted to leave this place where I would not find little animals playing or any signs of life for that matter.

I shook my head where to even begin to think this whole situation out. It was daunting to me. How did this happen to me and why? All I wished was back with my friends mining gold and telling them my stories.

All things happened for a reason I told myself. It was for me to find out why. For most of my adult life I thought about love and what it meant. I wanted it so much that sometimes it overtook my thoughts.

All of us wanted to be happy I thought. It is up to the individual to know what made them happy. I wondered if I really knew what made me happy. Certainly I knew nothing of real life being I had no experience about it. Was he trying to teach me something? In asking questions that I never thought to ask myself, was I learning something without even realizing it.

What did this man want from me? As I thought of him I felt his presence. Now I knew I was not alone again. How was it that he knew to come to me when I needed him? I knew nothing about him, not even his name.

Somehow I knew if he had troubles I would know it but could I help him if he needed me? I wondered if he wished I was not in his life like I did. Yes, did, now I am glad to have him, he was good to have with me. Now I knew he meant no harm to me, quite on the contrary. He wanted good things to happen to me but I still did not know why. All my whole life I wanted to know why things were as they were. I am a seeker and this is one of those times I needed to know why.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 17, 2008, 11:22:14 pm: Part Twenty-Two

Day 8

Last night was routine. It was nothing more then sleeping behind a large rock, of which there were plenty, breaking my fast and continuing on with my travels. This day I sang as I walked so as not to think of all my unanswered questions. Again it was good no one was near because I cannot carry a tune at all.

I wondered about Mathy. She made this exact same trip to see me. I was glad she stayed behind in Hydlaa and hoped she would stay there forever. Hydlaa was a place that I wanted to be because of the people and the happy atmosphere that they made there. It was true the people made a place what it was.

At home there was nothing, the people did not talk to each other and now it seemed so sad to me. Looking around at the dirt and flat land that surrounded me it reminded me of home in a way. It was really not home anymore. Hydlaa was my home now. Would I be able to explain that to Father? I had a terrible feeling deep down inside that I would not be going back to Hydlaa ever again.

Then suddenly that feeling came over me, he was back. I knew not to look for him because I would not see him. He was telling me something. Is this what he meant by soul mates that we could read each others mind; feeling each other's presence? He was telling me not to think I would not go back that he wanted me to come back? It was important to him because it was important to me. Why did he care anyway? Again having an encounter with him revitalized me. I walked with a bounce in my step now faster then before because I had to get back home to Hydlaa. I knew he was smiling at me with his dazzling smile.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 19, 2008, 06:58:40 pm: Part Twenty-Three

Day 9

This morn I woke up knowing I had a goal. I had to talk to Father and tell him I had a new life. Looking at Mathy's map I realized I had one or two more days to go at most. That was good because I was running out of food.

Smiling I knew that I was being watched and protected. Yet something felt amiss and I knew not what it was. I tried to think of happy things like Mathy. I loved her so much. It was good she stayed behind. It so bothered me to think she was married to a man that hardly talked to her, worked her hard on his farm while he stayed in town all day, and mostly I hated that he would hit her if he choose to. Desperately I wanted Mathy to stay in Hydlaa forever.

There were so many handsome dwarfs there surely she could find someone to take care of her. I thought she needed that. When I touched her hand it was so rough from all the work she did, it broke my heart. Mathy worked from before the sun brightened in the sky until way into the night.

She looked so old compared to her age. It was the life that she lead and I worried it would kill her before her time. It was like she was a slave rather then a person, a very special person, my beloved sister. Then a thought came to mind, maybe I should tell this to Father and he would understand why I had to go back. Suddenly I felt him smiling down on me. This is what I had to do, I knew it now.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 21, 2008, 05:06:49 pm: Part Twenty-Four

Day 10–A Very Bad Day

Again I found a large rock to sleep by for the night. I wondered why it was so important to sleep by a rock when no one dared to be in this place of dirt and lifelessness. Not even trees, dead or alive, were here.

Upon opening my eyes this day it was different then all other days. The beautiful Azure Crystal was nowhere to be seen. Instead the clouds in the sky were large and very dark. I did have a foreboding feeling yesterday. A storm was coming. I could feel the dreadful wind and hear it howl as it was coming closer. The wind would blow in an awful storm with strong winds and drenching rains. I looked around and saw absolutely no shelter anywhere. I had no choice but to weather the storm. I laughed as I said this to myself, weather the storm. Later I was to see this was no laughing matter and I was in great danger.

Quickly I ate my apple for strength to continue my walk. Gathering my sack I thought maybe this storm would go in a different direction then I was going. The winds were howling loudly and the sky darkened even more. It almost looked like the dark night sky though it was daytime. I walked as fast as I could so I could stay in front of the storm. It was not to be, but I had no idea how bad it could get.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 23, 2008, 06:12:36 pm: Part Twenty-Five

Day 9–A Very Bad Day–Part 2

I did feel very much alone. The winds increased and it was very cold. I wore my warmest clothes and I felt colder then I could ever remember being in my whole life. The wind seemed to pick me up just enough that my feet seemed not to touch the ground. I tried to shuffle my feet so I could stay on the ground and not be blown away. A few very cold raindrops came down from the dark sky and hit me on the head and made me shiver.

Should I keep going or stop until the storm ended? Not knowing when it would stop I continued. I was almost to my destination. The winds picked up some more and it was getting harder to walk. This was the first time in my life I wished I were not so small because I was afraid to be blown away.

Slowly I continued to walk on as the wind whipped more then before making it more difficult to proceed as it blew against my defenseless body. Then it started to rain heavily. My hair was wet and blowing in my face and eyes making it hard to see as I concentrated just to keep going.

The dirt under my feet turned to mud and it seemed to stick to my boots. Each and every step was like torture. My small feet stuck in the mud each time I tried to lift them to take each tiny step. Now I could not shuffle anymore. The winds made my body go sideways, but the mud was holding me down to the ground or otherwise I might have been blown away. I hoped I would not fall.

Then the rain started to come much harder. It no longer felt like rain because when it hit my body it hurt. It felt like little pellets of ice that hit my hands and face with such force I thought I might be bleeding from it. I thought I was cold before, but now I was even colder with the small frozen pellets hitting me so hard that it stung my exposed skin.

I looked up quickly to see if I could find shelter and there was none in this desolate unforgiving land. The thought of staying by a rock came to mind, but I did not want to stop walking. I was so close to seeing Father that I had to go on. All the wind and rain slowed me down, but at least I was still walking upright even with tremendous effort to do so.

Then suddenly a powerful gust of very cold wind came and knocked me to the ground. Just as I thought I could win this battle I wondered if I really could. I was totally frightened, cold, and wet lying on the ground with no idea what to do. The rain pounded the ice pelts deeply into my back where it hit me with such strength it was hard to breathe.

The storm brought not only cold, but pain as well that kept me down in the mud so I could not rise to my feet. Then the wind pushed me down deeper into the mud making seemly impossible for me to move. It was all I could do to lean on my elbows as they sank deep into the mud to keep from being smothered.

I knew I had to keep my head up and out of the mud. The storm showed no signs of letting up. The ice pelts were hurting me and mud was so cold. I tried once more to get up to no avail. There I was in the middle of the dirt trail getting pounded with ice and rain covered in cold mud. I had no idea what to do, but I knew I had to get up or the mud would suffocate me. So I tried to lean on my arms and use my legs to rise then I realized I had lost my sack.

Slowly I tried to stand up to my feet. The wind was relentless knocking me all over again so I was sitting in the cold mud again. I was completely covered in mud from head to toe and sinking into it. As the rain came harder and harder I sank into it even more. I had to get up and stay up or I would not be capable of standing. It took shear determination on my part just to stay alive.

The wind still whipped with great force. As I looked up slightly I saw rain with the ice come down from the dark sky at an angle so it hit me sideways. Not really walking, rather crawling on my hands and knees slowly I headed for the rock I saw over to the side of the path.

At least I hoped I could hold on to the rock to keep from sinking further into the mud. It seemed to take forever to go such a short distance, but I finally got it to the rock. I tried to find the best side so I would be out the wind's path holding on tightly. The rock was wet, cold, and slippery from the ice that covered its surface. Yet holding on to the rock kept me from sinking into the mud.

The wind whipped my hair in my eyes. I knew I could not move my hands to remove my hair from my face so I just held on to this rock and closed them. This rock was keeping me alive for now. I had no idea how long the storm would go on.

The storm slowly turned to all rain again without the ice pelts. Still my hands and fingers were bright red with extreme effort to hold on to the small indentations in the rock face. I was so cold I shook so much I thought I might loose my grip as hard as I tried to hold on. Then suddenly a large burst of wind came up from behind me with so much force it picked me up and threw my small body back into the middle of the path face up so the rain was hitting my face, knocking the breathe out of me.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on March 23, 2008, 08:29:06 pm: oh wow...... SO vivid!! Great writing :D

More!!!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 26, 2008, 12:53:47 am: Part Twenty-Six

Day 10–The Day After

I woke the next day. Somehow I had survived. There I was completely covered in mud looking up at the sky. It was a beautiful blue sky with big white clouds in it. This day made it seem yesterday never happened. I was buried half way in the mud. There was a good event in all this when I got thrown away from the rock I landed with my body toward the sky or otherwise I would be dead. It took some effort to sit up because the mud seemed to be holding me there.

Once I was able to sit up I noticed that my sack was not far from me. It had some mud on it, but the rains had washed most of it away. I was so thirsty and I hoped my water was still there. Again the mud stuck to me; making a horrible noise as it released me. The mud weighted me down so it was hard for me to walk. My one foot came out of my boot as I tried to move it. So I put my boot back on and with shear determination I got up. And I fell back down because I could not move my feet being they were buried in the mud.

All I wanted was a drink of water. So I dug my feet out of the mud with my hands hoping I could move the mud that seemed to be holding me down. With much effort I rose and picked up my feet to walk with small steps. It took a long time to get to my sack, but once I did I opened it and saw everything was wet inside with a little mud, but mostly everything was in satisfactory condition. I pulled out my water and drank of it, put the top back on it, and put it back in my sack.

There was plenty left until I got back to see Mother and Father to get more. Now I had to lift up my sack and see if I could carry it. I could not get it out of the mud. So on my hands and knees, I could not be any dirtier then I was now anyway, I dug my sack with my hands.

Finally standing with my sack I started what I knew to be a very long day of walking. Each step took incredible effort being that my feet seemed to weigh twice what they should with all the mud on my boots. I thought of the beautiful day that I walked without my boots in the soft green grass. I could not be any dirtier then I was, maybe I could walk without my boots and it would easier. Then I thought of how to get my mud encrusted feet back in my boots later and decided to keep them on and walk the best I could. It was a slow way to travel though I managed to go forward.

After what seemed like hours of being in the sun walking I realized I was dry. The land around me was now dirt, awful brown dirt, the heavy mud was gone. I walked to the side of the road and sat down for a rest. I was exhausted, but instead of napping I started to remove the large clumps of mud off my clothes and my boots. This would make it easier for me to walk the final distance I needed to.

Still terribly dirty, I felt better without the large pieces of mud on my clothes. A nice hot bath was in order and it was coming soon. I knew I had to talk to Father and return to Hydlaa. I wanted to tell Mathy to stay and not return also. Now I knew there was a better way of life.

To think I did it all by myself, then I realized I did not take this long journey alone. I even thought he must have been watching during the storm or certainly I would be dead. No longer dreading seeing him with his wonderful comforting smile, I wished he was here before me now.

I gathered my things and thought about exactly what to say. Father had to understand that I was sincere in what I had to tell him. He had to realize what I wanted to do was right for me.

This is my life and wanted to live it my way.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 27, 2008, 08:35:05 pm: Part Twenty-Seven

Day 11

The landscape changed as I walked on this day. Ahead of me I was beginning to see green grass again. Maybe I would be to my childhood home by nightfall or by midday tomorrow. This excited me to think I did it all by myself, and then I realized I did not take this long journey alone. I even thought he must have been watching me during the storm or certainly I would be dead. No longer dreaded seeing him with his wonderful comforting smile, beautiful face, warm hands and gentle touch, I wished he was here before me now.

There were so many questions I had for him. He guided me back to the right path, he healed my ankle, and he protected me during the storm. Silently I thanked him and felt him smile at me. I would see him again soon I knew it. If I had just one more day to get there I better know what to say to Father.

I gathered my things and thought nervously about exactly what to say. Father had to understand that I was sincere. He had to realize what I wanted to do was right for me. I walked with my head down frightened and uncertain about my future.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 29, 2008, 07:57:50 pm: Part Twenty-Eight

Day 11 Almost Night Fall

I could no longer go on, exhausted from walking all day and the brutal storm from the day before. The Azure Sun had not darkened yet though I had to rest. Finding a place to stay near a large rock I sat down on the cold hard ground. I had not eaten anything this day so I looked into my sack to find I had two apples left. I looked at my dirty hands and thought I cannot eat with these hands so I checked to see how much water I had left. I brought water to drink never thinking I would need it to bathe with.

Suddenly the sky turned dark over me and I looked up with a smile. There he was standing over me. How I wished I would see him once more before I arrived at my childhood home. There he was smiling his wonderful smile at me as if he knew I wanted to see him. I was in awe of him, just his presence made me feel so blissful. It was more then a happiness that I felt; I felt complete when he was next to me. We were a part of each other and being together felt so right to both of us.

He walked away from me being gone for a short time. I knew he would return so I sat there happily waiting for him. Once he returned he knelt down besides me with a large bowl of water that I could see steam coming from. I looked at him in wonder as he smiled at me. Taking a large cloth out of his bag he dipped it into the warm water and cleaned my muddy hands.

I felt his warm fingers touch mine, feeling my body tingle as he touched my fingers, then my palms, then the top of my small hands. My hands now clean; he put his hand under my chin, and held me still as he washed my face. Without words he told me to close my eyes, but I did not want to. He looked at me and I realized he was not going anywhere so I could close my eyes as he washed me. Then he lowered my shirt some to expose my neck and shoulders as he rinsed all the mud and dirt off me. He finished touching my face with his gentle warm hands again as my skin tingled everywhere he touched. I wished he could always be there to touch me like this.

Then he took off my boots and put my feet in the bowl of warm water to clean them. I looked at him and realized something. This was what a man and women should be like if they shared the love I was looking for. He then took my boots and shook all the mud out of them cleaned them and put them back on my feet, again with such a light touch, I hardly knew he did it.

Then he sat next to me smiling. He said that this is what I should expect from a man who loved me. To have someone that would take care of me as I would take care of him. He told me in his sweet voice that is what love truly is about. Now I knew why he came to me. He wished me to find what I always wanted to know about love, and to be loved, and to understand.

He told me how completely and totally wonderful it was to have someone to be with always, someone to talk to, and someone to share all my fears, hopes, needs and wants. Love was something to cherish and hold close he told me. It takes work to make it continue because sometimes it could die between two people, but he thought that if a couple worked on it they could be happy together forever.

As he talked I watched his face, eyes and hands and then he held my little hands in his to keep mine warm. He told me love is a feeling that makes a person tingle, can make their stomachs hurt, and even make a person loose sleep because all of all the thoughts, feelings and desires they have for each other. Love is the greatest thing that could happen to all the different races, and that were so lucky to be able to love. He took out an apple from my sack and handed to me. I took it and ate some of it and then gave him some. He took a bite and gave it back to me.

He said love is sharing each other's thoughts, minds, and souls so completely that nothing else mattered then the joy of each other. As I stared at him I finally understood why he came to me. He had a lesson to teach me and wanted to show me by actions rather then words so I would understand.

One day he told me when I was not looking for it, I would have all this and more. We shared my apple and he stood up to walk away again. Upon his return he carried a large blanket of which he wrapped me in to sleep. Without any words again I knew he would stay with me through the night. He held me and comforted me for my big day yet to come. I had to be brave and he was helping me.
I leaned against his warm body so tired, but I had so many questions for him. He said to me as he held me close to him that one day I would understand when I experienced love for myself.

We watched the Azure Sun darken, turning the sky into brilliant colors of red and purple, so very peaceful. We stayed together that night and slept under the blanket he brought to keep us warm. I thought that if this is love I wished it for both Mathy and I. Nothing could be better.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on March 31, 2008, 12:22:45 pm: Part Twenty-Nine

Day 12

This morn was unlike all the others since I started my journey. Though there were times I felt him near me, having him here, and right next to me, made me feel safe. We rose to a beautiful blue sky the exact color of his eyes and then smiled at each other. Again I felt that same tingle as before. Such joy I thought I would never have that I did not want this moment to end.

He slowly moved away from me and got to his feet. After a short while he returned with a plate full of food. He asked me if I remembered the day I felt sick to my stomach at the gold mine. Yes I remembered, and he told he wanted me to feel love, but it did not happen as he planned and we laughed. Now I understood I told him. We shared our meal, touching hands, looking into each others eyes, totally contented. It was a wonderful feeling that I cannot describe. The oneness, the safety, the joy and the total ecstasy was overwhelming. It was like I felt complete.

As he sat next to me I knew he felt the same. We just looked into each others eyes and felt at peace as he fed me and I him. He then said do not let anyone stop me from finding the lover I seeked. He knew I was a seeker of knowledge, and now I realized I was also a seeker of feelings too.

We finished our meal and laid back down on the blanket happy to be near each other holding hands. We turned to face each other and he said now that he taught me what he came for he would leave. I was saddened, but I understood. He would never truly leave me, but I had to find what I needed, love. I had a small idea of what love was about and wanted to know more.

Now it was up to me to convince Father so I could return to Hydlaa.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 02, 2008, 05:37:43 pm: Part Thirty

Day 12

By the time I was walking to my final destination the sun was almost as bright as possible. It would not take long to finish my journey. As I walked I thought of my new friend. When we finished eating our meal and he stood looking down at me and suddenly surprised me by starting to cry. He said he did not know why he had to do these things he did but he always tried his best.

It was fate that sent him to me he told me. So there we stood looking at each other until he put his warm inviting arms out to me and I tried to hug him though he towered over me. Picking me up like I was nothing more then a small sack as he held me close to him and I put my head on his chest.

It felt perfect. So this was love I thought as I tried to snuggle closer to him as he held me closer. Whispering in my ear he told me that he would miss me, but it was better to have known each other for this short time then not at all.

I just held him close, this man that showed me kindness and love and so much more. He had no idea how much he taught me and how grateful I was to him. Now face to face as he held me I kissed his check, wet with his tears and touched it with the back of my hand whipping his tears away smiling.

He put me down on the hard ground as a small puff of dirt came up around me. This land of nothingness brought me such joy that I no longer looked at it as a place of death, but one of new beginnings. As I realized he was not my foe, not even just a friend, but someone much more.

Thinking all these thoughts as I walked must have made me walk faster because I could see my hometown come into view. It was time to sit and think of what to say to Father so I could put the lessons I just learned to good use.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Deckchair on April 03, 2008, 12:46:05 pm: \\o// \\o// this is awesome! more! more!!! (please :) )
i really like your style too
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 04, 2008, 04:14:44 pm: Part Thirty-One

Day 13

I hoped I was prepared to talk to Father. The day was very cold adding to my nervousness. It was a long eventful journey that I would not forget. This was another story to tell, well at least part of it to my friends once I returned to Hydlaa.

My steps slowed down as got closer to the place I knew as home until I went to Hydlaa to live. My stomach was churning with anticipation of what was to come. Father was not one to be reasoned with; he wanted things his way and only his way. Though it was a cold day the Azure sun shone brightly in the blue sky and suddenly there was darkness over me, the familiar darkness that meant I was not alone. I smiled as he told me to be brave and gave me the encouragement to go on.

Then I realized I still did not know his name, but it no longer mattered. Again I thought this person who I feared was not really my foe after all he was here to help me to make my dreams a reality. I smiled up at the dark cloud over me and said thank you and he smiled back at me as the cloud lifted and was gone.

I was very close to town now. I could see how the terrain was going to change from this dry dirt to that of green grass with homes and farms behind them. These were very hard working dwarfs. A day started before the sun brightened and ended way after it had darkened. There was one rule here and that was the females worked very hard for their men. The men were never questioned or talked to unless asked nor did they question what was expected of them.

All the marriages were prearranged for the good of the male population. It was not a terrible life it just was not a life for me, and that is why I ran away from it before. This time I hoped to be able to walk away with my head high with Father's blessings. My stomach hurt at the thought. I was afraid of what I was about to do.

Slowly I entered town seeing ladies working in the fields. The town was really very organized with its small homes and large fields behind them. Each house was exactly the same made of stones so they would last for many years to come. The houses were just one room where the families divided the room into an eating area and a place to sleep. There was a big fireplace in the middle of the largest wall that was used to make the meals and keep warm while the family was there. The roofs were made of straw tightly packed together that sometimes leaked making the dirt floors turn to mud. It was a simple life for these people, my people as I thought about it, hard working good people that did what they had to because this was their way of life for many past generations.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 06, 2008, 06:44:22 pm: THE INVISIBLE FOE
Part Thirty-Two
Day 13

First I went to Mathy's farm to give her husband the letter she wrote. A lady dwarf answered the door when I knocked and I gave her the letter that somehow made it through the storm telling her it was for her husband. She took it without correcting me and I thought he must have remarried in Mathy's absence. This was a good thing I thought. Maybe he thought she died during her travels, but it made me sad to think I might not had to return after all.

Then I thought quickly of the lessons I learned during my travels knowing I would not have changed a thing. Then I walked to my parent's house. I stood there looking at it for a very long time. I remembered the day I found the perfect opportunity to run away when no one was around and of how I picked vegetables for weeks before I left putting them in a hole I dug for storage until I was ready to take them heading for a new life outside this town.

As I stood there in front of this house that I grew up in I felt sad because I did not want to go in. I did not want to knock on the door to see what awaited me inside. Slowly with very heavy feet I walked up to the door and still hesitated to knock. I felt his presence telling I had to be brave and do this. Then I raised my freezing cold hand to knock on the door, but I knocked so gently no one answered. I felt him take my hand and make me knock harder so they would hear it. I stood at the door and waited completely frightened.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on April 06, 2008, 08:57:14 pm: I am amazed at this story, it is wonderful, and has kept me entertained during my time in Hospital, thank you so much.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 08, 2008, 05:33:15 pm: Part Thirty-Three

Day 13- Part two

It was time for their late meal of the day by my estimation of the brightness of the Azure Sun so I thought they would be home. There was not an answer to my knocking so I tried again. This time the door opened to me as Mother stood in front of me. She looked at me and frowned and said that I caused a lot of trouble for her and let me into the house. It was warm, but not inviting by any means. I closed the door against the cold and stood there wondering if I would be greeted or even spoken to.

My parents sat at the table eating in silence not even looking at me. Finally Father finished his meal and stood up leaving Mother to clean up after him as usual. He turned to me and said I was to marry tomorrow to a man he found for me. There was no asking me, he just told me. He also told me to clean up the house. I stood at the door not moving and finally I said it. I defied Father and I said no. He looked at me and walked over to where I stood, where I hoped he would not because I feared his reaction. He loudly said that I was to do as I was told. Again I said no and he hit me hard across the face making my skin turn hot and sting where he hit me. I put my cold hand there to stop the pain and thought of how gentle a man could be.

So this was why I came home I thought so he could marry me off to some stranger for profit. As much as it hurt where he hit me, it hurt more now that I realized he did not love me. I asked him if he did and stood looking at me as I tried not to cry and he laughed. I was not invited to eat nor was I greeted. I still stood right where I was by the door and felt so sad it was all I could do not to cry after learning what true love was all about.

He glared at me and said I must be ready by the time the Azure Sun started to shine for the ceremony. I just looked at him and said no. He hit me again and pushed me out of his way so he could go out the door. There was nothing more to say it was going to be his way and I could not think of a way out of it.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 10, 2008, 08:11:15 pm: Part Thirty-Four

Day 13

Now both hurt physically and emotionally I went to the table and started to help Mother clean. She said nothing to me as I put the stone dishes in the pot of heated water so I could wash them. I turned to look at her, she had no joy in her eyes, and she looked very old to me as I thought this is what this way of life does to a female dwarf. I did not want to be like her. I felt sorry for her.

Then I put my hand on her hand feeling her dry old skin against mine. She looked at me with a sad look and tried to take her hand back. I thought that no one probably ever touched her with affection in her whole life. I brought her hand closer to me and took her in my arms and held her close. As I held her I thanked her for all she had done for me. Then I moved away but still held her in my arms so I could look at her eyes and told her that I loved her. She stood before me looking very old for her age, worn out from all the work she did day in and day out, and cried. No one ever told her she was loved before and it broke my heart so I cried also.

We just stood there holding each other close as we continued to cry. Once we stopped and could talk again she told me to run away far away or I would have the same life as she did. She knew I wanted a different life.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 12, 2008, 04:47:39 pm: Chapter Thirty-Five

Day 13– My Final Destination

I wanted to leave the house, but I was totally exhausted. It was very late once Mother and I finished cleaning the house and got it ready for the next day. Still Father had not returned so I thought maybe I had time to leave in the morning before he returned. My last chore of the night was to build up the fire in the fireplace so we would be warm for the night and I could sleep.

Mother was already resting on the floor by the fire so I did not mind helping her so she could sleep. Then suddenly he appeared before me as I put the logs on the fire. I looked at him as his eyes showed anxiety for me as they glowed by the fire a brilliant blue that I so loved. I touched his cheek and smiled. He wanted to give me the strength to leave now. I was beyond being totally exhausted from my trip and he knew it. Besides the idea of starting to head back now in the middle of the night seemed like a bad idea.

He whispered to me that he would stay with me and protect me for the night. Again I smiled at him and told him not to worry though he looked very concerned. As he left me after he reminded me not to give up on my dreams. My body ached from my head to my toes from the long walk today and all the housework I had done all night. I sat in front of the fire to ready myself for my nights rest.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 14, 2008, 07:32:09 pm: Part Thirty-Six

Day 14–My Final Destination–Day One

Father came into the house like a storm. He grabbed me off the floor where I had been sleeping. The Azure Sun had not even brightened yet. He yelled at me telling me I was lazy to be still sleeping at this hour. I was scared of him to say the least. His eyes showed total scorn for me. I feared he would hit me again. I looked away to see if Mother was still sleeping and saw she was sitting up where she had slept looking at both of us helplessly.

Father carried me out of the house in his arms holding me so tightly it hurt my ribs as he walked me to another house in town. Once we got there he knocked on the door that was opened by an old dwarf with a grey beard. Father tossed me on the floor saying there would be no ceremony and if the old dwarf wanted me, I was his and left to go back to his house.

There I was on the dirt floor of this strangers house as I looked up at him he kicked me. Get to work he screamed at me as he reminded me I was now his wife and should always do as I was told. My body hurt now from Father carrying me so harshly, being thrown on the hard dirt floor, and being kicked by this stranger. It was difficult for me rise, yet alone breath, but I knew I had to or otherwise I would be hit again or worse.

Slowly I rose to my feet to make the morning meal for him. I found vegetables and dried meat to cook. I wondered where his first wife was as I prepared his meal. Then he stood before me and told me to tend to the garden and make sure the house was in order by his return for the evening meal. He left with the food I made for him.

As I looked around I saw the house was in terrible disarray. It would take all day just to clean it. By this time the Azure Sun had brightened the sky and I could go outside and see the farm behind the house. It was totally overgrown with weeds and had very little vegetables growing in it. I was distressed to say the least. So this was to be my life anyway. I had finally found out what love was about and now I realized I would never really experience for myself.

Would it have better if I had never known what it felt like to be loved and know the wonderful feelings that came with it? At that moment I realized my invisible foe as I used to call him was gone. Had I defied him and all he taught me, was it like what he taught me meant nothing? I realized something else and that was the other side of love was a deep hurt that seemed to grow inside me filling me up with total despair.

I looked up at the ceiling of tightly packed and weathered straw, and cried for him to come back. I screamed how sorry I was, but he did not appear nor did I have the feeling that he was there with me. He was gone as was my hope of ever finding love and being happy. I knew I could not run away again. Tthis was to be my life for as long as I lived.

Again looking at the old tired house I started to work as I cried tears of sadness. I was alone and now and I will always be. I cried in total anguish. Now I will never realize my dream, I lost my best friend and I lost my life, as I wanted it to be. Never would I return to Hydlaa. Everything I ever wanted was lost and I knew I would never be able to recover it again. I was all alone.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Anumesa on April 14, 2008, 08:09:51 pm: More please :)

Nice writing :thumbup:
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Izzabella on April 14, 2008, 08:19:53 pm: (http://www.xoospace.com/myspace/glitter-text-generator/holdz/z48039f22f119e.gif) (http://www.xoospace.com/)

/me goes to start reading the story from the very begging...

this is really good, you are a (http://www.xoospace.com/myspace/glitter-text-generator/holdz/z48039ff72fb0c.gif) (http://www.xoospace.com/) writer and I am sorry I've not been reading this from the start! You are very descriptive and its really easy to see what you are describing I love it!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on April 14, 2008, 10:05:12 pm: If I could, I would appear as Lolitra in the story and take you away from all that.. but it is a rivetting story - love it.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Under the moon on April 14, 2008, 11:38:07 pm: You have improved your writing style greatly in these last chapters. Well done.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Arerano on April 15, 2008, 01:42:17 am: It's clear that you put very much effort into that story.
And that it's your first story -- is it really? -- well, I can't really believe it even if you say so.

Althought the story could be complete with your previous post, I truely hope that it is not - would be a very sad end indeed.

One more thing: It was hard for me to stop reading it even thought it was already late night - or rather early morning - and also am I glad that I began reading when so many chapters were already written. Must have been a pain to wait for more to come otherwise. ;)

You have my respect.
Arerano

[Edit: added "One more thing" which isn't really only one. ]
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 16, 2008, 02:28:05 pm: Part Thirty-Seven

Day–Mathy

Months have passed since I sent Leama home. I wanted to return there also, but my new friends asked me to stay. I have so enjoyed living here. I now make daggers to give to the hunters so we can all have food. I still eat the apples off her favorite tree in the plaza. Sometimes I eat in the tavern with the people I call my friends too.

Some still ask me about her, but not too often because they know it upsets me. Many times I had thought to leave to find Leama. Never did a day go by without my thinking of dear sister. Some people even suggested a search party to make it easier to find her. I could not take these hard working people from their jobs just to find my sister.

Though I have to say living here has been like a dream come true. I am glad Leama told me to stay. My life is so much nicer then I ever thought it could be.

One day a while back I had a funny sensation come over me. It reminded me of the incidences that happened to Leama when she was here during her last days. The feeling was one of despair and total sorrow that came from someone else. I pretended it did not happen and I never felt it again. Sometimes I wondered if it was Leama's enemy trying to come to me to tell me something about Leama, but I ignored him. It never happened again so I thought it was my imagination.

By this time I had established a routine here in my new home. No longer did I have to get up early in the morning before the sun rose to prepare the first meal of the day, nor tend to the house that was forever dirty, nor did I have to be on my hands and knees all afternoon weeding the garden, and harvesting the vegetables that I grew. This was a better life as Leama said it would be. I was happy for the first time in my life because I was here with my friends that cared about me.

I remember after a long day of work I was standing in Hydlaa alone and someone came up behind me and told me to give him all my money. Before I had time to tell him I had none someone else was telling this bad person to leave me alone. I was cared for and protected here. That was what Leama wanted also and now I understood.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 18, 2008, 07:46:41 pm: Part Thirty-Eight

The Finale

It was such a pretty day as the sun warmed me turning the sky a beautiful blue color with its puffy clouds. I could not imagine anything awful happening on such a pretty day. My day started off as they all did with an apple and saying my greetings to the people who lived here that seemed like family to me, my family.

After I broke my fast I washed myself and went to work as usual. Almost as the day was coming to an end someone ran up to me telling me a messenger was asking for me. Quickly I ran to the plaza hoping to see Leama. Instead an older dwarf stood before me looking worn out from the long distance he had traveled.

He stood before me asking if I was Mathy and I said I was. Then he handed me a scroll and left me standing there. Not knowing what to do I just stood there holding the old parchment afraid to open it. I was shaking all over so much so I could not even open it. Slowly I calmed down and unrolled it to read what it said:

(http://i27.tinypic.com/2rgf8zk.jpg)

I just stared at the note unbelieving what it said. Feeling like the wind was knocked out of me I just sat down where I was on the grass and cried. Suddenly a dark cloud came over me and I knew this was Leama's Invisible Foe. I felt something else also, his overwhelming sadness. The cloud had tears coming from it. It was not rain, it was tears of such devastating sorrow. I felt bad for his loss as well.

Then I looked down to where I sat and noticed a small piece of parchment at my feet. I opened it up seeing the handwriting was Mother's. She wrote to me to stay here and never return or I would be dead too. Be happy and be well it said. She signed it, "I love you. Mother". All I could do was sit there and cry with tears that could never express my sorrow as the dark cloud covered me in its tears too.

The End
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 18, 2008, 07:52:44 pm: Acknowledgements

I want to thank all the people who have read my story and taken this journey with me. Thank you to those who have made suggestions along the way. I hope you enjoyed it my story.

First I want acknowledge Grroww. He was the first to read it in stages and encouraged me to keep writing because he said he liked it. Thank you.

I wrote this story about a year ago. It took about 6 months to write and even longer to edit. One day I mentioned it on IRC. To my amazement Donari wanted to read it. So I sent it to him and told him it was really bad. Well he wrote back to me that he loved it. All had to be done is make some setting corrections. He begged me to post it and I refused. There would be so much work to do. He never gave up asking me to do this until one day he volunteered to post it for me.

Finally, I agreed and I sent it to him chapter by chapter he so could proof read it and post it. We have been doing this for months, as you can see. So you have Donari to thank for being able to read this story. He put a great deal of time and effort into this. I wanted all my readers to know.

Without Donari this would never have happened. Saying thank you to you Donari does not even begin to say how appreciative I am of all your hard work and commitment for all this time. You have been patient, kind and devoted throughout this process. After he posted the first chapter I was so nervous I told him, "I don't want to do this." He just kept encouraging me each week to keep going. If we had a dollar for each time he told me to 'calm down,' we would be rich. That in itself was a big job. I cannot express my gratitude to you enough for all you have done.

Thank you ever so much!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: zorbels on April 19, 2008, 12:28:13 am: I wanted to wait till the end of the story was posted so that I could comment on it for public view seeing as I had read it before it was posted. I would have felt silly if I had posted my encouragements after every chapter was installed. (Hope you understand leama!)

I really liked the story and I am glad that Leama decided to post it. She has a very creative way of writing and I found it quite refreshing to read it due to the first person telling of this story. Not many people write like that on the forums. Your skills with writing improved with each new installement and I found myself wanting to know more after I would finish reading each chapter. I do hope in the future you will write about the other characters you play in PlaneShift.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Lolitra, Celorrim Purrty Twins on April 19, 2008, 10:20:35 am: a mixed sad yet happy-ish ending. I am so glad I read it, it has been a great read for me and filled times that would otherwise have been very lonely.

Thank you.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 22, 2008, 04:38:06 pm: I wanted to wait a few days before I made my final post here.

Anumesa: your encouragement was greatly appreciated.

Suno: I wonder where you are and what you think of the ending.

Arerano: You paid me the biggest compliment of all. To think you stayed up late to read my story because you liked it. I am humbled by that.

Zorbels: I am glad you enjoyed the story and your praise means a great deal to me. You are an amazing writer. I am thinking of another story to write, but I now see how I need a lot more background information before I can start. Do you want to help me?

Lolitra: I am happy to bring you some comfort while you were in the hospital. It is an honor to be sure. Though I was totally taken back when you and I were in game and I introduced myself to your friend and he said, “Mathy, you mean the storyteller on the forums?” When I said yes he surprised me by saying, ‘wow.’

Izzabella: Remember my asking you for the names of the kind of pets in game? It was about midnight one night I know that. Now you know why. I hope you enjoy reading the rest when you have time.

Under the Moon: Thank you for your constructive criticism and kind words as well; your opinion means a lot to me.

Though I must say I am very curious about whom else has read it. So many reads that it makes me wonder who else took this journey with me. Please let me know.

Again thank you for your kind words.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: steuben on April 27, 2008, 12:10:18 am: there will have been far more then will leave their mark here.

well done for your first ouiting lass. better then mine... gosh i hope my first outing stays buried. *harumphs* got more views too then my big story. i'm jealous. which oddly enough has fewer views then my sketches. either way i'm still jealous.

anyways, a quite imagine there would be a great many people who would be wanting to have a... discussion with a certain dwarf. and a few i can think of can be quite... verbose.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 27, 2008, 04:57:11 pm: I would enjoy talking to anyone who wants to about my story. It would be good to get more feed back. I wonder if anyone understood the moral of this story? Thank you Steuben.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: vennatorr on April 27, 2008, 06:09:05 pm: for anyone who would like to read the story as an openoffice document or pdf, download the zip file from this page (http://www.mediafire.com/?1izigu3inbt).
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Merina Kutha on April 28, 2008, 09:53:21 am: Mathy,

This was a FANTASTIC read. As has been stated, the first person view of the story and your detailed descriptions really made this great. I was in fact moved to tears at he final chapter If this is indeed your first then you must surely have some natural talent for writing!
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 28, 2008, 01:16:04 pm: Merina,

Such a great compliment you have given me here that I had to respond. I am glad you enjoyed my story. I regret that I brought you to tears though. That was not my intention. Never in my wildest dreams would I have expected such a great response!!

There is a lesson to be learned from this story and if only one person learns from it then it was well worth it.

Thank you again for your kind words.

Gratefully Yours,

Mathy Stockington
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Morla Phlint on April 29, 2008, 08:18:15 pm: Well, just a link for those that would like to read it off the forums or print it out:

http://rapidshare.com/files/111326534/The_Invisible_Foe.pdf.html (http://rapidshare.com/files/111326534/The_Invisible_Foe.pdf.html) (pdf-file)

Mathy, let me now if you don't want it to be uploaded there and I'll remove it.

I have printed the story out and I'm reading it now. Will take some time but I want to enjoy it and don't rush ;).
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on April 29, 2008, 11:24:00 pm: Morla Phlint,

I hope I can entertain you with my story and I am honored that you made a pdf file of it. Please let me know what you think.

Humbly Yours,

Mathy Stockington.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Wavan Levironk on May 11, 2008, 04:41:14 pm: Well, just logged in here to comment your story. First I have to say that it was amazing. It hit me deep inside. I just can say I loved it.

It was a challenge reading it since english is not my native language and some expressions where just higher than my level.

However, I'm glad of myself for getting the message between the lines of such a great story.

Life is love, love to others and love to that special person who makes your stomach hurt ( :) ). Even when your life looks crappy, it's enough with having one person who loves you there. If you loose the hope of being loved, even if your life is great, you die. Touching meaning in a touching story. As I said, amazing story, as good as life can be.

My most sincerely congratulations for you and your high writing skills.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Rachela on June 05, 2008, 03:43:11 pm: Wow. \\o//
I started to read this yesterday whilst at work and I couldn't finish it so I bookmarked this page so I could finish reading it today!!
Mathy I loved this. And yes I cried at the end as well. At work!! hahaha. I would have preferred a happy ending though. I'm a sucker for those!!!

The feelings you get when you read about these two characters is amazing. You really feel connected to them both. Well done!! and please please write some more stories. I for one, would love to read them :D
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on June 05, 2008, 05:15:08 pm: I want to Thank You for your kind words Wavan and Rachela. I am very glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks to all of you have read my story and enjoyed it. It is an honor to have so many say how much you really liked my first attempt at writing. I must say I enjoyed writng it for all of you (now that it is done).

Humbly Yours,

Mathy.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Jekkar on July 08, 2008, 05:02:09 pm: I don't like it.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Wavan Levironk on July 09, 2008, 12:07:08 am: Quote from: Jekkar on July 08, 2008, 05:02:09 pm
I don't like it.

Congrats if you wanted a record now you're the one and only who didn't like it. Sorry I ate the pie I had as a prize \\o// \\o//

Edit: If you find my post unpolite, I found yours too. If you didn't like the story you should say why to help the excellent writer Mathy is. Your post is completely worthless as a review.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: A_Traveller on July 09, 2008, 08:53:38 am: Hi all mathy, Sorry it took me so long to reply, was busy moving, ANYWAYS, to summarize what I thought of this... FANBLOODYTASTIC!!! a big thumbs up, I hope to read a good deal more of your work in the n ear and not so near future! as does my beloved, whos name I will not mention, but she enjoyed reading it, (and she is not a heavy reader XD)
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Raa on July 18, 2008, 07:52:43 pm: I liked it. Didn't expect the ending to be so tragic. :thumbup: Needed more blood 'n gore, though... :p
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Timmothy Perriwinkle on July 24, 2008, 09:02:15 pm: Gotta say, I'm surprised. This story actually held my interest for the thirty-some pages I read, and I'm not a big reader (I haven't read anything of substance for at least a good six months now). Kudos to you for writing such a great story.

One thing I noticed while reading the story though is you only used quotations for dialogue once near the start of the story. Did you specifically try not to include it because that's the style you were aiming for, or did it just happen? Personally, I think I story can be a lot greater when it has dialogue used properly. Though, if it's used improperly it can take away from the story.

Either way, great story! Keep it up.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Mathy Stockington on July 24, 2008, 10:20:52 pm: Timmothy I am please you enjoyed reading my story. This was not an easy thing to do. I can say that. Many a late night I found myself typing in front of my computer. Writing it in first person was a big decision. In my mind it was a story being told that made it not only harder to write, but concerned me because if I ever posted it I was unsure if it would be hard to read. Grroww, being the first person to read it, told me that he liked it and that helped me a great deal to continue. I was very honored by Zorbels comments because she is one writer that I greatly admire. Actually it was Zorbel’s and Arka’s stories that inspired me to write mine. Anyone who enjoyed reading this story owes a ‘Thank You’ to Donari because without him I promise none of you would have ever read it.

This could have been a short story leaving out many details that some have told me were boring, but I felt that to build on it, it was needed. Of course making it fit into the settings of the game was difficult also. I anguished over how to end it very a long time. I sent two endings to Grroww to see which one he liked best. Of course he left that up to me. I did not want this to be a violent story so the ending was very difficult. I do hope that my efforts paid off. Of course the very hardest part was killing Leama. I had played her for so long it was like a part of me died with her. Writing a story like this was all consuming for me. All I can do is hope that people will over look the many errors in my writing and enjoy it anyway. Maybe my next effort will be better. Thank you Timmothy for your kind words and taking the time to read it.
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Gwinn Ravenn on August 05, 2008, 09:04:48 pm: A wonderful Story Mathy. Thank you for gifting us with this delightful tome.
/me bows
Title: Re: The Invisible Foe
Post by: Edig on August 29, 2008, 11:20:13 pm: I'm a little confused here...
I've received PM's that suggest that Mathy has been bashed considerably and publicly in this form for her story?

I don't see it. I also don't see the need for it.

This is one excellent story. :thumbup: