The bright sunshine dazzled my green eyes as it reflected off the clear brook's surface. I held on tightly to the staff that I held in my hands. Gandalf's words echoed in my mind.
"That staff holds more than you think."
What had he meant? I glanced again at the staff in my hand. It was made of polished aspen wood, and at the top a bright clear gem beamed out, bigger than my balled fist. I paused as I heard a twig snap behind me. My breathing seemed loud as I tried to calm my fast-beating heart.
"Who's there?" I whispered.
You guys know what happens here! Good luck!
~Storyteller
A beautiful woman stepped out of the trees in front of me.
ReplyDelete"I have been waiting for you." Her bright blue eyes seemed to peirce my soul.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my brown hair blowing as the breeze rushed past me.
"Do you not know? You are the staffholder."
I looked at the staff again, wondering what I held in my hands. A low hum began.
"Did Gandalf the Wizard not give it to you?" she questioned, eyes slightly confused.
Delete"Um, yes he did," I answered. "Who are you?"
She smiled kindly. "Staffholder Kendra, my name is Lauren."
"But WHO are you?" I prodded.
"I am the Guardian of the Holder," Lauren explained. "Which, in this case, means you."
At just that moment...
I was getting a little confused, so I started backing away from her. The staff continued to hum, which disturbed me a little.
ReplyDelete"What are you talking about?" I asked her suspiciously. "How do I know I can trust you?"
Lauren sighed. "I can see you are going to be a tough staffholder to watch. However, I have had worse." Turning on her heel, she beckoned me to follow her. "Come with me."
A loud crashing noise startled me, and I
...looked over my shoulder just as an elf burst into the clearing! Her brown hair with the tinge of red was cut short around her pointed ears. Her green eyes were fierce. Her sword gleamed like moonbeams, reflecting Lauren's terrified face.
Delete"Leave, witch," the elf hissed in a deadly voice, "or your story ends now."
Lauren shrieked and then disappeared in a poof of smoke. The elf relaxed, her pointy features droopy slightly from exhaustion.
"Who...who are you?" I managed, looking from her to the place where Lauren had disappeared.
The elf smiled kindly. I noticed that a thin braid hung down in front of her ears on either side.
"My name is Nyssa," she explained. "I'm afraid that that witch wanted the end of you." Her face went deadly serious. "You are destined for a great adventure Kendra."
At just that moment...
Nyssa jumped back as a snake struck at her. Moving quickly, she threw a knife that hit the snake on the head. We looked at the snake between us.
ReplyDelete"Another attempt to kill me," Nyssa said, her eyes sober. "Anyway, this just emphasizes the urgency of the need we have for your help. That witch was pretending she was the Guardian of the Holder. Now, there is such a Guardian, but you will find her after a few tests. Do you want to do these now?"
I put my hands up to my head. What was all this fuss about me anyway? "Alright," I said. "But first..."
"If you have any ties to this world, you must leave them behind," interrupted Nyssa. "You must leave everything but the staff, a cloak, and the clothes on your back. Here." She handed me a bag. "In there is everything you need for your journey. There is also an instructions sheet for what things mean." She straightened her shoulders. "Just to say, there is another such girl going on a journey. Her name is Lendra, and she is also seeking the guardian you are looking for..."
ReplyDelete"Lendra?!" I interrupted. "But my name is Kendra! How did that happen?" Nyssa looked me seriously.
Delete"Kendra, listen to me. Your names are not important right now. Both Lendra and you have an important role in the battle that is ahead of us. Dark forces are abroad, and only you two have the ability to defeat them." I could hardly believe my ears. Nyssa went on. "You will meet the guardian soon, after you have completed the tests. She will tell you what you need to do."
I bit my lip and thought a moment. Then I turned to Nyssa. "Well, what are we waiting for? What's the first test?"
Nyssa smiled. "You'll see. Go down the path in front of you and see what happens."
I took a deep breath and started down the path.
In front of me flashed a bright light. And then there was Lauren again. This couldn't be part of the test--this was real! She cackled evilly. I picked up a stick from the ground and brandished it like a sword. I whacked her and she disappeared. I blinked.
Delete"That was your first test," came Nyssa's voice from behind me. "Good job. You can act quickly without having to give it much thought. I don't have time for anymore tests. You must start your journey to Pixie Hollow."
"But how do I get there?" I wondered. "And are you going with me?"
Nyssa slowly walked over...
and looked me in the eyes. "Kendra," she said, "I cannot go with you now. You will have to get there yourself, but I will tell you the way. I can't remember the entire way I'm supposed to say it, but look to the hills. You will see the way then." And she stepped into the woods and disappeared.
Delete"Oookay," I sighed. "What happens now?" I looked up toward the hills, and all of a sudden, something happened to my eyes. It was weird. I saw a road where I hadn't been able to see anything before, and at the end of it there was this...place! It was beautiful, from what I could see of it.
I started running down the road. I wanted to get there sooo badly! Then I came to a bend in the road. I slowed down and went around it...
...and then there before me was a beautiful hollow!! The trees' overarching branches created a beautiful roof over the meadow's floor. Magic flew through the air, flying around giggling pixies, fairies, and elves. A huge tree was in the center of the huge space, with platforms and doors all over it. Slightly smaller trees were all over, and I assumed they were houses.
DeleteAnd, in the very middle, by the huge tree, stood two people. One was a beautiful woman, and the other... the other was a pretty girl who... No, it couldn't be... She looked exactly like me!!
"Kendra!" the woman called out, green eyes piercing my soul. "Come forward..."
Just to say, all of you other people, don't be afraid to join in! This certainly isn't a two-sided story!! =D We'd love other contributors!!
ReplyDeleteI stepped toward them, but stopped when I got to the girl who looked just like me. "Who're you?" I asked. The beautiful woman with red hair stepped forward and told me that the other girl was my twin sister, but I was the long-lost one. She was the Lendra Nyssa had told me about, and the red haired lady was the Guardian, Erica. They were busy talking about rescuing my/our brother, Lander, but I didn't even know I had a brother. I didn't catch most of that part.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, we had to start journeying toward the Swamps of Leindart to find Lander and defeat evil. Erica walked in front, and I and Lendra walked in back. "Lendra," I whispered to her, "who is Lander exactly? Our brother?"
Lendra laughed. "Of course, Kendra! He's the best brother anyone could have! He was with me for several years, but he went off journeying a few years ago. Just today I learned that he was lost in the Swamps of Dreindart. This person named Jess told me Erica could help me save him, so I came and found her. So what's your story?"
"Well," I began, "I thought I was a plain old peasant girl...until yesterday. There was this old man everyone calls Gandalf in our village, and yesterday he came up to me and-"
Lendra gasped. "Erica! She's fainting!" I looked and Erica was indeed fainting. We ran up to her side, trying to help her. Just then...
...some kid with startling blue eyes and dark brown hair jumped out of the foliage!!!!!
Delete"My name is Roland," he nodded to us. "You need to get Erica to help. She's been shot by a poison dart."
"How would you know that?" I demanded hotly.
"Yeah?" agreed Lendra. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't trust you."
"Really!" he argued. "I'm one of the good guys! Jess and her brother, Brandon, sent me."
"How can we know for sure?" I demanded. "Show us a sign!"
At just that moment...
I couldn't think of anything to do. But Lendra narrowed her eyes and whispered something under her breath. I couldn't hear it, but suddenly I heard another voice that sounded like it was coming on the breeze. It was talking to me, and it said: "Kendra, the staff you hold is the key. You will know the truth if you use it correctly. Now raise the staff!"
DeletePuzzled, I slowly raised the staff in the air. Then something amazing happened.
Beautiful lights burst off all around me. Lenda and I covered our faces as the sparkles dazzled our eyes. Roland screamed at the top of his lungs. I peeked an eye open, but he was gone. The sparkles settled and then landed on the ground. Where ever they'd landed beautiful flowers shot up.
Delete"What on earth was THAT?" cried Lendra.
"I don't know," I whispered. "I just don't know."
"Well, you knew to lift that staff! Did you know what would happen?" Lendra looked at me strangely.
Delete"Nooo, I didn't. I heard this voice on the wind telling me that we would know the truth if I lifted the staff. I guess Roland must have not been with us. But I wonder who the voice was." I looked at the staff in my hands with new awe. Truly this staff was more than it appeared to be.
Lendra appeared to be thinking hard. "A voice on the wind, you say? That sounds sort of like what happened when I asked Jess how to get to Pixie Hollow. But I hadn't called for Jess...yet. I was about to," she sheepishly admitted.
"Then who could have told me about it?" I wondered. "Do you think..."
"...it was Gandalf?" I finished.
Delete"Who's he?" asked Lendra, confused.
"He's a wizard who sells firworks. Don't ask."
"Oh, OK. And he just randomly gave you this staff?"
"Well.... he said that he got it from this king guy named Aragorn, but I'd never heard of him.... anyway...."
At just that moment...
I realized that Erica was still lying on the ground in front of us. "Oh my! We need to take care of Erica! I had completely forgotten her!" I cried.
DeleteLendra clapped her hand to her mouth. "I had too! Do you think that the Roland guy was lying about her being shot by a poison dart, too, or do you think that was true?"
I scratched my head. "I don't know. Do you think the staff might help?"
Lendra shrugged. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try."
I raised the staff once again...
...and then out of the trees burst something that was only a flash of brown. Before either of the girls could do anything, it had grabbed the staff and rushed off into the forest.
DeleteThey looked at each other.
"Well, um..." started Kendra.
"Uh, yeah, let's go get it," Lendra agreed.
Then...
*Piano, please go back to Rubberboot Girl--Olivia 2!!!*