Post by midnightmercy on Aug 12, 2009 4:46:46 GMT -5
Cara pulled her cloak tight as the wind ripped at the fabric, making it snap and flutter in the wind. The other members of their group had retired to their own caravans, having failed to light a fire in the blowing wind. The brightly coloured caravans were stark against the greens and browns of the forest. The leaves rustling, branches groaning like trapped souls. Cara shivered; she didn’t want to be alone tonight, not here.
Cara hadn’t inherited her mother’s gift, but even she felt something in the trees, some presence that seemed to freeze her to her core. She glanced at the shadows, they shivered and twisted as the trees moved, she thought she could see a shadowy figure a few feet away, but as she squinted against the wind that made her eyes stream, it vanished. That was the problem with this place, the constant movement could trick the eyes.
She bit her lip, should she risk the walk? She was about to turn back and go in, but the sound of a howl lifting to the air made her shiver. The horses in the centre of the ring were skittish, they didn’t like the wind, it stirred up smells and sounds they didn’t like. Their eyes rolled in their sockets.
A couple of the men were trying to calm them. They’d be there all night. The sooner they were gone from this place, the happier Cara would be, the happier they would all be.
She slammed the door shut to her own little cabin and raced across the clearing, the caravans pulled into a circle to hold the horses in, in this weather they’d likely break free of a tether and run wild, leaving them stranded in this god forsaken place.
One caravan stood apart from the rest. Set back against the trees. Although she had been welcomed to join the rest, Carmen had refused, as she often did. She preferred her own company and although respected, she knew that the others feared her. Staying a little distance from them would help them sleep better and mean she couldn’t be blamed if something went wrong.
Cara rapped lightly on the door, painted blue with stars and suns. The door creaked open and with a last glance at the surrounding forest, Cara stepped inside.
Carmen was standing with her wolf Sasha at her side. Cara twitched a smile, her sister was wearing the thick nightgown she’d made for her and the robe, but Carmen’s face betrayed no emotion at seeing her sister in her caravan at such a late hour. Cara caught the glint of a crystal ball in the dim light. Carmen knew her sister was coming then.
“The horses are scared tonight,” Cara said by way of an introduction.
“They sense things in the air…” Carmen replied, her voice neutral, but Cara could see the hint of fear in her eyes. If Carmen was scared, it was bad.
“Will you try to calm them?”
Carmen shook her head; she couldn’t calm those horses against the things lurking in the shadows. She could barely keep herself calm. They called to her constantly, taunted her, threatened her, it was all she could do not to go mad with their ramblings. She used her crystal to channel some of the sounds out, but didn’t dare do much more than that. There were hungry spirits out there, just looking for away into a vessel.
Carmen was linking her fingers through Sasha’s warm sort fur. Seeking comfort from her companion. She could feel cold fingers pressing against her mind, trying to find some way in.
Cara was watching intently. Carmen forced a shaky smile, “I take it you want to stay tonight?”
Cara shrugged, “I thought you could do with the company.”
They needed each other, but neither was going to admit it.
There was a banging on the door. Carmen sighed, “Take a seat, get into bed, but stay here,” the warning was clear in her voice and Cara felt a cold shiver creep down her spine.
“I won’t be long, but don’t open the door, not for anyone, I’ll let myself back in.”
Carmen grabbed her bag of herbs and potions, she knew that she’d be asked to try and calm the horses, or some child that wouldn’t stop screaming, she didn’t want to go out there, but what choice did she have? This was her job.
She stepped out into the night, leaving Cara alone.
Sasha kept close to Carmen’s heels, her amber eyes darting from side to side as she padded silently beside Carmen. Carmen reach out and touched her, needing her to anchor her in the real world. It would pass come morning, but until then she would need to keep her defences up.
The man that had called her from her cabin had disappeared the moment her foot left the bottom step, She had a suspicion he’d been a spirit, she’d had that suspicion since the knock on the door, but she had to answer all calls just incase, and it was better not to worry her sister. Now she was out in the forest alone, creeping towards the caravans to see if anyone really did need her. Some spirits could be good.
She heard the snap of a twig and stopped, Sasha’s hackles raised on her back and she let out a low guttural growl. Carmen tightened her lock on Sasha’s fur, she could feel eyes on her and she didn’t like it. she walked on, trying to ignore the sensation, but it felt like a knife pressing slowly into her back and she wanted nothing more than to run for either her own caravan or the circle in front of her, the soft glow of candles in the windows to banish nightmares and evil.
She’d almost made it to the circle when Sasha turned and dashed away into the trees, the last Carmen saw of her was the flash of a grey tale and then she was gone.
Carmen thought for less than a second, then chased after her.
Cara hadn’t inherited her mother’s gift, but even she felt something in the trees, some presence that seemed to freeze her to her core. She glanced at the shadows, they shivered and twisted as the trees moved, she thought she could see a shadowy figure a few feet away, but as she squinted against the wind that made her eyes stream, it vanished. That was the problem with this place, the constant movement could trick the eyes.
She bit her lip, should she risk the walk? She was about to turn back and go in, but the sound of a howl lifting to the air made her shiver. The horses in the centre of the ring were skittish, they didn’t like the wind, it stirred up smells and sounds they didn’t like. Their eyes rolled in their sockets.
A couple of the men were trying to calm them. They’d be there all night. The sooner they were gone from this place, the happier Cara would be, the happier they would all be.
She slammed the door shut to her own little cabin and raced across the clearing, the caravans pulled into a circle to hold the horses in, in this weather they’d likely break free of a tether and run wild, leaving them stranded in this god forsaken place.
One caravan stood apart from the rest. Set back against the trees. Although she had been welcomed to join the rest, Carmen had refused, as she often did. She preferred her own company and although respected, she knew that the others feared her. Staying a little distance from them would help them sleep better and mean she couldn’t be blamed if something went wrong.
Cara rapped lightly on the door, painted blue with stars and suns. The door creaked open and with a last glance at the surrounding forest, Cara stepped inside.
Carmen was standing with her wolf Sasha at her side. Cara twitched a smile, her sister was wearing the thick nightgown she’d made for her and the robe, but Carmen’s face betrayed no emotion at seeing her sister in her caravan at such a late hour. Cara caught the glint of a crystal ball in the dim light. Carmen knew her sister was coming then.
“The horses are scared tonight,” Cara said by way of an introduction.
“They sense things in the air…” Carmen replied, her voice neutral, but Cara could see the hint of fear in her eyes. If Carmen was scared, it was bad.
“Will you try to calm them?”
Carmen shook her head; she couldn’t calm those horses against the things lurking in the shadows. She could barely keep herself calm. They called to her constantly, taunted her, threatened her, it was all she could do not to go mad with their ramblings. She used her crystal to channel some of the sounds out, but didn’t dare do much more than that. There were hungry spirits out there, just looking for away into a vessel.
Carmen was linking her fingers through Sasha’s warm sort fur. Seeking comfort from her companion. She could feel cold fingers pressing against her mind, trying to find some way in.
Cara was watching intently. Carmen forced a shaky smile, “I take it you want to stay tonight?”
Cara shrugged, “I thought you could do with the company.”
They needed each other, but neither was going to admit it.
There was a banging on the door. Carmen sighed, “Take a seat, get into bed, but stay here,” the warning was clear in her voice and Cara felt a cold shiver creep down her spine.
“I won’t be long, but don’t open the door, not for anyone, I’ll let myself back in.”
Carmen grabbed her bag of herbs and potions, she knew that she’d be asked to try and calm the horses, or some child that wouldn’t stop screaming, she didn’t want to go out there, but what choice did she have? This was her job.
She stepped out into the night, leaving Cara alone.
Sasha kept close to Carmen’s heels, her amber eyes darting from side to side as she padded silently beside Carmen. Carmen reach out and touched her, needing her to anchor her in the real world. It would pass come morning, but until then she would need to keep her defences up.
The man that had called her from her cabin had disappeared the moment her foot left the bottom step, She had a suspicion he’d been a spirit, she’d had that suspicion since the knock on the door, but she had to answer all calls just incase, and it was better not to worry her sister. Now she was out in the forest alone, creeping towards the caravans to see if anyone really did need her. Some spirits could be good.
She heard the snap of a twig and stopped, Sasha’s hackles raised on her back and she let out a low guttural growl. Carmen tightened her lock on Sasha’s fur, she could feel eyes on her and she didn’t like it. she walked on, trying to ignore the sensation, but it felt like a knife pressing slowly into her back and she wanted nothing more than to run for either her own caravan or the circle in front of her, the soft glow of candles in the windows to banish nightmares and evil.
She’d almost made it to the circle when Sasha turned and dashed away into the trees, the last Carmen saw of her was the flash of a grey tale and then she was gone.
Carmen thought for less than a second, then chased after her.