Wisdom. Long carmel-red hair. Beautiful blue-green eyes. Winsome smile. Cheerful
personality. Pale periwinkle fur.
She sat in her room, in front of the monitor, her hands flying over the keyboard,
diligently writing. Her eyes followed the flow of words on her screen as the story
unfolded before them.
Her mouth occasionally moved, mouthing the typed words, casting the spell that
would bring readers in. Gradually, the room darkened as the sun slid below the
horizon. Still she sat, and still she wrote.
~~~~
Her ears pricked up at the faint sound. It was coming closer and getting louder.
Hoofbeats. Wisdom had ridden horses before. She recalled the sound.
When she opened her eyes, though, they were greeted with the greenery of a forest,
not the glow of a monitor. She sprang to her feet, looking around. The forest looked
mildly familiar. So did the approaching horse.
~~~~
The horse stopped before Wisdom, it's sleek black hide glistening with sweat. Its
eyes told her to get on and ride. She glanced around and found a root raised above
the ground. She climbed onto it, then onto the back of the horse. Once she was
stable, the black horse took off at a gallop.
Wisdom rode the horse through the forest, letting the black steed take her where it
wanted to. Gradually, the forest thinned, giving way to a small spanse of meadow
before fading into desert.
~~~~
The sun was at it's apex when the pair started into the sands of the desert. Wisdom,
knowing it would get very hot for both of them, caused her mount to stop as she
tore at her skirt, making it shorter, and her shirt sleeves. These pieces of cloth she
placed between herself and the horse.
The black horse looked back at her, and she nodded. Off the two went, galloping off
into the desert.
~~~~
Wisdom opened her eyes as her steed slowed. The sun was hovering just above the
horizon, ready to plunge the world into darkness. But what held her attention was
the city they were approaching.
It was a large city, nestled in the desert. Rising above the rooftops, surveying the
surrounding desert, was the most magnificent palace Wisdom had ever seen.
The color of the desert sands, the structure looked familiar to her. As the black horse
rode into the city, she felt a mixed surge of anxiety and dread.
~~~~
The black horse trotted unerringly through the city, taking various streets in an effort
to get to it's destination. Wisdom was left staring up at the world she had entered.
Her makeshift saddle was starting to soak through with their mixed sweat, just as
the steed arrived at the gates to the sand palace.
The guards didn't even glance up at her, they looked the steed over then opened the
gates. When her steed felt the gates were open enough, it bolted through them.
Wisdom looked down at her tattered garments and noticed they weren't the only
thing travelworn. Her pale periwinkle fur was matted and looked more tawny than
periwinkle with all the sand and dust that covered her.
When the black steed halted, though, she looked up and noticed a pair of emerald
eyes looking down at her from one of the high windows of the palace. Before Wisdom
could really think more on it, she was swamped by maids and pulled from the horse.
~~~~
Wisdom suffered herself to be drug into the castle by the flurry of maids. She cast a
glance behind herself, searching for those eyes. Her black steed watched her
knowingly.
She was left a bit unsettled as the door closed, but the maids hastened her to a set
of rooms. Immediately upon entering, the maids scattered to the four winds, bustling
to get various duties done. A porcelain tub was filled with steaming water, then
decorated with lilacs. The various armoires were opened and a variety of gowns
pulled out.
A few maids hovered around her, taking her measurements. Soon, the tub was full,
and those maids began stripping Wisdom of her ragged and torn clothes. In
moments, she was soaking in the scented water, maids scrubbing at her fur. They
mumbled and whispered amongst themselves while they worked, some cleaning her
hair and fur as others made adjustments to the various gowns.
In no time, they had Wisdom trying on various gowns, working to find the perfect
one. She was wearing a simple white gown when there was a knock at the door. One
of the maids hurried to open it, the others making themselves scarce. The maid
opened the door and Wisdom found herself staring deep into emerald eyes.
~~~~
Wisdom blinked as the deep voice penetrated her mind. The owner of the emerald
eyes was speaking. The language was gruff, yet she understood certain words. He
offered her his arm and she took it, understanding the gesture better that words.
Wisdom allowed herself to be lead in silence. Her blue-green eyes took in the various
tapestries on the walls, but her mind was elsewhere. She knew the language, could
speak it, but she couldn't figure out how. Unless...but that was a ridiculous idea.
The small portion of her mind paying attention to the outer details alerted her to the
fact they were entering a conference chamber. The guards bowed low to her emerald
eyed consort, as did the knights in the chamber.
She finally allowed herself to look more closely at her escort as he released her arm
and began his own motion to the throne. His hair was a chestnut color, streaked with
highlights from being out in the sun, and it cascaded to just under his shoulder
blades. His shoulders were broad, but not too broad for his frame, and his waist was
narrow. He wore a pair of dark brown breeches and a black shirt. A sword rested at
his hip, but didn't seem to impede him when he finally turned and sat.
~~~~
Suddenly, Wisdom was pinned to the spot by his eyes. The color of emeralds, they
belied the cunning mind behind them. His eyebrow quirked as he studied her
studying him, and the ghost of a smile flitted across his features. And Wisdom grew
more anxious.
When he spoke, his voice, though deep, slid over her skin like satin and caressed her
senses. Though his voice promised pleasures, Wisdom was wary and on her guard.
Something about this man was familiar and unsettling. She was so guarded from
him, she sensed his spell as he attempted to weave it over her.
So alert were her senses, she could tell what spell he was weaving and the affects he
expected it to have on her. She made an inward face, not relishing the idea of being
his slave for anything, no matter that he was promising to make her his equal.
He stopped speaking, looking at her expectantly. She could see the sparkle of the
spell around her protective shields, and quickly found the reaction he was looking
for.
Wisdom curtsied to the man, never speaking. Her eyes never wavered from his,
though, and she watched with mild satisfaction as his eyes widened slightly. She
stood from her curtsy, turned, and strode from the chamber.
~~~~
Wisdom wasted no time in hurrying down to the stables. She found the black horse
and mounted him, barebacked and in the dress. She tugged on the mount's mane,
not having time to put reins on the creature.
The horse reared up on it's hind legs before slamming them down into the stable
doors, splintering them easily. Her mount galloped down the thoroughfare, headed
around the palace, and out the back garden.
As they passed from the palace grounds, Wisdom chanced a glance back. Her eyes
connected with emerald for the briefest of seconds. She turned to face the direction
the horse was going, watching as the sands claimed the town. In less than five
heartbeats, she was back in the desert and galloping away from the town.