Today's Scribblings

From "Annani" chapter 12.5 (kinda...)

Early the next morning, Tessa was aroused by a familiar voice, whispering "Tessabethia! Tessabethia! You must wake up!" She shivered with cold as she cast off the heavy, warm blankets around her and wobbled her way out of the tent. "Sir Hrans!" she cried and flew to embrace him. A spout of questions came regarding the Annanians and how he had come across the line, but he held up his hand for silence. "Larkie you must listen to me. Put on a cloak with a well made visor that you can see through and change into these," here he held up a tunic and spocks (light pants). "As soon as you have done so, meet me by the campfire, and do not make much noise. I should like to have a word with you before the others wake."

"Yes sir," she whispered and took the clothes. Once she was fairly disguised, she donned a cloak with an almost stiff opaque visor that allowed her to see out, but no else in to see much of her face. Then, she slipped from the tent into the night and met Hrans by the fire as instructed. "Hrans, what am I to do?" she asked, a bit afraid, a little petrified, and very curious.

Hrans stared into the fire for some moments before turning to answer her, and when he did speak it was not exactly an answer.

"Tessabethia, are you afraid to fight? To really fight evil when it comes tooth and nail, fist and fire to rid the world of evil, are you afraid?" Tessa's eyes looked like a tremerous liquid in the firelight and she thought on this for a moments time. Then, her eyes resolution and her mind clarity. She looked into Hrans' eyes and said smilingly, solemnly, quietly, "no."

"Why do you not fear?" asked Hrans, his question cutting between the mortar of her mind.

"Because my master is greater than this present darkness." She said this, and she said it well, but she felt something unreadable give out in her heart and saw something equally unreadable in the corners of Hrans eyes, but he said no more. Instead, he explained, at least in part the plan which would unfold that morning.

"You are to speak to no one, and if you must speak, keep your voice hushed. You must become invisible and become someone else to the crowd; you must be another soldier. "

"But what am I to do?" Tessa asked, slightly apprehensive at striding into the unknown.

"That I do not know, though I have guess." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "You must have patience Lark, patience and a quiet spirit. Listen carefully for his voice. He will tell you what you are to do, but you must not allow yourself to get in the way of your heart's ears." Tessa's brow furrowed. She did not much like the idea of marching into an army camp to do something, but having no idea what that something might be. Hrans directed her to the path she was to take to reach the clearing where the army was gathering.

"Keep going straight and soon you'll see the light breaking up through the clearing." She could already see that the last of the night was fading and blue patches were showing up clearly through the trees overhead. She warmly bade him farewell and he smiled somberly. As soon as distance erased her from view, he returned to the camp, sat with his back to the fire, and closed his eyes.


Tessa picked her way through the forest, keeping in a straight line as best she could. This became more difficult as she made her way further into the brush. Suddenly, she felt as though she had perhaps wandered off in the wrong direction. Maybe she was going deeper and deeper into the dark and farther away from the sun. This had an intense effect on her, perhaps a great deal more intense then the effect it would have on you or I. She had always enjoyed wide open spaces and sunlight; sunlight on everyside, pouring through everything, blazing on everything. But here it was dark. She began to feel claustrophobic as one feels in a closet. Then she saw something flicker, like a pair of unwelcome eyes and panic smote her. She picked up her cloak and began to run, but the faster she ran, the more noises she heard. She could hear clattering and crackling from behind her and whizzing all about her. She tripped on a root and lay still, a pain numbing her left toe where she had stubbed it and her cold hands scratched by dry earth began to sting. As she lay there she began to feel a dim solitude. She felt that things, dark things, were all over and around her, watching her. This was what the Darkness had intented; to paralyze her with fear. Then, she heard a sigular sound that cleared her head quite a bit and she raised her head up. Had she ever heard a bell chime, she would have thought it sounded something of the sort, only it was not random but deeply melodic. It was unlike any song she had ever heard, but she felt as though she knew the song. It had a tinge of something that singed her heart. "I have forgotten You," she whispered aloud. She was speaking to Meihlu. "I have been thinking only of my own strength." She felt ashamed. Then the note, or the song, or the chime came again. She began to look around, now not fearing anything dark, even it was there. The corner of her mouth broke into a smile, and as she asked forgiveness, she felt her heart grow lighter and she gathered herself. She was silent for a moment and forgot all else but the One who was close by. She began looking through the branches of trees and through to the sky as though she might find him. "Take my pride and bind it here Dear One." She bounded over a log and began making her way to the camp now lighter of heart and foot, no longer alone.