Friday, July 26, 2013

the continuation of the Narnia stories.....

so, on the first story......

The leader stares at you, his deep blue eyes searching you. You hold his gaze and take a deep breath. He slowly nods, then calls for you to be given a bow, quiver and sword. You are very thankful that you've taken archery and fencing-so you'll be fine. You hope. The leader motions for all of you to follow him. You walk through the forest, taking in the splendor of the Narnian forest. Then you see it. Up ahead, a tall, rearing mountain of black rock rising over the forest. "The Rock of Dragons," whispers the leader. "An evil place. Built by the peoples of the sea before the High King came. Dragons have used it for near a century. Now we come to put an end to the evil." He motions you to spread out in a line, then you start up the mountain. Rock to rock. You keep your eyes fixed on the archers to each side of you as you slither up the mountain. suddenly you stop. There's a huge hole right in front of you. If you hand't looked down you would have fallen in. A wisp of smoke curls up with a sickening smell. Then you see it, the glitter of gold. Transfixed by the beauty of it, you stare and then....

1. Decide it's nothing and move on
2. call the others to the spot and tell them.
3. Are you kidding? Take the gold and run!

if you chose answer 1....

sorry, that was the dragon's hole. To make a long story short, you all get eaten.

if you chose answer 2......

read on.

if you chose answer 3.....

sorry, don't you know a dragon's treasure is enchanted? And unlike Eustace Clarance Scrubb, I'm afraid you remain a dragon to the end of your days.


The others come up and stare down into the hole. "It's the breath of a dragon!" someone whispers.

"And he's just been feeding!" someone else says.

"Look," says the leader, "This is the plan. We need one of us to attract it. Someone has to go in the cave, take some of the gold, and run out. The rest of us will kill it as it comes up after him." you all stare at each other. The you......

1. volunteer your services-no problem!
2. volunteer someone else.
3. say that you need to go home now.

if your answer was 1.........

read on.....

if your answer was 2.......

sorry, the person you volunteered ended up getting eaten, and so the dragon ate all of you as well.

if your answer was 3....

Fine. Go home then.

Quietly you leap down into the hole. The gold clinks as you pick it up. "wait," you whiper frantically, 'will I turn into a dragon?"

"No," someone says, "that's only if you want it for yourself."

You sigh and pick up some more, this time making some more noise. You hear rustling. Then, just to make sure he's awake, you drop a handful of coins, then you're out of there! You scramble for the mouth of the cave, hearing screeching and scrambling behind you. You haul yourself out and start running downhill, falling over the rocks and spilling golden coins everywhere. Then you trip and fall, whirling around to
 see the dragon standing right over you. In the split seconds you have before he turns you into a toasted marshmallow you.....

1. string your bow and fire
2. get up and keep running
3. draw your sword and stand your ground

if you chose answer 1.....

sorry, no time for that. Toasted marshmallow for you.

if you chose answer 2......

sorry, no time for that either.

if you chose answer 3.....

read on........

You draw your sword. The dragon laughs, or sort of laughs. However a dragon laughs. Then he pulls back his head to breathe out his fire, but you dart under his legs and stick your sword up in his belly. The next thing you know everything is black. When you come to, they're just rolling the dragon off of your tired and weary body. You sit up and say that you are fine. They all look at you with admiration.

"This day you have proved your worth," the leader says. "And if you wish you may remain in Narnia for the rest of your life."

you gasp and......

1. say yes-of course
2. say you'll go back home
3. say that the treasure is yours and that you want it.

if you chose 1......

well, i guess you could have many more adventures, but I think in the end you'll want
 to be with your family and friends, so you'll die unhappily.

of you chose 2.....

good choice. you may yet return to Narnia again.

if you chose 3.....

sorry, you'll be turned into a dragon and die most unhappily.



on the second story......

The captain stares hard at you, his deep, deep blue eyes examining you. You stare right back. finally he speaks. "So howed you end up on my ship?" 


"Oh, it wasn't that hard, really."


"So what should I do with you, eh?" He says it more to himself than to you, so you say nothing. He drains his mug of rum. "Well, I suppose I'll just lock you in the dungeon." before you can say a word the big sailor comes in and locks you up down in the hold. It stinks and is wet and leaky. There isn't much, just four wooden walls with a big bolted iron door. You hear voices talking and press your ear to the wall.

voice 1: look, the captain said that we get to The Lone Islands at midnight, pull up the wharf and storm the town. We've got five boats and roughly 500 men-we can take em!

voice 2: but what about that stowaway. I think it's trouble and maybe they know what we're up to.

voice 1: Ah! Loose yer fears, matey. We'll be fine! Wot could go wrong?

You hear footsteps, then all is silent. You.....

1. try the door and look for a way to escape.
2. sit down and cry
3. go to sleep

if you chose answer 1..........

read on

if you chose answer 2................

sorry, but pirates hate crybabies and you end up in the sea.

if you chose answer 3............

you wake up back home


You look around the room, searching for a way to escape. Then you remember the book you read about smuggler's holes and thank your stars that you know how to detect one. And glory be you find one! Inside there isn't much, just an old rusty cutlass and some rope, but you take it. Then you find a section of rotting wood and start hacking. Soon there's a hole big enough for you and you slip through and find yourself in a  room where weapons are stored. You find a better cutlass. You peek out into the hall, but jump right back in when you see a pirate walking down the hall. "Hey Alfy!" he yells, "Capin says to drop anchor and stay here, out of sight!"

As soon as his footsteps fade you dash out into the hall and run up the stairs. All the crew are at the side looking out at something and the sun is shining. You hear footsteps behind you and.........

1. make a dash for the captains cabin
2. turn and fight
3. try to get a longboat over the side

if you chose 1........

read on

if you chose 2......

sorry, there's too many of them and you die fighting bravely.

if you chose 3.........

sorry, that was futile. Try again?


You dash across the deck. A few look over, but seeing nothing they go back to watching whatever it is they're watching. You peek in the window of the captain's cabin. Good. Empty. You slip inside and lock the door. Ok, now you're in business. You rush across the room to the bookshelf and start flipping through them. There it is! A chart with all sorts of different signals on it. You stuff it inside your shirt and run to the closet, pulling some colored cloths out of it. Then you unlock the door and peer out. Good, the way's clear. As quick as you can you burst through the door and run across to the mast. You start climbing and are ten feet up before anybody notices. They all run for the mast and several start climbing. You climb for all you are worth, up and up till you are nearly at the top. You've gained a little ground, so you quickly glance over the chart and find the signal for enemy ship. You draw your cutlass and slash at the pirate who's almost upon you. He falls to the deck. The next one pauses just long enough for you to tie the first signal, a bright red waist coast, onto a piece of rope before you have to fight him too. He was a little tougher, but you won. Quickly you tie a black scarf on next and then climb higher, hoping with all that you are that it will be in time to warn the islands and that they will figure it out that you are the enemy ship. A third pirate is climbing up, so you suddenly switch sides and start going down. Only twenty feet above the deck you stop and jump into the sea. Then you.........

1. swim for shore
2. swim under the ship and hold onto the other side
3. oops! You can't swim!

if you chose answer 1........

read on

if yo chose answer 2......

sorry, they found you and killed you.

if you chose answer 3..........

sorry, you drowned. 

Ok, I'll finish this one in another post. =D


Now for the third story.......

Anyway, you said you'd go to the feast, so you do. It's wonderful-they even lent you some Narnian clothes! You sit by a dwarf and faun, being so delighted and engrossed in their stories. Suddenly the doors burst open and in runs a young man. He shouts out, "I've just seen the white stag!" everybody bursts out of their seats. You've heard of this creature, who grants wishes to those who ca catch him. The faun says, "Do you want to go?" You.........

1. say no
2. say yes
3. say that you've got to be heading home.

if your answer was 1.........

you stay a few more days then go back home.

if your answer was 2......

read on

if your answer was 3..........

fine. go home then.


The faun fits you out with a horse (not the talking kind), a bow and arrows and a short sword. You mount up behind all the others, then the horn sounds and you are off, following the young man who saw the stag. On and on you race until you feel you are about to drop. You are riding behind everyone else, and suddenly you see a flash of white you veer off and race after it. soon you leave the other riders behind. You are much lighter than any of them and your horse is not as exhausted as they are. You see a wall of stone up ahead, and you push your horse forward, guiding it with your knees as you string your bow and ready your arrow. The horse stops, breathing hard, in front of the wall, cornering the stag. You point your arrow at it and say, "A wish, O white stag. grant me a wish." He nods his antlered head. "As you wish, daughter/son of eve/adam. What do you wish for?" You think hard then ask.......

1. To have that thing you've always wanted to have
2. To be that person you've always wanted to be
3. You find you can't ask for anything except that Narnia be protected for a hundred years.

He grants your wish.

if you said answer 1......

he bounds away into the forest and disappears. The next thing you know you're back home.

if you said answer 2.......

He shakes his antlers and bounds away, and when you go back home everything is changed. You're not you-You are missing!

if you chose answer 3.......

Well, nobody would have blamed you if you chose the other two. I couldn't honestly say what I would have chosen, but if you chose 3 then the stag tells you that never in his lifetime has he observed so much selflessness. Then out of thin air appears a book of soft red leather and lettered in gold on the top is says, "The Tales and History of Narnia". It is about a foot thick, but it's not heavy at all. You now have all of Narnia's stories. Then the stag bounds away. You slip off your horse and when your feet hit the ground you are back home. The End.









Friday, July 19, 2013

At The Window {A Short Story}


Old Town was just as it sounded... old. Not to mention boring.
The only places I practically went was the old, dirty swimming pool {what we called the lake--our town was too small for pools} and the school.
The school had more windows than any of the other buildings in town--but there wasn't much to see. One side faced the lake, which was too dirty to be a magnificent sight, and the other side faced the doctor's office.
The doctor's office was gray and molding, and was hardly any prettier to look at than the ''pool''. But if you were lucky, you got the window seat which was across from one of the doctor's office windows, and you could observe the people who sat by it.
There wasn't much fight for this seat, because the only people you saw were the very ones you passed everyday. So I took it, as I usually did... and the English teacher, Ms. Jones, glared at me... also as she usually did. It was a rather usual town.
Half-way through English class, and snoozing, a girl took the seat. She had short, blonde curls and startlingly blue eyes.
I couldn't help but stare. Nothing new ever happened at Old Town. Old Town was not only old, but it was usual. And seeing a strange, unusual girl at the window was quite... unusual.
She caught my eye and grinned softly, as if she knew what I was thinking. She gave a slight wave of her hand, still smiling.

She got out of the doctor's office as soon as I got out of English class. ''Hey, hey,'' I say, waving at her. She sees and stops. ''Hello?'' she questions. I give her my name and she answers ''Alyss.''
I grin as I stuff my hands in my pockets. ''Well, welcome Alyss.''
''And you too, Tom,'' she says as if I haven't been in Old Town all my life. Well, maybe I hadn't--not with Alyss.

{So I keep the fluff off my blog}

Saturday, July 13, 2013

For all you Narnia fans

Ok, here's how this works. Read the question and choose the answer. Hope you like it!


If you were whirrled away to Narnia, where would you appear?

1. in the middle of a forest-near lanternwaste
2. in the belly of a ship bound for the Lone Islands
3. Not far from Cair Paravel

if your answer was 2 or 3, scroll down to the blue for 2 or the green for 3.

If your answer was 1.....
You plomp down on the grass, startled, you leap to your feet. Then it hits you- you're in the place you've always wanted to be- Narnia. Then suddenly your peaceful thoughts are interrupted. An arrow slices by you and buries itself in the trunk of a tree. You whirl around, and the next thing you know, a dozen archers dressed in green and brown, their bows drawn, are surrounding you. You gulp and.....

1. run!
2. faint dead away
3. show that you are unarmed and ask what they want.

if your answer was 1..... sorry, there is no way you could escape. An arrow slices through the air and  before you know it you're gone.

if your answer was 2...... you wake up back home, none the worse for your venture.

if your answer was 3......read on.

The leader steps forward. He is dressed almost like you imagine Robin Hood. He is tall with blond hair and blue eyes. "Who are you and what do you do here?" you gather your courage and say, "My name is ....... and I have just arrived from another world. Who are you?"

"We are the knights of Narnia, sent out to kill a ruthless dragon who lives near here. If you value your life I would leave this place."

"And do not you value your lives?"

He slowly nods his head and looks down at the ground, then back up, fire in his eyes. "We have no fear of death. If we do not succeed then all is lost. The dragon will go on murdering and killing with none to stop it. We value our lives, but we put the lives of other men above out own."
You slowly nod your head then.....


1. Take their advice and leave.
2. say you will go with them to your death
3. pause and try to think of a fitting speech to answer the leader.


if your answer was 1.....

sorry, but you didn't see the cliff and in your hurry to get away you accidentally slipped over the edge.

if your answer was 2..... read on....


if your answer was 3.....

the leader is disgusted. He honors action and deed, not words. He sends you on your way, and you end up the same way as answer 1 did.

I'll post the rest of this story later!


if your answer was number 2.....

You land with a bump on something hard-wood. The air smells salty and your feet won't hold you upright. You look up. A table is sliding around on the floor. A lantern is swinging above it and a fearful roaring noise is coming from somewhere. You stagger upright. suddenly a trap door opens and in comes a sailor. He sees you and stops dead still. "Wha'?" he says. "A stowaway!" Suddenly you.....

1. run past him up the stairs towards the light.
2. say that you are not a stowaway and you want to know where you are.
3. say that you will call the British consul.

if your answer was 1.....

sorry, you pushed past him and a wave swept you overboard. Good manners pay off sometimes.

if your answer was 2.....read on

if your answer was 3...

sorry, no British consul here. You're not going to have much fun on this trip, so I'd suggest going back and picking another number. 

He tells you that you are in Narnia. You are so excited and ask if this is the Dawn Treader. He says it isn't, but that this is another ship almost like it. It's called the Sunset Dancer. You ask to see that captain, and he takes you to the main cabin. The captain is spreading out charts at a big desk. The sailor explains who you are. Something in you doesn't like his face. He offers you some ale. You.....

1. drink it-no problem!
2. explain that your mother doesn't let you have ale.
3. pretend to drink it but don't.

if your answer was 1.....

sorry, it was poisoned.

if your answer was 2.....

the captain runs you through and tosses your body overboard.

if your answer was 3.....read on

I'll finish it later! =D


if your answer was 3.....

You land by a small pond with little fishes swimming around in it. You hear some shouting, and decide to investigate. It is a sword-fighting contest. You've studied your fencing and watch closely. Two knights are pretty evenly matched, but suddenly the taller of the two disarms his opponent. You saw how he did it. The winner laughs, then looks at you. "Ah! Won't the stranger in strange clothes try it?" You....

1. say no on no uncertain terms.
2. Run into the forest
3. accept the challenge.

if your answer was 1.....

sorry but saying no in not acceptable. You try to get away, but before you know it you have to fight him, and you loose, and in humiliation you go back home.

if your answer was 2....

sorry, but that was suspicious. They try to find you, but you tried to climb a tree and fell, so it was too late when they found you.

if your answer was 3....

read on.

You pick up the sword. It's a little heavier than the one you're used to, but it will do. The round starts. You go pretty evenly, then you take your chance and disarm him with the same stroke he used on his last opponent. He laughs and invites you to dine at the castle with all the lords and ladies. You.....

1. decline
2. accept
3. say that you'll come later.

if your answer was 1....

well, guess you might as well go back home.

if your answer was 2.....

read on in my next post

if your answer was 3....

you too can read on in the next post. =D



















Friday, July 12, 2013

More about Elite Frost.

So remember when I posted a little bit about Elite Frost? {I'm not leaving the link, but it shouldn't be that hard to find if you scroll down because not a lot of authors post anymore}
The idea of Elite Frost is actually getting on fairly well.

Elite Frost is different then the character's I'd normally right about. She's in the same sort of survival-setting as Alissa was in, except it's much rougher. Also, she actually grieves killing even animals to eat and is fairly soft hearted. Don't get me wrong, Alissa was rather like that too. But she {Alissa} was more of ''if I have to do it I have to do it'' sort of gal.

Anyway, here's a bit of Elite Frost's story.




 Prologue:

Some kids I knew would have punched the wall in anger. Other would have drowned their sister’s kitten in a fit of rage.
But I simply sighed and threw the letter across my room.
I got up and pulled on my form-fitting jeans and evergreen tank-top. After that I put on an over sized leather jacket and supple leather boots.
Jumping off the last step of the stairs, I grabbed my bow and arrows.
The chill morning was dewy and crisp. I deeply breathed in, enjoying the feel and smell of it.
I walked towards the woods, trying to ignore the group of larger teenagers heading my way.
I knew they were going to stop me but I keep walking calmly to the woods.
‘’Hey, shorty. Where you think you headin’ off to?’’ The leader of the small gang calls out, spitting out a straw.
I turn to face him, staring him evenly in the eye. This unnerves him. Stupid creature; for some unknown reason he thinks I’ll back down. Because I’m a girl, or I’m small. What he doesn’t see is the muscles that are hidden under the jacket, or the defensive pose I hold. Or obviously the weapon I have.
‘’To the market,’’ I answer drily, while in small movements stringing my bow. His group behind him snickers.
I could have killed them for that. The fact that his own buddies are laughing at him only enrages him further.
‘’Don’t try to be so smartie with me, shorty. Maybe I’ll give you the beating you deserve,’’ he says menacingly, taking a step towards me.
But I know his threats are empty. ‘’Yeah, right,’’ I answer, and I aim my arrow at his heart. We both know that if I choose to let my arrow fly, I will not miss my target.
He glares at me one last time before muttering something to his crew like: ‘’Next time. I’m lettin’ her off lucky. She gonna need it.’’
I grin to myself as the group leaves. Every morning, I go out to the woods. I rarely hunt however, because we all know that I can do it. Sometimes I kill an animal for dinner, so that they won’t forget. I can easily kill one of them as I can a squirrel.
I don’t feel like hunting today. Instead I sit on one of my favorite, flat boulders.
I know I should be hunting. This meeting we had is the closest we have gotten to a fight yet. I need to kill something as a warning.
But I can’t. I hate the smell of death, of the blood of the animals. I hate knowing that I’m the one who has caused this ugly thing.
I laugh quietly at myself. If anybody else knew, my position as hunter would automatically fall down to prey. They would probably kill me if they knew. No, they would.
And this is the world I live in.



















Chapter One:

I hold my breath as I look upon the magnificent sight.
The young doe, as pretty as can be, breaks from her feasting to stare directly at me.
I should take this opportunity to shoot her. To kill her for dinner, and breakfast, and many more meals.
But I can’t.
I let my bow fall as she runs away. A measly hunter I make.
Sighing, I bend down to pick up some edible plants. Rosemary. It wouldn’t taste half bad on a squirrel.
As if by luck, one comes prancing along. It stops, just like the doe did, and listens to something. Also like with the doe, this is the perfect opportunity to kill it. Silently, I aim for the eye. A clean shot, and it kills instantly. If I have to kill, I’ll make sure it will be done as soon as possible.
I’m about to let my arrow fly when the squirrel darts away. It moves too quickly for me to kill it running.
Both the doe and the squirrel puzzle me. I have done everything in silence with both of them, yet they still run. Something must be here besides me.
I watch warily for any flicker of movement, still not moving myself. The bushy, green sprouts of rosemary helps conceal me with the wild bushes around me.
There’s nothing here, I tell myself. All I hear is the faint sounds of my own breathing and animals moving. There are not many creatures who would wait this long to move, even if it was for safety. I can hardly believe I’ve been here so long myself.
There’s no need for me to be silent but I do it instinctively; slithering into a crouch, prepared to walk away, silently.
Just then it moves. A shape that looks hardly bigger than mine moves into view. By its showing of soft stubble, it looks like a boy hardly older than me, fourteen. Like a wild creature the boy shakes his eye-length, dirty blonde hair out of his face. He grins to himself and I hate how I notice how nice it looks on his face. Mother told me in a world different than ours, admiring this wouldn’t be a fault. But it’s not a different world, and roughness is required to survive.
‘’Now, I thought I saw rosemary somewhere around here…’’ the boy says quietly to himself, still smiling. He takes a dirty, callused hand and pushes it through his front hair, all while his eyes search for the rosemary.
The rosemary. I panic. If he finds the rosemary, he finds me also. I walk on all fours quietly away, hoping that animal sounds will mask the small sounds I make.
It’s too good to be true. Without tensing, stopping or anything he leaps at me, his back still facing me.
He turns in the air and catches me utterly by surprise. I hadn’t seen the muscles that bulged under his baggy shirt, and he pins me down with great force.
He’s panting only lightly. My bow and arrows press into my back, pinned down by me. There’s no chance for me to get them.
‘’Who are you?’’ He asks roughly. The same light blue, almost clear eyes that twinkled before are now cold.
Raven Moorwood, I almost say. But before I know what I’m doing I answer: ‘’Elite Frost.’’
‘’Well then, Elite Frost, I must ask what you are doing spying on me,’’ he answers. He doesn’t hear the false note in my lie, or if he does he doesn’t press it.
He’s polite but yet he’s in control. He’s obviously one who can wind you up without barely lifting a finger to do so; controlling everything just with his tone.
Somehow this annoys me. ‘’I must ask you what you’re doing scaring off my lunch. First the doe, now the squirrel,’’ I snarl. I try to wiggle my arms out of his grasp but he only tightens it.
‘’And would you really kill an innocent doe, Elite Frost?’’ He asks quietly, his eyes boring into mine.
Weakness and pity are the worst things you could show around here. ‘’As easily as I could kill you,’’ I answer just as softly, hoping my voice doesn’t crack or betray me in any other way.
‘’Ah, well, that doesn’t sound so good for me. I must not let you go in that case,’’ He says. He does it while he talks and his eyes never leave mine, so I don’t know he’s binding up my wrists. ‘’Don’t struggle, please, it makes it all the so much harder. It’s much less painful for both of us this way,’’ he says courteously, moving down to my feet. His face is directly above my feet as he works and I take the chance to kick him in the face.
He sits up abruptly, blood pouring out of his nose. The sight of it makes me nauseous. I struggle to get on my feet as well as I can and to get away from this polite stranger as soon as I can. Using a tree trunk to support my back, I wiggle my way up.
My hands tied up and my head still dizzy from the blood, I start to run. ‘’Oh no you don’t,’’ I hear him grunt. I can hear his panting and running feet even behind the screaming.
My screaming, I recognize. As soon as I do the screams die down in my throat, leaving them only a lump.
I’m fast. I know that because of the hour-less long days of practice and training. He won’t catch up to me.
But he does. Like before, he takes a hurling jump and pins me down.
‘’I’m sorry. I did warn you, if you remember,’’ he says. I feel a sharp blow on my head and his words start to drift.
When I come to I’m bouncing on his back. We’re still in the woods and I almost think that nothing has happened. But the jiggling and bouncing brings me back.
I can’t escape. My hands and feet are bound. One strong arm keeps me pinned to his shoulder. But he didn’t think of stuffing a bandana or cloth in my mouth, and I can speak.
‘’You know my name; it’s only fair I should know yours,’’ I say, in my way of telling him I’m awake.
‘’I was wondering when you’d wake up,’’ he says pleasantly. He changes the subject easily and gracefully, but I won’t let him.
‘’Tell me your name,’’ I say, more insistent this time. He pauses before answering. ‘’Fine. Tyler Dean,’’ he answers.
That’s probably not his name. But I didn’t give out my true name either, so I don’t press him. 

What do you think? I know, it's pretty different. 
Post script: Has anybody else noticed that I'm almost the only one who's posting anymore? It's almost like it's becoming more of my blog than anybody else's. ;)      

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

On a Happier Note....

I'm done with the first editing stage of the Second Snow White!

Yippie!

When this happens, I typically put the novels out on my blog, with a reminder that it still has quite a far way to go.

So, that means.... you can find the second Snow White on my private blog!
I've already started working on the third and final one. I'm still not sure, however, if it will ever see the light. The plot could use some more work and I didn't really leave the second book on a cliff-hanger.
I'm considering just leaving it for now and working on a new novel, in a totally different series. What do you think?

~Madeline
All photos via pinterest or google images (including used for designing & favicon) unless otherwise stated.