| Clara landed in the water with a great splash, her body sinking a few feet but her hands refusing sternly to surrender the orb. Shortly afterward, she surfaced, and she began her approach to the end of the waterfall. Still nervous, she began to chant a prayer. "S'Allumer, I praise you," she said. "It is only you who I worship, and none other. May you bring me forth from the darkness into your heatless light, from the storm into the tranquil grove. I remain faithful to you and your worldly glory; I plead to you that you do not dismiss me in my time of need, in my darkest hour--" At that moment, Clara's loud chanting turned to a long, deafening scream as the water under her disappeared. She began to tumble over the falls, the orb still tightly clenched in her wet hands. Down, down, down she fell, screaming all the way, until finally she reached the river below. She blacked out as she hit the water, but surprisingly her fall was cushion considerably. Clara surfaced and floated in the river. Suddenly, the waters parted, letting her body rest on the now-dry bottom of the river. She was then lifted by divine forces from the ground upward; at that moment, she regained consciousness. Did I live? she wondered. Did S'Allumer hear my plea? Clara looked nervously around herself, and suddenly realized that she was being lifted up, already several hundred feet above the river where she landed. "I survived," she whispered, as she continued her ascent. She then began to thank S'Allumer in prayer as she completed her ascent to the top of the waterfall. Finally, she reached the top, and began to approach the bridge. "Look!" Salem exclaimed, pointing at Clara, who floated through the air. "She will be a hero!" Keilich laughed, jumping up and down. Clara was softly deposited on the bridge, the orb still buried in her chest, surrounded by her hands. "You did it!" Isengrim said. "You are truly a child of S'Allumer. Was the orb safe as well?" Clara slowly unclenched her fists. "Here you are," she said, handing the orb to Isengrim. Isengrim examined the orb carefully as Clara's clothing was dried off entirely. "It's in perfect condition," he concluded. "Kat, should she be returned to us, will also be a hero. Now, let us returned to my home. We must prepare ourselves for our quest." The group returned to Isengrim's home to pack some supplies for the quest, then proposed that they rest until the following morning. Clara and Keilich were each given separate quarters for the evening. Clara sat in her bed late at night, dressed in her underwear only, reading from her prayer book, the Orb of S'Allumer resting under her pillow. Just then, Salem entered the room. "Hello," he said, shyly. "Hope the evening finds you well." Clara looked up from her book. Oh, my, she thought. I thought he was much more shy than this. "Of course," she said. "What brings you here?" "I just came to...well, talk with you," he said, smiling. "About our trip." "Yes?" Clara said, urging him to continue. He'll probably want to court me after this, she thought. "Well, I've never been on a trip like this before," he said, "but I wanted to tell you that I will do everything I can to--" He paused for several seconds. "You'll do everything you can to what?" Clara asked. "I will do everything I can to protect you. To keep you safe from the evils of the world, since Kat is not here to protect you." Clara smiled. "That's nice of you, Salem," she said. "I'm going to sleep now; we have a big day of travel ahead of us." "I'll leave you, then," he said, standing and walking to the door. "I just thought I'd tell you...." "Thanks again," Clara said. "Good night." Salem left her, and returned to his own room to sleep. Yes, I was right all along, Clara thought. He fancies me. I just hope he can overcome his thoughts of me so he can focus on the tasks at hand. All five people laid down to sleep, getting much-needed rest for the trip the following day. Back to Stories Back to "TAOK&C" Back to Home |