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Warrior's Burden and Anna
Story:
"Land ho!!"
The shout lifted Anna's spirits as she looked toward the horizon, searching for the small strip of green that would mark the small landmass in the distance. She was tired of the same familiar sights and sound of the ship, and the same old crew. She wanted a new adventure, and she hoped finding new land would lead her to one. As the ship carried her closer and closer to the ever-growing land, Anna sighed and stared into the distance. What adventure would await her here?..........................
"Come on!!"
Warrior's Burden sighed. His best friend, Arthur, was summoning him. It was time for the two of them to complete the ritual that would mark them as adults. Warrior had been dreading this day ever since he had been born. But he slowly stood and went to join his friend at the gate of the castle, and the two of them went out to meet their destiny. Whatever happened, they would be together............................
The ship had finally reached the land that Anna had been yearning for. She bounded off the ship and into the water, barely hearing Captain Pawbeard's warning of rougue natives. She ran through the refreshing waters, letting her golden hair stream out behind her. This was what she had been waiting for. Finally getting her fill of the warm, shallow, tropical water, Anna ran up onto the white, sandy beach. The sand was warm beneath her paws, but Anna barely noticed. A dark, mysterious jungle, which started a few paw lengths up the beach, commanded her full attention. Somehow, Anna knew that the adventure that she seeked lay in the jungle. ............................
Warrior and Arthur walked slowly out of the castle's walls and into the grassy fields that laid beyond. As they reached the top of the first hill, they came upon the elders who were to give them their task. For a few moments, tense silence filled the air. After what seemed like an eternity, the first elder spoke. "Warrior and Arthur, you are here to become knights. And you also know,becoming knights means becoming men, as well."The second elder continued,"We have chosen a task that, if completed, will allow you to showcase your skills and what you have learned." The third elder spoke,"If you are successful, you will be honored. If you fail, death is your reward." The last elder finished,"The king and queen are watching you closely. Are you ready?" ...........................
Anna looked back at the ship. The rest of the crew was unloading boxes, preparing a camp site. Anna knew that they would be busy for a while, trying to make sure they had all the necessary items for survival. No one would miss her. She quickly glanced back over her shoulders again, making sure no one was looking. When she was sure, she darted into the jungle, out of sight to everyone else. She kept running until she was sure no one was following her. Then she took a closer look at the jungle she was in. .........................
Warrior looked at Arthur, and the two of them nodded, ready for the task that controlled their destiny. The fist elder spoke again, giving them the task. "You two are to slay the dragon who resides in the blackened forest." Neither Warrior or Arthur seemed prepared to receive the news. "What?!" Arthur couldn't help himself. "That is an impossible task!!" And secretly, Warrior felt the same, although he wouldn't have voiced it aloud. However, the elder only seemed bemused by the outburst. "That is the task", he said again, looking at both of them closely, "Will you accept it?" Warrior nodded, and Arthur did the same, both of them feeling the first weight of the task in front of them. "Good", the elder said, "Now, go and complete the task that has been given. Go now." ......................
Deep within the jungle, Anna looked at her surroundings for the first time. Although she had been in many different types of forests and jungles before, she could sense that this one was different somehow. This jungle seemed to have a different "feel" to her, as if this forest held some type of secret magic. But she couldn't figure it out. Anna kept walking though, fascinated by the sights of colorful birds and animals she had never seen before. After a while, Anna began to feel as if the air was getting denser, although, she reasoned with herself, it couldn't be. Air was just air, and it couldn't get any denser or any lighter. She was just getting ready to turn back, unsettled with the air changes, when she saw a small clearing ahead. Bursting through the few remaining plants, Anna found herself in an oasis, with a crystal clear pool that was fed by a waterfall. The beauty of the place struck Anna. "Wow", she murmured to herself, "Wow."....................
The dark forest felt good to Warrior as he and Arthur entered it as they began their task. The sun had been hot that day, and Warrior welcomed the shade that surrounded them now. Neither friend spoke for a while as they tried to concentrate on the task. Both felt that this seemed impossible, but how could they become knights without completing it? It seemed that neither one could come up with an answer to that question. As they traveled deeper into the forest, they began to notice blackened, charred trees, or what remained of them, a sure sign of dragon fire. They were getting close. Finally, Warrior spoke,"Look. The blackened forest." And so it was, the miles and miles of charred remains and ashes where the dragon resided. The two were face to face with their destiny.....................
Anna couldn't find the strength to leave the paradise that she had found. She knew the others would be looking for her by now, maybe even searching the forest, but she knew that they wouldn't be able to find her. She sat by the pool, letting her paws dangle in the surprisingly cold water and thinking about the adventure she thought she would have had here. She sighed as an errant thought ran across her mind that told her that she was wrong about this place, and that she wouldn't have an adventure. But she was so sure....and this place.....it seemed as if this place was the perfect place to have an adventure.....so why hadn't she had one yet? .........................
And their destiny did not keep them waiting. Almost as soon as they entered the blackened forest, Warrior and Arthur found the dragon they had to slay. The creature was a poisonous green, and it was sleeping, curled up on a pile of stolen gold. Warrior lifted his bow to strike when Arthur, being the klutz that he was, stepped on a stray branch and broke it with a loud SNAP! The dragon woke up at once and immediately spotted the two with its toxic yellow eyes. It roared and spit fire at them as they scrambled to safety. Both raised their weapons, Warrior with his bow, and Arthur with his sword. They attacked as the dragon came lurching towards them. Each hit they landed on the dragon's skin, seemed only to make it angrier. Neither of them could land a decent blow on the dragon's thick, scaly hide. Finally, the creature had had enough. It spun around, and finding its target, spit fire from its mouth. Warrior felt the flames burn into him from all sides. In agonizing pain, he fell to the forest floor. As the fire burned him, it gagged him. Warrior couldn't move as he watched the dragon lurch closer and closer to Arthur, who stood paralyzed with fear. In a last bit of desperation and strength, Warrior lifted his bow one last time. But he realized he was too late as the dragon effortlessly killed his best friend with one bite. As a searing flame of pain hit him as he watched his friend die, Warrior released the bow and watched as the arrow flew through the clearing. His vision faded as he succumbed to the pain that engulfed him. The last thing he felt was a shake of the earth as something heavy hit the ground..................................
Anna felt the earth shaking. Alarmed, she jumped to her feet. "What was that?," she murmured, as she looked around. The shaking had stopped as swiftly as it had began. Intrigued, Anna decided to explore. With a fierce ache of joy, she realized that this was the adventure she had been waiting for. Whatever was going to happen to her, it was going to happen now. She smiled as she stepped away from the oasis and into the dark jungle...........................
Warrior's vision came back slowly, along with the pain. Groaning, he slowly rolled up into a sitting position. For a few moments, all he saw was ashes. Then, details slowly came into focus, and he gasped. Of course he remembered what had happened, but....but he thought it had been a dream. What he saw around him convinced him otherwise. The slain dragon lay a few paw lengths away, with an arrow sticking out of its chest, and Arthur, his dear friend and brother, lay dead at its feet. Grief began to invade his life, pain filled his chest, and he howled. Despite his own wounds, Warrior had never been in this much pain..............................
Anna's ears pricked up at the sound of the howl. It sounded close, and the sound of it made her wince. It sounded like someone was in...pain. The sound seemed out of place on the island, where everything was happy and beautiful. She picked up her pace and was running through the jungle when she heard the second howl. As she continued deeper into the jungle, she started to notice the air again. This time it seemed denser than before, and she had the sensation that she was swimming in the air, the air seemed that dense. She couldn't shake off the sensation, no matter how hard she tried to. She was just about to give up on the whole adventure thing, when she noticed the jungle thinning up ahead. She headed towards it, knowing that the sound was coming from up ahead. However, as she approached this clearing, she felt a tingle of dread come over her......................
Warrior stopped howling. No one would be able to hear him. It was no use. He got up and started to pace around the clearing, tears streaming down his eyes. His mind raced as he tried to think about what to do next. A thought ran across his mind, that he had slayed the dragon, that he had succeeded. He was a knight now. Although it was true, Warrior tried not to think about that. What about Arthur, he thought, What about poor Arthur? He looked at Arthur's body. What was he to do with it now? He didn't think he could bear to drag it all the way back to the castle, but yet his friend needed a proper burial. Suddenly, Warrior couldn't take it anymore. His instincs took over and he bolted into the forest. He closed his eyes as he ran, letting the tears flow. He noticed nothing, not even the air, which seemed to becoming denser and denser. He told himself that he wouldn't stop for anything. And then he ran right into something. Hard..........................
Warrior opened his eyes to find himself on top of another dog. However, he noted, this was no ordinary dog. It was an extraordinarily pretty she-dog, with golden blond hair and green eyes that were examining him with curiosity. This is no she-dog, he thought, this is an angel. Just as he thought that, Warrior realized something. He wasn't crying anymore. There was no more pain in his heart. All of his grief over Arthur was gone. Anna stared at the dog who had just run her over. The first thing she noticed about him was his eyes. They were a light purple color, unheard of in her village. And then she noticed the burns. His fur was singed, charred, and smoking slightly, as if he had just been burned. What had happened to him? She wondered if thats why he was howling. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. Suddenly, Anna noticed what he was wearing. Armor. Was...was...was he a knight? Warrior couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She was the only thing that was keeping the events of the last couple of hours out of his head. He kept studying her face, noting the freckles and the two scars on her nose. And then he noticed what she was wearing. Her clothes were like nothing he had ever seen before. She had on a ripped cloak? Boots? What was that piece of cloth on her head? What was on her front legs? Suddenly aware that he was on top of her, Warrior gave her a sheepish smile and quickly climbed off of her. As she got up he said, "Hello, I am Warrior." Anna smiled as he introduced himself and then replied," I'm Anna." She still couldn't believe the hurt that ran through her when the knight had climbed off of her. She wanted to stay embraced like that forever. But, his smile was dreamy. Still, there was something weird about this. She had to ask, "Are you a knight? Like, a real one?" Anna quickly shut up after that. She couldn't believe her "girl talk" had come out. It usually only came out when she was around other girls and she hated it. She waited for him to answer.Warrior couldn't resist answering her, even if the answer was one he didn't really want to give. "Yes", he replied,"I am a knight." He was puzzled by the strange expression that appeared on her face when he said that. "Is something wrong?" he asked, hoping to understand her. She shook her head, although he could tell that she was keeping something hidden. She sat down by him, watching the late afternoon sun filter through the trees. "Come on, you can tell me," he coaxed, looking at her. He wanted to know what she was thinking. Anna sighed. "The thing is, I don't really understand it all myself. And...I don't know if I can explain it to you." Her eyes looked up at his, pleading. She really did want to tell him, but how could she explain it if she didn't know what was going on? She locked eyes with him, and her heart melted. "Alright, I'll try. See, I am a pirate. And where I come from, knights and castles and princesses don't exist. Anymore, that is. They used to, but now, they don't." Warrior looked at her. She looked serious enough, so he asked," Pirates? What are those? I do not understand. What do you mean that castles and knights don't exist anymore?" He hated to be a bother to her, but he just had to know. She looked at him sadly and shook her head. He took it as a sign to just listen. And he did. "What I mean is, that knights and castle and all of that took place in my past. Where I come from, knights and castles are a part of history," she explained. Anna tried to make him understand. "But you...you seem to be living in the age of knights and castles...I really don't have any other explanation for this...but you are from my past...""And you are from my future?" Warrior finished for her. Anna nodded, her face showing relief as he finally understood. "Wow."Warrior is from my past.Anna is from my future...........................................................................................................................................
Sorry about the long story, I got caught up in writing this
I think I will continue, since it took me two days to write lol
P.S- I absolutely love this pair- I think they are perfect together!!
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