An apology

Unfortunately, there will be no more posts until February, since we are having a screen-free month in January

Etina

PART ELEVEN

Sonia was bored. Never scared, oh no, but bored. The suite of rooms reserved for certain luckier prisoners was extremely comfortable in all but that there was nothing Sonia wanted to do. There was carpet on the floor and nice furniture, but against the wall stood a bookshelf full of nothing but dictionaries!
 She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there. At least two days. A terrified looking woman with an iron anklet had brought her more than enough food, but never stayed long enough for Sonia to say much more than “hello, what's your name? Hey! Where are you going?”.
The encounter in the Cold Forest had reminded her how lonely she had been. How she hadn’t spoken to anyone, properly, since her conversation with Mirabell. She wished there was someone she could talk to. Through experience she had learnt that talking to thin air was a poor substitute for human companionship. She’d gone through all this before in the cold forest, but there, at least, was distraction. The need for shelter and food had given an opportunity to use her mind in other ways than dwelling on such things. Here there was nothing but dictionaries! Sonia was politely awoken from her reverie by the arrival of a short, solemn faced girl in a servant’s uniform, carrying a heavy bag on her shoulder.

 For a moment they both surveyed each other. The girl unslung her bag and took out a piece of paper which she handed to Sonia. 

It said: “My name is Etina. I am to be your servant. Three years ago I was kidnapped from an island near the warmer regions. No one else wanted me because I didn’t talk.” 

When she had finished reading Sonia looked once more at the girl, who was staring expectantly back at her. 

“So your name’s Etina?” The girl nodded. “When you wrote you didn’t talk, um, well, you can talk?” she nodded again. Sonia handed back the paper which Etina took silently and replaced in her bag. “What’s in there?” Asked Sonia, feeling the need for something other than a yes or no question. The girl, instead of answering in words, showed Sonia the contents of her bag. Sonia, less interested in the bag than in Etina speaking, gave it no more than a glance. “We can’t go on like this if you’re going to be my maid.” Etina shrugged, as if to say, 

“maybe not you, but I’m sure I could.” she turned, dragged the sofa to the wall and began to make her bed. It appeared they were both prisoners. Sonia walked disconsolately away.

Apologies for the delay, I have been in the North Island since September and have only just got back

The Figure

PART TEN

In a large lower room crouched a small, black figure. A door opened at the far end. The figure stiffened but did not get up. Two guards entered. They walked slowly and lazily over to the figure. One of them kicked it.

“Get up. You’re in the way of the caretaker.” The figure leapt upon them, knocked them out and stole their guns. :) 
It ran up the stairs with the guns concealed under its cloak. Down the stairs came the sound of cheering and stomping, then silence. At the top the figure passed quietly through an open door into the crowded hall. Removing its hood, it revealed itself to be a girl, possibly sixteen, with bound up brown hair and a melancholy expression.

She pushed her way to the front of the crowd and sat on the floor by a column to get a good view of the proceedings. At one end of the room was the platform, now crowded with many brightly dressed people. Halfway down the floor was a tall, one-legged table and on it sat a jug and a heavy gold and glass cup. At the other end was a group of guards surrounding the four prisoners and Shine, in the ceremonial cup bearer’s dress.

There was almost complete silence. At a signal from someone on the platform, Shine walked slowly and carefully forward. She poured the red liquid into the cup with extreme care; if she spilled it she would be disgraced. From her seat on the floor the girl watched Shine intently as she made her way up the hall to the platform where Ivan received the cup without giving her a glance. The girl on the floor looked back at the group of prisoners. The two women were weeping quietly as the men comforted them and the guards stood by silently. The dark haired woman looked up at the platform across the room. On it she noticed a small blonde boy beside Ivan and shrieked.

Breaking free of the guards she sped across the floor to clasp him in her arms, but he shrank back from her to a tall lady standing a little behind Ivan. the woman was dragged back by the guards, sobbing.

Ivan, who had looked on in a bored, uninterested manner, now stepped forward, held the cup high and shouted: “Let the revelry begin!”

The girl quickly got clear of the crowd as it swept in to close the path to the platform. She now stood quite near it, watching the multitude in its uncontrolled movement and noise like an angry sea. She glanced round to watch the occupants of the platform. Shine was shyly smiling at Ivan. He half turned and without looking at her, asked her what she wanted. Blushing uncomfortably, she knelt. “Lord  Ivan, I gave you the cup and you still haven’t drunk from it. May I go?” he turned on her a black look and struck her face with the full cup. She fell to the floor with a cry. The girl started forward to help her.

“Leave her alone.” commanded Ivan. She remained where she was. Ivan gave an order to one of his guards who took Shine away. While this was happening the girl slipped behind one of the platform’s curtains to observe what followed. By now the crowd was dancing and singing noisily and chaotically. Ivan walked forward, gave another order and the crowd parted to let the prisoners through. The dark haired woman who had run forward before was hiding her face with her hands. Silence fell.

“Look, Mother,” Ivan said to the tall lady behind him, “I have brought you prisoners.”

The lady looked down her nose at them. “You!” She pointed at the dark haired woman. “What is your name?”

The woman lowered her hands to reveal her tear stained face. She looked defiantly and accusingly at the lady.

“My name is Angele Weaver Crispin and you have my son.” She pointed at the boy. The lady’s face twitched ever so slightly. The girl noticed it and wondered. The lady turned, next, to the two men, Ralf Crispin and Jermaine White, and the light haired woman, Lana Kier. the lady looked them up and down once more and ordered for them to be separated and locked up. 
“Let the dancing continue!” and she swept off the platform with the little boy. Once she was gone, Ivan jumped down into the crowd and danced and sang with the rest of them. The girl, now having seen all she wished to see, slipped into a corridor where she met Mirabell and handed over the guns. She left him and retired to a small closet under some stairs where she dressed her hair and changed into a servant’s uniform.

Pictures

 I was practicing drawing waves.

 A mermaid!

 And I was practicing drawing the sea in general.

 These are two of my sisters. The lower one isn't that accurate

 This is a rabbit we found running around our back yard. We caught it and are keeping it in one of our spare cages. (It actually has pink eyes but I changed them so it would look nicer)

I don't like drawing horses for some unknown reason.

Sleeping Beauty! (Ah how nice... um, so much pink.)

Chantel

PART NINE

“Oh (sob) Why did this happen to me? (sob) Now I’ll never be anything. (moan) It’s all Desta’s fault! (sob) If her hand hadn’t been there this wouldn’t have happened!(sob)Now I’ll be turned out of the palace(moan)and I don’t know what I shall do!(sob)”

This had been going on for about quarter of an hour and Ralf was beginning to lose patience.

“Must you? We’re trying to sleep over here!”

“I ca-an’t stop!” said the girl, who was becoming somewhat hysterical.

“Maybe we should just ignore her.” said Angele, in a tired voice. After she and Lana had been captured, they had been separated and Angele was put in a cell with Ralf who she was very glad to see again. They spent one happy day together. It would have been much happier if Connal, Jermaine and Lana had been there too. The next day they had spent worrying, and that evening a tear-soaked girl had been locked in with them. They had gathered from her lamentations that she was- or had been- a dancer, but had made a mistake of some sort and was here because of it. They had tried to feel sorry for her but it was rather difficult since they were both very tired and she didn’t give them an opportunity. They tried ignoring her for a while, they really tried, but eventually they gave up.

“What’s your name?” Asked Angele, hoping this might stop her crying.

“Chantel. (sob)”

Angele sighed, and tried again. “How old are you?” She had to speak quite loudly to make herself heard over the noise of Chantel’s crying. Chantel tried to reply, but couldn’t and therefore sobbed even louder. When she had calmed herself somewhat, Angele said in a quieter voice, “Do you need a hankie?” The girl nodded and continued crying. Angele fetched the box they had thoughtfully been provided with from the ledge in front of the mirror and gave it to Chantel.

“Thag-you” she said, pulling three hankies from the box. It appeared that the worst was over, for the only sounds from Chantel over the next few minutes was her nose being blown and occasional sobs. This soon quietened down into just sniffs. Ralf and Angele decided now would be a good time to go to sleep and were preparing to do so when the door burst open and two large, rough-looking men in grey uniforms walked in.

“You’re comin’ wiv us.” said one.

“Yup.” said the other.

“We’re trying to sleep!” said Ralf.

“Where are you taking us?” asked Angele.

“Ooh, we can’t tell you that, can we, Arthur?” said the first one, exchanging a meaningful glance with the other one, (who we shall now call Arthur).

“Nope. can’t do that, Christopher. Pris’ners aren’t ‘llowed to know that type of thing.”

“How long will it take? We’re tired and need our rest.”

“Can’t be tellin’ you that. You just come ‘long wiv us and it’ll be better for everyone.” said Christopher, smiling.

“Well I suppose you’re right.”

“But what about me?!” Wailed Chantel as the others made a move for the door.

“Ooh dear, I ‘most forgot ‘bout you. You come out the door wiv us and there’s someone for you outside, heh heh.” Said Arthur, chuckling evilly. Chantel blanched with horror at what this might mean but she followed the men and Ralf and Angele out of the door. Outside she was seized by three guards who tied her hands together and dragged her away, kicking and screaming. It was a horrible sight.

“Oi!” said Christopher, “Move faster, pris’ners!”

The Star Wars effect

Imperial suite(s)

"Otherwise Perfect"

The humans kept very much to themselves after that first encounter with Queen Geranium, having decided that the aliens were not friendly. They pitched a large camp near the forest beside which they had landed. Only a few distinguished persons were allowed out to do research on the local flora and fauna. All the children were warned against the “Unfriendly Aliens” and told never to speak to them or something bad would happen. There weren’t many children since the instigators of this recolonisation had only sent young working age people, thus, tearing families apart in the name of progress. (In other words: No one was there because they wanted to be there.) Few of these people had children and of the children there, none were over the age of three. One day a fairy, named Xenia, was passing by and decided to investigate this camp. She managed to get quite far without being stopped and had actually been able to have a good conversation with a nice couple who lived in tent 137 when the head scientist and some of his colleagues noticed her and told her to get out. On inquiring the reason for this she was informed that she was too short. She asked hotly what was wrong with being short and was told that short people were unfortunate mutations in the otherwise perfect process of evolution. She said she would inform the Queen about this insult to their race and stormed out. The Queen was told immediately and was furious but decided not to show it to the humans. Instead she left them severely alone. Anyone who wanted was allowed in the camp By Order Of The Queen So There but no one did.

The Resettlement

In the days before the humans came, life on Outer Earth was peaceful enough. Now and then there would be a disagreement with the Immortals and they'd have a friendly battle in which nobody got hurt and nobody lost.

but one day the chief astronomer said to the queen of the fairies, Queen Geranium: “Excuse me your majesty,”

The Queen, who had very dark hair and skin, and was having a small picnic with some friends, looked up from her cup of fermented blue vine flower juice and rejoined: “Yes, what is it?”

The astronomer looked nervously at the wall, he found the Queen very intimidating and she knew it.

“The- there- um...” he wasn't quite sure how to put this. “Uh, Inner Earth has been sending out ships.”

“They've been sending out ships for years and you didn't have to report it every single time. What's so important about these ships?”

“Er... they uh, they appear to be heading in the direction of our solar system.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. They sent out several signals. It sounds like they're looking for a place to move into and they want to talk to little green men so I'm not sure if it's our planet in particular they're after.”

“Oh.” said the Queen. “Never mind that just now.” she turned to her friends. “Ladies, do not be alarmed.” Turning to the astronomer, she said “You may go.”

he bowed and withdrew.

The next month the fairies were having a friendly battle with the Immortals when there was the sound of a small explosion from behind the the other side of the hill, followed by several more. Queen Geranium and the king of the Immortals, King Ivor, rode over on their buncles, (a large winged animal which lives on Outer Earth),

and saw a cloud of smoke which cleared quickly to reveal a number of large space shuttles on the edge of the forest. Geranium was not impressed.

“Ivor,”

“Yes, Geranium?”

“Could you possibly release my cushion? I may need it.”

He handed it back to her and they waited for the space shuttles to do something. One of them opened and a lot of mist and strange figures in space suits with guns emerged.

“How dare they!” muttered Geranium through clenched teeth.

“I think I kind of like their manner of arrival,” Said Ivor. “it’s what I would have done in their place.”

Geranium looked at him in utter disbelief. how could he say that? There were people down there invading their perfect planet, and he was calmly saying that he approved!

At last she said, rather nastily. “Well I suppose that comes of being from a different planet.”

“Are you trying to say that I’m inferior?” he replied, somewhat annoyed.

“Not just you,” She retorted, disdainfully, and ended with a shout. “Your entire race! I don’t know why I ever trusted you enough to fight against you! You always cheat!” (He never cheated, but Geranium was feeling extremely disagreeable just then)

“So now I cheat? Well I hope you won’t be bothered by cheats like me from now on. I’m not having anything else to do with you or your people and neither will my untrustworthy race!” he hit her hard with his pillow and said, “Take that, with the cheat’s compliments! I hope it hurts a lot!”

Geranium wasn’t going to let him get away with that and so whacked him with her cushion, leapt onto his buncle and pushed onto the ground where she proceeded to punch him as hard as she could while he pulled her hair, all the time hurling insults at each other. Their crowns fell off and their clothes became so dirty that they were no longer recognisable as monarchs. a loud cough from behind made them stop to see who dared to interrupt their royal fight. they looked up to see three people in space suits standing staring at them.

“What do you want?” Said Geranium.

“We are humans from Planet Earth,” Said one. “Which has become over crowded so we came here to settle and start-”

“Why are you wearing space suits?” Asked Ivor, sitting up.

“Because,” Said the first one. “we are unsure whether your atmosphere is fit to breathe.”

“Our atmosphere unfit to breathe?!” Geranium was outraged. these people, humans, had come without permission to settle on their planet and now they were saying there was something wrong with the air!

“How dare you!” She shouted, jumping up. “Our air is perfectly fine and no one is allowed to say otherwise!”

“Well we need to make sure that the oxygen levels-”

“The oxygen level is fine! If it wasn’t then how could you hear me?!” She couldn’t believe how stupid these people were.

“Well you have a point there. I think we should return to our shuttle, though.” They moved off. Geranium now turned to see what was keeping Ivor so quiet all this time and saw that he was way off on the plain, withdrawing his troops. they never spoke to one another again. this was the beginning of the long and bitter enmity between Immortals and Fairies and how the humans came to Outer Earth.

A Dance

PART EIGHT

a metallic clang woke Sonia. She had not realised she had fallen asleep. The first clang was soon followed by more, and the sound of immense cogs turning. At the end of the great hall, the braziers were being re-lit with purple and blue flames. The light from them revealed two vast, stone plates moving to meet the bridge in the middle. Sonia was not surprised, the floor had often been moved in this way when she was still living here. This time must be for a dance or something of that sort. Sure enough, when the ground was again still, from all sides there rushed girls in blue dancing dresses and makeup, who all froze in varying positions.

 The edges of the hall slowly and silently filled with people, a high pitched note rang through the hall and the dance began. It was very lively and energetic at first, then became smoother and more fluid. At one point several dancers sprang high in the air. As one of them came down, her foot hit someone's hand and she lost control and crashed onto the floor.

 The music ceased playing as a stunned silence settled over everything. Nobody moved. The girl didn't get up. The sudden hush was cut short as someone shouted, Sonia didn't hear what they said, but immediately after, two rough-looking men raced out from the crowd and dragged the unconscious girl away. This was unfortunate and unexpected, but the dance must go on. It continued without mishap till the end, when a man, who Sonia recognised as Ivan, dashed onto the floor, scattering the dancers as he went. When at a safe distance, the dancers turned and knelt before him. Ivan darted over to the side nearest Sonia and seized the arm of an auburn haired dancer. He led the uncertain looking girl to the middle of the floor where he released her arm and shouted, “Shine! You have won...”

“Shine!” thought Sonia. “It's Shine, what a surprise.”

“...the privilege of appearing at the ball this evening!” Applause. “And of being allowed access to the royal living area!” More applause. “And an identification plate for your wrist!” Gasps and murmurs from the crowd, but also applause. An identification plate meant you were always being watched, that there were certain places where you could not go because of invisible fencing, and perhaps worst of all, you could never take it off. This kind of thing only happened to very dangerous people or prisoners, never to anyone else. Sonia decided Ivan must not like Shine, which was good, life was bad enough without having those two in league with each other.

“A nice sort of prize.” Someone muttered contemptuously behind Sonia. Shine didn't protest, she knew as well as anyone what this meant, but she also knew, like everyone else did, that whatever lord Ivan commanded must be carried out without a fuss of any kind. Sonia felt no sympathy whatsoever for Shine, who had never been particularly nice to her, although Sonia hadn't ever tried to be agreeable either. She had never liked Shine and she wasn't going to start now.

A door opening at the other end of the hall distracted everyone's attention. A man entered and pushing through the crowd, made his way to the center of the hall. It was Mirabell. He bowed low before Ivan and spoke quietly and rapidly. He finished, bowed again and disappeared into the crowd.

Ivan threw his arms in the air and exclaimed: “Ladies and gentlemen, we have more prisoners!” There was a roar of excitement and everyone rushed for the door except Mirabell. He walked over to Sonia's column and surveyed her with interest.

“So you said no?” he asked, folding his arms.

“Yes.” replied Sonia, sullenly.

“Good for you.” he said, smiling broadly. His attitude puzzled Sonia.

“What do you mean? I thought you wanted me to join.”

Mirabell unfolded his arms and sat down on a chair. “Well yes and no. I wanted you to join because if you didn't then they'd probably kill you or something worse. But if you didn't join, then I think it's a better choice. And if... if you got a chance to escape then you would be able to live a better life.”

“I'll never be able to get out of here.”

“Well you never know.” Mirabell didn't look at her.

“No, I know perfectly well. I've lived here for five years and never even been allowed into the actual city. How am I supposed to escape?”

“You never know.”

Sonia did not deign to reply.

Mirabell sighed. “Sonia, I'm only here because of something my father said. He and Chrystal never got on well. Apparently he was opposed to settling in Ivan City and said none of his descendants would work for her, so she shot him and made my entire family come here and help. I don't want to be here doing this, but I can't leave very easily. Someday things might change.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I think you need to know.” he got up, came over and unchained Sonia from the column. “I'm to take you to level six. You remember, the 'nice dungeon'. Follow me.”

Three Years Ago

PART SEVEN

Lord Ivan's maid glanced up from a romantic note she had received from one of the royal guards to see a small girl of perhaps fourteen years with close-cropped hair and wearing a rough suede jacket, (far too big for her), and brown corduroy trousers. She was carrying a rather untidy package in both hands.

“Oh!” the maid quickly hid the note in her sleeve, “Sonia, you startled me.”

The girl held up the package and began to speak in a flat, insincere voice. “I want to give my lord Ivan, second only to our great leader, Chrystal, and who is her adopted son, this gift, which I have slaved over for-”

“Yes, yes. I'll take it in for you.”

The maid was used to this kind of talk, it had been decreed by their great leader, Chrystal, that young Lord Ivan should be addressed and talked of in this manner, but hardly anyone did. In her very private opinion, which she shared with no one but the guard, who was secretly her admirer, the title was ridiculous. No one really had or needed a name that long, or so far as she knew, and if they did, no one would use it in casual conversation as they were ordered to do.

The girl didn't move.

“Come on.” It was not this girl's place to act so to her superiors, the maid thought. She should go and tell Mirabell about this, he was in charge of keeping the training force, as they were called, under control.

The girl continued in the same expressionless tone, “I wanted the privilege of giving it-”

“Alright, alright. On your own head be it if you get into trouble with him. But don't you say I didn't warn you.”

The girl bowed low and said, “Oh no, ma'am. It was farthest from my thoughts to say that you, oh most virtuous and kind lady, were to blame.” She bowed low again. The maid opened the door to a very comfortable room, entered behind the girl and knelt on the carpet in front of a large armchair, on which sat a boy of about seventeen, playing with the end of an ornate stick with a tassel attached. Beside him was a table, heaped with presents from various people.

“Lord Ivan,” she began, “second only to our great leader, Chrystal. You have another visitor with yet another present for you. Lord Ivan, I would have taken it to you myself, only she insisted. I would-”

The boy on the chair in front of her leapt to his feet and struck the maid with the stick on the side of the head. Sonia winced slightly as the blow was struck.

“Silence, slave!” said the boy, “When I desire excuses I shall ask for them. Now, leave me!”

“Yes, my lord.” replied the subdued maid. She rose, and silently left the room. The boy then turned on Sonia.

“And what do you want, Sonia?!”

Sonia walked sharply forward and kicked him on the shin.

“Happy birthday, Ivan.” She said, sarcastically. She placed the parcel on the table and walked out the door, leaving the stunned Ivan to himself. He sat there for a long time, then went over to the table to open the package. Inside was a small, iced, chocolate cake.

Meanwhile, Sonia, as soon as she had left the bright light of Ivan's quarters safely behind her, ran as fast as she could down the steps into the dimly lit world of the lower class living areas. As she sped through the bottom gallery overlooking the great hall, she ran straight into another small girl with auburn hair and a dancer's dress on. It was so dark Sonia wouldn't have been able to tell the colour if she hadn't known who it was.

“Sorry, Shine. I didn't see you.”

She rushed off again with the other girl's shout echoing after her, “You'd better be sorry! I was practicing my dance for this evening and now I'll have to start all over again! I'm going to tell my mother and she'll make you sorry!”

Sonia skidded to a halt and turned to shout back, “No you won't! Your mother never even looks at you!”

It was cruel, she reflected, as she began running again, but so hard to resist. And Shine didn't always behave like an angel to Sonia, so she felt partially justified. Shine was Chrystal's daughter but was never treated like one. Chrystal hated girls and so kept her at the far end of the palace and instead lavished her care and attention on Ivan, her adopted son. Shine lived with her nurse, Rhoda, who taught her to be a dancing girl at Chrystal's orders. Sonia teased her at every opportunity.

Sonia soon found herself in the training force's area. She didn't slow down until she reached the dormitory, where she fell on her bed and burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. She felt more like crying, but crying was weak. Everyone would make fun of her if they saw her crying. After about ten minutes, however, she got to her feet and went about her duties as usual. That evening as the training force was eating its dinner, a servant ran wailing down the steps and announced that Lord Ivan was ill from eating a chocolate cake given to him by Sonia that afternoon. No more than three days later, Sonia was left in the cold forest to stay for three years.

Ivan

PART SIX

Sonia knew why she was here; Mirabell had come for her with his men. He thought she was ready. Well she wasn't ready, she would never be ready and they could fool themselves all they wanted but the cold reality would still be there. At least, as long as they made her wear this dress. She hadn't worn a dress for years and was feeling somewhat uncertain about it. If anyone said anything to her about her dress she would kill them right then and there. She was in an enormous hall lit by six sizeable braziers and lined on the left wall with many galleries filled with people, conversing loudly. She remembered the hall. In front of her was a long, flat bridge, at the end of which some steps led up to a wide, flat space. There stood three men. The last time she had been here was when they had condemned her to stay in the cold forest.

 At a sign from one of them the noises died down. Sonia suddenly realised with horror that the man was now pointing at her and beckoning. She stepped forward onto the bridge. It seemed very long. Sonia was sure everyone was passing silent judgement and ridicule on her and wished desperately that she was somewhere else, preferably her hut or some nice dark, safe place. At last she reached the other side and walked up the steps. The man in the middle smiled condescendingly down at her. Sonia glared back at him.

“Sonia! he said, in a loud voice which reverberated around the hall, “Are you ready to become a member of our force and live your life as one of us?”

She was sure she recognised him from somewhere, but she couldn't quite remember where.

“To face the dangers of...” Ah yes, now she knew, “...and the cold and exposure of the frozen plains? What is your answer?” Sonia leapt at him and had him on the floor before he knew what was happening. The two other men started forward, but the first man waved them off. He appeared rather amused.

“I will never join your force, not as long as you are part of it, Ivan!” she hissed. She let him rise. “Still as spirited and unmanageable as before I see.” he brushed himself down, “My mother and Mirabell will have to see to you.”

“Your mother? She's not your mother. Your mother was poorer than mine!” His face began to redden.

“You have no right to say that, you daughter of a comma!”

(A comma is a small, black animal 30.48-46 cm (12-18.11 inches) long, which eats pretty much anything that is not poisonous and doesn't fight back or look dangerous. On the frozen plains it is the symbol of cowardice because of its fear of perhaps getting hurt).

Sonia forgot about the crowd and the guards and hit Ivan's nose with her fist as hard as she could. She watched in satisfaction as he fell back onto the floor with blood trickling from his nose. Next moment she was seized by the guards and dragged away to the other side of the bridge where they chained her to a column and left her. Sonia watched Ivan as he was taken away to have his nose seen to.

Ivan had been in the training force with Sonia and they had hated each other with a deadly hatred. One day he had put a baby cardan down her neck while she was eating, and another time he filled her hair with burrs so it had to be cut off. On that day Sonia had vowed she would hate Ivan for the rest of her life. Ivan was an orphan, found in the mountains by their leader Chrystal and then adopted by her. He therefore held authority over almost everyone there, which meant he could pretty much do what he liked. It also meant Sonia couldn't get back at him very easily, but she somehow managed to, and one thing led to another and ended up with her in the cold forest.

The Hidden City

PART FIVE
The wind howled and raged along the mountains. The snow falling from the clouds barely had time to settle on the ground between gusts before it was blown away again. Over the rocks near the base of one of the mountains clambered four people carrying bags: one woman and three men. They halted on a small ridge overlooking a valley at the end of which was a large cave.

  “There it is.” said the woman.

“Did you just find it?” said the man with the gun and no head covering.

“Yes. There's a whole city inside.” she moved as if to go but he held her back.

“If there is a city people will know about it and they'll find us and kill us, or do something even worse.”

“The people don't know about this place, neither do the controllers, so we're safe.”

The man looked skeptical,

“Saul, there's no one in the city.”

“What? How do you know?”

“We searched it. The only people there were dead. Oh yes, except one little boy.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No. why would I do something like that? I'm going to keep him.”

“Well I just thought maybe you would because of what you did to your daughter." Saul muttered, "But what about his parents?”

“His parents were dead. They must have died a few hours before we got there.”

“Aha.”

“We should go and check it out, shouldn't we, Chrystal?” said the second man,

“I think that's a good idea, Geoffrey.”

“I don't like it. Why would there be a city underground full of dead people for no apparent reason? They must have died of something.”

“Hunger, Saul. They died of hunger.”

The group made their way down the slope toward the cave.

“What sensible person would come to the cold forest without a gun to get food sir?”
Said Saul,

“We're not talking about sensible people, Saul, these were fanatics.” Geoffrey answered.

“Fanatics? In the cold forest?”

They entered the cave.

“Look, Saul.” Said Geoffrey, pointing at a tall and ornate arch on which were the words:

“You are now entering IVAN.” To one side was a touchscreen on a stand which lit up as the others passed under the arch. None of them took any notice of the horrible sight of a skeleton underneath it. Saul stood looking up at the words.

“The Hidden City. You can't use this place!”

“Oh can't I? I'm going to name the little boy after it.” Said Chrystal, turning and fixing on him a glance which would have silenced him at any other time, but not now.

“This city is sacred to the marchers! You can't just walk in and make it the home of thieves!”

“We are not thieves! The controllers are after us because they are cruel tyrants, we have a group of fighters to find shelter for and winter will soon be here. Do you have a better idea? Or are you going to turn traitor and join the controllers!”

“People on the long march will come here and find us. The Secret Architects who built this city didn't mean for people like us to move in.”

“Here we have a chance to become greater than we would anywhere else. If anyone comes in we pretend we were on the long march too and get them to join us. Think how many people will die if we just leave this place alone. We'll spread out and rally others to our cause. Anyone found within our territory, any likely followers, we capture and make them join us.”

“And what if they won't?”

“Oh then we kill them. When we have amassed a large enough force we will take over the world!”

“You said we would just overthrow the controllers, not-”

“That's just the first stage in my plan. If we do this properly no one will ever know where we are.”

“Chrystal! Saul! Are you frozen to the ground? Come on!”

“It's alright, Geoffrey, we were just discussing something.”

Chrystal began to make her way towards the other two, but Saul remained where he was.

“You are a power hungry maniac!” he shouted after her, “I will never be part of your plot! Neither will my children or my grandchildren!”

The gunshot echoed through the whole of the cave. It was followed by a cry and two more shots.

“Chrystal!”

“I'm alright. The traitor!” She shook her fist at the crumpled figure of Saul who had been shot twice in different places. A bullet had just grazed Chrystal's leg. Geoffrey rushed over and helped her to her feet.

“Should I finish him off, Chrystal?”

“No. We'll leave him to die here.”

They began walking further into the cave and were soon lost to sight. In a short while complete silence reigned.