1048 Sunset Boulevard

Coal wars Chapter 5

October 26, 2008 | Uncategorized

I ran back home. I really didn’t feel like speaking with anyone in fear of letting something slip. Especially Artek. I jumped and swerved quite a few times before coming back to the entrance of my den. I slunk through the gaps between the dirt and bark as I quickly slid into my home. I looked around. The place was fair sized, big enough for me to move around and store food and other supplies. Quickly, I calculated what I would need. I ran over the area where I put my food. I grabbed a few fruits, bread, cheese, and some other provisions. I put them all into a leather sling that I had, which could hold much more then it looked. I grabbed some medical roots and bandages, along with gaze and healing herbs. I grabbed some bronze coins and silver chunks, just in case. I walked over and got a piece of paper and a quill. I stopped. What would I possiblely say to them? Hey, I decided that if my dad isn’t going to do anything, i would. Miss you loads! No, I couldn’t write that. I decided to do something short and sweet. I looked at the entrence of my den, making sure no one was near. I sighed, and began writing, dipping my quill every once in awhile in a nearby ink cup. (Or whatever you call them.)

Dear… everyone,

By the time you’ve all read this, whoever might have found it first, I’ll be beyond the border of the forest. I’m sorry to leave like this, but I can’t let anyone go through with any of this. I wont let anyone go to war. I’m going to go find the element spirits, if they exist or not. I’m not going down without a fight. I won’t… I won’t let everyone fight if we don’t have to. I might not come back...

I started crying. I might never return. I would never see Katie and Crow bicker over the simplest things again. I wouldn’t be able to just bask in the mid-evening sun with Or-Tal or run with Susen. I… I would never see Artek again. Gosh… just leaving him like this seems cruel. I wouldn’t see the way his face would scrunch up when he smelt something vile. I wouldn’t be able to go on any expeditions with him, exploring the seemingly never ending world. No more laughs, no more jokes, no more crying on his shoulders.. no more him. I choked back the tears. I hated crying.

but that’s the price I’ll pay. I won’t let you all die if there’s a way to stop all this. I’m sorry…

Good-bye Katie, Crow, Or-Tal, Susan, Bluebell… dad. Good-bye Artek…

A few tears fell beside his name before I could stop them.

I’ll miss you so much.

With love, Rosalin.

I held the paper and re-read it before kissing the last name…

the one that wasn’t mine.

I waited until dark to leave. I had left the note on my small desk where they could find it. I left, feeling the cool dry air hid my body. I stopped and turned to a good looking tree. I scratched open a good sized hole and clawed some tree sap out. Hopefully it would hide my smell. I rubbed it on my arms, legs, and my ears. To bad it was so sticky. Once I was done masking my smell, I turned and scanned the area. I had good vision in the dark, and I began treading, swiftly but as quiet as I could be. If I was caught, I would have no chance of leaving. The sap on my front paws would pick up some unwanted leaves, and I had to lick them off to get them less sticky. I looked at the sky, searching for the big dipper and the little dipper. I liked those consolations for some unexplained reason. They calmed me during the night.

I hopped over a log and crawled threw some bushes as quietly as I could. I had to be as quiet as I could. I was getting close to Artek’s burrows. I had to pass through there and leave something before I could leave. I creped, taking slow and deliberate steps towards a large hollow tree. Artek and I used to use it to store and hide things when we were kits. I gently walked through another clump of bushes, slightly louder this time, and walked up to the tree. I turned and grabbed something from my pack. I glanced at it. I looked at the strong gold chain and the figure at the end. If I hadn’t had to be so quiet, I would have opened it. I took one last long look, kissing it gently, before stretching to put it into the whole. I didn’t notice that I had snapped on a twig.

Once I had finished my business, I quickly ran back through the bushes and treaded back toward Sparrow pond. There was a clear and easy route out of the forest there. I soon came up to the pond and walked up the small supply of water. I grabbed my canteen and set it in the puddle, letting the water rush inside. I felt guilty about taking what was remaining of our depleting water supplies, but the journey would be long and who knew how long it would be until I found water again. I waited until the canteen was full before climbing up the slop and back onto level land. I turned to the pathway. ~Well~ I thought, looking down the dark and unknown path. ~This is it. I’m leaving the forest. Everything I’ve ever known and loved.~ I thought for a moment. Did I really want to do this? I didn’t have to. I could just walk home and go to sleep and pretend that nothing happened. That I had never gotten this outrageous idea to leave and look for beings that might not even exist. No one would know. I was tempted, but then I thought again. ~But I had thought of the idea~ I told myself. If I left now, I would still know what was to come, and that I had chickened out. I would know. I put a game face on. There was no backing out now. I had come to far. I looked down the path again, less intimidated, when I heard something behind me. I froze. ~Please let it be the wind. Please let it be the wind. Please let it be the wind!~ I slowly turned around, praying that it wasn’t what I thought it was. When I saw, I took a sharp intake of breath. I had been discovered. His head raised, and I heard him sniff the air. “…Rosalin…?”

I didn’t move. I didn’t do anything. It was actually a good thing I had breathed in because I didn’t even breath. He had found me. He had heard me and found me and now I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t say anything, because I hoped maybe he would think that his nose was wrong for once and leave. No, I didn’t do a thing. He looked confused and sniffed again, taking a few steps forward. I instinctively took two steps back. Darn it! His head shot up, knowing for sure someone was there. “Rosalin…is that you?” I wondered whether or not to speak to him. If anything, he could make me stay. I couldn’t let that happen, but answered anyway. “Yes,” I whispered, barely audible. But I knew he could hear. “Wha- what are you doing out so late, and why do you have all that traveling stuff?” I didn’t answer that time, but took another cautious step backward. Artek looked confused at my reluctance to speak for a moment, but once I took another step, now half turned to the path, he seemed to understand. “Rosalin, your not gonna… leave, are you?” I couldn’t help it and I felt the tears return, falling down my cheeks and down my snout in waves. Artek smelt the salt-water mix and knew I was crying. I paniced as he started walking forward, carfully going around the empty pond. “Rosalin, are you-” “No!” I said, panicked. He stopped instantly. I watched as the wave of shock and worry rushed over his face. I stood there for a moment, before slowly turning and looking down the path once more. I knew he wouldn’t let me go. “Artek…” My voice cracked. I heard him walking towards me again. “I’m… I’m sorry.” I burst into a full run, speeding my way down the rugged dirt path and forestation. “NO!” Artek yelled, rushing after me. I knew that if he caught up to me, he would easily get me to stay. I ran faster in fear, resisting the urge to look back at my pursuer.

I ran for what seemed for days, thought I knew it was only for a few minutes. I almost sighed when I saw the opening in the woods to the long pastures. I sped up. I was suprised Artek was still behind me. I had never seen him run so fast in his life. I had always been faster then any one of my friends, but this was different. He was running for something. I jumped past the last of the trees and roots to land in a long bare field with nothing but rocks hear and there. This was the line where the forest ended. I ran a few yards from the forest before looking back.

Artek burst through the forest, but as soon as he hit the plain floor, he gasped and retreated to the undergrowth. I knew. He was blind here. He hadn’t been here since the… accident, and now he didn’t know the landscape at all. Without that, it was like staring at nothing but black. Now he was really blind. He looked franticly for me, afraid to leave the security of knowing what surounded him. His home. He lifted his ears onto his head, which was something he rarly did. It made him look like a rabbit in comparasin to their normal look, like hair on his head. They twitched and turned. He sniffed the air franticly. I sighed and moved a bit.

Once he knew what direction I was in, he let his ears down and said, “Rosalin don’t go! You know I can’t see past the forest!” I backed up more. “I know,” I said in a weak voice. He panicked with each step he heard my take. “Rosalin, please don’t go! I’ll come after you if I have to!” I knew he wouldn’t. Although he wasn’t afraid of most other things, I knew that Artek was afraid of not being able to see. It would scare him half to death to take a step into an area that he didn’t know. I sniffled, my tears not having gone, and stepped back further until I was just out of his hearing range (Which is pretty far back!) “Rose! ROSE!” I heard the tears in his voice, although i couldn’t see him any longer. I turned. “Goodbye, Artek,” I said, just loud enough so I knew he could hear, then ran. And as I ran, a said the three words I didn’t have the courage to say before I had left. Those three, simple words that I’ve never been able to tell him. The ones now, that I would never be able to tell…

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! SO SAD!!! What did Rosalin want to tell Artek? What did she leave for him in the tree, and what of its importance? See if you can guess! Lots of spelling mistakes, but ya know. As long as you can read it, I’m fine!