Camp NaNoWriMo excerpt

So, I have decided to join Camp Nano and I as promised have named some of my characters for friends, Rose, Mountie, Sweeet, my minion Libby and 12 the Cyclops :) and Lady A, Flam and Dee, I think that all but here's a quick excerpt!


I trotted quickly down the path then turned and went back to where my friends stood by a large rock the children of the village used as a mounting block. I rarely gave anybody rides and when I did anyone under thirteen came out and for a ride. “Aynra! hurry up!” called my enthusiastic friend Mountie who, by the way is a Mountain Fir tree Dryad. “The Queen and her entrouge should be here soon!” I nodded, out of breath, once every two years the Queen of Memher-cha would tour the country choosing from the Elves, Fairies, Dryads and the occasional Centaurs and Cyclops’ young women to join her royal guard. “One more time please Aynra! Please!” Called the five year old girl Riella from my back. “No.” I replied flatly as I reared slightly and let her slip from my back to the ground. “Come on guys lets go!” I said as I pulled my friend Rose onto my back. “Come on, I should be able to carry you too Mountie.” I said cheerfully.
“What about Me?” queried a soft voice from behind us. I whirled around
“Sweeet!” We all exclaimed. “Of course you can climb up!” here I paused and glanced at Cyko my other friend “ummm, I’m not so sure about you Cyko.” I teased, Cyko is, er, sorry was a cyclops and weighed at least three hundred pounds there was no way I was going to carry him! “Thats okay” he rumbled amiably. “Then lets g-eek!” Rose Squeaked when I reared up so far it seemed as if I was going to fall over then I thudded back to the ground and took off at a gallop. If you have friends who are dryads do not I repeat do NOT give them piggy back rides unless you are a centaur like me (or a cyclops) because, even if they look light they weigh about the same as a tree.

Soon we had reached the arena a large flat area where we would fight on of the Queens guards with a dulled weapon, the first to land a strike won. Suddenly there was a blaring sound of a trumpet being played wrong and the Queen Helenari walked out to the center of the stage “Let the trials begin!” she shouted almost Immediately all children over the age of twelve but under the age of twenty ran out to choose a weapon.
“Oh tree sap!” grumbled Rose when she saw the weapons “I forgot that there were no bows allowed.” she had to settle for a beautiful dagger instead. Mountie and Sweeet both stepped up and instantly Mountie grabbed two short swords and twirled them expertly “hmm, well balanced, and very light could be elven wrought metal if I’m not mistaken.” she mused. Sweeet took a little more time than the others to choose her weapons she looked hesitantly at the pile then choose two long almost dainty daggers “these should do nicely” then with a look on her face that would send a grown Cyclops crying for his mother she stepped well around a younger girl who held a large battle ax, silently seething, Dryads I might mention hate ax’s as they are used to chop down trees. I stepped up to the pile and piked up a huge two handed sword that would normally lay in the pile unused. It was my first year here in Memhar-cha, I was used to the heavily wooded land of Dittiotia, and strong Centaurs, not open plains and Dryads and Fairies. Together we all walked over to the group of the Queens guard each with an identical sword in their hand, each pointed wordlessly at one of us and each pair entered a circle made with ropes strung on poles. “Begin!” came the call from the Queen. We circled twice then that foolish guard swiped at my front legs, bad move. Many a bandit had been killed for doing so, as they have a nasty habit of stepping forward to deliver a killing blow as we always rear and guess what? wonder of wonders I reared up to avoid the blow and the guard stepped closer! I knew that if I came down and hurt the guard I would be in trouble so I reared higher. Rose saw what I was going to do seconds before my parents and ran to edge of her circle “NO! Don’t do it Aynra!” she screamed to late I had already forced myself to fall over backward, my parents who were galloping towards me stopped dead in their tracks. then they came on again not stopping till they reached my side and reared to come to a stop. I stood shakily with my mothers help. I still had the sword so I reached over and tapped the rueful guard on the shoulder. “Did you do that on purpose?” She asked me. Yes I admitted I had, as I didn’t want to hurt her. She smiled and walked away, the Queen stood then and announced the names of the girls who would join her, none of us were on it, and the funny thing? we didn’t care.


Mim