The Duel

It was a hot day with no wind. The sun was high in the sky and burning with an angry intensity. The dirt patch saw no movement but for an obnoxious blackbird. It stood there, looking around and clearly trying to figure out what the heck was going on. In the grass sat Aislyn, Kenayde, Luella, Merrik, and Laidley. Elas was helping Jaryn get ready, and Tasarin was helping Noah. The time had come to settle the score. But I am getting ahead of myself.

After the whole elastic episode, I had some serious damage control to do. I found the whole thing rather amusing, and something both Aislyn and Noah had set themselves up for. So quite frankly, I was looking forward to this little duel. Everyone else, however, did not share my point of view. Most everyone. Merrik and Laidley are always up for some violence, but were sorely disappointed when they found out what the weapons of choice would be.

"What the crap, man?" Aislyn was in my face the next morning before I even had a chance to open my eyes.

"Go away."

She grabbed an eyelid and yanked up, sending me into shrieks of pain and annoyance. "Did you encourage him?"

"I may have." I flicked at her and rubbed my now sore eye. "Don't go blaming this on me, okay? You're the one sitting all snuggly with Noah. What happened to hating him?"

"First of all, we were not all snuggly. Second, we were planning something for you and didn't want you to be a big fat eavesdropper. Third...I'm over it."

"Clearly. Wait, what? Planning something for me?"

"Yeah, but now I don't want to even tell you about it, let alone give it to you." She stalked off on a huff. Later Noah approached me and I prepared myself for another tongue lashing.

"Listen, sorry about the whole getting shot thing. I didn't think Jaryn would take anything that far."

Noah held up his hand. "Please, I can understand and appreciate his jealousy. I'm certain I would have reacted in the same manner were our roles reversed." I looked at him and he smirked. "Perhaps not in the exact same way. But really, I cannot begrudge him his feelings."

"I get that you and Ace were working on something, but dude, really? You have to know how that looked."

"I honestly didn't think anything of it. I was enjoying sending the time with Aislyn, getting to know her, and really just thankful she was becoming a friend instead of an enemy."

"Well...I guess all I can suggest is that you try and talk to Jaryn and put the kibosh on this whole duel thing. I'll mediate if you want me to."

But Noah shook his head. "No. This is a matter of honor. I'll go through with it."

"Noah...you're amazing. Why can't you be real and a heck of a lot taller?"

He winked at me. "Married, remember?"

"Yeah, but she ain't here." I shook my head. "I can't believe I am hitting on an imaginary six-inch-tall winged man. Have I no scruples?"

So the time of the duel came, and it was the talk of the town. Aislyn tried to talk some sense into Jaryn, but he was having none of it. Sitting as spectators, everyone appeared to be holding their breath. Elas and Tasarin eventually joined the crowd, telling that the competitors were ready. They stepped onto the dirt patch. The blackbird looked at one and then the other. It squacked and felw into the sky, and Luella burst into tears.

"Isn't there another way?"

The boys looked at each other with silent determination. Jaryn's fingers wiggled at his side. Noah's eyes narrowed. They stared hard, and they stared long. Noah flinched and Jaryn wheeled around to reach behind him. Noah did the same, pulling out a pink rubber duckie but it was too late. Jaryn already had his yellow rubber duckie in hand and had squeezed. The stream of water shot across the dirt, shot from the duckie's plastic bills to hit Noah straight in the chest. He stumbled, dropped the pink duckie, and sank to his knees, shock on his face.

"You...you shot me." And then he collapsed.

Jaryn looked on the fallen angel coldly. "Sorry, mate. Just the way it has to be."

Merrik and Laidley looked at each other, bored. They were the first to leave. Luella and Tasarin went to help Noah up while Kenayde gathered his duckie. Aislyn, however, stayed behind. Her expression was one of impatience.

"You're an idiot."

Jaryn balked. "What? I was fighting for you!"

"Which is what makes you an idiot! There's nothing to fight for! I don't want Noah! IDIOT!"

And then Jaryn did something really stupid. His knee jerk reaction was to squeeze his duckie and shoot Aislyn. All of us froze when she was hit, and stood dripping with water. Her green eyes narrowed with anger. She pushed sopping hair from her face. Jaryn looked scared. "Oh! Uh...bad duckie!" But Aislyn wasn't having it.

Grabbing Noah's duckie from Kenayde, she shot back at hit Jaryn in the face. He yelped and covered his eyes as another squirt came. Before he could properly defend himself, Aislyn knocked his feet out from under him and had the bill of the pink duckie pressed to his jugular. "Let's get one thing straight right now. I belong to no one. Got it?"

"Got it," he wibbled.

"But I choose to be with you." She pulled the duckie back a bit. "So stop being an idiot."

"But...I'm only an idiot for you."

And I knew he had her. As much as she hated this very public show of his affection for her, Aislyn couldn't help but melt a little at that. She sighed, knowing she was defeated, and stepped back to drop the duckie completely.

"Get up." She held out a hand and helped Jaryn to his feet. "Come on, let's go find you some dry clothes."

As they walked away, arm in arm, I saw Jaryn glance at Noah behind Aislyn's back. I was expecting a glare, or a victorious snarl at least. What I saw was a thumbs up and a goofy grin. Noah nodded between Luella and Tasarin, then shrugged at me. "You little pain! That was all a setup?"

He watched the couple disappearing inside and grinned. "Aislyn was feeling a little bit like old news with all of us coming back as we did. Jaryn wanted to show her she really meant something to him."

"So you two worked this whole thing out? I don't know whether to be shocked or impressed."

"Don't worry. Jaryn and I get along quite well. In fact, this isn't the only thing we've recently collaborated on."


Oh dear. This does not sound promising.

Jealousy

I gotta say, I am very much enjoying the new faces around here. Not that they are new characters, but sort of reincarnations of the ones I love. It's almost like they have more confidence in themselves. Although, to every good, there has to be a little bad. Life would be too perfect if things were always roses and champagne. Which leads me to me little conversation with Jaryn last night. We've finished "The Shack" and are now reading "Windhaven." They all seem to like this one better because it's sci-fi/fantasy and makes them think a little less. Heaven forbid a character that has to question their belief system. As everyone scattered, Jaryn lingered behind. I set the book aside and pulled out my homework for small group. Noticing him sitting on my lamp, I gave him a second glance. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah, fine. Just thought I might read ahead if you don't mind. I'm curious to see if she steals the wings or not."

"Yeah, sure. But wouldn't that kind of defeat the purpose of storytime? I have plenty of other books you can read."

"Oh, okay. That's cool." He nodded, but didn't really move to check out my book shelves.

"Jaryn, what's up? You're acting kinda weird."

"What? No, I'm good."

"Really?" I put my study book down and looked fully at him. There was a certain look of depression about him that I had never seen before in his entire life. All six months of it. "What's going on with you? Are you rethinking your look? Goatee not all it's cracked up to be? The itching driving you crazy?"

"No, nothing. It's fine. I'm just looking for something to read."

I pursed my lips, studying him for a moment. When he apparently had nothing else to say, I shrugged and went back to my work. "Okay. Have a good night."

Still he just sat there. I would probably have been a little creeped out if he were watching me, but he was just staring. At nothing. When I thought he might fall asleep there, his dam finally burst. "Why did you have to bring him here?"

I sighed, inwardly of course, realizing it was potentially going to be a long night. "Who?"

"Noah."

I'm sure my expression gave away my confusion. "What are you talking about? I thought you guys were cool. You and Kenayde were the first to befriend him when he was with The Others."

He jumped up, pointing at me. "Ah ha! See? There it is! You say that like he isn't still part of them."

"Well, he's kinda not. I mean...he went away and came back like most of you did. And now he fits in with you guys. He's in the book now."

"I know!" His eyebrows were practically disappearing into his hairline. "You made him one of us!"

"Whoa, whoa whoa! So now we're back at them and us? Dude! What is going on."

He glared at me, saying nothing. After a moment, he looked pointedly away. I followed his gaze and saw what else he was glaring over. Over by the far wall, under a picture of a starry sky full of magical faeries, sat Aislyn and Noah in rather close proximity. Now I understood. "See?" he asked darkly.

"They're just...talking." Though even from where I was sitting, they looked like they were sitting a little too close for comfort. "So why don't you go over there and squeeze between them?"

"Because that's all they've been doing since he came back. They're like best friends or something."

Or something. "Jaryn, she's your woman! Are you really just going to sit idly by and watch another man steal her away?"

"It's the wings," he lamented. "What girl wouldn't love wings?"

"Get a hold of yourself, man!" I pointed the squirt bottle I use for the cats at him. He cowered for a moment before dissolving into tears. He practically curled himself into the fetal position. "You're a Scotsman, are you not?"

"Yes," he wept.

"Then get your kilted butt over there and fight for her!"

"Do you really think I should do that?"

"How would something like this be settled in the book?"

The dismay gave way to a light of hope in his expression. "Bloodshed."

"Okay, how about we take it down a notch?"

"A duel?" he asked.

"There ya go."

"With a fight to the death?"

"Okay, no. No one is going to die or...bleed. That's all I need is blood on my nice leopard print rug. How about..." My mind was scrambling for a good and definitive competition. "A water war!"

He looked at me doubtfully. "A water war?"

"Yeah, you leave the details up to me. You just go let Noah know he's peeing on the wrong tree. Except...leave the tree peeing thing out. Aislyn might get really offended and that's not a battle I'm prepared for tonight."

Jaryn got up, straightened himself out, and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Are you using this?" he asked, picking up a little plastic "Ouchless" elastic.

"Uh, no. Knock yourself out." He hopped down, and I was happy to go back to my homework. It was late, I was tired, and would likely have an early morning. All was peaceful until I heard a distinct rushing of air by my ear, and then an "Owwww!" I sat up, looking around in confusion. I saw Aislyn on her feet and Noah doubled over in pain. A quick look around had me finding Jaryn standing triumphantly on my headboard. "Jaryn!"

He ignored me completely, chest all puffed out and everything. "Tomorrow, bird. We will have a duel. At sunset!" And with a maniacal little laugh, he was gone from the room.

"What the heck was that?" Aislyn bent over Noah who was mumbling "Am I bleeding? I think I'm bleeding!"

All I could do was try my hardest not to laugh, and go back to my homework. It was about loving thy neighbor as thyself. Hmm. Maybe I should be reading to them from my bible study instead of a fantasy novel.

There and Back Again

Well, it's been some time since the disappearance of my characters. I've seen nothing of them, not a hair, not a footprint, not even a note. So, in order to prevent my last three remaining kids from running away, I've decided to...keep them close.

"Explain to me again, why we're doing this." Aislyn sat with her arms crossed, staring with contempt at an almost-three-year-old from atop my shoulder.

"I already told you. None of you three are leaving my sight. I refuse to have you all abandon me."

"We don't plan on going anywhere," said Tasarin. I looked around, trying to find where his voice was coming from and found him hiding underneath an empty coffee container being used as a snare drum.

"What are you...get out of there."

He obliged with a frown, but ended up rather thankful when a green "drumstick" pencil came down pretty hard on top of the container. "Yikes!"

"Where's Lu?" Aislyn pointed to the right and I followed her direction. Luella was wading through grass that came up over head head, searching the ground for acorn caps.

"I never signed on to be a babysitter," Aislyn complained. "In fact, I am going on strike until you stop holding us hostage."

"Yeah, because you write the book, not me, right?"

"And I quote: 'I don't write any of this stuff, the characters do it all for me.' End quote."

"...touche."

Her glare turned into a smug smile. "So just create new characters. You've proved time and time again that it's not really that difficult."

"I can't just make up new characters! I have eight chapters written already! You can't just get a whole new cast in the middle of a movie." She did have a point with my ability to make up new kids, but I was kind of shocked with this suggestion. "How can you tell me to replace Jaryn? Your sister?"

She shrugged, unfeeling. "They left me, too, you now. Not just you."

Tasarin was now holding several acorn caps for Luella. With Aislyn's statement, both he and Luella looked up at me. "She's right you know," he told me evenly. "They left all of us."

"So that makes it okay to turn the book on it's head? No, I don't think so. Do you have any idea how bad of a lynching I'd get? Someone would shank me in a dark ally if I did that."

"That would make an interesting story."

"Thanks, Tas. See if I give you any action in the book now."

Luella, silent and more content with observing, suddenly dropped all the caps she was holding. Her pudgy little face was turned up the hill, so the rest of us followed her gaze. "What is that?" she asked softly.

"I don't know." I had to shield my eyes against the light. It was like the sun had risen over the hilltop in the middle of the day. Figures moved as silhouettes and I blinked, seeing several small bodies. The blinding light flickered and died. Tiny faces, familiar but different to me, turned at once toward the source of their light. I saw Jaryn thump the flashlight he was holding on the bottom, lose his balance, and fall. He, along with his flashlight, came rolling down the hill toward me. "What the...?" I scooped him up. "Jaryn?" My eyes went then to everyone else, and I realized how much they had changed. Kenayde, Merrik, Laidley, Elas. And in the middle of them was an angel-faced boy with wings. "Noah!"

He grinned. "That's not really my name anymore, but I'll let you call me that."

"Holy crap, you guys! You look great!"

Kenayde came rushing down the hill at me, throwing herself at my ankle for an embrace. "We're sorry we didn't tell you we were leaving. But we needed the time to change."

"Dude, you guys are like little butterflies. This is amazing." I looked at Jaryn, still in my hand. "What about you? You're still in modern clothes."

Jaryn rubbed the scruff on his chin. "I never cared about the clothes. It was the goatee I wanted."

I nodded, grinning. Looking at the others, I was amazed. Kenayde finally looked like a princess. Noah was still my angel, but somehow fit in better with his new shaggy haired look. Merrik looked deadly instead of pimp-like, Laidley looked evil as all get out, and Elas looked...well, pretty hot for a six inch tall cartoon chibi doll. "I'm like...wow, I don't even know what to say. Laidley...you scare the crap outta me, I gotta say."

Laidley grinned proudly. At least I think he was grinning. It was hard to tell. Luella was beside him now, poking at him as though trying to decide whether this was really her brother. "Stop it!"

"Did you really think we'd left you?"

"No," Aislyn scoffed. Tasarin and I met each other's bemused gaze. "She was the one freaking out."

"Yeah, Aislyn was perfectly calm. In fact, she was so chill that she was trying to figure out how to replace you."

Jaryn's mouth dropped open, clearly wounded. "There's loyalty for ya!" Aislyn said nothing but glared at Tasarin.

"Listen you guys. I'm wicked glad you're back, and I totally love your new looks, but I kinda have to get back to work here."

They all looked at my charge and gave a unified "Ah." Merrik looked at me with big, question filled eyes. "My sheep?"

"Missed you greatly." He was clearly relieved. "How about you all go get reacquainted with each other. We'll party later."


I'm not really sure if I believed they would all leave me like that. I don't know what I thought they were doing, but now I have to update their profiles with their new looks. Here's hoping these new dolls don't come with new attitudes. Guess we'll find out.