To Stay in the Living Lands

Chapter Two, Part One

Cassandra awoke in the midst of a sea of rich green grass. She sat up. Am I dead? She debated pinching herself. A loud roar broke through her thoughts. Cassandra leaped to her feet, searching for some cover. She had no idea what the source of the noise was, and no desire to find out. 

Spotting what seemed like a hollow, she rushed towards it. She skidded to a stop,  What had looked like a hollow, was really the edge of a cliff. As if that wasn’t strange enough, A red dragon was flying into the sky, right before her eyes twisting into a beautiful dive. 

Cassandra dropped to her belly and looked over the edge at the valley below. 

The meadow below was filled with creatures she had only heard in her mother’s stories, and some she had never even imagined existed. She saw the red dragon fly low over a herd of unicorns, before spiraling into the water. Two Sea Serpents rushed out the water, twisting in ways that Cassandra wouldn’t have thought possible, before splashing back into the water. The droplets cast a rainbow sheen over the lake. 

She heard running. She turned to see a herd of horses running straight for her. She looked for some way to escape and leaped behind a rock. It was barely enough to shield her, and she braced herself for an impact that never came. When she opened them, the horses were leaping over her. Hooves passed inches from her nose. The horses jumped over Cassandra and off the cliff. Her breath caught as she turned, knowing that they wouldn’t survive the fall.

Instead, she saw wings as they flew over this valley of wonders. She watched the last of them dive over. She was so captivated that she didn’t realize how close she was to the edge of the cliff. She scooted forward to see the horses better.

The next thing Cassandra knew, she was falling headfirst. She felt a scream escape her lips as she fell, she felt her head make an impact with something.

Cassandra’s world went black for the second time. 

~~*~~

“Another one has come,” said a soft voice. Mother? But she’s dead. Cassandra couldn’t make her voice work.

“And let there be many more if the King wills it, and he has. I wonder which room is hers,” the second voice reminded her of the doctor. He had come once when she was sick, he had a kind voice, but an accent. This man sounded like him.

“It looks like the young lass doesn’t have much in her. Bad parents,” Mother, don’t you know me?

“Aye, it’s a shame when they treat young ones so,”

“Hush! She’s waking up!” 

Cassandra forced her eyes to open and sat up. Everything seemed so bright, and she had a killer headache. 

“Don’t move just yet,” said the first voice, “Drink this first,” Cassandra obeyed and swallowed something sweet. 

“What was that?” she asked.

“Hush,” gentle hands guided her head back to a pillow. A soft pillow. Since when would her Aunt do something like this? She must still be dreaming. She wasn’t sure if it was a dream or a nightmare. After all, she had drowned and fallen off of a cliff, but this part was pleasant. Mother is here. She was sure of one thing, this dream was better than reality. 

~~*~~

Cassandra woke up her headache gone. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she winced. She was hungrier than she had been in a while. An old woman was sitting on a chair beside her bed, snoozing. 

Cassandra looked around the unfamiliar room. The room was simple and neat. The carpet was a spotless white, and the bedcovers were printed with tiny pink flowers. The walls were a pale yellow, and bare. 

“Where am I?” she asked no one in particular. The old woman snorted awake and rubbed her eyes. 

“Good afternoon, child,” she said, “How are you feeling?” 

“Fine. Am I at the doctor’s house?”

“Good gracious! No! You’re in my home! My home, and Cedric’s home. Tell me, child, what is your name?” 

“Cassandra. Cassandra Woodstin,” The woman’s smile widened, and a look of wonder spread across her face. “Praise the King,” she whispered. 

“What do you mean?” Cassandra asked. 

“Come, I assume you can stand?” the woman said, ignoring Cassandra’s question. Cassandra stood, shakily at first, but soon regained her balance 

“My Aunt’s name is Hildegard Woodstin, but please don’t send me back to her,” Cassandra shuddered involuntarily. 

“You ran away?” the old woman asked. 

“Well, not exactly. I was chasing a pixie and fell into a lake. I drowned, I think. Or I almost did. Then I had the strangest dream, there were dragons, pegasus, and unicorns. When I woke up, I was here. But the dream was so real, I actually thought it was real. But it can’t be,” How did I not drown?  Cassandra paused, remembering the dream. It was so real, and she wished it had been. Oh to ride on one of those Pegasus!

“Was your Aunt kind?” the woman asked, concern in her voice. Cassandra shook off the daydream. Daydreaming is only for the lazy, those who have nothing good to do with their time. That was what her aunt had said. And she was right. 

“Well . . .” Cassandra paused. She wasn’t sure what to say. “She never hurt me . . . and she always fed me, but I went to bed hungry plenty of times.  And she made me work until I couldn’t, but she gave me a bed to sleep in, no matter how hard. And she always made sure I had two decent dresses and wasn’t dressed in rags. But she never said a kind word to me. Maybe every now and then she would give a nod of satisfaction, but that was it,” 

“Oh, you poor dear,” the woman threw her arms around Cassandra. For an old lady, she moved surprisingly fast. Cassandra stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. She timidly patted the woman’s back, thankful when she was released. 

“Cedric!” The lady shrouded, “Cedric, come here!” An older man came down the hall. He smiled when he saw Cassandra. 

“She’s awake, is she?” he said, “Good afternoon, child, I am Cedric. I’m Cecily’s husband,”

“Is she Cecily?” asked Cassandra. 

The old woman smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. “Why, yes, I am. I right forgot to introduce myself,” she gave a little curtsy before turning to her husband, “Cedric, her name is Cassandra. Cassandra Woodstin, isn’t that amazing?” Cedric’s eyes widened. 

“Oh. . . should we tell her?”

“Tell me what?”

“We’ll show her her room,” Cecily cut in, shooting a glance at Cedric, “You should get settled in before dinner,” 

“I have a room?” Cassandra was confused, “Where am I anyway? And I in town? Did I really run that far? Will Aunt Hildegard find me?” Cecily and Cedric exchanged glances. 

“Well . . . we’ll tell you later, but know this,” Cedric bend down with surprising ease, “You’re Aunt won’t get here unless the King wills it,”

“King Geoffy?” Cassandra wrinkled her nose. Cecily made a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter. 

“No, trust me, we’ll tell you everything, later,” 

Cecily and Cedric led her down a hall. There was a door, and on it was her name. Cassandra Woodstin