fandomhighdorms | The Stables, Sunday Morning (09/23)

Charlie came by to feed Trenor a couple apples, and stopped, surprised to see another horse in place. "Oh. Hey," she said to the new girl. "Wow, he's pretty. Is he yours?"

Beauty looked up with a slight start. She'd been immersed enough in what she was doing that she hadn't even noticed the other girl come in. But she smiled at the compliment to Greatheart, who of course deserved it, and affectionately patted his neck.

"Yes, he his. His name is Greatheart." She noticed the apples and guessed that they were for Trenor, he being the only other horse around. "Are you a friend of Karal's?"

"Yeah, I am. Hi, I'm Charlie. Charlie McGee. He lets me feed Trenor sometimes, when he's around." Charlie dropped an apple for Trenor inside his feed bin, not wanting to disturb him ~~or mod him too much~~ and proceeded over to get a look at the new horse. "Greatheart. It's perfect for him. Have you had him very long?" Charlie's fingers reached out longingly for the other horse, but stopped just short, and then she remembered the second apple. "Does he like apples?"

"Beauty Huston. And I've had Greatheart for several years, although...technically he's only actually belonged to me for a year. I helped raise him, though, and I named him." She grinned at Charlie. "Back when I was going through one of those adolescent romantic phases. He doesn't seem to mind, though."

Greatheart did, in fact, turn his head to see if the newcomer had any treats for him. "He loves apples, and he loves attention. I know his size can be intimidating, but he's very gentle."

[ooc: Just for reference, Greatheart is similar to a Percheron, over 18 hands, and dark gray.]

"Ohhh, aren't you perfect?" Charlie asked Greatheart, holding out the apple in her hand, and reaching out the other to stroke his mane. "You are so, so lucky," she told Beauty. "We used to have a pony at home, but he died years ago. He reminds me of a friend's horse." Her voice dipped a little when she said 'friend', remembering. "Necromancer." She cocked her head at Beauty. "Is that really your first name?"

"We had saddle horses, when we lived in the city, but Greatheart has always been my favorite. Necromancer is a fascinating name for a horse. Was he black?"

She'd had asked more, but something about the way Charlie's voice altered when she spoke of her friend made Beauty hesitate. The question did draw a grin out of her, though. "It's only a nickname, actually, although you're the first person to ask me. Everyone else has assumed it's really my name. Although I did meet a girl named Anemone yesterday, so I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. My real name is Honour."

"Yes. Not as big as Greatheart, but still huge. But I was a little kid, all the horses looked big," Charlie said, remembering, and starting to smile a little again. "I only got to ride him for a few months." She turned a little red when Beauty-Honour answered her question, and said, "I'm nosy. Sorry! And it's such a pretty name. So is Honour, you know? I got stuck with Charlene, but at least Charlie is cool." She shook her head. "There's a lot of people with stranger names here, or there have been. Probably because we're all from so many different times and countries."

"I honestly don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been able to bring Greatheart with me," Beauty said, commiserating with the little girl Charlie was remembering.

She shrugged the apology off, and smiled. "I don't mind, I'm awful for asking too many questions myself. And it is an unusual name to have. I never really liked Honour, that's how I wound up with it. But I think Charlene is pretty, and so is Charlie. It's means 'free', you know."

Charlie beamed at Beauty, and said, "Yeah, I did, but most people don't. You like to know the meanings of names too?" She stroked Greatheart's nose, and giggled as he carefully lipped the apple. "Honour's cool, but I can see why a little kid wouldn't think so. How far away are you traveling from? I'm from just up the coast here, same year."

"When you grow with a name like Honour, and sisters named Grace and Hope, you develop an interest in the meanings of names very early," Beauty laughed. "I really don't mind my name now, but I've been called Beauty for so long, it's just impossible to change it back."

She leaned against the wall of the stable and smiled as Greatheart and Charlie made friends with each other. "I came from England, from the countryside. Although I honestly couldn't say how I wound up getting here. Magic, I suppose. Oh, and it appears from the past as well. About two hundred and fifty years ago. Have you been here for very long?"

"Just since the beginning of summer, mid-May," Charlie said, turning her head to smile at Beauty too. "My grandfather sent me here... and wow, this place has got to be weird for you, coming from the past. Well, the past from our standpoint. I know some kids from the future-- Hoshi and Bridge-- and a few from other planets..." She frowned, trying to remember if anyone was from the past that she knew well. "I think there's a couple girls from about a hundred years ago? But I don't know them well." She raised her eyebrows. "Do you like it? Or is it too weird? I mean, keep in mind, this place is weird, even for 2007."

"I've met Hoshi, she's in a couple of my classes. Anemone is from the future too." Beauty also paused to think on whether she'd met anyone from what this place would consider the past. "I think the only people from the past I've met so far are only from a short time ago. It is a strange place, but I do like it. I'm still learning about a lot of things that people here take for granted, and I'm also still learning how to tell the difference between things that have changed due to the passage of time, and things that are odd because of just being here in this town. I mean, for me, the idea of a telephone is a lot stranger than the possibility of a dragon."

Not nearly as scary, granted. But definitely stranger.

Charlie grinned, charmed at the idea, and leaned against the horse's stall door as Greatheart munched the last of the apple. "I haven't seen any dragons? I did see little cute furry aliens that turned evil and bitey when the wrong kind of music was played." She shook her head. "Although, people keep mentioning Jell-O dragons, which doesn't even seem possible. But the first thing I got to see here was a ghost, and I never thought those existed, sooo...."

"I did hear that once in a while, the students turn into small animals," Beauty mused. "But I've never seen any of the things you mentioned. In fact, I don't even know what 'jello' is. I do definitely believe in ghosts, though. And magic. There was supposed to have been a dragon or a griffin that lived to the north of our town, but no one I know of has ever actually seen it."

That, however, did not mean that Beauty didn't believe it existed.

[ooc: Must be off to bed. SP?]

"Gelatin? It's kind of...it's protein, that turns into these squishy cubes if you combine it with water, and then chill it. You can make funny desserts out of it, like pudding," Charlie tried to explain. "Fruity ones, mostly. And how did they know it was there, if no one ever saw it?"

[fine by me! Night!]

"Oh, gelatin I know, I've just never heard it called by that other name," Beauty replied. "I can't imagine how a dragon could be made out of one, though."

She had to admit that Charlie had a good point about the local stories, and she gave an uncertain shrug. "I suppose once upon a time, someone saw it? It's something of a local legend, now. The inn is even named after a griffin, I guess because of the belief that one lives there." Beauy thought about the ring she was wearing, made in the form of a griffin, and added, "Or else, I suppose it's possible that something else living there has just spread rumors to hide itself."

"Coooool. What kind of stories?" Charlie asked, looking intrigued. "Or did people find bones of something really big? Or see something with wings?" She smiled and added, "Jell-O's the name of the most popular kind of dessert gelatin here, so most people forget it has another name."

Beauty bit her lip uncertainly, and looked carefully at Charlie for a moment. She had to admit, when she'd begun to hear the stories the locals told, her reaction had been curiosity rather than fear as well. It was actually sort of nice to be reminded of that fact.

"They say that forest is enchanted. No one goes into it, and no one drinks the water from the stream that comes out of it. We use wells instead. And there are no animals there. Not even birds, or squirrels."

That stumped Charlie because... "How can any of the plants survive without birds?" she wondered. "Or, well, anything. That whole Circle of Life thing means there have to be animals, doesn't it?" She blinked. "Ohhh, unless you're right, and it really *is* enchanted. That's so odd."

"I don't have any idea. It seems strange to me, for an entire forest to exist without any kind of animals in it at all. But I've never seen even a rabbit come out of it, or heard a single bird singing there."

Beauty hesitated, and then added, "It really is enchanted. There's a sorceror who lives there. My father's met him. I think that he does something to the forest, and the animals keep away from fear."

"Why would anyone want all the animals to go away?" Charlie wondered, leaning her head against Greatheart's. "They just want the entire area to themselves?" She tilted her head at Beauty. "Are you scared, living that close to a magic forest?"

"Maybe," mused Beauty softly, "he doesn't make the animals leave. Maybe they're just too afraid to stay."

She was lost in thought for just a moment, and looked confused at Charlie's question. "Am I...? Oh! I, no, I wasn't scared. I stayed away from the forest as I was told to, but I never felt afraid of it. I still don't. It isn't even what lives inside it that scares me. It's the not knowing. Wondering what happened, and what kind of magic can create such a powerful enchantment, that lasts for so long that stories about it are passed down through families. And wondering what it wants."

Beauty shook her head, and laughed ruefully. "That sounds crazy, I know. Sometimes I think about things too much."

"Is that even possible?" Charlie said lightly, grinning. "That's half the fun of things, wondering about them. I make up stories about people half the time, before I even start being nosy about them." She cocked her head. "I don't know if I'd want to live that close to something that powerful. It could be... unsettling. But I'd love to see it, just to get an idea of what it was like."

"You make up stories about people?" Beauty asked, with a curious smile. "I'll bet they're more interesting than what you really find out."

Most people, she thought, were basically nice, but not really good subjects for stories.

With another thoughtful look at Charlie, Beauty pulled the ring off her finger and held it out. "I don't know any way you could go to Blue Hill and see the forest, but this came from inside it."

"They've got tough competition around here. Everyone's got a special ability, or they're from somewhere exotic, or they're studying to be on space ships. My friend A.J. and I are writing a graphic novel based on some of the people here, though." Charlie leaned forward, and gently too the ring, examining it closely. "That's a gryphon, right? The carving on it is really gorgeous. Did someone find it there?"

"You're a friend of A.J.'s? Are you an artist?" Beauty wasn't sure exactly what a graphic novel was, although she assumed it must be some kind of illustrated novel, but it sounded fascinating. "What's your book about?"

She nodded at Charlie's questions. "It is a gryphon, yes. And it wasn't found, it was sent to me by way of my father, by creature who's under an enchantment and lives inside the forest." Grinning, she added, "That sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it? But it's true."

"Yup. I'm a writer. I write the story, he illustrates it," she explained, then grinned. "Um. People with special powers. It started just out at a resort town, and now there's a secret underground movement to oust the invading forces of... well, I haven't worked that out yet."

"Oh, wow. An enchantment? What kind? Can it be broken?" Charlie asked, fascinated. "And it does, yes! All it needs is an evil wizard or witch somewhere, and it's straight out of the movies."

"Oh, do you think I could see what you've done sometime? Or is it rude to ask to see something like that, when it's still being written? It sounds very interesting."

Beauty grinned. "Well, how do you think the enchantment got created?"

"Sure! Well, I don't mind. A.J., it depends, sometimes he's okay with it. But if you ask him to see the stuff he wrote for the book, tell him I'm good with it." Charlie grinned. "Explosions! Flying people! Street artists with super powers! And I'm still trying to come up with something cool for some of my other friends."

"Ooooo." Charlie closed her eyes a second, picturing the forest in her mind's eye. Silent, still. With... "Gryphons. They're protecting something important in the center of the forest." She opened her eyes, voice lowering like she had a secret. "So important, but so secret, that they've even forgotten what it is. It's waiting for someone to..." She narrowed her eyes, and slowly said, "Find their way to the center. So it can find its way back out again."

"You're better at telling it than I am," Beauty laughed, intrigued by Charlie's insight as well as her imagination. "Now I want to know how it ends, though. Who goes into the forest, and what does she find?"

The 'she' was actually just a slip of the tongue. Although in a strange way, Beauty almost felt that maybe Charlie could tell her what was there.

"Somebody brave. Well, she's have to be, to go there in the first place. Annnnd..." Charlie frowned, thinking, and wondering about it. She'd picked up on what Beauty had said, too, but she couldn't figure out why Beauty might go into such a place, any more than her fictional ideal would. "Curious, too. Being brave isn't a good enough reason, only someone dumb would go in without a reason, even if they were brave." She frowned. "Okay, now I'm going to be wondering what a good enough reason to brave an enchanted forest would be, knowing what we know. For hours. I hate that."

"I'm sorry," Beauty said quickly. "Um...I could tell you why I think she's going? But I don't want to ruin your story. You're doing a really good job of creating it. Maybe you should write it down."

"I think I will." Charlie gave Greatheart one more pat, and then grinned again at Beauty. "When I finish my story, you can tell me the reason you think she's going. And we'll see whose sounds more like a fairy tale."

"All right, it's a deal." With a mischievous grin, Beauty said, "Mine may have a hero who's lost at sea in it. Is that all right?"

Even she had to admit to the deeply romantic flavor that a hero lost at sea lent to a story.

"Ooo, nice touch! Sure! Now I'm going to be trying to think of more complications to weave into it too." Charlie patted Greatheart good-bye. "Is it okay if I come by to feed him apples too? Just once in while?"

"Oh, you're welcome to bring Greatheart apples any time you like! I'm sure he'll be very pleased if you do." Beauty rubbed the big horse's forehead. "He likes being spoiled. And I'm really looking forward to reading your story, Charlie. I hope we run into each other again."

"Me too. I'll see you around here soon, hunh?" Charlie smiled as she headed for the door. "Bye Great-heart, bye Trenor! See you soon!"

The Stables, Sunday Morning (09/23)

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