Post by Rosa on May 3, 2006 12:23:33 GMT -5
Tryin somethin new since the other story went down the drain. Criticizm is wanted.
"But Dad, I love you,” Adara gazed pleadingly into her father’s eyes, “Please don’t make me leave.”
Donovan looked away, torn by his daughter’s words and the pain that reflected in her eyes. “Adara, I love you too, more than I can put into words, but it’s because I love you that I want you to go.”
Adara shook her head, causing a wisp of soft brown hair to fall in front of her eyes. “But I don’t understand. If you love me, how can you ask me to leave?” She brushed the hair away from her face, revealing large gray-green eyes that shone brightly, illuminated by unshed tears.
Donovan’s own eyes ached, but he would not allow himself to let the tears fall freely down his face. The only time he had ever let himself cry was sixteen years ago when his wife died, when giving birth to their only child and daughter, Adara. Donovan cried freely then, while holding the limp hand of Carleen, the woman that had shared a short, but rich and beautiful life of love with him. Blue Star, an ovinutrix, picked up a handkerchief that belonged to Carleen and gently swiped at his wet face. A moment later, she tugged at his sleeve, urging him to let go of Carleen’s hand. But he could not. “Come back Carleen,” he whispered, “I can’t go on without you. Remember the baby? We were going to be a family and share a new life together, you, me, and little Adara.”
The baby was crying, but Donovan, numbed with grief, did not respond.
Blue Star tapped the man’s arm, and Donovan sensed the note of urgency in the simple touch of the quiet Ovinutrix. Painstakingly slow, he let his fingers slip away from the woman’s hand, releasing it forever.
Blue Star knew that an aching heart must never remain empty through the parting of a loved one, else the pain of bitterness should fill the gap and destroy a good heart. She lifted Donovan’s hand and directed it to the tiny hand of the baby who lay upon her mother’s chest. Carleen’s arm was still wrapped tenderly around the infant’s body.
Donovan’s palm closed over the baby’s, his fingers swallowing the tiny ones of the child. He could feel a circle of warmth radiating from his daughter’s fist. Carefully, he lifted the child from his wife’s arms and held it close. His tears splashed onto his daughter’s face as his cheek brushed against the infant’s head. “You and I both will have to learn to live without her. But we’ll have each other, Adara,” he choked, “We’ll have each other.”
As the memory faded before his eyes, Donovan lifted his head and faced his now sixteen year old daughter. “I want you to leave because I love you. I want you to have more than this simple life here on this quiet and secluded farm. There’s so much more of Dinotopia that you have never seen, or experienced. Go, explore Dinotopia, and observe, listen, and learn.”
Adara tried to protest, but she knew in her heart that she had surrendered. “But I don’t want to leave. I don’t mind living here in the country, far away from the villages and cities. This is my home, everything I’ve ever known. I want to stay here with you and Blue Star and the other saurians that help run the farm. Our occasional visits to Bent Root when we bring our produce for bartering is enough to satisfy me.”
Donovan chose to remain silent, but he reached out and gently squeezed his daughter’s hand.
Adara buried her face in her father’s shoulder, unable to hold the tears back any longer. Donovan held her for a long time, stroking her soft brown hair and gazing into the brazen colors that bled from the dying sun.
Two days later, Adara packed her belongings and strapped the bundle onto the back of a Struthiomimus, named Gems. She planned to travel alone with the Struthiomimus until she reached Treetown, which lay approximately thirty five miles from her home in the foothills of the Backbone Mountains. She was not afraid to make the journey alone after the many times she had gone with her father to Bent Root. She knew the way by heart, but it would be the first time to travel without her father’s company.
Donovan walked down the path to the dinosaur barn, dreading to say goodbye to his daughter. It hurt him to see her go, but he knew it would be best for her. Many young people left for Treetown even sooner than the age of sixteen, but he knew that Adara would do well in the lively atmosphere and would be a quick learner.
By the time he reached the barn, his shoes were soaked with the heavy morning dew. He remembered how Adara and Blue Star would wait for him every morning to return from his morning chores and would have a warm pair of slippers ready for his feet. Donovan sighed. It was going to be difficult to adjust to life without Adara being there by his side everyday. She was a beautiful girl, and like her mother in so many ways. He was going to miss her gentle character, lilting laughter, readiness to work, and her sweet clear voice that so often readily broke into song.
Donovan paused as he watched his daughter. She was kneeling down in the wet grass next to Gems and listening attentively to Blue Star, who was singing her a farewell song. The ovinutrix whistled and cooed, her long neck swaying with the rhythm of her music. When the last note died upon the early morning air, Adara stood and unclasped her mother’s necklace from around her neck and carefully draped it over the neck of the ovinutrix. “You’ve been more than a mother to me, Blue Star. I’ll miss you.”
Donovan turned his head, as the beautiful picture of his daughter with Blue Star and Gems, blurred into a mosaic of glistening colors. Quickly, he swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, clearing his vision.
Adara lifted her head and saw her father standing alone with morning dew shimmering all around him as the sun peeked over the horizon and brushed a glow of light over the wet trees and grass. It shouldn’t be this way, she thought, Dad, alone. He has the dinosaurs for company, but no one to give him a hug every day and tell him, “I love you.” Adara stepped forward and embraced her father. “Dad? Are you sure this is right? If it hurts us both this much, how can this be the right thing to do?”
“Trust me, Adara.” Donovan replied. “This is what is right. Like I said before, as you make your journey and explore this land, observe, listen, and learn, and discover what it is that makes a true Dinotopian heart.”
Reluctantly, Adara pulled away from her father’s arms and returned to Gems, who was waiting for her. As she swung into the saddle, Donovan’s voice reached her sensitive ears.
“This is not forever,” He said. “I will see you again someday. When I bring the produce to Bent Root, I’ll go visit you in Treetown.”
Adara struggled to smile for her father one last time before leaving him for the first time in her life, but her heart ached too much and the smile turned into a tearful grimace. “Goodbye, Dad.” She said, despising the tears that were once again streaming down her face. Like her father, she hated to let anyone see her cry.
“Goodbye, Adara,” Donovan called as the girl and struthie turned and began their journey. “Remember, sing every day. You are gifted with your mother’s voice.”
Adara turned in the saddle to look back at her father. “How can I sing if the music is not in me?”
“It is in you, even if you don’t always feel it. Don’t ever let yourself believe that the music no longer dwells within you. Sing for someone, Adara.”
For the first two hours of travel, Adara cried bitterly. Gems could feel the girl’s anguish, but knew that there was nothing he could do to cheer her. Only time could heal her pain. Gems felt awful about being the one to carry her away from her father, but it was his duty. At least he could be there for her so that she would not have to make the journey alone. He had promised both Donovan and Blue Star that he would watch over Adara and never forsake her during her journey. Though Gems also felt a twinge of sadness at leaving his home, his heart swelled with determination to be strong for Adara. She needed someone to help her along, to always be there for her.
As the morning hours crept into afternoon and the shadows lengthened into night, Gems waited to hear Adara sing again. But the girl remained quiet, offering no song to chase away the chill of the night air. The next day of travel was much like the first, Adara silent, and Gems waiting. As they bedded down on the second night, beneath the open starry sky, Gems began to sing.
Adara clapped her hands over her ears and rolled over to face the Struthie who had no gift of a beautiful singing voice. He squawked and moaned, sliding up and down the scale, crumbling the notes of music into a confused mess. Adara had never heard the struthie try to sing before. “Gems, what are you doing?” She stared at the struthie, appalled at the disturbing racket.
Gems touched his throat and squawked a few more broken notes, then gazed at her intently.
“You’re singing?”
Gems reached out and touched Adara’s throat.
“And you want me to sing?” Adara sighed. “I’m sorry Gems. I just don’t feel like singing. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day since we’ll be reaching Treetown. Let’s go to sleep now.” She rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head to block the night’s chill and any of Gems’s music, if he decided to sing again.
Gems sighed and lay down on the soft bed of moss that Adara had made for him. If only he could get the girl to sing again.
[shadow=red,left,300][glow=yellow,2,300]Sing for Someone[/glow][/shadow]
Chapter 1
"But Dad, I love you,” Adara gazed pleadingly into her father’s eyes, “Please don’t make me leave.”
Donovan looked away, torn by his daughter’s words and the pain that reflected in her eyes. “Adara, I love you too, more than I can put into words, but it’s because I love you that I want you to go.”
Adara shook her head, causing a wisp of soft brown hair to fall in front of her eyes. “But I don’t understand. If you love me, how can you ask me to leave?” She brushed the hair away from her face, revealing large gray-green eyes that shone brightly, illuminated by unshed tears.
Donovan’s own eyes ached, but he would not allow himself to let the tears fall freely down his face. The only time he had ever let himself cry was sixteen years ago when his wife died, when giving birth to their only child and daughter, Adara. Donovan cried freely then, while holding the limp hand of Carleen, the woman that had shared a short, but rich and beautiful life of love with him. Blue Star, an ovinutrix, picked up a handkerchief that belonged to Carleen and gently swiped at his wet face. A moment later, she tugged at his sleeve, urging him to let go of Carleen’s hand. But he could not. “Come back Carleen,” he whispered, “I can’t go on without you. Remember the baby? We were going to be a family and share a new life together, you, me, and little Adara.”
The baby was crying, but Donovan, numbed with grief, did not respond.
Blue Star tapped the man’s arm, and Donovan sensed the note of urgency in the simple touch of the quiet Ovinutrix. Painstakingly slow, he let his fingers slip away from the woman’s hand, releasing it forever.
Blue Star knew that an aching heart must never remain empty through the parting of a loved one, else the pain of bitterness should fill the gap and destroy a good heart. She lifted Donovan’s hand and directed it to the tiny hand of the baby who lay upon her mother’s chest. Carleen’s arm was still wrapped tenderly around the infant’s body.
Donovan’s palm closed over the baby’s, his fingers swallowing the tiny ones of the child. He could feel a circle of warmth radiating from his daughter’s fist. Carefully, he lifted the child from his wife’s arms and held it close. His tears splashed onto his daughter’s face as his cheek brushed against the infant’s head. “You and I both will have to learn to live without her. But we’ll have each other, Adara,” he choked, “We’ll have each other.”
As the memory faded before his eyes, Donovan lifted his head and faced his now sixteen year old daughter. “I want you to leave because I love you. I want you to have more than this simple life here on this quiet and secluded farm. There’s so much more of Dinotopia that you have never seen, or experienced. Go, explore Dinotopia, and observe, listen, and learn.”
Adara tried to protest, but she knew in her heart that she had surrendered. “But I don’t want to leave. I don’t mind living here in the country, far away from the villages and cities. This is my home, everything I’ve ever known. I want to stay here with you and Blue Star and the other saurians that help run the farm. Our occasional visits to Bent Root when we bring our produce for bartering is enough to satisfy me.”
Donovan chose to remain silent, but he reached out and gently squeezed his daughter’s hand.
Adara buried her face in her father’s shoulder, unable to hold the tears back any longer. Donovan held her for a long time, stroking her soft brown hair and gazing into the brazen colors that bled from the dying sun.
Chapter 2
Two days later, Adara packed her belongings and strapped the bundle onto the back of a Struthiomimus, named Gems. She planned to travel alone with the Struthiomimus until she reached Treetown, which lay approximately thirty five miles from her home in the foothills of the Backbone Mountains. She was not afraid to make the journey alone after the many times she had gone with her father to Bent Root. She knew the way by heart, but it would be the first time to travel without her father’s company.
Donovan walked down the path to the dinosaur barn, dreading to say goodbye to his daughter. It hurt him to see her go, but he knew it would be best for her. Many young people left for Treetown even sooner than the age of sixteen, but he knew that Adara would do well in the lively atmosphere and would be a quick learner.
By the time he reached the barn, his shoes were soaked with the heavy morning dew. He remembered how Adara and Blue Star would wait for him every morning to return from his morning chores and would have a warm pair of slippers ready for his feet. Donovan sighed. It was going to be difficult to adjust to life without Adara being there by his side everyday. She was a beautiful girl, and like her mother in so many ways. He was going to miss her gentle character, lilting laughter, readiness to work, and her sweet clear voice that so often readily broke into song.
Donovan paused as he watched his daughter. She was kneeling down in the wet grass next to Gems and listening attentively to Blue Star, who was singing her a farewell song. The ovinutrix whistled and cooed, her long neck swaying with the rhythm of her music. When the last note died upon the early morning air, Adara stood and unclasped her mother’s necklace from around her neck and carefully draped it over the neck of the ovinutrix. “You’ve been more than a mother to me, Blue Star. I’ll miss you.”
Donovan turned his head, as the beautiful picture of his daughter with Blue Star and Gems, blurred into a mosaic of glistening colors. Quickly, he swiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, clearing his vision.
Adara lifted her head and saw her father standing alone with morning dew shimmering all around him as the sun peeked over the horizon and brushed a glow of light over the wet trees and grass. It shouldn’t be this way, she thought, Dad, alone. He has the dinosaurs for company, but no one to give him a hug every day and tell him, “I love you.” Adara stepped forward and embraced her father. “Dad? Are you sure this is right? If it hurts us both this much, how can this be the right thing to do?”
“Trust me, Adara.” Donovan replied. “This is what is right. Like I said before, as you make your journey and explore this land, observe, listen, and learn, and discover what it is that makes a true Dinotopian heart.”
Reluctantly, Adara pulled away from her father’s arms and returned to Gems, who was waiting for her. As she swung into the saddle, Donovan’s voice reached her sensitive ears.
“This is not forever,” He said. “I will see you again someday. When I bring the produce to Bent Root, I’ll go visit you in Treetown.”
Adara struggled to smile for her father one last time before leaving him for the first time in her life, but her heart ached too much and the smile turned into a tearful grimace. “Goodbye, Dad.” She said, despising the tears that were once again streaming down her face. Like her father, she hated to let anyone see her cry.
“Goodbye, Adara,” Donovan called as the girl and struthie turned and began their journey. “Remember, sing every day. You are gifted with your mother’s voice.”
Adara turned in the saddle to look back at her father. “How can I sing if the music is not in me?”
“It is in you, even if you don’t always feel it. Don’t ever let yourself believe that the music no longer dwells within you. Sing for someone, Adara.”
Chapter 3
For the first two hours of travel, Adara cried bitterly. Gems could feel the girl’s anguish, but knew that there was nothing he could do to cheer her. Only time could heal her pain. Gems felt awful about being the one to carry her away from her father, but it was his duty. At least he could be there for her so that she would not have to make the journey alone. He had promised both Donovan and Blue Star that he would watch over Adara and never forsake her during her journey. Though Gems also felt a twinge of sadness at leaving his home, his heart swelled with determination to be strong for Adara. She needed someone to help her along, to always be there for her.
As the morning hours crept into afternoon and the shadows lengthened into night, Gems waited to hear Adara sing again. But the girl remained quiet, offering no song to chase away the chill of the night air. The next day of travel was much like the first, Adara silent, and Gems waiting. As they bedded down on the second night, beneath the open starry sky, Gems began to sing.
Adara clapped her hands over her ears and rolled over to face the Struthie who had no gift of a beautiful singing voice. He squawked and moaned, sliding up and down the scale, crumbling the notes of music into a confused mess. Adara had never heard the struthie try to sing before. “Gems, what are you doing?” She stared at the struthie, appalled at the disturbing racket.
Gems touched his throat and squawked a few more broken notes, then gazed at her intently.
“You’re singing?”
Gems reached out and touched Adara’s throat.
“And you want me to sing?” Adara sighed. “I’m sorry Gems. I just don’t feel like singing. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day since we’ll be reaching Treetown. Let’s go to sleep now.” She rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head to block the night’s chill and any of Gems’s music, if he decided to sing again.
Gems sighed and lay down on the soft bed of moss that Adara had made for him. If only he could get the girl to sing again.
