Ghost Rider

CHAPTER II: Until death do us part.

  "Hurry up, and get ready for class, Tigly." My mother instructed. "You have a big day today, and I don't want the Chieftess' daughter to be the only one late."

I rolled my eyes at this statement, because I'm pretty sure I will not be the only one tarty today. Nevertheless, I reluctantly obeyed my mother and began shrugging on my garments, and combing my fiery red hair.

I put on a simple dress, and tied a small belt made from braided leather around my small frame.

Under my short dress, I also wore green, woolen pants. It was often chilly on my island, and we almost always wore pants under everything.

Sliding on my leather boots, I began braiding my hair.

I didn't want to waste time, so I just wove it into two sloppy braids.

"You're running late, so you'll have to eat your breakfast on the way there." My mother stated, handing me a couple slices of barley loaf.

Barley loaf was the traditional breakfast for the Valkaydans. It was filling, and you could eat it with anything, and anywhere. Also, it was the only thing my mother could make that actually tasted good. So barley loaf was often on the menu in my

I dashed out of the cave, which was my abode, in hopes that I could catch my best friend, Vivian, before I got to class.

She lived in a cave too, just next to mine. However, not all of us lived in caves. Some Valkaydans preferred homes with wooden walls, instead of stone.

I didn't understand why.

Caves were strategically more fitting for living purposes. The walls cannot catch fire, the roof will not leak, and there are multiple escape routs in case of an attack. Whereas, in a wooden hut, the walls would burn, they would first glow orange, and when the fire was extinguished, the wood would turn black. The roofs will allow the frigid water which falls from the skies into the warmth of your home, and warp the floors below it. Enemies will raid villages, and the only ways to escape the confines of a wooden hut is through the front and back door; and occasionally the windows. However you will be seen by then, and will probably be killed with a sharp battle ax, or a steel sword.

I do not know many of these things from experience. I have only heard the warriors talk about it. They have seen the destruction, chaos, and evil which lie just beyond our icy walls. They say that entire villages will be set ablaze by their enemies. They say that, from a dragon's back, they appear to be torches lighting the darkness of the night. They say that many Vikings freeze to death in the unforgiving winters that plague the lands for months. All because of the minuscule holes in their walls, which allow the cold air to deep into their home, and through their bones.

But my mother says it is wrong to eavesdrop on your own people. Therefor, I probably shouldn't be telling you these things.

So back to the present.

My thin legs propelled me down the pathway. My feet pounded on the grassy trail, as I attempted to overtake my friend. The green ferns, which grew on the side of the cliff towering above me, and the side to my right which plunged down far below me, became nothing but streaks of vibrant emerald.

The trail descended slowly down the cliffside, as the sides became closer to the solid ground.

You see, everyone who lives in caves lives on the cliff. The left side, which ascends upward for what seems to be miles, is the side most of us live on. This side is covered in small holes, which are doorways. The inside is much bigger, though. We make the doors particularly small so its easier to block in case of an attack.