When we arrive at the farm, Chase offers to take Rose into the stable for me, but I hold the reins away from him, offended. I ignore him and walk into the stable, angry that he thinks I’m so weak and can’t do anything for myself. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but I’m feeling strangely defensive, and I don’t really care. I lead Rose to her stall, untack her, and put the tack away, while Chase does the same with Simba. When I start to walk toward the house and find Chase following me, I wheel on him and let loose a barrage of angry words.

“Watch it! You’re a hired hand. I can easily have you fired, so why don’t you back off? I don’t need your help around here, so why not go home?” I yell. I’m not sure why I’m so mad at him, but I am, and I can’t help it. Whatever this anger is, it’s strong, and it won’t be ignored. He rubs the back of his neck, obviously thinking about this reaction, and seems to come to some kind of rude conclusion, because he snickers a little. When I realize what he thinks the cause of my anger is, I feel like smacking him in the face, but instead I turn back around and sprint to the house, my face on fire. Ms. A is waiting in the small, under-furnished living room, looking very pleased with herself. When I enter, she smiles and leads me up to my room, showing me a small cardboard box sitting on my bed.

I stare at it. “For you,” she says, her smile growing even wider.

“You didn’t have to…” I smile, then tear into the box. I feel my eyes go wide, and Ms. A claps and laughs. I pull out a white polo shirt, a riding shirt, no doubt. Inside is a note reading:

Surprise! You’re competing in the Annual Jorvik Young Hunters’ Competition!

I nearly pass out. In only a few seconds, my terror turns to confusion, and my confusion to rage. I turn on Ms. A, yelling, asking how she could do this, how she could enter me in a competition without asking me. She looks deeply hurt, and tells me she’s seen me jump and thought I’d like to enter, but I’ll have none of it. I yell for her to get out, and as she’s turning, I throw the polo at her. She catches it, looking more hurt than ever, and closes the door, tears in her eyes.

For a long time, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, until I hear Ms. Ashton’s old car driving down the road, and I know she’s gone to the market. The fact that she left me behind hurts a little, but I suppose I deserve it. I find a note under my door that says Ms. A will be home late tonight, that she’s staying to watch the young hunters compete and that Chase will look after me. Right on cue, there’s a knock at my door, and I open it, only to feel the sudden urge to slam it shut. Chase stands there, looking at me expectantly. I ask what he wants, and he tells me Ms. A wants me to feed the pigs after dinner, which is ready right now.

Dinner is cold beef and milk. Nothing fancy, but then again, we do live on a farm. After supper, I wash the dishes while Chase brings the animals in, then I go to feed the pigs, and when I return, I find that it’s already 5:30. My skin and hair is dirty, but I’m also exhausted, so I decide I’ll take a bath tonight instead of a shower.

Chase comes back in just as I’m about to run upstairs. “Where you going?” he asks casually, and I hope he can feel me staring daggers into his back as he takes off his boots. I tell him I’m going to take a bath and then go to bed, and that I don’t appreciate him acting like a babysitter to me. I remind him I’m only a year younger than him, and that he better watch it, or I’ll have him laid off. He laughs a little at this, but not in a mean way.

“Well…when you’re done, don’t go to bed. I brought a movie.” He waves a DVD in the air, then goes into the kitchen.

Safely in the privacy of the bathroom, I pull off my dirty riding clothes and stare at the thin, scraggly girl in the mirror. Who am I? It seems that this question will haunt me until I find the answer, and there is no way I can live with myself until I find that answer. I relax in the warm water, letting it soak me through before scrubbing violently at my skin. After a minute, I stop mid scrub. I must be daydreaming, I must be, because an image pops into my head. I’m in a car…out the window, I see a truck…it’s getting fearfully close…I hear screaming…a horn… Blackness. Nothing more. I jump in the tub, startled, returning to reality. I saw all that in a split second, and I’m not sure what it was. I dismiss it.

Chase is watching a ball game when I come down in my nightgown, a towel in my hair, and sit down on the other side of the couch. He brings popcorn and we watch The Conjuring. When it’s over, I don’t want to go to bed, I’m so terrified, but he just laughs. I guess he thinks it’s cute that I, a mature 16 year old, am afraid of the dark, but I yell saying he can’t blame me after showing me that movie.

There’s a knock at the door, and I wonder who it is. It’s 8:45…unless it’s Miss A, who would be visiting at this hour? It turns out to be Rachel, my best friend. Her medium length blonde hair is tied up in a bun, and her green eyes have ugly, unusually dark spots under them. She looks like she ran all this way from her house three miles away.

“Jamie,” she pants, “I need to talk to you. It’s serious.”

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Previous << First >> Next

I am so sorry that I haven’t posted for 2 months! The first month I was on holidays and I just couldn’t fit time into my schedule to write another chapter in the next month. I am really sorry, but I’m not going to continue Golden Leaves. But it’s alright! I give you the task of creating a finale chapter of Golden Leaves in this post’s comments. If it’s alright with Maggie Oldcamp, I will organise a VERY special prize for you if I think your finale chapter is good! There will be at the most three winners, and at the least one winner. So get writing: the competition ends in one week and entries MUST be 10-100 lines. Enjoy my next series! :D

Yes, the day of the absolutely boring update. Well, the update ITSELF isn’t boring but the wait to be able to play Star Stable Online is nearly unbearable. Ah well, I’ll just have to play another game. Animal Jam? Nah.. Pottermore? No… Alicia Online? I would, but it takes too long to download. Skype someone? Yeah, I might check if anyones online. Ok, one person’s online but they’re taking forever to decide if they want to Skype me… Wait! One of my accounts won’t let me play but the other will so I guess I’ll just have to play on my Fire Star account seeing as I’m bored. I’m riding to Firgrove Championships now on my level 15 Andalusian called Diamondblaze. I’ll update my diary when I’ve finished championships in Firgrove! -smiles-

Yay! I came 3rd place! I was coming 1st, but failed a jump. I have to log off now, but I can promise to write again tomorrow or the next day after tomorrow.

An exciting new visitor has come to Moorland. Speak to Jenna to see if she knows more.

A New Horse for May

Hey Rita! Have you heard that we’ve got a new horse at Moorland Stables?

The horse belongs to May’s cousin, but May’s promised to take care of him for a few days.

I’ve got no idea what May’s cousin is called… Oh, right, you mean what’s the horse’s name? Haha!

I’m afraid I don’t know that either. Sphinx? Nah. Blinks? Mm, nope. Jinx? Nah, I can’t remember.

What I do know is that he’s so cheeky and adorable! You and Summerblaze should stop by and say hello before he goes home again. Like I say, I don’t know how long he’ll be here, but talk to May. She knows more.

Objectives: Ask May about the new horse.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Speak to May by the stable and ask her about her adorable new guest.

OH NO! No, no, no!

What do you want? I haven’t got time to talk…

Quest completed

______________

Mind Your Hooves and Feet…

I’m sorry Rita…

I don’t mean to be mean, but it’s chaos here right now. Total chaos.

A new horse?

Mm, that’s right. Well, not so much new, more I’m just looking after my cousin’s horse Lynx for a few days.

Really though, I’d love to stay and chat but I’ve got a little… Well, actually a massive problem. The three horses that are usually here seem to have run away. Sigh.

Seriously though, you’re not gonna believe what happened. I’d just taken Lynx into the stable when something went wrong. I don’t know if he was scared or just was causing a fuss or whatever. In any case, he managed to freak the other horses out and in all the fuss, one of them kicked over a glass bowl that happened to be just lying around on the floor. 

So not only do we have three runaway horses, but the whole place is covered in bits of glass! Great huh? Hmmm…

As luck would have it, Josh helped out. He took Lynx with him away from here so that I could get on with clearing up all the glass and look out for the other horses.

Why was there a glass bowl in the stable?

Well, yeah, that was my fault, I’d brought it with me to give it to Jenna. She saw it on a picture I uploaded to Jinstacam, and she fell in love with it.

Since I had two the same, I thought I could give her one of them. When Lynx arrived, I needed to put it down pretty fast and then there was all the distraction, so I didn’t have a chance to put it anywhere safe.

UGH! Why do I have to be so stupid?! I should’ve been more careful. I guess there’s not much I can do about it now though. The most important thing is to get rid of all this glass so that nobody hurts themselves.

You want to help?

Awwh, thanks so much! How lovely!

Take the brush over by the wall behind me and seep up the little shards of glass in the stable while I take care of the glass that got outside.

Be careful though, and make sure you and Summerblaze don’t cut yourselves. These little splinters of glass can be really sharp…

Objectives: Sweep up the glass on the floor in the stable and then talk to May.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Use the broom from your inventory to clean up the glass, then speak to May when you are finished.

Is all the glass in the stable gone now?

Thanks so much Rita!

Quest completed

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Runaway Stable Horses

How nice to have swept up all the bits of glass. Imagine getting one of them stuck in your foot! Ugh, I get the shivers just thinking about it.

Now we need to get the horses home as well; they can’t have got too far.

Aaaaa! Why do I have to be so clumsy, Rita?!

Sigh… Would you be able to ride out and look for them? You’ve already got Summerblaze all saddled and ready.

Thanks! Seriously, I owe you one for this.

Take these sugar lumps with you. Use them to get the runaway horses to follow you home.

Objectives: Use the sugar cubes to get the three runaway horses to follow you back to the stable, then report back to May.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Use the sugar from your inventory to get the horses to start walking, then walk with them back to the stable. When you have returned all three horses, speak to May.

Whew! 

Great, now all the horses are back. Thanks ever so much for your help, you really saved the day!

Quest completed

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Hope There’s No Glass in Their Hooves!

Excellent! You found all the horses!

Sigh…

Of course, we need to check the horses’ hooves and make sure they didn’t pick up any glass in there. If they did, then they could get a pretty horrible injury…

I’m so nervous, I can hardly look. Rita, you seem to have remarkably sharp vision. Like a wonderful eagle. Could you please look at the hooves?

Thanks! I really, really, reaaaaally hope there’s nothing in there.

Here, take my hoof pick and brush, that way you can check them out nice and gently.

Objectives: Examine the horses’ hooves to see if any splinters of glass got stuck in them.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Dismount your horse to examine each of the horses in the stable. Report to May that one of horses did not escape unharmed.

One of the horses has glass in its hoof? Poor thing!

Quest completed

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Mrs Holdsworth’s Healing Ointment

Argh! I’m so annoyed with myself. I should’ve just given that bowl straight to Jenna or at least put it down in a safer place…

Ah well, what can we do? We’ll have to help the poor thing somehow.

…

I know! Mrs Holdsworth has a special ointment that’s almost magic!

I’ve used it before, you just rub it in where you’ve been injured and it helps ease any pain and stops infections! Helps the healing process, as well…

I’ve never used the ointment on a horse, but would you be able to ride over and ask her for some so we can give it a try?

Awesome, thanks Rita! While you’re off getting the ointment, I’ll look after this poor thing and clean out his hoof. It must be so painful for him…!

Objectives: Ask Mrs Holdsworth for some of her ointment.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Mrs Holdsworth has all the best recipes!

Good day Rita!

You need ointment, you say?

Quest completed

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Herbs Growing by the Shoreline

Oh no! What’s that you say? One of the horses at the stable has stepped on a glass splinter? Poor thing.

Yes, I do have a recipe for a healing ointment! If you help me get the ingredients together, I can make a batch for you.

I don’t have the recipe to hand, but if I remember rightly, we’ll need beach crocuses.

The beach crocus grows by the water and has small, pretty pink flowers.

Ride down to the beach behind my house and take a look there.

If you get started with the flowers, I’ll look for the recipe and see what else we need.

Objectives: Find three beach crocuses and take them with you to Mrs Holdsworth.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Flower delivery service, on its way!

Good job, you found three beach crocuses.

They’re not easy to find, I know. Sometimes it’s taken me hours to find just one.

Quest completed

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Dandelion Juice Sets Your Powers Loose!

While you were away, I found the recipe for the ointment May asked for. My grandma wrote it down for me after I managed to cut myself on a sharp rock when I was swimming in the lake. That was a while ago now though, haha!

Nope! Enough old memories, now let’s get to work. We’ve got beach crocuses, so what else do we need now?

Hmm…

Dandelions! We need dandelions!

Could you get some dandelions? We need dandelions! Dandelions Rita! While you get the dandelions, I’ll prepare these beach crocuses.

Objectives: Gather seven dandelions for Mrs Holdsworth.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride around Mrs Holdsworth’s house and collect the dandelion flowers that you find, then return to her when you have found enough of them.

That was fast! Now I just need to make up the ointment.

It could take a while, but I know it’s urgent and that May needs it as soon as possible. If you just hold on a little while…

Quest completed

______________

Healing Ointment for May 

So, the ointment is finished!

Take it to May and let her know that she should clean the hoof thoroughly before applying the ointment, otherwise it won’t work properly.

Objectives: Give Mrs Holdsworth’s ointment to May.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Return to May with the ointment.

Rita!!

Quest completed

______________

Check on Lynx

Awesome! Now I can take care of this little sickie right here.

Thanks for all your help, Rita. It was total chaos for real, and you helped. All because Lynx was…

LYNX!! I totally forgot about him! This is really unlike me.

I need to get to Josh! He was so kind to offer to look after Lynx and now I’ve just taken advantage. I should go and see him right now but I’ve got to stay here and take here of this poor fella with his poorly hoof…

Please, Rita, couldn’t you go to Josh and get Lynx? Conrad Marsdeen the blacksmith has promised to reshoe Lynx for me, so it’d be awesome if you could take him there afterwards. Please? It’d be incredible if you could…

Nice! Thanks so much! I seriously owe you one after all this. Haha!

Objectives: Talk to Josh.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Speak to Josh by his pole bending course outside the stable.

It’s great you came Rita. I hear May doesn’t have much time, she’s always got so much to do.

In any case, here’s the horse everyone’s talking about! Rita, allow me to introduce Lynx!

Quest completed

______________

Lynx for New Shoes

Isn’t he handsome? Haha, a truly proud and cheeky fella, this one!

I guess May told you what happened? Glass and horses everywhere! That’s why I took Lynx here.

In any case, I guess May’s busy and asked you to take Lynx to the blacksmith?

Cool! I’d totally have helped out, but I’ve got a few other things I need to be getting on with today. 

Never mind, Lynx needs new shoes and the smith has promised to fix him up. Now I’ll leave Lynx to you, so you can take him over to Conrad.

We can chat a little more some other time, I hope! Good luck!

Objectives: Take Lynx to Conrad Marsdeen, the Moorland Blacksmith

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride along with Lynx over to Conrad’s forge.

Good day to you Rita!

Who’s this handsome fellow? is it Lynx?

Quest completed

______________

A Loaded Packhorse

May told me about Lynx. Apparently he needs new shoes, and of course I’m happy to help her fix him up!

Oh, you’d like to help too? Well, Rita, that’s just lovely of you!

According to May, Lynx is a lovely hose with a little bit of a naughty side, so it’s best I keep an eye on him. I hope it won’t be too much trouble getting his shoes on.

Hmm… That’ll have to be something I worry about later.

But since you want to help, you could do me a favor and ride over to get two sacks: those ones that are lying over by the wall there…? They’re pretty heavy so be careful as you lift them. Once you’ve got them, you can drop them off here in front of the house.

Thanks ever so much!

Objectives: Fetch two sacks from the pile by the wall, and place them outside the blacksmith’s house, then chat to him.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

The sacks are so heavy that you can only carry one at a time, so you will have to make two trips to collect both of them near the house. When you have both sacks set down, speak to Conrad again.

Thanks so much Rita! 

It’s been great you’ve been able to help me.

Quest completed

______________

Wisecracker…

Lynx is clearly a bit of a wisecracker…

Ha! I’ve got my eye on you now, Lynx!

I left him on his own for just a few seconds and you can guess what this joker did in the meantime…

First he picked up my box of nails, and luckily he didn’t eat any up, so you don’t need to worry about that.

After he picked up the box, he followed me. The whole time he was shaking his head so that the nails flew all over the place.

It wasn’t long before I caught on to what he was doing, but it was already too late, so now there are nails left, right, and center, spread out all over the ground.

Would you be able to help me gather them all up, Rita? We can’t leave them lying around… Imagine if some poor horse just trampled on one?!

Objectives: Collect all the nails Lynx spread out, then return to the smith.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Someone needs to teach this horse some manners!

Did you find all the nails?

Thank you ever so much Rita! Now we don’t need to worry about anybody stepping on them and getting hurt.

Quest completed

______________

Waiting for New Shoes

Would you be able to ride to May and tell her that I’m busy with the shoes and that I’ll take Lynx back when he’s shoed?

Thanks!

Objectives: Talk to May.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Return to May and tell her that Lynx is being taken care of.

Thanks for all your help today!

Seems like it’ll be a while before the shoes are finished, so you can go take it easy. Come back tomorrow if you’d like to see Lynx again.

Quest completed

Return to May tomorrow.

I invite Rachel inside, and Chase leaves for the night, muttering something about missing his favorite show because he had to babysit a 16 year old. Personally, I think he enjoyed it. Good to know one of us did.

Rachel is Chase’s age, 17, but she acts a lot older. A lot of the time, I think of her more as an adult than someone nearly my own age. She sits down straight, and though she’s still struggling to catch her breath, her pride doesn’t seem to have wavered. When she can finally speak, she tells me that what she’s about to say will change my life; I need to be strong and listen, and above all, don’t be a skeptic. I can tell that what she’s about to tell me is important, and it worries me.

“Jamie, you’re no normal person. Just listen,” she says, holding up a hand when I try to say something. “When someone…young…dies, the Keepers of Aideen… Oh, you don’t know who they are. Well, basically, they watch over this island. Keep it safe. Anyway, when someone young dies on this island, a lot of times they’ll be given another chance – a chance to save someone else from the fate which they themselves endured. And…more often than not, that person will lose their memory, and be dropped into a time zone they are not familiar with.”

I stare blankly at her. “So you’re implying that I’m one of those people?”

She leans forward, her eyes sparkling. “Jamie, do you remember anything? A date of the month, someone’s face…maybe a television set? Anything?”

I pause. There is one date that has been popping randomly into my head since I woke up in the hospital: March 20, 2015. I tell her this, and ask what significance it has. She turns pale.

“Jamie…2015…that’s this year. It’s March 6 today. Do you know what this means?”

I tell her I don’t, and she explains slowly – and expects me to believe, apparently – that March 20 is the day I died, and that this is unusual. I ask her why.

“Look. When a young person dies and is accepted into the Keepers temporarily to save this person they’re meant to save, they’re usually dropped back onto the island anywhere from twenty to thirty years after they died, and never before.” She pauses dramatically, and my suspicion of her not being right in the head grows. She continues: “Why, you may ask? It’s all about time, like in those science fiction movies, when there’s a time machine and all that. Well, that’s all true. If you’re going to die in two weeks, then you’re still alive right now.”

“As far as I can see,” I say, showing her my hands.

She shakes her head. “I mean somewhere else. The you sitting here on the couch…this is the you after death. The you before death is still out there somewhere. You’re in two places at once.”

I stand up, startled. This is all fake, a prank to scare me. “Rachel, I think you should stay here awhile. At least until Ms. A gets back.”

“No, listen!” She grabs my hand, forcing me to sit back down. “Have you been seeing visions?”

The bathtub incident. Dreams. Yes, I have been seeing visions, and all of the same thing. But that has nothing to do with this. Does it? All the things Rachel is telling me…they’re not true. She’s crazy. Despite knowing this, I can’t stop myself from nodding slowly. Rachel looks even more convinced.

“Those visions…you’re seeing through the eyes of the person you need to help. A lot of times it’ll be an accident you’ll see, but that accident hasn’t happened yet. That’s the accident you have to save that person from. You need to gather clues from each vision – usually there’ll be a major landmark or something nearby. Just pay close attention next time you see a vision.” She stops for breath. “Now, this is where it gets complicated. You’re not dead, but you’re going to die. When the living you dies, the dead you will perish as well. This is a problem for two reasons. The first and more simple reason is that if the person you’re meant to save dies after the living you dies, you’ll already be gone. The more complicated of the two reasons is this: if the living you dies before you’ve saved the person, you’ll just keep coming back to this, over and over. See, when the living you dies, you will come back as a Guardian again, and the living you will live again. And then you will die again, and come back again. And so on and so forth. You need to save this person before the living you dies on March 20, or you’ll never rest in peace.”

I can hardly breathe. What she’s telling me makes sense, and that’s what scares me. Then I remember something I should probably tell her.

“Rachel…in one of my visions…March 20. A calendar. That date hasn’t only been in my head, I’ve seen it in visions, too,” I explain. “Does that mean the person I have to save is going to die on the same day as me?”

“It could,” Rachel says quietly, pondering. She looks like she’s been through this a million times.

I can’t help but ask: “You look like you’re used to this. How do you know all of this stuff?”

“Because I’m like you, only I serve in a different way. I died young as well, and I had been…doing things I shouldn’t have been doing. Drugs, stealing, all that stuff. Well, for me, when I died, just being a Guardian like you wasn’t enough. So, I don’t get to rest until I’ve helped ten people like you. You’re my second.”

When she’s done speaking, Rachel stands up and walks to the door. I stop her, insisting she stay until Miss Ashton returns in a short while, but she refuses, telling me she knows I think she’s bonkers, but that I’ll believe her soon enough. The last thing she says to me before disappearing into the inky blackness of night is “Pay close attention to those visions”.

I stare out the door. If what she is saying is true, then I have no life here on Jorvik after all. I’m dead. Going to die. Whatever. And if I save this person, I will “rest in peace”, which I’m guessing means I’ll die and stay dead. But if I don’t save this person…the “living me” will die and so will I, and I’ll be trapped in this time zone, going through this exact moment for the rest of eternity.

Being dead sounds better.

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Previous << First >> Next

Speak to May to see if she got Lynx back from the blacksmith.

A Disappearing Horse

Rita!!

Honest to goodness, this is a total disaster!!

Aaaaaagggghhh!!

A mega catastrophe! I knew Lynx was a character, but I never thought this would happen…

Sorry, Rita, you’ve got no idea what’s happened… Lynx has disappeared!!

Lynx wasn’t very calm when he got back with his new shoes, so I left him on his own for a while to relax. But then one of the stable girls needed my help with something and I swear I couldn’t have been away for more than like a minute but then he’d disappeared…

He was gone… Totally without a trace.

Aaaaahhh, how am I ever gonna find him? He could have run off absolutely anywhere! What am I gonna do?! What’ll I tell my cousin?! “Hey cuz, listen, just so you know, I’ve lost your horse…” NO! I can’t say that! Seriously, she’d lose her bananas and never talk to me again.

Ohhhhh my gosh…

What? You would? You would help me find him?!

OH MY DAYS, you’re like the best! Any idea where we should start looking?

Great idea! Let’s ask around! Someone must’ve seen something. We’ll split up and I’ll see you back here in a while.

Objectives: Ask around Moorland Stables if anyone’s seen Lynx and then return to May.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride around the stable area and speak to the various people standing around. Maybe someone saw something? Report back to May when you have investigated enough.

Okay, so nobody saw anything?

Not exactly helpful…

Quest completed

______________

Tracking the Tracks

What do we do now? Nobody seems to have seen anything. How can you not notice a runaway horse?

Or, well, I supposed I missed it, but seriously though. Someone should’ve seen him!

You have an idea, you say?

That’s great, Rita! Can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. Let’s see if we can find Lynx’s hoof prints. Since he’s got new shoes, his tracks should look different from all the others around here.

Objectives: Look on the ground around Moorland Stables to see if you can find Lynx’s hoof prints.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Search the areas around the stables until you pick up on Lynx’s track.

You find hoof prints on the ground…

They seem different from the others… Could they belong to Lynx?

Quest completed

______________

On the Trail of Lynx

You’re not completely sure, but following the tracks feels like it’s worth a try. Like May said, they differ from the others.

Objectives: Follow the tracks and see if you can find Lynx.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Where could this trail lead?

You found Lynx!

He stares at you and doesn’t look particularly interested in following you back…

Quest completed

______________

The Race to Return to Moorland

Just as everyone says, Lynx seems like a stubborn, cheeky, and lively horse. No way is a little bit of sugar going to lure him back.

What are you going to do?

His eyes meet yours and you suddenly realize: to get Lynx back to the stable, you need to challenge him to a race. A horse like Lynx loves competition, and would never back down from a chance to win.

You and Summerblaze start to limber up. Who’s the fastest? You and Summerblaze or Lynx? Who can get back to the stable first?

Lynx snorts eagerly. He’s ready for the challenge.

…But are you?

Objectives: Compete against Lynx. Who’ll be the fastest back to Moorland Stables?

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP, Black Spring Shoes

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Quick as the wind, my trusty steed!

Wow, that was fast! I felt the breeze whoosh past when you flew in through the gates. 

Thanks for finding Lynx and bringing him back.

Now I just need to make sure I keep an eye on him! As a thanks for all your help, you can have this little present from which I got from my cousin for looking after Lynx, but you deserve it more. Now I need to carry on working, I’ll chat to you later!

Quest completed

Tan seems to be a bit jittery, let’s go see what is up with her.

Loretta’s Ghost Story

Hi Rita! Hey, I have to ask you something.

Has Loretta talked to you about a ghost that haunts the abandoned farm?

Exactly! The one up in Nilmer’s Highland. Did you know about that already?

Okay, maybe she just hasn’t had time to talk to you yet.

But you see… The reason I ask is that Loretta and I talked about the ghost before, and she told me that place was haunted.

Ha. Ha. Yeah, but like not because I believe in ghosts or anything. I mean, who does? Maybe a five-year-old. Ha. Ha…

But like, not because I believe in ghosts or anything, duh! But Loretta said she’d lost her warm riding gloves at the farm and I promised to get them. Since I don’t believe in that kind of stuff.

But jeez. It just feels so silly, why should I ride up there just because she believes in ghosts? Boy.

You don’t look like you have that much to do, Rita, can’t you ride up there and see if you’ll find something?

Ha, let me know if you see any ghosts.

Objectives: Ride up to the abandoned farm in Nilmer’s Highland to see if you can find anything.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Poke around Nilmer’s and see what you can find. Let’s hope you aren’t too afraid!

Return to Tan when you have found something.

Wait! Those are Loretta’s gloves! You found them at the farm, you said?

Then she was telling the truth…

Quest completed

______________

Invisible, Like a Ghost

Sorry Rita, I was just thinking out loud…

But like seriously, I don’t know what to think. Loretta said she’d lost them here, because she was running away from a ghost. I thought she was kidding at first, like she was trying to scare me or something. Like I’d fall for something like that, duh.

But at the same time, would Loretta leave her clothes behind? I mean nobody in their right mind would abandon an item of clothing… As long as it wasn’t outdated, dorky, or just generally ugly of course.

Seriously, promise not to tell anyone but Loretta has been behaving strange lately. I don’t know how to explain it, she’s just been strange. Like all that talk about a ghost, or that she didn’t want to tag along to Jorvik City yesterday!

Rita!

Quiet!

Loretta is coming! Can’t you follow her and try to find out what’s going on?

Awesome, I knew I could count on you.

Objectives: Follow Loretta without being noticed.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stables

Follow Loretta; don’t get to close so that she’ll see you following and don’t get to far behind so that you lose sight of her. Let’s see what this sneaky girl is up to…

And what exactly are you doing? Do you think I’m stupid or something? You don’t think I noticed you followed me the whole way here?!

Quest completed

______________

Can You Scare Someone Nicely?

You’ve talked to Tan, right? Admit it, Rita!

HA! I knew it!

Seriously, you can’t tell Tan anything, promise me that! I can only tell you if you promise not to say anything.

Thanks!

Tan’s birthday is coming up soon and I, as her BFF, was thinking about planning a surprise party for her.

I got the idea a few days ago when Tan and I were watching a scary movie. It was really unpleasant actually… But Tan just thought it was silly and was like, dying of laughter because I thought it was scary. I was like, HELLO, mature much? Like I can help being easily frightened.

But anyway, I thought I’d have a bit of fun with this. Call it revenge, but it’s a pretty sweet revenge if you ask me.

I thought I’d trick her into thinking the farm up here was haunted.

Oh, did she tell you about that? Did she seem to believe that?

She just needs a bit more convincing. I thought we’d decorate and make it seem creepy and ghostly up here.

When everything’s ready we just need to trick Tan and come up here and get her to believe it’s haunted so we can finally start the party.

I think it’ll be awesome, or what do you think?

Sooo, you want to help me or do you want to help me?

Objectives: Talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Maybe it’s the little bit of the sadist in me, but I love scaring people ;p

You’ll help? Awesome!

This is gonna be the best party ever!

Quest completed

______________

Rent-A-Ghost

So nice of you to help me!

I’ve done tons of shopping for the party and everything is nearly ready now. We’re just missing a ghost that Tailor Donald was gonna sew.

I probably would’ve bought something online instead, feels safer. But Justin has talked about how great he is, and if Justin says so it MUST be true. 

Donald promised he’d post my order when he was finished, but I haven’t gotten any package yet. I hope it hasn’t gotten stuck somewhere on the way.

Can you ride to Silverglade Village and ask Derek if he has the package over there? Then I don’t have to wait for the post.

Awesome!

Objectives: Talk to Derek.

Rewards: 10 with Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Find Derek ever diligent at his place in the Silverglade Post Office.

Whoa, hey Rita! Awesome you came, I’m just about to have a total crisis here!

Quest completed

______________

Don’t Say a Word!

Whew!

How luck it was you who came Rita. I’m guessing you’re here to pick up Loretta’s order. Ugh, imagine her reaction if she was here now…

You have to promise not to tell her anything, but there’s been a ton of problems. First the delivery guy was delayed, then he had an accident on the way here. One of his wheels came off and most of the goods in the car fell out.

You don’t have to worry, Rita, nobody got hurt, but the delivery guy had to take the car to get it fixed. The fabric Donald was going to use for Loretta’s order is presumably lying somewhere along the road.

I would’ve gladly gathered up all the parcels, but I couldn’t leave the post office unattended. I managed to gather up quite a few, but not all of them.

Would you be able to help me gather up the parcels?

Thanks! If we get it done quickly nobody needs to know anything.

Objectives: Pick up the package, then talk to Derek.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride out towards Steve’s Farm and look around the road for the missing packages. Return to Derek when you have collected all of them up.

Thanks so much Rita! Whew! Now I can breathe again.

Just a sec, I’ll just…

Quest completed

______________

No Marks or Holes as Far as the Eye Can See!

There we go! I had to wrap the fabric up into a new parcel, as the old one picked up a pretty big hole.

Just gotta keep our fingers crossed that the fabric wasn’t damaged!

Could you take this package to Donald?

Thanks! Hope he’s not too upset that it’s late…

Objectives: Leave the package with Donald the Tailor.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Let’s go see how Silverglade’s favorite hypochondriac is holding up with life.

Hey Rita! You’ll never guess how much bad luck I’ve had… A package for me?

Quest completed

______________

All Fabric and No Needles

Thanks!

I thought my light fabric order was gone forever. Could barely manage to think about all the sad and disappointed customers I’d get.

Sigh.

But the fabric is here now so it doesn’t matter anyway. I had needles before but no fabric. And now when I have the fabric, I can’t seem for find my needles…

The blacksmith? Like he has time to help me fix new needles. I think he has a lot more important things to do than to help me. And how would I even get there? I can barely be outside without getting a sunstroke, break my legs, or get lost.

Sigh.

It’s not like I can forbid you asking him, but you know the road to Moorland is very dangerous, right?

It’s a wonder anyone survives, without tripping over all the stones and falling to their death.

Objectives: Talk to the Blacksmith.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stables

Ride to Conrad Marsdeen and ask him about making new needles for Donald.

Good day to you Rita! How’s my favorite rider today?

Sewing needles for Donald, you say?

Quest completed

______________

The Waiting Game

Of course I can make sewing needles! You know I can Rita, it’s just the pessimist Donald who thinks the world is against him.

Before I can help you, I have to finish another task. Would you mind gathering some wood for me in the meantime? We need to heat the fire properly to be able to make the best sewing needles.

Thank you so much Rita.

Objectives: Gather firewood then talk to the blacksmith.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Gather firewood from around the forge, then return to Conrad.

Thanks for gathering firewood for me! Now we’ve got enough to get down to business.

Quest completed

______________

Is He Eating Needles?!

Now I’m ready. Donald needed new needles, you said?

What does that man actually do with his needles? Does he eat them or what? He needs new ones like every five minutes! Hmm…

In order to make sewing needles of the highest quality, I would need your help. Can you help me?

Thanks! Can you ride down to the beach and see if you can find any dark Jorvegian amber? If I melt that together with the ore I have, I can create one of the most durable material there is.

Objectives: Gather dark Jorvegian amber from the beach and then talk to the blacksmith.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride to the beach behind Mrs Holdsworth’s house and collect the amber pieces you find. When you have enough, return to Conrad.

This is great Rita! Just what we need for Donald’s sewing needles!

Quest completed

______________

Lethargy Which Can Destroy Everything

Here we go! Now we have everything and we can start with the sewing needles.

Mixing ore with amber is a very difficult and time-consuming task. It’s enough to lose concentration for just a moment and you have to start all over again. I’ll have to have complete focus when forging the needles so they’ll be perfect, so it would be great if you could assist me?

Thank you so much!

I’ll tell you what you have to do. If you just listen carefully, everything’s going to turn out great. Are you ready?

Objectives: Assist the blacksmith with the manufacturing of sewing needles.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Dismount your horse to be able to start this quest.

You must be quick with your actions; if you leave Conrad wait too long, he will lose concentration and you will have to start the quest over.

Keep your inventory screen open so that you can quickly access items when you pick them up to hand them to Conrad.

When you have successfully forged the needles, speak to Conrad again.

Thank you so much for helping, Rita! Look at how beautifully the needles turned out! I couldn’t have done it without your help.

Quest completed

______________

I Could Eat Up My Own Tools

There! Have you ever seen such well-made needles? I wouldn’t think so. If Donald isn’t satisfied with this, I’ll eat up my own tools.

Haha, you don’t have to look so horrified, Rita. Of course I’m only kidding around. Could you take these to Donald, so that he can continue with his orders?

Thanks! Hope you’ll have a nice day!

Objectives: Give the needles to Donald in Silverglade Village.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Hopefully Donald won’t have a happiness overload and keel over…

Oh my! New needles? Who would’ve thought. Thank you so much. Just as well I’ll get started, not that I’ll ever get finished…

Come back tomorrow and we can see if I’m finished then.

Quest completed

Return to Donald tomorrow.

I spend the next day pondering what Rachel told me, wondering what this means. Either it’s true – in that case, I’m screwed – or she’s completely lost it. It makes me sad, knowing that I can’t even trust my best friend. Why does the world have to be so cruel? I know I have to choose who to believe: Rachel, or my common sense. Common sense isn’t always right, but neither is Rachel.

Miss Ashton sees something is bothering me and tells me to take the day off, what with Chase being around now. I decline her offer out of manners, but she insists everything will be fine. Soon after, I’m on Rose, trotting through the forest. I know I’m not supposed to be here, and I know that if she wanted to, Ms. A could easily prevent me from ever coming here again. But for some reason, she didn’t stop me, and as I was leaving, I thought I saw her waving. I lay on the ground by the creek, using Rose as a pillow while she lays next to me. Everything about this place is so calming – the birds singing, the soft flow of the stream, Rose’s breathing, the smell of the flowers growing nearby. It all makes me want to forget my troubles, relax and put the world on hold. But I know I’ve still got a problem, and it can’t be ignored.

So many things are bothering me: what Rachel said, my amnesia, even Chase. I guess the last part is only normal for a 16 year old girl, but what worries me is that I know nothing about myself, and I’m wondering: can anyone ever love a girl who doesn’t love herself? I scold myself, telling myself I hardly know Chase, but I know I have to face the facts. We both felt something right away, and there’s nothing I can do except stand by and watch as we fall for each other like in some corny love movie. And we all know what happens in corny love movies…. Something bad.

Chase is the least of my worries, I realize. I’ve got two weeks…thirteen days. If what Rachel told me is true…

I’m not able to finish my thought. Out of nowhere comes the sound of a truck horn, a long, low moan, accompanied by screams and cries. Then comes the vision of a truck, skidding on pavement. I focus, though it hurts to watch. I can’t seem to take control and look around, but I can see out the window. There is the truck, and a few other cars. The road. Street signs. But what’s that, in the corner? A sign, this one reading Welcome to…

The vision quits, and I’m left shaking on the ground. What did the last part of the sign say? “Welcome to” where?!

I mount Rose, and I make my decision: I believe Rachel.

______________

Previous << First >> Next

Speak with Donald to see if he’s finished Loretta’s ghost decoration order.

Donald the Pessimist Can Do It

Hi Rita.

Surprisingly enough, I managed to finish it up, and the needles from the blacksmith were fantastic! I’m really shocked actually.

Here’s Loretta’s order, can you bring it to her? There’s probably a better chance that it will reach her if you’ll take it than if I’ll post it.

Thanks, now I’ll have to continue the work.

Objectives: Give the order to Loretta.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Return to Loretta at Nilmer’s with her order from Donald.

Wow!

This actually turned out really well. I have to thank Justin next time I see him. I was right about Donald being good. But Justin is always right, he is totally perfect. That’s why we fit so well together.

Quest completed

______________

A Bit Better, A Bit Fancier

I started thinking about the invitations while you were gone, Rita.

Why do you look so surprised? What kind of a loser party is it if there’s only two people? Of course it can’t just be me and Tan that’ll show up.

You know, the invitation says it all, what kind of party to expect. One for losers, or one for us Bobcats – a little bit better, a bit more fancy. I’d be seriously embarrassed if I didn’t have a proper invitation. It can’t be boring, like an old person wrote it, and it can’t be dorky or old-fashioned either.

It’s actually pretty hard to be cool, even if there are few people that really get it. You should be happy to get the chance to help me with this, there’s not that many people that get a chance like this in life.

Can you help me fix up the envelopes for the invitations so they’ll be as cool as the actual invitations? 

Thank you so much!

Objectives: Help Loretta get the invitations in order.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Dismount your horse and use the pen from your inventory on the envelopes Loretta placed out on the barrels nearby. Speak to her again when you’ve prettied up all of the envelopes.

Wow! Awesome Rita. It seems I underestimated you. This turned out really well.

Quest completed

______________

Invitation for People With Style

We’re getting there Rita, there’s not a lot of time left until the party gets started.

Now we just have to hand out these invitations and make sure they get into the right hands. We don’t want any lame people at the party after all, duh! That would like, ruin EVERYTHING. Gosh, how embarrassing if some lame-o would hear about the party and show up. Tan would like, think I hated her.

Can you take these invitations and hand them out? And Rita, I’m counting on you only inviting cool people.

Objectives: Hand out the invitations to people in Moorland. Be careful who you hand them out to.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Cool People Only Club.

Choose wisely, if you hand an invitation to someone who isn’t cool by Loretta’s standards, you will have to start over, and like, imagine how embarrassing that will be!

Soooo Fetch [cool people]
– Josh
– Any Bobcat Girls (standing outside the stable and near each of the stable gates)
– May

Soooo Not Fetch [ew old people]
– Conrad
– Mr Moorland
– Mrs Holdsworth

When you have handed out all the invitations, return to Loretta.

Awesome! Thanks for the help. What a great team we make, Rita!

Quest completed

______________

Best Decorations Ever!

Now that all the invitations have been handed out, we have to get everything ready for the party.

Seriously, you’ll never guess but I’ve found the best decorations EVER! I mean, what’s a party without the decorations? Especially since we’re trying to scare Tan.

The decorations are laying in the boxes I’ve already taken out. It would be awesome if you could help me put them up?

Thank you so much! Just be careful, I’ve found some super scary decorations. Make sure you don’t get scared to death!

Objectives: Decorate the farm, then talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Click on each of the three boxes Loretta has left out near each building on the farm. When all the decorations have been put up, return to Loretta.

Thank you so much! So, what do you think? Best decorations ever or what?

Quest completed

______________

Creepy Lights

Have you seen the nice cressets I found? Can you take them outside?

Thank you so much. Seriously, those cressets outside will create a really scary atmosphere. Just let me know if you start getting scared. Haha.

Objectives: Bring the cressets outside, then talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Place the lanterns on the ground near the entrance to the farm, then return to Loretta.

Thanks! So nice of you to offer to help me with this! It’s almost worth an invitation to the party.

Quest completed

______________

Present Panic

Oh no! Seriously Rita! This is a total disaster!

What should I do?!

I have one word for you: Panic!

I’ve forgotten Tan’s present down by the stables. She’s gonna show up any minute now so I won’t have time to ride down there to get it. How could I have forgotten the present? I’m like the worst friend ever.

You think you can get it? Are you sure?

Oh, so nice of you. If you do this you can definitely stay for the party, you’ve earned that… But only if you manage to bring the present here in time!

Objectives: Ride down to the stables and get Tan’s present.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Race the timer down to the stable, pick up the present, and run back to Nilmer’s, all before Tan makes her way there to the party.

You found it! You’re the BEST! Now you can definitely stay for the party.

Quest completed

______________

Best Party Ever!

Woohoo!

CONGRATULATIONS TAN!

Haha, you wanna stick around, Rita? Of course you will, it’s gonna be super fun! Now you can relax and have fun.

Objectives: Talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Enjoy the party, you’ve earned it!

Best party ever!!!

Quest completed

______________

Just the Fun Clean Up Left

You have to agree that the party was a total success. I don’t know if I managed to scare Tan exactly, but maybe a little? Haha, she seemed really happy and pleased, so thanks for all the help Rita.

Now it’s just the fun part left… Or not. We have to clean up everything now. Sigh.

Can you be so nice to stay behind and help me?

Great! If you start taking down the decorations and the cressets, I’ll do the rest.

Objectives: Clean up after the party, then talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Click on the boxes to put away the decorations and pick up each of the lanterns, then return to Loretta.

Thanks for all the help Rita! I wouldn’t have managed without you.

Quest completed

______________

A Thank You Present? Or Leftovers?

As a thanks for all the help, I’ve gotten you a little present. Actually, I think it should’ve been enough that you got to stay for the party, but anyway, I had this riding helmet I didn’t want to keep. I got it when I ordered a new pair of shoes, but I already had one like it at home, so you can have it. 

I have it down by the stables, ride down there and meet me there so you can get it. 

Objectives: Talk to Loretta.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP, Pink Bobcat Helmet

Reputation: 10 with Bobcats

Ride down to the stables and meet Loretta by her usual spot.

There you go!

Thanks for all the help and I hope you had as much fun at the party as I did. If you want to have as pretty clothes as I have, you can buy them in our cool Bobcat shop next door. 

Before I forget, talk to the other girls in Bobcats if you want. They probably have stuff they need help with. 

Quest completed

Help the other Bobcat girls to unlock their quests as daily tasks with which you can begin to build reputation with their faction.

Racing for Racing’s Elite

Hey! I never found time to introduce myself, but I saw you at Tan’s party. My name’s Sophia, and you’re Rita, right?

I talked to Tan and Loretta, and they both agreed with me that you should be allowed to try our new all-terrain track, as a thank you for all your help with the party. Since you got an awesome helmet from Loretta AND got to come to our exclusive party, I think you should feel pretty honored.

Objectives: Get to the finish as quickly as you can.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP, 125 Horse XP

Reputation: 50 with Bobcats

This new track is the original Bobcats’ track in reverse, with lots of more obstacles that you can either jump over or run around.

Speak to Sophia when you complete the race.

Wow! You’re pretty good! Not as amazing as me, of course. Duh. But yeah, not bad. Just say if you wanna try again because this track is perfect for all-terrain training!

Quest completed

______________

You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours

Hey Rita!

Thanks for the party! Loretta told me you helped out, it was amazing!

It was pretty bad timing though. Sigh.

We’re gonna have a competition against another club soon, and it’s really important we win.

Oh yeah, like when I say “we,” I don’t mean you, no offence. It’s not like you’re not a Bobcat, but you’re only a novice.

Yeah, like, don’t take it the wrong way or anything. Sure, you’re a Bobcat and sure you got to come to our party, but you’re still just a little amateur. Plus you’re not as cool or as awesome at riding as I am.

I totally like you though, you’re like nice and stuff. If you carry on helping me and the others like you do, you might get to climb up the ladder someday, maybe you’ll even be club champion… Hahahahahaha!

Anyway, back to reality, I need some help taking photos of the route the racetrack takes for one of the competitions we’ll be riding in. We. Not you. Yeah, so we’re gonna use the pictures to check out the course and see which parts are the hardest, so we can do extra training on those bits. Wanna help with that?

Sweet! Thanks for helping!

Objectives: Photograph the race course for Tan.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 25 with Bobcats

Follow the route of the racetrack and use the camera on the indicated locations. When you have enough photos, return to Tan.

Are these the pictures? They’re perfect!

My thoughts about you aren’t totally wrong… You belong here in the Bobcats.

Quest completed

______________

Climbing Up the Bobcat Ladder!

Hey!

You’re the one who helped Loretta with Tan’s party, right? What was your name again?

Rita? Cool name. I’m Julie.

Listen, I heard that you help a lot of people around here. Do you fancy doing me a really big favor?

Nice! It’s not really that big a deal, I just need you to groom all the horses in Moorland Stables, it’ll go like super fast, don’t stress.

Why can’t I groom them? Umm, hello? Why do you think? Duhh…

You blind? You can’t see my awesome new trousers? Anyway, I’ve got more important things to do. Daddy’s in town and has promised me a whole new wardrobe so we’re going to Jorvik City Plaza to shop. All my clothes are like, so last year. Can hardly bring myself to leave the house wearing some of that stuff. Probably should make him get my nails done as well, they need looking after… So you’ll groom the horses, Rita?

Pleeeeease? Super cute awesome beautiful Rita?

Thanks!

Objectives: Groom the horses in Moorland Stables, then return to talk to Julie.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 25 with Bobcats

If sitting at the top of the ladder means being a total spoiled brat, then I’m not sure that’s a ladder I want to climb….

Dismount your horse to use the brush on each of the stable horses, then return to spoiled bitch Julie.

Oh nice! Thanks so much! We’re gonna be good friends, you and me!

I’ll put in a good word for you with the girls. If you keep this up, you’ll just keep climbing the Bobcat ladder, haha!

Quest completed

The rest of that day is torture, and that night I lay awake in bed, wondering what to do. I have to talk to Rachel and get some more information. I’m not sure she’ll give it, as she had seemed somewhat cautious in telling me all that she had, but it’s worth a try. Creating an orderly list in my mind, I come up with a few questions I decide are the most important; So I’m dead? What will happen to me once I save the person? How do I go about disappearing and never returning, leaving Ms. A wondering what she’d done wrong? I stay awake almost all night.

I’m awake before the rooster at exactly 5, and finish my chores by two in the afternoon, leaving just enough time for me to ride down to see Rachel and be home for supper. Ms. A allows me to go, and before long, I’m cantering down the road on Rose’s back. I love Jorvik, and for one reason alone: horses. Everyone and I mean everyone, owns a horse, and they’re more common than automobiles. More fun, too, if you ask me. I’ve only ever ridden in a car twice, and that’s Ms. A’s. Perhaps in my old life we owned a car, but if we did, I certainly don’t remember. Of course, I remember nothing, so that’s no surprise. At two forty-five, we arrive at Rachel’s cottage, a little stone house sitting on the edge of a pond, the only one around. Rachel’s family grows crops, they’re not animal farmers, but of course, they own horses. My favorite of her horses, Checkers, a big Paint stallion, nickers from behind the fence in friendly greeting. I tie Rose’s reins to the fence and walk up to the big wooden door, hoping with all my heart Rachel is home. To my great disappointment, it is her mother who answers the door and delivers the news that Rachel is not home – she is in the City visiting her friends and running errands, but should be home by eight. I thank Rachel’s mom and ride back home, stressed and sad.

The rest of the day puts me in a foul mood. Left with nothing else to do, I visit the stream, where I find Chase, sitting on the bank. He seems to be talking to someone, though who, I’m not sure. It’s not until I get closer that I see what’s in his hand: a cell phone. Not just any cell phone either: an iPhone! These are considered a treasure and a rare one at that on this island. Jorvik has been for so long cut off from the outside world that cell phones and even something as common as cars have become a nonentity, or so Ms. Ashton puts it. The desire to touch the screen and actually hold the phone in my hand wins over and I tie Rose next to Simba, Chase still unaware of my presence. Slowly, I walk over and sit by him, eyes glued in front of me. He jumps a little, then says he has to go and hangs up, casting me a suspicious look while doing so.

“You eavesdropping?” he asks, his tone hard and cold. I can tell he just got word of something he’s not too happy about, because, besides his temper, his eyes are filled with tears. He seems to realize I’m noticing, because he looks away. “My father. He just died,” he says softly before I can even ask the question.

“Oh, Chase…!”

“It’s fine. I don’t want a bunch of ‘Sorry to hear that’ from people who don’t even know how it feels,” he sobs out the last few words, then laughs and says he must look like an idiot. I tell him that it’s alright, it’s just me here. I can hardly believe it’s me talking, as I’m normally unsentimental.

Trying my best to comfort him, I say the only things that make sense to say. Sure, I may not know a lot about death, but at the same time, I do. In some ways, I’ve dealt with it, too.

“You know, I don’t remember my parents, or any of my brothers or sisters, if I had any at all.” I pause until he looks at me, and I see a tear roll down his cheek. “It’s pretty much the same as them being dead, except I don’t have the memories to make it hurt as much…but it still does hurt. Gosh, it hurts like heck, but I know there’s nothing I can…” Nothing I can do. But I can. I can find my family! They’re still alive, out there somewhere, and I’m with them. Never did I think I’d be jealous of myself.

Chase seems to think I couldn’t finish because of my emotions, and he is mistaken. He offers a smile and says he’s sorry for coming to my private place – he just likes it because it’s so calm. I offer to show him around a bit, and I teach him how to catch crayfish with his bare hands, and he teaches me how to make a fishing pole out of a stick and some string. We pass the time together, laughing and wading in the water, catching a dozen silvery fish and just talking. Suddenly, in the middle of cornering a crayfish, something buzzes, and he pulls out his iPhone. I had completely forgotten about it, and I decide I’ll ask about it some other time.

“Shoot!” Chase cusses, jumping out of the stream and pulling on his shoes. “It’s four thirty! Best be heading back. I have to be home early tonight.” He looks somewhat less depressed, and that makes me feel better. “I’m probably not coming tomorrow, or maybe until next week. Mom…she’ll be awful lonely.” I understand.

As we ride home, I feel comfortable enough to ask Chase why he wasn’t more upset about his father. I understand it’s a delicate subject, and I ask it kindly, giving him a full two minutes to answer. When he does, he tells me his father had been an abusive man, and though he doesn’t go into detail, when he’s done telling his story, I can hardly believe he’d shed even one tear over a man like that. He says he feels more sorry for his mother, because though she had hated the abuse, she had still loved Chase’s father, and he had kept the family out of financial trouble. Now, their future was in major jeopardy.

That night, I say an extra prayer for Chase and his mother. For the first time since I woke up in the hospital, I feel sad for someone who isn’t me.

______________

Previous << First >> Next

There are three characters who have started noticing something strange in Moorland; Mrs Holdsworth, Josh, and Conrad. You can visit them in any order that you choose. I’m going to start with Josh.

Get First Prize Without Even Winning

Hi Rita! So glad you’re here, I could really use your help right now…

What’s happened? Sigh… Someone’s stolen my trophies! Every last one of them! All the prizes I won from all my competitions, all gone…

You want me to tell you from the beginning? Okay, but there’s not much to tell…

When I got here this morning, everything was just like normal so I set up the pole-bending race as usual, cleaned up a little bit and got a cup of coffee while I waited for all the competition-crazy riders to show up. I had a little bit of spare time so I thought I’d get some stuff done in my wagon, y’know, organize some stuff a little and it was then I noticed that not everything was as it should be.

I keep all my things in that wagon, and someone had been in and trashed it all. Worse still, it was only when I tidied up that I noticed that all my trophies were gone!

The thief must’ve totally gotten away by this point, and I’ve got no idea who it could’ve been. The only thing I know is that he or she must’ve been here during the night, as I checked out the wagon before I left yesterday evening and everything looked fine.

If I’ve seen any other clues? Nah… But then I haven’t looked around that closely.

Wait! What’s that on the ground? Some kind of footprint in the sand…

Maybe it’s a clue, Rita!

You’ll follow the trail of footprints? Okay! Good luck Rita! Hope you find the thief!

Objectives: Follow the tracks and see if you can find the thief. Return to Josh afterwards.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Ride out into the pole bending track to see if the tracks lead you to any clues…

Return to Josh if you find anything.

There weren’t any footprints to follow? Sigh.

Suppose there’s nothing we can do about it then… What? You found a piece of fabric that could be from the thief’s clothes?

Quest completed

______________

Thief On the Loose in Moorland!

Rita, I don’t know what we should do with this bit of fabric. Maybe it’s an important clue, but all this business with mysteries and thieves isn’t really my thing.

Maybe you can chat to Jenna about it instead? She’s got smarts! If you and her work together on this, then I bet you’ll find out who stole my trophies for sure! Please?

Thanks Rita! Man, I knew I could trust you! My trophies are so important to me, so I’d be so grateful if you could find them for me… Thanks, and good luck!

Objectives: Take the piece of fabric to Jenna and tell her what’s happened.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Speak to Jenna inside the stable area.

Hey Rita, how’s it going?

What’s that? Someone’s stolen all of Josh’s trophies?

Hmm… So there’s a thief on the loose in Moorland… I’ve had my suspicions for a while now, so it’s no surprise. I just don’t know how we’ll find out for sure who the thief is. If you find any clues, come back and let me know, yeah?

Quest completed

Now let’s go see what Conrad needs help with.

Small Tools Are Easy to Loose

Good day to you Rita.

I’m afraid I don’t have time to chat just now. You see, I promised to get these flowerpots finished for Jenna before sundown, and I’m already running behind schedule.

Hmm… This hammer isn’t the right tool for these flowerpots. If these are to be world-class then there’s to be no compromise! I need my tiniest hammer.

Why am I delayed? Well I’ll tell you all about it if you pass me my tiniest hammer…

Thanks. I suppose a very quick break won’t hurt, so let me tell you about the decidedly bizarre happening that’s caused my delay.

It was this morning, you see… Just as I was about to start work for the day, a strange man came walking towards the smithy with his hood up and sunglasses on. It was too warm for a hoodie and the sun was hidden by clouds, so I thought it was most peculiar.

Anyway, he seemed quite lost and asked me the way to Silverglade Village. I explained the route: head up the hill and head left at the crossroads, and he just looked confused. He said he didn’t understand. I couldn’t quite get to grips with it… Surely my directions weren’t that unclear?

Well, well, nobody can say that Conrad Marsdeen can’t give directions, so I decided to give him the best directions anyone had ever given anyone, anywhere, ever.

I told him all about where exactly he should walk, pointing at the castle and telling its story so that the importance of the landmark on his route couldn’t possibly be forgotten. So that he could definitely be one hundred percent certain, I told him absolutely everything about the history of the castle, from Jon Jarl’s time to the present day. I even took seasonal weather conditions into account when calculating his route. It took me the entire morning to describe it all to him in this level of detail, and these directions had to have been a masterpiece that no soul could ever have misunderstood.

When I turned to ask him if he had any questions, he’d disappeared. I imagine my directions were so precise and so detailed that he didn’t need to hear any more to be able to find his destination.

Ah well, I felt as though my pride was restored and this man was quite clearly satisfied with my works, so I didn’t think any more of it.

That said, it caused me some considerable delay, but at least it was in doing a good deed.

Now then! I’ve rested quite enough on this little break. Will you fetch my smallest hammer for me now, like you said?

It’s on the table over there by the smithy.

Objectives: Look for Conrad Marsdeen’s smallest hammer on the table by the smithy, then go back to Conrad.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Uh, sir, I don’t see it….

You couldn’t find a hammer? Did you look on the table? Did you look properly? And down the side as well?

You couldn’t spot it, you say?

Quest completed

______________

Catastrophic News About Delayed Flowerpots

Odd. I’ve never lost a tool in my entire life… Has my memory finally let me down after all these years? Have I reached the ripe old age where I should call it all a day?

Sigh.

Rita, this is absolutely one of the very worst days of my entire life. I’m not going to be able to deliver an order in the agreed time. It’s the first time ever…

Would you be able to give Jenna the terrible news that her flowerpots won’t be finished today?

Thank you Rita. Now you must excuse me, I need to find that hammer now. Let Jenna know I’ll not rest a single moment until the hammer’s found and the pots are finished. I swear on my honor as a blacksmith. 

Tell Jenna what’s happened and please ask her to accept my apologies. Even if it’s a stain on my impeccable record that may never be removed…

Now I must be off Rita, away I go to wonder what to do next since my career is obviously in ruins. I haven’t even had time to teach a trainee to take over the smithy.

Is this how it all ends? Hmm? My life’s work in flames like this?

This is truly a day of tragedy. Tell Jenna that.

Objectives: Tell Jenna that her flowerpots are to be the victims of a delay.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Shit happens, dude. Don’t get so melodramatic on me, now…

Tell Jenna you’ve found out about more weird goings on.

My flowerpots are delayed?

What flowerpots?

Oh! Flowerpots! Yeah, I asked Conrad a while ago to make me some flowerpots but I’d pretty much forgotten all about them, haha! Yeah, well it doesn’t matter if they’re late, it was mostly just a bit of fun.

Any special reason Conrad’s running late?

He gave directions to some odd man and then couldn’t find one of his hammers, you say…

Weird… I’m not sure it’s just a coincidence, Rita… Something fishy’s going on here in Moorland. If you hear of anymore weird goings on, come and tell me!

Quest completed

Mrs Holdsworth seems to be upset about something, let’s go check it out.

How to Turn a Pie Into a Broom

Hello Rita.

Why do I look so miffed? Hmm. Someone swiped my freshly-baked pie earlier. Brazen doesn’t begin to describe it! Probably that Tan or her friend Loretta who took it.

Why do I think that? Well, just a few days ago, Tan was here asking if she could have a bit of pie. I said to her that I’d happily offer pie in exchange for her popping out to grab my mail for me since I’m not as quick on my feet as I used to be. Guess what she did next?

She screwed her face up and said she wanted the whole pie and that I should be happy someone wanted to eat my disgusting pies at all!

Then I got my broom out and drove her off good and proper. Sure enough, she disappeared fast as lightning off in the direction of Moorland Stables. Ooh, I don’t remember being that angry in a good long while, Rita. Rather a refreshing little feeling as it happens, but a little bit uncomfortable… I’m not one to get angry, really…

You’re going to ride and ask Tan who stole the pie? Thanks Rita, that’s nice of you. If I did it, I’d surely get just as wound up as last time, and I think I’ve been angry enough to last me for a few decades now. 

Thanks for helping, young Rita.

Objectives: Ask Tan if she’s taken a pie from Mrs Holdsworth.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Time to confront the thief!

What? Pie?

I haven’t taken any pie from that old granny! Nobody likes her pies anyway, they’re gross! Ha!

Quest completed

______________

Tan’s Awesome New Watch

I’m no thief Rita, I swear!

Must’ve been someone trying to set me up… Loretta, no doubt.

Why I think it’s Loretta? Yeah, well I got a brand new watch the other day, the one I ordered online. It is just SO fetch! So awesomely awesome!

Anyway, Loretta was totes jelly, just like I thought she would be, haha!

Never thought she’d sink so low as to steal it from me though. She won’t even admit it, and it’s like, she’s so out of line, you get me? Now she stole that pie from Mrs Holdsworth, and it’s all just ’cause she’s so jello of me.

You’re gonna talk to Loretta?

Umm, yeah, great. Great news. Good luck and whatever. Just tell her I want my watch back or else we’re not BFFs anymore.

Objectives: Ask Loretta about Mrs Holdsworth’s pie and Tan’s watch.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Hmm, maybe Loretta’s the real thief?

What?! Tan said I’m a thief?

I haven’t touched a thing!

No way! No gross old crust pies and no trashy watches either! Pff!

Quest completed

______________

Rumor Has It Loretta’s Like Totally a Thief

That’s like, so obvious. Tan loses her ugly trashy watch and she blames me?!

Why would I want such a cheap, ugly pathetic supermarket watch anyway? The only way I’d have something that disgusting on my arm would be if I shoved my hand down the drain. I wouldn’t even leave the house with that joke on my wrist! If she doesn’t get that, then she’s double as dumb as I thought she was.

As if I would steal such a vile waste of time as that ‘watch.’ Oh what?! No way! I wouldn’t got near one of Old Granny Holdworth’s pies either! Wow, they’re like the grossest thing ever. Tan totally took that, she loves her dusty old pies even though she’d never dare say anything.

It’s only when she didn’t get any to stuff into her big dumb mouth that she started saying they were horrible… Haha! Like, Tan’s never gonna get any pie again now that she said that. What a dweeb.

Who do I think took the watch and the pie?

Um, no idea. But you have to tell Jenna it wasn’t me, because like, Tan is totally gonna spread it around that it was me and you shouldn’t even listen to Tan because she’s just so basic and awkward.

Everyone knows Jenna, so if she says I’m innocent, then it won’t even matter what Tan has to say and everything will just go back to being fine. You’ll tell her it wasn’t me?

Sweet, Rita. Thanks!

Objectives: Tell Jenna that Loretta is no thief.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Got another fishy incident to report to Jenna.

Hey Rita, what can I help you with?

Loretta says it wasn’t her who swiped Mrs Holdsworth’s pie? And she hasn’t touched Tan’s watch?

I didn’t even know anybody had stolen these things. So weird Rita, these missing things are just a small part of something bigger, I can feel it.

Hey, come back if you hear anything else going wrong here in Moorland.

Quest completed

______________

Thief On the Loose in Moorland (We’re Sure This Time)

Rita, I believe there’s a thief on the loose in Moorland.

Conrad’s hammer, Josh’s trophies, Tan’s watch, and Mrs Holdsworth’s pie. All gone in a mysterious fashion. Not a coincidence in my opinion. You agree?

Hmm… Something in their stories should tie together and tell us who the thief is, I can feel it.

Do you remember what they all said?

Conrad said he was visited by a mysterious man. It must’ve been the thief. Sadly, Conrad also said that the thief had a hood and dark glasses, which means he couldn’t tell us any more about how the thief looked.

Hmm… Then we’ve got the green fabric you found at Josh’s place, which must come from the thief’s clothing, don’t you think? A thief leaving the scene of the crime will get away fast, and not necessarily get away smart. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the thief was less than careful and got some clothing caught in the escape.

Tan didn’t have anything to tell us about how her watch disappeared, but I wonder if it was the same thief who took Mrs Holdsworth’s pie? It’s not very valuable, but I guess the thief was hungry and no doubt caught a whiff of Mrs Holdsworth’s sensational pie as it sat cooling on the windowsill. There’s an important clue in her story, I can just feel it.

Hmm…

Rita, we need to put our heads together and think if we’re going to solve this mystery. Come on, let’s kick some ideas around and see what we come up with.

Objectives: Talk to Jenna and see if you can hep her work out who the thief is.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 30 with Moorland Stable

Remember the facts:

The thief wore green fabric, wore a hoodie and glasses, and was close to the beach, close enough to smell Mrs Holdsworth’s pie.

Debrief with Jenna until you figure out all the clues point to…

HA! Of course! Obvious when you think again!

Quest completed

______________

A Crime Wave From the Sea

Rita, you’ve also figured out where the thief comes from, right?

Exactly! Dark Core’s camp down by the beach. It must just be one of the shady types who are always hanging around down there.

They have green hooded tops. They always wear dark glasses. Plus, when the wind blows towards the sea, then everyone can smell Mrs Holdsworth’s baking.

Rita, everything points toward the thief being some crook or other involved with Dark Core. Now we just need to work out which one of them it was… You can hardly tell the difference between them, so I don’t suppose it’ll be easy.

Hmm… What should we do?

…

There’s no definite plan here, but I think the best we can do is this…

Rita, you ride to Dark Core’s camp on the beach and see if you can find any more clues. If anyone tries to stop you, tell them you’ll ring the police if they’re unhelpful.

Why not just ring the police straight away?

Well I don’t think they’d have much of a chance in this case, do you? It’ll take time for them to get here, and by the time they arrive, the thief will have made a getaway.

Our only chance is to try and solve this one ourselves as quickly as we can!

Ride to the beach Rita, and good luck!

Objectives: Ride to Dark Core’s camp by the beach below Moorland and look for clues.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 15 with Moorland Stable

Find a shady guy who perhaps looks especially shady.

Errr, what do you want?

You’re looking for a thief?

No thieves here! Dark Core does not tolerate any illegal activity, especially not illegal activity that gets you caught.

Umm. Forget I said that last bit.

Get out of here now!

Quest completed

______________

An Unusually Crooked Crook

Hey you! One of us here is supposed to be a thief, huh?

Have a word with yourself, girlie! If you don’t get out of here double quick, I’ll cal the police and report you for trespassing. Haha, what do you say to that?

You think I should go ahead and call them?

Oh.

Okay, well forget it. We don’t need to get the police involved, I’m sure we can sort this out between ourselves, just you and I.

What was it you had in your mind?

Hmm… You say someone’s stolen things from a bunch of different people in Moorland and all your clues point to it being someone from here? I understand, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve got any evidence. Or have you?

Fingerprints? Pictures from security cameras?

So, okay. You’ve got no evidence at all?

Haha what a shame…

You know what? I’ll take a closer look at this. Perhaps there’s something in what you’ve got to say but now it’s a matter for Dark Core to handle internally. So, yes. Thanks for your help but I’ll take it from here.

You can put this whole thief story behind you now and focus on your little horsey instead, how does that sound?

Thank you very much for bringing this all to my attention, now get lost and let me do my job.

Go on! Scram!

(This crook seems unusually crooked, even for a crook. You decide to keep your eye on him and see if you can find out a little more…)

Objectives: Stay hidden and keep watch over what the crook is up to…

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Dismount your horse and find a place to hide so that you can follow the crook without being seen. Once he moves, follow him at a safe distance, but don’t get too far behind that you lose sight of him. Follow him between the containers on the beach, and up onto the Dark Core barge.

Watch as the shady guy goes for the phone. Get close so you can hear what he’s saying

Boss. We’ve got a problem…

There’s a girl here who’s figured us out. She knows the thief is one of us. What should I do?

Take care of it? How?

Haha! You’re a smart one, boss! Great idea…

Okay, boss. You can rely on me. It’ll all be over soon.

Huh?

He’s seen you! Confront him and tell him you heard the whole call.

Did you hear that?

Grr…

Oh well.

Seems there is a thief here at Dark Core’s camp, you were right.

Hmm… I could probably use a little help catching him, if you wouldn’t mind helping?

Great. Great news.

I’ve had a tip-off that he’ll strike again tomorrow… Come back then and I should have some more exact info from my secret source about what he’s got in store…

Quest completed

Return to the shady guy tomorrow.

It’s been two days, and Chase has since recovered from his father’s death. I haven’t talked to Rachel yet, and I only have eleven days left, if what she said is correct. Trying to put all that she told me out of my mind is the hardest thing, but she’s away at the moment visiting her sick grandmother, so I have some more time to think. She’s coming back tomorrow, but I know by then I’ll hopefully have convinced myself that she was lying. It’s noon, and I finished my chores early. Ms. A had to go to town to pick up some supplies, and so I was left to myself. Chase is here, working extra hard for the generously raised pay to support his mother and himself. I’m in the shower, washing my hair, shivering as the water goes from warm to cold so often. Chase must be watering some of the animals. Then again, it may not be his fault. After all, the water here isn’t exactly reliable, and I’ve never figured out how or where Ms. Aston gets her water from. Yet another unsolved mystery about Miss A. The water goes back to warm, and I sigh with relief, massaging the last of the shampoo out of my hair. Suddenly, a loud horn honks, causing me to jump and fumble for the handle of the shower to turn the water off, but I seem to have lost my vision. The lights are out. Or the lights aren’t out, and the truck horn isn’t real… A bright light flashes, and I hear screams. I can see now, out of the same car window as usual, the normal truck skidding and starting to fall. It’s never gotten this far before. The truck begins to tip, and I hear a car door open, as if someone is trying to get out. Then, I collapse. When I open my eyes, I’m laying on the couch, shivering. I reach to pull up my covers, and snap my eyes open when I realize I’m not in bed, and I’m naked under the thin towel that is covering me. How did I get here? I don’t remember walking out… Chase’s voice comes from beside me, and I scream. “Get out of here! What the heck you weirdo!” I clutch the towel. He must have brought me out here, there’s no other way I could get from the shower to the couch.

Just as I’m about to scream (he won’t get up and leave), Rachel enters, running to my side. She chases Chase (no pun intended) from the room and sits down on the floor in his place.

“Jamie,” she says quietly, “Chase called me. He told me that he came to give you something but couldn’t find you, and when he knocked on the bathroom door and you didn’t answer, he said he waited down here for a while then went back up and found you passed out in the shower. Do you remember what happened?”

It takes me a minute to find my voice. “Hardly. Just another vision. Rachel, I’m scared. What am I supposed to do?”

She looks like this is exactly the answer she’s been expecting. “You have eleven days. Meaning you’ll need to leave tomorrow.” At this, she pauses, letting it soak in. I knew that I couldn’t avoid this, that after she told me about all this, my life would never be normal. “Have you gotten any clues? Maybe a license plate number off the truck? Or a building in the background?” I shake my head. “Oh, dear. Well, maybe tonight. Come on, let’s get you into some clothes.”

Once I’m dressed, Rachel, Chase and I sit in awkward silence, sipping tea and explaining to Chase what’s going on. Rachel confides in him that though she’s known him most of her life (he used to work for her family when he was young, and they went to the same school), she’s kept this a secret. He seems hesitant to believe her, as if she’s trying to make him out for a fool.

After a while, Rachel leaves, telling me that she’ll pick me up tomorrow at ten a.m. I’m not sure where we’re going…I guess just anywhere I feel a need to go. Me and Chase sit silently. Chase begins a silly yet awkward conversation about chickens, and how Harley always used to flirt with them behind the rooster’s back. I laugh. We talk for a short time before Chase changes the subject suddenly.

“I was…ah…wondering if you’d like to be my girlfriend.” His face is red and he’s not looking at me. “There’s not many pretty girls around here. But…” He pauses, rubbing the back of his neck. “Since you’re leaving tomorrow and all, I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. You don’t seriously believe Rachel, do you?”

I beam. “Chase, I fell out of the sky. What else am I supposed to believe? I just happen to have no identity? And the answer is yes. I will be your girlfriend.” I smile, and he smiles back. “Do you want to come with us?”

“My mother needs me.” He looks at the floor. “I really wish I could.”

I sigh and realize there’s something I haven’t said yet. “Thank you.”

He grins like he’s about to say “you’re welcome,” but decides to say it without words. He smiles like a naughty school boy, then presses his lips against mine. I feel the soft pressure and I want to forget everything that’s happened the last three months, to abandon trying to find out about my old life and start living my new one. But I know I can’t. I could never live with myself if I didn’t go on this mission.

And now I have another person to miss me when I fail.

______________

Previous << First >> Next

Hey all!

I wanted to give you a quick update, since some of you have been asking about me, and I know that I’ve been inactive on the blog. I haven’t abandoned it. I do check comments daily but I haven’t posted for a while now.

Towards the end of August, I left my previous job. It was too much stress for too little money, and I made the decision to start a new job. This new job is second shift manufacturing; a little different than what I’ve done in the past but I like it. Having never worked late nights before, it was a little hard for my body to get used to. Even though the job has been going well, I did still suffer a little bit of anxiety stress. At the same time, I also moved my apartment. The new place is bigger and better but took some getting used to.

Most of September has been lots of getting out and enjoying life, something I have not done much of. I still love Star Stable and all my friends I have met there, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon, but it was still nice to be away from it to make friends in real life.

I have been quite busy with life, as I have started a lot of new things recently; exploring and expressing my spirituality, regular weekly riding lessons, participating in the local nerd fandom meets, getting my first custom costume, dating my first serious boyfriend, and making new friends along the way.

I feel refreshed and alive and glad to be getting back to the blog. I plan to get caught up on the story quests by the end of the month. Lizbeth has been writing lots that I need to publish, and I have also added a new contributor, Alice Hawkfield, who has a Star Stable/Hunger Games crossover story that I hope you all enjoy.

I look forward to October, it’s my favorite month — Halloween and Samhain and my birthday (I’ll be 22).

I hope the days find everyone well and I look forward to another great month.

Enjoy life, and happy riding!

<3 Maggie

An Unexpected Collaboration

Shh. Listen to me! 

I just got the word that the thief has already struck! He’s at it right now at the lighthouse! If we hurry there we might be able to catch him red handed. Quick! To the lighthouse!

(The crook jumps up behind you on your horse and points up towards the lighthouse above the beach.) 

Quick! Ride! Ride like the wind!

Objectives: Hurry now! Ride to the lighthouse before the thief slips away…

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 5 with Moorland Stable

Follow the checkpoints to complete the race to the lighthouse.

Looks like we made it…

Stay quiet now, he’s probably still inside the lighthouse.

Quest completed

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Caught Red Handed

The thief must be in there…

Hey, sneak in and see if you can open the door without making any noise. If you manage that, I’ll jump in and grab him.

Careful now, creep up to the door and focus on opening it completely silently. We don’t wanna scare him off, now we’ve got this close…

Objectives: Sneak up to the door and open it slowly so that the thief doesn’t notice.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Dismount your horse and approach the lighthouse. Something doesn’t feel right about this…

Smack!

You feel yourself faint.

“Umm… Hello?”

“Are you awake?”

You find yourself awake at Mrs Holdsworth’s house.

Hello?

…

Are you awake?

…

Rita?

…

Hello there, how’s your head? Let’s have a look at you… Nope, seems like you’re past the worst of it. Seems like you’ll have a bit of a bump there for a while, but it’ll go down.

What are you doing here, you ask? Well, let’s see…

Quest completed

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A Crafty Plan. Almost Worked.

I heard an almighty crash up at the lighthouse a short while ago, so I went up there to see what on earth was going on. I found the door off its hinges and you on the ground, completely out for the count and impossible to get through to. I carried you down here and let you get some rest, in peace and quiet. A few hours’ rest and the vapors from one of my famous herbal broths seems to have done the trick. 

One thing that was rather strange, Rita… When I found you up there at the lighthouse, you had one of Josh’s trophies in your hand. One of the ones that was stolen a little while back.

You’ve no idea how Josh’s trophy made it into your hand?

I believe you Rita, you’d never do a thing like that.

I think there’s someone trying to pin the blame for these thefts on you!

Probably the actual thief trying to get away with it. You were lucky it was me who found you because it would’ve been rather difficult to explain to the police why you had stolen goods on you if they found you like that.

But, one question: Why were you up in the lighthouse in the first place?

What’s that? You rode there with some crooked character from the beach to try and stop the thief? 

Aha. Seems quite clear what’s going on here, then. That shady character who followed you up to the lighthouse must be the thief himself! When you started asking difficult questions, he must’ve tried to get rid of you and get away with it all at the same time. A crafty plan… If I hadn’t heard all that commotion and noise from the lighthouse, it would’ve worked. 

Probably best that you ride down to Dark Core’s camp as quick as you can, and confront that thief before he gets away!

Objectives: Ride down to the beach and confront the thief.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Find the shady character down on the beach. Somebody has got some explaining to do!

Hmm? Thief?

Why are you saying I’m busted?

No point playing dumb, you say?

Umm…

What are you talking about and who even are you?

…

Hold on a minute! You seem to think you’re talking to my predecessor, the guy who was standing here just a couple of hours ago. Well, you’re not! Talking to him, that is. That much I can tell you!

He was hastily replaced about half an hour ago. Disappeared on one of our ships. The last I saw of him was that he was running off onto the ship, quicker than a rat up a drainpipe. He didn’t look like he had time to pack either, as he looked empty-handed as he left.

Now you can get lost, I haven’t got time to talk to you! Beat it!

Quest completed

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The Thief Left the Beach Empty-Handed

What?

Stolen goods?

Hmm… I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sounds interesting though…

Probably best I take a look at my predecessor’s belongings. He disappeared so fast that all his things are left there on the boat.

Do excuse me one second. I’ll go and investigate at once. If I find anything interesting, I’ll let you know. You can rely on me! Hehe…

What’s that? If you don’t get to take a look for yourself, you’ll call the police?

Grr…

Okay, okay.

Go through his stuff yourself, then. You have to promise not to call the police though! Promise? This isn’t something to joke about!

Now you’ve promised. My predecessor kept his things in a wooden box on the boat over there by the radio equipment.

Objectives: Find the stolen goods on the boat, then return to the beach.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 25 with Moorland Stable

Board the ship and search the crate near the back of the boat. Return to the new shady character guy on the beach when you have collected everything.

Did you find his things?

There were stolen goods, you say?

Hehe…

If they really were stolen goods, then the only fingerprints on them now are yours! Here at Dark Core, we all wear gloves!

If I remember rightly, you had all these things with you when you arrived…

Maybe I’ll just call the police myself and tell them I’ve caught the thief? Maybe you can just give me all the loot and we can forget all this ever happened. What do you say?

Hehe…

What? You think I should call the police?

Umm… You’re sure they’ll take your word over mine?

Umm…

Grr… Okay you win. This time.

Quest completed

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A Pie Tin for An Old Lady

You beat me this time, but I’m not as dumb as the last guy. We’ll meet again, you can be sure of that…

Grr… The smell of all that baking from that old granny’s house is so good. If my predecessor hadn’t taken the pie, I’d have done it myself.

Hey listen, give the pie case back to the old dear and maybe she’ll set out another pie to cool sometime soon. Then I’ll be ready and waiting… Hehe.

Now get out of here! And take this junk with you!

Objectives: Give the pie tin back to Mrs Holdsworth.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Ride back to Mrs Holdsworth to return her pie tin.

Hello Rita!

Oh, that looks like my pie tin. Some crook down there wanted you to give it back to me so he can steal the next pie I bake?

You know what Rita? I’ll be making my super-extra-double-ultra-volcano spicy chili pie! I’ve baked it only once before, and it was for the final of that reality show “Jorvik’s Biggest Dummy,” where the first person to eat a whole piece of pie won the contest and got a million Jorvik Shillings. 

That was the first year that there were no winners at all. Haha.

Quest completed

______________

A Tiny, Tiny Hammer Finds Its Home

This tiny hammer must belong to Conrad. Leave it back with him Rita, I heard he was a little depressed last time you spoke to him, so he could probably use the good news.

Objectives: Give Conrad back his hammer.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Ride to Conrad’s forge and return his tiny hammer and make an old man very happy.

I spy with my little ye, something beginning with MY TINY HAMMER! I thought it was lost forever.

Thank you Rita, your heroics shan’t go forgotten.

Quest completed

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An Unexpected Return Ticket

I thought it was my own fault that the hammer was gone, that my memory was fading and that my old age was finally getting the better of me. But now everything’s in order and all back to normal! All thanks to you, Rita!

I’ve never lost a tool in my life, and it’ll not happen again anytime soon! I swear it, just as my name is Conrad Marsdeen!

Rita, hurry now and give Jenna the incredible news. She must cry no more, her flowerpots are going to be finished by sundown!

Objectives: Give Jenna the incredible news that her flowerpots are almost ready.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Ride to Jenna near the stable and tell her the good news.

My flowerpots are almost finished? Good of Conrad to let me know! Now I suppose I just need flowers to put in them…

Quest completed

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The Awesome Watch is BACK!

This must be Tan’s watch. Probably best you give it back to her, but you can tell her from me there’ll be no more pie for her in the future!

Objectives: Give the watch back to Tan.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Tan should be happy to see her watch again, even if it is ugly…

Hi Rita, what’s up?

What? No way, my watch?! For real?!

Hey Loretta, check it out! My amazing new watch is back! Isn’t it gorgeous?!

Awesome you’re like totally jealous now, huh? Hahaha!

Hey Loretta, I was just joking, you can borrow it anytime you like. Seriously, we’re besties! BFFs! Forever and ever! For real, you know!

Quest completed

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Tell Jenna the Watch is Back

Thanks Rita, this is amazing! I cannot believe you found the watch so fast!

Tell Jenna that me and Loretta aren’t thieves, if she hadn’t already got that for herself. Now I need to go.

Ciao!

Objectives: Tell Jenna that Tan and Loretta aren’t thieves.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

Tell Jenna the good news.

Tan got her watch back, you say? I guess she was happy about that!

Nice, I don’t have to listen to anymore of hers and Loretta’s whining. For a while at least…

Quest completed

______________

Trophies Are No Joke!

Here are all of Josh’s trophies. Hurry now and give them back to him, he’ll be so happy to get them back, the little angel.

Objectives: Give Josh back his trophies.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 20 with Moorland Stable

Time to make another Moorland resident very happy!

Hey Rita…

Sigh.. Life is just so boring without my trophies. I never thought they meant that much to me, but I guess you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone. 

What’s that you say? You found my trophies?!

You’re kidding?! Don’t joke about this Rita!

No way, lemme see!!

My trophies!

Aw yeah, my babies! I never thought I’d see them again, thanks so much Rita, you’re amazing!

Quest completed

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Greetings from a Happy Champion!

Rita, this day got off to a terrible start but ended brilliantly!

You need to tell Jenna that my trophies are back – she’ll be delighted too!

Objectives: Tell Jenna that Josh has been reunited with his trophies.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Moorland Stable

One more happy camper in Moorland!

Josh got his trophies back?

Then I guess he’ll be pretty happy right now! How nice, it felt horrible to see such a good guy as Josh to be so sad.

Good work Rita!

Quest completed

______________

All Hail the Thief-Stopping Hero!

Rita, thank you so much for helping us put a stop to all this thievery here in Moorland. You didn’t just find the thief, but you also got back all the stuff that was stolen! Josh, Tan, Mrs Holdsworth, and Conrad Marsdeen have all asked me to find an appropriate award for your heroism!

I don’t know quite what it could be though, something to suit you…

Actually, yeah! Wait! I know!

(Jenna looks in a box behind her.)

Objectives: Talk to Jenna again.

Rewards: 50 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP, Jenna’s Helmet

Reputation: 75 with Moorland Stable

Ooh, a present!

(Jenna grabs something from the box behind her.)

Here you go Rita! What do you think?

Maybe it’s not much considering all you’ve done, but I hope you like it. 

Take care, Rita! See ya soon!

Quest completed

Hey guys! I’m really happy to post up my first chapter of The Rider Games! This is a fanfiction of the Hunger Games, with a Star Stable twist. Hope you enjoy :D 

______________

Chapter one “Tribute In Training”. 

Dark Riders and Soul Riders have been around in Jorvik for many centuries. Throughout the years, they have always been against each other, with the Dark Riders constantly making up evil plots to take over Jorvik and destroy the Soul Riders. Although at least five Soul Riders perished every few years, Jorvik remained peaceful, due to the hard-working Soul Riders who fight for the peace of Jorvik. However when it reached present day (approximately 2040) things took a turn for the worse. And that’s how I got here. My name is Katalin Aideen and I am going to tell you how I got in the Games.

It all started two years back, where if anybody mentioned a revolution or gladiatorial Games between Soul Riders and Dark Riders, people would have laughed. Sure, Dark Riders weren’t exactly liked, but they weren’t feared, either, because the Soul Riders had defeated them and claimed peace to Jorvik many years back. So the people of Jorvik weren’t ever living in fear, they were happy, no-one starved, it was great. Until President Springson, newly elected, had a little chit chat with the Dark Riders and their head, Mr. Sands, to make them realize how they hated Soul Riders and wanted to take revenge. So the Dark Riders began a revolution against the Soul Riders and Keepers Of Aideen, and that’s when the Games started. President Springson became head assistant to Mr. Sands, meaning he had full power over the Dark Riders. He and the Dark Riders decided to start something called The Riders Games. This was a battle, between the Dark Riders and Soul. They each had to fight for survival throughout terrible conditions, using only their limited magic to defend themselves.

Their was an outroar, at first, because no family in Jorvik wanted their Soul Rider kin to compete in the Games, and most surely have their powers taken away. Yes, the Soul Riders and Dark didn’t die, once they were defeated they instead had their powers taken away and locked into a Pandoric Rift, and the only way they could retrieve them would be to win the Games. After shock and tears, it was rage. People all over Jorvik started rioting, I remember the fires and blaring noises raging my ears, although Mother attempted to read me stories to put me back to sleep.
After plenty of riots, outrages and fights all over Jorvik, the Games didn’t actually take place until two years later, when everything had calmed down a little. Everyone had forgotten all about it, thinking it was just a thing that would pass, but President Springson was determined. The Games would begin.

Now it brings us to my story, the story of Katalin Aideen. Right. I’m sixteen years old, my sister is called Rose and my best friend is Matt. Oh yeah, I’m quite feisty, some call me strong. I’m a Soul Rider.
I guess that sums everything up, being a Soul Rider, because you now know that I had to compete in the Games. I didn’t think I would, my father promised me it would be ok, but I don’t believe adults, not anymore. Partly because it wasn’t ok. I was called up to be in the Games and that was when everything changed. It was just an ordinary morning as I threw the covers of my bed onto the floor and got up, rubbing my eyes. “Kat, come downstairs for breakfast!” Shouted a familiar voice. “Coming.” I smiled, walking down the carpeted stairs. My families faces were there to greet me, as usual.
“We need to talk to you, dear.” I watched as Uncle Bob’s smiling face was replaced with something darker. “Yeah, ok. What?” I asked as I buttered a slice of bread. “Well. You know about the Games, don’t you?” Bob continued. “Yes, why?” I replied, frowning a little. “Well, we got a phone call from the head Gamemaker, plus Soul Rider- and.. They want you to enter. You’ve been called up. I’m so sorry, Kat.”
I felt like I was being turned upside down. I dropped my bread to the floor, not caring as the knife clattered to the floor. “W-what?” I managed to stutter. Before I could think of what to say next, there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it.” Bob muttered hastily. Before he could open the door, a tall, willowy woman with dark hair up to her waist stepped into the house. She had a slightly eery look about her. “Hello, you must be Katalin.” She smiled, but her smirk had an edge to it. “H-hey..” I whispered. “Speak up dear.” She said brightly. “Hey!” I replied, really loudly. “Ow! God not that loud.” She yelled, her friendly mask replaced with an angry, scary glare. Her eyes were dark and beady. “I mean, just be a bit quieter, dear.” She continued, smiling. I raised my eyebrows a little, still not quite capable of sarcasm at that time. “Ok sweetheart. You’re going to be in the Games.”
I still can’t figure out, to this day, why those words scared me so much.
Because it was the first Games, there was no Reaping Day. Instead, Soul Riders were picked as Tributes by their skills or magic. About a group of seven were chosen in my District. Including me. I had to say goodbye to my home, my family, everything. The day before I left for training, in a special arena designed for Soul Riders, specifically hidden from anyone ‘normal’, Matt told me something. He hugged me, for the first time in that way, and told me something. “You need to survive. You have to, Kat. Trick them. Trick the other Tributes, I don’t care what it takes, do it and then use your full force of magic when they think you’re weak. You can do this, I know. You’re strong.” Those were the last words he spoke to me before they dragged me onto the platform, leaving Matt and my entire life behind. “Lovely. Shall we leave for the arena now, Katalin?” Smiled Ellie, the woman who announced the Tributes. She seemed to be coming along too. “Yes. Sure.” As we disappeared in a whirl of blue smoke, we arrived at the training arena. It was large and filled with Tributes all shapes and sizes.
There were tall, muscular boys weightlifting, though I couldn’t see the point of that when our weapons were magic. I saw some weaker looking girls fiddling with bubbles of magic, but they didn’t look that impressive. “Bye then, Ellie.” I said to her vaguely. “Oh no Katalin! Don’t be silly, you have to meet your mentor first.” Ellie shook her head as if I was simple. Before I could reply, a surly looking man walked up to me. He had messy, short black hair that looked like he was trying to achieve the ‘sexy’ tousled look, but ended up looking like a mess. He stunk so strongly of liquor I wrinkled my nose. “What are you lookin’ at?” He glared, his words a big slur. I took a step back. “Not much of a talker, are you? Nor a looker..” He said, rolling his eyes in disgust. I acted without speaking and slapped him hard in the face. Ellie squealed as my mentor was knocked backwards. He composed himself with the help of Ellie and suddenly started guffawing. “You-you’ve got some fire though, haven’t you?” He choked inbetween chuckles. “And you’ve got some stinking breath, haven’t you?” I replied, without a smile. “Katalin, really!” Ellie said disapprovingly, fighting back a smirk. My mentor stopped laughing and narrowed his eyes at me. “Anyway, Katalin, this is your mentor for the Games, Damon.” Ellie told me, with a composed smile. “I’m Kat.” I said simply, with no sarcasm or humour in my voice. “Kat? Wait- wait- Catnip, right?” He slurred. Many people in my District called me this, but Damon calling me it was annoying and mocking. “Don’t call me that.” I said expressionlessly, walking down the steps and to the training arena. “Make sure to come down for dinner at 8 pm!” Called Ellie. I could feel Damon’s eyes on my back, watching my every move and I hated it. I sat down and watched my hands create a small, puny bubble of golden magic. I smiled. Even if I wasn’t going to win, I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

______________

End of chapter one, I hope you liked it, feedback is always appreciated!

~Alice

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Previous << First >> Next

I wake up at seven, having slept hardly at all. Yesterday when Ms. Ashton came back, I told her I wasn’t feeling good and wanted to sleep in. I couldn’t find it in myself to tell her I’m leaving.

My bags are packed. I have only two small ones, one containing two clean shirts, pants and underclothes, and the other with all of my other various things (toiletries, mostly). I’m also bringing my breeches, the ones Ms. A got me for the competition. I get out of bed, get dressed, comb my hair, and go downstairs to find Ms. A making me oatmeal, as if nothing were different. It breaks my heart that she doesn’t know, she thinks I’m sick and going to get well.

“How are you feeling?” she asks as I sit down. The answer is that I feel sick to my stomach, I’m scared and I feel guilty, but I just say I’m feeling better. She smiles, sets down the oatmeal and tells me to take the day off before running outside to tend to whatever she has to do.

It’s eight when I finish in the house, and I walk out to the stable and say goodbye to Rose. I’ll miss her, but there’s no way I can take her. I decide to go for one last ride, and Chase joins me on Simba. We’re silent as we gallop bareback through the meadow and into the forest, and when we get to the stream we wade in on the horses, following it downstream. I never explored this area before, but as we go further and further, Chase becomes more and more excited, telling me he has a big surprise. After a short time of wading, we come to an opening in the trees, and the stream pours down in a small waterfall (only about 4 feet) into a sparkling, clear pool.

“Oh my God…! It’s beautiful!” I jump off Rose and tie her to a tree before running down the slope next to the waterfall and down to the edge of the pool. Chase stands beside me, smiling. I’m not wearing my bathing suit, but I don’t care. My t-shirt and shorts can stand a little water. I don’t say a word to Chase, I just throw off my shoes and hop into the water. It’s only about 2 feet deep, but just deep enough to swim in. Chase yanks off his t-shirt and shoes and jumps in after me. It’s somewhat awkward, since he has no shirt on, but we have a blast.

At nine thirty, we’re on our way back, and I realize I still haven’t said anything to Ms. A. Guilt is eating me up, and I feel like crying. How am I supposed to break the news to her? It won’t be easy for either of us, and I’m not sure that she’ll let me go. But I have no choice. If I don’t go, I’ll die for sure.

When we reach the fence separating the wild meadow and the pasture, Chase and I pull our horses close so our legs are squished between the horses’ sides. We stand like that for a minute, and I lean on Chase’s shoulder. This is the life. Why can’t it just stay like this forever?

Chase kisses my forehead, and I feel as if I’ve known him forever. It’s strange how we’ve only known each other for four days or so, and we’re already this close, but knowing that you might die soon tends to speed things up.

We return the horses to the stable and I hug Rose’s neck one more time, a silent tear escaping.

“I’ll come back, I promise,” I whisper into her ear. Then I turn around and throw my arms around Chase’s neck, and I tell him the same thing. He smiles and tells me he knows I will, he’ll watch the end of the road until I return. I never told him I don’t know what will happen if I do succeed. I think he thinks everything will be fine, but I don’t see how it could. There’s no way for me to permanently exist in two places at once. Before I break away from him, I hand him something: a small, silver heart pendant. I show him my matching one. “I found them in an old trunk in my room. This way, no matter what happens…” I can’t finish. I hug him one last time and head for the house. I can only hope Ms. A will take this as well as Chase did.

My hopes are dashed when she has me sit down and announces that she is going to contact Dr. Hailey, my psychiatrist. I insist that I’m fine, jumping up from the chair only to be forced to sit again. The clock reads five minutes to ten, and I can’t wait much longer. Though I’m scared, I have to be honest; I’m pretty excited, too. Miss Ashton walks out of the room, chatting away on her cordless phone about my health, and I hear one of Rachel’s family’s pickup trucks pull up. Hurriedly, I write a brief note saying I will return and explain it all in more detail later, that right now I have something very important to do. I dash up to my room and grab my bags, sneaking back downstairs and out the door.

Rachel is in the front seat of her truck, and attached is a horse trailer. I wave and haul my luggage into the truck.

“You bringing Magic?” Magic is her seven year old English thoroughbred.

Rachel smiles, but shakes her head. “No. It’s for Rose. Since you’re a part of the Keepers’ plan…well, it has to have something to do with a horse.”

I’m overcome with happiness. So I won’t have to leave Rose behind after all.

“I’m not a Soul Rider…am I?” I have heard all about the Soul Riders from Rachel, but she shakes her head and explains that the Keepers of Aideen center their life around horses, that all that happens and has to do with them has something to do also with horses. I’m not sure where Rose fits in, but I gladly lead her into the trailer, careful not to forget her saddle, bridle, blanket and leg wraps.

“Ready to go?” Rachel asks once Rose is safely in the trailer. “And where’s Ms. Ashton? I expected she’d be seeing you off.”

I steal a glance at the house. Ms. A is probably engaging in a long conversation with Haley and she has more than likely forgotten about me. I shake my head, hiding the fact that I am disappointed. A real mother would never forget her daughter.

We’re pulling onto the road, and I look back one last time at my home. Maybe it’s not my real home, but it’s all I know.

I finger the small heart pendant hanging from my neck, and I glance out the window. Fading into the distance is the house, and there, on the side of the road, is Chase, watching. I stare back until we go over a hill, and then I realize that I do have something to come back for: love.

Whether or not I’ll ever see the boy I love again is all up to me. Me and a stupid clock that’s counting down from 10 to 0, and getting closer every day.

I close my eyes and stumble into visions.

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Previous << First >> Next

Marley the Horse Trainer

Good day to you Rita, how lovely to see you again!

Thanks for asking, but sadly I’m a little troubled. My very best competition horse – Butterfly – has had an accident and picked up an injury on his back right leg. 

It’s all healed up now, thank goodness, but now he needs to build up his muscle strength so that the injury doesn’t come back.

This is why I’ve sent Butterfly to Marley Summers.

Did you know that Marley used to train horses once upon a time? If there’s anyone who can help Butterfly, it’s him.

The thing that’s bothering me the most is that poor old Butterfly’s never going to be able to compete again. You see, Butterfly really loves to compete, and if he can’t race anymore, I’m worried it’ll break his heart…

Can you ride to Marley’s farm and see how it’s going for Butterfly?

You’ll do it? Nice! Thanks!

Objectives: Talk to Marley at his farm southeast of the Winery.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Ride to Marley’s farm and inquire how Butterfly is doing.

Howdy Rita!

Has the Baroness sent you?

Quest completed

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Meet Butterfly

Yeehaw! Can you imagine that little old me got asked to train a champion?!

Carney, my sourpuss brother, thinks I’ll mess up somehow, as if that’s what usually happens?!

I’ll show that little punk – after a week with me, Butterly’s gonna be in better shape than ever!

Of course it’s true! I’ve trained loads of horses in my time, back in the day. Haha! So Butterfly’s no challenge for me!

You can tell the Baroness that Butterfly is feeling just fine. Or, actually… There is one thing… Ah, never mind, it’s nothing worth mentioning. Why don’t you go say hello to Butterfly, Rita, and get an idea for yourself? 

Objectives: Say hello to Butterfly.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Silverglade Village

Nice horsey?

Wooooooaaaaahhhh! Easy Butterfly! This is Rita, nobody to be afraid of!

Quest completed

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Nobody Ever Died from a Tiny Jump!

You saw what just happened! Do you agree that he seems a little… I’m not sure what word to use.

Nervous?

Yeah, exactly! Nervous is the right word.

I think it’s really strange that such a competitive racehorse should be nervous. Maybe it’s just all the new people and surroundings making him edgy? What do you think?

There’s another problem though… A big problem. I can’t get him to jump. He refuses point blank, but according to Carney, Butterfly is the best jumper in all of Silverglade.

I have an idea! Could you take a ride around the jump course with Summerblaze? Maybe then Butterfly’s competitive instinct will kick in? 

You will?

Yeehaw! Come on Rita, show us what you can do!

Objectives: Take a spin around Marley’s jump course.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 45 Horse XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Ride Marley’s jump course, then speak to him after to see if it got Butterfly’s attention.

Yeehaw! Nicely ridden Rita! Now it’s your turn, Butterfly.

You can do this big guy, I know you can!

Quest completed

______________

What Scares a Horse?

Easy, Butterfly, eeeasy…

Shhh shh shhhhhh…

There we go, good boy…. Good boy!

Hmm. Well Rita, that didn’t go so well.

I just don’t get it. Do you understand Rita? Any idea why he refuses to jump?

You think he’s scared of something?

Hmm… Wonder what that could’ve been? I mean, it’s just a regular old paddock. I suppose it won’t hurt to look a little further into it. Ride over and take a look and see if there’s anything odd by the jump in the paddock.

I’ll wait here with this poor fella and keep him calm. He’s still a bit shaky.

Objectives: Check out the paddock then report back to Marley.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Inspect the paddock around the jumps to see if you can find anything that is scaring Butterfly.

You didn’t find anything?

Quest completed

______________

Yeehaw! Barrel Race!

That’s got me goosed… If there’s nothing in the paddock, then what’s getting Butterfly to react like he did?

What do you reckon? Any ideas?

If we should try something else to get him going? What could you mean?

The barrel race? Yeah! Great idea! Maybe we get started a little hard on poor old Butterfly…

…

For safety’s sake, would you not do a quick lap first? That way, Butterfly’s going to see that it’s nothing to be worried about. 

Great! Go Rita! Yeehaw!

Objectives: Ride Marley’s barrel race.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 45 horse XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Let’s try out the barrel race instead…

Yeehaw! Nicely done, Rita!

What do you reckon then, Butterfly? Wanna show Marley what you can do, huh champ?

Quest completed

______________

Like the Wind!

Oh no! No, no, no!!

He’s bolted! If we don’t catch him quickly, he’ll be on the other side of Jorvik in no time!

How am I going to catch up to him? I can’t run after him, my fitness has never been top notch…

What? You’ll ride after him? Wow, thanks! But be careful, a spooked horse can be a dangerous horse. Try to calm him down first: that’s the only way to capture a frightened horse. 

Come on Rita! Ride! Ride!!

Objectives: Catch up to Butterfly.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 35 XP

Reputation: 20 with Silverglade Village

Run after Butterfly to calm him down. He runs in a circle just outside the jump paddock of Marley’s farm.

You managed to catch up to Butterfly and get him to stop. He seems totally terrified, so take it nice and easy with him so you don’t make things any worse.

Quest completed

______________

Side by Side, Back to the Yard…

You calm Butterfly down and he begins to move in the direction of Marley’s yard. For safety’s sake, it’s best if you ride alongside him, as he’s still very frightened. 

Objectives: Help Butterfly back to Marley.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Escort Butterfly back to Marley’s, stay close to him so that he continues moving in the direction of home. Speak to Marley when you have returned Butterfly.

Whew! That was close! Thanks for riding after Butterfly for me.

Quest completed

______________

A Scared Horse to Examine

Wheeew!

What a relief!

I was really worried that we’d never see Butterfly again, not at those speeds! What could I have said to the Baroness, “yeah, sorry about your horse… Lost him, didn’t I?” Haha! No thanks, lucky you were here Rita!

Wonder what made Butterfly bolt like that?

You’re right, Rita, something’s not quite right, but I’ve no idea what it could be. Any ideas?

You want to examine Butterfly, you say?

Well I suppose that’d be okay, not that I know why you’d do that, or what you’re expecting to find…

Objectives: Examine Butterfly.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Dismount your horse and approach Butterfly to examine him for anything wrong.

This is weird…

Quest completed

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Who Would Paint a Horse?

Didn’t the Baroness say that Butterfly had injured his back right leg in an accident?

You feel along Butterfly’s back right leg. The muscles feel strong and not weakened at all like the Baroness said. Weird…

Apart from the leg, there’s something else a bit strange about Butterfly’s temperament. You carefully try to pet his nose so that he feels safe, which seems to work so you just stand and cozy up to him for a little while.

Suddenly, your attention turns to Butterfly’s markings. There seems to be something strange about the way they look. You reach out your hand and touch one of them…

You’re not totally sure, but that seems an awful lot like it could be… Black paint. Has someone painted over Butterfly’s markings? Who would paint a horse? And why?

You need to tell Marley right away.

Objectives: Report your findings to Marley.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Silverglade Village

There’s some strange business going on here…

What on earth?!

Quest completed

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Written Proof

You think the horse beside me isn’t the real Butterfly?!

…

That’s impossible… He came straight from the Baroness’ yard. Carney organized the transport himself, which is why this couldn’t be any other than the real Butterfly.

I’ve had my eye on him the entire time, it MUST be Butterfly.

I can’t believe it, Rita. I’m sorry but I just can’t accept it…

Of course!

Carney sent some of Butterfly’s papers to me. Where can I have put them?

They can help us get to the bottom of this. On the papers is all the information we’ll need to confirm whether or not this is Butterfly.

Now I just need to think!

I was out in the stable when the phone rang in the kitchen. Did I take the papers with me?

Rita, can you check over by the stable to see if the papers for Butterfly are there, and I’ll go check the kitchen? We need to find these papers, fast!

Objectives: Find Butterfly’s papers.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Search around Marley’s stable for the missing papers, then return to him when you have found them.

You found them? Were they by the stable?

Quest completed

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A Forged Horse

Okay, now let’s see what it says here about Butterfly.

Mm-hmm… Back leg… Yeah… Right… Yup… Markings… A-ha…

You were right, there’s something not quite right here… According to the papers from Carney, Butterfly should have weakened muscles in his back right leg, and this horse certainly doesn’t. Something’s up with Butterfly’s black markings as well…

Hmm… This both feels and smells like paint…

What could this mean? How can this have happened? How can this possibly be the wrong horse, when he came here straight from the Winery?

I need to call the Baroness! Or, wait. What would I say to her? Oh gosh, help me think, Rita, who should I talk to?

Carney?

Of course, you’re right. Carney maybe knows something, he was the one who arranged the transport after all.

What are we going to do with this horse though? If it’s not Butterfly, then who is it?

You’re right. One thing at a time. The most important thing is that we talk to my brother and find out what he knows.

Can you ride to the Winery and talk to him?

Thanks! While you do that, I’ll see if I can find some kind of clue as to who this horse is, or where he comes from…

Objectives: Talk to Carney who works up at the Winery.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Ride up to the Winery and speak to Carney near the stable. Maybe he will know something?

Hi Rita, I’d wish you a good day if I thought it was going to be one…

Quest completed

______________

Clumsy Marley

WHAT?!

Marley’s lost the Baroness’ horse?!

That dopey dummy! Grr… I knew this would happen. He can’t do anything, and it’s always me who has to clean up his mess. He always messes up, and it’s always me left with the blame… Grr… No. NO! This time he can sort this out himself.

You say it’s not his fault? No joke? Whose fault is it then? The man in the moon? 

How did that idiot manage to lose the Baroness’ horse? And, by the way, how do you know it’s not Butterfly?

No injury on the back leg, you say?

And no markings?

What could have happened? How am I supposed to know?! It’s that idiot Marley who’s mucked it all up.

There isn’t so much that COULD have happened. I should’ve driven Butterfly to Marley’s place yesterday, but I had too much to do so I got some help.

 Who helped me? It was Mr Anwir.

He and his friend were here picking up things they were going to take to Silverglade Village. They offered to take Butterfly with them since Marley’s farm is on the way there.

Mr Anwir’s a good guy, so if anyone’s messed everything up, it’s Marley and nobody else. If he can’t keeps track of a horse, then it’s his own fault. Asking whether Marley’s messed up is like asking where bears poop in the woods. It’s obvious. You can tell him that from me, because I’m not taking the fall for his mess. He can come here himself and tell the Baroness that he’s lost her best racehorse.

Why are you still here? I’m so angry right now… Ride and tell Marley that he’s useless and that it’s his responsibility to fix it.

Objectives: Tell Marley what Carney told you.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

You self-righteous bastard, so much for brotherly love…

Return to Marley with your sympathy.

Did you get hold of Carney? Did he have anything to tell you?

Quest completed

______________

What Should He Be Called?

Of course… Everything’s my fault according to that dimwit. Who else’s fault would it be? The man in the moon?

Sigh.

Well maybe he’s right… I should’ve had a closer eye on it all, I should’ve been more careful.

I need to think about this. The real Butterfly can’t have just gone up in smoke… And who’s this horse if it isn’t Butterfly?

Anyway, we can’t keep calling him Butterfly. We need a new name for him. Any ideas on what this guy should be called, Rita?

Objectives: Talk to Marley.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 5 with Silverglade Village

Come up with a good name for this new horse.

Valiant?

Well… Why not? Valiant it is.

Quest completed

______________

Who’s Valiant?

Valiant… I like it! Howdy Valiant!

Hmm… I should talk to the Baroness as soon as possible… Oohhh I just don’t think I can face up to it today. I’ve no idea what I would say…

You say it’s not my fault? That’s nice of you Rita, but Butterfly was and is my responsibility. My brother was right… I’ve mucked it all up. This is my responsibility.

I haven’t got time to feel sorry for myself though. I’ll need to sit down and have a good think about what I’m going to say to the Baroness. While I take care of this mess, would you help me find out where Valiant comes from?

If we put up ‘missing horse’ posters for him, perhaps we’ll get some info on where he’s from. Maybe even find out more about where the real Butterfly has got to.

I took a few pictures of Valiant while you were away talking to my brother. Would you be able to take these and make five posters we can put up around Silverglade?

Great, thanks!

There’s some paper you can use over by the picnic table just here.

Thanks for helping, Rita. I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own.

Objectives: Make five ‘missing horse’ posters asking if anyone knows Valiant, then talk to Marley.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Dismount your horse and use the marker to make the posters, then show Marley your finished work.

Oh, these are great! They should work nicely.

Quest completed

______________

Posting Posters in Silverglade

Will you take these posters and put them up in Silverglade Village?

Hopefully there’s someone who gets in touch about Valiant. If we’re lucky, we’ll also find something out about Butterfly.

Objectives: Put up the ‘missing horse’ posters in Silverglade Village

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Ride into Silverglade and place the posters up in places people will be able to easily see them, then return to Marley when all the posters have been put up.

You put them all up? Great! Hope someone gets in touch before long.

Quest completed

______________

The Way to a Horse’s Heart…

I feel bad for Valiant. He must’ve been through something terrible to have become that nervous and scared.

But he seems to trust you Rita. You seem to have a special way with horses. They seem to let you get closer to them in a way that not very many people manage, I mean just look at you and Summerblaze together.

Would you be able to help me with Valiant? I need to get to the bottom of this mess with Butterfly…

Thanks Rita! Whoever Valiant is, he needs to be able to trust humans again. He certainly doesn’t seem to trust me, so I guess it’s better that you train him.

The first step is getting to know one another. Would you be able to feed him? The way to a horse’s heart is through his stomach, or however the saying goes… Haha! Everyone likes good food anyway!

Hey, I just remembered I accidentally flipped a crate of apples over earlier today. I’ve had so much going on that I’d managed to forget to pick them all up. Could you gather them all back into their box so that they’re not just lying on the ground going rotten?

Great! We can give some of the apples to Valiant afterwards, I’m sure he’ll love them. He’s a horse after all, and all horses love an apple!

Objectives: Pick up the apples from the ground behind the house and give them back to Marley.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Quicker apple picker-upper

Oh! I didn’t realize there were that many apples!

Quest completed

______________

Not Tasting Great…

Oh my, this is far too many apples for a horse to eat! Not that I think Valiant would say no, but he can’t eat himself full on candy! That’ll mean he’ll lose his proper appetite for normal food later.

Let’s do it this way, so it’s fair. If you take these three apples and give them to Valiant, I’ll take the rest to the other horses so they get a treat as well.

Sounds good?

Great!

Objectives: Give the apples to Valiant then talk to Marley.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Dismount and feed the apples to Valiant to gain more of his trust. Speak to Marley when you have fed all the apples.

There you go! Valiant seems to like the apples! I knew he wouldn’t say no…

Quest completed

______________

Step by Step

Looks like Valiant is becoming more and more trusting towards you.

I don’t know if it’s too early, but I have an idea that I think is worth a try. Remember how badly it when Valiant was going to give the barrel race? I reckon you could get him to do it now.

You don’t need to look so worried, let me finish my idea… You’ve taught Valiant to take the apple from your hand. Use that trick to get him to follow you around the course. Once he goes all the way around, he’ll see that there’s nothing to worry about. 

Here, take a few sugar lumps and show Valiant the way around the barrel race course. I know you can do it Rita! Yeehaw!

Objectives: Bribe Valiant with sugar lumps to get him around the barrel race course, then speak with Marley.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 20 with Silverglade Village

Ride near Valiant and give him a sugar lump when he stops. Lead him through the course, then return to Marley when you have completed the course.

Yeehaw! I’ve stood and watched the whole time, what a great job Rita! Wow! I think it’s time to start calling you Rita the horse whisperer!

Quest completed

______________

Well-Earned Grooming

Yeehaw! Unbelievable! How fantastic that you managed to get Valiant to follow you around the entire course! I can already see the difference in him. He’s much calmer and way less nervous than before, and it’s all thanks to you Rita.

Will you go and give him some nice grooming and scrape out his hooves as well? Here, take my hoof pick and my regular grooming brush. Valiant’s done a great job and deserves a little TLC! I’ sure he’d rather you do it than me. 

Objectives: Groom Valiant then talk to Marley.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Dismount your horse and approach Valiant to use the grooming tools. The sparkles are very close together, if you have trouble using the tools, click on the sparkles first and it will tell you which tool to use in that spot.

When you are finished grooming Valiant, speak to Marley.

Are you all done with the grooming now? Great! Now we’ll let Valiant rest a little while so that it’s not all to much for him at one time.

Quest completed

Return to Marley tomorrow.

Ok, here goes chapter two! I think the next chapter will be about the tributes interviews, so the Games (or, interesting parts xD) are coming soon! :D

The bleak, grey training arena was filled with tributes all shapes and sizes. Some seemed weak and puny, yet they were using magic as if it was second nature. “You see, Katnip, you gotta remember that magic is the key element to the Games. Instead of grabbing a weapon, grab a power pack.” Said my mentor Damon, sober for some reason. “Take a bath, Damon, you stink.” I replied, but his advice was fresh in my mind. I walked over to a boy who was creating grey bubbles with his hands. I watched, seeing if I could pick up any techniques. He didn’t speak, but I could feel his piercing emerald green eyes looking at me. As he stared at me, his concentration on the magic in his hands disappeared and the bubbles popped. He grunted in frustration. I knew who that boy was, vaguely. He worked at the decorations shop in my district, creating ribbons and wrapping paper. I’d longingly looked through the window many times a week, wondering if I had enough for Rose’s birthday so her present could be wrapped up nicely. He’d seen me looking, so when I walked into the shop, just to look, he sneaked me a tube of wrapping paper, complete with a pink rose shaped bow on top. I had walked back home grinning, knowing Rose would be squealing with happiness. I had wondered why he knew my sister’s name, but I never found out.
“Nice. Maybe a different colour this time? My sister Rose loves..” “Pink.” He answered, smiling a little. “Wait, how did you know that?” I asked, my eyes widening. He didn’t answer, but a grin creeped up on his lips. I smiled back a little. I had seen flashes of him for years, but never fully seen him face to face. I noticed he had reddish, auburn, wavy hair and of course, those green eyes.
The emerald green eyes that had flickered up to my gaze and then trailed away, the same eyes that did that now. “Magic?” He answered, looking down at his hands. “Yeah, magic.” I smile, teasingly popping the bubbles he created. “Hey! If you wanna survive mate, don’t pop a guy’s bubbles.” He says with an irritated tone, but he’s hiding a smirk. “Lucky I’m a survivor.” I say, getting up. “Yeah, lucky you..” He mutters as I walk away, and I can’t help thinking he does mean something. I shake that feeling off, and continue to examine the training arena. There’s a power pack lesson on the right side, so I go over to there. “So, tributes, that is how you use a power pack.” Says the woman who was teaching a class of tributes. All the tributes listening are sitting cross-legged on the floor, like some kind of twisted school. I sit down casually. “Sorry? Explain that to me again please.” I say innocently. She sighs frustratingly. “I’m not gonna explain the whole lesson to you!” She says. I raise my eyebrows. “Isn’t that your job?”
My reply is followed by a few muffled sniggers, and she narrows her eyes. “Ok, miss, we’ll repeat the whole damn lesson for you! Class, be extra nice to this girl, she doesn’t understand basic instructions!” She says mockingly. The class replies in laughter, echoing across the room. I bite my lip as every tribute looks up from what they’re doing and looks at me. I sit through the lesson though, and I learn some useful information about power packs, how they are at the cornucopia, even what the cornucopia is. When the lesson ends, she nods at me. “Class dismissed.” And then the tributes run off and back into training. I sit there, not knowing what to do.
“Sweetie, you gonna sit there like a slapped cow?” She asks in a mockingly sympathetic tone, hands on her hips. “Oh sorry, thought you were the cow.” I reply, then walk off. I remember dinner suddenly. “Shoot,” I mutter, and run to the elevator. When I arrive on the right floor, I’m in my tribute apartment. It’s fancy and elaborate, like the people in the Capitol who built it. Nothing about it says “Blood filled, murderous games”, more “fancy clothes and luxury”. When I reach the dining room, it must be at least an hour later than I was supposed to be. Ellie greets me with a frown and a huff. “Late! You are late!” I ignore her and sit down on the plush covered chair. Damon is there, as well as the other residents of this place.  I look down at the table and see the contents. The table is heaving with foods of all kinds, a huge, shining roasted pig as the centrepiece, huge dishes of potatoes and sprouts, peas and all sorts of vegetables, boats of gravy and wine, and then of course, all sorts of exotic desserts.
I take it all in, the smell of stew and meat and potatoes, and then I begin to fill my plate. Afterwards, I feel super full because I’m so not used to such filling and large meals. I go to my room and lay down on the soft, plush bed, staring up at the ceiling, dreading the next day, even though to some it’s just a day, but for me? It was just another day until the Games.

Thanks for reading, any helpful criticism would be awesome :) Alice x

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Previous << First >> Next

Who Recognizes Valiant?

Howdy Rita!

I’ve not slept a wink, I just lay there thinking about Butterfly and the Baroness.

Yawn.

I’m sorry Rita, but nobody’s been in touch about Valiant yet. Could you go to Silverglade Village and ask around if anyone’s heard or seen anything?

Thanks!

Objectives: Ask around Silverglade Village if anyone recognizes Valiant.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Ride to Silverglade and use the photo of Valiant on any of the residents. They will all say that they don’t recognize the horse but direct you to Steve, as he knows a lot about horses. Visit Steve at his farm to see if he knows Valiant.

Hey there! I recognize this horse! No idea what the poor thing is called, I don’t think he ever had a name, but I know his owner.

Quest completed

______________

Poor Horsey!

I can’t remember what the owner’s name is, it’s been forever since I last saw him. Not a nice guy. If you can stay away from him, it’s best to do so.

How he looks?

Hmm…

Let me think a second…

Last time I saw him he was pretty well built and had a brown mustache, but that was years ago.

Sigh. You really shouldn’t go looking for that guy, he’s really evil and it wouldn’t surprise me if he beat and abused the poor horsey…

Where’s the horse now?

With Marley? Whew, that’s a relief. Then the poor thing can get the chance to recover. I recommend he stays with Marley or some place else nice if he’s ever going to feel good again. 

You should tell Marley this. The horse sounds like it’s in too bad condition to train…

Objective: Ride over and tell Marley what you found out.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Return to Marley and tell him what you learned from Steve.

Did Steve recognize Valiant? What could he tell you?

Quest completed

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Valiant the Packhorse

Oh…

The poor thing…

That didn’t sound too good. Poor old Valiant… I can’t believe people would do that! Gosh!

Hmm…

It’s not all strange that we can’t Valiant to jump or ride the barrel race, most things must frighten him… I wonder if he’s even ridden a jump track before?

We can’t send him back to whoever treated him like this, but I can’t know for sure if he’ll feel too good about living here with me, I’m not sure he’d enjoy dealing with all the visitors I get all the time. I’ll ask the Baroness if she’d like to have him at her yard instead.

…

Speaking of the Baroness… I need to talk to her today. Time to tell her about Butterfly…

Would you come with me Rita? I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it myself. 

Thanks so much! I have a few things that need taking up to the Winery, so it’s probably just as well to take them with us at the same time, so I get to skip riding back again later. Not sure if I’ll be able to look the Baroness in the eye after this. 

Can you help me load up the goods we’re taking onto Valiant. I’m way too nervous to do it myself. 

Objectives: Load up Valiant, then talk to Marley.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Pick up the crates near the house, then place them from your inventory onto Valiant’s back, then speak to Marley when Valiant is ready to go.

Wow! You managed to load up Valiant with all the stuff we’re taking with us without any trouble. I’m impressed! You’ve really done a great job with him.

Quest completed

______________

Towards the Winery with a Heavy Load

Right then, I guess it’s time. Time to ride to the Winery. Sigh.

I really don’t want to do this, but I’ve got no choice. I need to tell the Baroness, it’s no use trying to put it off any longer. Thanks for coming with me.

Would you be able to take the last bit of the delivery on your horse’s back?

Thanks! We can just drop everything off with Carney. I’ll ride ahead and see you at the Winery. 

Objectives: Take the shipment on Summerblaze to the Winery and leave it with Carney.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Silverglade Village

Pick up the second stack of crates and ride to the Winery. If you can, you can ride alongside Marley, but I got stuck and he left me behind. However you get there, meet Marley near his brother at the stable, and drop the crates nearby.

Ah, you managed to get Marley here with you? Hmph, I never thought that coward would show his face up here after he lost the Baroness’ horse.

Quest completed

______________

What Can a Car Tell Us?

Marley and I need to talk in private for a moment…

By the way, Mr Anwir is here now. You know, the guy who helped me with transporting Butterfly down to Marley just so he could go and lose him. That’s his car over there, the purple one. You were interested in talking to him, you said. Why not take the chance now, and you’ll see what an honorable guy he is.

You can check if he’s sitting in his car, otherwise you’ll have to wait until he gets back.

Objectives: Check if Mr Anwir is sitting in his car.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Investigate the purple car that is parked near the Manor building, facing towards the front gate.

Seems as though there’s nobody by the car and you decide to look in through the window. Wait, what’s that? Looks like a can of paint…? Horse papers in the back seat?! The horse on the papers seems a lot like Butterfly…

 

You wonder if you should open the car door, and just as you reach for the door handle, you hear footsteps behind you…

Quest completed

______________

Meet Mr Anwir

And who do we have here, snooping around my car?

Oh I see, not snooping, eh? No of course, well we’ll stick to that story then, shall we?

Yes, that’s right, my colleague Carl and I took a horse from here down to Marley Summer’s yard.

Umm, what are you implying? That the horse was swapped? Who’d do something like that? You don’t think it’s just that Marley who’s dippy enough to have mixed up the horses himself? According to his brother, he’s as dizzy as the day is long, and would lose his own head if it wasn’t screwed on…

Haha, probably a little exaggeration but that’s what Carney says…

Sorry, but I can’t help you. I hope you find the horse soon, but now I’ve got to get back to work. Lots to do before our boat comes to fetch us this evening. 

Carl and I travel rather a lot. We usually set up camp down by the water, which is nice and practical, and plenty easy to get around. Easier to travel over water than over land if you ask me.

But yeah, anyway, good luck. I know it doesn’t help much, but here, take a few of these delicious clementines. Carl bough them even though I quite clearly asked for mandarins, the stupi– I mean, umm, they’re easy to mix up, I suppose. Haha. Ha.

Objectives: Talk to Mr Anwir.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP, 3 clementine oranges

Reputation: 5 with Silverglade Village

There’s definitely something fishy about this guy…

Here you go. Good luck with the horse.

Quest completed

______________

Time to Stop a Telling-Off

Are you still here? I’m sorry that your horse has gone but I’ve already told you I don’t know anything about it.

Instead of hanging around here, you should check how things are going for your friend Marley, looks like he’s getting a proper telling-off over there. Carl and I have work to do.

Objectives: Talk to Marley.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Ride to Marley’s rescue. Poor man just can’t get a break.

Ugh. Carney’s really angry at me, and Valiant’s started acting out. I don’t know what the problem could be. Maybe he’s not too crazy about that purple car?

Quest completed

______________

Valiant’s Help

What’s up with Valiant? He was so relaxed earlier, but now he’s back to being as nervous as he was to begin with. Ever since I said hello to Carl or whatever his name is, the guy who helped Mr Anwir deliver Valiant…

What’s that? You think Carl is Valiant’s old owner? Hmm… The description Steve gave certainly fits…

Easy, Valiant, eeeeeasy boy… Shhh.

You saw black paint in the car?! And papers for a horse like Butterfly? Oh my… This isn’t good. We don’t have any proof though…

Eeeeeeasy Valiant!

Oh no! He’s bolted again!

Valiant! Come back! Oh gosh, he’s run off!

What does he want?

You think he wants to show us something?

Follow him quick Rita! I’ll try and keep Carly and Mr Anwir distracted while you’re gone. Hurry!

Objectives: Follow Valiant and be careful not to lose him.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 35 XP

Reputation: 25 with Silverglade Village

Follow Valiant urgently, keep up with him and don’t lose sight of him. Find out what he wants to show you.

Valiant comes to a sudden stop. He seems to want to show you a particular place…

Quest completed

______________

Mr Anwir’s Camp

Valiant has led you to a camp, maybe it’s Mr Anwir and Carl’s?

You remember Mr Anwir said that he’d set up camp by the water. If you take a look around, you’ll surely find something that can help you connect Mr Anwir to the theft of Butterfly.

Objectives: Investigate Carl and Mr Anwir’s camp.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Take a look at the horse in the small paddock. Could this be what we were looking for…?

This horse looks familiar…

Quest completed

______________

Riding with a Warning

The color matches, the black markings match… Might this horse be Butterfly?

You feel along the horse’s back right leg, and just as you suspected, this really is the real Butterfly.

Butterfly goes up to Valiant right away and even though the horses have never met before, it seems as though they’re already best friends. 

Butterfly follows Valiant, who leads him back to Marley’s farmyard. You don’t need to worry about the horses anymore.

You’ve found enough evidence to connect Mr Anwir and Carl to the theft of Butterfly. Ride and warn Marley and Carney up at the Winery, before Mr Anwir and Carl can get away.

Objectives: Ride back to the Winery and warn Marley and Carney.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Ride as quick as you can back to the Winery to tell Marley and Carney what you’ve found at the camp.

What happened? And where’s Valiant?

WHAT?!

You found Butterfly? You need to tell Carney. I’m sure he’d never listen to me.

Quest completed

______________

Stop That Car! Stop! Thief!

WHAT?! You mean Mr Anwir and Carl swapped Butterfly?

THIEVES!!

Grrr… And they wanted my brother to take the blame. Just wait ’til I get my hands on them!

Where are they now? They were just about to leave.

…

Over there! There by the car! Hurry Rita! We need to stop them!

Objectives: Follow Mr Anwir’s car.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 35 XP

Reputation: 25 with Silverglade Village

Ride after Mr Anwir’s car and don’t lose sight of it. Follow it through the grape fields, through towards their camp and watch as Valiant runs in and makes the car swerve and crash into a tree.

What on earth do you think you’re doing, squirt?

Quest completed

______________

Dangerous Liaison 

Have you seen what you’ve done to my car? You’ll get it for this!

Grr…

What do you think you’re gonna do? I don’t see any police or anyone else around here… It’s just us… Us and your two stupid horses. What are they gonna do to help you, huh?

The horse we swapped out with Butterfly is totally worthless, we’ve never seen a worse horse. That loser is too cowardly and weak to be able to do a thing about anything. Your stupid horse doesn’t seem much better, haha!

I haven’t got time for little nobodies like you, you idiot. Carl, take care of this little pest and her dumb horses. I’d prefer not to have the cops after me just because some snot-nosed little girl pokes around in things that don’t concern her.

Objectives: Hope that help comes soon…

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Ugh, rude!! Once again, Valiant intervenes and comes to your rescue!

AAAH!! Get that scary horse away from me!

HELP?!?!

MR ANWIR!!

Where are you?!

Quest completed

______________

That Horse is Going to Eat Me!

I’m sorry! I’m sorry!! PLEASE get that scary horse away from me. I HATE horses! They’re shifty and unpredictable. If you don’t get him away from me, he’ll kill me! Aaaaah!!

Sniffle…

Please, I’m so, so sorry… That horse is going to eat me if you don’t get him away from me… Monster!

Sniffle…

Objectives: Calm Valiant down.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Pull yourself together man, you’re pathetic…

Work your magic with Valiant to assure him that you have the situation under control.

You manage to calm Valiant down. He doesn’t seem happy to be reunited with his old owner. 

Quest completed

______________

Help’s Here

Valiant stares at Carl, his old owner. The fear he felt before has melted away, and all he can think about is protecting himself.

You can’t see where Mr Anwir got to, but Carl’s got no chance of escape. Valiant is watching him like a hawk.

Suddenly you hear both Marley and Carney shout behind you.

Objectives: Talk to Marley.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 15 with Silverglade Village

Ride up the hill to where Marley and Carney are standing, and explain to them what happened.

Rita! We followed after you as quickly as we could! How could you?

Quest completed

______________

The Rescue Arrives!

Are you okay Rita?

The police will be here any minute. They didn’t hurt you, did they?

Whew! What luck! I know that if anyone can deal with two crooks on their own, it’s you! And Valiant! He was so brave! You’ve really inspired him, Rita. You and Valiant really are the heroes of the hour!

Me and Carney can take over here. Could you ride to the Baroness and tell her that everything’s worked out alright? She’ll be very happy to hear you’ve not only saved Butterfly but also stopped the criminals!

Thanks so much for all your help Rita, you’ve truly saved the day!

Objectives: Talk to the Baroness.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Return to the Winery and tell the Baroness about everything that has happened.

Rita. Is everything well with you, child?

Carney and Marley raced off from here at full speed a short while ago. The only thing I understood was that you left ahead of them after those wretched men.

So you got the thieves, Rita?! Unbelievable!

When I gathered what had happened, I called the police right away while Carney and Marley hurried after you.

Quest completed

______________

One Captured, One Freed, One Big Thank You

Ugh… Who’d have thought I’d be a victim of a crime right here on my own property?!

I just spoke with Marley on the telephone. He says the police have arrested Carl, but that snake Mr Anwir has vanished without a trace. Mr Anwir and Carl planned to compete with Butterfly in races. Not that I know how they’d do it, unless they had a rider working with them…?

Anyway, enough about them. Marley told me about Valiant and we’ve decided that he can live here at my stables. I’m sure he’ll love it here with Butterfly.

All credit goes to you Rita! You saved Butterfly, and did all those wonderful things for Valiant!

Objectives: Talk to the Baroness.

Rewards: 5 Jorvik Shillings, 5 XP, Purple Winery Dress

Reputation: 10 with Silverglade Village

Another good deed done…

As a huge thank you for your help, I’d like to give you this dress. I hope you’ll like it.

Thank you ever so much!

Quest completed

James is in a mood after having lost his wallet. Speak to him in Fort Pinta to see if you can help.

Wallet Gone! Money Vanished! End of the World!

Oh no! Where could it have got to? It’s not over here, and it’s not over there… Might it be in my other jeans?

Hey Rita, thank goodness you’re here! You haven’t seen my wallet around here, have you?

No? Ugh, look. I promise I won’t be angry, but might there be just a small chance that you maybe borrowed it?

No, of course I didn’t think you’d take it from me, I just felt like I had to ask.

Grr! Why does stuff like this always happen to e? Ugh…

What happened? Well, just the kind of usual regular old bad luck I always have, and now my wallet is missing. The worst thing of all is that all the money I had in it has gone as well! Someone’s stolen my whole life!

What’s the point in making all these great deals when someone just takes it all away from you afterwards? Grrr, as soon as I get hold of whoever took my wallet, I swear I’m gonna…

…Why do I think my wallet has been stolen? Easy answer. I’d never let it out of my sight for even half a second, especially not when there was tons of money in it. Someone’s taken it, there’s no two ways about it. 

You think we should take a look around anyway, just in case I managed to drop it by accident?

Hmm, I guess you’re right. We’ll give it a go, but if we don’t find anything soon I’ll be ringing the police straight away. We can’t have thieves around here, it’s bad for business.

You’ll help me look for it?

Objectives: Help James to find his wallet.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Fort Pinta

Search all around the fort and return to James when you have looked everywhere.

Grr… I knew somebody has stolen it!

Quest completed

______________

A Fruity Trail

Rita, this just isn’t cool! We can’t have a thief that just goes around taking stuff off people. As soon as all the tourists hear about this, they’ll take off and I’ll lose all my business! This is a disaster! I’ve got to ring the police immediately, now where’s my phone?

…

I’m dead certain I had it right here… You know what this means, Rita?!

Someone’s just swiped my phone as well! Hang on, what’s this?

Someone’s dropped a little piece of… Banana?

Is that not another little chunk of banana there as well? It is, isn’t it?

Looks like our thief likes a bit of fruit. He’ll not be getting away with it for much longer, mind you… Since you promised you’d help, you can ride off and follow that fruity trail!

Objectives: Follow the trail of fruit to see if you can find James’ phone.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Fort Pinta

Let’s see where and who this trail leads to…

You’ve followed the trail of fruit and right in front of you is… A monkey?!

Quest completed

______________

Monkey on the Rob

Right in front of the monkey is James’ phone. Could it be that this cheeky monkey also has James’ wallet?

As you reach out to pick up the phone, the monkey takes a quick step backwards and begins to run away.

It’s best you follow him if James is ever going to get his phone back!

Objective: Catch the monkey and return James’ wallet and phone.

Rewards: 75 Jorvik Shillings, 50 XP, 75 horse XP

Reputation: 50 with Fort Pinta

Complete the race to be able to catch the monkey and find out who he belongs to.

Diggory! What’s happened, boy?

Quest completed

______________

A Travelling Street Magician

Oh my good giddy gracious, little sweet pea, I’m ever so terribly, awfully sorry. Seriously! I thought I’d told little Diggory here that he’s not to be monkeying around taking things that aren’t his, but I must say he turns into such a naughty, cheeky monkey when he gets bored.

Oh, the shame, my little angel, I’m so enormously sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself! My name is Isebell Figg, soon to be the greatest street magician of all time, and hopefully apprentice to the great Ydris. Ta-daaaa!

If I can perform real magic? Haha, oh silly little butterfly, of course I can’t. Besides, there’s no such thing as real magic, because street magic is all about creating illusions. I simply get you to believe you’ve seen something magical happening when in fact, it’s all just a fun trick. I’ve been dreaming of a day when I’ll get to work with that master of the magical arts, Ydris. Have you heard of him?

But good grief, what a beautiful little horse you have! Summerblaze, you say! What a sweetie! Mind if I have a bit of a pet? Ohhhh, what a cute and fluffy mane you have, angel!

Darling, I don’t remember asking your name…

Objectives: Talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Fort Pinta

Introduce yourself to Isebell.

How adorable! I love your name!

You and Summerblaze have got great stage names! I can see it now: “Ladies and gentlemen! Presenting the fabulous Rita and her big brave Summerblaze!”

Quest completed

______________

Back to Its Rightful Owner

Sweetheart, I’m so unbelievable forgetful. Do forgive me, you said something about Diggory having taken something from your friend?

Is there a chance that it might be this here wallet? Oh gosh, there are even more things here, how awfully embarrassing! Haha!

There’s an ID card that seems to belong to some kind of security guard, and a couple of keys as well…

Listen, petal, be a treasure and leave these things back with the people to whom they belong, would you?

Thanks ever so, little icicle. Let them know from me that I’m truly, seriously, devastatingly sorry.

Pip pip!

Objectives: Return the stolen goods.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

The ID card goes back to the disco security guard, the keys to the notary, and the phone and wallet go back to James. Return to Isebell when all the items are back with their owners.

Oh gosh my love, thank you.

Oh my, I’m really totally head over heels in love with Summerblaze! You’re the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen with your lovely mane and those big beautiful eyes!

Quest completed

______________

Life is a Card Game

Chickadee, I have the absolute, one hundred percent best idea ever! What do you say we start getting you trained up on the basics of being a street magician?!

I know, right? A tremendously tip-top idea! My little sugar plum, this will be the greatest day of your life!

You can get started by learning how to handle a card trick, because the card trick, princess, is the strongest tool in a street magician’s box! There’s always space to perform one, they’re super easy to carry and you can always do so much with them!

Okay, pumpkin, here’s the first card. The first thing we do is really eas–

NOO! My cards!! They’re flying away! Oh goodness, I must, must, MUST keeps a firmer grip on them, I should’ve known it’d be gusty here on the coast! Gosh darnit!

You’ll chase them and pick them up, you say?

My goodness me, you’re the sweetest! Thanks ever so much! Mwah!

Objectives: Gather the runaway cards then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Fort Pinta

Collect all the cards floating around the main area of the fort and near the stables, then return them to Isebell.

Thanks ever so much, you’ve no idea how you’ve just saved my life there, angel.

Quest completed

______________

A Budding Magician’s Apprentice

Okay little squirrel, here we go with your first card trick. First you let the person you’re about to perform the trick on see all your cards.

Then comes the tricky bit, letting the person take a card that they’re allowed to take a look at. Make sure you’re talking the whole time as you turn the cards in your hand upside down, like this.

When the person puts their card back into the pack, it’ll be the wrong way up compared with the rest of the cards. Clever, right?

To confuse the person even more, I usually say a few magic words, you know, make it sound like I’m casting a spell… Haha, you’ll do a great job, lamb chop! It sounds more complicated than it really is.

Here, take the cards and give it a go!

Objectives: Practice Isebell’s card trick, then talk to her.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Dismount your horse, then use the cards from your inventory to try out the trick. It will take a few tries, but you’ll get it.

Wow! Lovely work sweetheart! You and Summerblaze make a rather marvelous pair, perhaps you should try out a career in street magic? Or a magician on horseback?! Imagine the fame, honeybunch!

Quest completed

______________

Even a Magician Needs Permission!

Can I tell you a secret, little love? You know, between two magicians? Since I’ve introduced you to the ancient art of magic, of course you’re a magician now…

Yes, well, I’ve thought about organizing a show right here in Fort Pinta which will absolutely be positively one hundred percent remarkably remarkable!

Haha, you’re the sweetest, of course you like my idea. In any case, I need a very, very dull piece of paperwork to be able to hold the show. I swear if I was Ydris, I wouldn’t have needed a silly piece of paper…

Apparently it’s some James that I’ve to apply to with some kind of application fee to be able to get permission for the show.

Oh, you know James? Darling, I love you! Whatever would I have done if I didn’t get to meet you? I’d have been totally lost!

Could you take this envelope with the forms and the fee to James?

Oh, sweetie, you’re a total treasure! Mwah!

Objectives: Give James the payment.

Rewards: 10 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Fort Pinta

Hand the paper to James and ask if you can have permission for the magic show.

Applying to hold a magic show?

Quest completed

______________

Everyone Loves Magic!

Hmm… A magic show will attract even more tourists, because everyone loves magic! Of course she can have her show. More tourists here means more profit for me, and will probably make up for all the bad rumors that started about the thief.

You’ll ride back to her with the permission?

Great, see ya!

Objectives: Give the permission papers to Isebell.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Fort Pinta

Return to Isebell with the good news.

Oh, sweetie, you lovely little petal! That was fast, and now here I am with permission to get started with all the preparations!

Quest completed

______________

Express Delivery!

Now I’ve got this lovely permission, I can really get started on preparing the show for real!

Oh please say you’ll help out, sweetie! Or, well, of course you’ll help, why wouldn’t you want to help?! Haha!

You want to? Oh, you’re a treasure!

Angel, would you be able to take the cutest, loveliest Summerblaze to the post office in Silverglade and pick up a delivery that should be there for me?

Wonderful! Mwah!

Objectives: Fetch Isebell’s parcel from the post office in Silverglade Village.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Fort Pinta

Ride to Silverglade and speak to Derek to see if Isebell’s parcel is there.

Hey Rita, what’s up?

How can I help you today?

Quest completed

______________

A Magical Delivery

A delivery for Isebell Figg, you say?

Hold on a second and I’ll see what I can find… Figg, Figg, Figg…

HERE! Here we go! Isebell Figg.

It’s great that you’ve come to get it, the delivery truck to Fort Pinta isn’t exactly reliable. You’ll only need to ask James about all the problems he’s had with them.

But yeah, here you go! A delivery for Isebell Figg. Hope you have a great day Rita!

Objectives: Give Isebell her things.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Fort Pinta

Return to Fort Pinta. Isebell is now standing near the cannon platform, next to the big statue.

There you are, pet lamb! How delightful of you to have ridden all that way to collect all of these delights for me!

Quest completed

______________

A Magic Show with Fireworks!

Right then, sweetie, now we’ve got some serious work to do! Please please say you’ll help me?

Oh gosh you’re an absolute little miracle, thanks for saying you’ll help, you little treasure.

I need help preparing for some of my magic tricks, as this will quite simply be the best show I’ve ever done . What makes a great show spectacular, sweetie?

Exactly! Fireworks! Who doesn’t love a good firework?

Sweets, could you fill up these rockets with my special gunpowder? I keep it here in these bottles.

Thanks ever so much, petal.

Objectives: Fill the rockets with gunpowder then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Dismount your horse and use the bag of gunpowder from your inventory to fill each of the bottles.

This will be perfect! My special gunpowder will certainly go off with a bang! Beautiful, fanciful firework fantasies await, my treasure!

Quest completed

______________

You Can’t Be Confused and Refuse a Fuse!

Darling, it’s incredibly important you listen carefully to me now. Lighting fireworks is no magic trick, it’s something anyone can do!

What we’re going to do is tie all the fuses together so that it becomes one big fuse that splits off each firework. That means we just need to light one fuse in order for all the fireworks to go off!

How I’ll light them without anyone seeing?

Haha, oh you little sweetie! We’ll get to that, we’ll get to that… Would you be able to get started on tying up the fuses with each other?

Thanks ever so much, sweetness.

Objectives: Tie the fuses together then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Wind the fuses together with your nimble little fingers, then show Isebell when you are finished.

This looks wonderful, sweet pea. Now we just need to hide the fireworks.

Quest completed

______________

Hide the Rockets…

Let’s see now. Hmm…

We need to set out a few barrels here as decorations so that we can hide stuff behind them.

Haha, how wonderful you are, little petal! It’s great that you want to help me, you’re a treasure.

Can you set these barrels up on the stage there so that we can hide the fireworks behind them? Pumpkin, this is going to be really very marvelous!

Objectives: Set up everything ahead of the show, then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Place out the three barrels on the stage area, then return to Isebell.

Oh, booboo that looks utterly, thoroughly enchantingly, magnificent! You’re doing an absolutely super job!

Quest completed

______________

Magic Show Rumors

Oh my good gracious, how could I have forgotten? Haha! We need to let everyone know that there’s going to be a magic show!

What’s the best way to get the word out?

Flyers, you say? Haha, well of course! Why didn’t I think of that?! Just a second, I’ll just magic up some flyers right away that you can hand out.

Abra… Cadabra… Hocus… POCUS! Ta-daa!

Haha, you’re adorable, of course it’s not real magic. I’ll tell you my secret: I already had these flyers printed and ready to go since last week, but I got you to think I was actually magical, which is what you do as a magician – it’s all about the illusion!

Would you be a total diamond and see to it that these are handed out to everyone in Fort Pinta?

Oh, you really are a treasure, darling! Thanks! Mwah!

Objectives: Hand out flyers for the magic show, then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Give out flyers to the residents of Fort Pinta, share the good news!

Ah, magnificent! Now there’s nothing left to do before the show kicks off tomorrow! Make sure you get a proper night’s sleep now, won’t you darling… You won’t want to miss my show.

Quest completed

Return to Isebell tomorrow.

______________

Upon the morn, it’s time to visit Isebell to see her magnificent magic show!

A Magician’s Assistant

There she is! How are you, my little pecan? Oh I have been so fabulously extraordinarily wickedly excited to see you and the beautiful Summerblaze because today’s the day! Time to put on a show! Ta-daaa!

Sweetie, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Would you say to being… Wait for it… IN MY SHOW? As my magician’s assistant? What do you say?

Objectives: Accept Isebell’s offer to be her assistant.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP

Reputation: 10 with Fort Pinta

Who? Me? … I would be honored!

Haha, oh you’re just wonderful. I knew you’d say yes.

Cupcake, are you ready? Because now it’s time for my — sorry, I mean OUR — amazing show!

Quest completed

______________

Sleight of Hand Put to the Test!

Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our fantastical show! Before we continue, may I introduce my magnificently magically marvelous Rita and the beautifully bravely brilliant Summerblaze!! Here they are to perform for you, a trick of enormous complexity, bound to astound!

Pssst… Show them the card trick I taught you. You’ll do a fantastic job darling, I believe in you!

Objectives: Perform the card trick and then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Approach the crowd and perform your amazing card trick!

Astonishingly astoundingly amazing! What a trick!

Pssst… Well done pumpkin, magic must be in your genes!

Quest completed

______________

Thunder! Lightning! Fireworks!

Darling, you were incredible! I’m sooooo proud of you! Now it’s time for my fantastic fireworks!

Ladies and gentlemen! Was that not a supremely sensational trick from my glamorous assistant? Right before your very eyes! Next on our magical journey, I, your very own Isebell Figg, shall lead you down a road of fire, thunder, and lightning!

Pssst, sweetie, time to pop over there and light the fuse while I keep the audience distracted.

Pumpkin, you’re truly something wonderful!

Objectives: Light the fuse then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 20 with Fort Pinta

Use the lighter to start the fireworks.

Ooooh! Aaaah! BOOM!

Thanks so much! The audience loved the fireworks! I’d never have made such a good job of all of this if you weren’t here.

Quest completed

______________

Money in the Hat!

I’m so one hundred percent, absolutely, positively super happy that I could just explode, sweetie! Are you happy too? What a show we put on together!

Usually it would be Diggory that runs around the crowd with my hat, collecting money from those who wish to pay for seeing the show, but today it’s down to you!

Haha, you’re the sweetest. It’s not hard at all, just ride around with the hat and people will drop money into it if they want to. 

Objectives: Gather money from the spectators, then talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP, Isebell’s Stage Hat

Use the hat on each member of the crowd to collect a donation from them, then return to Isebell on stage.

Wow! We got quite a lot of money there! I’d never have believed we’d get that much! Diggory, did you see this, boy? You’ll be eating bananas for months after all this income!

You can keep the hat if you like, I have my own so I don’t need it.

Sweetie, I’m absolutely, one hundred percent, insanely happy. The tourists here in Fort Pinta seemed to really love our show, but most fantastic of all was you darling! You were so incredibly fabulous — you’ve clearly got magic within you!

Quest completed

______________

Clearing Away Every Trace

Okay, pumpkin, now all that’s left to do is clear up. After every show, you’ve got to make sure to pick up after yourself, and while it’s not the most exciting thing in the world, with your help, it’ll be done in two shakes of a lamb’s tail! We’re really not supposed to leave any traces of what we’ve been up to here.

You’re quite simply a star for helping, thanks love!

Just pick up what’s left of the rockets and place them in this wooden box.

Thanks sweetie! Mwah!

Objectives: Help Isebell clear up.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Fort Pinta

Pick up the bottles off the stage, then place them in the crate near the stage. Speak to Isebell when you are finished cleaning up.

Whew!

There we go, all cleared up! Thanks ever so much!

Quest completed

______________

Beginning of a New Magician’s Journey!

Darling, I can’t thank you enough for all your help! I’m absolutely, positively, one hundred percent delighted that I met you! Even more delightful was getting to meet you, Summerblaze!

I’d love to stay longer, but if I’m to ever have a chance to get to work with the great Ydris, then I have to keep working hard. You and I most definitely will see each other again though, I just know it.

To say thanks for all your help, I have a little present for you darling… It’s completely fabulous!

Here you go!

Objectives: Talk to Isebell.

Rewards: 15 Jorvik Shillings, 10 XP, Isebell’s Stage Costume

Reputation: 10 with Fort Pinta

It was fun getting to be in a magic show!

A wonderful stage costume that you can wear as you perform as a magician, a witch, a wizard, and illusionist, or whatever you’d like to call yourself! Isn’t it lovely?

Darling, I must make a move now so I’m off! Take care of yourself!

Mwah!

Quest completed

When I open my eyes, Rachel is no longer in the car. I sit up and look around. We appear to be in the parking lot of a motel. Rachel is outside, arguing with a woman wearing white pants and a blue shirt reading Island Hospitality. I guess that must be the name of this place. Julia (that’s what her name tag says) doesn’t seem too hospitable, though. From what I see – long, wavy blonde hair, green eyes and bold red lipstick – she’s just another of those snotty teens, nothing special. Definitely a spoiled brat. But I guess it’s wrong to judge when all I’ve done so far is looked at her.

I get out of the car to stretch, and Julia and Rachel look like they’ve worked out their differences. Rachel explains that there was a small problem with the fact that she’s not yet 18 and therefore shouldn’t be able to get a room, but she says they’ve been friends the whole time they’ve been in high school and Julia is going to speak to her parents about it. In the meantime, we bring Rose out to the pasture (almost every hotel has one on Jorvik, along with a stable) and let her loose. Rachel and I treat ourselves to Stablebuck’s, and when we return to the motel, Julia has good news.

“You can stay for a maximum of two days. Some police are coming to investigate a room where a lady’s money was stolen, and they don’t want you here then, since you’re ‘missing’ and all. They promise not to tell anyone and understand that you’re searching for your family,” Julia says with a wink. Rachel and I thank her and haul our suitcases up to our room.

Once we’re unpacked, I flop onto my bed. “Now what?” I ask. “I mean…how am I supposed to know where to ask you to take me? What am I supposed to do? The only vision I had today was in the car on the way here, and the only new detail was a hedge in the background.”

“Any particular shape of hedge?” Rachel asks, but I shake my head. “Well,” she says, “you just have to wait. Hopefully it’ll come soon…you’ve only got 9 days after today, and it’s already two p.m.”

I moan. She’s right. Though I’m not quite sure 9 days is enough for me to prepare to die….

I’ve been thinking like this a lot recently. If I succeed, I’ll probably die and maybe get sent into an unending loop of these same events. If the Keepers like me, maybe they’ll save me from this fate. If I don’t succeed, I’ll die anyway, but then I’ll die for good. Even though Rachel hasn’t told me anything, I’m sure there must be some kind of reward after you’ve saved someone.

I reach for the heart pendant around my neck and am relieved to find it’s still there, though I’m not sure why it wouldn’t be. I think of Chase, and Ms. A, and Simba and Harley and all the other farm animals; the sheep, the goats, the cows, the chickens, the annoying old barn cat. I’m even going to miss the rooster waking me at sunrise and pecking at my feet while I feed the hens. But I know I have a life, a life with a real family and friends. A life I’m living right now, though in truth, I’m really not. I don’t think it’s the same me if I don’t know who I am. The real me is out there somewhere, and I’m wondering what “she” is doing right now, who “her” family is, when really, it’s me doing those things. Yet I’m not conscious in that body, nor is the other me conscious in this one. It makes zero sense.

Rachel senses my dismay, and she invites me to go down to the pool for a swim. I ask if there isn’t something more important I should be doing, but she says all I can do is wait.

And hope.

______________

Previous << First >> Next

Speak to Freja Sunfield, she needs your help with something super important!

Last Minute Homework

Rita! You’ve got to help me! You’ve simply got to! Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEEASE?

If you don’t help me, I’ll be grounded for like, forever!

Sniffle…

What’s happened? I’ve got tons of homework, obviously. I’m never gonna get it finished! When the teacher finds out I’m behind with my homework, she’ll call my mom and dad…!

They’ll be so angry with me… I’ve had time enough to do the homework, but I’ve been doing so many other things! Casper always wants to play and then my friend and I have been playing loads of Star Horses. Have you played it Rita? It’s my favorite computer game! We should be friends, join and riding club, and play together, you and me! We can call the riding club Unbelievable Goose Network!

Yeah, okay, okay… You’re right, Rita. I should aim to get finished with my homework first.

What?! You’ll help me with it?! Oh wow! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOOUU!

If you help me, then it’ll be done in no time! Then I can play with Casper and play some more Star Horses after that! Hurray!

Oh nooooooo! My assignment papers from the teacher have gone!

Would you help me look for them? There should be three assignments!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOUUUU!

Objectives: Help Freja find her homework assignment papers.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 20 with Sunfield Family

Catch the three assignments blowing in the wind and return them to Freja.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOOUUU! You found them!

Quest completed

______________

Animal Photographer

Yay! Let me read what it says here… I’m actually fastest reader in my whole class! Better than Stina and Clara, even though Stina totally won’t even admit it.

Of course! We were supposed to write about life in the countryside. The teacher wants us to write about five ordinary animals that live out in the country. Easy-peasy. We’ve got loads of animals here at home – Casper and the cows!

I can borrow mom and dad’s camera and we can take pictures of all the animals. Teacher’s going to love that and I’ll get good grades. Maybe my grades will be so good that mom and dad will let me buy a new horse in Star Horses.

Rita? What do you say? Would you take pictures of five different animals for me?

Yaaaay! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOOUUU!

Objectives: Take pictures of five different kinds of animal, then give them to Freja.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 25 with Sunfield Family

You can take pictures of the cat, cows, chickens, pigs, and horses. When you have all of the pictures, return to Freja.

These are lovely pictures Rita! Now I’ve got to write about the animals as well.

Quest completed

______________

Flowers and Leaves for Pressing

Rita, how do you spell ‘harvest’?

H, A, R…? Hold on Rita, I need to write it down.

I’m going to get really good grades for this homework, I have to because I really want a new horse in Star Horses. I think I’ll call her MoonBreeze, what do you think? Maybe RainbowSparkle? If you play with me, you can get a horse too and call it Summerblaze!

Can you help me with one thing? Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEEEASE?

Yay!

My teacher has said that we also need to pick four different flowers and leaves. Together in class, we’ll press them and make pretty pictures. I need to finish writing about the animals so I don’t think I can look for flowers.

If you get four flowers or leaves for me, then both me and Casper will be super happy!

Objectives: Find four different plants for Freja.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 20 XP

Reputation: 25 with Sunfield Family

This brings back bad memories of my own terrible fifth grade leaf collection project… *shudders*

Ride around the Sunfield farm and surrounding area and collect flowers and leaves for Freja.

Rita!! You’ll NEVER believe what I just saw!!

Quest completed

______________

A Rustle in the Bushes…

I swear, I just sat and worked on my homework when I saw something moving over there by the bushes. Right there! I ran over to check out what it was, and make sure it wasn’t one of the hens escaping, but it definitely wasn’t a hen!

I didn’t see exactly what it was, it was too quick, but I’m pretty sure it was a snake or a lizard. It was beautiful in any case, I’ve never seen one like it before. Imagine if I found a new animal?!

Ohh, I wanna see it again! I want to know what it is!

Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEEASE can you help me find it again? I promise that I’ll stay focused on my homework right through to the finish if I can just find out what it was.

Yay Rita! You’re the best! I think it vanished over there by the stones.

Objectives: Look for traces of the animal that Freja says she saw.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 20 with Sunfield Family

Search around near the stones behind the pig pen; the stones facing towards the ocean. Return to Freja when you have found a clue.

What have you found Rita?! What have you found?! Please let me see!

Quest completed

______________

A Mysterious Snakeskin

I know what that is! It’s a snakeskin! Can I hold it? Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEEEASE?! 

Wow!

Hey Rita, I have the best idea ever! I’ll take this to school so that I can show the teacher and all my friends! Just imagine how awesome everyone will think it is!

…

If a snakeskin is cool, then how amazing would it be to actually find the snake itself?! If I find the snake and write about it then my teacher must surely be super impressed! I’ll get the best grades ever and then mom and dad will definitely let me get MoonBreeze or RainbowSparkle! YAY!

But… How do you even find a snake?

Wow, what a good idea Rita! Talk to Amelia! She’s got to know something about it. Will you take the snakeskin to her?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOOUUU!

Objectives: Ask Amelia about the snakeskin.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Sunfield Family

Ride into Jarlaheim, and speak to Amelia in front of the pet shop.

Hello Rita!

Sorry, what’s that you said? You’re looking for a snake?

Quest completed

______________

Amelia’s Book-tastrophe!

Sorry, but before we start talking about snakes, do you think you could help me pick up these books I just dropped?

Thanks!

Objectives: Help Amelia to pick up her books.

Rewards: 25 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 15 with Sunfield Family

Well, if you weren’t so damn clumsy….

What luck that you dropped by and could help me out! What kind of snake was it you were talking about?

Quest completed

______________

Reptiles of Jorvik

Hmm… So Freja saw a snake and you found this snakeskin?

I can’t say what kind of snake it is just from looking at the skin, but it’s probably a grass snake of some kind. As far as I know there aren’t any snakes on the side of the island where the Sunfield farm is.

But hey, Freja can borrow some books from me which she can use to help her write about snakes. There are lots of snake facts in them! I’ve got plenty of really good books: “Snakes Alive!”, “From Frogs to Crocs”, or maybe this one here, “The Reptiles of Jorvik”. Freja is most welcome to borrow them all, since I’m not using any of them right now.

Maybe you’d like to take them to her for me?

Great! Good luck with the homework help!

Objectives: Take the books Amelia gave you back to Freja.

Rewards: 20 Jorvik Shillings, 15 XP

Reputation: 15 with Sunfield Family

Hopefully there’s some helpful information contained within the pages of the books.

You’ve been gone aaaaaaages! I knew you’d come back even though Casper thought you wouldn’t.

Quest completed

______________

Mosquito Net, Stapler, Check!

What did Amelia say then? Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, TELL MEEEE!

Why have you got like a million books with you?

Amelia thought we could find everything we needed to know in one of the books? Can I have a look then?

…

LOOK! There’s a chapter about how to build a snake strap! Imagine building one and catching the snake I saw?!

Please can you help me to build a snake trap? Please, please, please, please, PLEEEEASE?!

Yay!

Here it says that we need a mosquito net and a stapler. I know dad has bought loads of mosquito nets to make mosquito-proof windows with. He won’t miss it if we borrow just a little.

I’m sure there’s a stapler somewhere as well. Maybe it’s over by the mosquito nets? You can check!

Objectives: Get the mosquito net and the stapler for Freja so you can build a snake trap.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 20 with Sunfield Family

Find both items near Filip; the mosquito net near the large tree, and the stapler behind the wagon next to the cow barn.

Return to Freja when you have found the supplies.

If I read out the instructions, you can build the trap! My teacher says I’m actually really good at reading aloud.

Quest completed

______________

Do You Want to Build a Snake Trap?

“Roll up the net into a cy… cylin… cylinder.” Okay, so you need to roll up the net and clip it together with the stapler.

“Use the rem… remain… remainder of the net to make a tri… triangu… triangular shape to form the entrance of the trap.” Okay, I’m not sure I understand everything but if we just make a start I’m sure it’ll work out.

Objectives: Build the snake trap then talk to Freja.

Rewards: 30 Jorvik Shillings, 25 XP

Reputation: 25 with Sunfield Family

Do you want to build a snake trap? It doesn’t have to be a snowman. …I mean, ahem, what?

Dismount your horse and build the snake traps.

First place the net, then use the stapler to assemble the trap. Once the trap is built, click to pick it up. Build three traps then speak to Freja.

The trap is looking good! Probably the world’s best-looking snake trap, wouldn’t you say?

Quest completed

______________

Snake Traps, Check!

Casper, have you seen what a great trap me and Rita have made?

Now we need to set out the traps. Just imagine if we actually catch the snake? I’d be soooo happy! If you set up the traps, I’ll carry on with my homework, just like I promised.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOOOOUUUU!

Objectives: Set out the snake traps then talk to Freja.

Rewards: 35 Jorvik Shillings, 30 XP

Reputation: 25 with Sunfield Family

Explore around near the area that you found the snakeskin to find good places to set out the traps. Dismount your horse to place the traps. Return to Freja when all the traps have been set.

I guess it’s just a case of waiting.

Sigh.

I should get on with my homework. Can you come back tomorrow and we can check if we’ve managed to catch the snake? Aaah, I hope so, I hope so, I hope sooooo!

Quest completed

Return to Freja tomorrow.