Emerald (The Protector) - undergoing editing

Chapter 3

An owl hooted in the distance.

Sarah jumped, "An owl, I just heard an owl – it was an owl wasn't it." Sarah looked at her new friend in amazement. "You have owls, here, underneath the water?"

Emerald smiled at her astonishment. "Whilst technically we are under the water, we are actually in another world, so yes we have owls and all sorts of other birds and animals."

This is too weird. Sarah looked at the blue sky above her, only it wasn't sky, it was the ocean.

"How does it stay up there?"

"What?" 

"The ocean – how does it say up there? Has it ever seeped through?"

"To be honest I've never given it much thought, but I seem to remember someone telling me something about it when I was young. I think it's got something to do with the sand. Magic allows us to see through it, but when you are up there, you can't see through it to our world.  Don't worry Sarah – it is only because the door to your world was recently opened that we can see the ocean at all – the sky will become solid soon and look just like the sky in your world.  You will soon forget all about it."

"Oh, okay.  So what now?"

"Now we need to find shelter for the night.   Come on, if I remember correctly we need to follow that trail over there."

Sarah followed her to where a narrow path wound through the trees. Trees, down here, Sarah found it all so difficult to fathom.  Sarah looked at the ocean above her and shook her head. She really couldn't get her head around it.  Another world, magic, what next?

She suddenly had a thought – Will the dogs/men be able to get through the doors?  She tapped Emerald on the shoulder.

"The dogs/men, whatever they are – are they still a threat?"

Emerald shook her head – "We will not be bothered by the shapeshifters at this time, but we will need to be careful and not just of them. We also need to find a change of clothes, for both of us. Your attire would not go unnoticed and mine, well mine is just plain uncomfortable. Come on."

As Sarah followed the other girl, she thought about all the books she had read over the years – many stories involving exciting adventures. She had often thought she would like to go on an adventure, but never in her wildest dreams did she really expect to.  Sarah stopped in her tracks as she suddenly thought of her parents - she hoped they were okay.  They would be wondering where she had disappeared to.  A sudden chill ran down her spine - how on earth was she going to get home?

"C'mon Sarah, we need to find shelter before nightfall."

"Coming" Sarah called as she heard a distant thud - the men must still be trying to get through the door.  Sarah increased her pace.