The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding (Book One of the Oescienne Series)

Chapter Twenty - The Dare

Copyright (C) 2009 Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

All Rights Reserved

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CHAPTER TWENTY

THE DARE

"Hey Nesnan . . ."

The snide remark came from Eydeth, as usual.

Jahrra sighed and rolled her eyes. It'd been a month since the end of winter break, two weeks since she'd almost attacked him after being mocked about the mishap in Kiniahn Kroi. Luckily, after that incident she'd remembered a way to deal with it. The meditation exercises she'd learned from Yaraa and Viornen had done wonders in the field of ignoring Eydeth and Ellysian, but today they'd been more resilient than usual, actually speaking to her and not about her. In fact, she'd grown rather bored with the twins' redundant insults of late. Really, couldn't they do any better?

Jahrra was sitting in the corner of the schoolyard with Gieaun, Scede, Pahrdh and Rhudedth, trading stories about their various adventures over the break. That is, until Eydeth's grating voice interrupted a rather intriguing anecdote Pahrdh was telling about an unfortunate run-in with a skunk. Pahrdh stopped speaking immediately and waited tensely for Eydeth to continue, wondering what insulting thing he would say next.

As the horrible boy slowly strolled over to her side of the yard, looking like a dog ready to start a fight, Jahrra was determined to stay put on the lichen-covered boulder with her friends.

"Rumor has it you live in the Wreing Florenn," Eydeth continued once he was within ten feet of them. "That's worse than swimming around in a mud-puddle with the Dune People!"

A wave of laughter ensued and soon the rest of the class was drawn to what appeared to be another show put on to torture Jahrra. Jahrra tried to remain cool, desperately grasping in her mind for something smart to say. She hadn't even bothered with her meditation exercises this time, and she could easily detect the frustration and anger in Eydeth's voice. He'd been trying hard to break her for days, and today he seemed full of renewed determination. Well, Jahrra felt determined too. She decided to respond to him this time; she was tired of taking his verbal abuse.

Gieaun and Rhudedth tensed up beside her as she drew breath to speak.

"Actually, I lived on the edge of the forest, not in it. Past tense, Eydeth."

Jahrra slid off of her perch and stood in front of the glowering boy, smugly reminding herself that she still had to look down at him.

"On the edge of the forest? How could you bear to live there? Mother says that only heathens and robbers live near the Wreing Florenn!" Ellysian said with delightful disgust as she joined her brother's side, obviously paying no attention to what Jahrra had just said.