Fire and Ice (olden day/ fantasy?)

April 10, 2014

So, I'm new here, and after reading lots of lovely fics I decided to risk it and make one of my own. I'm afraid there won't be much sneezing in the first few chapters whilst I set the scene, but it will build up later on. I would really appreciate constructive critism as I am trying to improve as a writer.

Basically, I'm thinking of setting this in an earlier age when medicine and treatnent were far too expensive to be used by normal people, and there were still royals and nobels with power, maybe Victorian times? Please let me know what you think...

Oops, I rambled a bit, sorry! Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Part 1 - Olive

Ice.

It was the only thing I could think of, apart from the fire. It was like the two were waging war inside my body. The ice was winning at the moment, piercing my skin and seeping deep inside me, but I could also feel myself burning from within. I could hardly raise my head to wipe the sweat from my face; my energy was spent. I focused instead on putting one foot in front of the other, the white road blurring in and out of vision. I stumbled and tripped into the deep snow. It was tempting just to give up and lie down where I fell.

No, I had to get up, I was almost there! I forced myself to struggle to my feet, shaking with cold and exhausture. I was suddenly overcome with a bout of sneezes.

"h-huh- HHATCHOOO! Hatishoo! HATTISHOOOO!"

They burst out of me and I doubled over as they kept coming, thicker and faster until I could hardly breathe. That was when the coughing started, hot

and chocking and almost unbearable so that I almost gave up then. But I didn't. I had made it this far and I could make it the rest of the way, because I could just about see a faint light in the distance and knew I was almost there.

Sneezing and coughing, I continued on towards my only hope.

How I reached Arrabella's cottage is beyond me, but I finally arrived. I reached up a shaking arm to knock; my limbs felt like lead and I could hardly stay upright as I waited for my once mistress, friend, enemy and saviour to open the door to my last hope.

That's it, sorry if it's a bit short or boring or not to your taste or whatever. More soon, probably

April 10, 2014

Part 2 - Arabella

The night Olive came, I was exhausted by a hard week's work at the factory - ugh! - and has another of my headaches. They had been getting worse recently and I was looking forward to crawling into bed and sleeping the whole weekend.

After my bath I brushed my hair one hundred times; I may have fallen low in the world, but not so low that I could even THINK of not acting like a lady - after all, a princess is still a princess no matter what her financial standing and situation. I ate a dainty supper; it wasn't that I wasn't famished, but I did not want to diminish my supplies too much, and stood up to find that my headache had not only tripled in intensity, but had also brought dizziness with it. I sat back down again and rested my pounding head delicately in my hands, deciding to sit still for a minute and gather my strength before making my way bed.

A knock on the door made my head snap up, and I winced at the explosions. Who could be calling me at this hour, all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?

I made my way cautiously to the door and opened it to find Olive standing there shivering, her normally tanned skin too pale, her dark blonde hair hanging limp around her almost bare shoulders. She was in tattered, snow brushed rags and there was a slightly bluish tinge to her skin.

"Hey Ara-Ara-arASHOOO!" Olive tried to speak, but simply sneezed violently. Well, at least she had the decency to cover her nose when she sneezed; I understood she was sick but I was still a princess, after all.

"Why Sandy, darling, whatever are you doing here? Come inside quickly before you catch pneumonia," though I secretly thought it was a little too late for that

"Nonsense, I'm f-f-fine," spluttered the poor dear through chattering teeth as I half carried, half supported her back into my living room to rest on the rug in front of the fire "and I thought I t-told you not to call me Sandy" she managed to whisper before she collapsed into a heavy coughing fit of which the wetness and intensity was quite alarming.

"Sorry, Olive, old habits die hard," I frowned down at myself. I was soaked just from helping her through the door, and it made me wonder just how ill Olive really was.

I examined her closer as she closed her eyes. She was shivering violently, her chattering teeth were audible, and so was the heavy wheezing sound she made with each breathe. It was obvious she was having trouble breathing, as every time she tried to take anything more than a shallow breath she dissolved into coughing. There were dark shadows under her eyes and her cheeks glowed with the unnatural red of someone with a fever.

My frown deepened as I put a gentle hand on her forehead. Despite the fact that the rest of her body was half frozen, her head burned with a raging fire. "My goodness, Olive, you're burning up!"

"I told you I'm ATCHOO! Fine.. ISH! It's just a -a- SHOOOO! Just a cold," Olive protested weakly, but her body shook with yet more disgusting sneezes, which she tried and failed to cover with her hand.

"Don't be ridiculous. You are clearly very unwell," I scoffed, and continued without giving her the chance to protest, "come along now, I shall find you some warm, dry nightwear and you can have a nice, long sleep," and with that I quickly stood up, being careful not to let Olive see how much my head was hurting by this point, and strode into my bedroom, returning with my best and warmest nightclothes and a towel. They were hardly the height of fashion or quality, but needs must, I suppose.

"Do you think you can get dressed on your own?"

"Of course," scoffed Olive as I helped her up. I was doubtful, but left her to her own devices as I found an old

rag and went to the bedroom. As I opened the window, the cold air hit me. As fast as I could, I scooped up some snow and tied it in the rag, my cold hand already turning an alarming colour of blue.

I set the rag down gently and took a moment to massage my throbbing temples and sink down onto the bed as I waited for Olive to finish dressing. When the shuffling noise stopped I reopened the door and, without saying a word, helped the now almost dry Olive into bed, placing the already damp towel beneath her wet hair and the ice rag on her burning forehead.

"Thank you," she murmured already half asleep. I waited a few moments as her ragged, desperate breathing settled down, then crept out of the room.

"goodnight, Sandy," I whispered.

April 10, 2014

My, my, just throw me right in the middle of a harsh and cruel sickness, will ya? Talk about 'sudden!' Haha, just kidding. I love your story so far. Congratulations on joining SFF! I hope you find your stay here comfortable, maybe more than comfortable? Lol. Anyways, I am looking forward on an update on this story!

April 10, 2014

My, my, just throw me right in the middle of a harsh and cruel sickness, will ya? Talk about 'sudden!' Haha, just kidding. I love your story so far. Congratulations on joining SFF! I hope you find your stay here comfortable, maybe more than comfortable? Lol. Anyways, I am looking forward on an update on this story!

Omg thanks! I'm planning on putting up more tommorow, or soon. I'm really enjoying SFF so far and I can't wait to write and read more fics and obs and enjoy all the fantastic obs and artwork and skweeeee!!!

Anyway, thanks for comenting, it literally made my evening that someone actually bothered to read this!

April 10, 2014

Great Story! SFF really is great isn't it? I like coming on here and reading whenever I have free time. Anyways, keep up the great work, and i'll be looking forward to reading more

April 11, 2014

Great Story! SFF really is great isn't it? I like coming on here and reading whenever I have free time. Anyways, keep up the great work, and i'll be looking forward to reading more

Yes, SFF is fantastic! Thank you so much for commenting, hope you enjoy the next part!

April 11, 2014

Here's the next part. I apologise, because not much happens in this one, it's mostly backstory, and so will the next one be probably. Sorry. Anyways, I'd be happy for any constructive critism/ suggestions, either on how the story could be improved, or just things you'd like to see happen

Part 3 - Olive

I'm not sure If I woke up because I sneezed, or if I sneezed because I woke up. Either way, the sneeze jerked me upright into a sitting position, and once I'd started, it was impossible to stop, each sneeze getting louder and more violent. "Atchhhhooooo! Ah-gnxftt, huhtchooo, aroosheesh, atchoo, atchoo, etchahoooo!" I managed to take a quick shallow breathe before the sneezing overcame me again: "ah-a-ahooooomptch! Atchooo Atchooo! Huh-huh-HUTTTTIIIIIISSSHHHHOOOOOO!" That last one was so violent it made me dizzy, and I collapsed back onto the covers with a moan.

"Gesundheit," said a voice from the doorway, and I hazily saw Arabella leaning against the doorpost, pale and anxious in the early morning light. I tried to thank her, but my body had other ideas, and as soon as I opened my mouth I began to cough, shuddering as I practically bent double. Trying to stop only made it worse, my lungs burning and my throat dry and hoarse.

It was only once I had stopped that I realised Arabella's cool hands were gently massaging my back, clearing the passages to my burning lungs and allowing me to breathe.

It's strange how much we have both changed, especially Arabella. It was only a short while ago that Arabella would not even go anywhere near germs. Whenever any of us servants so much as sniffled she would warn us stiffly that a lady of her high status could not afford to get

Ill and if we were unwell she would not allow us in her room. Allow us... That made it sound like we had any choice in the matter.

We were slaves. They called us servants, but we weren't paid, except in our own meagre rations and thin, itchy mattresses. We were treated as sub-human, forced to carry heavy objects and clean the palace and wait on the nobility hand and foot, whipped by the guards whenever we couldn't work anymore.

I shivered with horror as I remembered that awful night on which I escaped. My back ached remembering my clumsy exhausture, being whipped by the guards when I collapsed... And Arabella. She, the daughter of a King, had befriended me, a mere slave, and now she came to my rescue. She told the guards that since my crying out had disturbed her precious afternoon she had a particularly horrible punishment planned for me, outside in her private

garden, and the guards, stupid as anything, fell for it.

Once out of sight of the Palace, Arabella smuggled me out through the back of the gardens and all the way to a medical facility, and, fearing to be recognised and punished for helping me, left me all the money in her purse, which was a small fortune. It was just enough to pay for the expensive treatment needed to heal my back and get me through the worst of the effects that my harsh life as a slave had led to.

After I was better, I found a job at a small local bakery, and stayed there for two years. Unfortunately, the shop fell into bankruptcy after the sacking of the royals, since their main business was for the palace. The bakery had to close, and I was left penniless, since most of the money I earnt went towards rent for a tiny ramshackle flat I had found.

I guess the rest is obvious, because there wasn't much I could do. I survived out on the street for the summer, not exactly doing honest work, but I did what I had to to survive. However, the winters in this country are bitter

and cold, and I couldn't have survived much longer had I stayed in the city.

I had heard rumours that one of the royal princesses had survived, and was living somewhere undiscovered in this part of the countryside, and I pinned my hopes on that being Arabella, and on the fact that she still remembered me and cared enough about our secret childhood friendship to take me in. A big assumption to make, but desperate times and all that....

In fact, I was feeling guilty that I was here, preying on Arabella's generosity, when she was clearly so hard up herself. I had no idea how she was surviving out here in the middle of nowhere, but it can't have been easy, especially judging by the dark shadows under Arabella's bright blue eyes. I had a feeling an apology wouldn't go down too well, what with Arabella being so proud, but the least I could do was thank her.

I made a big effort to sit up straight, and looked Arabella in the eyes as I said "thank you," my voice little more than a croak.

Arabella looked puzzled for a moment, "Whatever for?"

"This is the second time you've saved my life now. I-I owe everything to you."

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, ever a lady, "I only did what anybody with half a sense of dignity would do. Now," she said feeling my forehead and frowning at it's heat even as her blissfully cool hands cooled me down "I'll just go and we-wet your rag, and then you can get some more rest." she picked up the rag and disappeared.

I sank down into the pillow, grateful for its soft touch on my aching muscles. After months of sleeping on dirt, concrete and my next meal, this was heaven.

Arabella returned, and placed the ice cold rag on my forehead. I shivered lightly and coughed, closing my eyes.

Arabella began to sing in her amazingly sweet voice, made all the more beautiful because of her years or training. It was a sad song, and I could tell from her voice that it was her own composition, and that she was singing not only for me, but for all her poor, lost family. I wanted desperately to stay awake, so that I could listen to the rest, but the music simply drifted me off after the first few lines.

****

Well thats it for now, I'll try to update on Sunday, or tomorrow if I can. I was going to add in the poem/song, but I bottled out because it's slightly too personal. I might try to put it at the beginning of the next part, if I feel brave

enough.

April 13, 2014

More backstory. 'Somewhere Else' in memory of my Nana and my Grandpa xxx :'( I'm not planning on putting in any more poems, unless people really want me to/ like this one.

Part 4- Arabella

Somewhere Else

'Do you know of a place called Somewhere Else

Where you can float through the river of Where You've Been,

Or trek through the untamed jungle of Never Before,

Or even watch through the Hole in the Clouds,

The mortals of the World Below, so bustling, and busy, and bright.

You care for them still.

You can gamble your money whilst Losing Nothing,

As you trace back your family history to the Dawn of Time,

Or tend the precious gardens of Flowers and Vegetables,

Growing deliciously cool fruit for all to enjoy,

As you Read, Gossip and Laugh the day away,

With those friends who you thought to be Long Gone.

And now I know, through all of my pain,

That you aren't lost, and I'll see you again,

Somewhere Else.'

The song finished, and Olive had fallen asleep long ago, but I still stayed crouched by my bed, tears falling silently as I remembered my past. I cried for us, all of us.

I cried for our palace, my home, with all it's smooth marble pillars and high arches, all lost forever. I cried for my beautiful room, where I grew up and learnt to be the lady I am today. I cried for my garden, my one private special place, where no one was allowed apart from myself, the gardener, and Olive. We grew such pretty flowers there. I know it sounds silly and petty, but I miss the flowers.

I cried for my family; for my mother and her beautiful singing voice, for my father, harsh, but also wise. For my sisters, each with their own special place in my heart; Alice the dancer, who was courted by all the princes in the land, Tanya, the biggest gossip in all the land, but also fun and witty, and last of all, sweet, lazy Zephira, the blonde dreamer I loved so dearly.

I cried for all of them, and all the nobles who were also so brutally murdered, but most of all, I cried for myself, for all that I had lost; for my loneliness.

Yes, I know it was selfish to be so self-pitying, but you see, I was born and raised to be selfish. I had everything I wanted; money, expensive food, beautiful clothes, and a gorgeous home. Well, everything bar one; friends. As the youngest child, my older sisters mostly ignored me, and I grew bored of just brushing my own long dark hair. Which is why. I made friends with Olive. The thought of my parents finding out that I was associating with a slave prevented me from becoming too close to her, for fear that she might be punished, let alone that I might.

However, Olive was always there for me when I had my headaches, no matter how awful she felt at the time, -and her friendship helped me through a great many things.

I was so ashamed of myself that I had simply dumped Olive at the medical facility, and spent days on end worrying that she might have died because of my selfishness. That won't happen this time. When Olive turned up at the door last night I knew that I had to get her better no matter what. I couldn't bear to lose someone else, not after....

Not after the sacking of the royals. Though I was loathe to admit it to myself, the people of this land had suffered greatly under the rule of my father, and one terrible night about a year ago, they rose up against us, burning the palace and murdering all the royals in sight. I was the only one who managed to escape, fleeing out of my garden and out of the city into the country. I stumbled around for days before I found this place, empty and abandoned, with a few spare supplies.

Fearing to be identified, I applied for a job in a factory a few miles walk away, under the name of Sarah Carew, and thankfully no-one recognised me. I had been working there ever since, although it has been hard adjusting to having to work.

A moan from Olive snapped me out of my memories. She was shivering violently, and when I put my hand under the blankets, I could feel that she was freezing, in contrast to her forehead being hotter than ever. She coughed hoarsely as she rolled over onto her side, and her breathing was ragged as her body shook with more and more violent coughs. I rubbed her convulsing back in circles, the way my nurse had done to me when I was young. Eventually Olive stopped coughing, but she was obviously still finding it difficult to breathe, so I kept rubbing as poor Olive slept fitfully, ignoring the exploding agony in my head.

April 27, 2014

Hey guys, I'm sorry it's been so long, but Passover + moving + 3 younger siblings + revision for upcoming GCSEs = very busy me!

Part 5- Olive

I awoke to find that I wasn't quite so cold anymore, so that was a relief. On the minus side, my cough had gotten worse, and, if it was even possible, I was finding it even harder to breathe. The coughing fit later over a minute, and when it at last subsided, I realised that Arabella was rubbing my back again. I turned over with a great effort and groaned.

"Afternoon, sleepy head'" she said, "How are you feeling?"

"Afternoon," I said, although it sounded more like "afderdood" because I was so stuffed up. "Have you been there the whole time?"

Arabella bit her lip, "Most of the time, although I did leave to put more snow in your rag a couple of times. I-" she paused, stalling, "I'm really sorry, I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you, but I only left for a moment. I-" she paused, hesitating, "I might have to go out to town soon. I'm really sorry, I don't want to abandon you, but I'm running low on supplies, and you medicine."

I felt guilty that she was buying medicines for me. "Don't be silly - Amph'cheiw! You shouldn't waste your money on m-me- METCHOO! Awooshoo! A'rumpCHEIW! I'm fi-fi-Hurumpshoooo! Hatchoo!" I kept trying to protest, but the sneezes were so strong.

"You were saying?" said Arabella, raising an eyebrow. All of a sudden her face went deathly pale, and she lifted a dainty yet shaking hand to her forehead, only to glance guiltily at me and run it through her dark ebony hair. Damn. She was getting one of those headaches again.

"How bad?" I asked, taking a closer look at her. Her pale face exaggerated the deep shadows under her eyes, and her straight, normally silky hair seemed to fall lifeless past her shoulders and hang despondently at her waist, which seemed far too skinny, even by her dainty standards. I wondered worriedly whether she'd been eating enough these past two years.

"What? No, no, I'm fine, dear," she said, shaking herself out of her stupor, "Anyway, I think I shall head off to the city now. Will you be alright on your own?"

"Yes, of course I'll be fine," I said, more confidently than I felt. I had to refrain from asking if she was sure she was up to going all that way. If there was one thing I knew about Arabella, it was that she is incredibly stubborn, and would go whether I approved or not.

Arabella seemed skeptical as she answered me, "Very well, then, I shall leave once you're asleep, and hopefully be back before you wake up," She fetched me water and placed it gently on my forehead as she lay me down gently. It was like sinking down into soft clouds whilst the wind blew gently at me, coaxing me to sleep...

A sudden growl from down below made me remember my stomach. I hazels opened my eyes, "Bella?"

She frowned at the informal nicknaming, but to my relief she didn't comment, "Yes, Sandy?" I almost complained, but realised how hypocritical that would be.

"I'm hungry,"

Arabella laughed despite herself, that peeling sound that I had missed so much, "You're always hungry! She commented, "But you have a fever. Once your head is cooler and you're hands are cooler," she continued, trying to rub some warmth into said hands, "You may have some food."

I drifted off to sleep with her still warming my hands.

******

I awoke a few hours later, and feeling slightly better, heaved myself up experimentally. The ice-rag fell off my head and onto my lap, causing me to shiver and sneeze violently.

"Awoompshooo! Atchoo! ATISHHOOOO!" I was exhausted, and tried to stifle, sneezing into the corner of my elbow so that the disgusting snot didn't spray into the rest of the room. "A-mphsh, usher, ah-gnx, gnxsht, ah-ah-ah-ah-AROOSHOOO!". The last one shot out of me hard and fast, but it seemed to clear my system slightly.

I tried again, this time pulling myself up to a sitting position. I shuddered as my feet touched the floor, and looked around.

Bella's tiny bedroom was almost bare, except from the bed and a chest of drawers. Standing up, I made the arduous journey across to the living room, and found it almost as bland, with only a beaten down rug, a table which looked like it was about to collapse and a chair. The sofa was falling apart, and the cupboards were almost bare, stocked with only the essentials.

I shivered again and to keep the chill at bay, I shoved a couple of logs onto the flickering fireplace and slumped down onto the sofa. "Atchoo! *cough cough* AROOSHOOO!" the sneezes jerked me forwards, and descending into a weak coughing fit, I closed my eyes and lay back with a groan.

I wondered what was taking Arabella so long. It was long after dark and I was starting to get worried that something had happened to her. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was parched and my throat was sore and oh how I wished my muscles would stop hurting. I tried to stand up, to get some water and go back to bed, but darkness clouded my vision and I fell back onto the sofa, weak with dizziness.

Of course, that would be when my nose started to tickle. I could feel a bout of huge sneezes building up, and I used every ounce of strength to hold them back, but to no avail "Huh-huh-HUH-HUROOOSHHOOOO! Hashooo! Hashooo! Ish, ish, han-nhxt, nxxt! Hatchoo!" I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take. "Hurry up, Bella," I managed to whisper before blackness clouded my vision.

April 27, 2014