Amber Meets the World

This isn't a real post, I just wanted everyone to know how fat adorable my dog is. 

I had just finished a video of giving her a treat, so now she equates my iPod with food.

At least she's not afraid of it anymore.

More soon! I've been so busy with visa paperwork and working I've barely had time for anything, but here's a bit:

"And then there was silence, and I thought it was over. I reached down and picked up a sliver of shattered wine glass, big enough to use as a weapon, and creeped towards the window. I thought I was being careful. I peeked, slowly, out into the street.

It shattered in my face as the stranger burst through the pane, knocking into me and pinning me to the ground. We slid across the wooden floor, splinters tearing at my cloak, and rammed into the bar. Stools toppled down onto us with a clatter.

I stared into the eyes of my attacker, meeting their blood-red, luminous gaze with my own terrified hazel. I struggled to get them off of me, screaming, wishing someone was around to help.

I got my wish.

There was a screeching sound, a loud fluttering. A huge bird swooped inside through the open window, causing both my attacker and me to look up. The bird went straight for his eyes, scratching and clawing, huge wings beating to keep itself in the air. It was a hawk, a huge, tawny hawk. The stranger’s hood fell back, revealing silvery white hair, pointed ears and indigo skin. He beat back at the bird, shouting in a language I didn’t know. But the hawk clawed, blood streaming down the elf’s face.

I scrambled forward, the piece of glass still in my hand, and stabbed. It struck the elf square between the shoulder blades and he finally batted the hawk away, sending it slamming into the wall with a pained squawk, and turned on me. He muttered under his breath, pulling out a long, ugly looking knife from a sheath at his side, and brandished it at me. It curved wickedly, and I scrambled to my feet and away from the bleeding man. The hawk lay in a crumpled heap on the ground.

That was it? That was my help? A bird? I almost laughed at that. I was going to die here, I realized, as I dashed around the bar. I picked up a firepoker and brandished it like a sword, waving it at the advancing elf. I was going to die here and the only thing that tried to save me was a stupid carnivorous chicken.

The doors burst inward, the bar flying off and slamming onto the ground next to the hawk. The elf looked at the door just long enough that I could swing, but he looked back and danced out of the way, grabbing the fire poker from me and tossing it to the ground. I was stuck behind the bar, a dead end, and unarmed.

But a single word changed everything.

'Selshe!'"