Read Online The Beginning by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
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legs along the way.
“Good night,” Hroombra called.
Jahrra grunted a reply and then fell into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
The exams came and went, and to her great relief, Jahrra passed all of them. On the first day of Solsticetide break, she, Gieaun and Scede headed to Lake Ossar. Although they weren’t quite finished with their beast, the only thing left to do was to add the teeth and some minor details to the head.
“We’ll be done by the end of this week for sure, even with Jahrra going to defense lessons,” Scede said, casting his friend a forgiving glance.
Jahrra frowned as a small gust of icy wind shifted the reeds and tossed her hair into her face. She was practicing with Yaraa and Viornen four days a week during the winter break. Fortunately, her practices were early in the morning, and by early afternoon she was free. Not so fortunately, the multiple bruises and aches she received during practice hindered her ability to be of any real help to her friends.
“Well come on! It’s freezing out here and we still have so much to do!” Gieaun cried, pulling her jacket tightly around her.
Jahrra and Scede took the hint and soon the three were scurrying about, draping icy, dripping seaweed over the creature’s massive neck or fastening jagged, rough rib bones to its jaws.
“A few more days and it will be finished,” Jahrra breathed as she stood back staring at the nearly completed monster in awe. “I can hardly believe it.”
Three days later they added the final layer of kelp skin to their creature, and after many months of hard, dedicated work, their lake monster was complete. In its finished form, their creation was unbelievably realistic. The long, towering neck looked strong and powerful, and the gaping mouth, filled with grimy, foot-long teeth would terrify even the bravest of men. The eyes they left hollow, which looked more frightening than if they’d been filled in. Great tangled masses of horse hair ran down the beast’s neck, giving it an even more ghastly appearance, and Scede had even attached some hair to the creature’s chin, making it look like a very old monster of legend.
“Wait a minute! Is it just going to rise out of the water and gape at them? We can’t have a genuine lake monster without it roaring or growling as it is about to eat its prey!” Jahrra stated, delightedly imagining Eydeth’s face as their creature loomed over him.
“I already thought of that,” Scede said rather smugly, holding up what looked like a horn made out of old leather stretched over a funnel-shaped frame.
He held it up to his mouth and blew forcefully into it, causing a low bellowing sound that seemed to reverberate deep within their bones.
Jahrra shivered with goose bumps and Gieaun said, “It’s perfect!”
That weekend the three of them went out to the lake one last time. They paddled out to their island where their monster’s neck and head lay waiting just beneath the surface. They brought with them extra rope and more rocks to help make a counter weight in the final step in their building process. They ran two ropes from the base of its neck, one over the small wood pilings in the middle of the lake, and the other back to their island. Scede tested it out and found that the pulley system worked perfectly.
“Just think!” Scede said excitedly. “If this goes as planned, we may be rid of those meddlesome twins for good!”
Jahrra merely smiled, not holding out too much hope for such a wonderful possibility.
A few days after the Solstice, the three of them took a special trip down to Lake Ossar to celebrate the completion of their masterpiece.
“Now, we just have to convince Eydeth and Ellysian to come out here at just the right moment,” Gieaun said, lazing back as she watched a flock of birds migrating overhead.
“We have a whole week before school even starts again,” Scede insisted. “Why don’t we just enjoy ourselves until then?”
Jahrra nodded
“Good night,” Hroombra called.
Jahrra grunted a reply and then fell into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
The exams came and went, and to her great relief, Jahrra passed all of them. On the first day of Solsticetide break, she, Gieaun and Scede headed to Lake Ossar. Although they weren’t quite finished with their beast, the only thing left to do was to add the teeth and some minor details to the head.
“We’ll be done by the end of this week for sure, even with Jahrra going to defense lessons,” Scede said, casting his friend a forgiving glance.
Jahrra frowned as a small gust of icy wind shifted the reeds and tossed her hair into her face. She was practicing with Yaraa and Viornen four days a week during the winter break. Fortunately, her practices were early in the morning, and by early afternoon she was free. Not so fortunately, the multiple bruises and aches she received during practice hindered her ability to be of any real help to her friends.
“Well come on! It’s freezing out here and we still have so much to do!” Gieaun cried, pulling her jacket tightly around her.
Jahrra and Scede took the hint and soon the three were scurrying about, draping icy, dripping seaweed over the creature’s massive neck or fastening jagged, rough rib bones to its jaws.
“A few more days and it will be finished,” Jahrra breathed as she stood back staring at the nearly completed monster in awe. “I can hardly believe it.”
Three days later they added the final layer of kelp skin to their creature, and after many months of hard, dedicated work, their lake monster was complete. In its finished form, their creation was unbelievably realistic. The long, towering neck looked strong and powerful, and the gaping mouth, filled with grimy, foot-long teeth would terrify even the bravest of men. The eyes they left hollow, which looked more frightening than if they’d been filled in. Great tangled masses of horse hair ran down the beast’s neck, giving it an even more ghastly appearance, and Scede had even attached some hair to the creature’s chin, making it look like a very old monster of legend.
“Wait a minute! Is it just going to rise out of the water and gape at them? We can’t have a genuine lake monster without it roaring or growling as it is about to eat its prey!” Jahrra stated, delightedly imagining Eydeth’s face as their creature loomed over him.
“I already thought of that,” Scede said rather smugly, holding up what looked like a horn made out of old leather stretched over a funnel-shaped frame.
He held it up to his mouth and blew forcefully into it, causing a low bellowing sound that seemed to reverberate deep within their bones.
Jahrra shivered with goose bumps and Gieaun said, “It’s perfect!”
That weekend the three of them went out to the lake one last time. They paddled out to their island where their monster’s neck and head lay waiting just beneath the surface. They brought with them extra rope and more rocks to help make a counter weight in the final step in their building process. They ran two ropes from the base of its neck, one over the small wood pilings in the middle of the lake, and the other back to their island. Scede tested it out and found that the pulley system worked perfectly.
“Just think!” Scede said excitedly. “If this goes as planned, we may be rid of those meddlesome twins for good!”
Jahrra merely smiled, not holding out too much hope for such a wonderful possibility.
A few days after the Solstice, the three of them took a special trip down to Lake Ossar to celebrate the completion of their masterpiece.
“Now, we just have to convince Eydeth and Ellysian to come out here at just the right moment,” Gieaun said, lazing back as she watched a flock of birds migrating overhead.
“We have a whole week before school even starts again,” Scede insisted. “Why don’t we just enjoy ourselves until then?”
Jahrra nodded
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