Ironhollow 69

Poppy dressed in tough leather armor, and pulled her wavy red hair under a helmet. The rest of the rebels were doing similarly.
Straightening her armor, she hefted a short steel dagger, and tucked a small revolver pistol into her belt, although she would most likely only fight hand to hand.
 She was a military Initiate. She had trained for this kind of thing for years. And yet she was nervous.
Paisley stepped up to her. "Are you ready?" She asked Poppy.
"Uh huh." Poppy lied, "What about you?"
"No." Paisley said, taking a deep breath.
"Yeah, me neither." Poppy said with a weak smile.
"I don't know how Warren or Eden will handle it if we succeed and we do capture Prescott. I mean, he is their father. Sure, he's the worst father ever and he's waging war against them, but he's still their father." Paisley said, glancing at Eden. She had not dressed in armor- she was only ten and was not going into battle, her brother had insisted upon it.

A few minutes later Paisley and Poppy met up with the rest of the rebels going into battle, including Victoria and Arden and Warren. The count of the rebels came to about two hundred and fifty which was surprising. But could they hold up under the pressure of Prescott's army.
Camdun Bateson stepped forward. "Rebels! Today we march into battle, to be liberated from the tyranny of Prescott's rule. You all know the plan, and we may hope It will succeed. But all the hope in the world won't get us through this if we don't try hard. So fight well, and may many of you live to see the dawn."

The rebels marched out of the catacombs, and walked through the senate building, until they were marching beneath a sky dark with rain clouds. "Should we be wary of locals?" Someone asked Earysta. "No need, they were evacuated sometime yesterday." She answered.

Ironhollow 68

 Paisley and Poppy raced to the senate building.
They raced down the corridor, searching around until they found the entrance to the catacombs, a hidden door behind a wardrobe in a guest room in the east wing.
They found Warren, Arden, Eden and Victoria conversing with the big red-headed man with the beard who had thrown them in prison when they had visited the Lower Levels, Camdun Bateson.
In the corner stood Goldie Harris. She did not look at Victoria or Poppy, and she carefully kept silent.
"I'm glad you have finally come to your senses!" the big man boomed.
Warren was sitting looking shaken on a chair. Arden smiled at the big man. "So we have a deal?" She asked hopefully.
"Aye, I believe we do!" Camdun answered, enthusiastically shaking Arden's hand.
"Brilliant, so now we have to devise a plan..." Arden said, her enthusiasm fading.
"I am no master of strategizing, but my dear daughter is! Earysta!"
Earysta Bateson stepped in the room, her eyes narrowing in suspicion when she saw Warren and Eden.
"Prescott's children... Captives?" She assumed.
"Allies!" Her father boomed.
Earysta curled her lip in disgust. "Ugh, father...what have you gotten us into?"
"Listen Earysta, we need to devise a plan, and we all know that you have a certain talent in it. Come now, for your old father!" Camdun said.
"Ugh, fine. Well, we can't just go marching up the streets and 'attack' that huge army. We need to trick them somehow, so we can get to the only thing that will stop them in their tracks. We need Prescott." Earysta said, her eyes gleaming.
"Um, you mean capture him?" Eden asked nervously.
Earysta nodded. "Oh yes. What we'll do is that a small portion of us will make our way around to their side with the war cannons and -"
"Uh, war cannons?" Victoria asked.
"Yes. They throw out heavy nets that trap the soldiers until we can knock them out. We have many supplies; we've been preparing for this for a long time. Anyway, we'll flank them and blast them with the war cannons, and we'll try to push them aside so we can make our way to Prescott, where we can then bring him back here and hold him hostage, and while we do that the rest of us will come in from the front and distract the rest of the army.  That's the plan.  Let's go."
"Uh, you mean right now?" Poppy asked.
"Right now." Earysta said, smiling.

Ironhollow 67

"Leading them?!" Warren exclaimed, his voice echoing, "But the army is on our side!"
"Oh?" the soldier asked, chuckling, "Are you sure of that?"
"Did you really think you could win over my soldiers so easily? Honestly, son, I am insulted. Do you think my soldier give away their allegiances so blindly?" A man's voice called from the senate chamber. Sir Prescott stepped into the corridor.
"What are you doing, Warren? First my wife, now my children? Will my entire country betray me, when i have done nothing wrong?" Prescott said, feigning innocence.
"You betrayed your own country when you allowed yourself to become corrupt," Warren hissed, "Its as if you stopped bothering to lead your country years ago, and now it is in shambles! Mother knew this, and she took action."
Prescott glared at his son. "You are being foolish, Warren. Join me, live as you once did, have everything you need, and want, just come back with me."
"And pretend this never happened? Leave half of your country in ruins and let the rich be rich while the poor starve? You are the foolish one if you think I would let that happen." Warren said defiantly.
Prescott whispered something to his officer.
"Fine then. I will wipe out this little rebellion, burn the city, and if you refuse to come with me, then you may be wiped out with them." Prescott whispered. He turned and marched out the building, his officers following. They walked out to the waiting army.
Eden and Victoria stared at Warren. Arden gulped. "Warren? We...we should go find the rebels." she whispered.
Warren turned, looking tired.
"Yeah...lets go."

They found the rebels under the building, in catacombs stretching under the city. They looked at them warily, but when Warren told them they were completely and utterly against Prescott, they more or less welcomed them.


Meanwhile, Paisley and Poppy had witnessed the turning of the army, Prescott's speech to his soldiers, and watched as they marched down to the senate.
"This is horrible. The army was never on our side...they betrayed us!" Poppy exclaimed furiously.
"Actually since they were never really on our side anyway, they didn't really betray us." Paisley said reasonably.
Poppy balled her fists. "You know Paisley, you really shouldn't talk to me while I'm in this mood!"

Ironhollow 66

The Inside the senate building was trashed, most likely by rebels.
Shards of broken windows were scattered across the floor, and boot prints covered the dusty floor.
"I think I hear people down that corridor!" Warren said, his voice echoing in the large empty space.
The four of them walked down the corridor. The walls were singed in places, as if people bearing torches had run through.
"They must have stormed the senate building last night." Eden commented, running her hand along the soot blackened wall.
"I guess the rebels will be surprised when we say we're on their side now." Arden murmured to Warren, who looked at her in surprise.
"You've met with the rebels?" He asked.
Arden nodded. "Remember when we first met and I blurted out that we had just eacapes from prison?  Well, we had just gotten out of the Lower Levels prison." Arden said.
Warren sighed. "It's kinda funny how much things have changed, now instead of fighting the rebels, we're with them, and instead of fighting with my father, we're..." He trailed off.
"Now you're against him?" She finished.
He nodded.
Suddenly, just before they reached the end of the corridor, one of the soldier came running up.
"The army is coming towards the senate building! And the king is with them!"
"Have they captured him?" Victoria asked.
The soldier shook his head. "No. He's leading them!"

Ironhollow 65

They marched in silence towards the senate building, the sounds of  battle echoing up the street from the main square.
"What are we going to do once we reach the senate building?" Victoria asked.
"We're going to take the rest of the corrupt politicians into custody, ma'am." One of the soldiers answered.
"And how long would you say the battle will last?" Arden wondered.
"Probably a few hours; we have a lot of soldiers, but Prescott's private guard is extremely well trained, and..." Warren stopped.
"The senate building." A soldier said.
The senate building was a huge gray stone building with a large set of double doors carved with 'Pietas politicos'. 
"What's that inscription on the door?" Eden asked. 
"It says 'Honor and Politics'. I believe it is the motto of the senate." A soldier answered. 
They pushed open the door.

Ironhollow 64

Paisley here,
It's so boring here, waiting for...I don't even know what we're waiting for!
And knowing that soon, Arden Warren, Victoria, and Eden will be storming the senate building doesn't make sitting still and waiting any easier!
I can't wait until all of this is over; we'll no doubt live in Ironhollow, to escape Prescott's rule, perhaps Warren and Eden will stay with us, also to escape the wrath of their father.
I'll never really understand why leaders and politicians can become so corrupt. I guess they get pulled in, and get caught up in their own lives they forget about the people they're supposed to be helping and ruling.
And why Sir Prescott would banish his own wife, I have no idea!

Ironhollow 63

As the army marched, Paisley and Poppy broke off and hid in a small house. They were hiding there to escape the danger of the battle.
"I don't see why we have to hide. I'm a military initiate, after all! I should be out there fighting." Poppy complained.
"We have to be here as a last resort for the soldiers to fall back to; we'll be giving the orders if it comes to that."

Meanwhile, the soldiers were almost ready to swing back and attack the private guard and Prescott.
"We need to swing back now!" Warren said to one of the officers. The officer nodded, and shouted extremely loudly, "Swing Back!!"
The soldiers echoed him, and in one movement, swung around to face Prescott.
"Warren, come one!" Arden shouted. Victoria, Eden, Warren and a group of twenty soldiers followed Arden up in the direction of the senate building.

New Storyline!

It's a sad thought, but Ironhollow can't last forever! So far I'm lost on what the new story should be, so feel free to comment!
This is what i have so far: first person(no more narration!), from the view point of one person, not focusing on too many people! It's going to be set modern-day, less confusing than old-timey!
The only real plot idea is: girl living in Britain with grandmother, not rich at all, but gets some sort of opportunity that sets the story off with a bang! Any ideas???

Ironhollow 62

The army prepared to march into Ironhollow just as the sun rose over Amira's rocky hills.
The soldiers stared as two of the men marched towards the massive door that led to Ironhollow, carrying between them a sack of gunpowder heavier than both of them combined.
They placed the sack and four others against the door, and they ran back towards the rest of the army.
An officer shouted an order, and a soldier stepped forward. He lit a match and threw it. It landed against one of the sacks, and the army backed up. A spark went up, and hit the sack.
It exploded.
Debris rained down and a black cloud of smoke rose as all four sacks of gunpowder went up in flames, exploding with astounding force.
As the smoke cleared, they caught sight of the doors. What was left of the the doors, that is.
The officers led their army through the archway, kicking aside flaming debris as they marched.
Sir Prescott had mounted an old fashioned chariot, and was being escorted by his private guards.
He smiled.

Ironhollow 61

Warren broke the news about Lady Aussa to the four head officers of Prescott's army. Their reactions were clear; one man started gritting his teeth, his hands curling into fists, another started muttering things about Prescott that Warren tried not to hear.
Warren had them relay the information to their troops, and the orders were simple; a half hour after entering the city, they would swing around to meet Sir Prescott's advanced guard and the man himself. A small portion of the army would accompany Warren, Victoria, Arden and Eden into the main senate building for the rest of the corrupt politicians.
Paisley and Poppy stayed behind in one of the houses for a last resort for the soldiers to turn to for orders.

Ironhollow 60

Finally, Sir. Prescott and his troops arrived. His huge army set up a camp of richly colored tents, with the olive green flag of Amira flying atop tall flag poles.
Prescott made his way directly to the map room, with his children trailing behind.
 Staff had brought out a large map of the exterior of Ironhollow for the royal family to study.
Warren spoke with Arden outside the map room, "Warren, we can't let your father's troops march into Ironhollow. Now that we know the rebels are...the good guys, we can't let them be destroyed like that!" Arden hissed.
"I know that, but it'll be impossible! If only the soldiers knew what it's like, then maybe we could get them to turn against him!" Warren exclaimed.
"Yes! But, aside from the fact that his rule his completely biased and prejudice for all people not living like kings, that's not enough for his soldiers to want to overthrow him! We need more..." Arden trailed off thoughtfully.
"Well, we didn't tell you abut this but...do you remember my mother, Lady Aussa Prescott?" Warren asked awkwardly.
"Uh, well i guess I remember her. She was nice whenever she gave speeches and stuff, and when she toured the Amiran countryside, she visited my hometown, Westerdale. But, where is she now?"
"My father found out that she had been encouraging rebellions, and...he exiled her. We don't know where she is now, probably in Norshire or somewhere."
"Warren, I'm so sorry..." Arden whispered, "But I guess we have something in common, kind of...my parents went missing when Paisley and I were little, which I guess is almost better than knowing your dad exiled your mom."
"Yeah, well...anyway, the soldiers and the officers all liked my mother, and no one but dad, Eden and I know that My father vanished her, so I'll bet that they'll be pretty angry at my dad, and it helps up that he doesn't treat his soldiers very well anyway."

Ironhollow 59

"How are you connected to the rebels?" Arden asked warily.
"Our mother...she started them. She knew that the Lower Level in Ironhollow was not the only suffering population. Our father's rule is only benefiting people high up, like politicians or important merchants, people like that. Our mother realized that, and planted the seeds of rebellion in every suffering city she could."
Arden was shocked. "Are... Are you serious?!" 
"Shhh, don't shout it out!" Warren said, glancing around nervously. 
"There's more-" Eden started. "Wait, if you're going to tell me more, than we need to find a better place to talk, anyone could be listening, and none of us would realize we were being watched." Arden said.
"How would you know?" Warren asked.
"Because you didn't realize when I was watching you." Arden said slyly. She walked away downthe corridor 

Ironhollow 58

The next morning, Warren and Eden were even more distant. They didn't speak to Arden or the others, and they spent most of the day in the map room with officer Kahlus, the man in charge if the outpost.
Arden sat on her cot, resigned to the fact that Warren and Eden were changing. Or perhaps just returning to their former styles.
Paisley lounged on her cot, sketching in her notebook.
"You'd better not be drawing me." Arden sighed. Paisley looked up, surprised. She had not spoken to her sister much at all since Arden had run angrily off from the inn in Dustanoff.
"Uh, no. I was just sketching the hills outside, their covered with flowers, and they're really pretty." Paisley replied, slightly hesitant.
"I haven't been out there. Maybe I could take a walk, I could use some fresh air. After all, a person can only stand so much of a military outpost."
Arden stood, and walked out the door. She headed down the hallway to the staff kitchens, were there was a back door that was sure to be less conspicuous than marching out the front gates.
As she turned a corner, she saw Eden and Warren conversing in the hall. They were whispering urgently. Ducking out of sight, she watched.
"Warren, we have to tell them! If they don't know, they wouldn't be prepared if something did happen!" Eden whispered to her brother.
"No. If he found out they knew, then he might punish them, to get to us!"
"Why don't you just call him D-"
A bucket fell somewhere in the kitchens, and the siblings stopped talking. Taking advantage of their distraction, Arden raced out of her hiding place and walked towards them casually, as if she had just come around the corner.
"Excuse me." She said coldly. She had to wait for Eden to move out of the way; she couldn't squeeze past her hoop skirt.
"Arden, wait." Warren said, "look, I'm sorry that Eden and I have been so distant. It's just...we wanted to keep all of you guys safe."
"We have to talk to you about the rebels in Ironhollow," Eden whispered, "And our connection to them."

Ironhollow 57

A soldier showed them to their rooms. Their rooms were small, yet larger than their previous sleeping  arrangements in the Dustanoff Inn. They paired up sibling by sibling again.
At dinner, no one spoke, except for brief conversations with the officers that dined with them.
Warren and Eden wore new clothes that they had received from their father before they boarded the train. They looked exactly how royalty should look, and they acted like it too. They sat up straight constantly, they spoke only to the officers, not the foot soldiers. They spoke of politics with the officers, and Eden had all but taken control of the small staff there in the short hours they'd been there.
And they had not glanced at their friends.

Ironhollow 56

The military outpost turned out to be a medium sized brick building with two tall guard towers maybe a half mile away in opposite directions.
The building's doors were wide open, and a line of ten soldiers were filing out.
"Sir, welcome to Eastbridge, military outpost number forty three. May I ask, what were your father's orders?" Asked a tall military officer.
Warren straightened. "The only orders that he wished conveyed to you was that the troops here should be ready to fight. That is all you need know." Warren answered.
Arden stared at Warren. He seemed to be a completely different person now, far from the funny teenaged guy she happened to bump into one night.
Eden too was looking different. She had a regal look  to her now, as she watched the soldiers salute and march off to train.

Ironhollow 55

An old wagon with an older driver was waiting for them. They climbed on, and the man silently spurred his horses to start moving.
"I'm nervous." Poppy whispered to Paisley.
Paisley smiled. "Well, we are about to storm a city, and if it helps, I'm kind of nervous too."
Eden sat up front with Victoria and the driver. "When do you think your father's army will reach the outpost?" Victoria asked.
"Probably in two days, if he takes a private train for all the troops, but since his army is so big he might have them take a shortcut across the lake to a nearby countryside, where they would most likely march the rest of the way." Eden answered.
Victoria chuckled slightly. "Well, that was an interesting answer!"

Ironhollow 54

In a different compartment, Poppy and Paisley sat beside Eden.
"So, I guess it's pretty sweet, living in a castle?" Paisley asked. She still didn't quite know how to act around Eden anymore. An hour ago, she had been a sweet young girl, now she was a royal sweet little girl. Quite a change.
"Yeah, it is easy, and kind of fun, but I know that when I get older, tilt become way harder, I'll have responsibilities, and since my mother...well, since I'm technically the woman of the house, I'll be handling all the staff, like the maids and the cooks and..." She trailed off, laughing.

Victoria entered Arden and Warren's compartment, where Arden and Warren were still talking and laughing together.
"Hey Victoria, where were you?" Arden asked.
"Checking up on the-" she was interrupted as the train squealed to a stop.
A voice crackled over the train intercom. "We have reached our first stop. We will be pausing here for ten minutes. You may exit via any one of the exterior doors."
Arden and Warren stood, and the three of them each grabbed their bags, which they had stowed under  their seats.
They met up with the younger girls in the dining car, and they left the train.

Ironhollow 53

Warren sat in silence. Across from him, Arden kept glancing up at him, scribbling in a notebook.
Closing her notebook, Arden placed her writing tools down on the leather seat beside her.
"What's it like?" Arden asked.
"What?"
"What's it like to live like royalty?" Arden asked, gazing out the window.
"Well, it's pretty great, I guess. But it's hard sometimes. I mean, I have to act all...'princely' in front of the public and my dad. And, traveling with you and the others has shown me that living like this is far easier than life in a castle." Warren said.
"What about Eden?" Arden asked, "What's it like for her?"
Warren smiled. "Eden thinks it's the best thing in the world, but since she's younger that me she doesn't really have responsibilities. But knowing her, she'll love it when she finally does get responsibilities." He answered.
Arden sighed, a hint of relief in her tone, "Well, I have to admit, when I found out you were kind of a prince, I assumed that you had a super easy life, and that you would never understand what's it's like for us, to live a far from 'easy' life." Arden said.
Warren nodded.
"And thanks for coming to get me today, by the way."
Warren smiled. "We thought you were being interrogated in a prison, not having tea with the king in the royal sitting room!"

Ironhollow 52

Hi, Arden here, 

It's so strange to be on this train again. Last time I was on I was on my way to Ironhollow for the very first time. 

Warren's sitting  across from me, and looking at him now, knowing that he's royalty, it's so...

Anyway, the plan is that we get off at the next stop, a few miles from Ironhollow, then we'll ride a wagon to the military outpost a few miles away. 

Ironhollow 51

Sir Prescott arranged for them to be taken back to a military outpost outside Ironhollow, where they would wait for Prescott and his Army.
"Warren, are you with me? We will go and- " Prescott was interrupted by his son.
"Actually," Warren said awkwardly, "I'll stay with Ar- um, with my friends. Come on Eden."
Sir Prescott stared after them as his children boarded a train with their friends.

Ironhollow 50

"Yes. Eden and I are...royalty." Warren clarified.
Eden ran up to their father, and hugged him.
"Where have you been? You were missing for months!" Sir Prescott exclaimed.
Eden sighed. "It's hard to explain," she pulled out of the hug, "But one of the other the reason we were coming to find you was because Ironhollow has been taken over."
Prescott stared at his children and their friends. "Taken over?! By whom?!"
"Rebels from the Lower Levels," Victoria said, "They're planning on taking over the government of Ironhollow, and then working their way through the country, as far as we know."
"But since we left a few days ago they might already have control of the city!" Paisley said, her eyes widening.
"Sir Prescott, I hope it's not too much to ask but," Arden shuffled her feet nervously, "can we...borrow your army?"

Ironhollow 49

Sir Prescott didn't react when Arden introduced him, he only stared in shock at Warren.
"Uh, Sir Prescott...?" Arden tried to get his attention, but he didn't seem to notice.
"What are you doing here?" Sir Prescott said to Warren, barely speaking above a whisper. Suddenly, Victoria and Eden burst into the throne room. Eden's eyes fell on Sir Prescott. "Dad!" She said, delight filling her tone, but she quickly covered her mouth up with her hands.
Arden's cautious smile faded into a look of shock. "'Dad'? Uh, what do you mean? I think you've got some explaining to do." She turned expectantly to Warren.
"Eden and I....well, we were born into the royal family of Pinecliff. A few months ago, we were touring the countryside with an escort, when we were attacked. We couldn't leave because, well, for two reasons. One, we didn't really know the way, and two, we weren't sure if it would be safe for us to travel on our own."
"So," Arden said, "you're...royalty."

Ironhollow 48

They crept in through an open window, which led directly to a wide hall. The sound of marching steps echoed down the hall to them.
"Quick, scatter! We'll meet up in the gardens later! Finding Arden is top priority!" Warren said quickly. Victoria raced into a nearby room, and Eden followed her. Paisley ran down the hall, Poppy close behind her.
Warren raced down an opposite hall. A large set of elaborate double doors blocked his path, and without thinking he burst through them.
The huge room was tiled with marble, tapestries hung on the walls, stretching all the way to thirty foot tall ceiling.
A blue velvet carpet led to a magnificent throne, which wad empty. The entire room was devoid of people. Warren noticed the sound of laughter from an adjoining sitting room. He crept over to peer inside the glass double doors. He gasped. Inside, Arden was chatting with-
"Warren!" Someone shouted. Paisley and Poppy were entering the throne room. The talking and laughing inside the sitting room faded. "What was that?" Wondered a muffled male voice. An older man opened the glass doors. His eyes fell on Warren. Arden also entered the throne room. "Guys?! What are you....uh, never mind. May I introduce Sir William Prescott of Pinecliff."



Just you wait for the next post, it is going to be AWESOME!! -Author of Wordsmith

Ironhollow 47

Dustanoff Manor was a huge hilltop castle-style building, surrounded by lush gardens, decorative hedge mazes and short leafy trees trimmed into fantastical shapes.
The large wooden doors were, surprisingly, wide-open, and the only people in sight were two girls in pastel dresses with their hair curled tightly and pinned close to their heads, each of them carrying a parasol.
"We'll have to avoid those girls, or they'll alert their guards." Warren said.
Paisley scanned the gardens. "I don't see any guards." She said dubiously.
"Trust me, there are at least three guards, probably behind statues or in the shade of trees." Warren assured her.
"How do you know so much about the protection of royalty?" Arden asked curiously.
"Oh, you know...I like to know stuff. No such thing as to much information!"
Victoria narrowed her blue eyes. "Right, well, we should get moving. Arden can't wait forever!"

Ironhollow 46

They set out, looking down every ally, in every store, inn and warehouse. After two hours of searching, they had still not caught a glimpse of Arden. 
Warren was leaning against a newspaper stand when he saw the front page of the Dustanoff Oracle: 'Non-local teen girl found trespassing on the Dustanoff Estate'. 
He grabbed the newspaper. "Uh, guys, I think I found Arden." 
The rest of them gathered around, and Victoria read the article aloud, "'A teenaged girl was found wandering among the estate Gardens in the small hours of the morning. The guards that stumbled upon her presence reported that she claimed not to have realized that entering the gardens was trespassing. No full name has yet been given, just a last name, Porter. She has been taken to the manor for questioning.'" 
"Okay, let me get this straight, my sister unknowingly trespassed, was captured by Dustanoff guards, and now she's being questioned in the estate up on that hill. Well, nothing like rescuing a sister to wake you up in the morning." 

Ironhollow 45

The next morning, Poppy came knocking on Paisley's door.
Paisley wandered groggily over to the door. She opened it. "Oh, hey Poppy. What's up?" She asked sleepily.
"We figured we would get an early start, so we're all getting up and we're going to meet downstairs in, like, fifteen minutes." Poppy explained.
"Oh, okay. I'll tell Arden..." She turned to her older sister's cot. The blankets were un disturbed except for where Arden had sat the previous night. Suddenly, Paisley remembered.
"Oh. Um, Arden and I argued last night. She ran off, but I thought she would have been back by now..." Paisley bit her lip anxiously.
Poppy swallowed. "Er, we should tell the others. Dustanoff is a small place, it shouldn't be that hard to find her if we all work together." Poppy assured her, and they went downstairs.
Waiting in the eating area were Warren and Eden, Victoria was not yet down.
"Good morning. Hey, where's Arden?" Warren wondered, yawning.
"Arden is...missing. She and I, well, never mind. She got mad and ran off last night, and I thought she would have been back by now, but..."
Warren looked concerned, "We need to go out and look! I doubt she went far, she probably had some reason for not coming back." He said.
Eden agreed, as did Victoria when she had come down and the situation explained to her.
"Well," Paisley said determinedly, "let's go find my sister."

Ironhollow 44

Paisley here,
Arden ran ran out angrily a few minutes ago, and even though I'm still practically steaming from anger, I am kind of worried. Last time we fought and she ran off, she came back just as mad, and with two random strangers, who are now traveling with us. Maybe she'll come back with a few more strays....
Anyway, She'll probably just come back in an hour or something, she probably just needs to cool off, I hope.
Then again, who knows what these streets are like at night? She could be in danger- no I'm sure she'll be okay.
Well, I guess this is it for now, I'll write again soon!
-Paisley P.

So Sorry!

No post this morning, but I'll probably do one in the afternoon/evening, possibly later....

Ironhollow 43

Warren and Arden had rented out three tiny rooms, each with two tiny cots.
"Well, I suppose I'll share with Paisley, Victoria and Poppy can be in the next room over, and Warren and Eden can have the last room?" Arden suggested, although she herself wasn't sure how she would fare sharing a room with her sister, the business Initiate.
Everyone agreed, although Paisley did look a little hesitant herself.
Upstairs, Arden perched on the edge of her bed, which was a small cot with rough blankets, but even it was better than sleeping on the ground, as she did the previous night.
Paisley walked in, and Arden didn't look at her. She just continued to stare at the ground in silence.
"Look, Arden, I'm sorry. I didn't really think about what i was doing, I guess." Paisley said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, evidently," Arden stood, and looked out the window, "It didn't even occur to you? That was my life, and you just..."
Paisley narrowed her eyes. "I've said I'm sorry. What else to do you want? Besides, it's not like there aren't others, like Art." She said.
"So you expect me to just sit back and compromise while you live my dream?!" Arden demanded.
"Well, that's what I had been doing for the last, like, eight years of my life! I never wanted to be an Artisan!"
Arden stood. And with a last muttered, "Unbelievable." she left the room, left the Inn, and vanished into the shadows of the Dastunoff.

Ironhollow 42

Eden dropped a large sack of coins into the woman's hand. the woman stared at it, then smiled at them.
"Well, you just got six horses!"
Poppy was still staring at the bag of coin in the woman's hand, so Eden stepped forward.
"Thank you. Oh, may we leave the horses tethered up here until we return with the rest of our party?" Eden asked.
To Poppy's ears, she sounded like some sort of courtier, the way she was speaking with such form.
They headed to the main street, and bumped into Victoria and Paisley, who were laden down with blankets and sacks of food.
"Oh! Hey, guys. I hope you got those horses!" Victoria said, half-joking
"Actually we did. A...rich stranger helped us out." Eden lied. Poppy hesitated, then nodded. "Yup. Er, a very rich stranger."
Victoria and Paisley were happily surprised by this.
They continued through the streets until they saw Warren and Arden hovering outside an inn.
"Warren! Arden!" They called. The two looked up from their conversation, and waved the group over.
"We got rooms, thanks to-" Arden started.
"Let's just get in! It's getting dark and the half off dinner doesn't last long!" Warren said, pulling them inside.
They sat at a table. Unappetizing food sat in front of them.
"Ugh, this stuff smells disgusting. I'd rather live in the sewer tunnel than eat this stuff!"
They laughed.
"Well," Victoria suggested, "We might as well turn in. What rooms are ours?"
"Actually, we got three."

Ironhollow 41

Paisley and Victoria made their way thought the crowded street, breathing in the stuffy air, and clouds of dust billowing up from the feet of dozens of travelers and city natives alike.
"There's the supply store." Victoria pointed out, gesturing to a small shop with faded awnings over the open double doors and scuffed window panes.
"'Nico's Okay Supplies'? That's the worst name for a store. Ever."  Paisley said, grimacing dramatically.
"It seems like all the store names around here are...odd." Victoria shrugged, entering the store.
The girls surveyed their surroundings; muddy floors, peeling wallpaper, untidy piles and shelves of items, useful and useless alike. An old man stood behind the cracked marble counter. He had thin, artificially dark hair, a crooked nose, and skeptical, squinty eyes.
"What do you want?" He asked. His voice sounded like gravel rubbing together.
"Uh, food and blankets. Do you stock those?" Victoria said loudly, as though he might be deaf.
"Of conure We stock those! What do kind of supply shop do think this is?!" He demanded, suddenly furious.
"Wow, uh, that was unexpected." Paisley said, surprised at the old man's irritability.

While Victoria and Paisley were dealing with the supplies, Poppy and Eden were headed to the stables.
Unlike Victoria and Paisley, Poppy and Eden fared well with the owner of the stables.
It was a nice middle aged woman with four small children, who were constantly running around and tripping over their own feet. She told them that horses were quite expensive, and it was no good to rent them. She seemed genuinely sympathetic that they couldn't afford the horses.
Eden pulled Poppy aside.
"I'm going to buy the horses," she whispered, "You can't tell anyone how I did it, and we'll come up with a story to cover up."
"How will you be able to buy six horses. I thought one was too expensive, much less six!" Poppy exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, I...can't tell you. I might be able to sometime, but not right now. If anyone found out...Please, just don't tell anyone. Oh, and I assure you, it's completely legal."

Ironhollow 40

Arden and Warren went straight to the nearest inn.
"'The Sleeping Druid Inn'? What kind of name is that?" Arden wondered.
Warren shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's a play on words or something. The guy who named it was probably Insane."
Arden laughed ."Yeah, right!"
They went inside. The blinds were pulled over the windows, a few dozen people swarmed around a bar and sat at the tables. Candle chandeliers hung from the exposed beams, and dust drifted in the air.
An accordion was being played somewhere, and the off-tune music drifted throughout the inn.



Sorry for short post, I might to one this afternoon!

Ironhollow 39

Dastunoff; a small chaotic lakeside town. Brownstone buildings crowded along streets, weeds growing out of every crack in the road, and people riding donkeys and on foot meandered the streets.
The six travelers gazed at the town in dismay. "Hardly a five star city." Victoria muttered.
They trotted along the road, weary and eager to find an inn.
The rumbling of a motor startled them, and they turned to see an automobile driving towards them, spitting smoke and exhaust. "Wow. It's been a long time since I saw one of these up close.
Automobiles had been recently invented, and the travelers stared as it passed.
"You know, traveling would be so much easier if we had one of those." Paisley said wistfully.
At the same time, Victoria and Warren said, "I could get us one!"
They turned to each other. "Uh, how would you get us one?" Victoria asked Warren.
"With money. It that a trick question?" He replied, arching a skeptical eyebrow.
Arden intercepted Victoria's answer. "No one needs to buy anything like that. Right now we are focusing on supplies."
Poppy poked Warren. "How would you have payed for an automobile? They cost a small fortune."
Warren shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, I would have found a way." He said, hurrying up slightly to fall into step with Arden.
The group split up to cover more ground once they reached Dastunoff, Arden with Warren, Eden with Poppy, and Paisley with Victoria.
Arden and Warren went to the inn to see about getting rooms for the night.
Eden and Poppy went to the stables to see how much horses cost.
Paisley and Victoria went to the supply store, for food and blankets and such.
"We'll meet in the town square in about two hours, got it?" Victoria clarified.
They went their separate ways.

Pinecliff

Pinecliff info is up on Ironhollow Info page!

Ironhollow 38

Victoria had already wrenched open the utility door leading down into the tunnel, and the stench drifted up to the others as they came near.
"Oh my word. That smells-" Paisley gagged.
Warren looked green, covering his nose. Poppy was grimacing, staring in dismay at the sewer. Victoria was laughing at the others, while still doing her bet to breath only through her mouth, and Arden had refused to come any closer as soon as the others had started yelling about the stench.
Eden was the only one who look calm. She had been rifling around in her bag-pack, and finally took out five handkerchiefs.
"Where did you get those?" Arden called. Warren had gone to stand with her, where they would be safe from the foul odor.
"I made them. I was really bored one day, so..."
"But there are only five," Paisley noticed, "Who is going to be the only one who-" She stopped.
Arden had raised her hand, and now she was at the front of the group, pinching her nose so hard it was turning red.
They all descended into the tunnel, with Arden in the front, Warren and Eden walking next to her, and every one else in an orderly line behind them.
They sloshed through the tunnel, all being very careful not to look at what they were sloshing through. 
Soon, a light glinted at the end of the tunnel, and they all sped up. Finally, they reach the end, which was unfortunately blocked by iron bars.
Victoria stepped forward confidently. "I know how these kind of bars work. I watched a blacksmith making these kind once. We just need to push up right...here." Victoria ran her fingers along the iron, stopping at one point. She widened her stance, and grabbed the bar, pushing upwards with all her might. Arden and Warren stepped forward to help, and with all three of them pushing, it snapped off it's cement groundings and crashed to the ground.
"Uh, not the exact result I was hoping for, but as long as it gets us out of here." Victoria shrugged.
They rushed out to the field of clean fresh smelling grass, and thankfully took off their handkerchiefs.
A few of them tried to hand them back to Eden, but she stepped back. "No, no. I don't want them! Keep them!"
Warren had climbed up a hill a few dozen yards away. "Guys, I see Dastunoff!"
"Let's get moving!" Arden exclaimed, and she marched up the hill to Warren, everyone else trailing behind her.

Ironhollow 37

Early the following morning, the six teens set out towards Pinecliff.
In the front of their small caravan walked Warren, Arden and Eden. Eden conveniently had a map, which the three were studying.
"We'll stop here, at the town Dastunoff, where we can get supplies." Warren suggested.
"Good idea," Arden admitted, "We'll reach that town some time tomorrow morning, I'll bet."
Behind them walked Poppy and Paisley. They were discussing the new additions to their group, and whether or not the forming bond between Arden and the siblings would last.
Victoria had gone scouting ahead. Apparently she would run ahead to the outer wall, which they were yet to cross, and find a way over.
The travelers caught sight of Victoria running towards them.
"Guys, I find the perfect way through the wall!" She exclaimed.
The others look excited. Warren raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What did you find?" He asked.
Victoria looked as if she was doing her best to cover a laugh. "Well, you may not like it, but the only route is through a tunnel running under the wall."
Eden shrugged. "That doesn't sound too bad! What kind of tunnel is it, anyway?"
Victoria grimaced. "A sewer tunnel."

More Characters

Warren and Eden bios are up on Characters!

Ironhollow 36

Eden stood. "Thanks for explaining about the situation about the city, but Warren and I need to get back to our camp. We've got a long day tomorrow."
Warren continued, "Yeah, we're travelling to Pinecliff, which is at least a two day journey."
Victoria drew in a sharp breath. "Seriously? We're travelling there as well!"
Eden and Warren exchanged a quick glance. "Well, uh, do you want to travel with us?" Warren asked.
Victoria and Arden exchanged a few quick words, before turning back towards the waiting siblings.
"Yes. We will travel with you."




(Sorry for short post, but you can expect an evening/afternoon edition)

Ironhollow 35

Paisley looked up from the fire at the rustling grass. Arden was coming towards thew camp, and Poppy was running to meet her. Paisley squinted. Where there two people with Arden? She stood up, keeping an uninterested look on her face.
Arden paid her no heed, looking instead at Victoria and Poppy.
"Guys, this is Warren and Eden. I met them out in the valley, and I told them about, well, the situation."
Victoria nodded. She understood.
She motioned for them to sit down by the fire, and they complied, settling down near the blaze.
"Did you live in the city?" Poppy asked.
Warren shook his head. "No, not really. We spent a few nights in an inn, then came out here. We've haven't even been living out here long, a few weeks, I guess. Er, I heard you escaped from prison?" He shot a glance at Arden.
Paisley stared at her sister. "You told them?!"
Arden shrugged guiltily, "Er...whoops."
"Whoops?! I hardly think that this is a 'whoops' situation. Why'd you tell them?"
Arden glared at her sister. "It slipped out."
Paisley rolled her eyes.
Warren pretended not to notice the obvious tension, and shuffled in his seat.He said, "So...? What are we doing here again?"

Ironhollow 34

Paisley, Poppy and Victoria stared as Arden ran off into the valley.
Victoria looked slightly worried, "Do you think we should go after her?" She wondered.
"She'll be fine." Paisley snapped, turning away from the concerned looks of Victoria and Poppy.
Paisley sat down on her make-shift cot, shuffled uncomfortably.
Victoria began preparing the animal she had caught, and Poppy just laid on her back, staring at the ever darkening sky.

Arden wandered around the valley,angry tears occasionally welling in her eyes. The sky was black now, and the stars and moon shone down brightly, countering Arden's furious mood.
"Hey, who are you?"
Arden jumped as someone called out from her left.
"Where are you?" Arden demanded. Two people came out from behind a large tree, a young girl and an older guy, maybe around seventeen or eighteen.
"What are you doing out here?" The girl asked. She was somewhere around eight or nine, as far as Arden could guess.
"My camp...why should I trust you?" Arden asked warily.
The boy grinned, shrugging. "I don't know, maybe you shouldn't, but you can never really know for sure!"
Arden glared at him, not minding to seem rude.
The girl stepped in front of the boy. "Sorry, I usually don't let him talk to people unless they know us really well," She joked, "I'm Eden, and this is my brother Warren. We were part of a caravan traveling to Norshire, but when we stopped here, Warren decided we were going to 'live off the land' or some junk like that. Now we live in this valley, between the inner and outer walls."
Arden figured that was to much information on their part for her to not share any of hers, so she said, "I'm Arden, and I'm here...'travailing' with my sister and some...family friends. Uh, when was the last time you were in the city?"
The siblings shrugged. "A few weeks ago. Why?" Warren replied.
Arden bit her lip, then launched into an explanation. "Oh, then there a couple things you should know...the city was taken over by rebels, and it was invaded by Norshiren soldiers that turned out to be hired thugs and actually my sister and my friends aren't travelling, we escaped from the Lower Level prison because the council locked us up because we knew too much of their plans and then my friend had to use a knife she hides in her boot to cut open the door, and we escaped."
Warren stared, shocked. Eden looked bewildered.
Arden gasped for breath. "I'll take you to my camp, and explain the rest there."

Ironhollow 33

Arden trudged across the valley, thoughts  racing in her mind.
What was Paisley thinking?! She knew I was on the verge of success In Business!
She gritted her teeth, glancing at the sky. It was getting dark. The small part of her mind that wasn't furious urged her to find her common sense and go back to camp. Arden walked on.
Suddenly, she stopped. She turned, and ran at top speed back to the camp. She had to talk to Paisley.
She ran for a few minutes, until she reached the camp.
Paisley looked up. "Oh, Hi Arden-"
"What were you thinking?! Why?!" Arden clenched her hands, waiting for a response from her shocked and guilty looking sister.
"I never liked being an Artisan. You should have noticed that I hated it!" Paisley said, anger starting up in her as well.
"Of course I didn't notice, you never said a thing! Now you've stolen my chance at being what I wanted to be!" Arden growled.
"Well, what about what I want to do? I've wanted to be a Business Initiate since I was little, then that stupid law in Westerdale..."
Arden stomped away once again.

Ironhollow 32

Dear journal,
It's Arden again, and currently I'm sitting on a pile of thin blankets that will serve as my bed tonight. Poppy found them at an abandoned Ironhollow look-out post. There were other things, like rusty old pots and pans, a cracked long-bow and a quiver of arrows.
We've set up a pretty good camp. Well, as good as it can be under the circumstances.
Victoria went out hunting. Yes hunting, with the bow and arrow, and Paisley and Poppy are trying to get a fire started. They're chatting and laughing as they do it, which surprises me. A day ago, there was such tension between them and us and- never mind.
Ah, Victoria is back and- ugh, dead animal. That's all I can say.
On a different subject, I am furious. With the rebels; they're logic was the stupidest thing I'd ever heard, and by now they've taken over my new home.
Oh, Paisley wants to talk to me, just a minute-

I'm shocked. Paisley just told me something. She stole my chance at becoming a politician. She...signed her self up. As a Business Initiate.
I'm going on a very long walk.

Ironhollow 31

Scaling the inner wall turned out to be harder than it had looked for the four girls.
Paisley had grabbed a heavy length of rope in the prison, and now she was twisting it nervously in her hands, gazing up at the high inner wall.
"It's at least thirty, maybe forty feet high." Arden noted, "But I'm probably not helping, am I?"
Everyone agreed.
Poppy took a deep breath, and said, "Listen, they have archer's windows along the top wall, before thy demolished the ladders to the ledges, archers used them to fend off long range attacks, so we just need to find an archer's port along the top wall, then we can throw our rope up, wrapping the rope around the window, grappling hook style, then we can climb up onto the ledge."
Everyone seemed to be okay with this, so Poppy picked up a heavy rock from the ground, and tied it securely to the rope.
Victoria accepted the rope from Poppy, and she swung it confidently. She let it fly towards the window. It came up a few inches short, and Victoria narrowed her eyes as the rope fell back down to earth.
She grabbed it midair, and swung it up again. This time, it hooked securely around the window ledge, and Victoria immediately started scaling along the stone wall.
The three girls still with their feet on the ground called up nervous encouragements.
As soon as she reached the ledge, she perched on the space, which couldn't have been more than a foot.
"Okay, everybody come up and then will throw the rope over the other side and we'll climb down!"
Paisley went next, then Arden, and finally Poppy.
They crowded the tiny ledge, and it took a few minutes to swing the rope over the other side.
They climbed down, Poppy first, then Victoria, Paisley and Arden.
Finally, they landed on the soft grass of the valley separating the inner wall and the outer wall.
Arden sighed, saying, "Come one, we'll find somewhere to camp for the night, then we'll find somewhere to get out of this place."

Ironhollow 30

Victoria drew a knife out of her boot.

Paisley, Arden and Poppy stared at her. "Uh, why...?" Paisley asked. 

Victoria shrugged. "I kept it in a sheath when Poppy and I still lived down here. I keep it in my boot now that we live in the Artisan's branch; it seemed less obvious." 

Victoria strode over to the heavy wooden door, and jammed her knife into the wood. The rotting wood broke as she forced her knife through. 

Removing her knife, she tore apart the wood with her bare hands. A moment later, Poppy joined her, and the sisters tore apart the old door as the Porters stared. 

Finally, it fell off it's hinges, and the four girls walked out into the stone corridor of the Lower Levels prison. 

They crept along the cold corridor, checking for guards, but no one was around. "No guards? I guess we weren't that important." Arden whispered. 

"How long were we in there?" Paisley wondered. 

Poppy immediately answered, "All night, so about ten hours. You fell asleep, so no wonder you only remember an hour or two." 

"Wait, shouldn't they have started the Lower Level invasion already?" Victoria gasped. 

Arden nodded slowly, "That would make sense why no ones down here." 

Poppy gulped. "We have to get Sir Prescott and his Army, right away." 

Sorry!

No post this morning, but you can expect one in the afternoon!

Ironhollow 29

Paisley and Arden sat together in the corner of the cell, gloom hovering over them like a cloud.
Suddenly, Poppy broke the silence, rushing up to them, and crashing into Arden. "Watch it!" Arden yelped.
Poppy didn't look fazed, she just grinned. "We have to escape!" She said excitedly.
"You think?" Arden said, picking her self up off the floor.
Poppy seemed to vibrate with happy energy. "Yeah, but now we really have to!"
Before either of the Porters could respond, Victoria walked up.
"What's Poppy-" Victoria's question was cut short as her little sister exclaimed to her, "Sir Prescott!"
Arden looked bewilder. "Okay, I am totally lost! What are we talking about?!" She growled.
Paisley, on the other hand, looked interested, "Sir Prescott of Pinecliff, the closest thing this country has to a king?"
Poppy nodded. Victoria stared at her little sister. "You don't think...?"
Poppy just smiled at her sister.
"Sir Prescott has a huge private army, and...let's just say we've got connections with him."

Ironhollow 28

Hey, Poppy here-
We've been thrown in jail.
Yep, right now we're sitting in a cell in the Lower Level's prison. Goldie is not here with us, and I'm not sure whether we can trust her anymore.
I think the Porters blame us for this, and I guess we are kind of to blame, seeing as we brought them to Goldie, and had her take us to see the council. I still can't believe that the council is doing such a horrible thing. To think, right now hundreds of pretend Norshiren soldiers are marching around my city, and tomorrow, the Lower Levels will flood onto the streets of the Upper city, and take over.
I wonder if they've even consulted any of the Lower Level population about this; maybe they're planning on springing it on them, and if so, they will be havoc everywhere.
What we need is an army, but we- wait, Victoria and I are distant cousins of the royal family, who live on this huge estate a few miles from the city. And guess what they have- A private Army!
I have to go tell everyone- right now they're just moping in the corners of the cell!
  -Poppy C.

More Characters!

I've added some minor characters to the Characters page- check it out!

Ironhollow 27

Arden stared, horrified, at the council.
"You're going to take over the city?! You can't do that-"
The big man with the beard raised a bushy eyebrow. "Oh? And why not?"
Arden moved her hands expressively as she talked, "The city would be in shambles in a month, you need the support of the city and-"
Earysta, the young woman with the vibrant red hair interrupted her, "But we do have the support. No one up there has bothered to notice, but we have more people down here than in the Upper City. Once we bring everyone up, we'll easily overwhelm the population. We'll have most of them leave to some of the smaller cities."
Paisley asked something Arden had been wondering for a while, "Why haven't the Norshiren soldiers come down here, into the Lower Levels?"
The old woman cackled. "They know their instructions, and that isn't one of them. So easy to find a few thousand thugs for hire these days, you know, all you need to do is dress them up, and there you have it- a Norshiren army!" She said in a warbly voice.
Paisley narrowed her eyes. "How could you be so disloyal to your country? Taking over the capital city will hardly win you any favor."
Earysta glared at Paisley. "We are being loyal; this city has been headed for ruin for years, and we are...simply doing it a favor." She smiled sweetly, her malice obvious in her eyes.

End date?

Hey readers! If anyone was wondering when I would stop Ironhollow, I'm planning on starting up a new story (and of course ending Ironhollow) at the end of May.
If you have any ideas for the new story, comment!

Ironhollow 26

Paisley fell into step with Goldie down in the catacombs.
"So, this council, they, er, have their meetings down here?" Paisley asked. Goldie nodded.
"And why doesn't the rest of Ironhollow know about them? Why are they so secretive?" Paisley pressed on.
Goldie narrowed her blue eyes. "They haven't kept themselves secret, people just refuse to notice them. That's what it's  like for the entire Lower Levels! No one wants to deal with the unimportant population of the Lower Levels." Goldie said, anger rising in her tone.
Suddenly, Paisley spotted a door at the end of the winding tunnel.
"At last!" Arden exclaimed.
Goldie opened the door to reveal a round chamber with stone floors, a high ceiling and a fire pit in the center of the room, surrounded by three armchairs. In the first armchair sat a big man with a red beard to match his size, in the second armchair sat a hunched old woman, with wispy, fading red hair. In the third sat a young woman, maybe twenty, also with red hair, but her's was more a fiery orange. They stared at the group of girls.
"This is the Council of the Lower Levels." Goldie said with a dramatic sweep of her hand.
"Golden Harris, why have you brought these people among us?" the man asked loudly, "Look at their clothes, they are not Lower Levelers."
Paisley and Arden were still wearing their banquet dresses.
"They wish to know of Operation Iron." Goldie said, then she stepped forward and whispered something in the old woman's ear.
The old woman looked off-balance for a moment, before heaving a sigh and saying, "Tell them, Earysta."
The young woman nodded, and launched into the tale: "Many years ago, when this council was only my father and grandmother, the law had been passes that no Lower Leveler could enter the Upper City with clearance from the government. Why? For fear that any illnesses would get transferred to the Upper population. This sparked anger within the Lower Levels,and a plan was devised; if ever the city was attacked, we would take advantage of the weakness in the city. We would go up into the city for the first time in years. We would place someone in the government building, and in the confusion, they would only be seen as a random politician. And we would finally have someone on the inside."
Arden shrugged. "That doesn't sound too bad."
Earysta continued, "That was stage one. Stage two, we take over the government, holding most important politicians in the main chamber. The city would be ours."