Penning Tournament - The Natural Disaster Challenge's Results (And Also Miscellaneous Announcements, Such As Happy Birthday, Percy!)

Hello! Unfortunately, on another Penning Tournament Challenge, dear Lucy was unable to complete it. Aww! :( I really wish she had. However, I did complete it, on the other hand.

So here is my excerpt, form a story as of yet unintroduced on this blog (don't worry, it'll come soon!). Here is a link to the Challenge itself if you need a refresher on what it was about.

***

Owain turned to Feotheire. "Feo, you need to get a grip on yourself"

He looked at Feotheire's face. Feo seemed to be just looking over Owain's shoulder. "Feo", Owain repeated himself. "Feo?"

Feotheire looked at Owain quickly. "Owain..." He nodded behind Owain, and began to step slowly away.

What on earth was with Feo? Suddenly a loud noise broke through the air. Owain looked behind him. The mountain behind them was collecting a huge cloud of dust, almost as though... A humongous rumble sounded from it, and the cloud of dust grew greater in volume. The mountain's side then began to slide down, thundering madly. The mountain was coming down!

Owain then turned around and began to run. Soon enough, Feotheire was at his side, also running at an untold speed. And so they both fled, trying to evade the ever-collapsing mountain as it billowed behind them, neither one daring to look back.

"How in Elliar did it start?!", yelled Feotheire to Owain as they sprinted.

Owain looked briefly over at Feotheire with irritation before turning his attentions frantically ahead of him again. "Feo, do you really think I am thinking of that now?!"

There was no answer, and so the only proof Owain had that Feotheire was still right next to him was the sound of Feotheire's rushed breathing - the only sound audible aside from the roaring of the rockslide behind them.

Owain looked back quickly. The mountain was almost upon them, with only mere yards to span the distance. Owain yelled in warning to Feotheire. Feotheire looked back also, and his face paled when he saw the close vicinity of the landslide. Both Owain and Feotheire - despite their doubtless extreme exhaustion - heaved a huge breath and attempted to run faster.

Owain looked ahead The tree line was coming up close. Soon, they would run out of room to run because the tree line was so thick. And then... Well, Owain shuddered to think of what would be then. How could they avoid it, though? The deafening bellow of the falling rock behind them was not any encouragement to Owain's pondering, to be sure.

Owain looked a little to his side. The trees were already beginning to get thicker. Soon enough, they'd be as thick as armor. Wait. Owain looked more closely at the trees - or, at least, as closely as he could while still running. Once they reached the tree line, those trees would be too thick to run through... but thick enough to walk on.

Owain started heading for one of the trees. He jumped into it and climbed up. He signaled to Feotheire. "Feo!", Owain shouted, hoping Feotheire heard him.

Feotheire glanced over while still moving. His eyes widened in surprise, but nonetheless, he soon also leapt atop the tree with Owain. They both looked back, and on seeing the landslide, hastily scurried into the next tree.

The gaps in between the trees were - as of now - too wide to step over, so Owain and Feotheire jumped. They must have looked quite the ludicrous spectacle, bounding from tree to tree frantically, as an enormous cloud of dust and rock ever grew behind them. Owain grimaced to think of what their father would say... or do.

But they went on, now practically deaf to anything the other found the much-sought breath to say, due to the overpowering raging over their shoulders. The landslide had gotten slower with the short time of its existence, to be sure. But it had, however, also gotten much closer to Owain and Feotheire, due to their pause in climbing the trees. But they were getting to the tree line! Soon, they would be able to regain swiftness and get away from the pursuing mountain.

Then, suddenly, a crack issued from the tree that Owain was in. Owain looked down as he was running, right before the branch he was on gave out beneath him. In a mere split-second, Owain was plummeting to the ground, with branches hurtling above him, and scraping, hitting, and bruising him from every side. After a moment of falling blindly, Owain banged into the ground and his sight went black.

The next thing Owain was aware of was opening his eyes to Feotheire dragging him across the ground quickly. Then Feotheire stopped and looked at Owain.

Owain stood up shakily and pushed Feotheire away. "Feo, we need to go!"

He looked behind him They would be crushed if they sat here dawdling even one moment more. And they had now - because of Owain's clumsy footing - lost their best way of escape. The mountain was still coming... and fast.

Owain started to run, though a pain began to rise in his torso. Soon Feotheire ran up beside him. Owain looked ahead. The tree line was so close... They would have to just navigate their way through as swiftly as possible... and hope that the landslide halted soon.

"What about your fall? You could be injured!", Feotheire yelled to Owain over the rumbling of rocks behind them.

'Could be'?, Owain thought to himself sarcastically as another pang went through his chest.

"I'm fine!", however, was the only reply he gave Feotheire.

The mountain was almost done setting though... The question would be whether Owain and Feotheire would be able to remain out of its path until it did finish settling...

They were so close to the tree ling! They would reach it within seconds. Owain began scanning the tree line for an advantageous point of entry. He looked over at Feotheire. Feotheire seemed to be attempting to do the same thing. In all hopes, they would just make it...

After a moment that seemed like an hour, Owain and Feotheire sprinted up to the front of the tree line. Almost immediately after reaching it, both began to comb it for a good way through. The rockslide  thundered ominously, signaling its approach. Both Owain and Feotheire looked back desperately. In a moment where Owain seemed unable to breathe, the landslide rumbled up in front of them, threatening to crush them, and then halted - quite literally - just at their feet.

A large breath of relief was released sharply from Feotheire. Owain looked over at Feotheire wordlessly. Feotheire met his gaze, also silent, apparently likewise unable to speak.

Feotheire, though, after a moment, seemed to recover, and stepped forward onto the heap of rock before them. Then, as soon as Feotheire's foot touched where the rock had been, it immediately vanished, making Feotheire stumble ahead.

Owain blinked in disbelief. He looked up at the mountain. It was completely pristine. As though absolutely nothing had happened.

Feotheire regained his footing, and stood up next to Owain. He looked up at the mountain as well.

"It's as though... It was never really there...", Feotheire spoke quietly, voicing Owain's own thoughts.

That was almost exactly what it was like... But, then, how could that be...? Unless...

"It wasn't ever really there", Owain said plainly.

Feotheire looked over at Owain and furrowed his brow. Then a look of understanding dawned in his eyes. "Lucyth"

Owain looked over at Feotheire and nodded in affirmation. "Lucyth"

***

Well, that's it. :) I hope you liked it! It's from a story I hope to introduce pretty soon. But, anyways, on a different subject, I have some announcements. One of them is the recent birthday of my character, Lord Percy de Blyrwen. On the twenty-fourth, which I meant to blog about, was Percy's birthday. So, happy birthday, Percy! :D

Ahem. Anyways, though, I am also announcing a hiatus. Because I am participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this April, I will be on hiatus for the whole of that month. There may be one more post during the last remaining days of March, and then I'm done until May. I might still be answering comments, so feel free to still stop by, but I will have no new posts. This means a pause in Catholicism Explained; The Penning Tournament; Meet The Books!; character interviews; and, if worst comes to worst, even Beautiful People. Sorry! :P However, like I said, I will be back in May, and, depending on the state of Camp NaNo, and how busy I am, I may or may not be able to convince myself to do Beautiful People (because I can never bear to miss out on them!). But, like I said, probably not, so I wouldn't anticipate it or anything. Anyways, Arrivaderci! :)

What did you think of the excerpt? What do you think of Owain and Feotheire? Do you like the way I did the Natural Disaster Challenge? Do I have comrades in wishing Lucy's writing had also appeared? ;) I'm sorry for the hiatus, and I do hope that you folks can forgive the lack of CE that has already started and will continue because of this.