"In the Midlands, No One Can Hear You Scream" - Legend of the Seeker Fic (G)
Disclaimer: Legend of the Seeker belongs to Terry Goodkind and all the grand high mucky mucks of ABC. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money was made from this. Any similarity to any story not my own is a coincidence. And all of this amounts to: just playing around here, please don't sue. *wry grin*
Title: In the Midlands, No One Can Hear You Scream
Genre: Gen
Rating: G
Timeline: Just sometime during the series after we meet Renn
Author's Notes: Written for a legendland challenge. Based on the story of "The Golden Arm" Oh and the title is of course based on "in space, no one can hear you scream."
Renn looked around the circle, his eyes reflecting each flicker of firelight. His friends met his thoughtful gaze fearlessly and giggled as he tried to catch their thoughts.
“No cheating,” Kat said with a smile as Renn frowned, meeting all their mental blocks. The small boy leaned back, letting the shadows fill the hallows of his face. He let the silence build until he could feel his friends lean forward, edging toward the fire.
“You think gars are scary? Renn asked quietly.
The Listener flicked his eyes around the circle, trying to read expressions rather than thoughts. He grinned a bit mischievously when he saw their reactions.
“That banelings are terrifying?” He continued softly.
The boy scooted even farther back into the shadows, grinning as his companions sought the light in response.
“I'm scared of the Golden Lady...”
Renn waited for someone to ask, and was not disappointed.
“The Golden Lady?” Janelle, the youngest asked. “Who's she, Renn?”
“She's one of the servants of the Keeper and she haunts the fires of the Midlands, looking for her golden arm...”
All the children eyed the campfire a bit nervously as Renn continued.
“She was an ugly girl, and more than anything, she wanted to be pretty, because she thought that maybe then, some old rich guy would marry her.
So one night she prayed to the Keeper and asked him to make her pretty. And you know what he did? He took her human arm, and gave her one of gold instead. As long as she had the golden arm, everyone thought she was pretty.”
“You're makin' that up,” Max accused.
“I ain't... I heard it... when I was Listening,” Renn insisted with a smile.
“So it worked. And did someone marry her?” Kat interrupted.
Renn looked to the eldest amongst them.
“Yup, and they were happy 'til the girl started to get old and wrinkly. And the guy, he got to thinking. He didn't really want the ugly old thing did he? He really just wanted that golden arm. So he killed her and took the arm. Then he burned her body in the fire.”
Renn shifted a little closer the campfire himself.
“But then... all the fires in his house, they started burning green, like the fires of the Underworld. And he started hearing her voice in the flames...”
“Who's got my golden arm... he'd hear... Who's got my golden arm?” Renn chanted in a low sing-song voice.
“And he kept hearing it, so he moved. But even in his new house, he'd hear her asking... who's got my golden arm?”
By now, all the children had started to lean forward reluctantly as Renn pitched his voice low, wanting to hear, but not wanting to be any closer to the campfire than they had to be.
“And no matter how many times he moved, he'd always hear her voice... who's got my golden arm... Got to be, he was too scared to light any fire at all, and all he had left was the golden arm, 'cause he kept using all his money to move, so he sold it to a traveling merchant.”
“Well then, who's got it now?” Max asked.
Renn shrugged.
“Don't know... and neither does the Golden Lady. That's why she haunts all the fires of the Midlands, searching for it, always asking... who's got my golden arm... who's got my golden arm...”
Renn started to chant, quieter and quieter, making all his friends lean in to hear his voice. And just as he was about shout the chant and startle his friends as the game dictated, the fire popped and flickered green...
Title: In the Midlands, No One Can Hear You Scream
Genre: Gen
Rating: G
Timeline: Just sometime during the series after we meet Renn
Author's Notes: Written for a legendland challenge. Based on the story of "The Golden Arm" Oh and the title is of course based on "in space, no one can hear you scream."
Renn looked around the circle, his eyes reflecting each flicker of firelight. His friends met his thoughtful gaze fearlessly and giggled as he tried to catch their thoughts.
“No cheating,” Kat said with a smile as Renn frowned, meeting all their mental blocks. The small boy leaned back, letting the shadows fill the hallows of his face. He let the silence build until he could feel his friends lean forward, edging toward the fire.
“You think gars are scary? Renn asked quietly.
The Listener flicked his eyes around the circle, trying to read expressions rather than thoughts. He grinned a bit mischievously when he saw their reactions.
“That banelings are terrifying?” He continued softly.
The boy scooted even farther back into the shadows, grinning as his companions sought the light in response.
“I'm scared of the Golden Lady...”
Renn waited for someone to ask, and was not disappointed.
“The Golden Lady?” Janelle, the youngest asked. “Who's she, Renn?”
“She's one of the servants of the Keeper and she haunts the fires of the Midlands, looking for her golden arm...”
All the children eyed the campfire a bit nervously as Renn continued.
“She was an ugly girl, and more than anything, she wanted to be pretty, because she thought that maybe then, some old rich guy would marry her.
So one night she prayed to the Keeper and asked him to make her pretty. And you know what he did? He took her human arm, and gave her one of gold instead. As long as she had the golden arm, everyone thought she was pretty.”
“You're makin' that up,” Max accused.
“I ain't... I heard it... when I was Listening,” Renn insisted with a smile.
“So it worked. And did someone marry her?” Kat interrupted.
Renn looked to the eldest amongst them.
“Yup, and they were happy 'til the girl started to get old and wrinkly. And the guy, he got to thinking. He didn't really want the ugly old thing did he? He really just wanted that golden arm. So he killed her and took the arm. Then he burned her body in the fire.”
Renn shifted a little closer the campfire himself.
“But then... all the fires in his house, they started burning green, like the fires of the Underworld. And he started hearing her voice in the flames...”
“Who's got my golden arm... he'd hear... Who's got my golden arm?” Renn chanted in a low sing-song voice.
“And he kept hearing it, so he moved. But even in his new house, he'd hear her asking... who's got my golden arm?”
By now, all the children had started to lean forward reluctantly as Renn pitched his voice low, wanting to hear, but not wanting to be any closer to the campfire than they had to be.
“And no matter how many times he moved, he'd always hear her voice... who's got my golden arm... Got to be, he was too scared to light any fire at all, and all he had left was the golden arm, 'cause he kept using all his money to move, so he sold it to a traveling merchant.”
“Well then, who's got it now?” Max asked.
Renn shrugged.
“Don't know... and neither does the Golden Lady. That's why she haunts all the fires of the Midlands, searching for it, always asking... who's got my golden arm... who's got my golden arm...”
Renn started to chant, quieter and quieter, making all his friends lean in to hear his voice. And just as he was about shout the chant and startle his friends as the game dictated, the fire popped and flickered green...