I sat under the tree as my best friend, Tanaquil, babbled on about the future visit of the Royal Aspen family at our school.
"I can't believe it! The Aspens are going to come to Briar Academy!" she said for the millionth time. "I can't believe it!"
"Well I can," Octavia, another one of my friends, said. "It is the time for the Royal Aspen's annual school visitings. They do it every year and somehow, this year, they chose our school."
"It's going to be great!" Tanaquil repeated. "I heard that Princess Rose is going to be there as well. Isn't that amazing? Just think, we'll be walking on the same ground a princess walked on!"
It wouldn't be that amazing I thought. What really would be amazing would be to walk on the ground beyond the river.
I turned to look at the forest that surrounded Xena City. Past the trees was the river. The river that the Society of Aspen never allowed us eeveelutions to look at or question. But I knew it wasn't right. We were told that nobody has ever survived a day past the river. They said that the land beyond the river was dangerous. But I didn't believe that.
"Uh, Symphony? Are you even listening?" Tanaquil said. I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, yeah. I just dozed off for a little," I said. Tanaquil glanced at Octavia before looking back at me.
"Doesn't seem like it," she murmured. She got up from the grassy ground and shook her red pelt. Octavia did the same. When I didn't get up, they glared at me. "Well, aren't you going to come?" Octavia asked me.
"Come where?" I asked.
"To Ruby's house. Tatiana told us that she and Ruby were going to have a little get together. Are you coming or not?" Tanaquil explained.
I shook my head. "No thanks. I have to get back home. My aunt would be mad if I went somewhere without her knowing."
But Tanaquil and Octavia were already walking away. I sighed and started walking toward the trees. I was going to the one place that took most of my worries away. The river.
"I can't believe it! The Aspens are going to come to Briar Academy!" she said for the millionth time. "I can't believe it!"
"Well I can," Octavia, another one of my friends, said. "It is the time for the Royal Aspen's annual school visitings. They do it every year and somehow, this year, they chose our school."
"It's going to be great!" Tanaquil repeated. "I heard that Princess Rose is going to be there as well. Isn't that amazing? Just think, we'll be walking on the same ground a princess walked on!"
It wouldn't be that amazing I thought. What really would be amazing would be to walk on the ground beyond the river.
I turned to look at the forest that surrounded Xena City. Past the trees was the river. The river that the Society of Aspen never allowed us eeveelutions to look at or question. But I knew it wasn't right. We were told that nobody has ever survived a day past the river. They said that the land beyond the river was dangerous. But I didn't believe that.
"Uh, Symphony? Are you even listening?" Tanaquil said. I snapped out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, yeah. I just dozed off for a little," I said. Tanaquil glanced at Octavia before looking back at me.
"Doesn't seem like it," she murmured. She got up from the grassy ground and shook her red pelt. Octavia did the same. When I didn't get up, they glared at me. "Well, aren't you going to come?" Octavia asked me.
"Come where?" I asked.
"To Ruby's house. Tatiana told us that she and Ruby were going to have a little get together. Are you coming or not?" Tanaquil explained.
I shook my head. "No thanks. I have to get back home. My aunt would be mad if I went somewhere without her knowing."
But Tanaquil and Octavia were already walking away. I sighed and started walking toward the trees. I was going to the one place that took most of my worries away. The river.
