A wry smile crossed her face. "Oh, it's true. Plenty have used the knucklebones of dragons to see one's future. Dragons, you see..." She put down the bag she was holding and looked at him. "...Aren't from this world. They come from different realms, and a few can even travel between worlds. Now, dragons realm-traveling is very rare, even more rare than people realm-traveling...It'd take a very special dragon to be able to cross worlds at will."
Cole was bemused by her cryptic words, and tried to comprehend the meaning. "So...are you saying that there are more worlds out there? And people can travel to them? How do you know that?"
She glanced away from him. "Some secrets are better kept secret."
Frustrated, he sighed, knowing full well that he wouldn't get another word about different realms out of the woman. His gaze fell onto the knucklebones, sitting innocently on the log. He sat quietly for a bit before his curiosity got the best of him. He glanced up at Matilda, who was now swiftly repairing a tear in a shirt. With a hint of hesitation, he asked. "Could you tell my future from those bones?"
She paused her sewing and eyed him sternly. "I suppose I could...But you must know, terrible things can come from learning one's future. It is not a decision you should take lightly."
He glanced back at the bones. Should he, or shouldn't he? That was the question. (No "Hamlet" pun intended.) On one hand, it would be wiser to leave the bones alone and forget about them. On the other hand, if he didn't take the chance, he could be haunted by the choice forevermore, and wonder in vain what the bones would have said.
"I'll risk it." He stated firmly.
She gazed intently at him, her almond-brown eyes shining in the firelight. "Very well." She seated herself on the log and grabbed the little bones while he scooted back to give her some space. She narrowed her eyes, then whispered a collection of strange words Cole couldn't grasp.
The unfamiliar words echoed in Cole's head, and he shivered. Whatever language Matilda was speaking, it sounded powerful.
She rolled the bones in her palm, chanting softly, then suddenly tossed them onto the log. They fell into a jumbled order, bouncing together before settling. She then leaned forward and scrutinized the bones. For what felt like several long minuets she gazed at them, still and silent, her eyes flickering over each bone. Finally she sat up. "You, my friend..." She sighed. "...Have a very complicated future ahead you. Merlin's beard," She shook her head. "That was probably one of the hardest fortunes to see. Mmph."
Cole licked his lips nervously. "Well?"
She first pointed to a bone with runes he couldn't make out in the dark light. "Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you'll live a long life. Not unusually long, of course, but long enough for you to learn to think before you act."
She then smiled. "Hmm...you have a romance ahead of you."
Cole snorted incredulously.
She raised an eye brow. "You doubt?"
He shrugged. "Sorry...But I don't think any chick is going to fall for me. I'm not..." He hesitated. "...I just don't think any girl would become attached to somebody like me."
She frowned. "Shush, boy, I'm fortune-telling here." She turned back to the bones. "As I was saying, before so rudely interrupted," She muttered. "You have an epic romance ahead of you...whether it ends in happiness or tragedy, I cannot say."
"Hopefully not the latter."
"Quiet! Do you want to hear you fortune or not?!"
"Sor-ree."
She pointed to two other carved bones, whose corners touched. "You will meet three strangers..." She murmured. "...And they will become closer than brothers."
As she inclined her head to the other bones, Cole leaned forward, holding his breath. 'Three strangers becoming closer than brothers?' He repeated inside.
"...A warrior of green and gold will change your life forever. Fate will be decided, and nothing will be as it was once before."
By the time the half moon was rising into the starry sky, Matilda had finished cooking the bulgogi and served it in the flower-patterned bowls. She and Cole seated themselves at the fallen log on small pillows, and ate the spicy chicken and rice gladly, for their stomachs had been complaining loudly for several hours. Night birds screeched and called to one another whilst they washed and dried the china dishes in river water. Cole could hear Matilda frequently mutter to herself, sometimes even humming that tune she was singing the other night.
Bellies full and thirst quenched, they sat down by the fire, Cole on one side and Matilda on the other. The latter was going through her little bag, pulling out items and rearranging them, mumbling to herself. At one point she pulled out a small, blue velvet sack and tossed on the log, just next to where Cole was sitting. Curious, he picked up the little bag and opened it, while Matilda was digging through her things. He untied the string and dropped the contents onto his palm. A handful of strange, white stones rolled onto his hand, covered in peculiar runes and squiggles. He furrowed his thick eyebrows and scrutinized the little block-like stones.
"Matilda...what are these?" He held out his hand.
She snapped her head up, stared at the stones, and growled. "Don't you know not to touch things that aren't yours? Hsst..."
"Sorry," He apologized. "I was just curious."
"Curiosity smashed the cat, you know." She muttered crossly. "For all you know, those could be explosives that are about to set off in ten seconds."
"What are they? They don't look like explosives."
She snorted. "No. They're knucklebones. Dragon knucklebones."
Cole, suddenly disgusted, hastily dropped the bones onto the log.
Her mouth curved into an amused smile. "Do I smell a hint of fear, brave warrior?"
"Shut up," He snapped. "Why are you carrying those things anyway?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Dragon knucklebones...have been known to tell one's future."
There's nothing more awkward than sitting next to somebody who's talking to themselves.
The unfamiliar words echoed in Cole's head, and he shivered. Whatever language Matilda was speaking, it sounded powerful.
She rolled the bones in her palm, chanting softly, then suddenly tossed them onto the log. They fell into a jumbled order, bouncing together before settling. She then leaned forward and scrutinized the bones. For what felt like several long minuets she gazed at them, still and silent, her eyes flickering over each bone. Finally she sat up. "You, my friend..." She sighed. "...Have a very complicated future ahead you. Merlin's beard," She shook her head. "That was probably one of the hardest fortunes to see. Mmph."
Cole licked his lips nervously. "Well?"
She first pointed to a bone with runes he couldn't make out in the dark light. "Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you'll live a long life. Not unusually long, of course, but long enough for you to learn to think before you act."
She then smiled. "Hmm...you have a romance ahead of you."
Cole snorted incredulously.
She raised an eye brow. "You doubt?"
He shrugged. "Sorry...But I don't think any chick is going to fall for me. I'm not..." He hesitated. "...I just don't think any girl would become attached to somebody like me."
She frowned. "Shush, boy, I'm fortune-telling here." She turned back to the bones. "As I was saying, before so rudely interrupted," She muttered. "You have an epic romance ahead of you...whether it ends in happiness or tragedy, I cannot say."
"Hopefully not the latter."
"Quiet! Do you want to hear you fortune or not?!"
"Sor-ree."
She pointed to two other carved bones, whose corners touched. "You will meet three strangers..." She murmured. "...And they will become closer than brothers."
As she inclined her head to the other bones, Cole leaned forward, holding his breath. 'Three strangers becoming closer than brothers?' He repeated inside.
"...A warrior of green and gold will change your life forever. Fate will be decided, and nothing will be as it was once before."
By the time the half moon was rising into the starry sky, Matilda had finished cooking the bulgogi and served it in the flower-patterned bowls. She and Cole seated themselves at the fallen log on small pillows, and ate the spicy chicken and rice gladly, for their stomachs had been complaining loudly for several hours. Night birds screeched and called to one another whilst they washed and dried the china dishes in river water. Cole could hear Matilda frequently mutter to herself, sometimes even humming that tune she was singing the other night.
Bellies full and thirst quenched, they sat down by the fire, Cole on one side and Matilda on the other. The latter was going through her little bag, pulling out items and rearranging them, mumbling to herself. At one point she pulled out a small, blue velvet sack and tossed on the log, just next to where Cole was sitting. Curious, he picked up the little bag and opened it, while Matilda was digging through her things. He untied the string and dropped the contents onto his palm. A handful of strange, white stones rolled onto his hand, covered in peculiar runes and squiggles. He furrowed his thick eyebrows and scrutinized the little block-like stones.
"Matilda...what are these?" He held out his hand.
She snapped her head up, stared at the stones, and growled. "Don't you know not to touch things that aren't yours? Hsst..."
"Sorry," He apologized. "I was just curious."
"Curiosity smashed the cat, you know." She muttered crossly. "For all you know, those could be explosives that are about to set off in ten seconds."
"What are they? They don't look like explosives."
She snorted. "No. They're knucklebones. Dragon knucklebones."
Cole, suddenly disgusted, hastily dropped the bones onto the log.
Her mouth curved into an amused smile. "Do I smell a hint of fear, brave warrior?"
"Shut up," He snapped. "Why are you carrying those things anyway?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Dragon knucklebones...have been known to tell one's future."
There's nothing more awkward than sitting next to somebody who's talking to themselves.
The unfamiliar words echoed in Cole's head, and he shivered. Whatever language Matilda was speaking, it sounded powerful.
She rolled the bones in her palm, chanting softly, then suddenly tossed them onto the log. They fell into a jumbled order, bouncing together before settling. She then leaned forward and scrutinized the bones. For what felt like several long minuets she gazed at them, still and silent, her eyes flickering over each bone. Finally she sat up. "You, my friend..." She sighed. "...Have a very complicated future ahead you. Merlin's beard," She shook her head. "That was probably one of the hardest fortunes to see. Mmph."
Cole licked his lips nervously. "Well?"
She first pointed to a bone with runes he couldn't make out in the dark light. "Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you'll live a long life. Not unusually long, of course, but long enough for you to learn to think before you act."
She then smiled. "Hmm...you have a romance ahead of you."
Cole snorted incredulously.
She raised an eye brow. "You doubt?"
He shrugged. "Sorry...But I don't think any chick is going to fall for me. I'm not..." He hesitated. "...I just don't think any girl would become attached to somebody like me."
She frowned. "Shush, boy, I'm fortune-telling here." She turned back to the bones. "As I was saying, before so rudely interrupted," She muttered. "You have an epic romance ahead of you...whether it ends in happiness or tragedy, I cannot say."
"Hopefully not the latter."
"Quiet! Do you want to hear you fortune or not?!"
"Sor-ree."
She pointed to two other carved bones, whose corners touched. "You will meet three strangers..." She murmured. "...And they will become closer than brothers."
As she inclined her head to the other bones, Cole leaned forward, holding his breath. 'Three strangers becoming closer than brothers?' He repeated inside.
"...A warrior of green and gold will change your life forever. Fate will be decided, and nothing will be as it was once before."
The unfamiliar words echoed in Cole's head, and he shivered. Whatever language Matilda was speaking, it sounded powerful.
She rolled the bones in her palm, chanting softly, then suddenly tossed them onto the log. They fell into a jumbled order, bouncing together before settling. She then leaned forward and scrutinized the bones. For what felt like several long minuets she gazed at them, still and silent, her eyes flickering over each bone. Finally she sat up. "You, my friend..." She sighed. "...Have a very complicated future ahead you. Merlin's beard," She shook her head. "That was probably one of the hardest fortunes to see. Mmph."
Cole licked his lips nervously. "Well?"
She first pointed to a bone with runes he couldn't make out in the dark light. "Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you'll live a long life. Not unusually long, of course, but long enough for you to learn to think before you act."
She then smiled. "Hmm...you have a romance ahead of you."
Cole snorted incredulously.
She raised an eye brow. "You doubt?"
He shrugged. "Sorry...But I don't think any chick is going to fall for me. I'm not..." He hesitated. "...I just don't think any girl would become attached to somebody like me."
She frowned. "Shush, boy, I'm fortune-telling here." She turned back to the bones. "As I was saying, before so rudely interrupted," She muttered. "You have an epic romance ahead of you...whether it ends in happiness or tragedy, I cannot say."
"Hopefully not the latter."
"Quiet! Do you want to hear you fortune or not?!"
"Sor-ree."
She pointed to two other carved bones, whose corners touched. "You will meet three strangers..." She murmured. "...And they will become closer than brothers."
As she inclined her head to the other bones, Cole leaned forward, holding his breath. 'Three strangers becoming closer than brothers?' He repeated inside.
"...A warrior of green and gold will change your life forever. Fate will be decided, and nothing will be as it was once before."
I forgot how good this part was! Yeah he does have quite the future ahead of him...
Most of the time I did, because it was when my parents weren't home. There was this one time I didn't, but that was because I brought the matches into the classroom where the homeschool group was having class and the teacher saw me.
The unfamiliar words echoed in Cole's head, and he shivered. Whatever language Matilda was speaking, it sounded powerful.
She rolled the bones in her palm, chanting softly, then suddenly tossed them onto the log. They fell into a jumbled order, bouncing together before settling. She then leaned forward and scrutinized the bones. For what felt like several long minuets she gazed at them, still and silent, her eyes flickering over each bone. Finally she sat up. "You, my friend..." She sighed. "...Have a very complicated future ahead you. Merlin's beard," She shook her head. "That was probably one of the hardest fortunes to see. Mmph."
Cole licked his lips nervously. "Well?"
She first pointed to a bone with runes he couldn't make out in the dark light. "Better decide on a future, kid, because this says you'll live a long life. Not unusually long, of course, but long enough for you to learn to think before you act."
She then smiled. "Hmm...you have a romance ahead of you."
Cole snorted incredulously.
She raised an eye brow. "You doubt?"
He shrugged. "Sorry...But I don't think any chick is going to fall for me. I'm not..." He hesitated. "...I just don't think any girl would become attached to somebody like me."
She frowned. "Shush, boy, I'm fortune-telling here." She turned back to the bones. "As I was saying, before so rudely interrupted," She muttered. "You have an epic romance ahead of you...whether it ends in happiness or tragedy, I cannot say."
"Hopefully not the latter."
"Quiet! Do you want to hear you fortune or not?!"
"Sor-ree."
She pointed to two other carved bones, whose corners touched. "You will meet three strangers..." She murmured. "...And they will become closer than brothers."
As she inclined her head to the other bones, Cole leaned forward, holding his breath. 'Three strangers becoming closer than brothers?' He repeated inside.
"...A warrior of green and gold will change your life forever. Fate will be decided, and nothing will be as it was once before."
I forgot how good this part was! Yeah he does have quite the future ahead of him...
Yeah he does have quite the future ahead of him... 
}