Free Aliandra: nymph: Book 1 The Nymph chronicles by Jacqueline Marshall Page A

at the Main Street Casino" said Ali shyly.
     
    "Mr. Gorgeous? My little sister is dating a total hunk? I heard he was a player with the ladies" stated Lacy.
     
    "Not now. He will be informing all his ex-ladies that he is out of circulation. At the tribal lodges he is very different there" said Ali.
     
    "Ali, you just be careful around the men folk. Take your time" advised ma.
     
    "Yes, ma'am" smiled Ali.
     
    Over the next few days ma and pa sat back listening contentedly to Ali's stories of the tribal realm and immortals while Lacy and Chet continuously fired questions at her. Ali demonstrated some of the tribal dances to Lacy and ma. The last day her ma arranged an islander feast night for their relatives and the other islanders of Eureka to attend. Lot's of the little girls wore their grass skirts and performed the sinuous island dances while the boys played drums or danced beside them. Ali's ma and sister pulled her up to dance with their female relatives. The night was a replay of many previous feast nights that made it a real homecoming to Ali. Her heart felt full.
     
    The final morning Ali was up well before dawn to saddle her steeds. Ma and pa were up to see her off and make certain she was bundled up warmly.
     
    "Don't forget to telegraph the main lodge to tell them I am returning today" reminded Ali.
     
    "I will do that before I start work in town. No doubt I will be meeting up with your young man soon enough. We will invite him over for dinner if he stays in town" said her pa.
     
    "Yes. That is a good idea. At your next island feast night invite Kitch and Trak too. I think they would enjoy it. Teach them our dances" laughed Ali.
     
    Ali gave her folks a big hug each and mounted up and tied the reins of the trailing steed onto her saddle. "It will be a long while before I can make it back. Donny said he will visit me as often as he can on campus. Kitch will be a student there too. When you invite them over you can pump them for information about my progress. I have a long way to go and I am sure I will have to do extra study to keep up since I am mortal-born. I love y'all." Ali galloped off as her folks watched her figure slowly disappear into the dust.
     
    Ali had got such an early start the multipeds were still active in the dimness. She unpacked the bag with the glow worms and left a trail behind her to distract them. When a large multiped charged, she hurled a handful of glow worms at it. Her steeds were spooked. She hooked the bag of glow worms onto her pommel and slung her bow over her back in readiness for another charge. Ali decided to go more slowly until sunup chased the multipeds back into their burrows. Any dark patches on the landscape she assumed was a multiped and rode around it.
     
    Dawn finally broke over the desert and the multipeds scurried away. Ali picked up the pace and the steeds settled into a steady canter. Ali changed steeds regularly again and didn't stop until the sun was high. She stopped for a short time to water her steeds and she pushed on again. She was making good time and could see the mountain pass when the trailing stead shied at the corpse of a multiped. The steed bolted and soon stepped in a pot hole. The steed hobbled around once it stood up again. Ali rode after it and dismounted quickly to check its legs . Just lame, not broken . Ali took the reins and remounted. She figured they would make it in time if they took it slowly. Ali rode with the trailing steed at a walk. She tried increasing the pace to a trot but the steed groaned with pain and limped heavily. Hours passed and the mountain pass was still some distance away. Ali trailed the rest of her cache of glow worms along the ground and hoped for the best as the sun began to set. Ali got out her bow and arrows in readiness.
     
    As the sun began to set, Ali heard galloping hoof beats heading her way. Donny, Trak and Kitch were riding straight at her. As Donny reined in he asked "What is the hold-up,