Day 12

Finally! For the first time in NaNo2011 I have hit pace! Sitting at 20226 words, 226 over today's goal! I just started writing the flashback scene which I am very excited about so hopefully my word count will sky rocket. This head cold still has me feeling whipped so I'm going to head to bed instead of diving fully into the flashback. But since I am back on pace for the first time I thought I would post the beginning section from the novel..
-----------------------

A thick fog hung over the vast meadow. Tall sepia grains fluttered in the soft breeze as it danced across the plain. Dawn was breaking over the tree line, beams of light streaking the landscape. The sky was a watercolor of green, magenta and aqua as the orange sun burst forth from the horizon.

There she sat on the edge of the forest, watching as the plain came alive. Her delicate hands were folded on her ankle, long slender fingers wrapped around it while her chin rested on one upturned knee. Her feet were together so that her knees made a V, the one pointing upwards while the other pointed parallel to the tree line. An oval face stretched up from the chin, her pointed and almost triangle shaped nose only served to enhance the appearance of her high cheekbones. Large, egg shaped eyes stared forward with an immeasurable intensity. Her light violet eyes were a stark contrast to her deep bronze skin, making them appear larger than they actually were. Chestnut color hair, that was straight as an arrow, framed her face and fell to her waist line, barely touching the ground as she sat.

The thick fog would normally hide the early morning creatures as they crept through the grass. But her keen eyesight saw most of them. Those that she eyes missed, her ears would hear. One hand reached up and pushed the thick strands of hair away from her ear, which was curved in a crescent shape pressed against the side of her head. The oversized and curved shape of the pinna allowed her ears to pick up the smallest of sounds. Insects were buzzing while darting between the flowers. Fluttering wings and sweet songs emanated from the various birds as they awoke to face the morning.

She watched as the durbunke scurried hurriedly through the grass towards his burrow. The short rodent creature was robust and rotund with small claws that scratched the soil with each step. One claw was oversized, a taller curving arch that kept it permanently exposed on the paw, to help it break through the shells of its favorite mollusk treats. It was a night dwelling creature and would return to its underground shelter throughout the day.

The majestic nanotori strutted out from the tree line, lazily walking into the field to munch on the delectable persimmon colored oshi flowers which had three large petals that drooped towards the ground. This quadruped stood almost 8 feet in height, and this was a small one, with a short black fur coat and two fuzzy, stubby horns coming off the top of its head. Their noses appeared as if they had been smashed against a rock, permanently crinkled and always bright yellow. The yellow underbelly and tail let her know this was a male as females were white underneath. The nanotori munched on the flowers, his tail swishing to keep the buzzing insects away.

“TORI!!!!!” a shrill, booming voice broke through the peace of the morning sequence and elicited a small sigh from the young lady. Rising to her full seven and a half feet in height, she stretched her back. Her name being called had shattered the scene, driving all of the small creatures back to their hiding spots. All except the nanotori who only looked at her in annoyance as he continued his breakfast.

“My apologies, my mother can be most persistent,” Tori’s blue lips curled up into a smile for the creature, though she knew he could not understand her. Turning on her heel, she sprinted on her four long toes through the woods; her long legs moved the landscape quickly beneath her.