Jake & Dani's New Year's Resolutions

Recently I sat down with the cast from The Gryphon Chronicles to see what sort of plans and goals the gang had for the new year. Of course, I didn't tell them it was going to be 2013 here in our world. I didn't want to freak them out. To them, it's the middle of the 1870's, in early June. But when one reigns over a fictional world, one can do as one likes. So I insisted on hearing their answers. This is what they said. 

((( NOTE: If you haven't finished reading THE LOST HEIR yet, you might want to skip this post, as it may contain a few hints of SPOILERS!!! )))

Allrighty then, still with me? Here we go.

JAKE: I don't see why I have to do this.

1. Learn better vocabulary and manners if only to humor Great Great Aunt Ramona
2. Continue training with Derek Stone in how to fight because I think I'm going to need it
3. Learn more about the Order of the Yew Tree and my parents' work for them as Lightriders
4. Someday find out what Fionnula Coralbroom was hinting at about my parents maybe still being alive...
5. Keep Archie from killing himself while he's working on his flying machine (the Mighty Pigeon).

 
DANI:  Of course I have goals! Here, I have them written down in my logbook. Let me find the page... got it!

1. Read all the books on one wall of Lady Bradford's library at beautiful Bradford Park.
2. Save half of my money from my new position as lady's companion to Miss Isabelle and send the other half home to Da.
3. Not be such a know-it-all.  (I know it's true.)

RED:

1. Caw
2. Caw
3. Be-caw!

GUARDIAN DEREK STONE: Well...guess I'd say...

1. Stick with the kid and train him as much as possible before I'm called off on my next assignment.
2. Do whatever it takes to keep the Dark Druids from finding out about Jake.
3. Not mess things up with Miss Helena, the children's governess, because I think this excellent young woman might rather like me.

ARCHIE:

1. ​Perfect my Pigeon just in time to impress my fellow scientists at the Invention Convention in Norway coming up in June! (Can't believe I'm finally going to meet THE Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell! And of course see my old pal, Nik Tesla.)
   
2. This one's a secret: Get a little tougher in life, like Jake. Don't tell Dani or she'll make fun of me.

ISABELLE: I'm pretty contented, actually. I don't think I have any particular goals... oh, wait.

1. Help Dani and Jake get used to their new lives among the upper class. Protect them from getting their feelings hurt when people in our world look down on them.
2. Nurse the new baby unicorn back to health. He was just born six weeks ago and has a case of the sniffles, the poor little thing.

Photo credit Domenichino via wikipedia commons.

GLADWIN:

1. I will appreciate my new wings all the more for having lost the old ones.
   
2. Now that I can fly again, I promise myself that I will go places and see things that I always wanted to see instead of putting it off.

MALWORT: Not give Master the keys to escape from his dungeon cell. Malwort loves having Master all to himself! Besides, there's dragons in the woods outside the dungeon. Scarrry! Much safer happy in here together, forever.

Photo credit Aravind Sivaraj via wikipedia commons.

WALDRICK: Kill the stupid spider... I am disowning you, Malwort. LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!

FIONNULA CORALBROOM: Go away! How dare you speak to me? (Followed by a horrendous, eardrum-piercing shriek and the start of a chant, which can't be good, so we quickly egressed.)

LADY BRADFORD (AKA GREAT GREAT AUNT RAMONA): Keep the children safe and let them have as normal a life as possible, under the circumstances...

So that's what they all said! And they told us to wish you a very Happy New Year, and so we shall!
May the new year bring you much good fortune, health, happiness, and success in all your endeavors.