I'm still a pretty new writer.
I've only spent about two years now seriously writing with the hopes of one day being published.
But, just like any other writer, I'm scared to share my work.
So, today I'm sharing.
The following is a little over two pages long.
It's a scene I wrote over the weekend to explore one of my allies for my WIP, and it took a life of its own.
I'm now super curious about this guy (whose name is Jedrek, by the way).
Maybe after I finish my WIP I'll write his story.
:)
~*~*~*~*~
Creeping along,
I'm staying as close to the shadows as I can. Stemps bumps loudly
into me and I wince. Closing my eyes I count slowly. Reaching twenty
and hearing no new sounds, we move on. This was going to be a long
night.
We reach the road
shortly before the distant sound of bells calling Midle Nacht sounds.
We hadn't missed it. Motioning to the others behind me to find their
places as fast as they can. After all was ready, I sank down to my
own spot. We wait.
At half past, the
lights appear. Soon we can hear the thundering sound. Thumpen thump.
Thumpen thump. Thumpen thump. The sound almost makes me smile,
anticipating the food it would bring. Almost.
The coach finally
comes fully in sight.
Standing up so as
I was almost doubled over with my ragged cloak wrapped tightly around
me, I limp my way onto the road while reaching down and throwing dust
and dirt on my face. The coach slows to a stop.
"Good
Brother of Mork, I command you to move." The driver calls down.
I shake my head
and moan. Muttering about something to do with distress and the sky.
"Brother, if
you do not move, I will force you to move or be run over."
A sharp
exclamation resounds from inside the coach and moments later a
brunette sticks her head out of the window.
"Don't you
dare, sir! I might be not from here, but I know propriety."
Moments later the
door opens and a young woman, dressed in the rich undyed cottons from
Calset comes out. Around her neck is a pendant that I can't quite
make out, but it is large.
"Good
Brother, we need to make port before Soon Rechst. Please, let us
pass." She slowly starts walking towards me.
"My Lady,
yeh don't know the ways of this place! Get bach in here!" A
heavy Divont accent clouds the voice of an older heavyset woman who
comes out, anxiously tugging at her sleeves and elbows.
"Cassyl,
it's just a Brother."
"Lady, it
might look like a brother, but don't let that fool you." The
driver barks. "There are Mullocks in these parts. Get back NOW."
The young woman
glares up at the coachman and walked over too me.
"I'm
protected by Curstall's Light, and it warns me when a Mullock is near
by. This is no Mullock. This is a Brother!" Purposefully she
reachs down and yank my hood.
With no other
choice left, I stand up and grab her as my men pour down from their
different locations.
"I warned
you Lady!" Barks the coachman as he struggles with a beefy lad,
Crooks, for the reigns.
"Yes, you
did good sir!" I answer as I hold my dagger to her throat. "Now,
if you would like to make the port by Soon Rechst, I will be needing
the goods."
The plump older
woman, Cassyl, looks around with her eyes wide. "Lady! It's
happened! The Prophetess said it would! Lady!"
The young woman
audibly groans. "Of course it did Cassyl! Now just shut up and
get back into the coach. I'm pretty sure the driver and I can handle
this."
I bite my cheek
as I try to not groan with her. Of all kinds of coaches to stop this
time. Stemps comes into view, a beautiful big bruise blooming on his
face.
“Deh ol' miss
is armt!”
Sure enough,
Cassyl comes into view a few seconds later with a big old lute.
“I don' care
what yah do wi' me! Jus' leev deh gurl alun!”
I keep my eyes
closely on the woman, trying to keep my mask of calmness in place.
“Don't do
anything rash, marm.” I call out.
A thud comes from
the coach. I turn my head to catch sight of the coach driver on the
ground, big ol' Fronse stands nearby with a big bolder.
“I said no
deaths tonight!” I holler at the ox of the lot.
I turn back to
the nervous old woman as Stemps walks over to the driver.
“He's not
de'd.” Stemps hollers a second later.
The old woman
looks ready to faint.
“Yeh don' knur
what yah doin'!” She starts to holler at me. “If she goes, we
alls goes! If she dies, we alls dies! Yeh have tah let 'er go!”
I shake my head
slowly.
“The way your
acting, marm, I cannot do that.” The young lady starts to shift
slowly and I tighten my grip, sliding the dagger farther up her neck.
“Not now, marm.” I whisper in her ear. She glares at me.
“You know, sir,
she is right. If they reach the harbor without me, we're counted as
dead. All of us. They'd be killed if I don't go with them.”
I
look down into her eyes, trying to decipher her own expressionless
face.
“I
don't want hostages. I want the money.”
She
glares
up at me. “Cassyl, go give him what he wants.” She calls out in a
bland voice.
Cassyl
slowly totters over to the coach and comes back minutes later,
carrying a small pouch that loudly clinks
with her every step.
I
nod at Crooks, who gallantly strolls over to her with his hand held
out. She throws the bag at him. Hard. The thud sounds very painful.
“Yeh ceen hav' it fer all I care!
Jus' let her go!”
I
look up to see her face has turned a shade of purple. I looked down
again at the young woman.
Undyed
Calsetian cotton, highest
craftsmanship that I've seen yet, with faint, very worn white
embroidery on the edge of the neckline and hem. A pattern resembling
the protective symbols that I've seen in Curstallian temples, if my
memory is correct. But that was ages ago. The pendant. Of fine
craftsmanship as well, and from the faint light, it's made of the
Dalian Red Gold. A rim of dark glassy stones, what look both red and
black, create a pattern around the edge. A design of fine silver
strands and what looks like pearls are intertwined within it. I know
where she's from, and she's not going back. Not now that she's seen
my face.
“I'm
sorry for what I've said before, marm, but I can't let her go now.”
I start to back into the shadows with her.
“NO!”
Cassyl totters forward a few steps before collapsing on the ground.
She tries to stand but her legs are shaking too hard and her arms are
as limp as willow branches.
The
young woman throws her head back hard, I barely get out of the way in
time to keep her from banging my chin.
“Cassyl!
Tell Ferdy! Tell him-”
I
clamp my hand over her mouth. A sudden shiver of cold trickles down
my face. I'd started to sweat back there.
“Fall
back to camp!” I holler.
Seconds
later my Shadow appears. He'd been gone this whole time.
“Have
you finally found a lass, Shadow?” I ask snidely.
The tall man stares blankly at me.
“Well
either way, I've found one that needs watching. Don't let her speak,
don't harm her, and bring her to camp.”
He
nods once, sharply. For the first time I notice the Katzbalger,
covered with blood, in his hand. He has it sheathed in a seconds, but
the sight lingers.
He'd
found a battle, somewhere. Or he'd just went hunting. Which sounds
more logical, he hadn't cleaned the blade yet. I'll go with hunting.
I
move my blade away from her neck. Within seconds he has her gagged
and over his shoulder, completely ignoring the flailing legs.
I
finally turn towards home. Who knows how much we have this trip. A
possible source of ransom that I know I can't give up. Two witnesses
that I told them to not kill. Plus at least one more headache coming
from that bloody sword.
A
long night indeed.
~*~*~*~*~
Another thing, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.
I'll gladly answer the questions, and treasure the comments.
Thanks!
Keep on Writing
God Bless
SDG
Joy
