Friday, February 27, 2015

March Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Hopeless Night
Series Title: Saga of Zeig*
Time Setting: 1627-1639 Age of Peace†
Genre: Medieval-esque Fantasy
Minimum Word Goal: 90,000 words
Timespan: August 1627-June 1639
Location(s): Graßbenestädt am Waßergabein, Flächbenestadte am Zeig, Geizenstadte am Küste, Hangstädt am Krummbucklig, Sommerstädt am Apfel, Funsternessädt am Voortrefflisch, Ellbogenstädt am Weizen, and Wiesestädt am Strenghärte, Kaingsvoldisch Zeigreisch
Main Characters: Magnus Kenner and Emma Pächlersöhn
Background Information:
Kaingsvoldisch Zeigreisch: Established as a distinct nation in 237, and a monarchy in 301, Zeig has been a rather peaceable nation throughout its history; even when the kingdom separated, producing Kaingsvoldisch Deuschbren in 792, and Kaingsvoldisch Außtöst in 817, the separations were peaceable and the relations between the nations have since been amicable.
The most unique thing about Zeig, however, is how it deals with convicted criminals. In 798 Zeig abolished slavery, but noted that it had hardly abated by 808 — ten years later — so the king declared that there would be no more prisons; instead, convicted criminals who didn't receive the death sentence would be sentenced to slavery and were allowed to be bought, sold, and treated more along the lines of animals until their time was served — or if it was life, until they died.
In the 1600s Zeig is well known for its foods, it is one of the major agricultural producers and much of the finest foods available have been grown or raised within the borders of Zeig.
Magnus: Born the fourth son and ninth child of fifteen (seventh of ten living) children to a wainwright^ and his wife, Magnus lives a slightly above-average life. He lives such a life because his mother is the eldest daughter of one of the king's own food suppliers — a rather wealthy man.
Being as Magnus' maternal grandfather had no sons — making his mother the technical heiress to the farm — Magnus is not only being trained as a wainwright, but he has also gained knowledge in farming, and has shown himself exceptional above his brothers in managing the farm, in specifically in horsemanship, which as made him his grandfather's favourite and sparked rumours around the town that Magnus might inherit his grandfather's farm.
Emma: The third daughter and seventh child of soon-to-be ten (sixth living of currently seven) children born to a servant couple who are willingly employed by another one of the king's own food suppliers by the name of Ladislaus Reiter; she doesn't really mind the fact that her family is lesser fortunate than Magnus' family would've been without his mother being who she is. In fact, Emma finds her life quite happy and doesn't really want for anything she doesn't already have.
Pronunciations:
Zeig: zayegh
Graßbenestädt am Waßergabein: grass-bennehstahd ahm wasser-gahbyne
Flächbenestadte: flachbennehstahd
Geizenstadte: guyzehnstahd
Küste: koost
Hangstädt: hahngstahd
Krummbucklig: crummbuck-lig
Sommerstädt: sohmerstahd
Apfel: app-fell
Funsternesstädt: foonsternehstahd
Voortrefflisch: voortref-lish
Ellbogenstädt: elbow-genstahd
Weizen: why-zen
Wiesestädt: wisestahd
Strenghärte: strehnghahrt
Kaingsvoldisch: kangsvold-ish
Zeigreisch: zayegh-rayesh
Pächlersöhn: pahchler-sown
Deuschbren: dooyshbrehn
Außtöst: ows'toast
Ladislaus Reiter: ladisslouse righter
*Zeig is located in the same world as Le Gané from September Novel No. 2, Corruption Rent, last year
†Does not correspond to 1627-1639 A.D.
^Wainwright is the archaic term for wagon maker

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 10

Word Total: 60,003

Year to Date: 270,010

Summary of Events:
Chapter 19:
Robert woke up from a nightmare about Christina and went to the saloon to forget about it. Samuel got up and discovered Robert gone, and found he wasn't even at the saloon, so he set out in search of him. Charlotte and her brother Peter said their farewells to Deborah and Holloway and set out before they noticed something strange on the lake's ice, Peter went out to investigate.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Shrill, feminine screaming was ringing off the mountains. Samuel urged California to pick up her pace, even though his mare was rather tired from moving quickly through nearly the entirety of Georgetown.
California slowly galloped up to where a wagon was stopped by the roadside. A woman sat on the wagon seat screaming. Samuel rode up and caught her gaze. She looked vaguely familiar and yet also somewhat unfamiliar.
"What's the matter?" Samuel asked.
"A drunk man and my brother, they're in the water, the ice broke," she replied.
Samuel stopped listening after that and turned his gaze toward the lake. There was a break in the ice, two heads bobbing in the water. There was little time. Those men could be dead in minutes.
"Go get Dr. Rowledge!" Samuel said — interrupting the woman.
Turning California, Samuel had her walk briskly onto the ice. He didn't dare ask her to go much faster lest she fall and they die too. Samuel heard hooves ringing behind him and hoped that it was the woman going to get the doctor.
Arriving at the break, Samuel stopped California just short and dropped her reins to the ice. She stood still her head lowered, breathing deeply and restoring her energy. Samuel peeled off his coat in spite of the biting air and seized the arm of the man who was trying to get out of the water. He had blonde hair like the woman.
Samuel pulled him out onto the surface and laid him down the ice, putting his coat over him. Turning back to the water, Samuel recognized the face that he saw gazing at him with an expression of pure rage. Robert.
A savage screaming roar came out of Robert's throat and he lunged forward with an energy that surprised Samuel. Suddenly Samuel's balance was lost and a blast of cold like he'd stepped through a portal into Alaska wrapped around him rapidly. He was floating.
Samuel was underwater, something was holding him down. He couldn't get out. He couldn't get air. He needed air. Samuel clawed and suddenly his head broke the surface, he gasped air into his lungs. Now he had to get both of them out of here.
Robert swung at Samuel and missed him. Samuel tried to grab Robert and get him out of the water. His clothes were weighing him down, he felt like his boots were falling off, he tried to grab Robert.
Ferociously Robert struggled with him. Samuel evaded the blows, he got a grip on Robert. Robert's feet flung furiously in the water, his toes striking Samuel in the shins, his hands grabbed Samuel and his fingers dug in.
Samuel desperately struggled to get Robert out of the water. Why Robert wasn't losing energy, or even already dead, was miraculous to Samuel, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had to get Robert out of this water. Now."

Chapter 20:
Samuel woke up and recovered at Dr. Rowledge's house with Peter and Robert. Charlotte went and told Deborah what had happened and Deborah brought soup to the men. Later Samuel asked Robert why he'd done what he did and Robert expressed regret of his actions when Christina and his children had been sick. Charlotte and Peter left again without any incidents and Charlotte got worrying about her relationship with Elisha again.

Check back for March Novel Essential Information on February 27.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 9

Word Count: 54,007

Summary of Events:
Chapter 17:
Samuel and Robert got up early to work at one of the mines in the area in spite of Samuel's fears of silicosis. Charlotte and Deborah went to visit Mrs. Guest and met Ella and Verbena; she had a lengthy conversation with them about God as well.
Chapter 18:
Samuel and Robert went to work in spite of a snowstorm — lest they suffer consequences that unnerved Samuel. Charlotte and Deborah engaged in discussion while waiting out the snowstorm at Deborah's house. Samuel and Robert then got paid and Robert nearly went to the saloon and started drinking again.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Arriving in the office and into warm air out of the bitter cold wind, Samuel relaxed his shoulders and slowly moved forward with the line toward the arrogant man who looked to be reluctantly doling out money to the rough and tumble miners lined up before him.
Finally Samuel's turn came and he was given a bill and a handful of coins. Samuel stepped aside and counted the money. He nearly went back to protest — but caught himself before he lost the money, or even his job — he'd made as much money as they'd paid him for a week's work in one day driving trains! He'd made about this much money for two days at that ranch, and even working in construction! Mr. Baril had paid him about three times this much for the same amount of time he'd worked here at the butcher shop!
Looking up, Samuel tried to find Robert, but Robert wasn't anywhere to be seen. Not in the lineup, not in the few men milling around elsewhere. Had Robert set out alone? He shoved his money into his pocket and strode out the door.
A group of men was walking ahead. Samuel hurried to catch up with them as they walked along the boardwalk. Samuel just about froze when he saw they were heading for the saloon. He hoped desperately that Robert wasn't already there.
The group of men kept just enough of ahead of Samuel and walked into the saloon. Arriving at the door, Samuel peered in, not sure if he wanted to commit unless he was sure that Robert was there, but he couldn't tell.
Samuel strode in and looked around, he couldn't see Robert anywhere.
"Robert!" Samuel called out sharply. Most every man turned and looked at him, and he saw what he'd feared. Robert was sitting on one of the stools along the main counter, money in hand.
Samuel strode briskly forward and seized Robert's arm. Without protest Robert let Samuel drag him out of the saloon and all the way back to the Guests' house before he said anything.
"What were you doing?" Samuel snapped.
"Getting something to drink," Robert replied flatly.
"Mrs. Guest has water," Samuel said, he then waited until Robert had taken off his coat and hat and led Robert up to their room.
Robert instantly went over to his bed and sat down, looking completely shamed.
"We're being paid a – pittance by that swindler and you were just going to blow it doing exactly what you're not supposed to be doing?" Samuel asked.
"At least you were there to notice," Robert replied.
Samuel startled and thought about it. If he would've been working another job he wouldn't have been able to notice if Robert would've gone with the rest of the men and blown his pay on liquor."


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 8

Word Count: 48,005

Summary of Events:
Chapter 15:
Robert was released to live at the Guests' house and he and Samuel discussed the possibility of leaving Georgetown for elsewhere, at least to reduce Robert's temptation and his memories of Christina. Charlotte received a letter from Deborah about Georgetown, for which she was excited.
Chapter 16:
Samuel and Robert discussed where to go and decided to make some money while they waited for spring to fully establish itself so they could have something to get started elsewhere. Charlotte set out for Georgetown with Peter, although Elisha showed up and was quite upset — but Charlotte managed to pacify him and leave without him following.

Excerpt of the Day:
"As they approached the intersection that led toward the saloon Samuel got tense, waiting for Robert to make a move toward it. When they arrived at the intersection Robert stopped and turned his head, looking down the street toward the saloon.
Samuel braced himself, ready to snap and grab Robert away from moving. Robert said nothing. He stared down toward the saloon. Samuel could see the saloon from the corner, and he was quite sure that Robert could see it too.
Robert sighed and turned his head away from the saloon back to look at Samuel. His face bore an expression of desperate longing and mournful regret. There was a great turmoil in the expression on his face.
Reaching around, Samuel put his hand on Robert's shoulder and guided Robert across the street and off toward Mr. and Mrs. Guest's house. Robert followed without protest and moved along with Samuel's guidance to the house.
When they stepped though the door Samuel heard conversation. Mrs. Guest had company from the sounds of things. Samuel took off his hat and hung it up. Robert looked recalcitrant to go forward.
Samuel stepped forward and he heard Robert following after him reluctantly. The parlour door was open, but Samuel didn't intend to stop by it. He was forced to stop by it when Mrs. Guest peered out, though.
"Oh, Mr. Manning, you're back, and Robert, it's so nice to see you, come, I'd like to introduce you to Georgetown's newest resident," Mrs. Guest said.
Samuel ran his hand through his hair to hopefully straighten it somewhat, so that it would look presentable — as he was sure that the company would be mainly feminine in gender.
Stepping inside the parlour, Samuel found that such was indeed the case. All of the people in the room were ladies enjoying a perfectly ladylike tea. Samuel noticed a young woman with blonde hair like honey and gold mixed together, with vibrant green eyes brought out by the green of her dress.
"Mr. Manning, Robert, this is Mrs. Deborah Pue, wife of Mr. Holloway Pue, the new carpenter here in town," Mrs. Guest said.
At her words the rather fetching young woman Samuel had noticed rose to her feet and dipped her head and shoulders in a demure bow. Samuel nodded stiffly, chastising himself for finding a married woman fetching again. Robert nodded numbly.
"Deborah, this is Mr. Robert Goos, Ella and Verbena's father, and Mr. Samuel Manning, Robert's brother-in-law," Mrs. Guest said.
"I'm very pleased to meet you," Mrs. Pue said, smiling kindly in a way that only seemed to make her all the more fetching. Samuel had to get out of this room. The femininity and the fetching appearance of this woman were stifling.
Samuel glanced around the room, trying to find something else to look at, but all he could see were contemptuous glares from the other women in the room."

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 7

Word Count: 42,005

Summary of Events:
Chapter 13:
Samuel went to visit Robert now that he could be up and about, and determined that Robert needed something to live for. Charlotte worked at helping Deborah in packing her things so that she could leave for Georgetown where Holloway had found a job.
Chapter 14:
Samuel brought Ella and Verbena to visit Robert and they were quite afraid of him. Charlotte watched the men pack Holloway and Deborah's things into their wagon and then watched as Holloway and Deborah set out for Georgetown.

Excerpt of the Day:
""They don't want to be," Robert said. "They're trying to get away from you like terrified cats."
"That's only because you've made them afraid," Samuel said. "In your drunkenness and your rages you terrified them. You broke their trust of you, and it's because they feel that you could explode into a rage at any time that they're afraid. You need to convince them that such isn't the case. That they can trust you like thy used to, that you're not that monster all the time."
"And how am I supposed to do that?" Robert asked.
"By not getting mad," Samuel replied.
Robert sighed and shook his head.
"It's not impossible," Samuel said.
He crouched down and settled Verbena between his legs. She tried to scramble away from him, but Samuel held her firmly. She stopped struggling when she buried her face into his chest.
Once he was sure that Verbena wouldn't spook and run Samuel turned to Ella. She gazed wide-eyed and warily at her father. Samuel released her hand and slid his hand around her back. Gently he pushed her toward her father.
Ella dug in her heels and worked to stay put. Samuel continued to gently prod Ella closer.
"There's bares in between so even if he does get made he can't get at you and hurt you," Samuel said quietly.
Ella slowly advanced until she was within a foot of the bars. Samuel took Verbena back up and straightened. Robert looked at Ella. After awhile his face crumpled and tears started to run down his cheeks.
Robert's loud and somewhat gasping inhalation startled Verbena and caused Ella to move closer to Samuel. Robert put his hands up to his face and wept. His sobs sounded bitter and heartbroken. Samuel felt pity for Robert.
"I am a monster!" Robert cried. "I'm a monster to everyone! I'm a savage! I'm a caged beast!"
"You don't have to remain that way Robert," Samuel said.
"There's no hope!" Robert cried.
"Yes there is," Samuel said.
"No! There isn't! There can't possibly be!" Robert protested
"Come here Robert," Samuel said.
Robert got to his feet and started advancing forward. Ella moved even closer to Samuel's leg and clutched the back of his coat with one hand. Samuel took her hand that still remained close to his side to keep her from running.
Arriving at the bars, Robert dropped down to his knees and gazed at Ella. Tears continued to stream down Robert's cheeks as he gazed at Ella. His eyes gazed at her, desperate and pleading.
Samuel glanced back at Ella. Her eyes — the same deep, rich brown as her father's — regarded her father fearfully, although they looked rather glassy, then Samuel noticed tears building in her own eyes.
After awhile Ella burst into tears and released Samuel. She stepped forward across the space between her and the bars and reached forward to take Robert's hand. Samuel felt tears in his own eyes as he looked at them.
"Papa," Ella said."

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 6

Word Count: 36,153

Summary of Events:
Chapter 11:
Elisha came and dropped off the dress he'd had made for Charlotte, she looked at it and found it was rather immodestly cut. Samuel woke up the next morning and found Robert was gone and brought him back but Robert had such a fit Samuel ended up concussed.
Chapter 12:
Deborah's wedding day finally arrived, but Charlotte was fearing Elisha's reaction when he found she wasn't wearing the dress and talked with the pastor about it. Samuel discussed the whole situation with Robert and how badly it'd been handled by all of Georgetown. Charlotte explained things to Elisha and discussed things with her brother Peter, but she still felt lost and uncertain.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Oh no. Samuel groaned. He threw his coat over his shoulders and headed outside. It was somewhat warmer than it'd been of late — which was quite nice — indicating that spring was — at least hopefully — on its way.
Even though Samuel wanted to run, he made his way carefully down the mountainside on the well-worn trail and made for the saloon, grateful that he knew where it was. He slipped inside quietly — even though he wanted to barge through the doors and get upset.
Robert was sitting at the far end with a large mug in his hand. Wrapping both of his hands around the mug, he drank deeply, emptying the mug and setting it down hard. Samuel quietly made his way over to Robert, who asked for more in a rather heavily slurred voice.
How long had Robert been here? Samuel shook his head. He felt like a complete idiot. He ought to sleep in front of the door. That way Robert wouldn't be able to get out — although it would be kind of cold until spring and summer came around.
Coming up to Robert, Samuel crouched down and grabbed Robert's legs with his one arm, put his shoulder into Robert's abdomen, and raised Robert over his shoulder. Reaching back with his right had he grabbed Robert's left before he could start flailing or squirming.
"Hey!" Robert cried. "Hey what's going on? No! No I don't want to! I want to stay!"
Samuel carried Robert back outside and all the way back up to the shack where Robert let loose in a major temper tantrum, mostly just laying on the floor kicking and screaming. Then he surged to his feet and head-butted Samuel in the chest, slamming Samuel against the door.
Leaning against the door, Samuel gasped for air, the front of his chest hurt rather sharply. At least he was blocking Robert's exit. Samuel sagged to the floor and put his hand against his chest. It hurt.
Robert turned around again and strode toward the door. He tried to open it, but finally he discovered Samuel in the way so he started kicking. The pointed, thick leather toe of the sole of Robert's boot slammed hard against Samuel's backbone, jabbing his insides painfully and causing Samuel to have difficulty seeing.
Samuel tried to find Robert's leg and stop it, but all he was able to get was brushes of the denim material against his hand. Samuel tried desperately to get Robert to stop until Robert's leg slammed hard against the heel of Samuel's hand and drove his elbow into the door — jamming his elbow and wrist.
A yelp escaped Samuel's throat and he brought his arm against his chest to cradle it gently. Suddenly a hard blow hit Samuel in his grazed cheekbone and Samuel was sure he heard a cracking sound."

Monday, February 16, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 5

Word Count: 30,013

Summary of Events:
Chapter 9:
Charlotte and Deborah went shopping for Deborah's wedding dress fabric and then nearly got lost in a sudden blizzard, but Elisha brought him into his shop to wait out the storm. Samuel then tried to inspire Robert to be motivated to quit drinking.
Chapter 10:
Charlotte was subjected to visiting with Elisha — and then going after-hours fabric shopping for fabric because he insisted upon her having a new dress for Deborah's wedding. Samuel and Robert went hunting and Robert kept trying to shoot owls.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Quietly Samuel crawled up the mountainside, slowly making his way toward the mountain sheep that was grazing at something it had found. Once he was sure he'd be in good range Samuel laid down and got his gun into position.
Two quick shots rang out and the sheep startled and ran. Samuel fired, but missed — but he wasn't surprised. Sighing, he got to his feet and walked toward where he saw Robert's feet. Robert was reloading his gun.
"Why did you fire?" Samuel asked.
"Because there was a bird," Robert replied. "I missed it."
Samuel sighed. "Have you forgotten how to hunt?"
"I wanted the bird," Robert said.
"We're looking for big game, like sheep," Samuel said. "We want something that will last for more than a meal."
"It was a big bird," Robert said. "I could've roasted it and been satisfied on half of it and then eaten the other half tomorrow."
"What about me?" Samuel asked. "And what about Ella and Verbena?"
"You can hunt your own food," Robert replied.
"Don't you want something that would feed you for a week?" Samuel asked.
"If I could net ten of those birds I'd be good for a month," Robert replied.
"You'd be good for twenty days," Samuel said.
"Yeah, a month," Robert said.
Samuel sighed. "Look for something bigger than a bird," he said.
"I don't want to," Robert said.
"Fine," Samuel sighed. At least Robert wanted to hunt now.
He went back over to where he had been. No sheep. Carefully he crept forward, making sure not to use a steady stride. He used an unrhythmic stride so that the wildlife wouldn't know that a human was walking among them.
Two more shots rang out and Samuel reeled back, a stinging pain biting across his cheek. Samuel put his hand to his cheek and pulled it away. Blood marked his forefinger. He swore.
Getting to his feet, Samuel went back over to Robert.
"Are you trying to take of my head!?" Samuel exclaimed.
Robert startled and looked at Samuel. "I didn't do anything!" he protested.
"I think you most certainly did!" Samuel snapped, then took a deep breath and let it out. "You do see my face is bleeding, right?"
"Yeah," Robert replied.
"It's bleeding because of the fact that you're bullet grazed me," Samuel replied. "If my face would have been a bit further forward you could well have embedded he bullet into my skull. A bit more forward than that and I would've been dead. You would then have been hung a murderer and your daughters would've been left orphans."
"It was probably just a tree branch nicked you," Robert said.
"I can assure you it was no tree branch," Samuel growled.
"This is why I like to hunt alone," Robert said. "Everyone I hunt with is such a grouch."
Samuel wondered if Robert hand't thought about why that might be the case, but decided there was really no sense in worrying about it. He wouldn't be able to get Robert to understand anyways."

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 4

Word Count: 24,004

Summary of Events:
Chapter 7:
Samuel arrived in Georgetown, journeying the last bit with a woodcutter who told Samuel his rather negative opinion of Robert. Samuel then dropped his horse off at the livery and stopped by the saloon where he got a glimpse of Robert before finding Robert's shack and meeting the girls.
Chapter 8:
Charlotte talked with Elisha about his childhood, but wasn't convinced of his truthfulness and also was uncertain about his relationship with God, so she suggested they spend time apart, but Elisha decided the opposite was necessary. Samuel woke up and talked with Robert who behaved surprisingly juvenile.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Samuel sighed. Boy did he ever have work to do. He got to his feet and took a hold of Robert's bony shoulders.
"Robert," Samuel said. "Surely you don't mean what you're saying."
"Yeah I mean it," Robert replied defiantly.
"You're too drunk to even know what you're talking about," Samuel said. "You need to sober up and think about your life. Honestly, this is atrocious. What would Christina think if she saw the man she loved looking like this and talking like this?"
Robert's brown eyes simmered. "How dare you speak her name," he growled.
Samuel held onto Robert's shoulders; he had a feeling now would not be a good time to let Robert go.
"How dare you!" Robert cried out in a hoarse scream as he lunged forward. Samuel managed to keep his arms braced — even though they were are from sleeping on the rocks.
Robert tried to lunge forward, but to no avail, so he started kicking at Samuel's shins and trying to bite Samuel's arms. Samuel braced his feet and worked to push Robert back against the bed so he'd sit down.
Fiercely Robert brought his knee up and left Samuel gasping — loosening his hold enough that Robert was able to get free and start pummelling Samuel even more. Even though he was stunned and pained Samuel fought against Robert diligently and finally was able to bring Robert down onto the floor and hold him there.
With Robert subdued Samuel curled up and whimpered slightly. That hurt. He might have to go fill one of his spare socks with snow to dull the pain. Samuel then heard a funny sort of crying like sound and raised himself up.
Robert was in tears and trying weakly to hold his sobs within himself. Samuel gazed at Robert, feeling tears of his own coming on. Robert glanced at him and then looked away quickly.
"Robert," Samuel said, his voice sounding odd from the sobs in his throat. "I've come because of Christina. She did more for you than you could ever imagine, she had an incredible patience with you, even though you weren't even half the man she deserved. She loved you, she saw some kind of good in you, and because she believed you could change I've come to whip some sense into you and wake you up to the fool you've been, and how unfair your relationship with Christina was to her, and to make you realize you still have two daughters who need a father in their life. A real father. A father who is actually the man he was supposed to become when he became an adult.""

Friday, February 13, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 3

Word Count: 18,151

Summary of Events:
Chapter 5:
Charlotte talked with her father about his impressions of Elisha and felt rather unsettled. Samuel then set out for Georgetown and thought about actually looking for a woman to marry instead of waiting for one to show up.
Chapter 6:
Deborah decided on three potential designs and after Charlotte did up her hair they went to Elisha's brother's photography studio and took the pictures with them. Charlotte was struck by the dissimilarity in appearance of Elisha and his brother and ended up going to the church to think about it.

Excerpt of the Day:
"There was a sense of incompleteness about him. He thought of Ananias and Ruth at that. When he'd been in Nebraska with them he'd seen that Ananias was happy, content, satisfied, complete even. If that was what a woman did to a man then Samuel wanted to marry a woman. But there were no women he wanted to marry who were interested in entering into a commitment with him.
Would there be one in Georgetown? The question startled Samuel back into his surroundings, the railroad nearby and the river flowing by his side. He'd never thought of such a thing.
But Georgetown was a silver town. They mined silver, it wasn't the kind of place a woman would live unless she was married. Surely there wouldn't be anyone — maybe a miner's widow who couldn't afford to go anywhere else.
Could he marry a widow? Samuel had never thought of that one either. He'd always thought of marrying a young woman — but what young woman would want to marry a man some ten years their senior like himself? He wasn't very young at all anymore. There were probably women younger than him who had already lost their husbands due to accidents or the evil of other men.
If there weren't any women — widowed or otherwise — in Georgetown, would he consider looking around Colorado? Samuel had never really gone looking for a woman before, he'd never thought that he ought to seek one out. He'd always thought she might come up to him.
Nothing said that he couldn't look. So long as he wasn't out there stalking women like a hunter stalking antelope or deer or rabbits. He could always go up to a woman and compliment her appearance, start a conversation, learn about her.
Samuel shifted in his saddle at that thought. The idea of starting a conversation with a woman sounded daunting — and he was sure his stammering and embarrassment wouldn't exactly be considered an attractive feature.
But he had engaged in conversation — and rather nice conversation once he'd warmed up to it — with Mrs. Harcourt. He'd even been gentlemanly. He was surprised the decorum and propriety Aunt Chastity had whipped into him as a child had stuck so well.
He could probably. He just has to try. That was the scary part. He could learn how to drive an engine on the fly, he could deal with being held up, accused of murder, run out of town on his own with little but his own clothes, he could drop a job and head off somewhere he'd never been to do something he'd never done before, but he couldn't done to a woman.
It seemed odd. He could do so many other things fearlessly, but something that didn't really come across as that difficult unnerved — if not even outright terrified — him; of course he hadn't been in the close and frequent company of women in just over a decade."

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 2

Word Count: 12,007

Summary of Events:
Chapter 3:
Charlotte and Deborah baked a cake to try and see if it would work as a wedding cake and talked of Deborah's reservations about Elisha. Samuel received another letter from Mrs. Guest explaining why she was writing him.
Chapter 4:
Charlotte and her family attended a hymn sing at church and as she was sitting with Elisha one of the ladies came up and asked about marriage and children making them both feel uncomfortable. Samuel was visited by Parson and Mrs. Harcourt and rather irritated by the parson's presence.

Excerpt of the Day:
"First it was young Stephen — just a year old — who fell ill. Christina first called upon me for some kind of help when he fell ill. I offered to pay for a doctor to care for Stephen myself, but Christina and Robert both vehemently refused, so I didn't do anything — and regret it deeply.
All it took was twenty days. Stephen died on December eighth. Shortly afterwards Catherine fell ill. Then Benjamin. Catherine died on December fifteenth. Robert fell ill the day after — I know not even what afflicted them. Benjamin died on December eighteenth. Christina then started to show signs of illness — as did Ella. Robert — as in Robert Jr. — died on the twenty third of December. Finally, on December twenty eighth Christina succumbed to the illness — even to the end vehemently refusing my charitable offer of paying for the doctor for them.
Samuel stopped reading and stared at the paper, dumbfounded. Christina dead? But, wasn't it bad enough? There was only Ananias and himself now. . . .
. . . Setting the letter aside, Samuel rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair until the heels of his palms were settled on his forehead. Staring at the folds of fabric made by his shirt sleeves at his elbows, Samuel just breathed.
Eventually his breathing became shaky, the lines off the different coloured cotton woven to make the plaid pattern of his shirt began to blur — some of the thinnest lines in the pattern seeming to disappear entirely.
Samuel then noticed some darker, circular spots marking the material as tears landed on his sleeves, and also on the legs of his jeans. Even though he couldn't hold the tears back, Samuel was successful in keeping the sobs contained in his throat.
Christina was gone. The sentence seemed to repeat over and over in his mind, seeming all the more wrong, all the more unreal the more he thought of it. After awhile he changed the wording: Christina was dead.
It seemed so final, it left him empty inside. All he had left was Ananias off in Nebraska. No one else. After awhile Samuel lay back across his bed and moved his hands so they were sitting over his face.
In the darkness behind his eyelids Samuel saw Christina, her dark hair pulled back into braids, a barefoot child running along the banks of the Ohio, a bright smile on her face before Aunt Chastity caught them.
A no less barefooted — but more demure in carriage — young woman helping Edwina care for her step-siblings. Saying farewell to Daniel and Ephraim when they went off to fight in their smart blue uniforms. Diligently spelling Edwina in vigil by their father's bedside as he fought for every breath. Eyes bright and shin king as she married Robert, and then set off for Oregon.
She was gone. He could never see her again. Finally the sobs burst forth from his lips and he really cried."

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Glimpsed: Day 1

Word Count: 6,035

Summary of Events:
Chapter 1:
Samuel received a letter from a Mrs. Guest of Georgetown, Colorado which puzzled him, but he decided to reply to the letter to see if he could find out why she was writing him. Charlotte, her mother, and her sisters Deborah and Jane looked at wedding dress ideas.
Chapter 2:
Samuel went to visit the pastor — as it was his wife who Mrs. Guest said she'd gotten his name from — and ended up having coffee with him and his wife and being preached at, but leaving the pastor in utter confusion when he said that the lake of fire sounded a lot like his life and showed no fear of it.

Excerpt of the Day:
""But does it necessarily have to be all based off of one design?" Jane asked.
"It doesn't have to be," their mother replied.
"Then it should be asked: what are the different features you want to have on you dress?" Jane said. "As opposed to: which dress do you want?"
Deborah surveyed all of the dresses contemplatively and then looked toward Jane.
"You know, I am glad you said that. It makes the decision easier almost, I think."
Jane smiled sweetly. "I was thinking about that because I can't say that there's one dress that I myself like in its entirety."
"And honestly," Deborah said. "I can't either. There are so many beautiful features on other dresses that I think would be positively magnificent additions to other dresses. I think I would like to make my dress a combination of all of the dresses I like. But now how can that be done?"
All four of the m looked down at the pages scattered about the floor. Charlotte shifted her jaw and continued looking at them.
"You know," Charlotte said. "I think that it is dependent upon what it is that you like from each of them."
"Yes, I guess that is true," Deborah said.
"And how to draw them?" Jane asked. "These drawings are magnificent, and I don't know that any of us are half the artists of the people who drew these dresses."
"How about we cut out the different pieces that you like and layer them together to decide?" Charlotte asked. "And once we've a dress that you love and looks absolutely gorgeous then we'll paste all of the paper together and have the design."
Deborah's face lit up even brighter and she looked toward Charlotte. "You are so very magnificent at coming up with ideas my dearest Charlotte!" she exclaimed. "That is an excellent idea!"
"That, however, calls for a table," their mother said.
"I'll take only the dresses that have things I like," Deborah said. "The rest of these can be put away for other uses."
Charlotte waited as Deborah collected up all of the pages with dresses she liked and then Charlotte cleaned up the rest of them. She had to admit to herself that Deborah had picked all of the quite beautiful dresses. The rest of these weren't striking her fancy either — but of course she had time, Elisha was still just courting her, and he hadn't even suggested proposal yet.
By the time Elisha did propose to her there would probably be a lot more beautiful dress designs to choose from. Charlotte set the rejected dresses onto a side table and into the kitchen where Deborah was hard at work cutting out the pieces she liked from the various dresses."

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

February Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Glimpsed
Time Setting: 1881
Genre: Historical Fiction
Minimum Word Goal: 60,000
Timespan: January-April
Locations: Denver & Georgetown, Colorado
Main Characters: Samuel Manning, Charlotte Langridge
Background Information: Samuel Manning was born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky into a coal mining family. His mother died when he was four years old and he and his siblings were sent to live with his spinster aunt in Owensborough for four years until his father remarried. In 1866 his father died of silicosis leaving Samuel, his older brother, and his sister Christina with their step mother and her four children.
Shortly after their father's death Christina married Robert Goos and set out on the Oregon Trail to head west — although they only got as far as about Nebraska before Robert headed for Colorado at the lure of gaining a fortune in silver. They settled in Georgetown and Robert worked to strike it rich — however he took many risky gambles and reduced them to living in a tiny shack at the edge of town.
As soon as Samuel and his brother became adults they both set off, having no real family ties in Kentucky. Samuel's brother married and settled down to run a general store in Nebraska, while Samuel for the most part has gone wherever the jobs are. He's worked as a carpenter, a railway engineer, with his brother at his store in Nebraska during his sister in law's first pregnancy, and also at a cattle ranch.
Most recently he's settled down in Nevada with a job as a butcher, although he's sure it'll be about as brief a job as his last one, being as he still hasn't found a place where he really truly feels like he belongs.
Charlotte Langridge was born and spent about half of her life in Ohio before her family moved to Denver with her uncle when she was eleven. She hasn't really had much for any significant adventure in her life — not that she minds — and she's looking forward to adulthood.
She is courting a local wheelwright by the name of Elisha Seaborn and enjoys spending much time with him, and also with her sister Deborah who as recently become betrothed to Holloway Pue, with a wedding planned for the coming March which Charlotte is quite looking forward to — mainly to glean ideas for her own, hopefully, impending wedding to Elisha, once he's proposed to her of course.

Exile's End: Day 35

Word Total: 210,045

Summary of Events:
Chapter 69:
Bæjern engaged in more fighting while trying to find Thårijn and not being successful. Thårijn got near to the Förstenräl fort and managed to set it on fire — not that it caused the Förstenräl to retreat — then he went back to the camp and found and tended the wounds of Græshädå. Æliyäu led a final rush of the Iøsenräl and managed to drive the Förstenräl back into their fort — even though it was on fire.
Chapter 70:
The next morning Thårijn went around and surveyed the dead of the Iøsenräl — which numbered about two thousand including women, children, and aged from the wagons that had been lit on fire by flaming arrows. Thårijn discovered his sister Ellän's husband Märkös was among the dead and then discussed things with Æliyäu and realizing they'd seen the beginning of their exile's end through by making it to Kænjgren

Excerpt of the Day:
"No one was near the gate, or if they could be seen from the gate, they weren't looking at it. Most everyone inside seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a battle going on outside their comfortable little palisade.
Quietly Thårijn set his foot on the first of the crossbars that formed the square openings in the gate — openings large enough for one to fit their head through — and then his next foot on the crossbar above.
Slowly and quietly he climbed up the gate until he arrived at the top. Wrapping his fingers around the pointed tips of the palisade's logs, Thårijn pulled himself up and swung a leg over, managing to place the points so that they were digging into his armour fruitlessly.
No one was on the upper part here. No one was looking at him. These Förstenräl weren't just fools in Møkbæsted, they were fools here too. Of course all the better for him that they were.
Slowly, nonetheless, Thårijn made his way along toward one of the corner towers. He carefully opened the door and slipped inside. There was no one there. But what was there was exactly what he needed: a small keg of lamp oil.
Carefully Thårijn popped the wooden plug out of the opening and lifted up the keg; he slipped back outside and poured the oil over the walkway and down the tower wall to the outside until the keg was empty.
Thårijn then went into the tower and brought out a torch. He touched it to the wood of the guardhouse wall and then went on to the next tower. Suddenly behind him he heard a great rushing of wind and saw that the flames had found the lamp oil.
Cries of alarm sounded out now, but Thårijn continued on, at the second tower he did the same, and the third, until he'd come back around to the front. Once he was done Thårijn then climbed down the gate and slipped away toward the forest, not looking back until he was a good ways away from the fort.
Brught and fierce the fire burned. The Förstenräl in the battlefield all startled — as did the Iøsenräl. After a few moments of stillness, though the battle resumed again. Thårijn was surprised that the Förstenräl weren't moved to help their fellow soldiers save their outpost now that it was going up in flames.
Regardless, though, Thårijn made his way to the southern bank of trees to see how the women and children were faring — even though there was an inclination inside of him suggesting that he might not want to do such a thing.
Following close by the river, Thårijn found a fairly burnt out wagon, the traces appeared to be cut, which — hopefully — meant that the horses hadn't died. But the look of the wagon suggested that such hadn't been the case for those innocent people who had been riding inside."

Ellän: ell-ann
Märkös: mark-us
Kænjgren: cane-zhee-grehn

Monday, February 09, 2015

Exile's End: Day 34

Word Count: 204,016

Summary of Events:
Chapter 67:
Thårijn was shown Sålömen's cartography skills and then had a much more civil conversation with Sålömen, much to his surprise. While riding ahead, Æliyäu discovered a military outpost guarded by a palisade and rode back to warn Thårijn that they may well have reached the border.
Chapter 68:
After hearing the news from Æliyäu, Thårijn thought about how they should go and decided that they should all go in one force, and so they did, but the Förstenräl noticed them and started to fight. Thårijn led the men in battle until he fell out of his saddle.

Excerpt of the Day:
"The stallion screamed and rose up onto his hind legs, flailing his forelegs in the air, screaming again, and then he came down. The Förstenräl swung at Thårijn who lost his balance as he evaded the blow.
Thårijn was hanging sideways and could straighten up. What was worse, both his feet were caught in their stirrups. A blow struck Thårijn's leg at the knee — one of the lesser armoured places.
He could do nothing to defend himself. Thårijn worked to kick his left foot free of the stirrup. He could feel the saddle shifting underneath him — not that it could go far because of Græshädå's armour.
Another blow landed on his leg. Thårijn turned Helännäri around and drove her into the ground. Pushing on her, Thårijn got the height he needed to get his left foot out of the stirrup.
Græshädå moved forward and Thårijn lost his balance again, falling to the ground — freeing Helännäri — but his right foot was still caught in the stirrup. Thårijn could only see a swirling mass of hooves all around him, his stallion sidestepped, and then something spooked his stallions who lunged forward.
Thårijn was going to be dragged to death — and if not that he was going to be stomped to death by the hooves swirling all around him. His shilled was sliding over the snow like a toboggan, but the strain on his ankle was still excruciating.
Swinging Helännäri, Thårijn struck his stirrup leather, he had to get it off, and losing his stirrup wouldn't be so bad, they could skin and tan a deer hide and make a new one. Again and again Thårijn swung, his arm getting tired, his ankle screaming in pain. Hooves swirling all around him.
Something glanced off of his shoulder, a falling body nearly hit him, a flurry of hooves almost struck him. Thårijn swung fiercely, giving no thought to the melee around him, but only to severing his stirrup leather from his saddle that he might be saved.
Græshädå stopped and reared. Thårijn hacked some more as Græshädå screamed and thrashed his forelegs. He could tell that it was almost free. He just needed a little bit more and then he'd be good.
His stallion started off again and Thårijn swung. He cried out when he realized he'd hit his shin — thankfully armoured — and tried again, trying to aim better, fiercely swinging, trying to cut the final but of leather off.
Finally Thårijn stopped moving, Græshädå disappeared among the tangle of legs, hooves, and goodness knew what else lay on the battlefield. Thårijn gasped for breath, working to recover himself before he dared get to his feet and try to find his way out of this place. Hooves danced all around his head, then a horse rose up in a rear, its hooves flailing above his head."

Saturday, February 07, 2015

Exiel's End: Day 33

Word Count: 198,012

Summary of Events:
Chapter 65:
Thårijn got into a rather heated conversation with Sålömen, the man who had led the party of Iøsenräl they most recently met up with, and caused Thårijn great frustration. Their discussion also concerned Bæjern who was unsure why Sålömen was being so adversarial.
Chapter 66:
Æliyäu was summoned to see Øbjen because of his telling Frædröch that he had no legitimate claim to the Iøsenräl throne and got into a discussion that was about as effective as hitting one's head against a brick wall. He and Bæjern then went and visited with Sålömen.

Excerpt of the Day:
""I am of the house of Kæs! Therefore all of my children have a right to the throne! It matters naught the heritage of their mothers! All of them have a right to the throne!" Øbjen cried.
"The Law Concerning the Qualifications of Kingship — one of the oldest laws of Kænjiøs — written in the two hundred and fiftieth year of the First Age of Kænjiøs — some five thousand sixty four years ago — clearly states that only those descended from dual blood of the house of Kæs — meaning both their mother and father can trace their ancestry to any one single Kæ no closer than the eighth before themselves — and who marry a cousin descended from a single Kæ no closer than the eighth before themselves may claim the throne," Æliyäu replied. "Anyone who marries a cousin who descends from a single Kæ closer than the eighth before themselves is incestuous, anyone who marries someone who is not at all descended from the house of Kæs is diluting the blood of Kæs. According to the technicalities of the Law Concering the Qualifications of Kingship you — even though you married your seventh cousin Helännä so as to conform with the ordinances of the aforementioned law — do not eve have a legitimate claim on the throne. Since your father Ädöm died fourteen years ago your son Bæjern has been the next one who can rightfully claim the throne of Kænjiøs because Jägen did not marry in the tradition of the Kæs, and Sönnä is a woman."
"You are a liar! You are a fool! I know those laws! I could recite them from memory and I tell you! They say nothing of the kind that you put forth! All that you speak is lies! You ought to be cursed!" Øbjen cried.
Æliyäu was quite glad that this time Øbjen didn't seem to be of the inclination to rise up and attack him, in fact, all Øbjen was doing was screaming and flailing his arms, although his face was quite red with rage.
"Cursed be you! You fool! May you and all your generations be cursed for the length of my days! May pestilence come upon you! May you be shunned! May none of your word be believed as truth! By the order of I! The first Kæ Øbjen of the Iøsenräl I decree you shall be cursed!" Øbjen cried.
"No man can be cursed but by Göd alone," Æliyäu said.
"I am the Kæ!" Øbjen screamed. "Even Göd's word is not more powerful than mine!"
Æliyäu shot to his feet. "Göd above is Göd alone! Göd is only on the throne! And men in graves are laid!" he snapped. "May Göd curse you for considering yourself of higher rank that He! I shall not heed you any longer for my allegiance is to the Göd above! The Göd who make you from naught — and wastefully so in my mind! May Göd put you in fear!""

Sålömen: saul-a-men
Ädöm: ah-dum

Friday, February 06, 2015

Exile's End: Day 32

Word Count: 192,005

Summary of Events:
Chapter 63:
Æliyäu stopped at a place he thought was suitable for camping for the night and ended up having a conversation with Frædröch, one of Thårijn's half brothers, that got Frædröch a little upset. Thårijn came in before Frædröch could hurt Æliyäu and just about got killed himself.
Chapter 64:
Thårijn, Bæjern, and Löke contemplated what Æliyäu had said was the reason why Frædröch got mad at him and Thårijn and Bæjern found out that Löke was their twelfth cousin. Æliyäu then came upon another group of Iøsenräl who were already settled into their camp for the night and the two parties joined.

Excerpt of the Day:
"Frædröch then reached up with his freed hand and jerked Thårijn's helmet off of his head. Thårijn tried to regain his hold on Frædröch's arm, but Frædröch reached up and started grabbing at Thårijn's eye.
Thårijn tried to find Frædröch's eyes to do the same, but he found Frædröch's nose, and so he seized it tightly and wrenched his wrist, snapping the cartilage un Frædröch's nose and eliciting an incredibly high pitched scream.
Frædröch's hand instantly recoiled from Thårijn's eye to hang onto his nose, and Thårijn released Frædröch's other arm to let it go to his nose as well. Thårijn backed up and put his hand over his eye, it hurt, but he could still see out of it — which was a good thing he was pretty sure.
Thårijn got up, took up and put on his helmet, and got his shield —switching which hand was covering his eye — and then walked over to the tree where Frædröch's sword was lodged. Carefully Thårijn wriggled the blade free — much like he'd done for Helännäri in the wall — and took up Frædröch's shield to take them back to Frædröch.
When he turned around, he found his brother in half blood to be on his feet, and looking like he wanted to have another go at trying to gouge Thårijn's eye out, his nose crooked on his face and blood covering down over his mouth, and his hands.
Thårijn set Frædröch's sword and shield against the tree and set his own shield against another tree. Frædröch charged at Thårijn, but Thårijn was braced and managed to keep from being toppled.
Frædröch's hands were everywhere, grabbing and tearing at everything, trying desperately to pry Thårijn's armour off of his body. He succeeded in removing Thårijn's helmet again, but otherwise his efforts were fruitless, so he started tearing at Thårijn's hair, his face, his neck, and his eyes.
Thårijn worked fiercely to defend himself from Frædröch's tearing fingers, and even his teeth, trying to back Frædröch up against a tree at the same time. Frædröch it was, however, who succeeded in backing Thårijn up against a tree, and instead of going for Thårijn's eyes, or his jaw, Frædröch dug his thumbs up between Thårijn's jaw and his throat on both sides, setting Thårijn to gasping.
It felt to Thårijn like his skin was starting to tear or something, a fierce agony was burning through him, his eyes were feeling almost like they were going to pop out of his head, his breath was coming in the tiniest bursts — not near enough, and seeming to get lesser all the time.
Thårijn had to do something, and he had to do something fast or he was likely to die; already he was starting to feel blackness clawing at him, fighting on Frædröch's side to take him down.
A loud, but juvenile cry sounded in Thårijn's eyes before suddenly the blackness overtook him and he collapsed to the snow."

Frædröch: fray-druck

Thursday, February 05, 2015

Exile's End: Day 31

Word Count: 186,005

Summary of Events:
Chapter 61:
After they finished journeying for the day all of the Iøsenräl gathered and all dined together to have a Christmas dinner, although Thårijn didn't really feel that it was Christmas — not that he minded, as if it had felt Christmassy he was sure he would've missed Helännä even more.
Chapter 62:
Æliyäu in his riding ahead saw a logging camp and sent Äbihæl back to warn Thårijn before he was spotted and hid. Thårijn went out to find Æliyäu and get more information from him and accidentally injured Æliyäu who he sent back to get tended to. The Iøsenräl walked through the logging camp in broad daylight and plain sight, but the loggers didn't even see them.

Excerpt of the Day:
"They came into a bit of a clear spot, although there were charred trees stacked up before him and a few sets of tracks around a hump of snow in the clearing. Thårijn decided to ride Græshädå over to the wall of logs to look over it and see what he could see.
An agonized cry rang out so nearby Thårijn could've almost sworn that the snow itself had cried out. Græshädå sidestepped and Thårijn heard shouts. Oh no. What had he done?
Looking down at the snow, Thårijn suddenly saw a cloak on the surface. Æliyäu. Oh no, had he really? Oh this was just great. Thårijn got out of his saddle and seized Æliyäu's shoulder.
Æliyäu's face was twisted in pain, Thårijn looked down along Æliyäu, but he couldn't see where Æliyäu would've been injured, but then he looked at where Græshädå was positioned. His stallion had stepped on Æliyäu's legs.
"Your cloak is took good of camouflage," Thårijn said.
Æliyäu opened his eyes. "Thårijn?"
"Your niece is safely with the people, I came to see what you'd learned," Thårijn replied.
"I think it's a logging camp," Æliyäu said.
Thårijn nodded. "They are seeking through the forest for something."
"Me I believe," Æliyäu replied. "One of the men spied me. I am surprised they haven't found me."
"I didn't see you until you cried out," Thårijn said. "And I had one of them come out of the trees and pass me by as if I didn't even exist. And also Græshädå is making no tracks, it is almost as if he his not putting his hooves into the snow, when he is, for an absolute fact."
"Göd is going to guide us through, their eyes blinded and their ears deafened," Æliyäu said.
"Come, rise to your feet," Thårijn said.
"No, I cannot," Æliyäu replied. "My leg."
"You are going to have to get up," Thårijn replied. "I think they heard your cry, although none of them seem to have come this way. Come."
Thårijn got Æliyäu to sit up, then he stood over Æliyäu's legs and wrapped his arm around Æliyäu's back. Æliyäu wrapped his arm around Thårijn's shoulder and Thårijn carefully levered Æliyäu to his feet.
Standing, Æliyäu kept all of his weight off of his right leg, putting it all on his left and Thårijn's shoulders.
"Now you need to get onto Græshädå," Thårijn said.
"No, I can't stand on it, I can't," Æliyäu protested, breathing as if he'd been running a long ways.
"I'll lift you," Thårijn said.
"You can't possibly," Æliyäu said.
Thårijn shifted his position and took Æliyäu up as one would take up a sleeping child. He carried Æliyäu over to Græshädå's side. Æliyäu slid his right leg over the saddle with a high pitched groan and slid his left foot into the stirrup.
"We'll be too much weight together for Græshädå," Thårijn said. "I'll wait here, you go back and get help from a doctor, and tell Bæjern to keep the people going.""

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Exile's End: Day 30

Word Count: 180,018

Summary of Events:
Chapter 59:
Æliyäu went off separate from the people — but not without Äbihæl. Thårijn, after having waited for Æliyäu for a bit, took the leadership post and led the people onward, while worrying a bit about why Æliyäu wasn't there. In riding ahead Æliyäu found the forest had been burned by a fire some time ago, and also found the ruins of a burned town, but kept onward.
Chapter 60:
Thårijn and the people came upon the burned forest and the town, and Thårijn found Æliyäu's tracks and followed them, catching up to Æliyäu. Thårijn talked with Æliyäu some and then headed back to the people while Æliyäu rode on to find a camping place.

Excerpt of the Day:
""And who is it required of me — because I am a leader — to be like all of the rest of the leaders?" Thårijn asked.
"It isn't required of you," Æliyäu replied. "No one is expecting it of you."
"Or so you say," Thårijn said, snapping his gaze to lock on Æliyäu's, his icy eyes ablaze. "But I know it is the contrary. You've gone and done this because you want me to take the helm of leading these people because every other leader is at the helm of those whom they lead. People bend the knee to me even when I tell them not to because they would do it to any other leader, and they seem affronted when I try to tell them I don't want such regard; and they talk to me differently from everyone else, they regard me with awe and approach me as if I'm some kind of magnificent person! And they all look at me as if I am a lunatic to not desire them to do so or get upset when they do."
Æliyäu looked down at Græshädå's shoulder. "It is a natural inclination," he said. "All people regard their leader as an important person, even as someone sacred; they will all often regard him with reverence and respect because he is in charge, he is someone who has been chosen — in some manner or another — to do something that some even doubt is capable of the average man. I am sorry that people are giving you funny looks, but I believe that it is solely because you are behaving in an odd manner for a leader, as most leaders relish in regard."
"I almost wish everyone hated me," Thårijn muttered. "I can handle people hating me, I don't want anything to do with all of this importance."
Æliyäu looked up at Thårijn. "That may be why you have been called to lead our people," he said.
"Because I can't do it?" Thårijn asked.
"Because you don't want them to regard you, exalt you, or in any way consider you more special than anyone else," Æliyäu replied. "It was because our leader lusted after the regard of his people — and even went so far as to abuse his regard and position — that we were sent into this exile. By your unwillingness to be so regarded as he was, you are doing what you can keep our people from falling into the same folly as got them out of our homeland.""

Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Exile's End: Day 29

Word Count: 174,011

Summary of Events:
Chapter 57:
The Iøsenräl came across a large amount of deer and stopped during the daytime to hunt and butcher some meat for themselves before moving on. Thårijn performed an act of particular strength by lifting an entire barrel full of meat onto a wagon for an elderly lady.
Chapter 58:
Thårijn was woken in the night by the sound of wagons and discovered that the 14,000 Iøsenräl they'd been told were missing — who were now just shy of 10,000 — were trying to pass them. He welcomed them into the group to journey. The next night Thårijn chatted with Bærnärd, the son of Äsæ.

Excerpt of the Day:
""Was she ill?" Bænärd asked.
"Very ill," Thårijn replied. "She could not even rise on her own, nor even move her own arms, she was limp as a blanket."
"Why?" Bænärd asked.
"I know not," Thårijn replied. "She passed before we departed."
"You won't be able to visit her grave either?" Bænärd asked. "Like papa?"
"I will," Thårijn replied.
"How?" Bænärd asked.
"I pledged to her that I would lay her among the Kæs at Sönniväbæsted, so she journeys with us in her casket, in the black wagon, drawn by the black horses with no driver," Thårijn replied. "And whence it is that we shall arrive in our homeland either I, or a descendant of mine, or Bæjern even, shall lay her in her resting place as per my pledge to her."
"Why would she lay among the Kæs?" Bænärd asked.
"Because, if it were that we lived in Kænjiøs now she would have been a queen, and she would have been buried there anyways," Thårijn replied. "And to me she always was a queen, she deserves no lesser resting place than among the Kæs where she ought to have bee, she does not deserve to be laid in this land, her grave unknown, and even forgotten as the ages pass."
"Do you miss your mother?" Bænärd asked.
"Daily," Thårijn replied. "She was a magnificent woman. I wish she would have recovered and would have been able to see Kænjiøs and Sönniväbæsted with her own waking eyes."
Bænärd nodded, but said nothing for awhile. "Does your papa miss her?"
"No," Thårijn replied. "To him it is good riddance that she is gone, their marriage was only a marriage of convenience, it was not a marriage of love — although she did grow to love him as the years passed."
"What's a marriage of convenience?" Bærnärd asked.
"They married solely so that, should my father return to Kænjiøs and take the throne it would not be forfeit," Thårijn replied. "According to the laws of Kænjiøs the king or heir to the throne must marry a woman related to him no closer than seven generations, otherwise the throne will be forfeit him."
"What do you mean?" Bærnärd asked.
"My father and mother are seventh cousins," Thårijn replied. "Because of the fact that my mother was the only woman of marriageable age who was as yet unwed who was either seventh cousins or further — eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh cousins or so on — they had to marry so that my father would have a legitimate claim to the throne of Kænjiøs should he ever be able to claim it — and so would their children — and also if he had not married her than the proper house of Kæs would have been ended. They did not love each other, but they married because they wanted the house of Kæs to continue."
"So you could become king?" Bærnärd asked.
"I could," Thårijn replied, although he hoped such wouldn't be the case."

Bærnärd: bear-nahrd

Monday, February 02, 2015

Exile's End: Day 28

Word Count: 168,073

Summary of Events:
Chapter 55:
As the Iøsenräl journeyed Thårijn noticed a clearing and went to investigate it. He found it was a Förstenräl military outpost and ended up duelling with one of the Förstenräl soldiers before leading the people around it and cantering beyond it for a long ways.
Chapter 56:
The next day Thårijn decided the people should walk in the river so as to not leave any tracks, which Æliyäu was slightly concerned with due to the coldness of the water and prayed about. At lunchtime it was discovered that the water was warm, and it was only warm around where they were in the water. Once they stopped for the night everyone took advantage of the warm water and bathed in it.

Excerpt of the Day:
"The soldier returned with a horse, it was a fairly tall horse — a good match for against Græshädå — that was brightly chestnut coloured. The challenging soldier swung up into the saddle with ease and aligned his horse so that he would be fighting on his on side, and Thårijn's off.
Græshädå bent his nose to the other horse in greeting and Thårijn watched his stallion carefully. Græshädå stretched out his neck, his nostrils flaring, and went to make a step forward, but Thårijn gave a short jerk on the reins and Græshädå stopped. It was a mare, and exactly the kind of mare Græshädå wanted to see right about now. Fool.
A blow stunned Thårijn's shield-arm, but Thårijn turned and focused on the soldier and blocking the blows that the soldier threw at him — which wasn't too hard, being as his shield was longer than the full length of the Förstenräl's sword.
After a few blows were landed on his shield Thårijn swung his blade around and met the Förstenräl's blade in loud clashes. Thårijn made sure he never instigated a blow, he only defended against the blows brought against him — this he did because his challenger bore no shield, and his armour Thårijn was sure was quite light.
The soldier parried a thrust against Græshädå, but Thårijn blocked it with his shield and then shoved against the soldier with his shield, seeing if maybe he couldn't unseat his opponent from his saddle.
It seemed that the Förstenräl soldier realized what Thårijn had attempted to do and took it as an insult, as he swung his sword with great ferocity against Thårijn's shield until Thårijn heard a metallic sound he'd only heard once before: in his duel with the Förstenräl soldier in the Møkbæsted square after having fallen from Græshädå. The sword had broken.
"Bring me another sword!" the soldier screamed. "I shall send this fool to his grave before the night is through!"
Græshädå swung his hindquarters around so that Thårijn and the soldier were abreast, both now technically on their on sides, then Græshädå took a couple of steps back, Thårijn reached forward and jerked on Græshädå's chain, and then startled as his stallion reared.
Flailing his forelegs, Græshädå landed a blow against the Förstenräl's head causing him to topple and hang in a position that was surely not in the least comfortable. Græshädå came back down and took a step back again.
Thårijn gave another jerk on the chain, which elicited a buck from his stallion, and from the sounds of things Græshädå had hit some more soldiers. This wasn't exactly a good thing going on here.
Græshädå turned and went to do as he so pleased with the mare, but Thårijn drove his heals into his stallion's sides, bringing another rear. When Græshädå came down again Thårijn repeated the action, pulling on the right rein and turning Græshädå away from the mare and his stallion charged forward."