Newcomer: Day 3

Word Count: 18,025

Summary of Events:

At lunch on Monday Miķelis and his fellow soldiers were informed that an inspection of the whole camp would be taking place before supper; soldiers at the camp who were farther along in their training said that likely meant that a high-ranking officer, nobleman, or even a member of the royal family was coming by. Late in the afternoon, everyone was assembled and watched as a heavily-guarded carriage arrived, from which emerged the Crown Prince, his arm in a sling and limping, who, following the inspection, was announced as the interim commander of the camp. Although the inspection was supposed to include inspecting the tents, the prince's injuries were such that it was foregone, for which Miķelis and Kristiāns were quickly glad, as when they returned to their tent, they found that Genādijs had made a mess of it that would've guaranteed their failing of the inspection, which they cleaned up before supper…

Excerpt of the Day:

The call announcing supper sounded just as they were finished. Miķelis rose and looked at Kristiāns, who was scowling.

“As soon as I lay eyes on him I’m going to give him what he deserves,” Kristiāns declared.

“Please don’t,” Miķelis said.

A look of incredulity came over Kristiāns’ face. “Don’t!? Why not!?”

“The Scriptures say that each man should do unto others as he would have them do unto him,” Miķelis replied. “That we should not become overcome by evil, but should overcome evil with good, showing kindness to the one who wronged us instead of the retribution he deserves, for by so doing, we heap burning coals of guilt upon his head, as opposed to starting a war of retaliation.”

“But…” Kristiāns said. “But… why?”

“It is the natural instinct of man to fight fire with fire,” Miķelis replied. “We believe that by doing the same thing to someone that they’ve done to us, they’ll understand why we don’t like it, and will feel badly for having hurt us. Instead, it’s more likely that by doing so, they shall cause us another harm, prompting us to harm them again, and so on, until eventually, logically, we end up being slain.”

“That seems somewhat extreme,” Kristiāns said.

“That is rather what this war is,” Miķelis replied. “The Imperator’s soldiers didn’t read their maps rightly and invaded us while trying to invade Laniakija, which upset the king, who decided to strike the Imperator’s men back, and so did, which upset the Imperator gravely, prompting him to intentionally invade us, and it’s likely this war will either continue until we cease to exist, or the king and the Imperator are killed.”

Kristiāns tilted his head, looking like he could concede the point, but wasn’t fully wont to do so.

“God tells us not to do unto others as they have done unto us, but to do unto others what we would have them do unto us,” Miķelis said. “Thus, if we don’t want them to cause us harm, we should not cause them harm. If we don’t want them to be angry at us, we should not be angry at them. Instead of fighting fire with fire, we ought to fight fire with water, for it shall show them that we, like our God, are kind, gentle, and benevolent, not harsh, cruel, and belligerent, and they shall feel badly for their actions, and thus shall seek to make right with us.”

“You sound like a priest,” Kristiāns said. “Are you related to one?”

“No,” Miķelis replied.

“Do you mean to become a priest?” Kristiāns asked.

“No,” Miķelis replied.

“You certainly seem to be knowledgable about the Scriptures like a priest,” Kristiāns said.

“More people should be,” Miķelis said. “It shouldn’t just be the priests.”

“But they’ve studied what they need to know in order to understand the Scriptures,” Kristiāns said. “That sort of study isn’t for everyone, as then there would be no need of priests.”

“I’m sure there would still be,” Miķelis said. “But I do think that there should be more general glorification of God among the people, and a better knowledge of the Scriptures for everyone would be beneficial to that end.”

Newcomer: Day 2

Word Count: 12,017

Summary of Events:

Miķelis was introduced to his tent-mates, Genādijs, who was from Zilsvjo, and wasn't terribly friendly, and Kristiāns, who was from the highlands like Miķelis, but further south, and was friendly and eager to show Miķelis around before supper. The following day Miķelis started into his training, where he quickly outperformed quite a few of his fellow trainees, considering his experience with weapons. Come Sunday, Miķelis was roused early by one of his fellow Reform-believing neighbours who was also a trainee, and the two headed out into the woods for a covert time of fellowship with the few fellow Reform believers in the camp…

Excerpt of the Day:

They gathered around the fire, with several of his neighbours greeting him who’d not yet had the chance to do so in the time he’d been at the camp, although most of them had already seen him once since he’d arrived.

Without further ado, the oldest of their number rose and led them in singing several songs as loudly as they dared.

Miķelis was glad to sing the familiar tunes with these young men, many of whom had been childhood companions of his owing to the fact that his brothers had all been going off to war ahead of him, although he did feel more nervous than usual as he did so.

Once they’d finished singing, the oldest of their number carefully drew out a book from his coat. Miķelis was one of the few who followed suit. Those flanking him crowded close so as to be able to read along when Miķelis turned the pages to the section wherefrom the oldest of their number announced he would be reading from.

With those crowded around him, Miķelis moved his eyes over the text as the oldest one read it aloud, translating it as he spoke, just as Mama had always done. It would be so much nicer if they didn’t have to translate on the fly, but considering the illegality of the books, pursuing the creation of editions in their own language was easier said than done.

Once the text was read, the oldest of their number expounded on the meaning of the text. Miķelis listened raptly, as always, eager to hear and understand, occasionally checking back with the book in his hands to be sure that the text was being used properly, even though his concerns for its misuse were minimal. Vigilance was always important.

Indeed, Miķelis listened intently for any sounds of someone or something in the bush while also listening to the words of his brother in faith and arms, lest they have been followed, found, and run the risk of being shot for daring to believe what was legally defined as heresy, even though it was, in fact, the truth that every man in the camp, every person in the realm, every human in the world needed to hear.

The message shared was rather brief, but it was better than nothing. They all sang a couple songs in closing before the fire, which had burned quite low, was doused with a pail of water and everyone got up to creep back to the camp before their absences could be noticed and prompt suspicion to arouse.

Making his way back to his tent, Miķelis stowed away the book in his saddlebag before changing back into his nightclothes and crawling back beneath the covers, that his absence might go unnoticed, lest anyone suspect that he was one of the heartbreakingly few of his countrymen who had been able to hear the truth despite the repressions of the law against its promotion or propagation.

Pronunciations:

Genādijs: gehnahdees

Kristiāns: krihstyahns

Newcomer: Day 1

Word Count: 6,191

Summary of Events:

In the late afternoon, after having set out in the early morning, Miķelis and his brother arrived at the military training camp whereat all of Miķelis' brothers — as well as his father — had undergone their military training before him, as it was the nearest camp to their home…

Excerpt of the Day:

Coming to a stop at the tent, the two brothers dismounted their horses, with the younger following the elder inside, where a man dressed similarly to the elder sat behind a desk.

A different badge was on his cap, and he had also slightly fancier epaulettes, as well as badges on his upper arms that indicated him to be of a higher rank than had been achieved by the elder brother.

The man looked up at the two of them, surveying them with inspecting eyes.

Taking a deep breath, the younger brother stepped forward.

“Reporting for duty, sir,” he said, offering a slight salute.

“Name?” the officer asked.

“Miķelis Viktors Eglītis,” he replied.

“Date of birth?” the officer asked.

“The seventeenth of the tenth, thirty seven twenty nine,” Miķelis replied.

“Soldier?” the officer asked, looking to his brother.

“Truly has he spoken,” his brother replied. “I am his brother, Valentīns Eglītis, Lieutenant of the Twelfth Highland Archers.”

The officer nodded and looked back at Miķelis. “Residence?”

“Elejādirozen,” Miķelis replied.

“Fill this out, neatly,” the officer said, turning a page and sliding it toward Miķelis alongside an ink bottle.

Taking up the pen and blotting it neatly on the blotting-paper, Miķelis read all the printed words on the page carefully before using his best penmanship — which Mama had always promised him would someday be necessary — to fill in the blanks he needed to before signing his name with a well-practised flourish at the bottom.

Valentīns and the officer also signed the page before the officer summoned a lesser officer, whom he instructed to take Miķelis to his tent.

Miķelis, Valentīns, and the lesser officer exited the tent. Miķelis felt a touch of nervousness as he looked at Valentīns.

“I have every confidence in you, Miķ,” Valentīns said, putting a hand on Miķelis’ upper arm. “This won’t even be work to you.”

Miķelis nodded, although he felt his throat tightening and the sensations about his eyes that always preceded tears.

“God be with you, Miķ,” Valentīns said, looking him in the eyes.

“You too,” Miķelis replied, managing to keep emotion from choking his voice.

Valentīns wrapped Miķelis in a tight embrace, which Miķelis returned, feeling tears moisten the edges of his eyelids that he desperately didn’t want to overflow down his cheeks like he’d never said goodbye to someone before. He’d said goodbye to all of his brothers, his brothers-in-law, his father, his mother, his grandparents, most of them more than once.

Feeling Valentīns release his hold, Miķelis reluctantly followed suit and saw that Valentīns eyes looked as glassy as he was sure his own were.

“’Til we meet again,” Valentīns said quietly.

Miķelis nodded, not trusting himself to be able to speak clearly.

Valentīns turned away reaching his foot up into the stirrup, grabbing the pommel, and springing aboard his dark bay mare, whose head rose and ears swivelled, showing that she was anticipating her master’s command.

He gathered up the reins, saluted to the officer, who saluted back, turned his mare, and headed away. Miķelis watched him depart until the tents about him blocked his view.

Pronunciations:

Valentīns: vahlehnteens

Elejādirozen: ehlehyahdihrohzehn

August Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Newcomer

Time Setting: 3747¹

Genre: Fantasy

Minimum Word Goal: 90,000

Timespan: October–December

Location: Military Training Camp Sargs, Zilsvjo, Kingdom of Ovilis 

Main Character: Miķelis Eglītis

Background Information: 

Located in the northwest corner of a vast plain that covers some 2.5 million square kilometres, Ovilis is bounded on the north by a gulf, to the west by a sea, to the east by the vast realm of Gryebyaninets, and to the south by the smaller realm of Laniakija.

Ovilis was created in 3518 when the king of Laniakija made the decision to engage in peace negotiations with the emperor of the Gryebyaninets. The king of Laniakija had recently inherited the throne following his father’s death in battle, and Laniakija was reeling from having lost the major port city of Mažsakmenous, which it had controlled for 400 years, as the taking of the city from the Gryebyaninets in the late 3160s had led the men who’d participated in the battle to proclaim the man who’d led them to victory as the first king of Laniakija.

The nobles of the far north of Laniakija were not at all pleased by the king’s decision to pursue peace instead of continuing in war, not only to retake Mažsakmenous, but also to destroy the Gryebyaninets, whom they — as most people of Laniakija — believed to be religious heretics, thus to make peace with them was sacrilege.

Despite their vocal opposition, much of the common population was tired of the war, which had been going on for over a century, and the king thus carried out the peace negotiations to a successful end that left the Gryebyaninets controlling well over half of the plain.

In response, the nobles of the far north of Laniakija first tried to depose the king, but following their successful murder of him and his sons, his brother who ascended to the throne expressed commitment to both maintaining the peace agreement his brother had made, and tracking down the murderers.

Believing that their king had apostatised, the nobles of the far north thus declared a breakaway state comprising of their territories in the far north, which amounted to one fifth of Laniakija’s area at the time, and when the king of Laniakija tried to negotiate with them, the two factions entered into war, which lasted until 3527, when a peace was negotiated between them, with the new realm taking the name of Ovilis.

Peace then prevailed over the plains for the next 125 years, as the Gryebyaninets busied themselves making conquests east of the formidable mountain range that formed the plain’s eastern border, but when they started to run up against stiffer opposition there, they decided to go after Laniakija again, and so they did for fifty years, in which they suffered more losses than gains despite their large size and initial confidence that they’d crush Laniakija against the mountains, including losing Savekiya — as they called Mažsakmenous.

Frustrated by the lack of success, Emperor Afanasiy decided to launch an attack from his new capital of Mislitsyega, located at the rearmost reaches of the gulf that formed Ovilis’ northern border, onto Laniakija’s northern coast, which stretched west from its border with Ovilis to the twisting range of mountains that formed the plain’s western boundary.

Afanasiy decided to launch the attack at the smaller of Lainiakija’s two largest port cities on its north coast, just 30km from the Laniakija–Ovilis border, and as a result, some of his forces inadvertently landed on Oviljas soil, attacking unsuspecting Oviljas citizens, stealing Oviljas property, and destroying Oviljas communities.

Newly-crowned King Alvis was by no means pleased with the ignorance of the Gryebyaninets, and so, in addition to sending forces to attack the Gryebyaninets and drive them away, Alvis made plans to further punish the Gryebyaninets as they made their way back to Mislitsyega along Ovilis’ shoreline.

Once the Gryebyaninets forces were driven back from both Ovilis’ lands, as well as Laniakija’s, the plan was put into action, reducing the fleet of forty Gryebyaninets ships to less than six by either destroying them with cannon and incendiary bombs, or damaging them so badly that their own crews scuttled them, and then slaughtering all Gryebyaninets who tried to land on the shore.

Among the dead were the three oldest of Afanasiy’s five sons, which, along with the destruction of the majority of his best ships, prompted Afanasiy to declare war on Ovilis, which he intended to quickly and easily drive into the sea.

It’s been twenty years since then, however, and Ovilis remains. It is a smaller Ovilis than it once was, having steadily lost territory over the years — including its capital, Kiledzoša — but few Oviljas would’ve ever expected that their realm would hold out even two years against a realm millions of square kilometres larger and possessing a population over a hundred million greater than its own.

The war has nevertheless taken its toll, but Ovilis remains committed to the fighting not just to continue its existence, but to maintain a bastion of truth on the plains, considering that the prevailing view is still that the Gryebyaninets are heretics, while Laniakija has certainly gone soft on religious doctrine in the face of a new movement in the years since their separation, causing the Oviljas to question whether those of Laniakija who claim to share the same beliefs as them actually do, or if they might possibly hold to some questionable — even heretical — variation.

In fact, if not for religious zeal, many Oviljas would have given up long ago, and many of the most ardent combatants — including the entire royal house — are deeply devout people intent on seeing spiritual victory over heresy and questionable softness of doctrine as much as they are intent on seeing military victory and territorial gain.

Born the youngest of nine sons and twelve children to a woodsman and his wife who dwelt in the southern highlands of Ovilis, Miķelis was born just one year after Emperor Afanasiy declared war on Ovilis, following which his father and oldest brothers departed to join the army.

Miķelis and his remaining brothers were thus taught the family trade by their grandfather until each, by turn, reached the age of eighteen, at which time they were drafted immediately into the army to join in the fight.

When Miķelis was seven years old his third and fourth-oldest brothers were killed in battle and his father and second-oldest brother disappeared, being presumed dead, as the Gryebyaninets weren’t the sort to take a lot of prisoners.

Two years later Miķelis and his family were shocked when his father and brother returned alive and explained that they’d been part of a group of men who’d been pursued by Gryebyaninets forces into Laniakija by accident, and had actually been taken in and cared for by villagers despite the fact that the people of Ovilis and Lamiakija typically disdained one another.

These villagers revealed that they were adherents to the new religious movement, known as the Reform, which had meant to correct dangerous, even heretical, errors in the religion to which Laniakija and Ovilis adhered, but had become a separate movement because of poor reception to the idea of correcting the wrongs, which were so well-established that they weren’t believed to be in any way false or near-heretical.

Miķelis’ father and brother had become persuaded that the Reform movement was true and right during their time in the village, which shocked and unsettled Miķelis’ family, but because they had to return to the front lines to fight, there was no time to try and turn them back from their new beliefs.

Before they left, Miķelis’ father and brother left one of the two Holy Books they’d been given which had been translated from the Sacred Language into Laniakija’s language — which was similar enough to Ovilis’ that they were mutually intelligible — behind for the family to read.

Because it was illegal in Ovilis for the Holy Book to be in any language outside of the Sacred Language, Miķelis’ grandfather meant to destroy the book, but Miķelis’ mother feared that, if it was actually Holy Text, destroying it could cause the family harm, so she hid the book from her father-in-law, eventually reading it and becoming persuaded as her husband and son had become, that it was not the Reform believers who were heretics, but those who resisted the Reform.

Gradually Miķelis’ brothers, sisters, their spouses, nieces, nephews, and even his grandmother — as well as Miķelis himself — followed suit, along with other members of the community, facing stiff resistance from the likes of Miķelis’ grandfather until his death when Miķelis was thirteen, and others in the nearby village.

Miķelis, in particular, became strongly devoted to the Reform beliefs, to the point that some suggested he should become a minister, but he wasn’t sure that he should, as he was also a talented hunter, and seemed likely to do well as a soldier once he turned eighteen, and he wasn’t as confident in his potential abilities as a religious minister as others were.

The Reform minister who had come from Laniakija to lead the growing community of Reform believers also didn’t believe that Miķelis was called to be a minister, but agreed that Miķelis would be better suited to life in the army.

Recently Miķelis’ eighteenth birthday finally came, and as a result, Miķelis is set to accompany the youngest of his older brothers — who has recently been on leave — to the same Military Training Camp where all of his brothers went before him to receive their mandatory one year of basic training before being sent into combat, despite the fact that many people are confident Miķelis doesn’t need to be taught a thing, considering that his abilities as a woodsman are the best in the area, and are very similar to the skills he’d need as a soldier in war.

Pronunciations:

Sargs: sahrgz

Zilsvjo: zihlsveeyo

Ovilis: auvihlihs

Miķelis: mihkehlihs (rhymes with Nicholas)

Eglītis: eggleetihs

Gryebyaninets; greeyebyahnihnets

Laniakija: lahneeackeeyah

Mažsakmenous: mahzhsahkmenohs (rhymes with dose)

Savekiya: sahvehkeeah

Afanasiy: ahfahnahzee

Mislitsyega: mihslitsyegah

Oviljas: auvihlyahs

Alvis: alvihs (rhymes with Elvis)

Kiledzoša: kihlehdzoshah

¹does not correspond to any existent year-counting system.

Seeded: Day 15

Word Total: 90,075

Year to Date: 510,290

Summary of Events:

Brandt was making lunch when he was texted by Brandon, who had stopped by his grandparents' place to pick something up and been invited for lunch. Brandon's grandparents had a book on the church they attended which had photos of Brandt's family in it, so he sent them, as well as telling Brandt what little his grandfather would tell him about why Brandt's family no longer attended the church, which Brandt concluded was related to his parents' divorce. Lark asked her grandma about what history there was between the Remingtons and the Staneks, but was told that she would have to wait for her father to be ready to tell it to her, as it was his to tell. Having recalled all he could remember of his parents' divorce, Brandt had some questions, which he decided to take to his oldest sister…

Excerpt of the Day:

“Oh, okay,” Justine said. “So, what were you wanting to talk to me about?”

“Um, just… I was thinking about Mom and Dad’s divorce the other day,” Brandt replied. “And I know you said Dad kicked Mom out, and I kind of remember another woman before Dad started drinking, but… was there?”

“Yes,” Justine replied. “The next morning, after Mom and Dad’s big fight, Dad came and got us all for breakfast. There was a woman there.”

“Oh,” Brandt said. “Like, he’d had this other lady all lined up before he kicked Mom out?”

“Yes,” Justine replied.

“Was she blonde?” Brandt asked.

“She was,” Justine replied.

“What was her name?” Brandt asked.

“Dad introduced her as Drina,” Justine replied. “I never heard any other name for her.”
“Dad had a thing for Ds,” Brandt said. “I wonder if Veronica’s middle name starts with a D.”

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Justine said. “She was okay, like, I mean, coming downstairs for breakfast to find Mom gone and some other lady stepping into her role was a little bit scary, but she was nice afterwards. Summer didn’t like her.”

“Are we surprised?” Brandt asked.

“No,” Justine replied. “Summer had one of her tantrums and Dad sent us to Grandma’s for a few days, which is when Mom picked us up and took us to Olds before CPS came and took us home.”
“Oh,” Brandt said.

“Dad and Drina remodelled the house,” Justine added.

“You mean this place isn’t original?” Brandt asked.

“Nope,” Justine replied. “The basement wasn’t finished initially, so we weren’t allowed to play down there, but after Drina moved in the bedrooms and bathroom and everything else were put in, plus changing a lot of carpets and paint and stuff.”

“Oh,” Brandt said. “Okay. What happened to her?”

“She died,” Justine replied. “I think it was a car accident or something. It wasn’t on the farm. She and Dad were going to get married, but it was, like, really close to the wedding when she died. That’s why Dad started drinking.”

“He must’ve really loved her then,” Brandt said.

“Yeah,” Justine said. “It makes me wonder why he ever married Mom in the first place.”
Brandt nodded.

“But that’s why he hasn’t ever renovated the house too,” Justine said. “He wants to keep it the way Drina did it up.”

“But now he wants to tear it down and build a new place,” Brandt said.

“Yeah,” Justine said. “That’s why I was so shocked when I found out.”

Nodding Brandt recalled vividly the incredible look of astonishment that had exploded across Justine’s face when the news had been broken to her. Since she’d been pregnant with Sirena at the time, several people present thought she’d been going into preterm labour.

“My only guess is that Veronica is the new Drina,” Justine said. “I do feel like he is the same with Veronica as he was with Drina. Diana was enough to get him out of the gutter, but she wasn’t quite the same as Drina. I kind of never expected that Dad and Diana would stay together forever from the first moment we were introduced to her, although they did stick together longer than I expected.”

In order to pursue some non-manuscript projects this summer I will be taking a two-month hiatus, so there won't be another post until 30 July. Until then, R.A.

Seeded: Day 14

Word Count: 84,009

Summary of Events:

Brandt's dad revealed over supper that the irrigator on the one little piece of land they owned out by Rosemary wasn't working. Having completely forgotten about that piece of land, and realising its proximity to where Lark had said she lived, Brandt eagerly volunteered to go make the repairs; they went quickly and he was eager to use the spare time to see about figuring out exactly where Lark lived, only to be pleasantly surprised to see her riding through the field across the road. She came over and chatted with Brandt until an elderly man who had a gun in his truck that Brandt couldn't trust he wouldn't use if provoked told Brandt menacingly to go home. Lark was puzzled by the man's unkindness toward Brandt, musing on her way home that even if she knew he wasn't perfect, she didn't feel like he was quite fully deserving of the labels many people gave to him…

Excerpt of the Day:

Nevertheless, Brandt was respectful. He’d not sworn once around her, and she could tell that he’d even checked his details when it’d come to talking about the sins that he was inclined to commit which Lark found rather sickening and displeasing. Those probably were both effects of having Brandon as a friend, but they showed that Brandt was decent and courteous, even if he was a sinner, which was more than comments like the man had made about Brandt had led her to believe before she’d met him.

She steered Nia into the yard and over to the barn, where she dismounted and immediately loosened the cinch. She removed the saddle, blanket, and pad, setting them all on the rail of the fence before going and fetching a hard comb from the rooming box in the horse shed, which she used to give Nia a good scratch on the back, loosening the sweat-packed hairs.

Removing Nia’s bridle, Lark hung it over the saddle horn and walked over to the gate into the pasture. Nia followed her and trotted through the gate when Lark opened it, opening up to a canter in order to get to her herd mates faster.

Lark closed and locked the gate before taking up the tack and putting it in the shed on the rack reserved for it, as well as putting the brush away in the box and closing the shed door to keep birds and bugs out that wouldn’t like getting trapped inside.

“That was a longer ride than usual,” Dad said, causing Lark to startle slightly.

“Well, you often take longer places because you end up encountering neighbours and chatting,” Lark replied.

“Oh,” Dad said. “Who’d you run into?”

“Brandt Remington,” Lark replied. “Did you know they owned a piece around here?”

“Yes,” Dad replied, his face having taken on a reserved, displeased expression as soon as she’d uttered Brandt’s name.

“What’s wrong Dad?” Lark asked.

“I don’t know what I think of you talking to him,” Dad replied, looking past her.

“Why?” Lark asked.

“Well, his family aren’t particularly nice or upstanding,” Dad replied. “They’ve been particularly unkind. To us.”

Lark startled. She’d never heard her family say anything about the Remingtons, but the Remingtons hadn’t been nice to them?

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Dad shook his head and turned away.

Lark leapt after him and grabbed his arm. “Daddy, what do you mean?”

Stopping, Dad stood still for a moment, then gently removed her hand from his arm and clasped it between both of his, looking her in the eye, his eyes showing signs of moisture.

“This isn’t the right place,” Dad replied. “Or the right time. Okay?”

Nodding, Lark watched Dad’s face as he released her hand and turned, walking away briskly, his posture and expression showing signs of distress, which made her feel distressed in turn. What was that all about?

Pronunciation:

Nia: neeah

Seeded: Day 13

Word Count: 78,013

Summary of Events:

Lark was picked up by Ariel to go on a shopping trip to Medicine Hat, and as they drove to pick Shealyn up, and thereafter headed for Medicine Hat, they discussed Brandt's presence at church, and some thoughts that Ariel and Shealyn's parents had about his visit and his family. At a party with a bunch of his friends and other close acquaintances, Brandt watched others dance while deciding what girl he wanted to hang out with once Brandon went home, as Brandon never stayed all night. On Sunday, Lark wondered if she might see Brandt again, but as she exited the church after the service was over, she saw no sign of him while making her way over to Ariel and Shealyn…

Excerpt of the Day:

“Did you see any signs of Brandt?” Ariel asked.

Lark shook her head. “No.”
“I wonder if Mrs. Voss scared him off,” Ariel said.

“I doubt it,” Shealyn said. “He doesn’t look like the type to be intimidated.”

“Even still,” Lark said. “I feel like most people are more sensitive in a religious setting.”
“What do you mean?” Ariel asked.

“Well, a lot of people seem to think religious people are weak because they need a religion to function,” Lark replied. “Not that everyone doesn’t technically have a religion that they adhere to, some of them just aren’t as formalised as others, but anyways, when it comes to their deciding to explore religion, to them, it is putting themselves in a bit of a vulnerable position, admitting that they’re maybe a bit weaker than they might otherwise be inclined to let other people believe, so if they have even a minor negative experience, it can be enough to turn them off of coming back, whereas if they were to go to… say… a new restaurant and had a similar experience, it wouldn’t be enough to keep them from giving the restaurant another chance, and might even be insignificant enough that they brush it off.”

“Hm,” Shealyn said. “I’ve never really thought of that.”

“So even though I wouldn’t consider Brandt an easy-to-intimidate guy either, because it was in a religious setting and he’s not religious, it could’ve been enough to put him off,” Lark said.

“Yeah, he did look rather flustered when he left last week,” Ariel added. “But I also feel like he knew Mrs. Voss.”

“Well, she does live kind of close to the Westlands,” Shealyn said. “So maybe he’s seen her before.”

“But maybe he’s not really had a lot to do with her,” Ariel said.

Lark nodded. “So having her suddenly come down on him like that could be a bit shocking.”

“Yeah,” Ariel said.

“Although I do feel like, if I were trying out a new church — or if I were actually in his shoes and trying church itself for the first time — it would be mortifying to be suddenly accosted by someone shouting all kinds of unpleasantries at me,” Lark added. “Even if I know that person from elsewhere, I wouldn’t necessarily want to be noticed, and especially not in that kind of a way.”

Ariel and Shealyn both nodded.

“That is definitely also a valid point,” Shealyn said. “We as Christians shouldn’t conduct ourselves like that, and even nonChristians know that Christians are supposed to be nice people, so being accosted in that kind of a way would also be rather offensive.”

“Yeah,” Lark said.

“It’s consistent with Mrs. Voss, though,” Ariel said. “She has always been rather contentious.”
“Yes,” Shealyn agreed.

“Not that it excuses what she did,” Lark said. “She really shouldn’t be contentious at all. We’re not supposed to be as Christians. I’m pretty sure being contentious is something that’s cited in the Bible more than once as something that Christians shouldn’t be given to doing.”