This isn't fan-fiction either. It's creativity. I'm going to ask a question, maybe something I've been thinking about, maybe a random idea. I want EVERYONE who reads this to comment an answer. I mean, I suppose you won't get tracked down if you don't. . . but. . . anyways.
#1 If you had cancer, who, outside your family, would you tell first?
I was watching Battlestar Galactica and Laura Roslin is forced to tell everyone in the galactic fleet that her cancer is back. How would you do it? I think I'd talk to my French teacher, honestly. She had cancer once, and she's really understanding. She's supportive, the kind of person who will give you a shoulder to cry on, if you need one, and a kick in the. . . yeah. . . if you need one.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Elven Cities Wowcraft?
So I'm thinking that the cities are going to (primarily) going to be located in forests, because them I can have elves, dwarves, and human in the same place. I see giant trees with elegant staircases curling up with huge city-platforms built dozens of feet in the air. There are fragile-looking bridges connecting the tree-cities. The humans live in the thick earth at the bottoms of the trees, with dusty roads and rather un-elegant looking buildings crowding around. The dwarves have built cramped, dark cities weaving through the roots of the trees, supported by sooty, grimy bricks.
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| Uber-quick TuxPaint drawing. |
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| See? Elegant and natural. |
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| The gorgeous curling staircases. |
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| Not this large, but thatched. |
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| Not this clean, but crowded. |
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| Color scheme |
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Last Night Part 3: Overused
Someone grasped Niva's shoulder and gently shook her. The novice moaned and rolled over, further entangling herself in her blankets.
"Niva, dearest, you need to get up now. It's just past the seventh hour of the morning." Silverleaf pulled Niva's blankets away and draped them over the end of the bed.
Niva shivered in the sudden coolness, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and swung her feet to the floor before shuffling to her pine wardrobe. She had just opened it when Silverleaf placed her hand on the porcelain doorknob.
"You don't need a robe today. Dedication is about getting as close to your element as you can. Besides, no one wants to spend hours scrubbing grass and grime out of a white robe," Silverleaf smiled. "Use your water pitcher and handkerchief to wash up, then meet me outside, alright?"
Niva glanced at the other girls in her dorm room. "What about them? Aren't they coming too?"
Silverleaf shook her head. "No, this is just the seventeen to nineteen-year-olds' room, remember? You're the only one in here to be dedicated so young."
Niva blinked. She had assumed there were at least a few other girls her age taking vows and that just hadn't mentioned it. "Oh."
"There's five or six girls in the twenty-and-over dorm room, and a few boys as well, but you're the youngest," Silverleaf paused. "It's fine to be the youngest. You know Dedicate Moonstream, right? From the Water temple? She was the oldest in her group to take vows. I think she was. . . . about twenty-four."
Niva gasped. "No! She's so good, though!"
Silverleaf shrugged. "It's all in the hands of the gods." She gave Niva a last smile, then turned and headed out of the room.
Niva walked over to her small bedside table. She poured a thin stream of water into her bowl and watched it sparkle in the early dawn light. She dipped her kerchief into the water and hurriedly washed her face and neck. She paused when she finished, and slid the square of fabric into her pocket. It might be useful. She knelt to reach under her bed and pulled out a smooth wooden box. It was dark Anderran cherry with strips of zebra-wood. She pulled the key from the ribbon around her neck and opened the box.
A cloud of herb-scented air rolled out. Several carved and painted god and goddess figures nestled in the box, along with bags of herbs, letters, and other mementos of Niva's old home. The novice drew out a small drawing in a gilt frame. There were two girls, one red-haired in an emerald-green dress and the other blonde with a faded pink dress. They were smiling widely.
Niva kissed the picture for good luck and laid it back in its place. She pulled the necklace Isas had given her out of a little drawer in the box and clasped it around her neck. She locked the box again, put it away, and joined Silverleaf outside the dormitory.
Four girls and five boys waited with the dedicate in the pre-dawn light. They were all a few years older than Niva, and she looked down, blushing.
Silverleaf counted the novices quickly, then turned and led them down the main temple road, towards the hub. "I believe you all know what's going to happen today," the dedicate said as she walked along. "Generally. It's my duty to tell you what you should expect today, and wish you luck and the gods' blessings."
Niva shivered. Why did you have to say that, Silverleaf? You're making it sound like we might die or something.
"I'm taking you to the Heartfire chamber, under the Hub. You'll be anointed and blessed and given instructions for your. . . . dedication."
They walked in silence until they reached the Hub. Silverleaf lead the novices off the temple road and around the side of the building. She stopped, part of the way around, and stepped up to the Hub's stone wall. Niva frowned as the Dedicate drew a symbol on the wall with her finger. Magic flared like silver paint and a door-sized section of the wall swung open, as if it was hinged. Silverleaf held the door open and ushered the novices into the Heartfire chamber.
Niva blinked in the sudden darkness, trying to regain her vision. A bonfire burned in the middle of the room, but it was pouring thick, herb-scented smoke into the air, which effectively cloaked the room in shadow. The room was divided into quadrants, three of which were already filled with novices sitting on the floor.
Silverleaf lead the Earth novices around the edge of the circular room to the last quadrant, before walking up to the Heartfire, where several other dedicates of assorted temples were waiting.
Niva glanced around, then sat on the floor like everyone else.
"Today is a very special day in your lives," a Fire dedicate called in a deep voice. "Today you will take vows that will bind you to your chosen god or goddess-"
"For life." A tiny Water dedicate continued. "You will vow to serve the poor, your gods, and your temple in any way you can."
"Your dedication starts here, in the Heartfire." This time, Silverleaf was speaking. "You will choose which temple to join and be marked with its element."
"Then you will go into the fields around the temple and find the meaning of your dedication," an old Air dedicate finished. "It is different for everyone."
A tall, pale woman in a gold-bordered yellow habit stepped forwards. Niva gasped. The woman was Froststar, the head dedicate of the temple. Niva had only seen the woman on two other occasions: the day Niva had arrived at Winding Circle, and the day she took her novitiate's vows.
"Decide now where you want to be," Froststar called loudly. "Go to the quadrant of your choice and be marked. Then go to the fields. Return to the front of the Hub, after you have found a meaning for your vows. Use your magic and create something to give to your god or goddess upon your return. The dedication ceremony for your families is directly after you have all arrived back, so find something to wear." She smiled at them turned, and raised her hands to the Heartfire. It roared and flames licked the ceiling. Then the fire gave a burst of smoke that turned the room to blackness. Niva coughed, then looked back at the fire in shock. It was now made up of twisting flames in blue, green, yellow, and red. Each color flame streamed from a quarter of the fire-pit, then rose to spiral around other flames.
A green-robed dedicate stepped up to Niva. He held a copper bowl in his left hand. "Do you choose to serve the Earth?"
Niva nodded, speechless.
The dedicate dipped his finger into his bowl and knelt next to the girl. He had a large glob of pale brown cream on his finger. He painted the cream in a straight line down the middle of Niva's face. It was cold and gritty, and Niva shivered as the man painted a horizontal line across her cheekbones. The lines formed the symbol of the Earth temple. The dedicate stood and moved onto the next person.
Niva forced herself not to run her fingers over her face. She stood up and picked her way between novices and dedicates to the door Silverleaf had brought her through. A few other novices were leaving too. Niva didn't look at them. She was afraid that one of them might be Isas. She didn't want to know which temple he was joining. She still had a small spark of hope in him joining the Earth temple.
She slipped out the door and into the already warm morning. The sun was rising, casting a pink glow over the periwinkle shadows. Niva looked around at the roads that spread through the temple.
Go to the fields around the temple. Niva chose the main road, one she knew would lead out the South gate and began to jog along it. To her surprise, the gate was open, flanked by a pair of Fire dedicates who merely nodded to her as she hurried out.
Start with the easiest thing to do. Make something for Mila and the Green Man. I can make. . . um. . . Niva thought deeply. Something to benefit people. After all, isn't that what Mila does with all of her plants? But what am I good at?
Tea, said a little voice in Niva's head. You can make tea. You and Isas had plenty of practice with tea at Lightsbridge.
I can make an endurance tea! I could make it and take it to the poor, just like Froststar said. What will I need? I want something strong, that can keep people awake. Niva began to compose a list in her head. Chicory, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg. If I can find black pepper, that would make it even better. Niva stopped dead in the middle of the field, tall grass licking her legs. None of that stuff is wild out here though. The temple orders it all from other places. The girl bit her lip and frowned. Then she grinned. "This is what magic is for!"
She sat down in the field and carefully grasped a blade of grass. They never taught us this in class. She reached deep into herself, grabbed a rootlet of power, and twisted it around the grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can do this." Magic began to pour into the grass. Niva grasped it gently and tried to shape it into cinnamon trees and scrubby chicory plants. The grass resisted; Niva could feel it twisting away from her. She gripped the magic harder and slammed her will into the plants.
It was as though she had broken through a door. Bits of dirt and roots were blasted into the air as Niva's tree and bushes exploded into life. Magic roared around her and swam in her veins. She gasped at the power. There was a loud creak and rustling noise as the new plants settled.
Dirt and leaves rained down around Niva. She watched her plants bud, bloom, and grow fruits. The bushes shivered for the last time and Niva could see a little ginger plant under one of the bushes. She smiled. Now she could start on the tea itself.
Suddenly, the power Niva held vanished. It was as though the magic had lasted as long as she needed it and not any longer. Niva's smile slid off her face as she realized her magic was gone too. She had overused herself. Again.
"Mila bless me," Niva mumbled as the ground rushed up to meet her.
"Niva, dearest, you need to get up now. It's just past the seventh hour of the morning." Silverleaf pulled Niva's blankets away and draped them over the end of the bed.
Niva shivered in the sudden coolness, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and swung her feet to the floor before shuffling to her pine wardrobe. She had just opened it when Silverleaf placed her hand on the porcelain doorknob.
"You don't need a robe today. Dedication is about getting as close to your element as you can. Besides, no one wants to spend hours scrubbing grass and grime out of a white robe," Silverleaf smiled. "Use your water pitcher and handkerchief to wash up, then meet me outside, alright?"
Niva glanced at the other girls in her dorm room. "What about them? Aren't they coming too?"
Silverleaf shook her head. "No, this is just the seventeen to nineteen-year-olds' room, remember? You're the only one in here to be dedicated so young."
Niva blinked. She had assumed there were at least a few other girls her age taking vows and that just hadn't mentioned it. "Oh."
"There's five or six girls in the twenty-and-over dorm room, and a few boys as well, but you're the youngest," Silverleaf paused. "It's fine to be the youngest. You know Dedicate Moonstream, right? From the Water temple? She was the oldest in her group to take vows. I think she was. . . . about twenty-four."
Niva gasped. "No! She's so good, though!"
Silverleaf shrugged. "It's all in the hands of the gods." She gave Niva a last smile, then turned and headed out of the room.
Niva walked over to her small bedside table. She poured a thin stream of water into her bowl and watched it sparkle in the early dawn light. She dipped her kerchief into the water and hurriedly washed her face and neck. She paused when she finished, and slid the square of fabric into her pocket. It might be useful. She knelt to reach under her bed and pulled out a smooth wooden box. It was dark Anderran cherry with strips of zebra-wood. She pulled the key from the ribbon around her neck and opened the box.
A cloud of herb-scented air rolled out. Several carved and painted god and goddess figures nestled in the box, along with bags of herbs, letters, and other mementos of Niva's old home. The novice drew out a small drawing in a gilt frame. There were two girls, one red-haired in an emerald-green dress and the other blonde with a faded pink dress. They were smiling widely.
Niva kissed the picture for good luck and laid it back in its place. She pulled the necklace Isas had given her out of a little drawer in the box and clasped it around her neck. She locked the box again, put it away, and joined Silverleaf outside the dormitory.
Four girls and five boys waited with the dedicate in the pre-dawn light. They were all a few years older than Niva, and she looked down, blushing.
Silverleaf counted the novices quickly, then turned and led them down the main temple road, towards the hub. "I believe you all know what's going to happen today," the dedicate said as she walked along. "Generally. It's my duty to tell you what you should expect today, and wish you luck and the gods' blessings."
Niva shivered. Why did you have to say that, Silverleaf? You're making it sound like we might die or something.
"I'm taking you to the Heartfire chamber, under the Hub. You'll be anointed and blessed and given instructions for your. . . . dedication."
They walked in silence until they reached the Hub. Silverleaf lead the novices off the temple road and around the side of the building. She stopped, part of the way around, and stepped up to the Hub's stone wall. Niva frowned as the Dedicate drew a symbol on the wall with her finger. Magic flared like silver paint and a door-sized section of the wall swung open, as if it was hinged. Silverleaf held the door open and ushered the novices into the Heartfire chamber.
Niva blinked in the sudden darkness, trying to regain her vision. A bonfire burned in the middle of the room, but it was pouring thick, herb-scented smoke into the air, which effectively cloaked the room in shadow. The room was divided into quadrants, three of which were already filled with novices sitting on the floor.
Silverleaf lead the Earth novices around the edge of the circular room to the last quadrant, before walking up to the Heartfire, where several other dedicates of assorted temples were waiting.
Niva glanced around, then sat on the floor like everyone else.
"Today is a very special day in your lives," a Fire dedicate called in a deep voice. "Today you will take vows that will bind you to your chosen god or goddess-"
"For life." A tiny Water dedicate continued. "You will vow to serve the poor, your gods, and your temple in any way you can."
"Your dedication starts here, in the Heartfire." This time, Silverleaf was speaking. "You will choose which temple to join and be marked with its element."
"Then you will go into the fields around the temple and find the meaning of your dedication," an old Air dedicate finished. "It is different for everyone."
A tall, pale woman in a gold-bordered yellow habit stepped forwards. Niva gasped. The woman was Froststar, the head dedicate of the temple. Niva had only seen the woman on two other occasions: the day Niva had arrived at Winding Circle, and the day she took her novitiate's vows.
"Decide now where you want to be," Froststar called loudly. "Go to the quadrant of your choice and be marked. Then go to the fields. Return to the front of the Hub, after you have found a meaning for your vows. Use your magic and create something to give to your god or goddess upon your return. The dedication ceremony for your families is directly after you have all arrived back, so find something to wear." She smiled at them turned, and raised her hands to the Heartfire. It roared and flames licked the ceiling. Then the fire gave a burst of smoke that turned the room to blackness. Niva coughed, then looked back at the fire in shock. It was now made up of twisting flames in blue, green, yellow, and red. Each color flame streamed from a quarter of the fire-pit, then rose to spiral around other flames.
A green-robed dedicate stepped up to Niva. He held a copper bowl in his left hand. "Do you choose to serve the Earth?"
Niva nodded, speechless.
The dedicate dipped his finger into his bowl and knelt next to the girl. He had a large glob of pale brown cream on his finger. He painted the cream in a straight line down the middle of Niva's face. It was cold and gritty, and Niva shivered as the man painted a horizontal line across her cheekbones. The lines formed the symbol of the Earth temple. The dedicate stood and moved onto the next person.
Niva forced herself not to run her fingers over her face. She stood up and picked her way between novices and dedicates to the door Silverleaf had brought her through. A few other novices were leaving too. Niva didn't look at them. She was afraid that one of them might be Isas. She didn't want to know which temple he was joining. She still had a small spark of hope in him joining the Earth temple.
She slipped out the door and into the already warm morning. The sun was rising, casting a pink glow over the periwinkle shadows. Niva looked around at the roads that spread through the temple.
Go to the fields around the temple. Niva chose the main road, one she knew would lead out the South gate and began to jog along it. To her surprise, the gate was open, flanked by a pair of Fire dedicates who merely nodded to her as she hurried out.
Start with the easiest thing to do. Make something for Mila and the Green Man. I can make. . . um. . . Niva thought deeply. Something to benefit people. After all, isn't that what Mila does with all of her plants? But what am I good at?
Tea, said a little voice in Niva's head. You can make tea. You and Isas had plenty of practice with tea at Lightsbridge.
I can make an endurance tea! I could make it and take it to the poor, just like Froststar said. What will I need? I want something strong, that can keep people awake. Niva began to compose a list in her head. Chicory, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg. If I can find black pepper, that would make it even better. Niva stopped dead in the middle of the field, tall grass licking her legs. None of that stuff is wild out here though. The temple orders it all from other places. The girl bit her lip and frowned. Then she grinned. "This is what magic is for!"
She sat down in the field and carefully grasped a blade of grass. They never taught us this in class. She reached deep into herself, grabbed a rootlet of power, and twisted it around the grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can do this." Magic began to pour into the grass. Niva grasped it gently and tried to shape it into cinnamon trees and scrubby chicory plants. The grass resisted; Niva could feel it twisting away from her. She gripped the magic harder and slammed her will into the plants.
It was as though she had broken through a door. Bits of dirt and roots were blasted into the air as Niva's tree and bushes exploded into life. Magic roared around her and swam in her veins. She gasped at the power. There was a loud creak and rustling noise as the new plants settled.
Dirt and leaves rained down around Niva. She watched her plants bud, bloom, and grow fruits. The bushes shivered for the last time and Niva could see a little ginger plant under one of the bushes. She smiled. Now she could start on the tea itself.
Suddenly, the power Niva held vanished. It was as though the magic had lasted as long as she needed it and not any longer. Niva's smile slid off her face as she realized her magic was gone too. She had overused herself. Again.
"Mila bless me," Niva mumbled as the ground rushed up to meet her.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Cicada: The Slam
So, technically, this isn't fanfiction or anything right here. My subscription to Cricket Magazine was upgraded to Cicada Magazine, and on Cicadamag.com, I found The Slam. The Slam is where you can submit and critique writing (microfiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction) that other people (like us) have written. I, personally, hope to submit something to The Slam soon; I'll let you know what/when, and just fyi, it'll probably be microfiction but not fanfiction.
I hope to post another chapter of The Last Night tonight or tomorrow morning. I'm going to pick up The Battle for Living Circle again too. Have fun.
I hope to post another chapter of The Last Night tonight or tomorrow morning. I'm going to pick up The Battle for Living Circle again too. Have fun.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Last Night Part 2 (The Mila Flower)
cont..... ( a/n I can't remember any Circle Universe mages are/were strong enough to fly, so....)
The novices backed out of the altar room and left the cottage. Isas clicked the door shut behind them, then took Niva's hand and began to run along the temple road again. He ran down the main road, and Niva followed.
A cluster of large, dark buildings loomed up ahead. Niva looked up as she ran past. It was the Air dormitories. They were made of white and pink granite that glittered in the moonlight. Silvery magic washed over the walls and Niva paused to look. Someone had taken the time to carve signs for movement and wind into the stone, so the crystalline rock appeared to swirl like eddying wind.
Isas stopped and looked back at Niva. "It's incredible isn't it? I wonder who did it. I asked First Dedicate Whitewing once, but she didn't know. I think it's been here for a long time."
Niva nodded. "It looks old." She stood up and dusted off her skirts. "Where were we going?"
"This way." Isas led her along a dirt path that disappeared into a copse of maple trees. They walked along the path, which was silent but for the maples whispering in the night. They let moonlight dapple the ground and camouflage everything beneath their boughs.
Isas stopped suddenly and Niva nearly crashed into him again. He gestured to a towering tree with thick bark, surrounded by a thorny raspberry bush. "This is it." He walked around to the far side of the tree, and Niva saw a rough wooden ladder had been built onto the tree. Isas draped one hand over a rung. "Ladies first."
Niva gripped a rung above her head and began to climb. After a moment she could hear Isas starting up after her. She looked down at him and immediately wished she hadn't. The ground seemed far below and the raspberry bush looked much smaller than she remembered. Niva gasped and began to breath faster.
"My dear, look in front of you and keep climbing. I won't let you fall. I'm an Air mage, if you remember, and I could catch you before you even knew you fell off."
Niva took a deep breath and began climbing up the tree again. Cold sweat slicked her back and her hands shook. She raised her left hand to grip the next rung, only to discover there wasn't a piece of wood. "Isas!" she called, trying not to sound panicked. "There's a rung missing!"
"You've climbed to the end of the ladder, Niva. Come back down a little bit and there's a platform to stand on. You must not have seen it."
Niva edged down a few feet, and sure enough, Isas was standing on a large, wooden platform that wrapped around the tree. "Oh." She reached her arm out towards the other novice and he pulled her onto the platform. He walked to the other side of the platform and pushed a maple branch away from their faces.
"Look, Niva."
She gazed out across the temple, which was bathed in silver moonlight. The glass in the Hub clock gleamed with light and the sea seemed to be molten silver. "It's beautiful."
"I wanted you to see it. I've come up here a lot. . . . to think and study. I wanted you to see it before our dedication, because. . . . well, it seems like we're on the same side now and I'm afraid that it won't be like that later."
"Yeah, I understand I think." Niva looked out. "Have you chosen your name now?"
"No." Isas glanced at her. "Maybe we could help each other. Tell me what I remind you of and I'll tell you."
Niva grinned. "A heron or a crane. One of those long-legged things that dances around everywhere. Everyone thinks they're so graceful, but I saw a heron once, and it just looked awkward, rather unbalanced. But then it started moving and it flew and I understood. It was graceful when it did what it lived for. That's what you're like. A rather awkward lordling who happily dissects perfumes and diseases."
Isas laughed warmly. "Is that how you see me? I never thought of myself that way." He traced the maple's bark with one finger. "You're like a thorn-"
"A thorn? Like a thorn in your foot?" Niva pretended to look hurt.
"No! A thorn like the kind on a rose or a raspberry. Roses and raspberries are pretty and sweet, respectively, and they have thorns guarding them. You're like the rose, pretty and wonderful, but you have sharp thorns that jab people who are stupid enough to say that."
"I like that," Niva said. "Rose's thorn or Berrythorn. Heron or Crane or Awkward Lordling," she giggled.
Isas smiled as the Hub clock chimed the hours. "Asaia, it's late!" He grabbed Niva's wrist as she turned back to the ladder. "I have a better way down. Just promise not to scream." He laid a finger across Niva's lips and she nodded. Isas in front of her. "Put your arms around my waist and follow me. Don't let go." Niva pulled her novice's robe back over her head, then held Isas tightly.
He stepped forward, off the platform and into thin air. Niva opened her mouth and gasped out a prayer.
"Mila save me!"
Wind howled past the novices and stung their eyes as they fell through the air. Tears dripped from Niva's eyes and rose up past her face. The silvery ground drew nearer and nearer.
Isas is trying to kill both of us, Niva thought. She began to call upon the green strength inside her, to tell the great maple tree to wrap its branches around her and Isas and break their fall.
Suddenly, a great burst of golden magic enveloped them and the air around. Isas stretched out his arms and they slowed to a speed barely faster than a trot. They stopped falling downwards and instead soared forwards, over the cottages and workshops of Winding Circle.
Niva stared, awestruck, as the temple unfolded beneath her. She could see dedicates sleeping in their cottages. One man, dark-skinned and clothed only in leather breeches, worked in the red glow of a forge. His arm rose and fell over an anvil. Then he was behind Niva and she looked elsewhere.
She could see an old stone building drawing near. It was the Earth dormitory.
Isas slowed even more, and stopped over the flowerbeds just outside the building. He and Niva drifted down and settled in the dirt. Niva curled her toes into the soil.
"Isas, that was. . . . incredible. I've never seen anything like it."
The other novice was bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked.
Niva stared at him. "Enjoy it? That was the most amazing thing I've done in my life! I loved it."
He looked up. "I'm glad. I've. . . . well, I've been practicing for a while." He blushed. "Actually, a really long time. Since Lightsbridge." He straightened up and stepped through the flowers to the window set in the stone wall. He peered in. "This is your dorm room, right?"
Niva moved next to him. She looked through the glass. Dedicate Silverleaf was still asleep, mouth open with one hand trailing along the floor. Niva grinned. "Yeah, this is it."
Isas slid his fingers into the crack between the window and the wall and pulled the window open. He bowed with a flourish. "Fair dreams, my dear." He held out his hand and helped Niva climb back into her room.
She was about to shut the window again when he said "Niva."
"Yes?"
He drew her hand towards him and slid something into it, before pushing her hand closed. "For luck tomorrow." Then he was gone, disappearing into the night again.
Niva latched the window and sat on the edge of her bed and opened her hand. A gleaming necklace lay in her palm. It was in the shape of a four petaled flower; four small, deep blue-green petals held a small purple gem in their center. Two sets of metal loops wrapped the outside of the petals, one set matched and the other was gold. It all hung on a thin, dark violet cord that was barely thicker than a few threads. Niva surreptitiously pulled on it; it was stronger than it appeared.
She flipped it over to examine the back. There was a shallow bubble. Niva held the necklace closer to her eye and realized the bubble was part of a cleverly concealed locket. She edged her fingernail into the locket's seam, flipped it open, and pulled out a piece of parchment.
This, my dear, is in the shape of a Mila flower. They are grown in Olart by many people for luck and happiness. My father's people have flowers for most every god and goddess, but the Mila flower has been my favorite. I believe you'll dedicate yourself to Mila and the Green Man, so it is also the most appropriate. Best wishes, Isas.
The novices backed out of the altar room and left the cottage. Isas clicked the door shut behind them, then took Niva's hand and began to run along the temple road again. He ran down the main road, and Niva followed.
A cluster of large, dark buildings loomed up ahead. Niva looked up as she ran past. It was the Air dormitories. They were made of white and pink granite that glittered in the moonlight. Silvery magic washed over the walls and Niva paused to look. Someone had taken the time to carve signs for movement and wind into the stone, so the crystalline rock appeared to swirl like eddying wind.
Isas stopped and looked back at Niva. "It's incredible isn't it? I wonder who did it. I asked First Dedicate Whitewing once, but she didn't know. I think it's been here for a long time."
Niva nodded. "It looks old." She stood up and dusted off her skirts. "Where were we going?"
"This way." Isas led her along a dirt path that disappeared into a copse of maple trees. They walked along the path, which was silent but for the maples whispering in the night. They let moonlight dapple the ground and camouflage everything beneath their boughs.
Isas stopped suddenly and Niva nearly crashed into him again. He gestured to a towering tree with thick bark, surrounded by a thorny raspberry bush. "This is it." He walked around to the far side of the tree, and Niva saw a rough wooden ladder had been built onto the tree. Isas draped one hand over a rung. "Ladies first."
Niva gripped a rung above her head and began to climb. After a moment she could hear Isas starting up after her. She looked down at him and immediately wished she hadn't. The ground seemed far below and the raspberry bush looked much smaller than she remembered. Niva gasped and began to breath faster.
"My dear, look in front of you and keep climbing. I won't let you fall. I'm an Air mage, if you remember, and I could catch you before you even knew you fell off."
Niva took a deep breath and began climbing up the tree again. Cold sweat slicked her back and her hands shook. She raised her left hand to grip the next rung, only to discover there wasn't a piece of wood. "Isas!" she called, trying not to sound panicked. "There's a rung missing!"
"You've climbed to the end of the ladder, Niva. Come back down a little bit and there's a platform to stand on. You must not have seen it."
Niva edged down a few feet, and sure enough, Isas was standing on a large, wooden platform that wrapped around the tree. "Oh." She reached her arm out towards the other novice and he pulled her onto the platform. He walked to the other side of the platform and pushed a maple branch away from their faces.
"Look, Niva."
She gazed out across the temple, which was bathed in silver moonlight. The glass in the Hub clock gleamed with light and the sea seemed to be molten silver. "It's beautiful."
"I wanted you to see it. I've come up here a lot. . . . to think and study. I wanted you to see it before our dedication, because. . . . well, it seems like we're on the same side now and I'm afraid that it won't be like that later."
"Yeah, I understand I think." Niva looked out. "Have you chosen your name now?"
"No." Isas glanced at her. "Maybe we could help each other. Tell me what I remind you of and I'll tell you."
Niva grinned. "A heron or a crane. One of those long-legged things that dances around everywhere. Everyone thinks they're so graceful, but I saw a heron once, and it just looked awkward, rather unbalanced. But then it started moving and it flew and I understood. It was graceful when it did what it lived for. That's what you're like. A rather awkward lordling who happily dissects perfumes and diseases."
Isas laughed warmly. "Is that how you see me? I never thought of myself that way." He traced the maple's bark with one finger. "You're like a thorn-"
"A thorn? Like a thorn in your foot?" Niva pretended to look hurt.
"No! A thorn like the kind on a rose or a raspberry. Roses and raspberries are pretty and sweet, respectively, and they have thorns guarding them. You're like the rose, pretty and wonderful, but you have sharp thorns that jab people who are stupid enough to say that."
"I like that," Niva said. "Rose's thorn or Berrythorn. Heron or Crane or Awkward Lordling," she giggled.
Isas smiled as the Hub clock chimed the hours. "Asaia, it's late!" He grabbed Niva's wrist as she turned back to the ladder. "I have a better way down. Just promise not to scream." He laid a finger across Niva's lips and she nodded. Isas in front of her. "Put your arms around my waist and follow me. Don't let go." Niva pulled her novice's robe back over her head, then held Isas tightly.
He stepped forward, off the platform and into thin air. Niva opened her mouth and gasped out a prayer.
"Mila save me!"
Wind howled past the novices and stung their eyes as they fell through the air. Tears dripped from Niva's eyes and rose up past her face. The silvery ground drew nearer and nearer.
Isas is trying to kill both of us, Niva thought. She began to call upon the green strength inside her, to tell the great maple tree to wrap its branches around her and Isas and break their fall.
Suddenly, a great burst of golden magic enveloped them and the air around. Isas stretched out his arms and they slowed to a speed barely faster than a trot. They stopped falling downwards and instead soared forwards, over the cottages and workshops of Winding Circle.
Niva stared, awestruck, as the temple unfolded beneath her. She could see dedicates sleeping in their cottages. One man, dark-skinned and clothed only in leather breeches, worked in the red glow of a forge. His arm rose and fell over an anvil. Then he was behind Niva and she looked elsewhere.
She could see an old stone building drawing near. It was the Earth dormitory.
Isas slowed even more, and stopped over the flowerbeds just outside the building. He and Niva drifted down and settled in the dirt. Niva curled her toes into the soil.
"Isas, that was. . . . incredible. I've never seen anything like it."
The other novice was bent over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked.
Niva stared at him. "Enjoy it? That was the most amazing thing I've done in my life! I loved it."
He looked up. "I'm glad. I've. . . . well, I've been practicing for a while." He blushed. "Actually, a really long time. Since Lightsbridge." He straightened up and stepped through the flowers to the window set in the stone wall. He peered in. "This is your dorm room, right?"
Niva moved next to him. She looked through the glass. Dedicate Silverleaf was still asleep, mouth open with one hand trailing along the floor. Niva grinned. "Yeah, this is it."
Isas slid his fingers into the crack between the window and the wall and pulled the window open. He bowed with a flourish. "Fair dreams, my dear." He held out his hand and helped Niva climb back into her room.
She was about to shut the window again when he said "Niva."
"Yes?"
He drew her hand towards him and slid something into it, before pushing her hand closed. "For luck tomorrow." Then he was gone, disappearing into the night again.
Niva latched the window and sat on the edge of her bed and opened her hand. A gleaming necklace lay in her palm. It was in the shape of a four petaled flower; four small, deep blue-green petals held a small purple gem in their center. Two sets of metal loops wrapped the outside of the petals, one set matched and the other was gold. It all hung on a thin, dark violet cord that was barely thicker than a few threads. Niva surreptitiously pulled on it; it was stronger than it appeared.
She flipped it over to examine the back. There was a shallow bubble. Niva held the necklace closer to her eye and realized the bubble was part of a cleverly concealed locket. She edged her fingernail into the locket's seam, flipped it open, and pulled out a piece of parchment.
This, my dear, is in the shape of a Mila flower. They are grown in Olart by many people for luck and happiness. My father's people have flowers for most every god and goddess, but the Mila flower has been my favorite. I believe you'll dedicate yourself to Mila and the Green Man, so it is also the most appropriate. Best wishes, Isas.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Last Night Part 1 (Tigerlily's House)
I suppose everyone knows that they aren't mine... I've decided that Peachleaf, Gorse, Henna, and Moonstream are all older than Niva, Isas, and Vayni. Vayni is going to be Lark's novice name. I don't think she'll be in this chapter, but just FYI.
The Last Night
Niva laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through the open widow of the Earth dormitories. It was nearly midnight and Niva was counting the last minutes of her old life.
She was going to dedicate herself to the Earth temple in the morning. She would be stuck in Winding Circle forever, bound by her vows.
Niva threw back her sheet and padded over to the window. She pried the latch up and swung the window open. She glanced over her shoulder, back into the dormitory.
Dedicate Silverleaf, the dorm supervisor, was flat on her back, snoring quietly. The poor woman didn't know that sleeping powder had been slipped into her evening tea.
Niva clambered out the window and pulled it shut behind herself. She walked through the grass and turned onto the main temple road.
The night was warm and nearly pitch-black, thanks to a thin, crescent moon. No one else was walking along the road. A few Fire dedicates patrolled the temple wall, but everyone else was abed.
A thin hand reached out of the shadows and snagged Niva's sleeve. She jumped backwards and tripped over the hem of her white robe, landing in the dirt.
"Isas! What are you doing?" she whispered hotly. "You're not supposed to be out here!"
The other novice raised his eyebrows and draped his long arms artistically. "Neither are you. No one except for them," he nodded towards the dedicates on the wall. "Is supposed to be out right now. Especially us, since we're getting- " he paused. "Since we're getting dedicated tomorrow."
Niva snorted. "You still can't get over the idea that you're going to be stuck here for the rest of your life. I'd have thought you'd have accepted it by now."
"Not everyone is as quick to adapt as you are, my dear." He grabbed Niva's arm and hauled her back up. "Is your family here for the dedication?"
"Mmm-hm. My father hired some people to help with the farm and he and my brothers came down to Summersea. That's what he said in his letter, at least. He said they would come to Summersea, then travel here, to the temple, in the morning. Your family?"
Isas smiled cynically. "My father is too busy at the estate in Olart. My mother and sister are here though. I expect I'll see them tomorrow. I can introduce you."
An image of two ladies in ruffled dresses and pearl necklaces with carefully coiffed hair drifted across Niva's thoughts. She shivered. There are more people like him, she thought. "Wonderful. I'd be... charmed." She switched subjects abruptly. "Have you chosen your new name yet?"
Isas sighed. "No, I haven't."
Niva laughed softly. "Neither have I. Come and walk with me. Maybe we can get some ideas." She grasped his arm and pulled him off the path, into the gardens around the cottages and dormitories of the temple.
They slipped between the dark greenery, which was warm and damp in the humid air. Niva pulled Isas though a shadowy grove of gnarly trees and onto a lawn that sprawled around the Water dormitories.
The lawn was smooth, with a few shrubs and bushes.
Isas ducked his head and breathed deeply. He looked up at the back of Niva's head. Her long, auburn hair swung across her shoulders. It looked almost black in the night.
Suddenly, Isas stumbled. His foot hadn't landed on the grass. The young man fell, arms out before him, into a large pool of water. It had appeared smooth, like the grass, in the darkness. Isas pushed himself out of the water. Niva had skipped ahead and she was giggling madly.
Isas frowned at her. "You knew that was there."
"If I did?" Niva grinned.
Isas rolled his eyes, trying to look serious. "May I have a hand up?" He extended his dripping arm towards her. She grasped his hand and pulled, but Isas pulled harder and Niva splashed into the water.
She surfaced a moment later and spat water. "That wasn't fair!"
"Neither was your trick."
Niva sighed and floated on her back. "I suppose. We're even now."
Isas looked at her. Her white novitiate robe swirled around her, drifting in the water. "Your name," he said shortly. "Have you any ideas?"
She turned her head to look at him. "No. I guess I've been hoping that it will just come to me, that Mila and the Green Man will just say 'This is your name.' I suppose I want a plant name. It seems to be traditional to pick a name that associates you with your temple. I mean, look at Moonstream. Streams are part of water. And Silverleaf, well, that's obvious."
Isas shrugged. "There are non-traditional names as well. Gorse and Henna. You can't really guess where they're from. Most people would just think they're from the Earth temple. What about Peachleaf? She's Water temple."
Niva sat up. "I need more inspiration. Let's go somewhere else." She leaned over and kissed Isas' nose gently. "Come along." She pulled him out of the water and she danced across the lawn, with Isas right behind her. She leaped over the stone border of the Water dormitory grounds and paused on the temple road.
"Where do we go now?"
Isas smiled. "I know the most amazing place."
Niva held him back. "Is it very far? We probably shouldn't stay out all night."
"It's by the Air dormitories. So we have a bit of a run ahead of us if we actually want to sleep tonight."
Niva grinned. She grasped her white robe under her arms and whipped it off, over her head.
Isas gasped and looked away. He could hear Niva laughing. "What?" he said, eyes on the ground.
"I've got my underskirts on."
"Oh." Isas blushed and looked up. Niva was rolling her wet robe up, and true to her word, she was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and several lacy petticoats that clung to her legs.
"It's hard to run in wet skirts, so I figured I might as well take the heaviest skirt off." She tucked her robe under her arm. "Lead on."
Isas turned and started jogging down the path. He had only gone a short ways when Niva loped ahead. Isas ran faster, and soon they were both sprinting down the path.
The gravel crunched under their feet. They raced path cottages and workshops, until Isas stopped before a dark, disused cottage.
Niva skidded to a halt, gasping. "What's this, Isas?"
The cottage was large, with whitewashed walls and a thatched roof. Trees and flowerbeds lined the inside of the white picket fence.
"It's just pretty and. . . it's special and I wanted to show it to you." He eased the latch on the gate up, and slid into the yard.
Niva could feel the plants clamoring for her attention as soon as she stepped over the threshold. She held out her hands and sent a wave of magic through the plants to calm them.
A rosebush tendril kept moving towards her. Niva was about to move it away, when Isas stepped forward. The plant squirmed into his cupped hands. A small rosebud burst into bloom and it gleamed palely in the night.
Isas knows how to grow plants, Niva admitted to herself.
The rose dropped into Isas' hands and the tendril returned to its bush. Isas turned to Niva and slid the rose's stem into her hair.
"It's called a tequila sunrise rose. They grow in Yanjing and Chammur, typically. My father received one from the Empress of Namorn. He gave it to me and I planted it here."
"Why did you plant it at this cottage?" Niva asked.
"My teacher lived here."
Niva nodded. She had known Tigerlily a little, and knew the Dedicate Initiate had been Isas' teacher for most of the novice's training. Tigerlily had died the year after Isas and Niva returned from Lightsbridge. There had been a smallpox epidemic in Summersea and Tigerlily had used too much of her magic trying to heal others.
"No one lives here now," Isas said as he walked up to the cottage's front door. He grasped the door-handle lightly.
Niva ran her fingers along the name over the door. "Discipline. What a wonderful place for a mage to live. Mila, if only everyone could live in discipline."
Isas snorted. "That would be quite the cottage." He looked up the wall. "I wonder who's been taking care of this place. It's been empty for- "
"Nearly three years now," Niva finished. She laid her hand over Isas' hand and opened the door. Musty, herb-scented air washed over them. Niva peered into the darkness. "Isas? Do you know where the altar is? I'd like to light a candle for Tigerlily before we leave. It seems fitting, as if we are visiting her."
Isas stepped into the cottage and walked down the hall. He didn't go very far; instead he turned right into a small room. Niva moved past him and nearly bumped into the altar. She reached down the side of the table for the customary drawer that would hold incense and candles for the altar. Her fingers closed around a matchbox and a long taper. She struck the match up, and gold light flared aroung her fingers.
Isas daintily took the match from Niva and held it under his chin, so his face flickered with shadows.
"It was a dark night," he whispered. "Lightning and rain poured from the skies. In an alleyway in Khapik- ow!" The match burnt his fingers and he dropped it.
Niva giggled and crushed the match under her shoe. She struck another match and lit her taper. She held it over the altar.
The wooden surface was bare and dusty. Isas swept his sleeve across the wood and reached into the drawer for god-figurines and incense.
Niva set her candle in a silver holder on the altar and helped Isas to pull out the supplies. She set the figures of Mila and the Green Man in the left corner with Yanna Healtouch, Lakik, and Shurri Firesword on the right. Isas set Asaia Birdwinged in the center and set a small blue-green bowl at her feet. Mila set another dish before Mila and the Green Man.
"I suppose we ought to honor the others, too," she whispered into the silence.
Isas drew out another bowl and set it before the remaining gods. He pulled a large packet out of the drawer and held the candle over it.
"Rosehip and lilac incense." He poured a small amount into each dish, then put the packet away. Niva set votive candles around the figurines and Isas set a slightly larger candle in the center of the altar.
Niva took the taper from Isas and lit the candles and incense. Rosy smoke and golden light filled the room.
"Mila and Green Man watch over Tigerlily," Niva whispered. "May she be able to grow tomatoes and be happy, wherever she is."
Isas laughed softly. "May she have tomatoes and happiness," he echoed. "So mote it be."
"So mote it be."
The Last Night
Niva laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through the open widow of the Earth dormitories. It was nearly midnight and Niva was counting the last minutes of her old life.
She was going to dedicate herself to the Earth temple in the morning. She would be stuck in Winding Circle forever, bound by her vows.
Niva threw back her sheet and padded over to the window. She pried the latch up and swung the window open. She glanced over her shoulder, back into the dormitory.
Dedicate Silverleaf, the dorm supervisor, was flat on her back, snoring quietly. The poor woman didn't know that sleeping powder had been slipped into her evening tea.
Niva clambered out the window and pulled it shut behind herself. She walked through the grass and turned onto the main temple road.
The night was warm and nearly pitch-black, thanks to a thin, crescent moon. No one else was walking along the road. A few Fire dedicates patrolled the temple wall, but everyone else was abed.
A thin hand reached out of the shadows and snagged Niva's sleeve. She jumped backwards and tripped over the hem of her white robe, landing in the dirt.
"Isas! What are you doing?" she whispered hotly. "You're not supposed to be out here!"
The other novice raised his eyebrows and draped his long arms artistically. "Neither are you. No one except for them," he nodded towards the dedicates on the wall. "Is supposed to be out right now. Especially us, since we're getting- " he paused. "Since we're getting dedicated tomorrow."
Niva snorted. "You still can't get over the idea that you're going to be stuck here for the rest of your life. I'd have thought you'd have accepted it by now."
"Not everyone is as quick to adapt as you are, my dear." He grabbed Niva's arm and hauled her back up. "Is your family here for the dedication?"
"Mmm-hm. My father hired some people to help with the farm and he and my brothers came down to Summersea. That's what he said in his letter, at least. He said they would come to Summersea, then travel here, to the temple, in the morning. Your family?"
Isas smiled cynically. "My father is too busy at the estate in Olart. My mother and sister are here though. I expect I'll see them tomorrow. I can introduce you."
An image of two ladies in ruffled dresses and pearl necklaces with carefully coiffed hair drifted across Niva's thoughts. She shivered. There are more people like him, she thought. "Wonderful. I'd be... charmed." She switched subjects abruptly. "Have you chosen your new name yet?"
Isas sighed. "No, I haven't."
Niva laughed softly. "Neither have I. Come and walk with me. Maybe we can get some ideas." She grasped his arm and pulled him off the path, into the gardens around the cottages and dormitories of the temple.
They slipped between the dark greenery, which was warm and damp in the humid air. Niva pulled Isas though a shadowy grove of gnarly trees and onto a lawn that sprawled around the Water dormitories.
The lawn was smooth, with a few shrubs and bushes.
Isas ducked his head and breathed deeply. He looked up at the back of Niva's head. Her long, auburn hair swung across her shoulders. It looked almost black in the night.
Suddenly, Isas stumbled. His foot hadn't landed on the grass. The young man fell, arms out before him, into a large pool of water. It had appeared smooth, like the grass, in the darkness. Isas pushed himself out of the water. Niva had skipped ahead and she was giggling madly.
Isas frowned at her. "You knew that was there."
"If I did?" Niva grinned.
Isas rolled his eyes, trying to look serious. "May I have a hand up?" He extended his dripping arm towards her. She grasped his hand and pulled, but Isas pulled harder and Niva splashed into the water.
She surfaced a moment later and spat water. "That wasn't fair!"
"Neither was your trick."
Niva sighed and floated on her back. "I suppose. We're even now."
Isas looked at her. Her white novitiate robe swirled around her, drifting in the water. "Your name," he said shortly. "Have you any ideas?"
She turned her head to look at him. "No. I guess I've been hoping that it will just come to me, that Mila and the Green Man will just say 'This is your name.' I suppose I want a plant name. It seems to be traditional to pick a name that associates you with your temple. I mean, look at Moonstream. Streams are part of water. And Silverleaf, well, that's obvious."
Isas shrugged. "There are non-traditional names as well. Gorse and Henna. You can't really guess where they're from. Most people would just think they're from the Earth temple. What about Peachleaf? She's Water temple."
Niva sat up. "I need more inspiration. Let's go somewhere else." She leaned over and kissed Isas' nose gently. "Come along." She pulled him out of the water and she danced across the lawn, with Isas right behind her. She leaped over the stone border of the Water dormitory grounds and paused on the temple road.
"Where do we go now?"
Isas smiled. "I know the most amazing place."
Niva held him back. "Is it very far? We probably shouldn't stay out all night."
"It's by the Air dormitories. So we have a bit of a run ahead of us if we actually want to sleep tonight."
Niva grinned. She grasped her white robe under her arms and whipped it off, over her head.
Isas gasped and looked away. He could hear Niva laughing. "What?" he said, eyes on the ground.
"I've got my underskirts on."
"Oh." Isas blushed and looked up. Niva was rolling her wet robe up, and true to her word, she was wearing a white, sleeveless shirt and several lacy petticoats that clung to her legs.
"It's hard to run in wet skirts, so I figured I might as well take the heaviest skirt off." She tucked her robe under her arm. "Lead on."
Isas turned and started jogging down the path. He had only gone a short ways when Niva loped ahead. Isas ran faster, and soon they were both sprinting down the path.
The gravel crunched under their feet. They raced path cottages and workshops, until Isas stopped before a dark, disused cottage.
Niva skidded to a halt, gasping. "What's this, Isas?"
The cottage was large, with whitewashed walls and a thatched roof. Trees and flowerbeds lined the inside of the white picket fence.
"It's just pretty and. . . it's special and I wanted to show it to you." He eased the latch on the gate up, and slid into the yard.
Niva could feel the plants clamoring for her attention as soon as she stepped over the threshold. She held out her hands and sent a wave of magic through the plants to calm them.
A rosebush tendril kept moving towards her. Niva was about to move it away, when Isas stepped forward. The plant squirmed into his cupped hands. A small rosebud burst into bloom and it gleamed palely in the night.
Isas knows how to grow plants, Niva admitted to herself.
The rose dropped into Isas' hands and the tendril returned to its bush. Isas turned to Niva and slid the rose's stem into her hair.
"It's called a tequila sunrise rose. They grow in Yanjing and Chammur, typically. My father received one from the Empress of Namorn. He gave it to me and I planted it here."
"Why did you plant it at this cottage?" Niva asked.
"My teacher lived here."
Niva nodded. She had known Tigerlily a little, and knew the Dedicate Initiate had been Isas' teacher for most of the novice's training. Tigerlily had died the year after Isas and Niva returned from Lightsbridge. There had been a smallpox epidemic in Summersea and Tigerlily had used too much of her magic trying to heal others.
"No one lives here now," Isas said as he walked up to the cottage's front door. He grasped the door-handle lightly.
Niva ran her fingers along the name over the door. "Discipline. What a wonderful place for a mage to live. Mila, if only everyone could live in discipline."
Isas snorted. "That would be quite the cottage." He looked up the wall. "I wonder who's been taking care of this place. It's been empty for- "
"Nearly three years now," Niva finished. She laid her hand over Isas' hand and opened the door. Musty, herb-scented air washed over them. Niva peered into the darkness. "Isas? Do you know where the altar is? I'd like to light a candle for Tigerlily before we leave. It seems fitting, as if we are visiting her."
Isas stepped into the cottage and walked down the hall. He didn't go very far; instead he turned right into a small room. Niva moved past him and nearly bumped into the altar. She reached down the side of the table for the customary drawer that would hold incense and candles for the altar. Her fingers closed around a matchbox and a long taper. She struck the match up, and gold light flared aroung her fingers.
Isas daintily took the match from Niva and held it under his chin, so his face flickered with shadows.
"It was a dark night," he whispered. "Lightning and rain poured from the skies. In an alleyway in Khapik- ow!" The match burnt his fingers and he dropped it.
Niva giggled and crushed the match under her shoe. She struck another match and lit her taper. She held it over the altar.
The wooden surface was bare and dusty. Isas swept his sleeve across the wood and reached into the drawer for god-figurines and incense.
Niva set her candle in a silver holder on the altar and helped Isas to pull out the supplies. She set the figures of Mila and the Green Man in the left corner with Yanna Healtouch, Lakik, and Shurri Firesword on the right. Isas set Asaia Birdwinged in the center and set a small blue-green bowl at her feet. Mila set another dish before Mila and the Green Man.
"I suppose we ought to honor the others, too," she whispered into the silence.
Isas drew out another bowl and set it before the remaining gods. He pulled a large packet out of the drawer and held the candle over it.
"Rosehip and lilac incense." He poured a small amount into each dish, then put the packet away. Niva set votive candles around the figurines and Isas set a slightly larger candle in the center of the altar.
Niva took the taper from Isas and lit the candles and incense. Rosy smoke and golden light filled the room.
"Mila and Green Man watch over Tigerlily," Niva whispered. "May she be able to grow tomatoes and be happy, wherever she is."
Isas laughed softly. "May she have tomatoes and happiness," he echoed. "So mote it be."
"So mote it be."
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I suppose Nano's over, but...
I think I'll keep working on my Circle fanfics and Holly Silver stories. I'll keep you updated. :)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
It's December and life moves on
I've finally crashed back into my normal life-after-nano. I didn't realize how much I had neglected my school projects and now I'm pulling a lot of late nights. It's crazy, but I'm getting back down to Earth. I only have two more weeks before finals and I'm glad. It's almost over. Hopefully, I'll be able to get out another chapter of BoLC in the next week or so. :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
AHH!!
I did it! Just now! 50,004 words. I'm sitting in my room next to my bed, whimpering and hugging myself. I can't believe it!!! *whimper whimper* *self-hug*
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Nearly there
I'm only 9069 words short of 50K now. I'm almost there. It's a good feeling, but I'll TGIO. It'll need a load of revision, but that's okay. I think it'll fall back under 50K after I edit, but if I write some more in, it should be fine. :) Wish me luck! Only three more days!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Queen of Unremarkable Words
40,000th word- right
30,000th word- she
first word- Mareke (my MC's name)
Not very exciting are they?
30,000th word- she
first word- Mareke (my MC's name)
Not very exciting are they?
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