In a deep, narrow rift between two hills, Fleat had kindled a small smokeless fire, and made something of a camp. He was curled up beside the fire when they arrived, not asleep, but blinking wearily at the flames. He stirred and moved a hand to his brow to clear his unruly hair out the…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #63
As they rode, Caewen spoke, raising her voice over the on-rush of air. “We were gone for three days? I was joking about it. I thought perhaps we’d been absent a few hours at most. Not days.” “Do not make light of such things,” said Dapplegrim with a huff of noise. “Hurm. Do not ever….
A Charm for the Nameless Child #62
They explored the little woodland, thinking perhaps that the others were sheltering within. The air was cold here. Their breath curled in the slants of sunlight. Suddenly, Caewen reached out a hand and stopped the boy from moving any farther. She lifted her sword and light seemed to fall from it and play upon the…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #61
Caewen had been the first to squeeze herself out of the crevice. Now–standing in the sun–she rubbed her forehead in an absent sort of way, and managed to rub the red-stained soil from her fingertips into the sweat on her brow. Darkish red streaks of dirt appeared on her face. As she stood, looking around,…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #60
He stared at the pages. Leaf after leaf was crammed with the black lines he knew to be writing, but there were splendid illuminations too–beautifully inked and water-hued illustrations of ancient heroes and battles, enchanted forests, snowy mountains guarded by strange giants, and dragons with scales that were violently red and gold and black. As…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #59
They did. Caewen left the room first and the boy followed. It was only on the mention of light that the boy realised that the air itself was suffused with a glow, as if the stone that made the walls were faintly aflame. He realised then also that he was not casting a shadow, and…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #58
The boy came back to consciously slowly. It felt as if he ascended to wakefulness through layers of water, first dark, then blue, then the azure of the sky brimming with light. Without knowing where he was or how he had got there, he choked awake, sat upright, coughed and looked about in a panic….
A Charm for the Nameless Child #57
“I am Caewen.” She indicated a hand towards the boy. “And this one has no name. We carry no arms.” There was silence. She continued. “We mean no harm and will do none. I come only seeking those things that the dead do not need. Things left behind, and unwanted.” Another of the weird laughters…
And back to posting…
I’ve been away from posting for about a month due to the usual Christmas chaos, kids at home all day, and so on. It finally seems like things have settled down enough to start up some posts. As always, I can never be sure how often I’ll post, or how much, but I’ll definitely be…
A Charm for the Nameless Child #56
The air grew colder and the space opened up on either side of them, and above also: as they went deeper the ceiling receded until it was lost from sight. Their torchlight no longer fell on damp grey stone and streaks of mould, but instead it glistened against a white stone that was marbled with…