Cluttered Shelving

Want to start at the beginning? -  Emma, pt 1 --- “The dwin hero of our tale doesn’t make her appearance at the start. Instead we first meet the crafter Raycole. She was a legend in her time, her skills unmatched.” “How come only the crafters in stories can do anything impressive?” someone whispered.

Want to start at the beginning? -  Emma, pt 1 --- The warm, heady smell of roasting meat filled the camp. Rilen and Emma worked together to set up the tent they would share. Rilen taught Emma the best way to pick a spot and the proper order for setting the stakes and hanging the cover. Though Rilen had never been as far as Blue Coast, she had traveled some with her brother, and learned a few things about being on the road. When they finished they sat inside the tent and Emma told Rilen about her race with Lison. Rilen seemed nervous just hearing about it and quickly changed the topics to the journey ahead of them and what she expected Blue Coast to be like. “Between here and there you must try riding Juniper. It is so amazing.”

Want to start at the beginning? -  Emma, Part 1 --- Learning to control the horse with the reigns and with her legs didn’t take Emma as long as she would have guessed. Before they were even out of the valley she was able to stop Juniper, maker her go forward, and change how fast she trotted. In the saddle Emma could not feel Juniper’s movements as she had the night she rode with Lison, but it was easier to hold herself in place on top of the horse. While holding the reins in one hand, Emma stroked Juniper’s mane with the other, gently patting the horse on the neck.

Neither man spoke as their horses walked side by side up the twisting mountain road.  The taller man, with short black hair and a beard that needed trimming, watched ahead at the edge of the trail.The blond man was twisted, examining the contents of a saddlebag, his curly hair bouncing next to his face. Behind him, slung over the horse and tied down with strong leather straps, was a suit of armor; the full moon and a field of stars were reflected in its polished surface. 

Want to start at the beginning? - Ice, Part 1 -- She didn’t believe her father when he said the keep was close. Perched on the bench of the wagon all she could see in any direction were trees and snow. Behind the wagon, in a long train that reached so far back she couldn’t see the end of it, was her father’s household staff and the carts and wagons that carried their cargo to his new home.  Her father was mounted on his great black and white steed talking to his Marshal, sometimes tossing his head back to address his children in the wagon.  “The first order of business will be to make my presence and character known to the people.” 

Want to start at the beginning? - Emma, Part 1 --- The lamps in her room cast dim light against the stone walls. It was impossible to tell if it was day or night, one of the things Emma had always hated about her room. She sat on the bed, her legs crossed, her hands in her lap. She’d tried to sleep, but after a fitfully tossing about for what felt like hours, she decided to wash and dress and wait for the morning. The side of the oil lamps had lines along them, designed to tell the time as the oil slowly burned. Dawn was near, according to the lamp, and soon she would be gone.

Want to start at the beginning? - Emma, Part 1 --- All the Overseers took their seats.  Eibe sat in the far right chair. To his left was an old woman, bent with age and wearing a gray and white wrap. On the far left was a man with a long braided beard and deep red robes. The proceedings passed so quickly Emma was amazed.  The Assembly was called to order and contract negotiations began. In the past her time watching the Assembly had felt unending, each speech and motion taking what seemed to her to be hours. But today it all rushed by, four contracts were awarded before Emma had mentally rehearsed her speech once. She did not know if the world was moving quickly, or if her own mind was dragging slowly.