I am trying to write a novel . I know everyone tries and then gives up. I have written some childrens fantasy for my step daughter , when she was young ( She is now in her twenties and still has them) and there were those strange tings called 'pencils'.
Anyway i have decided to try again.
Perhaps we could start a 'crircle' of some sort.
Anyway here is my effort so far. If you have an idea that will help keep it going , just send it to Treasure-books@Hotmail.com.
If I get enuf replies i might open a web page to display them on, just for the fun of seeing your hard work in print.
Here is my effort so far......
Tashna
By
Masklin Miller
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From high on a mountain top he stepped off, then stayed floating, perfectly balanced on the updraughed . Then with just a small movement of the wings the bird fell downwards, calling to the world as it fell.
§
Far below and far away, a girl looked up shading her eyes from the sun.
‘What is it daughter?’
‘Nothing I guess. I just thought I heard something. It was just the wind coming off the mountains.’ Papa, why is it always me that hears things from so far away?’
‘It is your gift child. You will have to learn to live with it. You will learn how to control it when you are older.’
She was always being told she would do things when she was older. When would she be older? That was what she wanted to know. Every time she heard something , even if she was wrong, people would look at her and shake their heads, or whisper so she could not hear. When she was right it was even worse. They would say she was a witch or worse. Since she could tie up her hair, some people would cross the road when they saw her coming , or stop talking if she was passing.
Well she would not put up with it. If her own parents were not willing to tell her why she was so afflicted then she would visit the oracle.
The oracle lived in the woods in a cave. It must have been the only piece of rock that size for hundreds of miles. The rest of the land was either forest or farmland as far as the eye could see. It should be easy enough to find
People would go to the oracle for all sorts of reasons. Even her father went when she was born , so her mother said. He wanted to know his daughter's future. When he returned he would not talk about it. To this day he had refused to mention it and if someone else mentioned it he would stamp out of the house and slam the door.
Well, she was nearly eighteen years of age now . It was time she found out for herself what her future held for her.
She looked up at her father. She herself was tall. A good deal taller than her mother, but her father was a giant of a man.
He had always told her she could leave when she could defeat him. Only then would he know she would be safe. That she could look after herself. She had fought him with her staff on many occasions and had always lost.
‘Papa, I will leave tomorrow before the sun rises, I don’t want to fight you .’
‘You know you will have to girl, or you wont get out the gate or over the fence.’
‘You know how much it will hurt you when I win, so why do you insist on it. Your pride will suffer, being beaten by a girl, even if it is your daughter.’
‘It matters not. I have to know you can fight and beat anyone. I have to know you are safe.’
‘Tomorrow then , before dawn.’
She walked away toward the cottage.
She shouted back ‘ Horses are coming. Down the east lane.’
She walked inside and closed the door.
She stood inside listening to the approaching horses. She had discovered why she always lost every fight. It was her staff, it was shorter than her fathers and she could never get close enough to win. But tomorrow she would win. She would use her new staff, the one hidden in the barn. It had been weathered and drying in the barn for over a year. It was just one inch shorter than her. It would, she was sure make all the difference. She would be sad, but it had to be done, so, she would do it tomorrow.
Six horses arrived in the yard . she moved away from the door. She had never listened to her fathers conversations and never would. If he wanted to , he would tell her later. Otherwise it was nothing to do with her.
§
It was a bright spring morning. She had packed her bag with food and some of the things she thought she would need. This included the money she had saved since she was a little girl. It now amounted to a good few crowns. She had placed the bag by the gate, gotten her staff from the barn and now sat waiting on the porch of the cottage.
How many times had she done this. The first time was when her mother died and she wanted to live with her aunt. Many fights had come and gone since then.
She could hear her father moving in the house. When he was coming toward the door , she stood and went to the middle of the yard. She rested her staff across her folded arms, hoping he would not notice the extra six inches in length.
He walked slowly down the steps, assured of his victory, coming to a stop six feet away.
‘Lets put a stop to this silliness. You know you cant beat me, not now not ever.’
As his words came to an end, he swung his staff at her head, She mearly bent her legs , letting the staff pass harmlessly over her head, while at the same time bring her staff round in an upward arc to crack against his knee cap.
He smiled at her, trying not to show the pain, but Tashna new all his weaknesses.
He spun and struck at her for several minutes, but found his way blocked at every move, while she managed several blows to his arms. He back away but she came at him, giving no ground, allowing him no respite. Suddenly her staff went over her shoulder and under her arm, the end flying forward and into his mid drift. The air could be heard as it escaped through his mouth and nose, and he fell to his knees. The staff continued upwards to collide with his lower jaw to send him flying over backward . Tashna stood over him, the end of her staff on his forehead.
‘Do you yield, or do I have to make you unconscious?
Her father stayed silent, looking at her in suprise. '‘Would you really do that to your father/'’
’You had better believe it!’
‘ I believe you would. I yield.’
She placed the staff over her shoulder and turned to walk toward the porch to collect her bag.
She had only taken four steps when she heard a movement behind her. She fell sideways, avoiding a blow that would have broken any bone it hit. She was up in an instant ready to defend herself. She could see he was angry now. She had severely damaged his pride and he want her to pay for it.
He came at her spinning his staff.
She held her ground , waiting for him to come with in range. He had still not noticed the extra length of her staff, so came on to what used to be a safe distance. It was only then she made her move. With a sweeping movement she swung at his legs taking both behind the knee . He fell forward as she passed him on the right side. She swung her staff round, catching him a blow to the back of his head. He fell to the floor and lay unmoving.
Tashna didn’t even check how he was. She collected her bag and with the staff over her shoulder strolled toward and through the gateway.
At the end of the east lane she turned right toward the village, but with no intention of going there.
She never looked back. She would not return for many years.
§
She had walked about two leagues toward the village, which she decided was about half way. It had taken her an hour, and during that time no one had passed in either direction. She stood in the middle of the road looking both ways. She could see or hear nothing.
Making her bag more comfortable she turned west into the trees. She felt good. At long last, her life was her own, to do with as she pleased. Though, as she walked along at a moderate pace, she realised she had no idea where she was heading or what she was going to do. She shrugged her shoulders. What did it matter what or where, as long as it was away from her past and into a new future. The oracle would give her some idea, but even then it would be in some sort of riddle that didn’t make sense. That was the way oracles worked. They never really ‘told’ you anything, just hinted, and left you to work out what it all meant. So, that being the case, she would still have to make a decision, as to where she was going.
Anyway it would take her three days to get to the place of the oracle, so she had lots of time to think. She took a small flute from her pocket and started to play what she thought was a slow walking song to help her on her way. A bird started to sing along. Tashna smiled. Yes it was a good day and a good life she decided. Anything else could wait till whenever it need to be decided.
