On Saturdays, you can check out a snippet from my latest writing efforts. All snippets are copyrighted. These excerpts from my writing are first draft, unedited words, and may not appear in the final work.
This excerpt was just fun to write—good-natured ribbing directed at a gangly teen still trying to fit in his own skin. And even though he’s embarrassed and relatively inexperienced, Miran is still more dangerously powerful than any of the soldiers riding at his side. He just happens to carry his arsenal in bottles hidden out of sight rather than in weapons strapped to his side.
When the rest of the soldiers had passed them, Algin rifled through his pack and pulled out a tunic of rich brocade. He held it out to Miran, who took the bright blue garment dubiously.
“You are suddenly elevated in rank, lad, the spoiled son of a country nobleman from Viropa, and we, the guards sent to keep you out of trouble. We’re booking passage on a ship to return home,” Algin explained. “You don’t have to say anything, just look the part.”
“Lucky that, since I don’t speak Trader,” Miran said. “I must be really mischievous to require a dozen guards,” he continued drily as he carefully pulled vials and crystals from his robe and set them on the ground. He pulled off the robe and stuffed it into his pack, then collected his magical notions and secreted them on his person in pockets of his breeches and on leather thongs he tucked under his inner tunic. Miran donned the gaudy tunic distastefully and looked up at the two soldiers. Aromir solemnly handed Miran a slender belt to buckle over the tunic while Algin rubbed black powder to cover Miran’s hair and brows.
Aromir grimaced, watching Miran buckle his pack over the crumpled robe. “How long can you keep that tunic clean?”
Miran’s face flushed with embarrassment as he settled in the saddle. He carefully smoothed the tunic and straightened his back. Algin chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll outgrow it, lad. One day you’ll wake up and find your arms and legs are the same length as they were the day before.”
Does this scene bring back happy (or terrible) memories of growing up?
Lovely read. 🙂