Here are links to all of my stories. It might not look like it yet, but I do write for a whole host of genres and fandoms. Iâll add on as I post more stuff. Fics below the cut.
Fandoms include: True Blood, Blade: Trinity, From Dusk Til Dawn, The Mandalorian, Bright, The Rings of Power, and Narcos (More coming soon!)
Do not run any of my fics through an AI generator of any kind. Do not post my fics on any other site.
Happy Reading!
Title: In the Blood
Pairing: BrasaXF!OC
Summary: Lilah began having strange dreams, then strange visions, followed by strange encounters. The deeper she goes, the more sheâs pulled into a world of blood drinkers and gods.
Word Count: ~35,000
Prologue Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve
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Title: Skygazing
Pairing: Cara DuneX F!OC
Summary: Set in the time Cara spends on Sorgan. Veda is the owner of a local bar who just happens to need a little security now and again, and Cara just happens to step in. Veda takes Cara to a local harvest festival that celebrates the transition between Fall and Winter, the giving and taking of the harvest. As they walk through the woods to give an offering to the gods, Veda gives Cara an opening to take a step forward in another way.
Word Count: ~4,200
Read Here
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Title: A Need So Great
Pairing: Horacio CarrilloX F!OC
Summary: Eva Moore is assigned to work the last year of her contract with the DEA in Colombia. She just wants to get to the end of her tenure, but she keeps getting drawn further into a string of murders in the city. It isnât long before sheâs forced to face the ghosts of her past.
Summary: Lilah often wished sheâd never said yes to working with the Gecko brothersâusually while dodging gunfire. At no time was she regretting that decision more than when sheâs hanging upside down from the ceiling, staring down a group of hungry culebras and one (1) extremely powerful sun god.
Summary: Rosalind was eight years old when she knew she had a soulmate. At eighteen, she vowed never to find him. To protect her family, Rose makes the decision to tempt fate and she finds that walking away is easier said than done. Kandomere/Bright!FemOC AU
Summary: Marissa Polznik lived what she considered a simple life. Sheâd been on almost every continent, had seen almost everything the world had to offerâor so she thought. Having agreed to become consort to their king, Marissa must use every ounce of skill and experience to escape this new world of vampires, blood, and death.
Word Count: ~32,000
Fear  Cunning  Strategy  Adaptation  Decisions
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Title: The Guarantor
Summary: Frankie went to work every day knowing that there would be an end. A deadline. Reconnecting with her adoptive father, Godric, throws that deadline into question. Teaming up with Godricâs child, Eric, obliterates it entirely. With an uncertain future ahead, Frankie has to learn if she can trust the people around her, let alone herself. Eric Northman/Bisexual!Fem!OC
Summary: Horacio Carrillo was a man of controlâŠuntil he wasnât. His carefully regimented life begins to change the second he scents Eva Moore, an unobtrusive omega whose secrets lead the two of them into dangerous territory. Horacio must protect her at all costs while battling a fierce need that threatens to bring him to his knees.
Word Count: ~43,000
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1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Title: Shadow and Veil
Summary: Eva Mooreâs life was a carefully constructed fiction.  Every day, she did exactly what her mother in law, her husband, and his  best friend expected of her. No mistakes. And, that was going pretty  well for Eva right up until a huge complication literally tried to run  her over. Now, sheâs faced with trying to keep the pieces of her life  from falling apart while attempting (and failing) to keep her feelings  for her husbandâs new business partner at bay.
Summary: Lilah McNamara stole things for a living. It was tedious work and often dangerous, which made it just exciting enough to keep her interested. After botching a routine job, Lilah finds herself standing amid monsters. Wholly unprepared for the horror of living under Amaruâs reign, Lilah decides to use her well honed skills to thwart the queenâs plans and prevent the end of the world.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.Â
I have written the penultimate chapter for my new fic twice, and I'm going to delete half of it today to rewrite a third time. For the entirety of this piece, I knew exactly how it was going to go (with minor detours) and approximately how long it would take me to get there. Its super frustrating that I can't seem to get this ending right. Like, I want to do justice to the character I created. Both times I wrote this chapter, I realized that I was cutting off the main arc.
And
As I write this, I just realized that I'm cutting off the main arc because I created a character that I wanted to be a foil for the plot. They aren't a foil anymore. That was their journey. To slowly move from a foil to a participant in the antagonist's plan. Do I agree with where their ending up? Not really. Do I have to, as the author, agree? Also, not really. The point is that the arc of the character has to end where it has to end and I have to get with the program and write it.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~5,600
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
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Masterlist
The camp Klij referred to was larger than Odessa expected. She was honestly surprised there was a camp at all. Nothing could have survived the initial blast of a volcanic eruption. Even now, Odessa was walking on a thick blanket of ash.
Klij led them through a weaving maze of tents that housed all manner of people like him. Odessa kept her glances brief and covert even though she was not offered the same courtesy. Dozens of black eyes watched her walking by, some with curiosity and some with disdain.
Who were these people? How did they manage to live through such disaster? Especially so close to the volcano, itself. It hadnât been that long since Odessa visited the south and she could not remember ever meeting anyone who looked like the people around her. Which made little sense, given how many of them there were.
Klij took a turn and Odessa felt her stomach drop. A row of cages lined the north end of the camp. They were fashioned out of solid slabs of wood and branches cut down from the trees. As she approached, Odessa could see their contents more clearly.
Two cages at the end of the row were occupied. The six or seven human men scattered between the two cages looked like theyâd seen better days. Much better days. Their clothes were in tatters and their skin was filthy. More than one was injured. The eyes that watched her approach were gleaming with hunger and despair.
Yush skipped ahead and opened an empty cage. If Klij cared that heâd gotten ahead of him, he didnât give any indication. Yush made a gesture of invitation that was very out of place, given that he was inviting her into captivity. It brought a unwanted chuckle out of her throat.
It wasnât a large cell. Maybe a bit wider than she was tall. Odessa had enough room to stretch out if she wanted to. She turned a circle while Yush closed the door. Klij put a large iron lock on the bar and tossed the keys to a nearby guard.
Yush stuck his head against the bars and hissed. âIâll get you in front of the Lord Father as soon as possible.â
Odessa had no idea what that meant, but she nodded along as if she did. Yush cast her another look that seemed to meant âhold tightâ, then scuttled away. She watched him go with an increasing amount of confusion that left her standing there looking like an idiot for far too long.
âHowâd they get you?â
She glanced to the man speaking to her. He was tall with a flop of brown hair and a nose that had been broken at least once. His brown eyes were bruised with lack of sleep. They eyed her with interest that made her want to take a step back.
âAmbush,â she answered with mostly the truth.
He nodded and gestured to a man sitting at his feet. âThey got me and Eaton in a raid.â
Eaton waved an absent hand at her. He lounged on the packed dirt floor with his arm tucked protectively around his middle.
âIâm Kince,â the man offered.
âOdessa.â
âNice to meet you Odessa. If you can get a weapon, I advise you kill yourself.â
She blinked and tilted her head to the side. âWhy?â
Kince lifted a shoulder. âYouâre the first woman Iâve seen them take alive. I assume they want you for...unsavory reasons.â
âOh.â
He frowned at her. âThatâs all youâre gonna say?â
Odessa crossed her arms and approached Kince. He leaned on the bars between them in a way that felt deliberately casual. âWho are they?â
From the floor, Eaton said, âYou ainât never heard of orcs?â
She had heard of them. They were scary stories that teenagers told each other around the fire to scare one another. Vicious, angry beasts that roamed the countryside without law and without mercy. Odessa glanced at the guard, taking in his harsh features. She could see why people called them monsters.
âI thought they didnât take prisoners,â Odessa said.
Kince sucked his teeth. âThey needed us.â
âFor what?â
âTo help them dig out the mountain,â Eaton said in an angry, sardonic tone. âWhat else?â
âDig out the mountain?â
Kince made the same sound that men sometimes used to calm horses. It put her teeth on edge. âThey donât do so well in the sunlight.â
Again, Eaton jumped in. âFixed that right up, didnât they?â
Odessa looked up through the top of the cage. The sky was not full of clouds, as she assumed hours before. It was smoke that blotted out the sun.
âYouâre saying that the orcs set off the volcano?â She looked at them again, wondering how they managed it.
âSure did,â Kince drawled.
âHow?â
âWerenât you listening, you stupid cow?â Eaton hissed. He pressed his face against the bars and enunciated every syllable. âThey dug. Out. The. Mountain.â
Odessa held up her hands in defense. âIâm just asking questions. Its confusing.â
âDonât worry about the details,â Kince said. âThey donât matter.â
She guessed he was probably right. Knowing how they set off the volcano didnât change the fact that it was currently spewing lava and smoke into the air. It also didnât change the fact that sheâd let them take her captive and lock her in a cage. Without a fight, no less. Why had she done that?
âI meant it when I said you need to kill yourself.â
Odessa gave him a flat look.
âYou look like youâre a smart girl. Donât think youâre strong enough to take torture.â
She was. Odessa could take quite a bit of torture, and that was before she had the wardenâs mantle.
âListen,â Kince urged, âIâll help you, if you want. Iâll snap your little neck. Quick-like.â His voice dropped low and he said, âAll you have to do is help me out a little first.â
Odessa drew back from him. She knew that tone. Knew what he wanted. It was an offer sheâd heard before. Do this small thing for me and Iâll end your pain.
âIts a good offer, little girl.â
Suddenly, she was glad Yush thought to put her in a separate cell. Sheâd have to thank him later. Odessa shook her head and went to sit as far away from Kince as possible. She leaned against the bars and stared out into the camp, trying to think about what she was going to do. Odessa might be a capable fighter, but she was chest deep in hostile territory. Everything in her was saying that her best bet for survival was to get out. Fast.
The cages were on the campâs edge. If she could get out, Odessa could make a run across the ravaged stumps to the forest. Once she was in the safety of the trees, it would be easier to evade the orcs if they decided to hunt her down. Odessa glanced around, wondering if they would bother.
Aside from the single guard, no one was paying much attention to the prisoners. The camp was awash with activity. Every orc seemed to have a job to doâcarrying firewood, sorting through wagons of belongings stolen in the last raid, sharpening weaponsâanything that needed to be done had someone assigned to the task. She craned her neck to see if she could find the orc directing everything, but there didnât seem to be one. Everyone performed their work independently.
Time passed, and Yush didnât return. Odesssa made herself keep sitting despite the fact that she was so, so bored. She needed to rest. To think. Her toes tapped out a rhythm while she tried to decide what kind of community she was dealing with.
The orcs spoke a mix of the common tongue and another, harsher language. They moved together in packs so tight that they were constantly running into one another. No one walked alone. Altercations broke out at regular intervals, though it never seemed to be too serious. The skirmishes were over as soon as they began and had the air of siblings bickering with one another. A sharp word, a flicking swat at a shoulder, and then they were done.
When she could glean no further information from her immediate surroundings, Odessa reached for the things that couldnât be easily seen. She put both hands on the packed earth on either side of her and sent out a quiet inquiry. The earth felt very far away despite the fact that she was directly touching it. Odessa sought out its voice and spread her attention in an ever expanding circle from her place in the cage.
The explosion had done a lot of damage. More damage than sheâd ever seen in a singular event. The area beneath the camp was not much for than a ragged hole in the threads. Odessaâs heart broke to hear the sorrow and pain coming from the land. She offered as much comfort as she could and promised it that she would work to repair the damage. Odessa couldnât tell if it believed her, or even heard her promises.
Once she escaped, Odessa would have to travel closer to the volcano to start her work. It might take years, even decades to build the threads back up. There was very little to work with as far as darning the damage. Odessa would have to create the thread from scratch and weave it piece by tiny piece. She closed her eyes, already exhausted from the weight of the task.
Letting go of the earth, she pulled her knees up to her chest and started planning her exit strategy. The cage was surprisingly well made, despite its rough structure. The orcs reinforced the corners with strong rope and the bars were close enough together that squeezing through wasnât an option. The cages sat on nothing but flat earth. If she could find even the slightest bit of leverage, she could wriggle underneath the edge and crawl out.
Finding that leverage was a problem. There was no furniture in the cages. No bench to use as a lever. No chair to hook between the bars. Odessa was strong, but not strong enough to lift the whole thing by herself. She glanced at Kince and Eaton. They were thin and malnourished, but together they might be able to do it. Odessa pursed her lips and looked away. She didnât like them enough to ask for help.
The guard changed shifts. Odessa paid attention to where the new guard put the keys. They were tucked into a pouch on his hip. She considered a plan to steal them away, but nixed it when the guard took up a post too far from the bars. After a moment, she reconsidered. She could call him over, try to engage in small talk and...Odessa shook her head. She didnât have a thiefâs hands. He would feel her trying to take the keys, for sure.
Night was beginning to fall. Fires lit up in the camp, though they numbered fewer than she would have liked. The gossip about orcs having excellent night vision appeared to be true. This, she thought, might work in her favor. The deep dark could hide covert actions.
She angled her body into a corner and pulled her dagger from her boot. Silently, she went to work on the ties holding her cage in place against the empty one beside it. Her initial assessment about the strength of the rope turned out to be true. It took more than half an hour to cut through the first few knots. Her arms burned from forcing the muscle to make slow, controlled cuts. Hacking at the rope would only make unnecessary noise and she surmised that the guardâs pointed ears were meant to catch the smallest sound.
Just before she finished with the first section, Odessa had to stop and hide the dagger beneath her thigh. An orc that she guessed might be female walked up with a stack of bowls and a large iron pot.
âKednack,â greeted the guard with a deferential nod.
Kednackâs only reply was a low grunt. She was not very tall, but her body had a stout build that made carrying the heavy iron pot look easy. Clawed hands put it down and lined up the bowls. The men in the cage rose with eager expressions. When Kednack started to fill the bowls, one of them reached out to grab. She slapped his hand hard with the ladle.
âWait,â she snapped in a clear and firm alto.
The man hissed and held his hand to his chest while the others knelt down in wait. Odessa could not move, lest she give away the fact that she had the dagger. She watched from her corner as Kednack finished filling the bowls and slid them closer to the cage. They were quickly snatched up and carried away to be slurped up.
Kednack picked up the remaining bowl and carried it over to Odessaâs cage. She stared down at Odessa with eyes that were both aloof and interested. Odessa returned the look for as long at Kednack let it hold. Eventually, the orc sniffed and knelt to put the bowl just inside the bars. Without another glance, she went back to her pot. From beneath her cloak, she produced a much larger bowl that she filled and brought to the guard.
âMany thanks,â he said as he took it.
Kednack grunted again. She went back to the pot and pick it up, walking away.
While the guard was distracted with food, Odessa put the dagger back into her boot and stood. She had only taken a single step toward the bowl when a long arm reached through the bars and snagged it.
Kinceâs smile was not kind as he held it on his side of the dividing bars. âHungry?â
Odessa suppressed a sneer. âWhat are you doing?â
âIâm hungry, too,â he said as he took a deliberate slurp. âWhen was the last time you ate?â
She looked away. Odessa might actually find torture preferable to having to deal with Kinceâs taunting.
He wiggled the bowl at her. âWhat will you give me for it?â
Odessa was tempted to reach through the bars and break his nose. The snap might actually put it back into place. She settled for throwing him a baleful look and turning pointedly away. He let out a disappointed, mocking sound as she sat down in her corner. There, he made a show of eating what she assumed was a thin soup as loudly as possible.
Slowly, the camp came more alive. If she thought they were busy during the day, that busyness tripled at night. There were so many of them. Hundreds, she thought. Everything she heard about orcs made it seem like they were roving nomads. Small packs that moved from town to town pillaging what they could before moving on.
Part of that was definitely true. All the supplies she saw were definitely stolen or repurposed. The tents were sewn together and patched to the point that she couldnât tell what the original material had been. Their armor, such as it was, didnât always fit and most of it was dotted with the marks of a good, hard fight. Occasionally, she could see evidence of the strike that killed its previous owner.
With so many walking around, Odessa couldnât risk taking the dagger out again. She spent the night dozing on and off to shore up her strength for the next day. Odessa could not make her run in the night. The orcs were too awake. Too active. When the sun came up, she would work on the ties until she could slip through the gap. Once she was free, she would draw on whatever power the land could provide to her in its current state to sprint to the trees.
The plan felt solid right up until the sun came up. Odessa was preparing to start work when a commotion simmered nearby. Orcs began to call out to one another, word passing down the line until it reached the guard.
âIts time!â an orc announced.
âNo,â breathed Eaton from the other cell. âI thought he was gone for another week.â
Who? She wanted to ask. Who was gone?
Eaton pressed against the side of the cage, his eyes wide and frightened. âHeâll kill us.â
Kince, who was standing with his arms folded and a hard look in his eyes, said, âNo. He needs workers. He just wants to parade us around.â
âHow the fuck do you know?â Eaton bit out. âDo you see any of the men we came in with? Bordon? Fisk? Where the fuck did they go?â
Odessa looked between the men and the place where the commotion seemed to be coming from. The orcs were milling around between a set of large tents in an ever growing swarm. Many of them were talking excitedly to each other. Several were pointing at the cages. She caught the faint edge of laughter above the drone of voices.
Reaching back, Odessa tested the corner. Sheâd only managed to cut through the first tie and the gap she made was not big enough for her body. A vague sense of panic set in when she realized that she had run out of time. She should have never let them take her in the first place. There were only five of them. Odessa could have fought against five.
The milling crowd began to move. It undulated in the direction of the cages, parting as a smaller, more forceful group began to push through. To Odessaâs great surprise, the smaller group was led by a human. He was older, with white hair and a mean look about him. He shoved the orcs aside while he stomped along, uncaring if they fell and were stepped on by the others.
He stopped in front of the cages and gave a jerking nod to the orc beside him. They produced several sets of shackles that were thrown into the menâs cage.
âPut âem on!â
One of the men reached down and started locking the iron rings around his wrists. Eaton scrambled to standing and stopped him. âLet them come in and fucking make us!â
That was, apparently, not the right thing to say. The man spit at the ground and gestured to the lock on the cage door. It was quickly opened and several orcs rushed inside. After that, Odessa got a front row seat to a brutal, merciless beating. Eaton was dragged out of the cage and kicked to the ground. Punches, slaps, and more kicks followed until he stopped moving. Afterwards, the old man unsheathed a short-sword and stabbed Eaton through the torso.
The men put on their shackles.
Odessa hoped that they would forget she existed, but her luck wasnât that good. A pair of shackles landed at her feet with a metallic clink. She stared at them in dismay, then leaned down and put them on. They let her out of the cage and, to her further dismay, brought her to the front of the line.
The old man leered at her. Feeling his attention made her stomach turn. Odessa could not give him the arch, haughty look her mother used when the ladies were too overt with their insults. There was too much noise. Too many growls. Too many mouths breathing far too close. She had to close her eyes against the memory of the last time sheâd been walked through a crowd in chains.
âMove!â the man ordered.
Odessa started walking. The irons were heavy on her wrists, but her ankles were free, which meant she could still have an opportunity to run. She just had to time it right. Odessa bit down on the inside of her cheek. It felt like every eye in the camp was watching her, waiting for her to step out of line so that she could be kicked down and killed like Eaton.
I canât do this again.
The man led her deeper into the camp. With every step, more orcs pressed in from every side. Odessa kept her eyes down and her arms tucked into her stomach. It was the only way to keep herself quiet and moving. Odessaâs fear burned at the back of her throat. It took her breath and made her want to reach down for her dagger and start cutting through bodies until they stopped boxing her in. She hated that she couldnât see what lay ahead. She hated that she couldnât face it with her head up and her spine straight.
Odessa walked until a hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. Her breaths were quick and she still couldnât lift her gaze from the ground. Pressure on her shoulder dropped Odessa to her knees. In her periphery, the other men were assembled in much the same position. The orcs kept their distance and the sound of their excited voices hushed. They pulled back from the line of prisoners. Odessa let out a soft, relieved breath and the pain in her chest lessened. She blinked at the ground while the world came back into focus and, with it, came a rush of anger.
âDo you swear loyalty to the Lord Father, rightful ruler of Mordor?â the man demanded.
Odessa looked up. âWhat?â
The man snarled in anger and lifted his hand in what was probably going to be a pretty hard slap. A voice stayed his hand with a single, harsh word.
I know that voice, Odessa thought as she turned her head slowly to look forward.
As with the other structures in the camp, the throne was an exercise in resourcefulness. It was built from scraps of metal and wood andâshe couldnât tell if she should be surprisedâbone. The dais it sat on was encircled by the shields of the fallen. Hilts of broken swords haloed the person seated before her.
Odessa met his eyes and she was gratified to see shock written across his face. He rose and stepped off the dais.
âMy lord?â the man asked.
Adar waved a dismissed hand. His attention was solely on Odessa. He opened his mouth to give an order, stopping when someone called out to him.
âLord Father!â Yush cried. âI must speak with you!â
The old man let out a loud yell of censure and unsheathed his short-sword. He aimed it at Yush, who held up his hands in defense. Odessa felt her body flinch in Yushâs direction, which was confusing. He was a significant part of why she was on her knees in the first place.
Adar stayed the manâs hands with single word of warning. âWaldreg.â
Yush started talking very fast in the fractured sounds of what Odessa assumed was the orcsâ native tongue. His tone was entreating and he was directing most of what he was saying to Adar. Occasionally, he would gesture to Odessa. She did not know how she felt about being dragged into the conversation.
Adar listened until Yush stopped talking with his eyes focused on Odessa. He pointed to Yush. âBring her.â
âYes, Lord Father.â
Yush rushed over and helped Odessa to her feet. Over Yushâs shoulder, she could see the manâWaldregâstaring at her with anger. Unable to help herself, Odessa tossed him a mocking grin and let Yush guide her away. Thankfully, the crowd of orcs did not follow.
Adarâs tent was larger than the rest. The orc standing guard opened the flap covering the entrance as he approached. He bowed in reverence and held the flap open until Yush and Odessa stepped inside.
She took in the various chests littering the perimeter and the drapes of heavily patched material that made up the ceiling. A large table dominated the middle of the room. On either side were high backed chairs. Adarâs sword leaned against the chair on the left.
Adar, himself, walked up to the table and turned to face her. He leaned his hips back against the edge and crossed his arms. âWhat are you doing here?â
âWhat am I doing here?â Odessa snapped waspishly. âWhat are you doing here?â Before he could say anything, the answer came to her with all the force of a rolling storm. âOh...you lied to me.â
His brows drew together. âI did not.â
âYes, you did.â Odessa tipped her head back and laughed ruefully. âI believed you. I am such an idiot.â
To her right, Yush shifted his weight nervously. âMy lord, the debt.â
Adarâs eyes cut to the orc. âGet the keys for the chains.â
âYes, my lord.â Yush left after a quick bow.
Odessa watched Adar carefully. He returned her look with one of his own.
âI did not lie,â he asserted again.
âYou told me your people were Uruk,â Odessa shot back.
âThey are. We calls ourselves Uruk.â
She hissed through her teeth. âYou knew I wouldnât know what you meant.â
âWould you have helped me if you did?â
Odessaâs jaw worked. She wouldnât have. The orcsâUruk, or whatever he wanted to call themâsowed chaos wherever they went. Whole towns had been razed to the ground under their attacks.
Adar took a breath and pushed from the table. âDid you save his life?â
She lifted a shoulder.
His head ticked to the side and his hair fell forward over his shoulder. The look he fixed her with was so familiar that it made her chest ache. Odessa wished sheâd never met him. She averted her eyes and set her jaw.
âHe says you fought a terrible evil. He says it was a being of darkness.â
She kept her mouth closed.
âOdessa.â
Why did he have to say her name like that? As if it were all he wanted to say. As if he were tasting each individual letter with relish.
She sniffed and changed the subject. âYou forced the volcano to erupt.â
Adar stepped forward. âIt had to be done.â
âYou and I have very different ideas about what has to be done.â
He was undeterred by the venom in her tone. âMy children cannot walk in sunlight.â
Odessa scoffed angrily. His children. They seemed to be perfectly capable of causing horror and mayhem, even if they couldnât go out in the sun. Dio, she was angry. Mostly at herself. Heâd so totally deceived her that she had no defense against the fact that sheâd willingly helped him ravage the land on which they stood.
âWe needed a place to settle.â
Odessa didnât want to hear his explanations. They were lies, along with everything else heâd ever said to her. âPeople already lived here. You killed them and you took their land.â
âI did,â he replied, as if his actions were justified. âIt was necessary.â
She glared at him. âI sincerely doubt that.â
Adar moved closer. A patch of light slashed across his side and down his arm. It highlighted the sharp edges of a new piece of armor. The gauntlet was made of scorched metal that encased the wrist and fingers of his left hand. She wondered if one of his people made it, and who they might have learned the craft from.
âFor centuries,â he began, âthe Uruk have been subjected to so many atrocities that it would take me an eternity to name them. I have done what I must to ensure they can live in safety.â
Odessaâs eyes narrowed. âWhy should I believe you?â
âIt is the truth.â
âOr,â she bit out, âit is more lies.â
âOdessa,â he murmured, ânothing between us has been a lie.â
It irritated her how much she wanted to believe him. Odessa stared up into Adarâs eyes while she wrestled with her irritation. They were drained of color, more gray than theyâd ever been. She noticed that he lost some weight in the months since sheâd seen him last. His cheeks were hollow and the scars were more pronounced. She sensed a fatigue about him that hung heavy on his shoulders.
He took a final step forward, coming to rest very close to her. His attention, as always, was direct. The sweep of his gaze was a physical touch along her cheek and jaw. Odessaâs hands curled into fists as she fought the heat that threatened to spread all over.
The tent flap opened and Yush returned. He held out the keys. âI have them.â
Eyes still on Odessa, Adar stepped back. âRelease her.â
Yush quickly went to work. Odessa held Adarâs gaze while the iron fell away. He gave Yush enough room to take the shackles, but no more than was strictly necessary. Looking at him, Odessa was sure he wouldnât have moved at all if he didnât have to.
âYou saved his life,â he said. âand that incurs a debt. Until it is paid, Yush is yours.â
âWhat?â she blurted.
The corner of Adarâs mouth lifted. âHe is now in your service and will remain there until the debt is paid.â
Odessa looked at Yush. âHow long does that take?â
Yush gave a sheepish shrug. âAs long as it takes.â
The tent flap opened again and a tall, thin Uruk stepped in. âLord Father, we found the water source.â
Adarâs chin lifted and a soft look of pride passed over his face. âI knew you would.â
The Uruk stepped forward and his eyes caught on Odessa. He took her in with apprehension.
âFind her a tent near the foundation. Tell your brothers and sisters that sheâs not to be touched,â Adar ordered before gesturing for the thin Uruk to come forward.
Odessa debated refusing to leave. She wanted more answers. If Yush hadnât ushered her out with an earnest âplease come with me, my ladyâ, she might have.
Outside, Yush guided her away from the tent and down a narrow pathway. He walked at her side, though she could tell he wanted to move at a faster pace.
âTell me about the debt.â
âYou saved my life, my lady,â Yush explained. âI am at your disposal until the debt is paid.â
Odessa passed a hand over her face. This was not the first time she was faced with learning about a new and strange culture. Usually, she was less angry about it.
âHow do you repay the debt?â
âThrough service. Whatever you need, I will do.â
âSo, youâre a servant?â
âNo.â His answer was quick and touched with insult. âNot a servant.â
âWhat do I call you, then?â
âI am Yush.â
Odessa decided that she wasnât going to get much more clarification. She took a turn with Yush around a large cooking fire. Some kind of stew bubbled in a pot. A group of Uruk passed bowls around. They spared her barely a glance as they dug into their food.
Beyond the cooking fire, there was what remained of the city. It was covered in ash and there were buildings that were nothing more than burned husks. As Odessa walked deeper into the area, she was less inclined to call it a city and more inclined to call it a village. A small one. There might have been twenty buildings to begin with and only half still stood.
In what used to be the main thoroughfare was a long row of tents. They were covered in fabric that contained fewer patches than the other tents. The one furthest into the village was largest and tallest of the bunch. She peered at it with interest while Yush slowed in front of the fifth tent in the row.
âYou can sleep here. There is a cot inside.â
Unashamed of her suspicion, Odessa opened the flap and looked inside. âYush?â
âYes, my lady?â
âWhy did you dig into the mountain?â
Yush cocked his head at the question. âThe sun burns, my lady.â
She nodded. âWhy not live underground?â
âWe tried that, my lady. The dwarves did not want us.â
âOh?â
Yush shifted his weight nervously. âThey hunted us in the tunnels. Put our babies to the ax.â
She didnât like the way her stomach turned at his explanation. âAnd, you couldnât live in the forests?â
He scoffed. âWith the elves? Or the men? They hunted us, too.â
âWhy?â
Yush shrugged. âI donât know, my lady.â
âIâm not a lady.â
âWhat?â
Odessa made an ambiguous gesture at herself. âIâm not a lady. I donât have a title.â
Yushâs eyes darted to the side. âWhat do I call you, then?â
âCall me Odessa.â
âYes...Odessa.â
She was suddenly very tired. âI think Iâll get some rest. Thank you, Yush.â
Yush bowed.
Odessa stepped into the tent and let the flap fall closed. The dark covering made the inside equally as dark. She sat on the cot. The mattress was filled with feather down, a luxury she did not expect in a place like this. Odessa wondered which house it had been stolen from.
She touched the bag around her neck with one hand and the dagger with the other. If she wanted to run, Adar was certainly giving her ample room to do so. Odessa glanced at the tentâs opening. Yushâs shadow moved just outside.
Odessa loosed an audibly tired sigh and laid down on the cot. Adarâs actions yanked the balance of the land into the darkness. It was her job to bring it back towards the light. Making that happen was going to be more difficult if she ran., which meant she was going to have to stay here. Merda.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~3,700
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
Read on AO3 Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Masterlist
The day started well enough. Odessa found a path along the mountains so that she could look for a valley to cross over. She was fairly resilient to the cold, but preferred not to climb atop a snowy peak just to reach the Southlands. Above, the sky was perpetually cloudy. She hadnât seen the sun shining in its full glory since the earthquake.
The weather at the mountainâs base grew more cool by the day. Soon, she would have to find her cloak to ward off the morning and evening chill. There were no flowers on her path. Only trees and bushes that were slowly losing their leaves. All the green was turning yellow and orange. The air was tainted with a faint burning scent heralded Autumn.
Odessa walked slowly. There might be a job waiting for her further south, but it would still be there no matter her pace. For the last week, she wandered on and off the path at her leisure. There were small patches of land that she remembered. Waterfalls that fell off the Anduin. Trees that had been alive longer than Odessa. A formation of five huge stones that stood side by side in a semi-circle. The familiar landmarks were comforting against the unknowable reality on the other side of the mountain.
The peaks rose high to her left. She stopped and looked up to where the rock disappeared into the clouds. These, too, were familiar. Odessa never memorized a map, but she always took notice of the mountains. They had different names, depending on who was looking at them. This range was newer than some of the others on the continent. It lacked the erosion that came with age. A guardian that protected the south with sharp teeth.
Her skin pulled tight. The air shifted and the scent of fire turned rotten. Odessa turned from the mountain and scanned the forest from one side to the other. It was just as picturesque as it had been minutes before. Odessa inhaled and nearly retched.
I donât want to fight today. I just want to walk.
Odessa stood there, waiting for an attack that didnât come. Instead, she heard voices. Someone was calling out. A man. Another voice responded. A woman. She relaxed marginally and crept towards the sound. A man and a woman spoke to one another while gathering firewood. Their shelter was nothing more than a large square of fabric tied to trees on either side.
Three more people walked into the camp, each of them carrying firewood. Two men and a woman. They were younger than the two piling wood into a stone circle. All of them had the same dark hair and angular features. A family. She was just about to rise and go on her way when her nose caught the stench again. The little family was in danger.
Odessa put her hand to the earth and asked for its help. Her eyes fluttered as power rushed in. It fueled the wardenâs mantle, made her stronger in anticipation of the battle. A pleased sound left her mouth. Odessa thanked the earth and loosed her hold.
She stood to call out to the family. âExcuse me!â
The conversation stopped and five pairs of eyes looked up at her. A man, the oldest of the three, shaded his eyes with his hand. âWho calls?â
Odessa stepped along the steep drop carefully. She held onto the trees for balance. âIâm just a traveler. Like you.â
Understandably, there was disbelief in the way he said, âTraveler? Are you alone?â
âNo,â Odessa lied. âIâm supposed to meet my people that way.â She pointed in a random direction. âThey sent me to scout ahead.â
The man she assumed was a father watched her with a narrow look. âThey sent a woman alone into the woods.â
She tossed him a careless grin. âI got six brothers, mister. I know how to take care of myself.â
His mouth thinned. Odessa was chagrined to realize that he didnât believe her.
Luckily, his wife stepped forward. âWhat do you want, girl?â
âI want to warn you. Thereâs an animal. A big one. Its been hunting in these woods. We lost all our food the first night. Started sleeping in the trees.â
A wave of anxiety went person by person. Odessa let the silence hold for a long time. Far longer than she originally intended. As if called by her words, something moved in the trees, bringing with it the brush of an icy fingertip. The apate was here. Watching. Waiting.
âI tracked it to this area,â Odessa asserted with more urgency. âThis isnât a safe place to make camp. Please, you have to move. Now.â
âRew,â the mother breathed. She touched her husbandâs arm. âRew, I told you we should move on.â
âHush,â the father urged. He eyed Odessa with further suspicion. âWhat kind of animal?â
âA bear, I think.â
That was the wrong answer. Odessa could tell by the way the fatherâs upper lip twitched.
âThere are no bears in these woods.â
She steeled herself to lie convincingly. âThere were no bears in these woods. They moved north out of the mountains.â
âWhy?â
âHow should I know?â she snipped. âWeâve been staying just ahead of it. We keep moving. We donât camp.â
The motherâs brows came together. âIts been tracking you?â
âI think so. My father thinks so, too.â
âThat makes even less sense,â the father cut in. âSending a child to scout the tracks of a bear.â
âIâm better at it than my brothers,â Odessa answered his unasked question. âThey donât see what I see.â
She was seeing a lot, at the moment. A shadow was coalescing far into the trees. Ink and smoke.
âMaybe we should listen to her,â one of the sons said.
Good boy, Odessa thought while she reached out and stoked his inclination to retreat. The touch wasnât as subtle as she might have liked, but the danger to these people was increasing by the second. She needed to act quickly if she was going to save their lives.
A low, rumbling growl wandered into the camp. Odessa closed her eyes in dismay.
âWhat was that?â the wife cried out.
All five of them looked around for the source of the growl. All of them missed the darkness hiding in the shadow of a tree not far away.
âYou need to go,â Odessa whispered urgently. âNow. Run.â
The wife listened to her. âCome now. Grab your packs. Leave the shelter.â When the father started to argue, she held up a hand. âI will not risk our children.â
Odessa pointed in the opposite direction of the apate. âThat way. Away from the tracks. Run!â
She picked up packs and bags, disguising the fact that she wasnât going to run with them by appearing helpful. Another growl came from the trees. Closer. She had to get them down the path before the apate struck. The family was moving like cold honey, taking too much time to collect their belongings.
âGo! Go!â She physically began to push the two daughters down the path. âGo now!â
Finally, they ran. Packs bounced on their backs and dirt kicked up beneath their boots.
Odessa let out a breath of relief and turned to the apate. âCome on out.â
Usually, this was where they would slink forward and offer some kind of threat. Possibly try to reason with her, if they were young and inexperienced. Odessa waited for it to appear. The apate did not move. It hovered in the treeâs shadow, watching her grow ever more impatient.
She grunted and reached down for her dagger. The wooden handle was cool in her palm. Odessa brandished it at the apate and took a step forward. âI said, come on out!â
It ran.
Odessa stared after it. Why are you running? She thought. Followed by, What happened to an honest fight?
She burst into a hard sprint. The apate slipped over the land with ease. It rode the wind with its weightless body. Odessa, with her unfortunate need to use her feet to run, could not keep up. She drew on the earthâs power to push her legs faster, but the apate kept getting further and further away. Odessa pushed harder, until her lungs and thighs burned in protest.
Wheezing, Odessa stopped and leaned one hand against a tree. She swept her forearm over her face to wick away the sweat. Not for the first time, she wished she had half as much magical talent at Mika. She would have had something up her sleeve to keep the apate from getting away so easily.
The crunch of fallen leaves made her flinch. She straightened and held the dagger out in front of her body. For the third time that afternoon, she said, âShow yourself!â
Something moved behind a bush. Something covered in a cloak. Odessa frowned and squinted at the person huddling near the ground. They were hunched over, fearfully protecting themselves.
She dropped her arm, letting the blade fall to her side. âIts alright. I wonât hurt you.â
They moved slowly. One foot in front of the other. Odessa kept her posture relaxed while she waited for them to come nearer.
âYou know,â she said, âYou really shouldnât be out here. Thereâs some...dangerous animals nearby.â
âMy friends,â they rasped in a voice that she was pretty sure was male, âare close.â
The cloak fell away from his face and Odessa got her first clear look. Skin so dark that it look burned. Teeth crowded each other in his mouth. Sparse bits of hair that hung lank around his head. He was about her height and his black eyes were shining with intelligence and apprehension.
âOh,â she breathed. âThis is new.â
âYou should not be here,â he said. âMy friends are near.â
âYes,â she replied, âyou said that. Are your friends...like you?â
He nodded.
Odessa had never seen a person like this. Not in Middle Earth, not in the Underworld, and certainly not in Italy. âYou and your friends need to get out of these woods. Go that way. Quickly.â
âWhy?â
âI told you. Thereâs an animal.â
His ears, which she now realized were pointed, twitched. âAn animal? Where?â
âIts doesnât matter where. You just need to get away from it.â
âNo,â he replied, holding up a short-sword. âWeâll hunt it for food.â
âIâ.â Odessa barely got the syllable out before a low, recognizable growl rumbled behind her. âWhatâs your name?â
âHuh?â
âYour name. What is it?â
He frowned and stared at her with hesitation. âYush.â
To her consternation, Yush did not run. He barely had time to understand the command before the apate struck. It swished through Odessaâs field of vision from right to left, taking Yush with it. She yelped, freezing for several seconds before instinct kicked in. Odessa ran after them with her dagger at the ready.
Yush yelled and cursed at the apate. His arms and legs wheeled for purchase and failed to find it.
âStay calm!â she barked.
Yush didnât appear to hear her. He kept yelling. Kept struggling. His sword cut at the flora around him, snapping smaller branches along the way. His jerking, angry movements weighed the apate down. Made it slower so that Odessa could gain ground. She was almost upon them when the apate let go of Yush and flew away.
She stopped and knelt. âAre you well?â
Yush glanced around frantically. âWhat was that?â
âThe animal,â Odessa answered.
âThat was no animal.â
âWhatever you say,â she drawled absently. âNow, I know I told you to run, but I need you to stay very still until it comes back.â
Yush began to panic. âIts coming back?!â
âYes.â Her voice dropped down to a near whisper. âI need you to stay still so I can kill it.â
Again, Yush did not do as she asked. He rolled to standing and held his short-sword out in front of him in a defensive position. His free hand reached up and tugged his cloak over his exposed skin and head.
âThat sword wonât do anything.â
âIts sharp enough,â Yush shot back. âI can fight.â
She looked at his stance. âCan you?â
âOf course I can!â Yush squawked, indignant.
Odessa held up both hands. âFine. You can fight.â
The apate returned, hovering nearer to Yush. He brandished his sword with a sharp cry and attacked. Odessa made a soft, disheartened noise while the steel went right through the apate. It cut an ineffective slice through the smoke. Dark edges swirled back together and solidified into a form that looked a little bit like a body. Three slits appeared where the head would usually be. Two eyes and a mouth. It snapped out a limb, long fingers wrapping around Yushâs neck and pulling him into the air.
Yush gurgled. His feet kicked at the apate, meeting nothing by dark air. To her surprise, he swung the sword again and managed to stab the end into the middle of the apateâs body. It didnât hurt the thing, but she appreciated that he was still trying.
His struggling body made it somewhat difficult to find a target for her dagger. Odessa timed her approach and, after dodging a wayward foot, slipped her dagger into the apate. It screamed and dropped Yush, who caught Odessa in the shoulder on the way down.
Her knee buckled and she tipped to the side. The apate screamed again. It was painfully loud in her ears. Odessa winced, then shoved Yush to the side so that she could stab at the apate. The daggerâs hilt glowed between her fingers as its magic began to dissolve her foe. She bared her teeth in the direction of its eyes, wanting it to see her hatred before it died.
The apate was gone in a matter of seconds. Odessa ignored the loud panting of Yush and dropped down to feel the threads. It was as she suspected. The further south she went, the more the threads were frayed. She could patch them here and there, but they would continue to fray until she figured out what happened at the source.
She sheathed her dagger and looked at Yush. âAre you hurt?â
He touched his neck. âOnly a little.â
âYouâre very lucky,â Odessa asserted as she stood, âit hesitated to kill you.â
Yush stared at her with an expression that said he didnât quite know what to make of her. Odessa grinned and offered him her hand. He let her help him stand, sheathing his sword.
âMy friends,â he began.
âAre here,â a voice completed the sentence for him.
Odessa turned to find four more people who had similar features to Yush standing not far away. All of them were bigger than Yush by a head and shoulders. Only two carried weapons. She eyed the ax and bow, noting that they both had been repaired at least once.
The one who spoke lifted his ax. âYou should not walk alone in the woods.â
Odessa ignored the jab. âIâm just traveling. Iâm not going to hurt anyone.â
âNo,â he said. âYou arenât.â To the one standing at his right, he said, âTake her dagger.â
A flash of panic went through her before she realized he meant the lordâs dagger at her waist. Odessa held up both hands and let him slip the knife from its sheath. A swift kick to the back of her knee sent her to the ground and an elbow at her back dragged a loud âowâ out of her mouth. Odessa lifted her head and found an ax at her throat.
Yush jerked forward and put his hand on the axâs handle. He started talking quickly in a language that rumbled out in sharp, staccato intervals that felt vaguely familiar. Odessa looked between him and his friend while he talked, wondering what was going on. She held still, mindful of the sharp edge at her neck until Yush finished speaking.
His friendâs upper lip curled. âWeâll take her before the Lord Father. Let him pass judgment on the debt.â
A hand gripped the back of her shirt and jerked her to standing. That same hand swatted at her back, pushing her to follow the one she assumed was their leader.
Yush fell into step beside her. âI have done what I can for you. Its a day and nightâs walk to camp.â
âNo talking to the prisoner,â the leader barked.
âYes, Klij,â Yush replied. He gave Odessa one last look, then stepped away.
They didnât bind her, which she found interesting. Klij must not have considered her a threat. That was good. Odessa could work with that. They also hadnât thought to check her boot, which was also good.
She eyed Yushâs back while they walked. Either he was too scared to realize she had two weapons or he was keeping that information from the apparent leader. Klij walked at the front. His axe was thrown casually over his shoulder. She didnât have a name for the two marching behind him. Odessa did learn that the one at her back, the biggest of them all, was named Jazuk. Jazuk didnât talk much. In fact, none of them spoke very often. They formed ranks around Odessa with a focus that made her wonder what they were doing in the woods.
The group stopped after a few hours. Not to make camp, but to pass around a small sack of dried meat. Odessa wasnât offered any food from the sack, nor was she offered a drink from their canteen. Her captors took turns resting for half hour periods while she contemplated what she wanted to do.
She considered escaping while they rested. Odessa wasnât sure she would get very far. Not only because Jazuk kept close to her, but also because one of them had a bow and she didnât know how good a shot they were. Odessa made it this far without being wounded by an arrow and sheâd like to keep that habit going.
Klij did not let them rest for very long. He physically yanked Yush to standing. âGet up, you layabouts!â
The sun sank low, and then beneath the horizon. With the clouds covering the sky, there was no moonlight to guide their path. Klij ordered for torches to be lit and kept marching them forward. They climbed a large, steep hill and walked the ridge until Klij led them into a deep, dark valley that cut through a narrow pass in the mountains.
Odessa kept waiting for them to make camp for the night. The sun set hours ago and the temperature fell quickly. As the hours rolled by and she realized that they definitely werenât stopping. A day and a nightâs walk, Yush said, meaning an entire day and night.
Her feet were aching in her boots and the cold sapped her energy. The wardenâs mantle made her strong, but not invincible. Odessa might not need food and water to survive, but she could still feel the emptiness in her stomach and the way her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Sooner than she would like, the discomfort came to the point that Odessa needed to reach out for help.
It would be easier if she was in direct contact with the earth, but Odessa could make do. She waited until they reached a straight, clear path and let her power unfurl. As she expected, pieces of the threads were frayed and there were whole sections that were missing. What she didnât expect was the inner lights of the people around her to be so...strange.
Most of the life force within Middle Earth was composed of orange and white. Its peoples were reflective of that force. Odessa had never seen such deep blue inner lights. The color was so dark, she could barely make it out against the night. In most beings, the life force tended towards spherical. This was not the case with her captors. Their inner light looked more like a stalagmite shooting up from somewhere near their bellies.
Odd.
The wind blew hard and Odessa shivered. She squeezed her arms tighter around her body and focused. The earth answered her call as if from far away and the flow of power felt more like a trickle. Slowly, her body warmed. There really wasnât much she could do for her mouth unless the heavy cloud cover above created a bout of rain. Still, the relief was palpable.
She thanked the earth and let her hold on it go. When her vision came back into focus, Odessa peered past the flickering torches to find that they were headed for an edge in the treeline. More cold wind blew, bringing the fall of snow from the mountains that were now behind them.
Odessa followed Klij with Jazuk ambling at her back. He was starting to show the first signs of fatigue. She could hear his breaths growing labored and he was giving her a bit more space. She looked to the others, finding that they were also growing weary. If she was going to run, she needed to do so before they reached the treeline. Her odds were better in a forest rather than an open field.
A sound wafted to her ears. It was a rumble. Or, a roar. She couldnât decide which, but it felt...big. Very big. Odessa looked up at the sky where the snow was falling more steady. No. Not snow. Snow was cold. What felt on her face was touched with ambient heat. She held out her hand and caught a few flakes that she rubbed between her fingers. It was ash. Odessa stared at her hand in confusion until Jazuk knocked her from behind.
âKeep walking,â he grunted.
Odessa hadnât realized that she stopped. She eagerly cleared the treeline and walked right into a sea of stumps from trees that had been cut down. They dotted the field between the treeline and a faraway mountain.
Except it wasnât a mountain. Mountains didnât gurgle and smoke. They didnât spew lava down their sides. Fire didnât wander all along their base. Odessa felt her breath catch as she realized what happened days ago and why the earthâs threads were suddenly so torn and ragged.
Jazuk pushed her again. Hard. Odessa nearly fell to her knees. She caught herself in a low crouch, her hand hovering near her boot. Biting back the insult on her tongue, Odessa stood and began to walk again. There was no need to try to escape now. They were going exactly where Odessa wanted to go.
I am really struggling with starting my next fic. I planned to continue working with the Rings of Power to tell Mika's part of the story, but I'm finding that my creative energy is veering off on a tangent to another fandom.
In other words, a palate cleanser.
I'm going to sit with this story line for a few days and see if I can flesh it out into something workable. If I can manage to come up with an ending I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to write something under 100,000 words (let's be honest, long fics are kind of my jam).
I have drafted twelve chapters in a week. The next chapter will be the chapter where a big secret is revealed. I've got two major adversaries that present two completely different problems for the main characters. I have a motif that I am peppering through. And, I have a massive, super action packed climax prepared.
Idk if I've gotten better at writing, but I definitely have gotten better at plot crafting. I've never worked this quickly on a piece of fiction. The forward momentum is very exciting.
If I can figure out the next ten chapters and move through them with the same intensity, I should have a viable story to post in ten to twelve weeks. Give me some time to drill down on that deadline and I'll start posting about the fandom and the pairing.
One thing I can definitely tell you, dear reader, is that I am continuing my exploration of dark, morally gray men.
Currently playing a game with myself called 'how many chapters is it going to take before these characters finally kiss?" My record is 31. I sincerely don't think it will take that long for this pairing. The main character is yearning.
Outlined chapters 26-29. From here, I think we reach the mid-point. All the subplots are started and intensifying. The main character is forced to make more and more difficult decisions that are counter to who they think they are as a person.
I think I can make the announcement of the fandom at the end of July. Followed by the pairing reveal and the story summary. First chapter will likely go up in early August.
Be patient with me, readers. I'm working as fast as I can, but I want this story to be on par or better than my other stories.
So, we are approaching the 100,000 word count mark. I've got a rough understanding of how the third act will go. I'm thinking we'll get to about fifty chapters, as long as I don't take a little mosey into another subplot. God, I hope I don't. Its hard enough tracking what I've got going right now.
I'm writing really fast, which is nice. I do wonder how the editing process is going to go with how quickly I'm moving through the plot. I do think I will slow down in this next section because I'll need to do some research about a few topics where I just don't have enough knowledge to write believably.
In any case, I'm right on track to start posting in August.
I am starting the third act. There are probably five, maybe six chapters before the first of two major climaxes. My main character's life is going to fall apart very quickly and I look forward to how they handle the insanity of the situation. I'm thinking I'll have the first draft completely done by the end of the month. Then, its just a matter of editing for continuity and clarity before posting.
I usually post my other story, The Thread of Destiny, on Thursdays. What I'll likely do is post this second story on Fridays to give myself room to work.
I'll post the fandom once the draft is complete. I plan to do a few sneak peeks, as well!
I have six, maaaaaybe seven chapters left to draft and this work will be COMPLETE. Holy shit. I've never written anything this fast. Like, ever. Like, ever-ever.
I have no idea what creative demon possessed me, but I hope it sticks around for the fic after this. Sheesh.
Anyways. I've allowed the character a major win that I'm absolutely going to swipe out from under them in the next chapter. Them's the breaks with ficness writing.
So, yeah. Fifty chapters complete in almost two months. Its a hell of a streak. I hope you readers are ready to start something entirely different than The Thread of Destiny. I'm still on track to finish this new work by the end of the month and start posting the fandom/story summary in early August. From there, its just a matter of letting you guys have a few sneak peeks before posting the first chapter.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~2,900
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
Read on AO3 Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Masterlist
The wind blew steady and cold under a cloudy sky. Odessa shivered and pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. She stood atop the wall, looking out onto the plain outside Lossarnach. To her left were the mountains. To her right was the forest. Directly ahead, the Anduin flowed in the far distance. At this height, it felt like the entire world was laid out before her.
There were no more sightings of the apate after she dealt with Lord Ertan. Odessa held her vigil over the city for two months. Every day, she walked the streets with her senses pushed outwards. No shadows stalked the alleys. No human faces hid living shadows. If there were any apate left, the killing of Ertan drove them away.
The wind blew again. It pushed at her so that she had to hold onto the rail to remain upright. Its time. You cannot remain here. Odessa could not ignore it any longer. Lossarnach did not need her. The job she came to do here was complete.
A scrape of a boot against stone caught her attention. She turned to find Rune straightening from where heâd climbed the ladder. He was wearing a heavier wool version of his uniform, though the floppy hat was the same. He touched it to ensure it was still in place.
âBuona sera,â Odessa murmured in greeting.
âGood evening,â Rune replied after a short, confused beat. He came to stand next to her and leaned his forearms on the wall. âWhat are you doing up here?â
âJust...looking.â
âLooking for what?â
Odessa shrugged. âI have no idea.â
He stood with her quietly while the wind blew around them. âI heard youâre leaving in the morning.â
Odessaâs mouth spread into a grin. âI should not be surprised that word got around to you that fast.â
âHeard it at The Black Stirrup. Russ was talking about it.â
âAh.â
Odessa should have expected that Rutinia would tell Russ. They were spending a lot of time together after that night in the hollow. In her walks through the city, Odessa caught them strolling arm in arm several times. Their conversation was short, and Rutinia did not question Odessaâs decision. In fact, she admitted that she expected Odessa to leave the city much faster after Elennaâs wedding. If not for Lord Ertan and the prospect of more apate skulking about, Rutinia would have been right.
âAnother late night with Lord Wystrom?â Odessa asked, needing something to talk about that wouldnât make her work to push back tears. She hadnât even set foot out of the city and already she was missing it.
Runeâs eyes roamed the countryside. âUh huh. Heâs trying to figure out what to do with Lord Ertanâs lands and title. He never married, you know.â
âI heard,â she said softly. âIs he still going to build the addition to the gate?â
âGuess so. Havenât heard otherwise.â He sounded so...dejected.
Odessa touched his arm. âAre you well?â
âMe? Iâm well.â He pass a hand over his hat. âI can tell heâs sad.â
âWho?â
âLord Wystrom.â
âAh.â
Rune was quiet for several heartbeats. âI know he misses Lady Elenna. He is under a lot of stress with Lord Ertan going missing.â Another pause. âThe cold months are coming.â
âAh,â she said again. âThe greenhouse is almost complete.â
âIt is complete,â he murmured. âFinished just yesterday.â
âThatâs good news!â
Rune did not look like he thought it was good news. She peered at him until the bounds of propriety were stretched towards rudeness before letting her eyes go back to the landscape. The moon was nearly full. It cast blue light over the tall grass and lit up the path out of the city. The shadows were not quite as deep on nights like this.
âHeâs sad.â
âYou said that.â
Rune shifted his weight. âI look at him every day and all I see is this sad old man. Heâs a powerful lord. He owns the whole city. What does he have to be sad about?â
Odessa considered his words. âHis daughter just moved two dayâs ride away. A senior lord and counselor is gone. No one knows if there will be another frost. He has quite a bit to be sad about, donât you think?â
Rune scoffed. âHe wonât make decisions! People come to him and ask him things and he wonât tell them what to do.â
Realization came to her. âAh.â
âStop saying that,â he snapped.
âMy apologies,â Odessa murmured.
She took a breath and tried to think about how she wanted to say the thing that she was thinking. Odessa might not actively get involved in the lives of the people she was protecting, but that didnât mean she wasnât observing them. It didnât matter that he was a lord. Wystrom was a human and his power didnât exempt him from loss.
âHeâll come back to himself,â she said, eventually. âGive him time.â
âWe donât have time,â Rune muttered. âThe cold is coming.â
Gently, Odessa pressed her senses against him. His whole body lit up with the cool light of worry. She searched for and found the ever present ball of hope that never quite went away no matter how deeply it was buried. Quietly and firmly, Odessa encouraged the little ball to grow bigger so that it overtook the worry.
Runeâs body visibly relaxed. He drew in a full breath and let it out slowly. The tension in his eyes softened and grew somewhat sleepy. Odessa turned her head to hide her smile.
âWhere will you go?â
Odessa was not surprised by the question. Everyone she said goodbye to that dayâRutinia, Brint, Ridderâthey all wanted to know where she was going. Her answer was always the same. âI donât know yet.â
âYou donât know?â
âNo.â
He was staring at her with a look on his face that was deeply familiar. Odessa kept her attention on the plain and let him stare.
âDonât you think,â he began, âthat is a little dangerous?â
âProbably no more dangerous than going out on my own.â
Rune nodded. âI agree.â His head tilted to the side, as if the thought just occurred to him. âWhy are you going alone? Why even go at all?â
âBecause its time,â she replied easily.
âTime for what?â
âTime to move on.â
Rune scratched a nail over his eyebrow. âHow many times have you moved on?â
âMany, many times.â
âThat sounds lonely.â
âIt can be.â
âWhy do you do it?â
She almost said, its my job. The admission would only open up the door for more questions that she just couldnât answer. Being a warden was a singular occupation, not because she only stayed a short time in one place, but because she had no one to talk about it with other than Mika. They hadnât seen each other in...Odessa couldnât remember how long. She hoped her letter would find its way to her friend soon. She also hoped Mika gave her a reply this time.
âIts in my nature,â Odessa lied with an easy smile.
Rune laughed absently. âI couldnât do it. Iâve never even wanted to leave Lossarnach.â
âIts a wonderful place to live.â
âAnd yet, you donât want to stay.â
Odessa tossed him another easy smile. âIâll come back some day.â
Rune eyed her. âNo. I donât think you will.â
She shrugged and pushed from the wall. âI have to get packed.â
He remained where he was, leaning on his arms. âSafe travels.â
Odessa acknowledged his words with a short nod. âGive Lord Wystrom a little extra support, will you? He needs it.â
âYes, my lady.â
âNot a lady,â she replied without conviction.
Odessa climbed down the ladder and made the walk back to the cottage for the final time. At this time of night, the open market was nearly deserted. She could see the ghost of the tracks left behind by the stalls. A faint scent of bread still hung in the air. She crossed into the shopping district, passing the jeweler on the corner. Another of Brintâs masterpieces was displayed in the window. Blue glass molded into the shape of a single, open flower about the size of her palm. It hung from a simple strip of leather. She paused to admire how it glittered in the moonlight before moving on.
On the other end of the block, Odessa passed the Tea House. Its white curtains were closed against the night. Tomorrow, it would open as it always did. Lord and ladies would go about their day. Odessa wouldnât be there to see them in their finery.
She kept walking until she reached the split in the path. To her right, the keep sat in shadow against the starry sky. She hoped it would still be standing tall when she returned.
Odessa wandered to the left and up the path to the craftsmanâs district. The flowers on the path were still blooming despite the cold. She touched the fragile buds with her fingers, memorizing the texture. An inhale brought with it a sweet, floral scent that she knew she would associate with Lossarnach as long as she lived.
The cottage was as she left it. Odessa had been truthful with Russ when she said she hadnât yet packed. It was her tradition to put it off until the very last hour. It was also tradition to start with her projects. She knelt by the hearth and lit a fire. When the flames flickered merrily, she got to her feet and went over to her work table.
Odessa piled up her sketches and carried them over to the fireplace. One by one, she looked them over and tossed them in. The dress pattern and the diagrams of the trenches were the first to go, follow by the rough outlines of a furnace vent and the water wheel. Finally, Odessa held up a single page with a more detailed drawing she pretended she couldnât remember sketching. Rough charcoal lines made smooth with her fingers pulled together to form a face that was looking directly at the observer. It was a good likeness, but it lacked the intensity she knew he could call forth without a single word.
Every time she thought about Adar, a little knot pulled tight in her chest. The flash of pain confirmed for her that their separation was a good thing. He was a distraction she didnât need, no matter how many times she replayed their kiss in her mind.
Rising, Odessa put the drawing back into her folio. She stacked all of her work together and carried it to the bed where she laid it down in a neat pile. Afterwards, she emptied her vanity and pulled everything out from under her bed. These items were also placed into neat little piles. When she was done, Odessa looked at the sum total of her life in Lossarnach. It was pitifully small.
From the chest, she pulled the sack and a roll of small tools that she carried with her when she traveled. She learned very quickly that she didnât want to be out in the woods at night without a fire starter or a small hatchet. Odessa opened the sack and started tossing things in haphazardly. It wouldnât do any good to try to organize the various items. Theyâd only end up swirling around each other in the deceptively dark void a few seconds after she dropped them in. Task completed, Odessa closed up the sack and put it on her vanity.
She went to the door and scooped up the bucket. The walk along the cliff to the water pump was silent, save for the wind that occasionally blew cold and quick. While Odessa filled the bucket, she stared at the soft glow coming from Brintâs workshop. Like Rutinia, he hadnât been at all surprised that she was leaving. Heâd simply wiped his bald head with a cloth and told her to be careful.
Ridder, by contrast, was very surprised. Most of the gossip about her being a bad omen faded for more interesting stories. With Adar out of the city, she was no longer attached to any kind of mystery. Ridder assumed she would start getting involved with the gate addition, as she had with the tunnel. I was almost looking forward to arguing with you about stone placement, he said. Odessaâs simply told him that she trusted him to put the stones exactly where they needed to go.
With the bucket full, she waddled back to the cottage. Inside, she poured half the water into a pot and let it heat by the fire. She took off her clothes and unwrapped her hair. Thoroughly, methodically, she washed every patch of skin followed by every strand of hair. There wouldnât be much opportunity for a bath on the road. When she was sure that there wasnât a speck of dirt left to scrub clean, Odessa redressed and sat on the hearth until her hair was dry.
A yawn pulled her mouth so wide her jaw popped. Reluctantly, she admitted that she needed to get a little sleep if she wanted to make good time the next day. Odessa laid down on the bare bed and stared through the window until she fell into a soft slumber that lasted until the sky turned pink with the morning.
She woke easily. Sitting up, Odessa re-wrapped her hair and tugged on her boots. She used the cold water left over from the night before to wipe the sleep from her face. After tossing out the dirty water, she picked up her sack. With both hands, she pulled on the ties. The opening closed tight, then folded in on itself. It kept folding, until the sack could fit snugly in her palm. She opened the loop made by its closure and slipped it over her head.
Odessa tucked the sack beneath the collar of her shirt and made sure her dagger was in her boot. The dagger she took from the lord at Elennaâs picnic sat on her vanity in the new sheath she found at the open market. Odessa slipped the sheath onto her belt, just in case. At the door, she took one last look around before stepping outside and pulling the door closed.
It was early and most people in the city were just beginning their day. Odessa took the most direct route to the gate. She didnât stop to look back as she passed through it. Odessa walked past carts and horses. She walked past groups of workmen. She walked past mothers carrying baskets and children on her hips. She walked until the people thinned out. Until the path turned towards the woods. Until the trees covered the skies ahead. Odessa walked until she walked alone.
Odessa stopped just past midday to rest. She sat down beneath a tree and leaned against its trunk. Here, she listened to the sounds of nature, including the far away rush of water. She forgot how peaceful it could be to wander. City life had its benefits, but there was nothing quite like the hush of the forest.
Odessa closed her eyes and let her senses roam. The threads here were looser than in the city, but they held strong. She searched the surrounding area for people, finding that she was alone. Odessa let her power dissipate and blinked away the threads so that the forest came back into focus.
She tugged the sack from around her neck and shook it so that it came more or less back to its normal size. Reaching in, Odessa dug deep. Her fingers slipped past fabric and leather until they met cool stone. She grasped the gem and pulled it free from the sack. It looked exactly the same as it had when Hades gave it to her.
The quartz refracted the light into a myriad of colors on its surface. Odessa turned it between her fingers, watching blue and green and yellow and red roll atop one another.
Folding the gem into her hand, Odessa held it to her chest and thought about her mantle. She thought about the power it gave her. The responsibility. She rested on the knowledge that she was here for a purpose. Destroy the apate. Maintain the balance.
Tell me where to go.
Odessa opened her eyes. Daylight streamed through the trees above, touching on grass and stone and dirt. Another light moved among the sunâs rays. It emanated from the gem in her hand, moving...south. Odessa was supposed to go south.
She put the gem back in the sack and pulled it compact again. After slinging it around her neck, Odessa rose and dusted off the dirt from her trousers. She was just picking a rogue stick from her hem when the entire earth shook with the loudest boom sheâd ever heard. All around, the earth trembled and shook. Odessa grabbed onto the tree and held tight while she looked wildly around for the source of the noise.
The fierce shaking stopped, leaving something screaming silently behind. Her equilibrium shifted on its axis. Odessaâs stomach rolled over and she dry heaved into the grass. It took many minutes for her to stand again.
Something awful happened. It was coming from the south.
âGuess I didnât need the gem,â she muttered.
Odessa took a deep breath and went where she was so obviously needed.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~3,000
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
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The very first strike made Odessa reconsider her strategy. Ertanâs fist swung from her left in a stunningly fast whir of movement. She blocked it with her forearm, wincing when their bodies made contact. The force behind Ertanâs punch was abnormally strong. Stronger than any apate sheâd ever fought. She stared at the thing wearing Ertanâs bruised and battered face in bewilderment.
Ertanâs mouth split open into something that, had he been human, might have been a smile. A swirl of black smoke seeped out from behind his broken teeth. The smoke wafted towards her face. Odessa cringed from it and gave Ertan a shove to put some distance between them.
He caught his weight on his back foot and swung again. Odessa ducked beneath the punch and threw one of her own. Ertan blocked it with an easy swipe of one hand while the other grabbed her shirt and jerked her forward. His forehead cracked audibly against her cheekbone.
Sparks of light flashed behind her eyelids. The pain was slower to come. It spread from her cheek up and into her temple. A dull throb that forced her face into a perpetual wince. Odessa lost her balance and barely managed to stay standing. More pain pulsed all the way from her nose to her temple. Her eye watered, obscuring her vision on her right side so that she didnât see Ertanâs elbow coming in for a second hit. She cried out and fell back into the grass. Ertan pressed his advantage, lifting a boot to kick her in the side.
Dagger in hand, Odessa held it pointed straight up at the afternoon sky. The blade went cleanly through leather, skin, tendon, and bone. She grunted with the impact and held tightly to the handle. The momentum of Ertanâs leg forced the daggerâs hilt into the ground. A sting went through her hand and wrist, then up into her elbow. Her fingers reflexively let go. Odessa watched with horror as Ertan hopped away with it still stuck into the sole of his boot.
Her hands slipped along the grass until she got enough traction to gain her feet. Odessa wasted no time rushing at Ertan. She wrapped her arms around his waist and took him to the ground. She climbed atop him and balled her hand up into her fist. She punched hard across his face without a single moment of hesitation. Ertan let out a loud âah!â, spitting broken teeth. She reared back and hit him again. And, again.
When his eyes were rolling lazily around beneath fluttering eyelids, Odessa crawled down to his feet and grabbed the dagger. She jerked it forcefully, only succeeding in pulling it free an inch. Odessa tried again with the same result. The hard leather sole simple wouldnât let it go.
Lord Ertan began to come around. He kicked haphazardly at her with both feet. The kicks were no where near as powerful as his punches were a few minutes before, but they were still annoying.
âQuit it,â Odessa groused. âI want my knife back.â
She gripped the hilt in both hands and worked it back and forth. The blade cut into Ertanâs foot on either side. Blood squished from out of the bootâs sole. Behind her, he screamed in pain. She twisted her body and gave the dagger a good pull. Ertan screamed again and his kicks gained intensity. He pushed up to his elbows, then tried to roll over to crawl away. The movement spun the blade free.
âAha!â she cried, holding it aloft. She was so satisfied with getting the dagger back that the kick to her shoulder took her off guard. âOw! Wait until Iâm ready, will you?â
He kicked her again. Odessa caught his ankle in her armpit and held it still so she could stab the dagger into his thigh. She dragged the blade down until it met his knee. More inky smoke wafted from the wound, pulled along by the breeze. It lingered around Ertanâs body, wrapping the two of them in dark fog. The balmy air grew cold. Odessaâs skin prickled with a shiver. She wrinkled her nose at the rank smell.
Ertan wriggled free and spun onto his hands and knees. He growled at her with a mouth open so wide it unhinged his jaw. The skin suit he wore was beginning to peel around its edges. A whole section around his mouth hung loose below his chin. It was an ugly sight and the daylight made it even uglier.
Odessa adjusted her grip on her dagger and got to standing. She waved at Ertan with it. âCome on! Letâs go!â
âReady to die so soon?â he muttered as he stood.
âNo,â she snapped. âJust tired of looking at your ugly face.â
He squared up with her. âYou wonât be looking at anything in a moment.â
âBig words for someone whose skin is literally falling off,â Odessa shot back. âEven if you get away from meâwhich you wonâtâthat face youâre wearing is finished. And, so is the evil youâre perpetuating here.â
Ertan threw his head back and laughed. âYou think defeating me going to stop it? You think killing one apate is going to stop the darkness that is coming?â
âIâve killed several of you lately,â she replied in her driest voice. âThatâs gotta put a damper on it.â
He laughed again. â My kind are just one of many wheels turning, warden. The one we serve commands legions.â
Odessa paused, then shook her head. âDoesnât matter. Letâs just get on with it.â
Ertan rolled his eyes. Sort of. His eyelids were kind of flaking away. He lunged for her again. They met in a flurry of fists and harsh sounds torn from angry throats. Odessa had centuries of experience and training, but she could not match Ertanâs strength. Somehow, heâd gained access to an exceeding amount of power and he was using it to his best advantage.
He kneed her in the stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs. She doubled over and wheezed. Her diaphragm simply wouldnât budge so that she could draw breath. Pain dug into her, giving her no defense against Ertan snatching away the dagger. She coughed a groan while she watched it fly away into the grass.
A gnarled, peeling hand grabbed her around the throat and lifted her into the air. Her nails scrabbled at it, tearing away flesh to reveal the bones beneath. She kicked the air while Ertan carried her away from the cottage towards the cliff. Odessa thought she could feel it the moment her legs swung over empty air.
A rush of panic went through her. Hot and embarrassing and desperate to figure out how to get out of Ertanâs grasp. She could not let her life be ended by such a disgusting, worthless creature. Not again.
âI slay you,â Ertan slurred around a mouth that had no lips, âin his honor.â
Odessa was just about to let out her very last scream when Ertanâs whole body jerked backwards. Odessa went with him. His wheeling arms dropped her on blessedly solid ground. She gasped for air, looking around for her savior.
Russ grappled with Ertan near the cliffâs edge. He had both arms wrapped around Ertanâs body in an attempt to subdue him. Russ was strong, but there was no way he could hold Ertan down Odessa ran for the dagger, dropping into a slide to pluck it from the grass. She planted one hand into the dirt and used every bit of strength in her right thigh to swing around and get up again.
Ertan, his head more skeleton than human, crouched over Russ. His arm was pulled back in preparation to give the man below a hard punch. Odessa rushed over as fast as her legs could go. She half-believed she wouldnât make it in time to spare Russ a blow that might kill him. No. She had time. She could make it.
Resolute fingers grasped Ertanâs risk and pulled hard enough to yank the arm out of socket. In the same motion, she plunged the dagger into Ertanâs back. His skull whipped back and he loosed an angry howl of death while the weapon did what it was made to do. The apate inside Ertan was sucked into its white light, leaving the bones behind.
Odessa gave the dagger a little shake to get it out from between a set of vertebrae. She pushed the bones aside and offered Russ her hand.
Russ, poor man, stared at her with wild, disbelieving eyes. âWhat was that?â
Odessa thought about lying, but she was sore and tired from nearly dying. âA demon.â
It was the simplest way to describe them. Technically, they werenât anything but an ideaâa horrible ideaâtaking shape. Doubt, shame, horror. Fear. The apate embodied all of that and more.
Russ hesitated. His breath came in and out with a speed that hinted at panic. Wide eyes flicked to Ertanâs bones and back to Odessa. He took her hand. âThank you.â
âNo,â she replied. âThank you. I would be bleeding to death on the rocks, if not for you.â
âI saw. Why was heâŠ?â
Odessa didnât need him to finish the question. âI found out what he was.â
Russ eyed her speculatively. âWas he always aâa demon?â
âNo. He just had the unfortunate luck of crossing paths with one.â
Odessa could not hope to know when, exactly, Lord Ertan had been possessed. Only that he was no longer himself every day after Elennaâs picnic. Every word he said, every action he took, after that day was the work of darkness.
He continued to eye her speculatively. âHow do you know so much about demons?â
Odessa gave him a flat look. âIts my job.â
âYour job?â he asked incredulously. âYouâre so small. How can you possibly fight them?â
âIâm holding a magical dagger, Russ.â
He looked from her to the weapon. âThat is a good point.â
Odessa put the dagger back in her boot and stood with a long sigh. âDid anyone else see?â
Russ shrugged. âIt was just me walking up the path.â
âGood,â she replied. Then, âHelp me with these bones.â
âWhat?â he squawked.
She gestured to the road. âWe donât want anyone finding them, do we? How are we going to explain all this?â
âWe?!â
âYes, we.â Odessa waved her finger between them. âWeâre in this together now.â
âI just saved your life,â he whined.
âAnd, I saved your life in return. Now, we have to hide the evidence. No one is going to believe what actually happened here. Trust me.â
Russ appeared to be weighing his options. He looked from Odessa, to the bones, to the road, and back to the bones. âWhere would we put them?â
Knowing that sheâd won the argument, Odessa picked up the skull, spine, and rib cage. âI have an idea. You get his legs and come with me.â
A short hike later and they were carrying the bones into Teigâs cave. Odessa made it to the first bend before she remembered that caves were, by their very nature, dark.
âYou have a light?â
Russ cut a look at her. He unceremoniously dropped his set of bones to the ground and went to where one of the unlit torches hung on the wall. He pulled it free and touched the rag wrapped end. Sucking his teeth, Russ reached into a pocket and took out a small leather canteen. He poured the contents on it before taking a swig and offering it to Odessa.
âNo, thank you.â
He shrugged and pushed the canteen back into his pocket. From the other pocket, he produced a pair of rocks. He pressed the torch between his thighs and clacked the rocks together. They threw off a spark that, after several tries, caught on the damp rag and spread out to throw firelight all around.
Russ lifted the torch high and bent down to pick up the bones. âLead the way?â
With the torch at her back, Odessa drew from her memory to find the room where Teig managed the majority of his business. It was a ruin now. No fires burned from the vents. No people carted boxes to and fro. Even the tunnel was closed up.
Perfect, she thought. Odessa tossed the bones over the railing. Beside her. Russ followed suit.
âWhat now?â
Odessa started walking back the way they came. âNow, we forget it ever happened and hope no one decides to reopen Teigâs smuggling ring.â
He caught up with her, the torch held between them. âAre there more of those...things?â
âNot exactly like that one,â Odessa replied. âMost of them donât take possession of humans. It requires a lot of knowledge and power.â
She remembered how strong Ertan was during the fight. His body might have started to fall apart once she stabbed him with the dagger, but it took way too long. If not for Russ, he would have bested her.
âHave you killed a lot of demons?â
âYes. Many.â
âYou said its your job.â
âIt is.â
âAre there more of you?â
Technically.
âNo. Just me.â
âWhy?â
Odessa stopped near the mouth of the cave. âWhy?â
âYes,â Russ confirmed. âWhy do you have to kill them? Why do they exist in the first place?â
It was a question almost every warden asked at least once. Phil said he was never told. The Fates gave only half answers cloaked in riddles. Even Mika really didnât know.
âThey just do,â Odessa said. It was the only answer Hades ever gave.
âAnd,â Russ replied, âthey are evil.â
âVery evil. The worst kind of evil. They embody every doubt, every secret shame, every unkind thought youâve ever had.â
His expression grew troubled. âThere are more of them in Lossarnach?â
Russâ voice was a small, worried thing. Odessa sympathized with him. In her early years after taking the mantle, she often thought about all the damage the apate did to people. Sometimes they were able to eat the soul whole before she found and exterminated them. Odessa thought sheâd made some progress in finishing them off for good. Now, it felt like they were everywhere she looked.
âI donât know,â she said eventually. âIâve killed more in the last few months than Iâve killed in a long time.â
He stared at her. âDoes that mean something?â
âMaybe,â she sighed tiredly. âMaybe not.â
They began the long walk back to the cottage. Russ was quiet for most of the way. When they reached the crest of the hill, he said, âI canât tell anyone, can I?â
âI think weâve established that no one would believe you.â
Russ nodded, eyes far away. âWill you keep killing them?â
âYes.â
âFor how long?â
âFor as long as it takes.â Unlike Mika, Odessa had no deal with Hades to end her service.
He turned his eyes to her. They sparked with intensity. âYouâll keep Lossarnach safe?â
Odessa stopped in her yard and replied, âFor a while longer. Iâll move on shortly.â
Russ pulled back. âYou plan to leave?â
She nodded. âI do.â
âWhen?â
âSoon.â
âHow soon?â
Odessa looked out past the cliffâs edge. A cool breeze was coming from the south, signaling the coming end of summer and the return of the cool months. The mountains would keep most of the winter from Lossarnachâs borders. Lord Wystrom already accounted for what they couldnât keep at bay.
âSoon.â
Russ touched her arm. âNot too soon, eh?â
She smiled at him. âNot too soon.â
Russ left Odessa standing on her doorstep. She was confident he wouldnât say a word about what happened that afternoon. That didnât mean she was safe. Lord Wystrom was definitely going to notice one of his most senior lords missing. There would be an investigation. Someone was bound to have seen him stumbling through the city, wounded and filled with rage. It would be new fuel to the old fire of local gossip.
Odessa went into the cottage and stepped over to her work table. She grabbed a piece of paper and a quill. Then, she wrote a letter to the only person who might understand.
Mika,
Did you receive my gift last year? I thought you might like to scandalize the local nobilityâagain. When I see you next Iâll show you the new dress I made. Youâll say its too modest, even for the wedding I wore it to. Not mine, of course. A girl here in Lossarnach. Sheâs gone off to live with her husband now. Sheâs very sweet. I think you would like her.
The apate grow in number and strength. Do you feel it? Can you sense what is happening? I felled something evil today. Something strong. I fear there are bigger things than our mutual enemies working to poison the realm.
Here, she paused and stared at her words. It didnât feel at all like sheâd written them. Odessa paused again.
I am tired, Mika. Wish me strength as I go to meet this next battle.
If you have any knowledge to share, I welcome it.
Odessa
She looked it over a second time and put her quill down. There was nothing left that needed to be said. Mika knew the struggle she faced. She knew the weariness the mantle could bring, especially when it was time to move on.
Odessa waited until the ink was dry, then began to carefully fold the paper. She pressed it crosswise and diagonal, carefully easing it into the form of a bird that fit into the palm of her hand. This, she carried to the door.
Standing at her threshold, Odessa knelt and pressed a hand to the earth. She absorbed a little bit of power from the earth while holding the folded letter to her mouth. When Odessa felt like she had enough strength to send the letter off, she blew lightly on it. From her mouth came a soft breath of orange light. It seeped into the paper bird. At first, nothing happened. Then, the head twitched. The wings fluttered. It shook itself in the same way its real life counterpart shook off morning dew. The letter took to the air.
Odessa watched it fly away until it disappeared into the sky. Wherever Mika was, it would find her and deliver the message. She hoped to get a reply.
I am really struggling with starting my next fic. I planned to continue working with the Rings of Power to tell Mika's part of the story, but I'm finding that my creative energy is veering off on a tangent to another fandom.
In other words, a palate cleanser.
I'm going to sit with this story line for a few days and see if I can flesh it out into something workable. If I can manage to come up with an ending I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to write something under 100,000 words (let's be honest, long fics are kind of my jam).
I have drafted twelve chapters in a week. The next chapter will be the chapter where a big secret is revealed. I've got two major adversaries that present two completely different problems for the main characters. I have a motif that I am peppering through. And, I have a massive, super action packed climax prepared.
Idk if I've gotten better at writing, but I definitely have gotten better at plot crafting. I've never worked this quickly on a piece of fiction. The forward momentum is very exciting.
If I can figure out the next ten chapters and move through them with the same intensity, I should have a viable story to post in ten to twelve weeks. Give me some time to drill down on that deadline and I'll start posting about the fandom and the pairing.
One thing I can definitely tell you, dear reader, is that I am continuing my exploration of dark, morally gray men.
Currently playing a game with myself called 'how many chapters is it going to take before these characters finally kiss?" My record is 31. I sincerely don't think it will take that long for this pairing. The main character is yearning.
Outlined chapters 26-29. From here, I think we reach the mid-point. All the subplots are started and intensifying. The main character is forced to make more and more difficult decisions that are counter to who they think they are as a person.
I think I can make the announcement of the fandom at the end of July. Followed by the pairing reveal and the story summary. First chapter will likely go up in early August.
Be patient with me, readers. I'm working as fast as I can, but I want this story to be on par or better than my other stories.
So, we are approaching the 100,000 word count mark. I've got a rough understanding of how the third act will go. I'm thinking we'll get to about fifty chapters, as long as I don't take a little mosey into another subplot. God, I hope I don't. Its hard enough tracking what I've got going right now.
I'm writing really fast, which is nice. I do wonder how the editing process is going to go with how quickly I'm moving through the plot. I do think I will slow down in this next section because I'll need to do some research about a few topics where I just don't have enough knowledge to write believably.
In any case, I'm right on track to start posting in August.
I am starting the third act. There are probably five, maybe six chapters before the first of two major climaxes. My main character's life is going to fall apart very quickly and I look forward to how they handle the insanity of the situation. I'm thinking I'll have the first draft completely done by the end of the month. Then, its just a matter of editing for continuity and clarity before posting.
I usually post my other story, The Thread of Destiny, on Thursdays. What I'll likely do is post this second story on Fridays to give myself room to work.
I'll post the fandom once the draft is complete. I plan to do a few sneak peeks, as well!
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~4,000
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
Read on AO3 Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Masterlist
Odessa marched down the path away from her cottage with a sense of purpose. She had several hours between now and the time she had to meet Elenna. Odessa planned to use the time efficiently. Lord Wystrom announced that the servants in the keep would be given the week off as a reward for their efforts during the wedding. The decision meant all but the most critically necessary staff would be away from the keep. Odessa could not have asked for a better opportunity.
She made the turn towards the keep and slowed. While Odessa had been inside many times, it was always with the intent to see Elenna. As long as Odessa lived in the city, she never quite got around to learning about the day to day activities of the senior lords. A fact that she was just now beginning to regret. She had little knowledge of the outer wings or the residential halls where Lord Ertan might spend most of his time.
The front entrance was open to the public. Lord Wystrom funded a library and an art gallery, neither of which Odessa took the time to visit. There were numerous side entrances for staff to walk in and out. Each entrance had its own assigned guard. Odessa had doubts that they would let her in, even if she lied to them about why she was there. She considered using the gardenerâs entrance. The guards in the garden were less likely to think anything of her arrival. Odessa also knew where the staircase led, which would give her a small advantage in locating Ertanâs quarters. The disadvantage was how often sheâd used the entrance before. Anyone working on that side of the keep would definitely recognize her, which came with the risk of becoming an object of suspicion once Lord Ertanâs death was discovered.
Odessa sat on a low wall while she considered her options. Sneaking around was not her strong suit. She lacked the finesse to make herself unseen and unheard. It would be easier if she could simply attack the problem directly. Somehow, Odessa doubted Lord Wystrom would just let her kill one of his lords, even if she had evidence that he was evilâwhich she didnât. When an apate wasâshe hesitated to call it livingâoutside of a human body, its dark nature was pretty obvious. Inside, however, it could disguise itself so thoroughly that only someone with a wardenâs power could tell the difference.
Elenna would believe her, but she was leaving for Lord Tivanâs estate this afternoon. Telling her involved revealing way too much information about who Odessa was and her core mission. Something she swore she would not do. Odessa had to figure out how to get to Lord Ertan on her own. Merda.
Even with the keep mostly empty, people were still coming and going. Odessa watched them with interest. Most were wearing the simple tunics and dresses common to the working class. Yards and yards of fabric werenât conducive to housework or tending to animals. They all seemed to be walking from the same part of the keep. The men carried large bundles on their backs. The women carried baskets. A few of the children were snacking on bread.
She inhaled when her brain caught up with what she was seeing. The kitchen. They were coming from the kitchen. Odessa closed her eyes, remembering that Lord Wystrom ordered all the leftover food from the feast to be given to the peasantry. She looked around her again. Twenty or thirty people were walking away from the keep with at least thirty more heading in the other direction. Clearly, word about the food was getting around.
The large group of people gathered at the kitchen doors made the single person coming from the front entrance more noticeable. Adarâs gait was slow and measured while he descended the steps into the courtyard. He, too, observed the people coming and going.
He was wearing his armor again. Odessa grieved the return to his usual dress. She wanted to see him as he had been the night before. She wanted to feel him as she had the night before. Looking at him as he was now, Odessa would never have guessed that he held such passion inside. She recalled the heat of his mouth and the texture of his scars. How his hands held her tight to him, molding her body against his. She could feel the slide of his tongue along hers even now.
He saw her and the direction of his path shifted. Odessa released a long breath. She felt too warm to speak to him. Too filled with remembered touch. When he came close, she stood and pushed her hands into her pockets so that he wouldnât see them tremble.
âGood morning,â she greeted. âAre you coming from another meeting with Lord Wystrom?â
âI am,â Adar replied. âMy last.â
âLast?â
His weight shifted and she noticed the pack hanging on his shoulder. âYes. My last. I am returning to my children.â
All the warmth inside her dissolved. âOh.â
The silence that followed her single word response felt as heavy as sodden wool. Odessa watched him watching her. His expression was too closed off for her to guess at what he might be thinking. She felt unbalanced by the return of the distance between them. It confused her. Made her question whether or not she accurately remembered the night before.
âI have stayed here far longer than I should,â he said, eventually. âIt is time I found us a home.â
Of course, she thought. He has people depending on him. Odessa swallowed down the inclination to ask him to stay just a little while longer. Another day. Another week. However long it took to figure out her emerging feelings. She looked away, hoping to conceal her embarrassment and the sting of rejection. Selfish girl, this is a good thing. You were getting too close.
âI...wish you a safe journey.â
Adar tilted his head and assessed her again. He held out his hand. After a secondâs hesitation, Odessa slipped her fingers into his. He gently pulled her a step closer and brought her hand to his mouth. The kiss he pressed to the back of it could have been considered polite if his stare was any less intense.
Odessaâs body bloomed with awareness. She felt every point where they touched acutely.
âNamĂĄriĂ«.â
Another Elvish word. One she did not need to translate.
âCi vediamoâŠ,â Odessa began, unable to acknowledge that her goodbye might be final, âla prossima volta.â
He held her hand just a moment longer before let her go and went on his way. Odessa turned so that she didnât have to watch and, holding her hand to her chest, began to walk to the keep. She moved in a daze, reliving the last few minutes over and over. He was here. And, he was gone. Its a good thing, she told herself again.
She tried to focus on what she was doingâblending into the crowd as if she were just another person looking for a meal. A row of long tables sat just outside the kitchen entrance. A single staff monitored while a line formed for people to gather up a little from each table. She was young, not quite out of her teenage years. An anxious vigilance sat heavy in her eyes. Her body was in constant motion and she seemed to hover over the tables in readiness.
Odessa sent out her senses to the girl. She was definitely worried about something. But, what? Odessa let her senses move around, picking through the throng of people. A man coming up behind her caught her attention. He was...calculating. Thinking hard. Measuring his steps and his movements. The area around his hands was tinged with red.
A thief.
The girl was worried about someone taking more than their share. An understandable worry. One that Odessa was willing to capitalize on. She gave the man a subtle push, softening his emotions and boosting his confidence so that he would feel like everything would go exactly as he planned.
The man approached the table and, at first, he took only as much as everyone else. As he moved down the table, his eyes went to the girl several times. Just as he was heading for the second table, he tugged a large cloth from beneath his tunic and threw it down. With a sweep of his arm, he piled a large number of vegetables atop it. A cry of anger alerted the girl to what he was doing and she rushed around the table to stop him.
âDella!â she yelled. âHelp! Thief!â
A large woman who could only be Della flew out of the kitchen and the pair of them grabbed for the manâs bundle. People around them tried to help, although there were others that took advantage of the distraction. Odessa was one of those people.
She hustled around the tables and into the kitchen where a large stew pot was boiling over. Steam sizzled into the fire, sending smoke all around. She was lucky there was no one else in the room, otherwise she might be embarrassed by how she tripped over her feet in a mad dash for the door.
Odessa got up, rubbing her pained elbow. Mid-wince, she noticed a familiar box sitting on the counter. Her lips pulled up into a pleased grin and she reflexively tucked the box into her pocket. Slower this time, she walked around the massive island and opened the only other door in the room. Cool air rushed at her, drawing her into the hall. Odessa closed the door and looked both ways. Again, she was lucky that no one was walking nearby. She was safe to take a few seconds to orient herself.
Sheâd never been in this part of the keep, but she knew the kitchens were near the residential wing. If this keep was like the other keeps sheâd been in, the kitchens were usually a floor below the lordsâ rooms. The top floor was entirely reserved for the ruling lordâs family, which included Elennaâs rooms. And, there was usually...she peered around.
âYes,â she breathed. âA staircase.â
Odessa went to it and stood at the bottom, listening intently. When there were no telltale footsteps, she quickly ascended to the next floor. The stone walls gave way to delicately carved wooden paneling and a long row of windows topped with stained glass. Opposite the windows were more doors than Odessa anticipated. She cringed. Trying each and everyone was surefire way to get caught.
She tucked herself into a corner while she chewed on her lip. Maybe she didnât have to try them all. Maybe she just had to rule out a couple. Odessa closed her eyes and let her inner mind reach out from her body, just as she had done minutes before. The image that came to her was somewhat blurred by the stone and wood standing between her and her target. She frowned and pushed a little harder.
People were going about their daily lives behind the closed doors. Bathing, writing, reading, having sex. Odessa went room by room, ruling each out using the oddly distorted images that glowed with varying colors of orange. She kept going until she found one that was more distorted than the rest. Its edges were frayed and an inky darkness seeped from every angle. Lord Ertan, no doubt.
Odessa opened her eyes. He was behind the fourth door, sitting at a desk and rifling through paperwork. Her lips thinned with anger and she started down the hall. She only took three steps when a door a little further down opened and a maid stepped out. Odessa recognized her as the maid who helped Elenna with her wedding dress. Her step slowed and a vague sense of panic set in.
The maid looked up. âOdessa. What are you doing here?â
There was no good reason for Odessa to be in the residential wing, especially not with a dagger in her boot. She floundered for something to say.
âI...got a little turned around I think. Iâm supposed to meet Elenna.â
Smiling, the maid pointed to the ceiling. âIts one more floor up. Iâll take you.â
âOh, you donât have to do that. I can find my way.â
The maidâs smile turned sardonic. âIf that were true, you would not be here. Come with me.â
Helplessly, Odessa followed the maid back to the staircase and up another floor. Being thwarted so easily was infinitely frustrating, especially when she was so close to doing what she came to do. As an afterthought, Odessa threw out a small bit of magic. Something she learned from Mika. It was not the most elegant of spells, but sheâd performed it often enough to have confidence that it would work. Embers fell to the landing and dissipated. A human who walked over it wouldnât notice a thing. An apate, however...would definitely notice. She stifled a smirk and kept following the maid.
She thought the maid might get her to the right floor and then go about her duties. That thought turned out to be incorrect. The maid walked with her to Elennaâs door. She even waited until her knock was answered to curtsy and head back the way they can. It looked like Ertan was going to get a second reprieve. She vowed he would not get another.
Elennaâs rooms were in a serious state of disorder. Boxes and trunks littered the floor, some piled near to the ceiling. Odessa was willing to wager most of them were full of her wardrobe. A bevy of servants rushed around to organize the chaos. No matter where Odessa stepped, she was in the way. After dodging the third harried maid, she angled around a large trunk and pressed herself against the wall next to the window.
To her relief, Elenna swept out of her bedroom. She pointed at a stack of wooden crates. âThose go in the wagon. Those, too.â
âYes, my lady,â a servant replied. He picked the topmost wooden crate from the stack and carried it out of the room.
Odessa waved to get Elennaâs attention. âBusy morning?â
Elenna sighed dramatically and dusted unseen dirt from her skirt. It was made for traveling, with a hemline that barely touched her ankles. Beneath, she word a pair of shining, heavy boots. Her hair was pulled into several intricate braids that were pinned up off her neck.
âVery busy,â she said. âThough I slept in.â
Odessa caught the innuendo in her tone. âSleep well?â
âExcellently, thank you. I wish we did not have to travel so soon. But, the harvest is coming and we need to begin preparations to take everything to market.â
Odessa never heard Elenna say anything like âtake everything to marketâ. The way she said the words so casually told Odessa that she was repeating an earlier discussion. The tone of her words suggested that she was taking it seriously.
âBefore I forget,â Odessa said as she pulled the golden rose hair pin from her pocket, âI need to return this to you.â
Elenna smiled and took the pin from her. She handed it off to one of the maids. âPlease put this in my case.â Then, to Odessa, âI am not looking forward to riding in a carriage so long.â
âHow far is Lord Tivanâs estate?â
âTwo daysâ ride,â Elenna answered. She then gasped and blurted. âYou have not seen my saddle!â
Odessa paused, thinking, then said, âRight. The wedding saddle.â
âYes. I had to rush the order, but its perfect.â She ushered Odessa over to a large trunk and opened it.
Settled between silk lined pillows was a saddle of deep brown leather. An artisan had likely spent a hundred hours tooling an intricate flow of wisteria all around the jockey seat and skirt. On either side of the horn, were the house namesâTivan and Wystrom. The seat was smooth and gleaming with fresh oil.
âIts beautiful,â Odessa said.
âYes, I agree.â
âIâm surprised you havenât already put it on a horse to parade it through town.â
Elenna shook her head. âThe tradition is for arriving at the new home. Not leaving the old.â
The soft sadness in her statement caught Odessaâs attention. âHow are you feeling about leaving?â
âIâm excited, of course,â Elenna said as she closed the trunk. âIâll miss my father. And, Iâll miss living here.â
Odessa sympathized with her. There were a lot of things that she missed about her home. Olive trees did not grow in Middle Earth and, no matter how good the vintage, the wine never tasted as good. She missed her parents, and her little bed, and the smell foccacia baking in the kitchen. There were so many things that she could only carry within her memories.
More servants arrived. They began to systematically remove the boxes and trunks from the room. Elenna watched with a discerning eye, giving the occasional instruction. When she was satisfied with the progress, she gestured for Odessa to follow her into her bedroom. The larger space was much more empty than the anteroom. No boxes littered the floors. Through the open door, Odessa found the massive closet empty. Even the bed was stripped bare. Near the vanity was a stack of smaller trunks. The patina on the leather suggested years of use.
Elenna took the top two from the stack and put them on her empty vanity. The third, she opened. Elenna searched through them until she found a pouch made from a fabric of deep green. She closed the case and offered the pouch to Odessa.
âWhat is this?â
âA gift,â Elenna said. âOpen it.â
Odessa pulled the pouchâs strings and turned it over into her palm. Out came a string of amber beads held together with golden links. It was the necklace she saw in the window at the jewelerâs all those months ago.
âIt will match the dress you made. And, the veil, if you ever get to wear it again.â
âIts too much,â Odessa said, holding the necklace up to the light.
âNo, its not,â Elenna asserted. She stepped closer. âYou have been such a support all these years. I could never hope to pay you back.â
âI would never expect you to try.â
She smiled. âI know.â
Odessa pulled Elenna into a tight hug. âThank you.â
âYou are so welcome.â
Someone cleared their throat softly. âThe carriage is ready for you, my lady.â
Elenna pulled away from Odessa and nodded at the maid. âThank you.â She closed the jewelry case, saying, âTake these down, please. I will meet you shortly.â
âYes, my lady.â
A group of maids scurried in to do as Elenna bade. They left Elenna and Odessa standing alone in a nearly empty room.
âWalk me down?â
âOf course.â
Elenna linked her arm in Odessaâs and, together, they took one last walk from her rooms, down the stairs, and out the front entrance of the keep. A carriage waited for them, pulled by four horses. Several wagons were lined up behind it. They were laden with baggage. A dozen guards stood at strategic locations. Lord Tivan was speaking with one at the front. He spotted them and his face lit up with a wide smile.
As they approached, he hurried over to greet Elenna with a kiss to her cheek. âDo you have everything you need?â
Elenna grinned. âEven if I did not, I think we would not have room for more.â
Lord Tiven eyed the wagons skeptically. âPerhaps we could fit one more dress.â
âReally?â She turned to Odessa. âDo you think we have time to go to Rutiniaâs?â
Odessa laughed while Lord Tivan sent his wife a rueful look.
âShall we go?â he asked.
Elennaâs eyes flicked back to the keep. âYes. I think we should.â She touched Odessaâs arm. âYou will come visit?â
Odessa nodded. âI will.â
Assured by Odessaâs answer, Elenna turned to Lord Tivan and let him lead her up into the carriage. She settled her skirts and waved at Odessa through the window. Odessa waved back. The driver called out to the horses and the carriage began to roll away. Odessa watched it go until it took the turn off the main drive. Then, she started running.
Odessa took the most direct route. Her feet took her through alleys, around the entrance to the Lower City, between the tea and linen shop, and through the open market towards the wall. A crowd gathered around the gate. Well-wishers waiting to give Elenna a final farewell. Odessa pushed through them until she got to the wall. Only after she climbed the ladder to the walkway above did she stop to breathe. Hands on her knees, she gasped and coughed until her lungs stopped burning. With a huge breath, Odessa straightened and adjusted the wrap covering her hair.
She stepped along the walkway until she stood above the gate. Here, she turned to focus on the road from the open market. In the distance, she could just barely see the carriage ambling along. The driver was going slowly, allowing the public to get a good look. As it came closer, Odessa spied Elenna waving from the open window.
People called out and there was as constant clatter of clapping hands. A child of maybe seven or eight ran alongside the carriage, some holding flowers out for Elenna to take. She tucked them gently into the crook of her arm, grinning so wide Odessa knew her cheeks had to ache.
The carriage approached the gate and the crowd parted to let the retinue through. Odessa went to the stone rail and watched it come out the other side. The driver called out and flicked the reins, ordering the horses to pick up speed.
Elennaâs head appeared at the window, her blue-green eyes taking one last look at her home. She found Odessa standing on the wall and lifted her hand. Odessa returned the gesture, holding it until Elenna pulled back into the carriage. She watched it go until it disappeared on the road.
The walk back to her cottage was slow. Fatigue weighed heavily on her shoulders. Usually, when Odessa was saying her farewells, it was her that was disappearing into the wilderness. Being the one remaining behind felt strange and disorienting. By the time she got back to the cabin, that strange feeling increased so much that she felt vaguely nauseous.
Safe behind her cottage door, she carefully tucked away the necklace into her trunk. From her pocket, she pulled the little box. Odessa thumbed it open and found exactly what she suspected. Tallow. She didnât know why she took it. Adar was gone and she had no need to cook expensive food. She reached for her cloth bag and slipped inside, thinking that she might trade it for supplies later on.
Odessa started a fire and picked up her water bucket. Everything would feel better after a bath. She opened the door and found a figure standing on her doorstep. A hand reached out, grabbed the front of her shirt, and threw her into the yard. The bucket went flying from her hand. Odessa put the fallâs momentum into a roll. Crouched on her hands and knees, she looked up at her attacker.
Lord Ertan had definitely seen better days. His clothes were singed all over and his left leg was deeply burned. The apate within him was barely restrained behind its human facade. She could see glimpses of it pooling in Lord Ertanâs eyes.
He limped forward with a snarl. âYou little bitch!â
Odessaâs grin was feral. She reached into her boot and drew her dagger. âI see you found my gift.â
âFuck the orders,â he growled. âI am going to tear your heart out.â
She stood and took a fighting stance. âNo. You wonât.â
He bared his teeth at her. A few on the left side were broken. Heâd been looking down when he stepped on her trap. Too bad it hadnât taken his eyes. This would go a lot faster if he were blind.
Lord Ertanâs fists curled into fists. He roared, the sound louder than any human could possibly make. The muscles in his body tightened just before he lunged.
Its so frustrating to put a Chekov's gun in the first few chapters of your story only to have to remove it because you couldn't figure out how to Chekov the gun later on.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~6,200
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
Read on AO3 Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Masterlist
Odessa sat in the anteroom. She fiddled with her veil before laying it carefully atop a bundle of fabric and a long piece of leather. The bench was plush and comfortable. There was a plate of meat and cheeses laid out on the table next to her. She wished she could enjoy it. Odessa stomach was too tight with worry to eat.
Elenna hadnât emerged from her room. They should already be on their way to the ceremony where all of Lossarnach waited for them. Odessa could hear Elenna moving around behind the closed door at sporadic intervals. She didnât know what the girl might be doing in her room, but it sounded a lot like she was rearranging furniture.
The maid who should be helping Elenna into her dress stood at the ready, waiting with the same guarded anticipation as Odessa. They shared a meaningful look and the maidâs mouth pursed. She hesitantly approached the door and knocked.
âMy lady,â she called out in a loud voice. âShall I help you dress?â
To both their surprise, the door swung open and Elenna peeked a head out. âNo.â Her eyes found Odessa. âYou can come in.â
Odessa rose, meeting the maidâs eyes with apprehension. The maid gave a kind of helpless gesture and went back to her post. Elenna stood to the side and let Odessa into her room. She hadnât been rearranging the furniture, but it looked like every dress she owned was thrown across every surface. Swaths of lace and tulle and silk coated the room in greens, blues, whites, and purples. There was even a canary yellow dress hanging from the window.
âWhat is going on in here?â Odessa asked, because there was no ready explanation.
Elenna slumped on a low stool and dropped her head into her hands. âI am an idiot.â
Her dejected tone matched the pout on her lips and the tears that threatened to fall. Sitting there, Elenna looked very much like a child being asked to take a break from play. The image tugged at her heart as much as it bemused her.
Odessa knelt next to Elenna. âWhy are you an idiot?â
Tears began to fall. Elenna sniffed and covered her face. âI worked so hard to make this the perfect wedding and everything is a mess.â
She began to sob loudly. Odessa let Elenna cry until the worst of the tears were gone. Then, she put her hand on Elennaâs arm and said, âEverything is not a mess. Everyone is talking about how excited they are to see you get married. I heard the kitchen staff have been up all night preparing the feast.â
All night, every night, this week. As expected, Lord Wystrom spared no expense for his daughterâs wedding. For nearly a month, shipment after shipment came through the gates. Animals and produce and what seemed like a thousand bags of grain. The smell of fresh bread was everywhere in and around the keep. Every artisan in the city passed through the Great Hall to offer their services, their talents, or their wares.
âIts going to go wrong,â Elenna cried. âI can feel it.â
âNothing is going to go wrong,â Odessa assured her. âYou have accounted for every single detail.â
âI thought that when I planned the picnic, andâŠâ she trailed off.
Odessa let out a soft breath. âYou had no idea there were wargs in the woods.â
âI should have!â Elenna nearly yelled. âI should have made the guards check before I brought everyone out there. And, now Iâm getting married and thereâs going to be this big celebration and Iâm going to walk right by my friends in their burial mounds.â
Oh, her heart broke for the girl. Odessa might be comfortable fighting for her life, but Elenna was not. Nothing could have prepared her to see the people she loved being killed right in front of her.
Elennaâs breaths were coming faster now with her rising panic. She gripped her chest and her face crumpled in pain. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks, landing audibly on the silk robe she wore.
âYouâre right,â Odessa said.
âI am?â Elenna asked with a sniffle.
âYes.â Her head dipped so that she could catch Elennaâs gaze. âYou will walk by your friends. And, their familiesâfamilies in mourningâwill walk by them, too. A year ago, the whole city walked through the burial mounds at least once.â
âIs that supposed to make me feel better?â she bawled.
âNo,â Odessa said. âIts just the truth. And, hereâs another truth. You are the daughter of Lord Wystrom. You have a duty to your house and to your city. You performed your duty through a time of great tragedy last year. Today, you will perform your duty again.â
Elenna kept crying. She whined and her body curled over with grief. Odessa let her cry for a moment longer, then put her hands on Elennaâs shoulders. She made Elenna straighten and took one of her hands. Odessa pressed the hand to her chest and placed her hand on Elennaâs chest.
âBreathe,â she prompted. âFeel my heart. Feel my breaths.â
It took many, many breaths, but Elenna began to calm. Her fluttering heart slowed and the tears dried. Odessa pulled her into a brief hug, then stood and said, âWhich of these is your wedding dress?â
Elenna got slowly to her feet and wiped her face on her sleeve. âNone of them.â
Odessa paused. âYou did have a dress made, right?â
A scoff. âOf course I did. Its through there.â
Odessa waded through a seas of dresses to the large closet at the other end of the room. She opened the door with difficulty and looked inside. She tossed a look over her shoulder. âHow are you supposed to get into that?â
Elenna shrugged. âIâll need help.â
Odessa turned back to the door. âIâll get the maid.â
An hour later, Odessa held the heavy train up so that Elenna could walk down the stairs out of the keep. Per Lossarnach tradition, a veil covered both their faces. Odessa peered through a tight netting of amber beads and thread, watching every stair so that she didnât trip. At the bottom, a large, open wagon waited for them. It was decorated with coils and coils of lush greenery. At the front, four horses stood waiting for the driver to usher them forward.
Odessa was grateful that it wasnât a carriage. Piling Elennaâs dress into the closed space would be a nightmare. The wagon was flanked with no less than six armed guards on horseback. Lord Wystrom was taking no chances with his daughter on her wedding day.
Elenna moved slowly to accommodate the weight of her dress. The extravagant gown was to be expected. It was a wedding, after all. Odessaâs other expectations about the dress-heavy embroidery and beadingâwere not met. Instead, Elenna opted to have a dress made for her that was covered in flowers. Real, living flowers. Violets and roses and peonies and all kinds of buds Odessa could never hope to identify were woven together with long stems of grass. Her veil was formed from a fall of wisteria attached to a crown of wide leaves that were molded over her hair. Taken as a whole, Lord Wystromâs daughter embodied the very heart of the Vale of Flowers.
Elenna climbed into the wagon and carefully took a seat on the bench. Odessa, with equal care, arranged the flowering train to fill the wooden bed before taking her own seat. With a quick call to the horses, the driver began to take them south. People everywhere were standing at their doors and in the streets, hoping for a look at the bride. Children ran along with the wagon, waving and pointing. Elenna waved back with a gloved hand.
The deep orange hue of her dress with its heavy beading looked out of place next to Elennaâs living gown. As they rode along, Odessa became more and more sure that no one would notice. She watched expressions of interest turn into shocked surprise. Women touched their hands to their chests, leaning down to talk excitedly with one another. Even their husbands seemed to appreciate the work of art rolling by.
Elenna kept her head up and her hand waving. She grinned at the children despite the veil of flowers concealing most of her features. No one would ever suspect that sheâd spent the morning crying. No one but Odessa and the maid would ever know.
The wagon slowed to a stop in front of the tallest building in the city. Outside, a line of acolytes dressed in brown tunics stood at the ready. More guards were posted at the doors. Their armor gleamed too bright in the afternoon sun. Odessa could make a safe bet that the inner sanctuary had a similar array of protection.
One of the acolytes rushed forward with a set of wooden steps. He helped Odessa down from the wagon with his head bowed respectfully. Odessa picked up her hem and hurried away to make room for Elenna. At the foot of the stairs, she watched three acolytes heft the dress out of the wagon. Elenna gave quick, pointed directions about how to handle the fragile train. The acolytes followed her orders, sharing anxious looks between them the whole way down.
Elenna took four steps to the tall, wooden building and stopped. She looked up at it for a long time, breathing deeply. The flowers covering her face swung in a slow arc as she turned her eyes to Odessa. She held out a hand.
Odessa went to Elenna and slipped her palm into Elennaâs. âWhat is it?â
âYou will be there?â
âYes. I will be in the back.â
There was no place for an untitled woman of no standing at the front. All of Lord Wystromâs court took precedence. Odessa wouldnât even be allowed in the building, if not for Elenna.
âYou will come to me after. To help with the next dress?â
âYes. I will meet you at the keep.â
âYou have a carriage arranged.â
âI have a carriage arranged,â Odessa lied. Then, she squeezed Elennaâs hand. âNow, go get married.â
Elenna gave her a shaky smile and let Odessa step away. She took another visible breath, then began the slow trek up the stairs. Odessa watched her go until she was sure Elenna wouldnât turn around. Then, she picked up her skirt and hustled around to the side entrance. She pushed through the door and, beads jangling all over, climbed the stairs to the first floor. At the archway leading into the sanctuary, Odessa straightened her veil and ran her hands down the dressâ beaded bodice. Amber glass smoothed against her palms, matching the pattern of the netting covering her head. Sheâd forgone a train or additional drapery, mainly because beading that much fabric would have left her fingertips permanently scarred. That, and Brint refused to make any more beads no matter how much she begged.
After making a final adjustment to the veil, Odessa stepped into the sanctuary and eased into the back of the room. Elenna was already standing at the front with Lord Tivan at her side. He was staring at her as if she were the moon on a long, dark night. Awed and flustered and greedy. The coat he wore was a deep green that matched the grass in her dress. A choice that Odessa knew was intentional on Elennaâs part.
The ceremony went on while the crowd stood in respectful silence. Odessa took in the people, some of which hadnât quite gotten over the extravagance of Elennaâs dress. Most of the women were openly admiring it. Odessa had the faint hunch that there would be a sea of similarly designed gowns in the near future. Although, not everyone seemed impressed. She saw Lady Fern speaking lowly to Lady Winta from behind an ornate fan. Lady Hwin and her new husband were not present. Lady Fernâs expression was pinched with irritation behind her transparent veil. Beside her, Lady Winta eyed Elenna with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.
Odessa turned her attention to the stained glass windows lining the walls. They were far too old to be Brintâs work, or his predecessorâs. Bright red, blue, and white were cut together in a floral motif that cast beams of color all around the room. Everything inside was painted a stark white. The deliberate choice in paint gave all the attention to the windows and allowed every surface to catch a little bit of the color. If the room were empty, Odessa thought she might feel like she was walking through a rainbow.
Cheers went up all around, pulling Odessa back to the ceremony. She dropped her gaze just in time to see Elenna and Lord Tivan share a sweet kiss. The gesture was met with more cheers and a round of enthusiastic clapping. Odessa joined in long enough to see the newly married couple begin to walk through the crowd. When they passed by, she hurried out the same way she came in.
Outside, the line of carriages ran along the street for several blocks. If she made the mistake of taking one of them to the keep, sheâd be waiting for hours. Odessa skirted around the line and headed through a series of alleys until she was three streets over. She turned a corner and scurried down a set of stairs into the Lower City.
The mirrors had been replaced and the halls were illuminated with dim light. Odessa hurried along, refusing to even look at the door to Teigâs quarter. She didnât want to think about how long it took for the guards to find those men, or what conclusions they might have drawn while cleaning up the mess left behind by the apate. Odessa performed her job as the warden. What happened from there was not her business.
She reached the far end of the Lower City and climbed the stairs to street level. Her slippered feet whispered on the stone beneath the clack of beading. It wasnât until her foot reached the last stair that Odessa realized she was holding her breath. She sucked in a huge lungful of air and had to rest her hand on the wall until her breathing returned to normal.
The keepâs gardens were just a few more blocksâ walk from the stairs. Odessa had to lift her veil to show the guard her face before he would let her in. She left it hanging behind her back so that the shining beads swung with every step. Once she was through the hedge maze and the hanging arches, she scurried around to the gardenerâs entrance. Her approach was barely noticed by the plethora of staff moving in and out of the keep. They were too busy making last minute preparations for the feast.
Odessa weaved through the maids, the serving staff, and half a dozen cooks before she made it to Elennaâs door. The maid from earlier was sitting in the hall on a chair with a bit of embroidery to keep her busy. She looked up, saw Odessa, and shot to standing.
âHow much time do we have?â
âNot long,â Odessa answered. âI heard the carriages as I was coming in.â
âInside,â the maid urged her. âInside.â
Odessa was already moving. Her hands pulled at the veil, detaching it from the body of the dress. She put it aside and turned her back to the maid so that she could unlace the gown. When it fell loose around her hips, she stepped out of fabric. While the maid carefully folded the dress for storage, Odessa tugged off the slip she wore and cast it aside.
She reached for the pile of soft white cotton sheâd left behind earlier. With careful, practiced hands, she pleated the fabric over and over, folding and twisting and draping it until she had a semblance of a dress held together with a hand at her waist. The maid returned holding a long braided strip of leather that she twined around Odessaâs hips and chest. After securing it with a golden pin at her breast, the maid stepped away so that Odessa could look in the mirror.
Her red hair was piled atop her head so that the curls hung haphazardly around the crown. The kohl she applied to her eyes that morning was still in place, making her golden irises flash with fire. For the first time, Odessa made the concession of wearing an exorbitant length of fabric, though sheâd chosen one as fine and thin as could be managed without tearing. Instead of hanging in heavy drapes over her body, it fluttered and swished while she turned from side to side. The skin of her back and sides peeked out from between simple folds. At her breast, the golden pin drew the eye to the low neckline.
Her mother would be scandalized. For some reason, that knowledge made Odessa smile. It was so rare that she got to wear beautiful things, and even more rare that she intentionally sought to stand out. Here, now, Odessa was going to do just that.
The door opened and Elenna walked through. Sheâd removed her veil to reveal a face that was bright with excitement. âOh, good, youâre already changed. We have to hurry! Theyâre already serving the wine.â
As she moved across the room, she left flower petals in her wake. Little wisps of color on the hardwood floors. Elenna also carried with her a heavy floral scent that swelled in the small anteroom. Odessa followed the scent and Elenna into the bedroom.
âQuickly!â Elenna called to the maid, who skipped up to her and started to pull reeds through the intricately woven grass.
Just like that, a dress that took weeks to design, days to make, and more than an hour to put on fell apart. Grass and flowers dropped to the ground in a pile of stems. Elenna stepped over them to the dressing table where her next gown was laid out. The green velvet nap flashed with a color that was almost silver. Elenna picked it up and handed it to the maid, who began to help her into the voluminous skirt.
While she waited, Odessa knelt down and began to gather up the many flowers. She lined up their stems and added them to the various bouquets sitting around the room. By the time she had most of them placed, Elenna was placing an array of fire opals into her hair.
âIs that all youâre wearing?â
Odessa stopped and turned to look at Elenna. â...yes? You made me try it on for inspection last night, remember?â She ran her hands down the silken fabric. âI donât understand why I have to change into a second dress. The first one was better.â
âBecause you canât wear the same dress to the ceremony and the feast afterwards.â Elenna said as she held out her hand so the maid could put on a bracelet. âThe first dress is beautiful, by the way. Fantastic work.â
Odessa sensed a âbutâ in there somewhere. âAnd?â
âAnd,â Elenna sighed, âI assumed the second dress would be,â she gestured vaguely, âmore.â
Odessa laughed. âMore? More than thousands of glass beads?â
âYes, more. I thought you would add something. Its a special day.â
It was a special day. A very special day. It was why Odessa wore the first dress.
âI can,â she suggested, âchange back into the other dress.â
Elenna shook her head, pale pinks and oranges flashing in her hair. âNo. Like it or not, you are a reflection of my household tonight. You have to stick to tradition.â
She went back to her jewelry case and opened a few small boxes. Blue-green eyes flicked to Odessaâs dress and back several times before she made a decision. Elenna waved Odessa over and held up a large golden cuff. When Odessa held up her wrist, she chuckled and put it over her bicep.
âIts a shame your ears are not pierced. I have several lovely earrings that would match.â Elenna sighed and plucked a hairpin from her vanity. Gold, like the cuff, and molded into a perfect representation of a rose. She tucked it into Odessaâs curls. âThat will have to do.â
âMy lady,â the maid murmured. âyou should hurry.â
Elenna snapped to attention and picked up her skirt. She gave an excited little squeak and practically ran out of the bedroom. Odessa followed behind, watching Elennaâs hem bounce with every step down the hall. She pulled to a stop before she made the turn so that she could straighten her skirts and check her reflection in a tall mirror hanging on the wall.
Odessa fell into step behind her and waited until Elenna decided she was ready. She watched the newly married woman glide effortlessly into a room full of people and immediately take up every ounce of attention. Elenna was quickly surrounded by fawning ladies who peppered her with questions about her wedding dress. Who designed it? How was it made? How many flowers did she use? Elenna answered every question but one. She would not reveal the dressmaker, no matter how much they pleaded with her. It was a secret she would take to her grave.
âEveryone is so interested in the Lady Elennaâs dress,â came a voice to her right.
Odessa looked up to find Lady Winta. âIt was a remarkable dress.â
Lady Winta sipped her wine delicately. âWho made yours? Was it Rutinia?â
âNo.â Odessa took a glass of her own from one of the servants.
âDo not tell me,â Lady Winta drawled, âthat you will hold the name hostage like our little bride over there.â
She laughed and shook her head. âI made it, if you are so keen to know.â
Lady Wintaâs brows winged up. âI had no idea you were a seamstress.â
âIn another life. Another time.â
âPerhaps,â Lady Winta said, âI will commission a gown from you. My own daughter will be looking to marry next year.â
Odessa sent her a narrow glance. âI...do not plan to be here next year.â
She looked genuinely surprised. âOh? I am surprised.â
To be fair, Odessa was surprised, too. When had she made the decision that she was going to leave?
âLossarnach is a wonderful place. But, itâll soon be time that I move on.â
Lady Winta faced her with a critical eye. âWhere do you plan to go?â
Odessa shrugged. âNo idea.â
The critical eye remained on her, though it was softened by curiosity. âYou will start a journey without knowing where you are going?â
âThatâs how most of my journeys start.â
Lady Winta pulled back and looked Odessa up and down. âThat is very brave. Or stupid.â
Again, Odessa shrugged. She added a careless smile. âIâve been known to be both from time to time.â
A servant announced that dinner was served. Lady Winta gave her one last long look before walking towards the dining room. Odessa almost followed, but her attention was pulled to where Lord Ertan stood with Lord Wystrom. They were talking intently. Lord Wystrom looked angry. Lord Ertan was visibly trying to calm him down. Lord Wystromâs hand cut across the air with a finality the ended the conversation. Lord Ertan stared after the other man while his lip curled. He stalked away.
Odessa hesitated to go after him. Lord Ertan might be an apate wearing human skin and it might be her duty to eradicate him, but she was unarmed...and this was a wedding. Odessa doubted that Elenna would be very understanding if she ran off the start a fight on the day she got married. She sucked her teeth, thinking that she would deal with him later.
Elenna called Odessa to her side. âI made sure there was a place for you.â
Lord Tivan found them as they entered the dining room. He helped them both to their seats before taking his own. The meal was served on steaming platters. Crabs and salmon bracketed by seasonal vegetables. In the center of the table sat several buckets of ice topped with oysters. The fare was decadent in the finest way. Rushed from the sea the night before and kept cold until the kitchen began its preparations. As Odessa bit into the soft meat, she could taste the sheepâs tallow it had been cooked in. Another, larger, extravagance.
Wine poured from heavy pitchers. Lord Wystrom gave a brief, heartfelt toast. People talked and laughed and ate until they were so full they had to push from the table. Servants gathered up the leftovers to give to the peasantry, as was tradition. Odessa thought the city could eat for several days on just what was left on the platters before her.
After dinner, they retired to the Great Hall. Orchestral music played as Elenna and her new husband entered to loud applause and a softly pronounced, beauty and growth. Half an hour passed while they moved from group to group, thanking them for coming and accepting congratulations. Odessa watched on fondly from an unobtrusive place near the wall.
A thousand candles lit the hall, bouncing soft ambient light off panels of stained glass twice the size of the tallest man in the room. Odessa marveled at the artistry, knowing exactly whose hand it was that crafted them.
âLovely, are they not?â
Odessa turned to find a lord she did not recognize. He was a little taller than her and was wearing a simple coat of deep red. His glassy blue eyes met hers and he smiled.
âThey are beautiful,â she allowed.
The lord moved closer, brown hair falling over his brow as spoke. âThey are not the only beautiful thing in the room.â
âThat she has,â he agree amiably. âI am Lord Myrn.â
âOdessa.â
âWell met, Odessa.â His eyes went to her wine glass. âLet me get you another drink.â
Odessa began to protest. She was only halfway through the glass in her hand. Her protest was either unheard or unheeded. It didnât matter which. Lord Myrn walked over to a servant and returned with two glasses. He handed one to her, took her half empty one, and put it on a nearby table. Odessa blinked at him the whole time, trying to decide if she was insulted by his forward behavior.
âNow, that is better,â he sighed. Then, in a conversational tone, he asked, âHow do you know Lady Elenna. I noticed you sat next to her at dinner.â
âWe are friends,â Odessa replied.
âOh? How did you meet?â
The urge to lie was strong. She didnât know this lord and his motives were, as a result, suspect. âWe met not long after her mother passed.â
âAh, a sad event. The city went into mourning for an entire year.â
Odessa remembered. Not a single flower was cultivated in the gardens that year. Instead, Lord Wystrom put in the hedge maze. Elenna, then only a girl, spent a lot of time walking the maze with her nanny. Soon enough, she was using the twists and turns against the old woman so that she could escape into the street. It was there that Odessa found her. Sheâd scraped her knee and was sitting on the sidewalk crying. Odessa sat next to her through the tears, then walked with her back to the gardens. As she returned her to the nanny, Elenna demanded that Odessa come for tea the next day. After that, Odessa saw Elenna a lot.
âHow did you enjoy the meal?â
Odessa was brought back to the present by the question. âI enjoyed the meal very much.â
His eyes sparked with pride. âThat was my doing.â
âIt was?â
âI am a humble fish merchant.â His bow somewhat discredited his words. It was slow and swept nearly to the floor.
Odessa hid her smile with her glass. âI suppose you do a lot of sailing.â
âOh, no,â Lord Myrn replied. âI hire people to sail my ships.â
She took the admission in stride and said, âIâm sure arranging the shipping routes can take much of your time.â
âFortunately, I hire people to do that, too.â
Odessa bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from asking, What is it that you do, then? Lord Myrn didnât seem to notice. He went on sipping his wine, eyeing the room. As she looked at him, she realized that she did know him. Sheâd seen him before. At Maylenâs. He was one of the lords taking bets about getting one of her staff to give their services away for free.
The music picked up and several couples took to the floor. Odessa felt a rise of panic when Lord Myrn perked up. She didnât want to dance with him, but couldnât think of any polite way to turn him down.
âShall we dance?â
Ah, I was right, she thought with consternation.
Odessa grasped wildly for something to say. âI...do not know this dance.â
He perked up even more. âI will be happy to teach you.â
âOh no,â she demurred. âIâm completely unteachable. No sense of rhythm. Iâll only step on your toes.â Odessa fanned herself. âI feel a little too warm. I believe I need some air.â
Without waiting for an answer, she strode out to the terrace doors and threw herself through them. The night air cooled the heat of her embarrassment. She glanced behind her to ensure she was not followed before sighing and taking a sip of the wine she still held in her hand. It was a miracle she hadnât spilled it all over her dress.
She walked to the low stone wall near the stairs and rested her free hand on it. There, she finished her wine and put the glass down with a loud, tired noise that felt like it came from her very soul.
âYou are not enjoying the party?â
Odessa whipped around, startled. âLord Adar!â
He stood on the far end of the terrace where the torchlight could not reach. For the first time, she saw him without his armor. He wore a tunic in deep black with silver embroidery throughout. The cuffs had an ornate detailing that she couldnât quite make out in the dark. They glinted as he stepped forward.
Lord Adarâs head dipped slowly down. âOdessa.â He paused, then said, âYou did not answer my question.â
Odessa laughed against her will. âNo. I didnât.â
Lord Adar moved closer to her. Starlight touched lovingly over his cheek and brow. âWill you?â
âWill I what?â
âAnswer it.â
âOh. Well, I was enjoying the party. Now, Iâm trying to escape it.â
âEscape?â he replied, with humor. âThis wedding is all anyone on the street is talking about.â
Odessa passed a hand over her face. âThe wedding was lovely. And, the party started very well. I just...got cornered by an overeager lord.â
Lord Adar stepped forward and his demeanor shifted notably. His voice was sharp when he asked, âAn overeager lord cornered you?â
She sensed the underlying assumption beneath his words. âHeâs harmless. Just a man looking to entertain himself for the night.â Her eyes wandered to the terrace doors where she spotted Lord Myrn making his way across the room. His eyes scanned the terrace.
âCazzo!â
Odessa grabbed Lord Adarâs arm and dragged him down the stairs. He went willingly with a small, bemused smile on his mouth. At the foot of the stairs, she paused and peered upwards. The terrace doors opened and she heard Lord Myrn call out for her. Odessa looked at Lord Adar in renewed panic. He watched her with his head tilted towards the terrace above. She thought she saw his ears twitch while he listened.
Lord Myrn called her name again. Odessa started to resign herself to dealing with him more directly when Lord Adar pulled her hard towards the garden. He led her beneath the arches where they stopped just deep enough that Odessa could still see the terrace. She ducked against the hanging wisteria, inhaling their sweet floral scent. Lord Myrn moved, looking out into the gardens. He called her name again and, for half a heartbeat, she thought he spotted her.
She gasped and backed up, her back hitting Lord Adarâs chest. He wrapped an easy arm around her middle and guided her deeper into the arches. Odessa watched the terrace while she stepped in time with him. If Lord Myrn caught sight of them, she knew they would make a humorous sight. Both of them rocking slowly backwards side to side. She had to cover her mouth to stop the unwanted giggle from bubbling up and out of her throat.
Safely hidden by the greenery, they stilled and listened intently. The sounds of the party were far away, leaving the pair surrounded by nothing but the rustling of leaves and the chirping of insects. With every second, Odessa became more and more aware of how tightly she was pressed against him. Instead of rough leather, she found soft silk draped over a firm chest. A heavy forearm laid across her belly while his free hand braced her side gently. His breath fanned across the sensitive skin along her neck and shoulder.
Swallowing around a suddenly dry throat, Odessa turned her head to the side. âYouâre not wearing your armor.â
It felt silly and obvious, but it was the only thing she could think to say.
His voice was a quiet rasp as he replied, âIt felt more appropriate to go without it.â
She nodded, her brain becoming fuzzy with how close he was, how warm. Her chest rose and fell with a quick, staccato breath. If she lifted her chin, she could press her lips beneath his jaw.
He applied pressure against her hip, urging her to turn further towards him. Odessa moved languidly, letting Adar keep her pressed all along his body. Letting him brush the back of his fingers against her cheek. Letting him draw her into a kiss.
The first touch of his mouth sent a hot spark all over. Odessa sighed into it and slid her hands up his chest to curl over his shoulders. Needing to be closer, she rose up on her toes and leaned nearly all her weight into his body.
Adar accepted her eagerly, tracing a rough palm up the bare skin along her spine. He deepened the kiss, lips moving firmly against her. Adar kissed with a fervor that surprised Odessa. He kissed as if he couldnât bear to allow his lips to separate from hers for even a second. He overwhelmed her, made it impossible for her to think about anything other than the sweetness he held in his mouth. Her fingers curled in his tunic. The fine fabric wrinkled against her sweating palms. She breathed a soft breath around the kiss that ended on a high pitched whimper when his teeth scraped against her lower lip.
Adar groaned. His head dipped down to nuzzle against her neck. The rough texture of his scars coupled with the swirl of his tongue weakened her knees. She had to hold on tight to his shoulders to remain standing.
Odessaâs head tipped back to allow him all the access he needed. She panted loudly, wild sensations riding on fast horses all over her body. Her skin prickled with goose pimples that had nothing to do with the cool air. She was only just managing to hold back the sharp static that formed their connection. The threat of it overcoming her control added an additional layer of pleasure to their embrace.
He took her mouth again. His kiss was demanding, accepting nothing less than her total surrender. A surrender Odessa had no problem giving him as long as he kept touching her. His fingers tugged at the pin holding her dress together. Just one pin kept him from peeling away the layers of fabric and laying her bare on the sweet grass.
âOdessa!â
She froze and looked up at Adar. That was definitely Lord Myrnâs voice. âHe canât be serious.â
Adar pressed his forehead against her temple. âHe is coming this way. I hear him.â
Odessaâs mind was too dizzy to come up with some kind of strategy to deter the eager lord. Her body buzzed loudly, still clinging to Adar. He listened another moment longer before dropping a soft, regretful kiss to her mouth that was entirely too short. Afterwards, he slowly, disentangled them.
âGo through the hedges. I will hold him off.â
Odessa pouted. âWe shouldnât have to hold him off.â
âNo,â he replied in sympathy. âbut that is what I will do.â
Odessa stared at him one last time, taking in his dark beauty and the faint bruising around his lips. They were wet and swollen and begging to be kissed again.
Adar ran his fingers along her neck, down to where the fabric was gathered into the pin. He lingered there a moment before releasing her altogether. âGo!â
Odessa went. She stumbled through the maze she knew so well until she reached the gardenâs exit. One hand on the gate, the other over her pounding heart, Odessa panted through the knowledge that she was filled with a desperate need to kiss himâtomorrow, and the next tomorrow, and the next tomorrow. Every day, for as long as he would let her.
I am really struggling with starting my next fic. I planned to continue working with the Rings of Power to tell Mika's part of the story, but I'm finding that my creative energy is veering off on a tangent to another fandom.
In other words, a palate cleanser.
I'm going to sit with this story line for a few days and see if I can flesh it out into something workable. If I can manage to come up with an ending I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to write something under 100,000 words (let's be honest, long fics are kind of my jam).
I have drafted twelve chapters in a week. The next chapter will be the chapter where a big secret is revealed. I've got two major adversaries that present two completely different problems for the main characters. I have a motif that I am peppering through. And, I have a massive, super action packed climax prepared.
Idk if I've gotten better at writing, but I definitely have gotten better at plot crafting. I've never worked this quickly on a piece of fiction. The forward momentum is very exciting.
If I can figure out the next ten chapters and move through them with the same intensity, I should have a viable story to post in ten to twelve weeks. Give me some time to drill down on that deadline and I'll start posting about the fandom and the pairing.
One thing I can definitely tell you, dear reader, is that I am continuing my exploration of dark, morally gray men.
Currently playing a game with myself called 'how many chapters is it going to take before these characters finally kiss?" My record is 31. I sincerely don't think it will take that long for this pairing. The main character is yearning.
Outlined chapters 26-29. From here, I think we reach the mid-point. All the subplots are started and intensifying. The main character is forced to make more and more difficult decisions that are counter to who they think they are as a person.
I think I can make the announcement of the fandom at the end of July. Followed by the pairing reveal and the story summary. First chapter will likely go up in early August.
Be patient with me, readers. I'm working as fast as I can, but I want this story to be on par or better than my other stories.
So, we are approaching the 100,000 word count mark. I've got a rough understanding of how the third act will go. I'm thinking we'll get to about fifty chapters, as long as I don't take a little mosey into another subplot. God, I hope I don't. Its hard enough tracking what I've got going right now.
I'm writing really fast, which is nice. I do wonder how the editing process is going to go with how quickly I'm moving through the plot. I do think I will slow down in this next section because I'll need to do some research about a few topics where I just don't have enough knowledge to write believably.
In any case, I'm right on track to start posting in August.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count: ~3,500
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
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The trees parted in invitation. Odessa sprinted past the initial barrier of the low bushes, jumped over a fallen log, and ran deeper into the brush. The apate spotted her quickly. She wasnât exactly trying to hide. The fury of her hatred towards its kind and the adrenaline of killing the warg made it impossible to temper her approach.
It rushed away in a swish of smoke, leaving a trail of ice in its wake.
Coward, she thought, doubling her speed. Damned, evil coward.
That the apate would run from her was deeply annoying. It brought three wargs out from the forest to kill a lot of people and it couldnât even be bothered to face the consequences. Odessa bared her teeth in disgust.
She took a quick turn around a bend, following the apate through a thick copse of trees and into a wide meadow filled with wildflowers that were as tall as her chest. Still running, Odessa passed her hands through the buds, drawing in power. The warm bubble of strength filled her hands, melting away the apateâs cold. It softened her anger, giving her the focus she would need to do her job.
Odessa planted her feet and threw her dagger at the apateâs back. It clipped a shadowy shoulder before landing somewhere in the field. The apate screamed as its body split apart. It stumbled to a stop and bent over in pain. Odessa sucked in a pleased breath and started for it. She aimed for the corporeal part of its body and tackled it with her shoulder and forearm as she went past. The apateâs body tore like paper from the force of the blow, earning Odessa another satisfying scream.
She put distance between them, looking for the dagger. The flowers were too tall, the grass too dense, for her to see where it went. Odessa scanned the ground as quickly as she could, aware that she had little time to find the weapon before the apate recovered. It might be torn in half and it might be struggling to remain upright, but it was nowhere near defeated.
The being of shadow and doubt straightened and unhinged its jaw to bare an unsettling number of teeth at her. It drew all the smoky edges into its slowly solidifying body. Its form shifted, growing into an oozing, limbless blob.
âThat is,â she sneered, âdisgusting.â
The apateâs only response was a bubbling gurgle that might have been an insult. It rolled over and grew taller. Air bubbles popped all along its surface, releasing a pungent, rotten smell. The flowers beside and underneath it melted at its touch. Little specks of leaves and petals floated around inside the bulbous body until they, too, were absorbed. Even the dirt beneath was dragged up into the ooze.
It shouldnât be able to do that, she thought. They canât change form after theyâve been cut.
Obviously, what she believed was the truth wasnât strictly true, anymore. She needed to find her dagger. The one in her hand had no magical reinforcement and she was sure it would be absorbed along with the dirt and flowers. Odessa dropped to the ground and quickly sent an inquiry into the earth. Help me, she pleaded. Show me. The earth responded by lighting up a section of thread surrounding a patch of particularly beautiful flowers behind her. Thank you. She kept her eyes on her opponent while she took a step towards the flowers.
Odessa misjudged how quickly the blob could move. It struck from the side, molding its body around her arm. Cold, sticky flesh squeezed down and she could feel the first scratch of teeth reforming. Odessa made a disgusted sound and tried to yank her arm free. To her horror, every movement she made seemed to sink the limb deeper into the gelatinous mass. Row after row of teeth walked up her forearm to the elbow, slowly working their way up her bicep. She realized belatedly that it meant to take her arm in vengeance.
She dropped the lordâs dagger and, with her free hand, worked open the buttons running up her chest. They popped free, allowing Odessa to step out of the heavy fabric. The hand inside the blob stuck a bit, but she managed to tug it through the sleeve. A tooth gouged her palm and the gooey substance followed her up and out. The second Odessa was free of it, she scrambled back to safety. On all fours, she headed to where the earth still glowed.
Odessa let out a long, rough sound of relief as her fingers curled around the dagger. She turned to find the blob attacking again, her coat hanging limp against its body. To Odessaâs dismay, the apate sucked it inwards with a wet slurp. Again, its mouth opened. It yawned wide and tall, taking up the entirety of the apateâs form. A tongue unfurled, lolling over six rows of teeth. Odessa stared at it with the horrifying knowledge that it was now going to try to swallow her whole.
Quickly, she pressed her hand to the grass, digging down through the dense blades until her fingertips met solid dirt. She reached for the earthâs power, feeling tendrils reaching back. The daggerâs handle was a hairsbreadth from her fingers. She flexed her hand and caught it up and into her palm.
The blob jerked forward, putting Odessa completely in its shadow. She planted her foot and shot to standing. The dagger went with her. It made an audible sound as it sliced through the air, dragging all the force in her body and all the power sheâd managed to absorb in the few heartbeats she had to prepare.
The blob stopped. It hovered above her, blotting out the sun. Odessa blinked at its stunned form, her mouth curling when the wound split open. A diagonal line bloomed from the bottom left to top right. It peeled backwards. Shriveled. Died. She shifted her grip and stabbed the dagger into the still moving remains, ensuring that the apate would not survive to attack her again.
A light burst forth from the hilt, shining with a purity that made the apate look even more unnatural. It burned steadily through the melting, ugly mass. The apate went silent. No death howl. No growling. Not even a final, gurgling insult. It left Odessa standing in the meadow with her dagger hanging over open air and the faint urge to gag.
She dropped to a knee and felt for the threads. They were a bit torn and Odessa took the time to repair them with a quick, looping stitch. She would have to do the same in the field when everyone was safely back inside the city. If the apate sent the wargs, there would be damage in their wake that had nothing to do with dead men.
Odessa wiped the sweat from her brow and stood, intending to find her way out of the forest. Her hand throbbed with pain. The cut was deep and ragged through her palm. It radiated with angry heat. She held it protectively against her chest and took a step. Something moved. Her body froze in place while she listened. Was it another apate? She did a quick internal inventory of her injuries and concluded that she could take a second, but not a third, fight.
More movement. To her...left. She spun around to stare into the trees. Sun dappled the leaves with bright yellow. Flowers waved happily in the grass. Odessa couldnât feel anything but the warm afternoon air and a welcome breeze. Her breaths came fast and her heart pumped hard. The fightâs frenzy hadnât yet dissipated. She used it to focus on the meadow and surrounding treeline, seeking out danger wherever it might hide.
A footstep landed behind her. Odessa whipped around to find Lord Adar stepping out from the trees. She lifted her dagger in a half-hearted salute and trudged in his direction.
âYou found me,â Odessa called out with a forced grin.
When she came near, his eyes darted down to her hand. âYou are hurt.â
Odessa nodded and lied. âGot a little careless with the warg.â
He stared at her for a beat, then took her hand in both of his. He gently opened up her fingers to look at the wound. âIt is deep.â
âIt is.â
Lord Adar traced the edges with his thumb. The nerves in her palm lit up with something more than pain. She flinched and tried to pull her hand away. Lord Adar made a hushing sound and tightened his grip. A tingling sensation followed in the wake of his touch. It soothed ache, cooling inflamed flesh. Odessa stared at their hands in wonder. What he was doing was a complicated piece of magic that Odessa hadnât seen anyone other than Mika accomplish.
âWhere is your coat?â
âWhat?â
âYour coat,â he repeated. âWhere is it?â
Odessa resisted the urge to look behind her. âI lost it.â
Lord Adar, still holding her hand, met her eyes. âYou lost it?â
âYes.â
âHow?â
The lie struggled past her tongue. âOn purpose.â
âYou lost your coat on purpose?â Without waiting for her reply, he continued, âDo you ever give a straightforward answer?â
âDo you?â
His mouth turned down. Despite his irritation, he was still holding her hand with a gentle touch. Odessa held his gaze, wishing they were staring at each other in a much different way. A more honest way.
A vicious growl broke through the vulnerable ambiguity settling between them. Odessaâs eyes went to the side and widened. Another warg. Smaller than the others. It was approaching with all the hair on its back standing on end. One foot in front of the other. Head low. Eyes focused.
Lord Adar moved in an elegant spin that put him between Odessa and the warg. One hand pushed her back while the other held a long knife at the ready. She took a moment to appreciate his instinct to protect her before she hefted her own dagger and prepared for yet another fight.
From deep within his chest, Lord Adar spoke a language that sheâd never heard before. It grated against his throat, coming out in rough consonants that sounded unnatural. The warg paused at his words, head tilting to the side. Odessaâs jaw dropped with incredulity. The thing was actually listening to him.
Her arm relaxed and the blade turned in the sunlight. A beam reflected off the edge directly into the wargâs eyes. It flinched and whatever spell Lord Adar was weaving snapped. The beast shook its head and bared its teeth with a long, angry howl. It began to stalk forward, pushing Odessa and Lord Adar backwards into the meadow.
âHow do you want to handle this?â he asked.
âYouâre asking me?â she hissed back.
He moved steadily backwards, eyes on the warg. âI just saw you kill one of them by yourself.â
Odessa scoffed. âI wasnât by myself.â
âNow really is not the time to argue semantics.â
âGood point,â she replied. After a short assessment, she said, âIâll hold it here. You circle around and gain the high ground.â
Lord Adar put some space between them. âRather simple plan.â
âI thought you might appreciate its effectiveness,â she shot back. âI even folded in your favorite element of surprise.â
His only response was a low chuckle. Odessa took it as an agreement to her terms. She held up her dagger and waved it wildly. Voice high and loud, Odessa yelled out eh, eh, eh, to get the wargâs attention. When it tried to follow Lord Adarâs path away from her, she grabbed a rock from where it lay near her feet and threw it.
The rock hit the warg in the leg. Not exactly where she was aiming, but she was in kind of a rush. It looked down and then looked at her with an all too human expression of confusion followed by anger. Fur bristled and the beast took a single, threatening step forward. Odessa inhaled sharply. Sheâd achieved her goal of getting the wargâs attention. She only hoped Lord Adar was able to do his part.
It rushed her. Dirt and rocks and grass flew up beneath its feet. Odessa leapt to the side to let it go past her, the displaced air whipping her hair into her face. She swept it back in time to see the warg take a sharp turn and come back her way. Again, she dodged it. Then, because she needed more room to move, Odessa ran out to the meadowâs center.
The warg followed, barreling after her through the flowers. Odessa ran in a circuitous path, veering left and right at random. The warg kept coming. The strategy was less about getting away and more about maintaining enough distance so that it couldnât run her through with one of its tusks. It was working right up until Odessa tripped over her own feet and hit the ground near the meadowâs middle. Her face slid over grass and her mouth filled with the taste of flowers. Odessa spit and checked for the warg. She aborted her attempt to get to her knees when it jumped over her body.
Flat to the ground, Odessa coughed around the dust. The lordâs dagger lay exactly where sheâd dropped it earlier. She grabbed for it, scooting along the grass until she held it in hand. She tried a second time to get up. Odessa changed her mind when a shadow expanded to eclipse her own. The warg was jumping atop her again. In just a few seconds, she would be crushed beneath its weight. She flipped over and jabbed with both daggers in a final attempt to save her life.
They slid into the wargâs chest, crossing over one another. She felt the edge catch raggedly against bone. Huge feet landed on either side of her body. The sound of the impact was like an avalanche in her ears. Odessa tried to pull her knives free and couldnât get the leverage. She cried out angrily while her feet kicked at the beastâs underbelly. It stomped the dust on either side of her head, fur brushing her cheeks. Odessa blinked through the grit in her eyes, watching its legs and moving her head from one side to the next to keep it from cracking her skull.
Her arms burned and her fingers were losing their grip. She tried to pull the daggers. Failed. Tried again. Failed again. They were truly stuck into the wargâs flesh. If she wanted to get out from under it stamping feet, she would have to let go. Which was impossible. Unarmed, Odessa would have no way to defend herself against another attack. The wounds she gave it were deep, but not lethal.
The warg reared up and she had the displeasure of feeling the daggers being yanked from her hands. Its feet kicked out, rolling through the air as it squealed in pain. Just beyond its huge, horrible body, she could see Lord Adar pulling his knife free of its spine and stabbing it back into the warg. He was holding on to its fur tightly with one hand and his face was like a stone.
The warg jerked in the air, trying to throw him off. Odessa stared up at it, feeling a fear she hadnât felt since she was mortal. The fear of a horrible death. Her body couldnât move while her mind screamed at her to roll away while she had time.
Too soon, the wargâs feet came down. Odessa reflexively curled into a ball and covered her head. She felt the ambient vibration as it hit the earth on either side of her body. A sharp, fearful cry forced its way past her lips. She could not stop her knees from pulling closer or her eyes from squeezing shut.
The warg wailed, falling on its side in front of her. She gasped and chanced a peek. It twitched and squirmed, trying to stand. The pain filled sound it made as it slowly died was long and sorrowful.
Breathing hard and shaking, she pushed to sitting. Blood spurted weakly from where her daggers stuck out from the wargâs chest. Odessa stared at them while she struggled to her feet. She was covered in dirt and sweat and blood. Her brain hadnât yet caught up to the fact that she was alive and not trampled to death. It sent calls of alarm through her limbs, giving her a tremor that spanned her entire body.
Lord Adar appeared on the other side of the wargâs body. His knife gleamed silver in the sunlight. The scars on his face stood out against an unmerciful expression of fury. He sauntered up to the dying beast and, without a single hesitation, pushed the knife into the wargâs neck. It gurgled, spitting blood. Another long huff, and it stopped breathing.
Odessa took in the sight before her. Lord Adar stood over his enemy with his head held high. The sun haloed his hair and the long line of his body. His fearsome strength became like something out of a song when she took in the surrounding meadow. Like the glory of heroes, myths, and legends. Like the stories her mother told her before bed.
He pulled the knife free and wiped it clean on the wargâs fur. Then, he did the same for Odessaâs daggers. He walked up to her, holding the weapons out to her in offering. Odessa took them wordlessly.
âAre you hurt?â
âNo more than I was before.â
âGood.â
He glanced at her hand. âWe should get you to a healer.â
Odessa lifted her palm and looked at it. There was dirt in the cut, but it was no longer bleeding. She could see the edges beginning to knit together. Whatever heâd done, it was speeding along her already inhumanly fast healing.
âIâll be alright.â
He looked like he might argue, but didnât. His eyes moved from her hand to her face. They softened subtly. The sun cut through the gray, illuminating the hidden layers of blue beneath. A thousand thoughts passed over his face, all of them unspoken. Odessa wished he would say what he was thinking. It might give her permission to tell him the things she, too, kept secret. Dangerous territory to find herself in.
âDo you know where we are?â she asked.
He gave an elegant shrug and he glanced at the position of the sun. âEast of the city.â
Odessa ran her fingers through her tangled curls. âI guess we start walking west, then.â
The panic from nearly dying faded, leaving Odessa tired with a faint headache. The second she got back to the cottage, she was going to clean the dirt from her skin and fall into bed. Hopefully, she would sleep for at least a day. By the time she woke, the whole mess would be behind her.
âElenna is going to be...so incensed that her picnic was interrupted.â
Lord Adar stepped around a low shrub. âI think she will be glad to still be alive.â
âAlive,â Odessa replied, âand deterred from having a good time.â She thought another moment about it, then added, âBut, her engagement dinner will be the talk of the town for a long, long time.â
He laughed. It was soft and low, but genuine. âThree wargs attacking during lawn billiards is a worthy subject for gossip.â
âFour,â Odessa said. âOr, have you forgotten?â
âI have not forgotten.â
âI think we were lucky the fourth one ran away. The guards struggled with just the three.â
âLucky?â he asked in true confusion. âOdessa, you were almost killed.â
She tossed him a grin that was almost false. âAlmost dead is not actually dead. Its an important distinction.â
âAre you always so cavalier about your death?â
It was a question she asked herself many times throughout the centuries. Usually right after nearly dying. Lord Adar was asking in anger. Odessa understood why. To him, she was human. A human with some as of yet unnamed power, but a human nonetheless.
âI think I have to be,â she said eventually.
The anger seeped out of him, replaced with exasperation. âWhy?â
Odessaâs jaw clenched. She didnât want to talk about this anymore. She walked on, hoping that he would let it go as heâd let other questions go before.
A hand caught hers. Lord Adar pulled her to a stop and made her look at him. âOdessa. Why?â
She stared at him. Because I already know what waits for me after.
He frowned, mistaking her silence for an admission. The backs of his fingers brushed over her cheek. âFearing death is not a weakness.â
The tenderness in his touch made her throat tighten with emotion. Odessa took a quick, calming breath. âI am not afraid.â
This was true. Odessa already knew what death felt like. Whenever it came for her again, she would face it down as she had the first time. On her feet.
He began to argue with her with soft words and an even softer touch. Odessa pulled away and started walking again. She couldnât talk about this anymore. It made her feel too naked. Too vulnerable. Lord Adar followed her at a distance. She could feel his eyes on her all the way back to the city.
I am really struggling with starting my next fic. I planned to continue working with the Rings of Power to tell Mika's part of the story, but I'm finding that my creative energy is veering off on a tangent to another fandom.
In other words, a palate cleanser.
I'm going to sit with this story line for a few days and see if I can flesh it out into something workable. If I can manage to come up with an ending I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to write something under 100,000 words (let's be honest, long fics are kind of my jam).
I have drafted twelve chapters in a week. The next chapter will be the chapter where a big secret is revealed. I've got two major adversaries that present two completely different problems for the main characters. I have a motif that I am peppering through. And, I have a massive, super action packed climax prepared.
Idk if I've gotten better at writing, but I definitely have gotten better at plot crafting. I've never worked this quickly on a piece of fiction. The forward momentum is very exciting.
If I can figure out the next ten chapters and move through them with the same intensity, I should have a viable story to post in ten to twelve weeks. Give me some time to drill down on that deadline and I'll start posting about the fandom and the pairing.
One thing I can definitely tell you, dear reader, is that I am continuing my exploration of dark, morally gray men.
Currently playing a game with myself called 'how many chapters is it going to take before these characters finally kiss?" My record is 31. I sincerely don't think it will take that long for this pairing. The main character is yearning.
Outlined chapters 26-29. From here, I think we reach the mid-point. All the subplots are started and intensifying. The main character is forced to make more and more difficult decisions that are counter to who they think they are as a person.
I think I can make the announcement of the fandom at the end of July. Followed by the pairing reveal and the story summary. First chapter will likely go up in early August.
Be patient with me, readers. I'm working as fast as I can, but I want this story to be on par or better than my other stories.
Summary: Odessa's job had two primary responsibilities: Keep the realm of Middle Earth in balance and don't get involved. For centuries, those two tasks have come easy to her--especially in the tranquil city of Lossarnach. When a dark stranger rides through the gates, the balance of her world turns on its axis. Both of her primary directives unravel at an alarming rate, leaving Odessa questioning her very purpose.
Word Count:~4,400
Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.
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Odessa received the invitation through a messenger. She was to join Elenna for a picnic to celebrate her engagement to Lord Tivan. The message was written on a thick vellum in a flowing script that was very...formal. Black ink on ivory paper. The invite lacked all color and personality. It wasnât even perfumed.
She read it over several times, running a finger along the line indicating that she should arrive at the western gate in the mid-afternoon. The short notice felt intentional, but Odessa was at a loss as to what the intention might be. Elenna hadnât been seen inside or outside the keep since the arrests in the hollow days before. Not even the maids had any information to share.
Odessa checked the sun. She had enough time to take up a leisurely pace while getting ready. She picked up the bucket by the door and went to the well to get water. Then, she went back to the cabin and started a fire. While she waited for the water to heat, she stripped down and took the wrap from her head. Naked, she methodically washed her hair and body.
She debated wearing a dress. Something with a little more elegance to suit the occasion. The new gown wasnât finished yet, though sheâd received the final order of beads from Brint. It would take another week or two of work before it was wearable. There were, of course, other dresses in her collection, but none held any appeal.
Odessa went to her chest and reached into the endless bag. She pulled free the first thing that met her fingers. Standing, she shook it out and held it up for inspection. Odessa hadnât seen this coat in years. The vibrant sapphire wool had a hem that fell to her ankles. The front seams split below the waist on both sides to allow for maximum movement. She ran a thumb along the lapel, remembering how difficult it was to stitch the sharp, angular pattern in a matching thread.
She tossed to coat onto her bed so that she could pull on a soft white blouse and black slacks. The boots she wore most days were too informal to match the outfit. She reached under her bed to find a pair that were knee high and made of soft black leather. These, she set aside for later. At her vanity, she applied a soft line of kohl around her eyes.
When she was done, her hand hovered over a strip of black cloth. She stared at her hair in the mirror. The red curls had grown out over the last few months. Instead of brushing against the nape of her neck, they now fell past her shoulders. Odessa rarely let it get so long, but found that she liked the way it looked. She left the cloth where it was and went about wrapping each individual curl around her finger with a little balm to tame the frizz.
When her hair curled around her face in a gleaming halo of deep red, Odessa pushed from the vanity. She put on her coat and boots, then checked her appearance in the mirror.
âThis looks nice,â Odessa said to the empty room.
She fluffed her hair one more time and went to the door where she paused. The picnic was outside the city in the plain between the river, the forest, and the mountains. It would be heavily guarded. She didnât need a weapon. Odessa went and got her dagger, anyways. The sheath wouldnât fit in her boot. They were too fitted to her calves. She hooked it into the waist band at her side where the thick wool concealed its presence. Feeling as prepared as she could be, she left the cottage and walked to the west gate.
Odessa wanted to say that the party was larger than she expected, but this was Elennaâs event. She also wanted to say that she expected as many guards as there were. Odessa counted twenty of them, all on horseback, all armed. Several of the keepâs staff stood around the groupâs perimeter. They were asking for the invitations. Odessaâs invitation was still sitting on her vanity.
She cursed lowly and walked up to the servant. âGood afternoon. I am Odessa. Iâ.â
âAh, yes,â the servant interrupted her. âWe have instructions to bring you to Lady Elenna as soon as you arrive.â
Odessa shut her mouth. Well, that is fortunate, she thought. Followed by, Why would she do that?
She followed the servant past the line of guards and it was like passing through a physical threshold. The streetâs rough edges gave way to lace and tulle and glinting jewels. The further Odessa walked, the more she regretted her choice in clothing. A dress would have been far more appropriate. She hadnât put on any jewelry. Not even a hairpin.
Odessa forced her chin high while she walked around the overflowing skirts of other women. Elenna stood at the very center with Lord Tivan at her side. She was wearing a dress of deep green that matched the stitching on Lord Tivanâs tunic. Sheâd continued her habit of eschewing jewelry. Her only adornments were the sparkling emeralds dotting her hair.
Elenna smiled as Odessa approached. âYouâre here!â
âIâm here.â
She took Odessaâs hand. âI was not sure you would come.â
Odessa frowned. âWhy would I not?â
âBecause I,â she said, then paused to look around. âBecause of what happened.â
Odessa could not help but to look around with her. There were a lot of people within hearing distance and information would travel at top speed if she wasnât careful with her words.
âWhat happened was...unfortunate. I hope youâve learned from it.â
Elenna very nearly rolled her eyes. âI learned that I underestimated how protective my father is.â She gestured to their left.
Lord Wystrom stood not too far away talking to a bald man with an icy white beard trimmed close to his face. His expression was quietly thoughtful, as if he were deeply considering what the bald man was saying to him.
âA father has a right to be protective over his daughter,â Odessa replied.
âHe sent guards after me,â Elenna groused. She touched Lord Tivanâs arm. âHe would not even let me see my betrothed for two whole days.â
Lord Tivanâs expression went shy as she pronounced âbetrothedâ. He took a small step closer to Elenna and let her lean a little into his body. They made a sweet image together.
A whistle went up. Elenna grinned at the sound and bounced on her feet. âEveryone is here. Now, we can get going.â
âGoing where?â
âJust wait until you see. It took hours to arrange, and that was with his,â she tipped her head to Lord Tivan, âhousekeeperâs excellent advice.â
Lord Tivan smiled. âI was happy to lend her services.â
âShe and I will be spending much more time together while we plan the wedding.â
âAh, right,â Odessa breathed. âI forgot to congratulate you on the engagement.â
âThank you,â Elenna replied primly. âIâm very happy.â
Odessa held a smile on her mouth to keep from asking, Are you? Lord Tivan was clearly content with his young, beautiful bride. He could barely take his eyes off her. Odessa was not quite so sure of Elenna. She looked happyâsmiling and preening under the attention of others. It was such a huge change from just a few weeks ago when sheâd proclaimed she didnât like him that Odessa could not stop herself from doubting.
The guards rode through the gate, herding the group slowly through. Odessa walked next Elenna. She could feel the tremors of excitement coming off the woman in waves. It brought a wide grin to Odessaâs mouth that felt like it would last all day.
Settled halfway between the wall and the treeline was a riot of colorful blankets, all weighed down with large vases full of white roses. Servants were standing at the ready, picnic baskets hanging from their arms. As they drew near, Elenna sent Odessa a smile that was all pride.
âI am impressed,â Odessa said, following Elenna to a large blanket at the very end.
âOf course you are,â Elenna replied.
Lord Tivan helped Elenna to sit, saying, âYou did very well.â
âOh, that is so nice of you to say.â
He offered Odessa a hand, kneeling down in time with her to sit next to Elenna. âIt is the truth. I see many ladies looking at your work with envy.â
âWho?â
Lord Tivan leaned over and lowered his voice. âLady Caletta and Lady Violet look positively green with it. Wait. Wait. Only look when they pour your wine.â
Odessa watched Elenna go through the farce of pretending she wasnât glancing around to find the envious ladies. A sly look here. A careful turn of her head there. It was very amusingâand, it evaporated the second her father set foot on the blanket. He brought with him several lords, one of which was the bald man he was speaking to earlier. Another was Lord Adar.
She watched him sit with curiosity. He looked...different. She was so used to seeing him in monochrome black and gray. The Lord Adar she looked on now was much more vibrant. Everything about him, save for his usual armor, was tinged with color. Even his hair. She always thought it was black, but it wasnât. It was brown. A very deep brown.
Odessa was still a little bit irritated with him. She wanted to know what he knew about the thing between them. His refusal to share what he knew without getting information in return was understandable. Understandable, but irritating. Odessa could not tell him about the apate and he wasnât buying her lies. Every time she weighed giving him the truth, she came back to the same conclusion. The mantle was a secret that she could not share.
âI heard,â Lord Wystrom said in her direction, âyou more than held up your end of our bargain.â
Odessa accepted a glass of wine from one of the servants. âDid you?â
âI did,â he confirmed. He held her gaze for a few beats, then turned away to talk with the bald man again. âLord Ertan, how is my gate coming along?â
Odessa blinked at the abrupt dismissal. Her eyes went instinctively to Lord Adar, as if he might be able to offer an explanation. A servant offered him a glass of wine, which he declined. She looked away before he could catch her staring. There was definitely something different about him, above and beyond the color of his hair and skin.
Elenna craned her neck to look around. She gave a subtle nod to the servant standing nearest to her. On cue, the servants started into motion. With long, arcing flourishes, they swung the baskets off their arms. A secondary line of servants walked forward holding round tables with short, stubby legs. They put the tables down so that the array of foods could be laid out.
The fare was not what Odessa expected for a picnic. Seasonal vegetables baked into flat bread drizzled with honey. Crispy potatoes cut very thin and fried in oil sat next to a thick dip of garlic, shallots, spinach and grated cheese. Prawns, sliced carrots, and cabbage wrapped up into rolls that could be easily eaten with hands. Little sandwiches with thickly sliced tomatoes and cheese. There was more laid out on the table than anyone could feasibly eat in one sitting. Odessa made rather educated guess that ostentatious excess was exactly the point.
She sipped her wine, tasting sweet honeysuckle. When a servant neared her, she got their attention and made a request in a low voice. They smiled and nodded before scuttling away.
âSo,â Odessa said to Elenna, âhave you started thinking about your dress?â
It was an unnecessary question. Elenna was always thinking about what she was going to wear.
âI thought I might ask Rutinia to make it,â she began, âbut, after she made Lady Hwinâs dress, I thought otherwise.â
âWhy? Rutinia is very skilled.â
âDid you see it?â
Odessa huffed a laugh. âShe wouldnât make you the same dress. She could make you anything you liked.â
âAll the same,â Elenna replied, âLord Tivanâs housekeeper recommended a seamstress. She made his motherâs dress.â
Lord Tivan smiled softly and picked up Elennaâs hand. He pressed a kiss to the back of it. âYou will look beautiful no matter who makes your dress.â
Elenna turned a coy shoulder. âOf course. Weâll host it in the southern sanctuary.â She touched Odessaâs arm. âWomen wear veils inside. I can have one made for you, if you like.â
âI think I can manage it,â Odessa replied with a chuckle. âBut, thank you.â
She followed the trail of a servants moving around the blanketâs edge. He leaned down next to Lord Adar with a goblet in one hand and a pitcher in the other. Lord Adar listened briefly before giving a short nod. Odessa hid her smile behind the rim of her glass.
âWill you have white roses in the sanctuary?â she asked.
Elenna thought about it. âDo you think its a little...overdone?â
âWhite roses?â
âYes. Every bride has white roses.â
âWell,â Odessa drawled, ânot every bride.â
Elennaâs expression brightened with humor. âSome brides choose...more vibrant colors.â
âVibrant colors can be tasteful.â
âOr gauche.â
âOr gauche,â Odessa echoed.
Elenna sighed. She observed the blankets around them with both a critical eye and wistful appreciation. âThis wedding will be remembered for years. Decades, even. And, not for being gauche.â
Odessa fully believed her.
When Elenna judged that everyone had their fill, she waved for the servants. They cleared it away with the same dancing flourishes as they put it out. Lord Tivan helped Elenna to stand and she gleefully announced that games had been set up between the blankets and the treeline. The large painted rectangle was dotted with brightly colored wooden balls.
Elenna started the game off by using a long handled mallet to knock one of the balls across the rectangle. She smiled to acknowledge the polite round of applause before handing the mallet off the Lord Tivan. Odessa turned down his offer to join the game, indicating with her glass that she was out of wine. He nodded and gave the mallet to Lord Wystrom so that he could take his shot.
Odessa lingered near the servants, watching the game with interest. Sheâd seen a similar game played in Rohan during a long, hot summer that felt like it would never end. Odessa left Rohan before the winter came that year. She walked through the cold months and eventually found herself wandering through a meadow of blooming flowers. The beauty drew her to Lossarnach as much as the contentment deeply embedded in its citizens.
While she pondered the difference between the two realms, Odessa lazily let her senses flow outwards. As Elenna planned, people were enjoying themselves. They were, at turns, relaxed and amused. Odessa waited until Elenna scored a point before taking a breath and carefully stoking the low, pleasant buzz. It bloomed into applause and cheers while Elenna curtsied primly.
Good deed done, Odessa scanned the crowd and found Lord Adar watching from across the playing field. His dark armor stood out among the vividly clothed people around him. As did his inner light. She focused on it, noting that there were less shadows swirling within. The light was brighter and stronger. It reached upwards with more force.
Odessa remembered what it felt like to be pressed against him. To feel the power he held inside pulling at her own. She remembered listening to his breaths and the pounding of his heart under her palm.
A shadow. It walked at the very edges of her vision, tearing the realmâs threads on the way. Odessa saw it for what it wasâan apate parading around in human form. A walking dead thing. She let her senses drop so that she could see the physical world again. Her eyes narrowed in on the tall, bald man with the white beard. Lord Ertan. Only, it wasnât Lord Ertan. Not anymore.
There were too many people around to attack. Likely, one of the guards would apprehend her within seconds. Odessa couldnât kill the apate while sitting in a jail cell. She had to stand there and watch it talk amiably with others like it wasnât the living embodiment of evil.
âYou look angry.â
Odessa jumped and let out a sharp gasp, much to Lord Adarâs amusement. She gave him a glare and said, âI am angry.â
His head tipped to the side, hair spilling over his shoulder. âWhy?â
She couldnât tell him what sheâd seen. So, she sidestepped and answered, âMaybe its because you refuse to tell me what I want to know.â
His mouth quirked. âIt is not refusal. It is caution.â
âCaution?â she blurted, incensed. âReally?â
Lord Adar turned to face her. âYes. Caution.â
âWhat do you have to be cautious about? Iâm no danger to you.â
He leaned down to speak directly into her ear. âI disagree.â
His voice carried more than its usual rasp. The challenge he presented mixed with the warmth of his breath and the intensity in his eyes when he pulled back to look at her. A heady feeling surged forward, riding on a wave of electric static. Odessaâs mouth opened, but she couldnât form words.
A cry went up. Someone screamed. Lord Adar straightened and turned to look behind him. Odessa angled around his body. Her eyes went wide. Wargs. Three of them were standing at the treeline. She could hear their growling, could see steam rising from their mouths.
âFiglio de puttana,â she breathed.
People started running for the wall. It was too far. The wargs would be on them before they could make it. They would kill without thought, without mercy. Another cry came, this one she knew. E
Her feet were moving before her brain caught up. Instinct telling her to get Elenna to safety, then see to the others. She sprinted up to Elenna and ducked down to haul her up and over her shoulder. Then, she made for the nearest guard. With a single, forceful heave, Odessa threw Elenna over the guardâs lap.
âGo!â
The guard needed no further prompting. He took off with Elennaâs feet kicking through yards of green fabric. Odessa made sure the horse got some distance before she turned to look for the wargs. To her disbelief, they hadnât yet advanced. Hadnât even taken a step forward.
Odessa was not going to question her good fortune. She burst into action, searching for and finding a green embroidered tunic in the mass of people.
âLord Tivan,â she screamed to get his attention.
He turned, âOdessa. Where is Elenna?â
âSheâs safe. You need to run. Get on a horse and run!â
He shook his head. âI have to protect these people.â
âYou have to live for these people,â Odessa bit out. She didnât know if he could fight, and she didnât care. The man didnât even have a sword.âElenna needs you.â
She grabbed his tunic and dragged him to the nearest guard. Lord Tivanâs protests were lost on her. She signaled the guard and waited until Lord Tivan was safely on the horse before checking on the wargs again. One was walking forward out of the treeline. Head down. Teeth bared. Their time was up.
A row of several guards stood with swords at the ready. Lord Wystrom sat astride a horse among them. The guard he took the horse from was by his side, watching the wargs. There were several other lords standing around him. Their elegantly tailored tunics and jackets were incongruous with the danger they faced. Odessa found Lord Adar standing just behind the men. His stance was eerily relaxed.
She walked up to his side. âI bet you wish youâd worn your sword.â
He kept his eyes on the wargs and tilted his head at her. âAt least I have a knife. You are unarmed.â
She unbuttoned her jacket and reached for her weapon. âNo, Iâm not.â
âThis is not a group of smugglers,â Lord Adar replied as he eyed her dagger. âThese are wargs. They are dangerous.â
Odessa glared at him. âDo I look scared?â
His eyes gave her a once over. âNo.â
âThen,â she said, âI think you should consider what I do and do not think is dangerous.â
Odessa hadnât meant to echo their earlier conversation, but she wasnât going to think too hard about it. Not when the wargsâ growls were growing louder.
âAt arms!â Lord Wystrom yelled.
Steel rang through the air.
âForm ranks!â
Hooves clapped against the dirt. The guards moved to the front, circling around to form the first line of defense. Odessa stepped back and let them move. She might not be afraid, but she wasnât stupid. Her best chance of survival might hinge on how many men stood between her and the raging animal.
There was no clear signal, nothing to tell her fight had begun. Just dirt kicked up in her face and a howl that made her ears ring. She fell into a defensive crouch, watching the horses spread out. The wargs were fast. So fast that she missed how they flanked the guards until a horse squealed as it was thrown into the air. It flipped, head over hooves, its rider flying away.
The horse landed on its side and was then trampled to death by the warg. Its distraction was enough time for one of the guards to sink a sword deep into its thick hide. Another guard followed suit. The warg screamed and hissed and kicked as blood poured from its body.
Satisfied that this warg was taken care of, Odessa looked for the other two. One was being circled by several guard and Lord Wystrom. The other...broke through the ranks and was stampeding through a pair of men who had no hope of getting out of the way. It lowered its head and rammed one man hard. Odessa could hear the snap of his sternum from where she stood.
The man had enough forethought to push a dagger into the wargâs eye on his way to death. It cried out and shook the blade free. Then, it took several seconds to look around with its remaining good eye. Several seconds was enough time for Odessa to snatch up the discarded dagger and rush forward.
The warg could not be allowed to get any closer to the city. Not when people were still running for their lives. Drawing on the earthâs power was more difficult when she wasnât in direct contact. Difficult, but not impossible. Odessa leaned weight into her legs and leapt, pulling power into the jump so that the peak was well above the wargâs back. She came down with the lordâs dagger aimed at its spine.
Even half blind, the warg saw her coming. It skipped a few steps to the right, moving her target out of reach. Odessa shifted her grip on the dagger, feeling the drag of hair and muscle as she dug it into the wargâs side. The cut wasnât as deep as she would have liked, but it did begin to bleed freely.
She landed in a backwards roll to get out from under the wargâs feet. When she straightened to standing, Odessa found herself staring into the face of a very wounded, very angry beast. It stamped the dirt, growling low. The blood dripping from its side was already starting to slow. Saliva dripped from bared teeth. A single eye focused solely on her. Odessa widened her stance, facing the warg down in challenge.
It charged. Dust and dirt and grass flew up. The sun glinted off razor sharp tusks. Odessa could smell the stink of its body. She was no match for its strength, but she was small. And agile. She hefted both daggers and planned her attack. It was a risk. A terrible risk. If she was successful, the warg would fall.
The sounds of the fight softened. Her breathing slowed. She felt the earth bend around her body, rushing to assist her in excising this evil. With its support, Odessa took two steps forward to meet the wargâs approach. She dropped down into a slide, taking more than her body weightâs momentum with her. Odessa moved between the wargâs feet with her head down and her blade up.
She exited the other side and swung around to observe her work. The warg was still halfway through the motion of running. The feet carrying it forward slowed. Stumbled. Odessa grinned as its belly opened up and its entrails began to squeeze out. Small at first. Blood and mucus. Then, a gush of intestines and assorted viscera that plopped beneath. Odessa stood and looked at the lordâs blade. It was soaked with dripping red.
The third warg roared. She turned to find the plain littered with dead horses and riders. Some of which were nothing but snapped bone and muscle. Beyond, Lord Wystromâs horse was circling the warg. Swords stabbed from above. From below. From beside. The beast would take no more men today.
Nearby, Lord Adar watched with an inscrutable expression. There was blood coating the side of his face and the front of his armor. He held his dagger loosely at his side. All relaxation and calm. The wind rustled his hair, brushing it away from his pointed ears. He looked tall. Regal. Foreboding.
Something in the trees moved. Odessa flinched, alert for more wargs waiting their turn. She focused on the forest, spotting the shadow moving in the branches. A stone dropped into her stomach. This was no warg.
The apate was watching its minions with barely concealed glee. Odessa could see its mouth spreading out to reveal sharp teeth. The body of smoke hovered just far enough back that it could be dismissed, but Odessa was not fooled. She was, however, angry and filled with the rage that came with a good, hard fight.
Odessa sprinted to the trees. She went right past the guards killing the warg. Past Lord Adar, who called after her. She ignored all of it, along with the very small voice that was warning her about a trap.
I am really struggling with starting my next fic. I planned to continue working with the Rings of Power to tell Mika's part of the story, but I'm finding that my creative energy is veering off on a tangent to another fandom.
In other words, a palate cleanser.
I'm going to sit with this story line for a few days and see if I can flesh it out into something workable. If I can manage to come up with an ending I'll give it a go. Maybe I'll be able to write something under 100,000 words (let's be honest, long fics are kind of my jam).
I have drafted twelve chapters in a week. The next chapter will be the chapter where a big secret is revealed. I've got two major adversaries that present two completely different problems for the main characters. I have a motif that I am peppering through. And, I have a massive, super action packed climax prepared.
Idk if I've gotten better at writing, but I definitely have gotten better at plot crafting. I've never worked this quickly on a piece of fiction. The forward momentum is very exciting.
If I can figure out the next ten chapters and move through them with the same intensity, I should have a viable story to post in ten to twelve weeks. Give me some time to drill down on that deadline and I'll start posting about the fandom and the pairing.
One thing I can definitely tell you, dear reader, is that I am continuing my exploration of dark, morally gray men.
Currently playing a game with myself called 'how many chapters is it going to take before these characters finally kiss?" My record is 31. I sincerely don't think it will take that long for this pairing. The main character is yearning.
