Novel Writing Month

[lantairvlea]

It's that time of year again! Writing goal is 20,000 words and I'm going to try to fill the gap in FFK with it. Most of the following is nowhere near said gap, but aiming my writing at a specific place in the manuscript has been a challenge in the past.

652 words below

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"You could let me breath, Ieshan," Dantel gasped under his cousin's grip.

Ieshan let go. "Sorry, Del, it's good to see you You should join us for a bit. There's some things we should talk about." He patted Dantel on the shoulder and turned back towards the table he came from.

Dantel's eyes widened slightly and then he hurried after his cousin. Dantel took a seat and looked around the table. The only one he recognized was Sray among the half dozen other people surrounding the round table.

"Have you found anything?" he asked, not waiting for an introduction to the others.

Sray game him a tired, tight-lipped smile. "Nothing solid yet. Dendrin is outside Engama's influence, which makes it harder."

"You have to have found something," he pressed. 

Sray exchanged a look with Ieshan and took in a heavy breath. "You and Jona made it a little easier setting their horses loose and destroying the harnesses, but the relay they used is--"she paused with a short, sharp inhale--"is not being very cooperative at the moment. They are a little indignant at the accusations."

---

"I want to go." 

"I'm not in charge of that," Sray said.

"This will be dangerous. You have just begun your training. You'll be in the way more than helpful. You need to be here when Kallon returns. I have two and a half years of this, Dantel. You've had months. I'm a hybrid and that does come with some advantages that you just don't have."

---

Thelus signed, "how many?"

Sray held up two fingers. Only two. She touched the wall and closed her eyes, trying to feel out the room. The two bodies were close together. There was nothing else in the room, but as she felt further she sensed the void behind them. Possibly a construct wall sat there, blocking her from feeling past and, no doubt, keeping Kallon contained.

There would be no sneaking past the two standing watch. They sat too close to the void to think there was any way around them. Muffled words came to her ears, they weren't asleep like the first guard.

"Stay here, be ready," Sray signed.

Thelus frowned and gave a small shake of his head.

"Together we're too suspicious," she whispered.

"Fine," Thelus signed back, still frowning his disapproval. "Be careful."

Sray nodded and turned to the stairs. She straightened up and adjusted her robes as comfortably as she could. Act like you belong, she told herself.

---

The second man tried to run for the stairs, but Thelus was suddenly in front of him. A strangled yell died in the man's throat. Thelus dragged the limp body and dropped him next to the other unconscious man.

"Sedative." Thelus held out his hand to Sray and she quickly handed him the syringes.

"What's goin' on?" The words were low and rough with a rumbling growl underlying them that made the voice almost unrecognizable.

"Kalva, we're getting you out," Sray replied in Getie'an and went to the miserable little room's opening.

"Sray?" He blinked, disbelief flashed before being replaced with desperate panic. "No!" He lurched off the cot and crumpled, cursing to the floor. "Get out, go! You can't be here!"

---

"Should I offer them a place to sleep? I don't think Sray will like it, but they seem like good young men and leaving them out and exposed with the troll seems a shame when we can offer them roof and a soft place to sleep."

"I'll let you be the judge of that," Teigan said. "Were you planning on the house or the barn?"

"I'll offer both, but I suspect they'll choose the barn to annoy Sray a little less."

"Thank you, madam," Ientel said. "But we wouldn't want to impose."

Sray looked sharply at her mother and then at Ientel and Forentel. Kallon looked amused, sitting on the other side of them, much to Sray's annoyance.