Six Sentence Sunday - 6

Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky at Six Sentence Sunday, and visit other SSS participants.


This snippet from SAINT SANGUINUS takes place when Cavan, the son of the village wise woman was a boy of thirteen.


Here he watches as a spell launched against his rival--Peredur, future warrior for their 6th century Welsh village--shoots off in an unexpected direction.

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The sword master took his time and methodically drew a bloody pattern in his young student’s skin. When Tanwen finally arrived with her brother, dismay marred her features. I don’t know why that angered me, but it did.

It almost distracted me from the show Peredur performed so beautifully, his fellow students flinching in unison with every turn of the knife blade.

Peredur knelt there for a moment once it was over, breathless and shaking as the sword master rose and turned away.

Eventually Peredur pushed himself up, turned and quickly wiped his face as Owen walked toward the bench--this I hadn’t predicted at all.

Six Sentence Sunday - 5

Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky at Six Sentence Sunday, and visit other SSS participants.

This snippet from SAINT SANGUINUS takes place when 6th century Welsh warrior Peredur was a boy of eight.

This takes place just after the men of Yn Wyddfrid return with his father's body, following a battle.

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I clutched tight to my little sister, rocking her as she matched Mam’s cries.

I couldn’t shed tears because I refused to believe. My heart seemed frozen, my sobs not yet formed even though my eyes saw and my ears heard.

After a very long time, some women from the village arrived to join their cries with Mam’s. One young girl walked up the hill to our hut, gazing down at me with sorrow, her face wet with tears. She wordlessly reached for my little sister, who stretched her arms out for the girl and her more practiced way of holding a wee sister.

Six Sentence Sunday - 4

Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky at Six Sentence Sunday, and visit other SSS participants.

This snippet from SAINT SANGUINUS takes place when 6th century Welsh warrior Peredur was a boy of thirteen.

Already the 'man' of the family for five years after his father fell in battle, Peredur finds himself at odds one day with his mother when his plans clash with hers.

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I took her blows as bravely as I could, but I was also angry and humiliated.

When she left off hitting me, I turned on her, accusing Mam of treating me like a baby. Then I did something completely unconscionable. I shoved Mam and said, “Don’t ever strike me again, woman!”

The look on her face shredded my heart, but I couldn’t go back on what I’d just said, or I really would be a child unworthy of beginning my training with the sword master. Instead, I stormed out of the hut and ignored the sound of tears in her voice as Mam called after me.

Six Sentence Sunday - 3

Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky at Six Sentence Sunday, and visit other SSS participants.

I was just about to shut down the computer last night, when I realized I hadn't signed up for this week's SSS. Of course, when I made my way over there, the Linky had already closed.

:-(

Oh well - I'll post anyway, and remember to sign up in time from now on.

This week, we meet a member of a love triangle in my debut vampire novel, SAINT SANGUINUS. Cavan is the son of the village wise woman in 6th century Wales. Though admired by the women for his handsome charm, his association with someone feared for her healing powers means he's never been considered as a possible mate.

Yet, he's always held a candle for Tanwen, betrothed to recently-fallen warrior Peredur.

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“What is barely tolerated in a woman is feared and loathed and hunted down in a man.” He glanced back at his mam for a long moment, then gazed back up at Tanwen. She’d thought he already appeared as emotionally naked as a man could get, but the expression he wore now was heartrending.

“Do you know she foresaw everything that would happen to me, including this night, Tanwen? And she was urged by her spirit guide to put an end to me there and then, with the blood of her womb still upon me.”

Tanwen shook her head at the horror of such a thought, even though his words ‘including this night’ set her trembling.

Six Sentence Sunday - 2

Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky at Six Sentence Sunday, and visit other SSS participants.

Last week we were introduced to Dark Ages Welsh warrior Peredur, the hero of my debut vampire novel, SAINT SANGUINUS.

This week we meet Tanwen, the woman whose name was on his lips as he lay wounded on the battlefield.

After the wise woman purchases a ring from a peddler, her son Cavan returns the ring to Tanwen. Everyone in the village knows it belonged to Peredur.

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New tears began.

“I can’t,” she said.

Cavan pressed his mouth like a kiss near her ear. “Yes, you can,” he whispered.

Tanwen squeezed the ring in her hand until the edges bit. She took a deep breath, nodded and covered the rest of the space between herself and her home.

Six Sentence Sunday - 1

I'm joining a new-to-me meme called Six Sentence Sunday. Writers are encouraged to post six sentences from a work-in-progress or published piece. Sign into the Linky, and visit other SSS participants.

Here are the opening lines from my Dark Ages vampire novel, SAINT SANGUINUS, which opens in Wales in 577.

~~~~~~~~

Peredur coughed up blood.

Moans hung in the autumn air as women picked carefully between the tangled embraces at their feet. He could only watch them pass. A spear pinned him to the ground as the sun made ready to set without him.

His lips fought to form the name of his beloved. Tanwen.