The Serialists - Scene 62

My Scorpius serial is now joining The Serialists which moves my serialized fiction series to Wednesdays.

To recap this dark fantasy story so far:

As a small boy of seven, Scorpius was fetched from the nursery where he'd been raised to live among the nobility - fetched not by his family, but by a falconer to serve as his apprentice.

Scorpius soon learned that a close encounter with a dragon was preferable to the cruelties of the nobles he'd once hoped were family. His master did whatever he could to shield Scorpius from the world outside their cottage, but the falconer was merely a servant, when all was said and done.

An attempt on the life of a young noble while on a hunt sent the falconer and his apprentice on abruptly different paths.

We continue with Scorpius at age sixteen as he enters the service of Lord Thibault.

You can follow the progress of this story arc by clicking on the Works in Progress link just under the blog header.


Scene 62

Scorpius woke from a fitful haze as the cell door creaked open. His master’s uncle and the captain of the guard entered, fanning out to reveal a third member of their party.

Rising stiffly to his knees, Scorpius fought hard to erase any hint of his relief at the sight of Lord Thibault. Perhaps to make his struggle easier, his master strode forward, planted his foot on Scorpius’ chest and shoved, slamming him onto the stone floor.

Scorpius' grunt of surprise echoed in the cell. He sprawled onto his back, his master's foot pressing relentlessly into his ribs. "Enjoying my uncle's hospitality," Lord Thibault said, gazing down upon him.

If he hadn’t met his new master before now, Lord Thibault’s expression would have scattered his courage into the darkest corners of this cell.

“He looks well enough,” the young noble said. “Have him brought to my horse. I am bound for home.”

The captain bowed in a sweeping gesture, departing the cell with a backward glance at Scorpius. It made the hair on his body stand on end.

Glancing up at the uncle, he begged silently to be allowed to stay and serve him, as the noble had offered but Scorpius had refused. He must play his role until Lord Thibault could steer them free of these dangerous rapids. The older man caught his meaning and glanced quickly at the open cell door.

Lord Thibault shoved hard at Scorpius with his foot before removing it. “My father will be pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Scrambling to his knees, Scorpius bowed low and let the chilly damp set him to shivering.

“The poor fellow seems put off by your father, the duke,” said the uncle.

“It is not his intelligence I question, but his loyalties.” Lord Thibault sat upon the table, and Scorpius saw that his master had weakened himself with that display of aggression.

“Tricky, that,” his uncle said. “Your father expects you, then?”

“I doubt it. I made my way to you as soon as I made a prisoner of my captor.”

“Yes, I admit I was so very curious about that,” the noble said. “He seems a hard one to best.”

Once again, Scorpius’ chest flushed with pride at the uncle’s assessment of his strength and skill. Though it was laughable to think that an unschooled falconer’s apprentice could overpower the highly-trained son of a duke.

“Seems a waste to let your father break such a man,” said the uncle.

Scorpius’ blood chilled. His new master’s father filled him with foreboding. His heart beat quickened as he heard several footsteps making their rhythmic way along the corridor. Looking up as if in a panic towards the uncle, Scorpius saw the man pale slightly.

“Is there no way to take him off your hands?” the noble said. Gazing down into Scorpius’ eyes, the uncle’s pity reached across the cell, touching Scorpius so that his heart swelled with an irrational hope.

“I understand your feelings, uncle. I do. But we must see justice done.”

“Of course, you’re right,” the uncle said as the captain returned with another very large guard carrying a long rope.

“On your feet,” the captain barked, and in a blur Scorpius was hauled upright, his hands tugged forward by the brutish new guard and secured before him. Dragged forward, Scorpius stumbled until the corridor lightened and he was pushed from behind into the sunlight.

His new master took his leave from his uncle as the guard captain secured the long rope to the back of Lord Thibault’s saddle. Staring in dismay at the uncle, Scorpius’ stomach twisted when the older man couldn’t return his gaze.

Clucking at the horse, Lord Thibault set him to a walk, which propelled Scorpius forward, arms yanked so that his sore shoulders flared with new protests. Ignoring the stares and taunts of the people as they passed, Scorpius kept his gaze on the road before him. He dare not trip, for his new master would be obliged to drag him for a pace until he regained his feet.

© Julia Smith, 2011

Summer Stock Sunday - 36

Robin's Summer Stock Sunday meme continues - she invites all to post summery photos and visit other bloggers who share their feelings and memories about this magical season.

After a few weeks off of posting to this meme while I was away in New York City, I'm continuing with my vintage look at summer.













This shot was taken in the late 1960s on Centre Island in Toronto, Ontario.

My late father-in-law was a member of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and every summer my husband and his brothers and sister would enjoy the union family day out at Center Island, an easily-accessible oasis of small-town vibe a ferry ride away from the downtown core of Toronto.

For the thirteen years I lived there, I always cherished every day trip out to Centre Island. It runs the gamut from an amusement park area to a serene wildness area, gorgeous beaches and a fairy-tale cottage village where residents have the best of both worlds - a lake view, a cityscape view, only foot traffic, century-ago peace-and-quiet, with all the amenities of a metropolis at one's fingertips.

Shown in the picture, L to R:

My sister-in-law Karen, brother-in-law Ken, peeking out behind is my husband Brad, brother-in-law Jeff, mother-in-law Joan and Brad's late Grandma Smith (otherwise known as Esther.)

5 on Friday - Set 74

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.













This week's set is inspired by my recent trip to New York City - specifically, the writers' conference I attended in midtown Manhattan.

1 - The Song Remains the Same - Led Zeppelin



2 - Rock On - David Essex



3 - Oh What a Feeling - Crowbar



4 - Changes - David Bowie



5 - Get Ready - Rare Earth

Thursday Thirteen - 218 - 13 Things About My Trip to New York City

1 - This mega trip had multiple layers for me. It's been so amazing that I'm going to split it into several Thursday Thirteens, which I'll post in the coming weeks.

To begin with, this was the start of a two-week vacation from my day job. I had a very challenging winter and spring as my department switched capture software for my scanner. I was really, really up for this break.

Everything began with an overnight stay at my cousin's, because we had to leave very early for the airport. She treated me to some Jameson's Irish whiskey as we settled in to watch TV. Her husband and their dog Molly joined us, as Molly was very keen on demonstrating proper chillaxin technique.































2 - Having had a bit of a journey to obtain my passport, due to replacing lost documentation, my true enjoyment only began after we were safely through security and customs.

I sat next to my sister during the flight. She came to New York with my cousin and me - we're very silly at the best of times, and this handy tip on the instructions-in-case-of-emergency card aboard the aircraft had us in giggles. Apparently, using alien x-ray vision will be very important in a crisis.





























3 - Our cab driver took us from Newark Airport in New Jersey into midtown Manhattan.

Destination - the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Times Square.























4 - The hotel was massive. Very Matrix-like interior. I adored it.






























5 - But wait.

It gets better.

We opened the door to our hotel room and this is the view we found. For someone like me who thinks bigger is better when it comes to things like metropolis cities, castles, cathedrals and that sort of thing, our hotel room and view were beyond what I'd ever expected.

If you notice in the second photo in the upper left corner, those are the giant Blade Runner billboards revealed by the open curtains.























6 - On our very first day in The Big Apple, a red carpet premiere broke out in Times Square directly below us. It was for the third Transformers film.
























7 - New York is highly associated with film and television for me, so I was pleased when we strolled by a film crew on our way to Rockefeller Center and we saw a camera crew mounting a heavy camera on a crane attached to a car for travelling shots.

I also stopped to chat with Romantic Times magazine's website editor Morgan Doremus, who was interviewing authors during the writers' conference.























8 - We passed by NBC studios and CBS studios during our city treks.




























9 - Being the complete dance freak that I am, I tend to think of New York in dance terms.

Also on our way to Rockefeller Center, we passed by the hallowed Radio City Music Hall. There was a touring production of Cirque du Soleil during our stay, so no Rockettes. I had the incredible pleasure of seeing them on tour in Toronto, so I'd love to see them in their home venue some day.

Even though this trip was 90% writing conference, for me the performance of Swan Lake by American Ballet Theatre on our last day in New York was the highlight of the trip.

Some of you may remember that very, very high on my bucket list is to see the top ballet companies of the world perform in their home venues. As a surprise early birthday present for me (a few months early) my sister and cousin purchased tickets for the three of us to see Swan Lake while we were in town.

American Ballet Theatre is second on my all-time dance company bucket list (after the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia.) When they gave me the ticket at dinner back home in Cole Harbour, I seriously wept with joy for a solid hour. I had no idea what could be in the gift my sister was handing me, and when I folded back the tissue paper and saw the words 'The Met' in the upper left corner of a ticket, I lost it completely.

I made sure I didn't wish away the whole week, but in reality I was counting down the seconds until the curtain opened. I was so excited all day, I couldn't eat. It felt exactly the same as my wedding day.























10 - Having been an usher myself, I knew there were no flash pictures allowed inside the house. So I snuck these available light shots during intermission.

What a GORGEOUS theatre.
























11 - Also from my usher days, I didn't get too attached to the scheduled principals, knowing the dancers may be changed at the last minute due to injury.

We did have the scheduled Odette/Odile - Julie Kent, dancing in her 25th anniversary season.

But the prince was recast with Jose Manuel Carreño, who elevated the exceptional performance with a stellar turn as Siegfried. He had great chemistry with Julie Kent, and together they gave me chills.

I'll never forget his passionate leap from the cliff at the very end of the ballet. The audience gave the two principals three curtain calls. I LOVE curtain calls. During the final one, he took a personal moment between them as longtime company members and gave her a tender kiss. It's giving me shivers right now, thinking about it.























12 - Of course, the real reason for this trip was to attend my first Romance Writers of America's Nationals convention.

I've been a part of RWA for eight years, but never had the pleasure of going to the conference because I was never in a position to pitch my books before this year.

Of course, any member can attend, at any stage of their writing career, but I never wanted to go until I could pitch.

I am very pleased to report that I got requests for partials from both the agent and editor. Partials are the first 30 or 50 pages, plus synopsis, of your manuscript.

Yeah, baby.






























13 - That's my celebration Lemon Drop Martini at the airport on the way home, and my dog Xena greeting my sister on our return.

Join me next week for an in-depth look at the conference itself. An amazing, info-loaded experience that required a decompression period when I got back.

The Serialists - Scene 61

My Scorpius serial is now joining The Serialists which moves my serialized fiction series to Wednesdays.

To recap this dark fantasy story so far:

As a small boy of seven, Scorpius was fetched from the nursery where he'd been raised to live among the nobility - fetched not by his family, but by a falconer to serve as his apprentice.

Scorpius soon learned that a close encounter with a dragon was preferable to the cruelties of the nobles he'd once hoped were family. His master did whatever he could to shield Scorpius from the world outside their cottage, but the falconer was merely a servant, when all was said and done.

An attempt on the life of a young noble while on a hunt sent the falconer and his apprentice on abruptly different paths.

We continue with Scorpius at age sixteen as he enters the service of Lord Thibault.

You can follow the progress of this story arc by clicking on the Works in Progress link just under the blog header.


Scene 61

“How did my nephew come to overpower such a foe?” the noble asked, as though Lord Thibault wouldn’t be capable of such a thing under normal circumstances.

The smooth back which Richolf had safeguarded for him made Scorpius appear to be one of the blood. His former master could have wielded cruel lessons during his apprenticeship, but had never done so. There was no way to hide the tears of gratitude which he tried to blink away.

“You think he could best me in a fight?” Scorpius said with disdain.

“No. I am certain he could not,” the noble said.

Scorpius tried to ignore the flutter of pride that rose inside of him at those words. How he hated the feeling of those hot tears spilling down his cheeks. He must think of a reason for them.

“He made you his prisoner somehow,” the guard captain said.

Once again ignoring the captain as though it were beneath Scorpius to address him, he said, “Does it matter how he put me here? I shall be delivered to the duke soon enough.”

Both men laughed a second time, a chilling sound that raised the bumps on Scorpius’ skin. “A distressing prospect, to be certain,” the noble said.

Scorpius thought of his new master, how they had laughed together, suffered together. He thought of how generous Lord Thibault had been to Richolf, who meant more to Scorpius than anyone in the world. How could Lord Thibault’s father carry a reputation that filled men with such dread?

“Other men would be trying to forge a deal about now, would they not, my lord?” the captain said.

“Men with families and masters, you mean?” Scorpius said, looking off into the shadows.

“Perhaps I could offer you one or the other.” The noble leaned forward and took Scorpius’ chin in one hand.

Scorpius did not meet his gaze. He tried to free himself from the lord’s grasp, but it only made the noble squeeze painfully.

“Perhaps it’s time for you to stop roaming. Start giving allegiance to one house. One family.”

Wishing the lord’s words didn’t cut so close to the bone, Scorpius asked, “Why should you want me?” He was surprised to see an answering desperation in the noble’s eyes.

“The winds of discontent blow across this kingdom. And yet, only the first droplets of blood have been shed. It’s not every day an unclaimed man of your stature arrives at my door. I offer position, weapons and an income.”

Scorpius noticed the captain had circled around so that both men stared at him. The captain’s gaze roamed as though already fitting Scorpius out with a uniform and a blade.

“If you agree, I could send my nephew home without you. There would be no reason to discuss anything at all with the duke.”

What was going on? Scorpius suddenly felt like a game hen thrown down before the hunting dogs. “I shall take my chances,” he said, looking away.

The lord and the captain looked at one another in disbelief.

“I’m offering you an opportunity to stay here in one piece,” the noble said.

“Yes, and of course that is very kind of you,” Scorpius said.

The captain darted forward, once again grabbing Scorpius by a handful of hair. Forced to stare into the guard’s face, Scorpius got the eerie sensation that this man was somehow looking through him.

“You’re hiding something,” the captain said.

“You can ask the duke what it was when he’s done with me,” Scorpius said.

The guard released him and stepped back, just as the noble took a few steps forward. “If you share this information with me rather than with the duke, I could arrange for you to have more than a position. I could arrange a title for you.”

Scorpius' heart seized up inside his chest. What kind of torment was this? Offering his every heart’s desire instead of slicking the stone floor with his blood? What sort of information did they think he possessed?

It was madness. He felt dizzy and nauseous.

The terrible images of his childhood rushed forward just then, filled with lords stabbing one another on the falconer’s doorstep, with a pale body dragged off for the dragon to destroy the evidence.

Perhaps he did know something after all. He looked across the cell at the noble and the guard captain. Just as he’d sensed in the market square when he’d bartered for Richolf’s pelts, he felt the tide turn here in this clammy cell.

The shackles still dug into his wrists, his shoulders and legs still ached from his day of forced standing. He was in a stone cell beneath the noble’s estate. But he felt suddenly as though he sat high upon Lord Thibault’s stallion.

Strange, how his mind worked so hard to break him out of this gloom. But in this landscape, his mind was his most important weapon. A stout heart could languish here for months. A sharp mind could defend him when his height and strength were bound and useless.

Scorpius looked away from his tormentors, dismissing them as he had been dismissed so many times after the hunt. He felt the ripple of their frustration in the close confines of the cell. A smile wanted to tug at his lips, but he knew he could not pull off something so daring. It was enough to feel the smile lighting his courage.

© Julia Smith, 2011

Scorpius will be moving to Wednesdays

Hi everyone -

I've joined a new serialized fiction group which posts on Wednesdays instead of during the weekend, so my next installment of Scorpius' story will appear on July 6th.

5 on Friday - 73

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.


Happy Canada Day to all celebrating in The Great White North!











At this point, I'm several days into the writers' conference in Manhattan. I'll have loads of stories and pictures to share when I get back.

Today brings us to the wrap-up post for my five-part Beatles series - this time featuring the irreverent John Lennon.

1 - And Your Bird Can Sing



2 - No Reply



3 - Julia

As I mentioned last week during my Paul McCartney set, my sister and I were beyond lucky to have Beatles songs with our names in the titles. My sister has Michelle, and I have this one.



4 - Jealous Guy



5 - Instant Karma