Ask The Old Writer

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to Tales of Sir Neva Mar

cover art by Aranel the Cyborg, now @wind-the-mama-cat​

<==Previous

“Still, in the morning, shortly before the first light, the villagers will come to despoil your corpse. If you are still hale, they will slay you and put the blame on me. It has happened a few times before this.”

Offering Raven Shade his wrist, King Neva Mar said, “Take some nourishment, then. Not too much, though. In the morning we will both need our strength to affright the villagers off.”

Taking the offered wrist as if it were a treasure, Raven Shade stated, “Never has any shown such trust in me before. I will drink with care, I promise.” Gently she laid her fangs to his skin and pierced it.

In the morning, before first light, the skulking villagers found King Neva Mar mounted, armed and ready for battle. Eyes slitted in rage, he declared, “So! This is the truth of the tale of a monster in these woods! I slept well and was undisturbed. It is YOU who are the monsters.” His sword sliding from its sheath with a sinister whisper of steel, King Neva Mar went on, “If you turn away now, I shall let you live!” At the nudge of a knee, his well trained war horse, Tschadow, charged into their midst. King Neva Mar laid about him with the flat of his blade, having no real wish to cause anyone serious harm.

Raven Shade screamed an unearthly howl from the stone pile that was her grave and ran down to his aid. The villagers broke and fled as if for their very lives.

Raven Shade leaned upon King Neva Mar’s stirrup and laughed again. Looking up, she said, “I shall miss you until you return, Good King. This has been the best night I have had since I was murdered here. I look forward to the keeping of your promise.”

Reaching down, King Neva Mar replied, “You look forward to it no more than I. The treaty with King Maulk of Ravenwood has been made for three months, now. As soon as I finish the map of the route, my people and the workers chosen by him will have the new road to the plains kingdoms done in a few more months.”

Now Raven Shade asked a question that clearly perplexed her. “Why do you make this road at all? You have the pass and all of the revenue of it already. The road to the plains kingdoms through King Gran’s lands in Callo is already there. Why change it? Even more, why would a King speak to a commoner, as I always was, of such weighty matters of State?”

- the menu at a restaurant is not an ingredient list you can use to create new dishes we could hypothetically make for you instead of the choices on the menu

- we do not have omelets on the menu because we do not make or serve omelets

- yes, i know we have eggs on the menu, but we still do not have omelets.

- yes, i realize omelets are eggs, but not all eggs are omelets, and the eggs we serve are not omelets.

- you cannot out-logic me so that i cave in and ring in an omelet for you. i am better at arguing than you are.

- there are no omelets here. there have not been, and will not be, omelets here. if you want an omelet you will need to go somewhere else.

- i can also promise that you do not want an omelet cooked by line cooks who have not been trained how to make omelets. because we don't sell omelets.

- no, i am not going to single-handedly put service on pause for the next twenty minutes while three cooks google how to make an omelet and then proceed to fuck up multiple omelets that our kitchen is not set up to prepare, so you can have an omelet.

-and we both know you'd bitch if it takes longer than six minutes to come out anyway.

- no, you may not just go back into the kitchen and make yourself an omelet. the line cooks do not take kindly to trespassing. also, what the hell.

- i hear that you want an omelet. that does not change the fact that we do not offer omelets. if you want to eat an omelet, you will need to go to another restaurant that does have omelets on the menu. this is not negotiable.

- i am the manager.

We only have RAVEN'S REVENGE, in two parts left.

What do you want me to to post next?

A. More World of Sea following Kurin?

B. Almost Feudal Japan

C. Something from MLP Fan Fiction?

D. Classical Fantasy?

One is for World of Sea.

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to Tales of Sir Neva Mar

Next==>

Raven’s Revenge

by

Glen Ten-Eyck

cover art by Aranel the Cyborg, now @wind-the-mama-cat​

© 2013 by Glen Ten-Eyck

3822 words

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express written consent of the author or proper copyright holder.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images provided that I receive a copy of each image for my archive. I will further allow the use of printed copies for educational use in school classes. No charge of any kind may be made for this use, whether paper, ink, binding, packaging, distribution or any other charge whatsoever.

///////////////////////

It had been a strange day. Friendly seeming villagers had pointed out a spot to camp a few miles up the road. Their town was so small that their inn could not put someone up for the night, they said. In spite of its small size, the village had seemed prosperous enough.

Still, they told him, there was a good camp site only a few miles further. He would know the place by the stream when he came to it. Years ago, it had been a waterfall that tumbled down a bluff. The bluff had fallen and the waterfall had become a rapids with a pool at the base. The fallen stones made a good clearing to camp in.

A young lady with black hair had accosted him just out of sight of the other villagers and warned him, “There is a vampire in the woods that these people sent you to. They mean either for you to slay the creature or her to slay you. If you prevail, they are freed of the monster and if she wins, they loot your body and none can lay the blame for your death on them.” She turned and ran before King Neva could reply.

All the late afternoon, as he rode out of the village, Sir Neva had been followed by a large raven. It flew about in circles and sometimes sailed off on raven business but always, in a few minutes, it came back. Curious birds, ravens. Some could even speak.

The sun set quietly behind the hills and a nearly full moon lit the way. Sir Neva Mar pulled up short, stopping Tschadow, his war horse. A young lady lay unmoving upon the pathway ahead. Moonlight silvered her hair and she looked deathly pale. King Sir Neva Mar, of Pons Culiar, drew up Tschadow’s reins and regarded the girl carefully. Since he had the rumor that a vampire haunted the woods hereabouts, caution was necessary.

Dismounting, Sir Neva examined the girl from a distance first. She had no injury that he could see. Her neck showed no evidence of a bite.

Risking it, Sir Neva leaned close, his big silver covered dagger in one hand, he moved the girl’s black hair to see her neck more clearly. No mark. With her hair displaced, he recognized the young woman from the village who had warned him of the danger ahead.

Tschadow stepped forward and nuzzled the girl’s hair. Sheathing his dagger, Sir Neva Mar picked the girl up and placed her gently across his saddle bow. He rode on to the place that he intended to camp.

The sound of rushing water told Sir Neva Mar that he was near his destination. The girl slung across his saddle began to stir. Following the stream up from the path, he found the promised open place. Others had camped here before. There was a ring of stones filled with the remains of old fires.

Hobbling Tschadow, King Sir Neva Mar made his simple camp. He laid the girl into his own blanket roll and prepared to make a frugal meal of dried meats, berries and nuts. The girl stirred again and sat up. Her eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight.

She saw that Sir Neva had given her his only blankets and looked perplexed. “Who are you, Sir knight?” she asked curiously.

Courteously, Sir Neva replied, “I am King Sir Neva Mar of Pons Culiar. I was scouting this path as a possible route for a road through the Kingdom of Ravenwood. I found you in the path, unconscious, and brought you here.”

She said, “I know that. I was not so unconscious as you think.”

We only have RAVEN'S REVENGE, in two parts left.

What do you want me to to post next?

A. More World of Sea following Kurin?

B. Almost Feudal Japan

C. Something from MLP Fan Fiction?

D. Classical Fantasy?

One is for World of Sea.