Kilynn, part 12

I didn't get any writing done today - Mondays are always busy and I'm still struggling with this blasted cough I have. S and I did skip soccer today because she came home with a scratchy voice and a cough. I figured it was better to let her rest than send her out to run for an hour. She had fun using watercolours and writing stories. It seems that S, at just shy of 6 years old, is a budding author. She wrote and illustrated a book today about a trip to the aquarium. I'll have to take pictures of it and share it because she was very proud of it. She loves writing little stories and adding pictures to them. Like mother, like daughter, eh? I'll need to get her some more loose paper and a stapler to make more books.

Because I had a couple of awesome writing sessions last week I have some more of my story to share with you today. Kilynn and her brothers were discussing things with their grandmother, Helene, about how to rescue their mother.

Kilynn, Part 12

“How are we going to rescue her, Grandmother? How are we even going to get there? From what you told us before, sailing there would be a very long journey. I don’t want Mother to have to wait for months, possibly years, for us to rescue her.” Ryl looked up at his grandmother, wondering what she had planned for them.

“No, you won’t be sailing to Tyrconia.” At her grandchildren’s puzzled looks she explained, “That is the name of the island my mother is from. You are correct, Ryl. It would take too long to sail there and the waters off the island are treacherous. No, you will get there by going through The Hunt’s tunnel.”

At this the three children gasped in astonishment.

“But Grandmother, how? Are we going to let ourselves be taken prisoner in hopes that we can escape and then rescue Mother? I know Herry and I have had some training as soldiers, but not enough to defeat The Hunt!” Ryl’s voice had begun to take on the angry tone Kilynn recognized as his way of hiding his fear. Helene reached out and patted the boy’s arm.

“No, Teryl. I don’t want you to be taken prisoner. That wouldn't do anyone any good. Do you remember the story I told you last night, about how Captain Willam, Larya, and Mikeal made it through the tunnel but the Lady Syranne did not?” The children nodded but kept quiet, allowing their grandmother to speak uninterrupted.

“From the time he arrived in this land through the tunnel, Mikeal began planning a way to get back to Tyrconia to rescue his beloved Syranne. My mother tried month after month on the night of the new moon to reopen the tunnel so that Mikeal could go back to the island. But month after month she failed for her abilities were gone. But then one night, the tunnel opened from the island side – Dyani had obtained the spell from Syranne and came searching for my mother. After this happened three months in a row, Mikeal had his plan ready.

“Mikeal hid in the trees near where the tunnel opened every month. As soon as The Hunt exited the tunnel, Mikeal ran through it back to the island. He had made many friends in his time on Tyrconia and these friends were willing to hide him from Dyani and her forces. He learned from his friends that Dyani hadn’t killed Syranne but still held her prisoner. Mikeal, with the help of some of his friends who had become guards for Dyani so they could act as spies, managed to sneak into the castle’s dungeon and free Syranne.

“The lovers were well hidden by loyal friends and on the next new moon, tried hard to get them back through the tunnel to our land here. But a large troop of Hunters guarded the tunnel, making it impossible for Mikeal and Syranne to enter. Disguising themselves, they fled to a small town on the far side of the island. They married and had many children, all who were raised to by loyal to my mother’s bloodline. When the children were old enough, they were sent back to the capital city where they became members of The Hunt, able to help pass messages between their parents and my parents.

“One of Mikeal and Syranne’s children would always come to visit my parents when The Hunt would be running through the land. They would bring news of the happenings of the island and messages of support from islanders who missed my mother and her kind ways. As a child, I paid no attention to these visits. But when I was around 15 years old, Syranne’s youngest child, Connyr, came to visit. We immediately took a liking to each other. Every month after that, Con would be the one to come visit. Even though our visits were only minutes long, I grew to love him.

“After months of his visits, I professed my love and was excited when he said he felt the same. In those few stolen minutes we began to plan how we might be together. I wanted him to leave The Hunt and come live with us in this land but his loyalty to his parents was strong and he wanted me to come to Tyrconia. I knew this would be too dangerous since I was the heir to the throne. In the end, we realized it would never work out for us. On his last visit, Con left me with a special gem that I could use to talk to him if I should ever be in danger.

“It has been many years since I have spoken to any of Mikeal and Syranne’s family but I have always held on to the gem Con gave me all those years. Last night after your mother was taken, I pulled out that gem and used it to call to my old love and amazingly he answered. He is still alive although now it is his grandchildren who are members of The Hunt. Con said they have been raised to be loyal to my bloodline and that he would contact them. I have hope that with Con’s help we will be able to rescue your mother.”

Helene stopped speaking and stared off into the woods. Kilynn had heard the sadness creeping into her grandmother’s voice as she spoke of her lost love. Kilynn thought she saw a tear or two sparkling in her grandmother’s eyes and she looked away. Her brothers, feeling a bit uncomfortable, jumped up. Herry hurried off to fetch a drink of water from the pond while Ryl filled a plate with food and handed it to his grandmother. Kilynn started to scoot away from her grandmother but a quick arm around her kept her in place.

“Ah, stay by me, little cat. Soon I will have to send you back to your father, but for now I want you here by me.” Kilynn moved back next to her grandmother while Helene nibbled on the food Ryl had brought her. When she was done, she spoke to the children.

“We must wait to hear from Con before we know when you will travel through the tunnel. But there are many other things we can work on so we can be ready as soon as I hear from him. All three of you must work on strengthening your fighting skills, for you want to be prepared as possible. I can’t imagine you will return from this adventure without having to fight."

Kilynn, part 11

It is amazing how a day away from writing can clear my head. I sat down at the computer with the goal of writing for an hour and ended up for writing for well over two. Maybe it was the second cup of tea that got me going. I feel good about what I wrote and I have a lot more I want to write but it will have to wait until tomorrow. You just get a part of what I wrote today. Tomorrow I will put up more of today's writing. Now it's time to start gathering up hockey things for practice this afternoon.

To recap - Kilynn and her brothers were planning on meeting with the Grandmother to find out how they are going to rescue their mother from the island.

Kilynn, Part 11:

Shortly before midday, Kilynn and her brothers tied their horses in the clearing by the pond, making sure each horse had plenty of grass nearby. As Kilynn had expected, Grandmother was already there, spreading out food on a large blanket on the ground. Herry and Ryl, with the appetites of eighteen year olds, quickly greeted their grandmother with hugs and kisses then dug into the food. Kilynn managed to grab a few things to eat for herself and her grandmother, then settled down in the soft grass next to the pond. For a while, the only sounds around the pond were the sounds of nature and eating.

Finally Ryl flopped back, stretching out on the grass in the sun. “Grandmother, thank you for the food. It was delicious!” He smiled happily at his grandmother and she returned the smile. Herry murmured his thanks, still busy eating. Kilynn had finished a while before her brothers and was snuggled close to her grandmother, tucked under her arm as she had done long ago as a child.

“You’re welcome, child,” Helene responded. “Rest for a few minutes and then we shall talk.”  With that, Herry flopped back on the ground next to his brother, and the two promptly closed their eyes and fell asleep, Ryl snoring gently.

Kilynn shook her head at her brothers. “I've never understood how those two could fall asleep that fast. I have always been jealous of their ability to do that.”

“It is good they are sleeping, little cat, for they will face many challenges in the days to come and it will take a great deal of energy to face them,” her grandmother replied. “And their sleeping gives you and me the chance to talk without their interruptions.” Kilynn started to move away from her grandmother but Helene gave her a quick squeeze, keeping Kilynn in place. “Stay close to me, child. You haven’t snuggled with me like this since you were a wee child.” Kilynn scooted closer, wrapping her arm around her grandmother’s waist.

“Your brothers are not the only ones who will face challenges in the days ahead, Kilynn,” Helene began. “The path to the island is not an easy one, and once you are there, you will be in grave danger until you return to our land. I will do my best to prepare you for what is ahead. But tell me child, how are you doing?”

Kilynn hesitated before answering her grandmother. Part of her wanted to lie and say she was fine, that she felt brave and was ready to face a hundred monsters to rescue her mother. But the other part of her longed to confess her fears to her grandmother. Looking up into her grandmother’s soft, caring eyes, Kilynn decided she needed to tell the truth.

“I’m so scared, Grandmother.” She spoke softly so she wouldn't wake her brothers. “I am so afraid that I will fail, that I won’t be able to rescue Mother and that she will be stuck there forever. I feel I am being selfish, asking my brothers to put themselves in danger. I fear that I will disappoint Father and my other brothers if I fail. What if I’m not strong enough to do this? What is happening to Mother? How do I know I’m doing the right thing?” The words poured out of Kilynn. She suddenly stopped herself, afraid she would break down crying yet again.

“Do you hear your mother’s voice, little cat? Is she speaking to you?”

Kilynn nodded. “Yes, Grandmother. I do hear here. But then, I have always had her voice in my head, telling me when I was doing something right or something stupid or reminding me when I forgot something. I always thought it was just my brain trying to keep me out of trouble. But then this morning Herry and Ryl told me they could hear Mother too. How is that possible?”

“Ah Vanyssa, you have left your children so unprepared,” Kilynn barely heard her grandmother’s whisper. She sat silently, waiting for her grandmother to answer. When she began to speak she sounded weary. “Your mother should have told you about this but your father was against the idea. He wanted you children to grow up with as normal lives as possible and so he convinced your mother to keep quiet about so many things. I wasted many a breath arguing with your father about what you children needed to know, but he refused to listen. And your mother was, no is, so in love with that stubborn man that she agreed to his requests. I shall do my best to tell you what I can.

“This ability to hear your mother’s voice in your head is one of the few that stayed with my mother after she left the island. I could always hear her voice in my head. When I asked my brothers about it they thought I was joking with them. From a young age I could tell your mother heard me in her head – she would answer questions I hadn't asked aloud. And yet her brothers have never heard me in that way.

“Before my mother died, I asked her about it. She said on the island it was common for both male and female children to hear both parents’ voices in this manner. We discussed possible reasons for it only manifesting in the female children of our family. Our best guess is that it is because my father was not from the island and all the male children of our family greatly resemble him. The women of our family have always resembled the people of the island. As to why this ability didn’t fade with the others? Again, we can only guess but perhaps it was because it is not directly tied to any elemental abilities. We don’t know.”

“Can Mother hear me, Grandmother? Or is it only a one-way thing? And if it is only works for mother to daughter, why can Ryl and Herry hear her now? From the way they were talking, it sounds like it just began this morning.”

“It did just start this morning.” Kilynn jumped at the sound of Herry’s voice. She had assumed both her brothers were still asleep but to her surprise they were both sitting up and listening intently to their grandmother.

Helene smiled at her grandsons. “Awake now, are we? That was a short nap.”

Ryl smiled back. “It was enough. Besides, how can anyone sleep around here with you two chattering non-stop? Now, Grandmother, tell us more.”

“At your request, young master Teryl.” Kilynn giggled at her grandmother’s very formal tone. Helene hugged her granddaughter tight at the sound of her giggle. “Now let’s see, to answer your question, Kilynn, yes it is only one way. You can hear your mother but she cannot hear you. But she can hear me, and I have been trying my best to send her messages letting her to hold on, that help is coming.

“Now, as to why you two rapscallions can hear your mother’s voice, I honestly do not know. Perhaps it is because your mother is in danger and she is calling out to whoever will listen. Perhaps it is because of the bond that exists between triplets. Or perhaps she has been speaking to you all along and only now, when she is gone, that you can hear her. For whatever reason, you can hear her and that is good because it means she is still alive.”

Productive Monday!

So far, today has been a good day. It started out with a giggle because I, like many other parents I'm sure, checked the school board's webpage to confirm school was open. The school board kindly posted a message saying that yes, school was open. It just made me giggle that they actually did that.

Once I managed to pry the kids out of bed, they started getting ready for school. S was a little nervous about going back to school after being off for a week but as soon as she saw her buddies at the bus stop things got better. I then enjoyed a quiet breakfast by myself! It was very nice and quiet.

I could have just sat around the house enjoying the peace and quiet but I had things I needed to do. With the weather looking iffy for later this week, I wanted to make today as productive as possible. And I think I've succeeded so far. I found a pair of warm boots since my snow boots just weren't getting the job done. They were more expensive than I wanted, but when I tried on the cheaper boots I could tell they just weren't going to be good for my feet. I have trouble with plantar fasciitis so I have to make sure anything that goes on my feet is supportive or has room for insoles to provide support.

After buying boots, I had a good trip to the grocery store. I managed to get there early enough that it wasn't crowded but late enough that they had finished stocked the shelves so the aisles were nice and clear. We have food for the week, which is always a good thing.

When I got home I got supper started since tonight is hockey and soccer night which makes dinner time crazy. We're having beef vegetable soup made in the slow-cooker. I love my slow-cooker, especially on Monday nights. And the soup recipe is so simple - I'll stick the recipe down at the bottom if you are looking for a good, easy meal. After I started the soup I decided to use up the older bananas by making a loaf of banana-chocolate chip bread. I don't like bananas and won't eat the bread, but everyone else in the house will. I like to make special treats for them from time to time.

Once I got some laundry going and the dishwasher loaded and running I sat down and did some writing. I got a good solid hour of writing done and it felt good! I have more I want to write before I share it but time is growing short today. The bus will be here soon and then it's off to our Monday activities. I don't have anything on the schedule for Tuesday, so I plan on spending more time writing tomorrow while I finish up the laundry.

All in all it has been a productive Monday so far. It feels really good to be back to our regularly scheduled days. I'm afraid to look at the weather because I don't really want to know when we'll have another interruption in our days. Let's hope it's later rather than sooner!

Beef Vegetable Soup for the Slow-cooker:

1 lb of ground beef

2 14 oz cans of mixed veggies, undrained

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 can of whole potatoes*

1 carton of beef broth (about 4 cups).**

Season ground beef with salt and pepper; brown, drain and dump into slow-cooker.

Add undrained veggies, tomato sauce, and potatoes, cut into small pieces. Stir to combine.

Cover with entire carton of beef broth.

Cover slow-cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5.

*You can use fresh potatoes but parboil them first. I have a hard time getting potatoes cooked properly in my slow-cooker, so I tried using the canned ones this time. We'll see what happens!

**Use more beef broth if necessary to cover everything and have enough broth. 

Kilynn, part 9

Today has been a good writing day. I scrapped just about everything I had written since I posted part 8. What I had written just didn't feel right. Every time I read it I felt cranky, which made me realize it just wasn't what I wanted to say. Yesterday I came up with a new idea but it wasn't until today that I was able to get time to write it down. I've read through it a few times now and made some minor changes, All in all, I'm happy with the way it turned out. So, here you go. Sorry it's long, but I don't feel like there's a good place to cut it into two posts. Enjoy!

Kilynn climbed out of bed shortly before the sun came up. After her father had left the room, she had crawled into bed still fully clothed. She had slept fitfully, dreams of the potentially horrible things being done to her mother flitting through her head. She eventually gave up trying to sleep and lay there thinking of her mother and wondering how in the world she would reach an island halfway around the world. She hoped her grandmother had an idea.

With her head aching from lack of sleep, Kilynn got up and tiptoed downstairs. She wanted to get out of the house before anyone else was awake so she could slip back out into the woods and search for her grandmother. When she entered the kitchen she was surprised to see Herry standing at the stove, attempting to cook eggs and bacon. She stood in the doorway for a few minutes, watching him rush about, cursing under his breath. When he threw the spatula into the sink with a loud curse, she couldn't keep her laughter in any longer.

Surprised, Herry spun quickly about to glare at his sister. Then he glanced around the room and broke into a sheepish grin. “Give me a hand here, sis?” he asked. Kilynn laughed as she walked over to the stove and took over cooking breakfast. Laughing with her brother seemed to soothe the ache in her head.

“Mother always did say you were hopeless in the kitchen, Herry,” Kilynn told him as she flipped the bacon out of the pan and onto the plate. “You were always too busy reading her cookbook to actually learn how to cook.”

“I know,” Herry replied. “I just thought I could figure it out this morning. With Mother gone someone had to feed this hungry crew.” Kilynn heard the catch in his voice when he mentioned their mother. He was trying very hard to be brave. Kilynn gave him a smile and turned back to the stove, hiding the tears that had formed in her eyes. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and looked up into her brother’s bright green eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Kilynn. We’ll get her back. I believe Grandmother.”

“So do I, Herry. It’s just hard to believe that she’s actually gone.” Kilynn planned to say more but her older brothers clomped into the room. Kilynn put the eggs and bacon on the table while Herry, who had managed to correctly brew the coffee, placed the carafe on the table. Her brothers dug into the food, ignoring their youngest sibling. Kilynn could feel the hostility coming off them and she couldn’t blame them. No matter what anyone said, Kilynn knew she was reason their mother had been outside at the wrong time. Kilynn grabbed a bit of food and then went to sit quietly in the corner, away from her brothers.

The room was silent except for the sound of everyone eating until Robbert walked into the room. Everyone stopped eating to look up at him except for Kilynn. She looked down at the floor, refusing to look at her father and see the hurt in his eyes. Robbert picked up a plate and filled it from the various dishes on the table then sat down and began to eat, listing out the things that needed to be done in the store today. His sons resumed eating but Kilynn had suddenly lost her appetite. She slid down from the stool in the corner and attempted to slip out of the room when her father’s voice stopped her.

“Kilynn, please stay here. I’d like to speak with you.” Kilynn gulped nervously while her brothers quickly stuffed the rest of their food into their mouths. One by one they dropped their plates in the sink and then headed downstairs to the family store. Ryl was the last to leave the room, stopping to give Kilynn a look of sympathy before he left the kitchen and closed the door behind him.

When the door was closed, Robbert patted the chair next to him. “Come sit, little cat.” She walked over and cautiously sat down next to her father. She did smile a tiny smile at his nickname for her. He had called her his little cat since she was young because she would hiss and spit like a little cat when angered. It felt good to have him call her that but she was still nervous about what he was going to say. She glanced at the door and wished Herry and Ryl had stayed. She often felt stronger when her brothers were close by and she knew she would need a great deal of strength for the conversation that was about to start.

Even though they had both apologized last night, Kilynn still expected her father to be angry. But instead of scolding her, Robbert said, “Your grandmother sent me a message this morning. She said she talked with you and your brothers in the woods last night. Is that correct?”

Kilynn looked up at her father and nodded. He sighed and took a bite of eggs. Kilynn, unsure of what to say, just waited for her father to speak again. “So now you know. Your mother always wanted to tell you, and all your brothers, about her family history but I asked her not to. I wanted you and your brothers to have as normal a life as possible. But my reluctance to acknowledge your mother’s ancestors has put us in this situation. I was wrong to blame you, little cat. It isn't your fault your mother was taken; the fault is mine.”

Kilynn stared at her father in surprise. This was not what she was expecting. She expected him to yell at her, or at least give her a good lecture for her stupidity of running away after their argument the day before but instead he was taking the blame on himself. Her father ignored her shocked expression and continued speaking.

“Yesterday you came to us, asking about attending the Academy like your older brothers had. Your mother and I had discussed this not long ago, when Ryl and Herry began thinking about going to the Academy. We should have told you then about your ancestors and The Hunt. If you had known the truth then you probably wouldn't have run away. Your brothers did follow you, by the way. They made sure you were safe in the woods then came back to wait at the town walls for your return. They had sent word to us that they would be there. When the second to last bell sounded, your mother left to go to the wall to retrieve you all. But for some reason, she didn't make it to the safety of the wall and was taken by The Hunt.

“Your mother wasn't happy with me for my decision yesterday. She has always wanted you to have and do whatever your brothers did, regardless of the fact that it may not be ‘proper’ for you. She saw nothing wrong with you going provided we talked with you first about The Hunt and the island before you went. But I didn't want to tell you. I wanted to keep you here, where I could keep you safe. If I let you go away to the Academy, there would be no way for me to ensure that you would be safe. I know it was hard for you to hear my decision yesterday. I’m sorry I made the wrong one but I did it for the best of reasons, truly.

Robbert took a sip of coffee then continued speaking. “Currently, you are the last female of your mother’s line. The island people are a matriarchal society, so you are the heir to the throne.  Technically, little cat, you are a princess.”

At that statement, that she was a princess, Kilynn couldn't help but giggle. She had slopped eggs on her pants, coffee on her shirt, her hands were rough and banged up, and she had forgotten to brush her hair that morning. She felt like the complete opposite of a princess. At her giggle, Robbert smiled. Kilynn stood up and attempted a curtsey but promptly tripped over her own feet and flopped back down into the chair. Robbert let out a chuckle and Kilynn smiled at him.

“Ah, little cat, you can always put a smile on my face.” He reached over and attempted to smooth her hair down. “But seriously, Kilynn, do you understand now why we had to say no to you? It wasn’t because we didn't think you could handle it as you so politely told us.” Kilynn had the decency to blush at that. She had not been very polite to her parents when she was told no. “On the contrary I think you would be an exceptional student at the Academy. We had to say no to protect you and others. If The Hunt discovered your ‘scent’ as it were, they would stop at nothing to track you down. You and those attending the Academy would be in grave danger.”

Kilynn sighed and nodded. “Yes, Father, I understand. But going to the Academy is moot at this point. I cannot even begin to think about going away to school when Mother is missing. I have things to do here.” Kilynn stopped suddenly, thinking it might not be a good idea to tell her father about their planning to rescue Vanyssa.

“Ah yes,” her father replied. “Your grandmother included an interesting tidbit in her message to me. Something about going to rescue your mother. Do you really think you can do this, Kilynn? So many people before you have tried to rescue loved ones and only ended up getting taken by The Hunt in the process. I don’t know if I can allow you to do this, little cat.”

Kilynn looked at her father. She wished her grandmother hadn't told her father about the rescue attempt. Kilynn herself wasn't sure she could do this, but she had to convince her father that she could.

“Yes, Father, I think I can do this. You said it yourself – I am my mother’s heir. If anyone has a chance at rescuing Mother, it is me. Grandmother said they are probably doing horrible things to Mother, and they will probably do the same to me if they catch me. But I can’t let that stop me. I cannot sit back, wishing and hoping that Mother will magically be returned. Grandmother believes that I am the one to save Mother and I believe her.” Kilynn hoped she sounded confident when she said that because she was truly feeling scared.

Her father leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table then buried his face in his hands. Kilynn sat patiently, waiting to see what he would say. She was planning on doing this with or without his blessing, but with would be better. She saw his shoulders shake for a bit but when he finally looked up his face was calm and composed even if his eyes were a bit red.

“I don’t know if I can do this, Kilynn. I've just lost your mother and now I face the possibility of losing you, and your brothers. Oh, I know that they won’t let you go without them so don’t even try to convince me otherwise. Your grandmother seems to believe you can do this. I have known her a very long time and she doesn't put her trust in people easily, even family. But she seems to trust you. So go, Kilynn. Go to your grandmother. She will be waiting for you, and your brothers, at the pond at midday. I just hope I am not sending you three to your deaths.”

Kilynn jumped up and hugged her father tightly. He returned the hug as he whispered, “I love you, my brave daughter.” Then he let her go and returned his face to his hands. Kilynn quietly left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Kilynn, Part 8

I am probably sitting freezing in an ice rink in the middle of a snow storm right now. But you get to read the next part of Kilynn. This is all I have written so far. Hopefully on Monday when things are back to normal I will get the next part written. I will try this weekend to get notes written up to make writing go faster on Monday. Enjoy!

“The new queen, Dyani was her name, was always worried that my mother would return and claim the throne with the support of the people. Dyani tortured the Lady Syranne until she finally revealed the spell she used. Dyani then assembled an army to send through the tunnel in search of my mother. She needed to eliminate the threat of our bloodline. Because of the way the spell was originally created, it can only be used on the night of the new moon.

“Yes, decades have passed and most likely the new queen Dyani is dead and her heir sits on the throne. But the threat must still create fear in the queen so she continues what her mother started. Someone o on the island continues to send the army through the tunnel on the night of the new moon, using a spell Dyani created to seek out anyone with a drop of royal blood in them. They are taken back to the island and what happens to them there is not for your ears.

“But your mother is a direct descendant of the royal bloodline and the army would be able to detect that. They will take her back to the queen and she will be locked away, but not killed. From what I have heard, for I have ways of discovering things, the people of the island are still loyal to my mother and her children. If they were to find out their current queen executed Abryelle’s granddaughter she would not be queen for long. That is why I believe your mother is not dead and why I believe you can save her, Kilynn.”

Kilynn looked up at the sound of her name and saw her grandmother smiling at her. Her grandmother had always believed in her since she was a tiny child. She knew there was more to the story than what her grandmother had told her. She knew deep down inside her that Vanyssa was waiting for her on that distant island, waiting for her daughter to arrive and save her. And she would do her best not to let her mother down. She smiled back at her grandmother and said, “I believe I can too, Grandmother. Where do we start?”

Her grandmother started laughing. “Oh, you are so like your mother and your great-grandmother, Kilynn. We start with you children going home and getting some sleep. It is almost morning and your father will be worried about you.”

“Father hates me, Grandmother,” Kilynn told her. Her brothers protested this immediately but a wave of her grandmother’s hand silenced them again. Kilynn wished she had that power over all her brothers, not just her immediate siblings.

“Robbert does not hate you, child. He loves your mother very much and his pain is very new. Yes, he is angry with you and rightfully so, stubborn child. But he does not hate you. Go now, and come back to me here when the sun sets on the morrow. We shall begin our plans then.” Kilynn’s grandmother stood up and hugged each child in turn then disappeared off into the woods, away from the town. 

Kilynn always wondered where her grandmother lived. Perhaps one day soon she would find out.

As their grandmother disappeared, Ryl took Tom’s reins and Herry took Kilynn’s hand. The three siblings walked slowly back to the road and then made the mile walk back to town in silence. Each was busy mulling over the story their grandmother had told them. They passed through the small night gate and made their way quietly through the town, trying hard not to awaken any of the residents.

When they reached their house Ryl took the horse to the stables and awakened a stable boy to tend to the horse. The triplets then slipped silently into the house and up the back stairs. Kilynn, as the only daughter, climbed an extra set up steps to her room in the attic. Her door, normally closed while she was gone, stood ajar and Kilynn could see a faint candle glow through the opening. She stopped and considered tiptoeing back down the steps but stopped. She needed to face her father at some point. Better now than later, she thought to herself.

Kilynn pushed the door open slowly, stopping before it gave its customary squeak. She stepped quietly into the room and pushed the door closed. Her father sat in her chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He seemed to sense her presence and looked up as she came in the room. 

Kilynn stopped, unsure of the look on his face. Her father stood up, his hands at his side. Father and daughter stared silently at each other for a minute. Then Robbert held out his arms to Kilynn. With a stifled sob, Kilynn threw herself into her father’s arms. He hugged her tightly while the two cried silently. After a time, Kilynn drew back a bit and looked up at her father. “I’m so sorry, Father,” she whispered.

Her father pulled her back into the hug. “So am I, Kilynn. So am I,” he replied. After another fatherly hug, he pulled back. “Now, off to bed with you. We will talk tomorrow.”

Kilynn, Part 7

I'm hoping this works the way I want it to. I'm traveling today but I have this set up to post on Friday. Part 8 will go up Saturday if all goes as planned! Enjoy!

“Queen Abryelle was an intelligent woman and knew that her daughter would attempt to leave with the captain. She ordered the sailors’ ship burned in the harbour, removing what she thought was their only way of escape. But Larya, with the help of Syranne, had written a spell that would open a doorway through the earth from the island back to the sailors’ homeland.

“On the night of the new moon Princess Larya, the Syranne’s help, managed to drug the guards and free the sailors from the dungeon. The princess bribed a stable boy to prepare horses for everyone and the group slipped out of the castle, ridding miles through the woods to reach the lone mountain on the island.

“What the princess did not know is that the stable boy had been in love with Larya for a long time and could not stand the thought of her leaving forever. He betrayed the group, sending word to Queen Abryelle of the princess plan to leave. The queen sent guards after the group.

“When Larya, Syranna, and the sailors arrived at the mountain, the ladies began to cast the spell. There was a deep vibration in the ground and then all sound disappeared, leaving everyone thinking they had gone deaf. Then with a thunderous noise, a hole opened in the side of the mountain. Through the hole, the group could see a different land beyond.”

At this Kilynn and her brothers gasped. The description of the spell matched what they experienced every new moon. Kilynn’s eyes grew wide as she understood what her grandmother was telling them. Her grandmother smiled at her with a twinkle in her eye, knowing Kilynn had figured things out. A glance at her brothers told Kilynn they were still trying to puzzle it out. Her grandmother continued her story.

“The sailors began running through the tunnel one at a time, for the tunnel was narrow. Larya sent Captain Willam through, promising him she would follow after him for she needed to close the tunnel to prevent others from following them. Larya ordered Syranne down the tunnel too, but as she was about to enter the tunnel the queen’s guards appeared. Syranne, always one to protect her best friend and the heir to the throne, pushed Larya into the tunnel, telling her to run. When she was sure the princess was on her way, Syranne quickly closed the tunnel then surrendered herself to the guards.

“On the other end of the tunnel, Larya and Mikeal were heartbroken by the fact that Syranne didn’t make it through. Larya had lost her best friend and Mikeal realized too late that he had fallen in love with Syranne. The group looked around trying to figure out where they were. It was Captain Willam who recognized the mountain behind them. It is the same mountain you can see from here.” Grandmother pointed up over the trees to the mountain in the distance. Ryl and Herry gasped in understanding. Again Ryl began to interrupt his grandmother but she silenced him with a look to continue her story.

“Aye, children, the sailors and the princess came here. The Lady Syranne was taken back to Queen Abryelle and thrown in the dungeon for she refused to reveal the spell. The queen was devastated by the loss of her daughter. She lost interested in caring for her people and was soon overthrown by a rival faction. She fled to the wilds of the island to work on crafting her own spell that would take her to her daughter. As far as we know, she never succeeded.

“Here in this land, Larya discovered that she no longer had her magical abilities but she didn’t mind. She was happy to be here with her beloved captain and the two soon married. I am the first-born child of that union.” Kilynn had suspected that her grandmother was somehow related to the princess Larya so she wasn’t surprised by this announcement. She glanced at her brothers and saw that they weren’t surprised either. “My mother and father had many children, and those children have gone out into the land and had children of their own. The blood of the island has mingled with the blood of this land.”

“Grandmother, The Hunt is obviously people from the island coming here, but why? Why do they come here and steal us away?” Kilynn asked the question all three siblings were thinking.

Kilynn, part 6

Snow day! The blizzard arrived as promised and the kids are home from school. Thankfully the hubby came home early enough yesterday to take J to hockey so I had an extra hour before having to take S to soccer. I used that extra hour to do editing/character names as well as add to what I had written yesterday. With the kids home, it is often hard to find time to write, so I'm glad I have a few days worth of writing done.

This next section of the story, where Kilynn's grandmother explains the Hunt is long. I'm going to break it up over a few days to spare your eyes reading it on the screen. A quick recap of part 5 - Kilynn learned that her mother had been taken by the Hunt and that her father blamed her for it. She fled the city and went to her favorite place in the woods where her grandmother was waiting. Ryl and Herry had followed Kilynn and the three of them had just settled down to listen to their grandmother tell them about the Hunt. Here we go:

Kilynn, part 6

“The story of the Hunt begins just over a hundred years ago, on an island far on the other side of this world. It is a small island in the middle of a vast ocean, with no other land close by. The waters surrounding the ocean are turbulent, even in the calm season. In the storm season the island disappears into a cloud of mist, obscuring it from the view. In addition to the churning waters, it is said that large, dangerous creatures feast upon any ship that dares sail near the island. Because of this, the people of the island lived in near isolation from the world around them. And this didn’t bother them for their few encounters with outsiders never went well.

“I can see you want to ask why. I shall tell you. The people of the island appear human, like you, but they are a little more than human. They possess a spark in their soul that grants them magical abilities. Even the smallest child on the island can control the basic elements of earth, air, fire, and water. As they grow older, children are taught how to use their abilities to contribute to their society. The cities on the island are lovely places, with beautifully sculpted buildings and statues, well-tended gardens, and clear, pure water to drink.”

Ryl started to speak, interrupting his grandmother, but she put a finger to her lips to quiet him. “Be patient Ryl, and wait until my story is done. If you still have questions when I am through, then you may ask them. But for now, be quiet and listen.”

“Any time outsiders had visited the island they were intrigued by the mysterious powers of the islanders. They would often try to kidnap some of the citizens, enslaving them to harness their magical powers. But once off the island, their powers faded and many of the citizens were killed or turned out and left on their own to struggle to survive or die. It is said that the queen, Abryelle, cast a spell upon the ocean to churn up the waters surrounding the island in hopes of protecting her people from outsiders. She also instructed them, that should an outsider ever arrive on the island again, to hide their abilities. She would do anything to protect her people.

“Life was good and simple on the island and the people loved their queen. She had born one daughter, who was named her heir, and many sons. The children were also adored by the people, for they were sweet children who were eager to do their best to keep the island safe and happy.

“One day when the princess, Larya, had reached her eighteenth birthday, a large wooden ship sailed into the harbour of the main city on the island. The people were shocked that someone had managed to sail through the troubled waters and reach their remote island. When the captain and his crew disembarked, they were surprised by the beautiful city they found and the peaceful but scared people that greeted him.

“The captain, Willam, was escorted to Queen Abryelle, where an offer of friendship was cautiously made. The captain revealed that he and his crew had been blown off course while trying to sail from one land to another and had no knowledge of the island. Abryelle was suspicious of this until the captain showed her a map which did not include the island. Hoping to keep the magically abilities of the islanders a secret, the queen would not let Captain Willam and his crew leave the castle grounds.

“At first, Willam was angered by this for he wished to leave the island and return to his exploration of the seas. But with storm season starting the queen could not in good conscience let them leave for doing so would be sending them to their deaths. Willam would stalk around the castle grounds in a huff until the day he met the princess.

“Princess Larya had been away when Captain Willam arrived in the city and did not return until he had been there a month. Larya was mesmerized when she saw him for the first time for he was so different than the men of the island with their dark hair and eyes, and pale skin. He was taller than anyone else on the island, with silky blond hair and bright emerald green eyes that stood out against his suntanned skin. Willam, likewise, was entranced with the beautiful daughter of the queen. She had long dark hair like the other women of the island, but her eyes were a rare bright blue instead of the usual brown of her people."

At this description, Ryl and Herry looked over in surprise at Kilynn for their grandmother had just described her. She was taller than her grandmother, but Kilynn’s hair was a deep brown-black and her eyes were bright blue. Kilynn looked at her brother and saw they could be related to the captain her grandmother was describing with their blond hair and green eyes. Their grandmother smiled at them as they studied each other then went back to her story.

“Captain Willam and Larya began to spend a lot of time together, and this concerned her mother. As the heir to the throne, the princess was to marry a man of her mother’s choosing – someone of a high background that would help to continue the royal bloodline. Thinking it would help reduce their interest in each other, Abryelle reluctantly allowed Willam to leave the castle and explore the city. She knew this was dangerous for the captain would see her people using their abilities. But the captain was too entranced with the Larya to be bothered with the people of the city.

“The crew, on the other hand, were jealous of the abilities of the islanders. The first mate, a man named Mikeal, started plotting a way to get one of the islanders onto their ship, thinking their abilities to control water and the oceans would be beneficial on their long voyage. Mikeal had noticed that Larya’s best friend, the Lady Syranne, had taken an interest in him. He pursued this relationship, hoping to entice Syranne of leaving the island with them. Mikeal did not realize that Syranne’s powers would fade when she left the island. Syranne had heard rumours that her abilities would fade, but she had fallen in love with Mikeal and would do anything for him and agreed to help him.

 “Abryelle saw that things were quickly becoming serious between her daughter and the captain and knew she had to put a stop to it. She had Willam and his crew locked up, first in their rooms and then in the dungeon when Larya let them out of their rooms. And although she could not lock her daughter up in the dungeon also, she assigned a constant guard to keep an eye on the young woman.

“Knowing that her mother would never allow them to marry, Larya began to plan for a way for her and Willam to be together. Mikeal revealed to the captain his relationship with the Lady Syranne and the captain managed to pass this information on to the princess. The two ladies began working together to come up with a way to free the sailors and leave the island.

Not such a lazy Saturday

Today has and hasn't been a lazy Saturday. S was supposed to go to swimming today but since we got home late last night from hockey - where J's team won yay! - she was pretty tired today and didn't want to go. I wish she had because she'll miss next Saturday when we're away for a hockey tournament. We did have a nice lunch out at a local restaurant and then a fun trip to the comic book store and the used book store. Two comic books and two chapter books later, the kids are happy.

When we got home, J wanted to play video games, S wanted to do puzzles, and the hubby decided to "watch" TV (aka snooze on the sofa). It was a perfect time for me to sit down and do some writing. Without any distractions beyond S coming in occasionally to show me the puzzle she finished, I cranked out 1000 words! I'm not ready to put it up here yet because I'm still working on this section. I like to have a whole section done before I put it up in case I want to rewrite/clarify/expand something I've written. I'm excited though that I was able to get so much written about the history of The Hunt. I feel like the story is coming together but there are a few parts that may need to be reworked before it goes out into the interwebz.

Tomorrow is a free day for us - no hockey scheduled (so far) and the weather is suppose to be rather messy. A few days ago they were saying it was going to be a classic Nor'easter with lots of snow and wind but now they are only saying a few centimeters of snow followed by rain with the temperature actually warming up quite a bit before falling back down to bloody cold. With the potential for nasty weather in the morning and the fact that nothing around here really opens until noon on Sundays, I should be able to squeeze in some time to finish the story section I'm working on. I don't want to call it a chapter because it's just a story, not a novel. Maybe one day it will be revised into a novel but for now it's just a story I'm writing.

I did manage to finish the hubby's hat last night and he tested it out today. It got his seal of approval - it is warm and thick enough to block the wind. J was eyeing it, saying he wanted one too, but the hubby mentioned he wants a scarf to match the hat, so I don't know if I'll have enough yarn for both. And I'm trying my best to go the whole month of January without buying any yarn - so far so good. We'll see how it goes! And now I'm off to finish reworking a hat I ripped out and celebrate writing a thousand words by having a cookie and possibly a third cup of tea. Have a good weekend!

My thoughts on my writing

Today I had a choice to make. I could choose to spend time working on my story or I could work on the hat I'm making for my hubby. Since there is a storm coming this weekend I decided to work on his hat - a hat made with yarn from my stash (sticking to my resolution!). I am trying to finish up the hat before tonight's hockey game, but I don't think that's going to happen unless I work on it in the car on the way to the rink which I may do unless I can get a little more time for knitting.

While I was knitting I was thinking about my story and where it is going. I've worked out quite a few details about what the Hunt actually is and how it started. I'm still mulling things over in my head a bit though because I'm not completely sure I like what I've come up with. The only way I'll really know is if I put the words down on my virtual paper and see how it goes.

Writing this story is quite a bit different than what I used to do with the video game company. With gaming, I had guidelines for writing - a world already existed. I was given the background to the world, so I knew who and what was going to shape my writing. Even when I got to the point where I was writing the back story for an expansion pack, I still had the existing world to guide my writing. Sometimes that did make it difficult to be as creative as I wanted to be but overall I think it was a bit easier writing stories for a world that already existed than creating my own world.

Also, my video game writing was more structured. In most cases, I had a very definite goal in mind and the story wasn't novel-length, just long enough to get the basic story across and help the player more through the world and complete the quest they were doing. I'm sure many players didn't even bother reading what was written beyond seeing where they needed to go or what they needed to do. But I did try my best to give the players who read the story a decent story.

My Kilynn story has been a fun challenge for me so far. With no world to guide my writing, I've had to create the world, first in my head and now I've started making world notes on paper so I can keep things straight in the story. I've had to create the characters, not use ones that were already existing in a video game world, and give them lives and hopes and dreams. I am having to create the myths and legends of this world I'm creating. All in all, I'm having fun with the story and just the process of writing.

One thing I do like is not having any deadlines like I had when I was working for the video game company. I can write when I want, and don't have to when I don't feel like it. I am writing for the pleasure of writing. I encourage everyone to try it, even if it's just writing down a few lines about something you dreamed about, or something that happened to you. Once you start writing a few lines you may find that those few lines suddenly turn into almost 4800 words and counting.

I don't know what I'll do with my story when it's done. I don't even know when it will be done. But I know I will enjoy the process of getting there. :-)

Kilynn Part 5

It is amazing what even a decent night's sleep can do for creativity. My head is so much clearer today and when I sat down to write without the distractions of children and their homework the words flowed easily. I was able to write quite a bit and there is more waiting to be written once I sort out some details but I am much happier with things today than I was yesterday.

I had planned to do a Galavant recap today but Kilynn wanted to be heard and chunks of the broadcast were missing from the DVR, so no recap this week. If you missed it, you missed Weird Al as a singing monk and Ricky Gervais as Xanax, who provided an interesting "potion" to King Richard. There are parts of me that really wish Galavant was a season long series but most of me is glad it's only four weeks. I think that's the perfect length for a show like this. I'll be sad to see it end but I'll enjoy the laughs I got from it.

And now, here is the next installment of Kilynn's story. Perhaps one of these days I'll actually come up with a title for it. :-) For those that don't want to go back and reread, Kilynn has learned that her mother was taken by The Hunt and that her father blames her for it.

Behind her, Ryl and Herry voiced their protest as their father’s accusation. But Kilynn held up her hand and silenced them with a simple, “No.” Still looking at her father she continued, “He’s correct. This is my fault. I was the one who argued with Mother and Father this morning. I was the one who fled the house, and left the safety of the town walls. I was the one who fell asleep in the woods on tonight of all nights.” She turned to face her brothers. “And I was the one who put both of you in danger, looking for me at the town wall.”

“But Kilynn –“ Herry began but Kilynn cut him off.

“Herry, do you really think Mother would stay home when she thought one of us was in danger? And this time it was three of us, for you two were obviously waiting for me at the wall.” Herry looked away from her gaze, knowing she was right. This was all her fault, and she had to make it right.

“Father,” she said, turning back towards him but her next words died on her tongue. The sadness and anger in her father’s eyes was more than she could stand. She could tell he was furious with her as well as heartbroken over the loss of his wife. Kilynn didn't know what to say to make things better. Perhaps there wasn't anything to say. Father and daughter stood staring at each other, without speaking until Kilynn couldn't take it anymore. Without a word she turned and fled from the town square, the tears once again flowing down her face.

Behind her in the distance she could hear Ryl and Herry calling her name but she ignored them. She ran as fast as she could, turning randomly down streets, determined to leave her brothers and her father’s sadness behind. When their voices faded Kilynn stopped to wipe away the tears and catch her breath. Looking around, she realized she wasn't far from the very town gates where her brothers had rescued her. She needed to get out of the town walls and away from the mess she had made.

Kilynn walked the rest of the way to the gates, stopping at the fountain just inside for a quick drink of water. Now that The Hunt had passed the smaller night gate was open. She nodded in greeting to the guard on duty then passed through the gate. Once out of the gate, she began walked left along the wall, suddenly remembering the horse she had left in her mad climb up the ladder. Her horse wasn't there, but she found her leather sack on the ground. She wasn't surprised she had dropped it with all the chaos that had been doing on around her. Opening the sack she found her small lantern, its candle askew in the holder. She straightened the candle and lit it with the flint she kept in her sack. With the candle’s soft glow to guide her, Kilynn began the mile-long walk down the road and into the woods.

The woods were filled with the quiet sounds of night creatures and it soothed Kilynn’s nerves to know that things were back to normal. Using her lantern to guide her, she made her way through the woods and back to the pond where she had earlier fallen asleep. She dropped down onto the soft moss at the pond’s edge and buried her face in her hands, taking deep breaths to try to control the sobbing that was bubbling up in her chest.

Kilynn was so focused on trying not to cry she didn't hear the quiet footsteps behind her until a soft, velvety nose touched her shoulder, letting out a nicker of greeting. Kilynn raised her head from her hands to see her horse, Tom, standing next to her. Her dear, sweet horse had somehow survived The Hunt! She hugged his head as the sobs overwhelmed her yet again.

“Oh Tom, my mother is dead! But you managed to survive,” she whispered in the horse’s ear. Tom nuzzled her cheek, trying to comfort her.

“She’s not dead, dearest, just taken.”

Kilynn leapt to her feet, spinning in a circle to see who was in the glade with her. The light from the candle was too weak for Kilynn to see more than a few feet away. “Who’s there?” she called.

“Why dearest, don’t you recognize the voice of your own grandmother?” the voice called as a tiny, black-haired woman stepped into the circle of light from the lantern. Kilynn let out a squeal of joy and threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. Even at 18 years old, Kilynn still loved her grandmother’s hugs. They made her feel safe and happy, as if nothing in the world could harm her again. Her grandmother drew her in close and allowed her to sob into her shoulder. Although she didn’t visit much, Kilynn’s grandmother always seemed to know when one of her grandchildren was in need and came to their aid. Kilynn was grateful for her grandmother’s arms around her, comforting her.

“Now dearest, time to get those tears under control. As I said, your mother is not dead. Yes, she was taken by The Hunt but they did not take her to kill her. Oh no, they have other plans for your mother.” Kilynn leaned back a bit and looked at her grandmother’s face. Although it was wrinkled with age, she was still beautiful, her blue eyes were still bright and lively and her hair was still black, without a touch of gray. At times people had thought she was Vanyssa’s older sister and not her mother.

“What are you talking about, Grandmother? Everyone knows The Hunt kills their victims. Mother isn't alive anymore.”

“Yes, child, she is and that is why I am here. Come, let us sit here and talk. But first,” Grandmother paused and looked out into the woods. “Come out, boys. I know you’re there. You might as well come give your grandmother a hug and then sit with us while I tell my story.” Ryl and Herry stepped out of the woods looking rather sheepish. Somehow Kilynn was not surprised that they had managed to follow her. She smiled as first Ryl then Herry hugged their grandmother tightly.

The four of them settled comfortably on the ground by the pond. Tom walked over to nuzzle Grandmother’s shoulder. She reached into a basket that Kilynn swore wasn’t there a minute before and pulled out an apple. Tom delicately took the apple with his teeth and walked away, crunching happily. Grandmother reached into the basket and pulled out three more apples as well as some cheese, bread, and flasks of sweet berry juice. The triplets began to eat quietly while their Grandmother began her tale.

“What do you children know of The Hunt?” she asked.

Ryl stopped chewing and answered, “The Hunt is full of monsters and demons. They come down from the mountains once a month, on the night of the new moon, to feast upon any unfortunate souls they happen across.”

“Any why do they do this? Why only once a month? Why not every night?” Grandmother asked, looking at each child in turn. The three shook their heads, unable to answer that question. “And when did The Hunt start?” she continued.

“There has always been The Hunt, for as long as anyone can remember,”Herry answered. At that, Grandmother laughed.

“I can remember quite a long time, children, and I remember a time without The Hunt.” At that, Kilynn and her brothers exclaimed in surprise. A time without The Hunt? That seemed like a fairy tale to Kilynn. Grandmother laughed again at the surprised look on their faces.

“I see your mother and father have chosen not to tell you the truth about The Hunt. I am not surprised that your father would keep this a secret. He is not one for tales of old and strange legends. But your mother, I raised her better than that. Well, I shall have to have a word or two with her when she returns. And don’t look at me like that, she will return,” Grandmother said, silencing their protests. “I will tell you the truth about The Hunt.”

Kilynn, part 4

I got a good long time today to work on Kilynn's story. I still have a lot of work to do on it, but here is part of what I wrote today. I am not totally sure I like everything I wrote and may go back and change some things, but for now I'll put it out there as is.

Herry walked up and stood next to her as she stared at the sky. He glanced up and sighed. “We’ll need to go soon, Kilee. The reports should be in soon and Mother and Father will be expecting us home.” Kilynn smiled at Herry’s use of her nickname. He hadn’t called her Kilee since they became teenagers and she threw a fit about how babyish the nickname sounded. But her smile faded as she turned towards Herry. 

“Do we have to go home? How about we go hear the report first. I’m just not ready to face Mother and Father yet,” she replied. The thought of the fight that had sent her fleeing the town was still fresh in her mind. She wasn't quite ready to forgive her parents yet and knowing how stubborn her parents could be, she was pretty sure they weren't ready either. It usually took everyone a day or two to calm down and think rationally.

“Yes, let’s go. They will be ringing the bell soon. We can ask Wyllam how angry Mother and Father still are, although I expect that your disappearing act hasn't helped them calm down any. But don’t worry, baby sister, I will be there when you see Mother and Father again. I am on your side. And Ryl is too, even if he doesn't often show it.” Herry grabbed her hand as they started to walk to the steps.

As they walked towards the town square, Kilynn couldn't help but think how different her brothers were. She, Herry and Ryl were triplets, a rarity in their town. Mother had told them that she had known she was pregnant with at least two babies, for she could feel two heads and four feet kicking her. Herry and Ryl were born within minutes of each other, with identical faces, blond hair, and green eyes like their father. Then came Kilynn, her surprise baby, as Mother called her. She was born with a full head of dark hair and bright blue eyes. All three babies cried non-stop until Mother had put the three of them into the cradle together. Snuggled up together, the triplets stopped crying and promptly fell asleep.

As they grew older, it became apparently that they had very different personalities. While they were identical in looks and build, Ryl was short tempered and held grudges while Herry was patient and forgiving. Kilynn, being the youngest and only daughter in the family, grew up to be stubborn and fierce, unafraid to try anything her six older brothers were doing. She was a good foot shorter than her brothers, and didn't resemble anyone in her family but her mother, who also had dark hair and blue eyes. While her twin brothers often teased her for looking nothing like them, they would protect her ferociously if anyone should dare to pick on her. It was comforting to know that Kilynn could depend on them when she needed them. She smiled up at Herry and gave his hand a gentle squeeze as they turned the corner into the town square.

The town square was filling with people. Looking around, Kilynn spotted the familiar faces of neighbours and friends. A look of relief often passed over people’s faces as they spotted loved ones, realizing they had not been lost to The Hunt. Kilynn and Herry both scanned the crowd, trying to spot their oldest brother, Wyllam.

“There he is,” Herry said, pointing to a tall, dark haired man standing near the edge of the podium. As Herry and Kilynn made their way through the crowd, Herry said, “Wow, Father is here too. In fact, it looks like all of our older brothers are here.”

That worried Kilynn. Perhaps Ryl hadn't made it back to home in time before Father sent Wyll with the report. Kilynn scanned the crowd and didn't see her mother. That worried her even more. Perhaps her family thought she hadn't survived and came here to hear her name be read. Maybe her mother was too upset, thinking her only daughter was lost, to come to hear the reading of the names. But then Kilynn saw Ryl standing on the other side of Wyll. Now she was very confused. Where was Mother?

Kilynn and Herry walked up and stood by Ryl, Herry placing her between himself and Ryl. Wyll walked over to Herry and whispered something in his ear then returned to his place by Father’s side. Father glanced over at them and nodded in greeting to Herry but totally ignored Kilynn. Oh dear she thought, Father is really angry with me, and rightfully so. I screwed up big this time. She glanced around at her other brothers but none of them made eye contact with her. She knew she was really in the doghouse. Sometimes it really stinks to be the only daughter out of seven children, she couldn’t help thinking.

The Captain of the Guard stepped up on the podium and the crowd that had been quietly talking fell silent. The Captain cleared his throat and began to speak. “This time around I am happy to say we only lost 10 people to The Hunt.  I want to thank….” Kilynn tuned the Captain out while he made his long-winded speech about how he was grateful to the citizens for doing their best to keep safe during these times. She perked up again as he read the first name. It was not a name she recognized, but she still felt bad for the family nearby as they sobbed at the loss of their loved one.

Slowly, allowing each family time to grieve a bit, the Captain read the names. As he neared the end of the list, Kilynn glanced up at her Father and was surprised to see tears rolling down his face. Was one of the lost people his friend? She hadn’t recognized any of the names so far so she didn't think so. Then she noticed that there were tears on her brothers’ faces also. She felt Herry, and surprisingly Ryl, slip their hands into hers as the Captain announced he had reached the final name. The final name must be a friend of theirs, Kilynn thought. That’s why her mother wasn't here – she was upset at losing a friend. Kilynn braced herself to hear the name of their now-gone friend.

“Vanyssa Frankson,” The Captain announced.

Kilynn let out a gasp as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach, driving all the air from her lungs. Why had the Captain just called out her mother’s name? She glanced at her father and saw he had his face buried in his hands, sobbing. Her brothers were hugging each other, crying as well. Kilynn sank to her knees, jerking her hands from her brothers’ grasp and wrapping them around her stomach as she struggled to breathe.

“No,” she whispered over and over, shaking her head. “No, not mother.” She heard someone yelling no over and over but didn't realize it was her own voice until Herry and Ryl sank down beside her, wrapping their arms around her, both calling her name. As their voices broke through her screaming, she stopped and began to sob, tears pouring down her face. She buried her face into the shoulders of her brothers and cried as if her heart was broken.

Kilynn glanced up as she felt a strange hand touch her head then another. The townspeople were clearing the square, now that the Captain was done. Friends of theirs walked by slowly, stopping to lay a hand on her father’s shoulder, nod to her brothers, pat her head, letting her family know they weren’t alone in their grief. Kilynn looked at her father and saw that he was struggling to get himself under control. She did the same, taking deep breaths of air to clear her head. Ryl and Herry realized what she was doing and slowly released her from their protective arms.

Kilynn struggled to her feet and faced her father. “How?”she asked. “How did this happen?” She needed to know what happened to her mother. Her mother was always so careful, making sure to be in a safe place on the night of The Hunt. How could her mother have been taken?

“Do you really want to discuss this here?” her father asked, looking at her for the first time since she arrived in the square. Kilynn thought about it for a moment. The few people that were left in the square probably already knew what had happened, and anyway, she didn't care if they heard what her father had to say. All she cared about was knowing what happened to her mother. She looked her father in the eye and nodded. Father stood staring at her for a minute. There wasn't any anger in his face anymore, only sadness. “Fine. I will tell you,” he said then paused to give her a chance to stop him. When she didn't he continued, “She went out looking for you. It is all your fault.”

Kilynn, part 3

The boy is home again sick today. He doesn't often get sick, but when he does it is bad. According to his teacher the plague is going around the classroom (okay, not the actually plague). Even she was out yesterday because of the germs that has been going around. And although he was home, I did get time to sit down and work on my story. I had planned on finishing the massive MegaBloks Halo set I started for him yesterday but chose not too when my whole body protested at it. My fingers are sore from snapping together the pieces and my back and legs are sore from sitting on the hardwood floor for hours. I will finish up the set tomorrow, sitting in a chair at a table. I have learned my lesson.

So, here you go. Part 3 of Kilynn's story. To recap, Kilynn fell asleep outside the town walls and awoke when she heard the warning bells, letting everyone know the mysterious Hunt was coming. She flew back to town and was hauled over the town walls by her brothers just minutes before The Hunt arrived. When we left her, she had just been dumped in a corner and the lights had gone out.

Kilynn, part 3

Kilynn sat in the corner of the darkened room, gasping for breath. A voice somewhere in the room whispered, “Quiet! They’re coming!” Kilynn tried desperately to calm her breathing. The guard was right – The Hunt was coming. She couldn't hear it, but she could feel a deep vibration in the ground. As each second passed the vibration grew stronger until suddenly it seemed to pop. All sound in the room vanished, as if Kilynn had gone deaf. This calm before the storm was the most disturbing part. She had known people to go mad in those few seconds of utter silence, had seen them run screaming from the room and into the arms of The Hunt. That was why the town always made sure people were securely locked into rooms when The Hunt came.

As suddenly as it had gone, Kilynn’s hearing returned with a frightful thunderous crashing sound that reminded her of the waves she had seen at her lone trip to the beach. She could hear it even down here, deep underground surrounded by thick stone walls. The Hunt had arrived and was swarming through the town. Under the roaring sound she could hear unearthly moans, screams, and a high-pitched cackling laugh.

Kilynn drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly, shuddering at the sounds above her. It was beginning to dawn on her just how close she had come to being taken by The Hunt. The shudder turned to shaking as shock set in. Kilynn drew back further into the corner she sat in, drawing in her knees and curling up in a small ball as she tried to stop shaking. As she wriggled trying to get comfortable, Kilynn bumped the person sitting next to her. Ryl let out a grunt and pushed her away. Closing her eyes and taking another deep breath, Kilynn listened to the breathing around her. Her brothers were sitting on either side of her, both seething with rage. Uh-oh thought Kilynn, I am in serious trouble. She knew her two older brothers would let her have it once The Hunt was done. Her shaking had been subsiding but the thought of her two brothers’ rage brought its return.

Suddenly she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Herry she thought. Yes, he was furious with her but he was always the first to offer comfort when needed. Ryl is so different from Herry she thought. Ryl would take at least a day or two to forgive her for this while Herry probably already had. She sighed quietly as she felt Herry's hand rub her shoulder and slowly her shaking stopped. Exhausted by her ordeal, Kilynn rested her head on her drawn-up knees, closed her eyes, and promptly fell asleep.

She had no clue how long she had been asleep when the gentle hand on her shoulder turned rougher, shaking her awake. “Kilynn, wake up,” Herry said in her ear. She opened her eyes to see that a torch had been lit in the room. The Hunt had passed and people were slowly making their way through the door and back up the twisting staircase. Kilynn rubbed her eyes then took Herry’s outstretched hand. He gently pulled her to her feet then wrapped her in a tight hug. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes as she hugged her brother. It wasn't until she felt a wetness on her head that she realized that Herry was crying too.

After a few minutes she took a step back, breaking the hug. She stood in front of Herry, eyes fixed on the floor. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry for this. I must have fallen asleep out there. Thank you, Herry.” Herry just shook his head and pulled her back into the hug.

“It happens, little sister. I’m just glad Ryl and I were able to find you in time. We cut it too close. I owe the guards a few rounds of ale for keeping the doors open for us.” At the mention of Ryl’s name, Kilynn looked around for her other brother.

“Where is Ryl?” she asked. “Oh, and I’ll pay for the ales,” she added. She knew her brother would refuse the money, but she would try.

“Ryl left as soon as the door was opened. You know how he is. He needs time to cool down before he sees you again,” Herry answered as he guided her towards the door. He stopped to light a torch from the pile by the door then slowly led the way upstairs. The pair walked silently, saving their breath the long climb up to the guard tower. Kilynn was amazed at how long a climb it was. In her mad dash down she hadn’t realized just how long the staircase was. She was also amazed that she hadn’t fallen and broken her leg or neck in the descent.

The siblings passed through the trapdoor at the top of the stairs. Herry stopped to hand coins to each of the guards on duty; that was easier than meeting them all at the tavern later. Kilynn stepped out onto the town wall, taking a deep breath of fresh air. She glanced up, marveling at the stars glimmering brightly against the moonless night sky.

Kilynn's story, part 2

I hadn't planned on working on Kilynn's story today but as I sat down at the computer it just started to come out. Seems she wants everyone to know if she makes it to safety or not...shall we find out?

Pacing back and forth in front of the gate, Kilynn sensed, more than heard, movement behind her. She glanced across the empty plain at the trees and the mountains beyond. The trees had begun to shake and a deep rumble vibrated the ground. The Hunt was on the move. Looking up at the top of the wall she could see the guard lights being extinguished one by one.  Riding along the base of the wall, she screamed as loud as she could.

Suddenly a familiar face popped over the edge, followed by a second one. Tears of joy streamed down her face, blurring the sight of her brothers Teryl and Heryld above her. A long rope ladder slapped into the stone wall next to her head. Kilynn grabbed the rope and began climbing as fast as she could while her brothers dragged the ladder upwards. She felt her horse take off running as soon as she had cleared the saddle. She spared a second to hope the poor animal would find safety from the coming danger.

Above her, Kilynn’s brothers were yelling at her to move faster. Time seemed to stand still as she climbed while her brothers pulled. Suddenly they pulled her over the top of the wall, sending her tumbling onto the wooden platform with a thump. Heryld hauled her to her feet and they took off running into the guard’s watchtower, Teryl slamming the door shut behind them. A single torch burned in a holder, revealing an open trapdoor in the floor. Heryld pushed her towards the trapdoor, nearly sending her falling down the steep stairs. She grabbed the torch Teryl had removed from the wall then began the mad dash down the stairs to safety. Behind her, she heard the trapdoor slam shut and the locking bolt slide home. Two sets of footsteps echoed behind her as she ran down, growing dizzy with the twisting nature of the stairs.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Kilynn stupidly stopped moving. Herry slammed into her, sending her crashing to the floor and her torch flying into the darkened room in front of them. Ryl came flying around the last turned and tripped over his siblings. 

“Dammit, Herry! Get up and drag that sister of ours with you,” Ryl grumbled as he struggled to his feet. A guard waiting at the door grabbed Ryl’s arm and dragged him inside. Another guard grabbed Herry and pulled both him and Kilynn into the room, throwing them into a corner with their brother. Behind her Kilynn heard the door slam shut, the torch sputtered out, and the room was plunged into silent darkness.

That's all for today. The story train jumped the tracks with having to go to the bus stop and a lost child ending up at our house. I do have a good idea of what will happen next, I just need to get a chance to get it out of my head and into print. Until I can do that, I hope Kilynn's brothers aren't too angry with her...