ClosetMonster

Light in the Dark

Hap scowled, not liking the sense of riddles which their conversation, albeit stretched out and lazy, seemed filled with. The curiosity burned and it could find no loose thread to pull on and unravel it all so as to understand it better.

“No,” it stood and as it did so, its tail was freed and lashed jerkily, like that of a cat. From the puppy pile nearest their now awake guest, Krell watched in interest. She went still and followed the movement with ice-pale eyes.

“I have little heat at all,” Hap considered. “There is the great sun under our feet and the ancient vents to its heat, allowing in what light and warmth we need to survive. Other than that, there is but blood and breath, and neither of these is particularly dangerous to me.”

The Keeper went to the netting and plucked it from the floor. It took the slender creature significant strength to carry the great bulk to the door where it set it upon a chair and then returned with a small bottle which it kept beside the door in a chest of dark wood.

With a sigh, Hap eased some from the movement, knelt down beside Krell. The bitch snarled at it in warning but it ignored her and plucked one of her pups from the warmth of her belly. She rumbled a second time more begrudgingly and set her head to the floor by her master's knee as he cradled the mewling babe in one silver hand.

“I do not think you are from the Reaches,” Hap put a conclusion on its confusion. “You must be from the daylight lands or twilight lands, because you speak in riddles and it has been many a moon's season in which I have needed to tease out meaning as much as I do.” Large eyes stared at him and Hap sniffed.

“Tell me about your home,” it asked, prodding at an invisible back door through which they might together reach some understanding, provided they both remained patient enough to find one which opened to them both.

Over the Hill ~ ClosetMonster x PopeAlessandros

I has been poked! Hrrrmmm...

I really have no druthers. Whichever seems most story fitting when you get to writing it out is probably the best one. If I were the one to make the decision (I'm not) then I'd do a bit of Eenie Meenie and if the forced choice feels wrong, then go with the other.

I do think that no matter what, the story will happen and if Wren chooses to be impossible, we'll corral him somehow. ;)

The Highwayman Came Riding

:) Had a moment of precious time...

The Highwayman Came Riding

He was as light as a fae, and twice as dangerous, this displaced lord. He wrapped about her like a particularly intoxicating wine.

Bess followed the cadence of the tale with the natural fireside intensity of the poor. He might have stepped out of song to carry her atop the back of a great, midnight stallion to the glade where they had begun. His lands, spread out about them like a mocking to him and the richness and sudden magic of the pique-nique as foolish as a child's mudpie, still he went on and for a moment, she wondered at when the Fairy Queen might come to steal him back like Tam Lynn.

Was he any sight near enough to reality in thinking she should be treasure fit for such a man? She smiled and looked out upon the grove as the came to a stop. The steed tossed his head and Bess sat forward in anticipation of his dismounting. “You speak a gilded toungue, y'do,” she looked over her shoulder to watch him swing down, then slid off herself, grasping his shoulder as she did so. “As I said, 'tis only a Bess ya have.”

She stepped from him, then glanced about the glade. With a light laugh, she spun. “It don' matter one wit wha' yer wanted for, I think. Per'aps in tha' other world, but yeh don' have ta live in it right now, do you?” She stopped, grasped her skirts as they flung theirselves abouther legs, and grinned at him. “Come, 'tis nowt wrong wit' havin' a bit of a game, now an' ag'in. When th' moon's full an' the fairy are too high in th' trees to bother, my Reynard is'n a man a'tall, but a dream. Let's keep it tha' way. I'll be your Greensleeves, I will. You be my Reynard. An' like that!,” she stood straight and snapped her fingers between them with a wide smile, “we have a land what no one will e'er be able ta take.”

The Highwayman Came Riding

I am so sorry.. I am about to go pick up one of the youngest of my family who will be hanging with her auntie, the dogs and horsies. It is a gorgeous post, as usual, and I shan`t be available for a bit of time yet.

The Highwayman Came Riding

Heh - nothing like knowing I'm not alone. It is a very good game and I'm lucky to have found one more amazing writer on here! It's always a breath of fresh air when things just click, ya?

So I've tomorrow off as well (am on vacation at HOME this time, thank heavens) and while it is Independence day and therefore requisite fireworks and frightened dogs trying to burst out of houses and run down roads are in my foreseeable future, I will be dinking around a bit. I'll do my best to respond better than twenty four hours next time. :) I'll also start looking at just what Mistress Fanny is going to be like. "Lor' but she's a keen'un, she is!" She's bound to turn it all round in a snap! I'm caught between lots and lots of ruffles and pink cheeks, or a rather rotund woman with the grace of a battle axe and the power to prove it. :) We'll see how she shapes up when she has to go head to head with our M. Reynard.

(On a side-note, M. Reynard is a nickname for one of my owd dogs. He's ruddy and flashy as a fox, though he's not half so smart, he is one of my "gentlemen" [a pair of brothers who always give at the gate and are quick to do whatever they are asked to]. He's the gentle one and when I do talks at the local school, he is my ambassador - wanting a hug and to be petted by the kids.)

The Highwayman Came Riding

Oh please... rest! No rush in any way on this, eh? The wonderful thing about being on forum is there is no real time line on when your next bit of writing shows up. It's at your convenience.

Light in the Dark

Awe, you've got thunderstorms! My aunt is in Kansas and she talks of the thunderstorms. They sound fabulous.

That is really something I've always wanted to do, what your dad has managed. To get the timing down for the blooms is a real feat! But the loss of a tree, as well? :( So very sad. I've a lot of hemlock and cedar on the property, but year before last, lost one of my old birch back on the back portion of the pasture. It was really sad. I hate losing trees. I much prefer to plant them! :) Keep trying to put a willow in down where my stream is, but I'm cheap and just keep sticking willow sticks in the ground in hopes that they'll find a good pocket of water and keep on going. No such luck just yet! Also have tried the past three years to set in an American Chestnut. We gather the nuts from a park about seventy miles away and bring them back and try and get them germinating. I will be all happy when I finally get some of them growing here.

Light in the Dark

Heat does get in the way. We're in a fairly temperate zone so it hasn't gotten too hot just yet. I finally put shorts on today. Whew! But it is good for the dogs. They are just finally settling into shedding their coats and its hard when we get a sudden hot summer. Hate to see them so hot. :)

Briars... it sounds overgrown and Secret Garden pretty'ish.

The Highwayman Came Riding

Oh take your time....

And I felt it was a lag as I was set to "online" which I try not to do unless I can devote the time to sitting. Unfortunately, I'm coming to the conclusion that I might be a bit bad at sitting in one place for long.

Anyhow - yes! I'm starting to really like her, thank heavens! She's got the fire I had hoped she'd develop. And he is just fabulous. I love that he has a hidden story which Bess (and I) has no idea about. It makes him just perfect. Thanks for taking me along for this ride. It's fabulous.