Daughter of Earth – Chapter XXII

The following is an excerpt from book four of the Leather Book Tales fantasy series ©Regine Haensel.

 

Alizarine (Ali) has been captured and put in a dungeon. She knows that friends are coming to rescue her and has also discovered that a piece of obsidian that her friend Samel gave her has magical powers.

The voices fade and I’m left with much to think about. For one thing, I have a great deal of hope. Julina is not all powerful and is fumbling about, trying to get the bracelets. She doesn’t appear to know anything about the piece of obsidian that I have, which holds powers that no one had an inkling of. Wherever this stone came from, it’s certainly absorbed magic and it’s gifting some of that to me. Unfortunately, Julina also said, “We don’t want her to die yet.” My eventual fate doesn’t make me happy. I don’t know how much time I have, but I’ve got to make plans to get out of here.

          Deciding to test what the stone can do, I walk about the room and lean my head against walls here and there. Now and then I catch a voice. Once I hear a guard say loudly, “You stupid fool! You almost dropped that rock on my foot!” Occasionally there are murmurs but I can’t distinguish words.

          Then I recall how the stone enabled me to smooth parts of the walls of my tower room so I could draw on them, and how my hand sank into stone. Could I wear away enough of a wall to make an opening? I didn’t want to try anything like that in the tower because someone was always coming in, but here I’m thinking no one is likely to disturb me for some time.

          I examine the walls, consider the most likely place to break through. The only section where I have some idea of thickness is the wall holding the doors. All the others could be arms-length deep as well as being underground. If I can make even small holes near the hinges or the lock, I may be able to open the door. I choose to try the lock. First, I grasp the black stone in both hands until it’s almost too hot to hold. Then I set it down and place both hands on the wall surrounding the lock. Slowly, slowly my palms sink in. I press as hard as I can but make only a thin indentation. I sigh and lean down to pick up the stone to warm my hands again. The stone has sunk into the floor, twice its own thickness, I can barely distinguish its rainbow shine. Quickly I pry it out so as not to lose it, hold it tightly again until it heats and then press the stone itself against the wall. It sinks through and strikes the metal of the lock. A few more applications and the door creaks open.

 

The Leather Books fantasy series (Queen of Fire, Child of Dragons, Companion of Eagles, Daughter of Earth) is available through the Saskatchewan Library system, for purchase online from SaskBooks, [Bookstore (skbooks.com)]on Amazon, or from booksserimuse@gmail.com. Book five, Time Dancer, is in the process of being written. 

Companion of Eagles – Chapter XII

 The following is an excerpt from book three of the Leather Book Tales fantasy series ©Regine Haensel. More excerpts from the series will be available on this blog on Sundays this month.

 

Samel is travelling through the mountains with a caravan, which has stopped for lunch. Samel wanders off to eat on his own, and finds an eagle entangled in a snare.

So, very carefully I move aside branches until I can touch the young eagle. I begin gently to untangle its wing. The bird makes a soft chirping noise but doesn’t raise its head. I continue working at getting it released. I gather up the leather thongs tied to the branched trap and pull it out.

          Now the young eagle raises its head and takes a step toward me. I back up, holding branches aside. The bird brushes past my knees and hops out of the bush. I hunker in place, unmoving. The eagle spreads its wings, leans forward and launches into air. My breath catches in my throat and I have a sudden vision of leaping into the air myself and soaring over the valley. The bird circles a few times, making a whistling sound, as if in thanks. I crawl out of the bush and wave. Did it come from Aquila and is heading back? Or is it a mountain eagle? I wish I could send a message to Rowan telling her what just happened. Wouldn’t she be surprised! I’d love to see her face if that happened.

          The eagle dives toward me. For a moment I think it’s attacking so I back up and consider running. The bird land in a flurry of wings right in front of me. It cocks it’s brown head and hops closer. It looks at me.

          I squat. “You’re welcome,” I say. “I was glad to help.”

          But the eagle continues to sit there and I speculate on why. Could it be waiting to help me in some way, to thank me for what I’ve done? Rowan used to use her raven for sending messages. Now might be my chance to send a note to Papa at Aquila. No sense trying for my sister, because I’m not sure where Rowan is.

          Continuing to keep an eye on the bird, I take a bit of parchment out of my belt pouch along with a stick of charcoal that Ali gave me. I write a few lines, fold the parchment, and reach out slowly. The eagle doesn’t move, lets me tie the bit of parchment to its leg. I think clear thoughts of Aquila, where it is and what it looks like, and Papa. When I’m done, the eagle leaps at me, takes a nip out of my outstretched hand and is off into the sky again before I can complain. I hope this eagle will know how to get to Aquila. I watch until it’s a speck in the east, and then gone.

 

The Leather Books fantasy series (Queen of Fire, Child of Dragons, Companion of Eagles, Daughter of Earth) is available through the Saskatchewan Library system, for purchase online from SaskBooks, [Bookstore (skbooks.com)]on Amazon, or from booksserimuse@gmail.com.

Child of Dragons – Chapter XI

 OK so I promised an excerpt from each book of The Leather Book Tales every Sunday this month. Last Sunday I was busy painting my bathroom and forgot, so this week, one  excerpt on Friday, the other on Sunday.

The following is an excerpt from book two of the Leather Book Tales fantasy series ©Regine Haensel. More excerpts from the series will be available on this blog on Sundays this month.

 

Rowan has gone to a place on a lake with two others to look for missing people. The searchers split up and she is on her own.

The cool of evening. The silver leaves are back on my wrist and shining enough so that I can see a couple of arms lengths in front. How long have I been wandering among the trees? If I concentrate I can sense the pull of the fire from the camp. My stomach rumbles; maybe I should return now. I’d hoped to find the lost ones this evening, but that could have been too optimistic. I notice that the forest itself is glowing slightly, but that’s not caused by the bracelet. I catch a glimpse of the moon beyond the highest branches. I drop to a stump and rest. I should at least have brought a water skin. Why did I dash off, not prepare? That’s not like me. I have to find balance between trusting the bracelet and using my own common sense.

          At first it’s very quiet. The longer I sit, the more it seems that I can hear murmuring. Perhaps it’s merely the wind sighing through the trees, or water flowing over stones. I hold my breath to see if that helps me hear any better. I can almost make out words, more than one person speaking maybe. Could it be the missing ones? Best be careful and not rush in. Barely breathing, I rise and move cautiously toward the voices. The path narrows and almost disappears; bushes grow close together, overhanging the path. I have to get on hands and knees and creep forward. I peer through foliage.

          Moonlight illuminates a tall, thick tree. Its canopy droops downward, so that I can’t clearly see what’s underneath, but I can make out shapes and movement. Carefully I sneak closer.

          “Sssafe. You’re sssafe with me,” a voice hisses.

          Undulations, a flash of pale blue, and darker green. Huge coils wrapped around – two children? A large golden eye flashes in a strange feathered head, teeth gleam. I have no weapons, need to sneak back and get Onoku.

          Crack! I’ve knelt on a branch. I hold my breath. The forest has become unnaturally silent. Moonlight dims, mist and shadows rise. I can’t see anything, not even when I stand, branches catching my hair and clothes. I take a couple of steps forward, losing a bit of hair. The bracelet glows faintly on my wrist, but I pull the sleeve over it, not wanting to reveal it to whoever or whatever may be under the tree. Still, it comforts me to know that I have its power as aid.

          “Who’s there?” a voice asks.

          A bright shaft of moonlight washes away shadows. Standing in an open area near the tree is a dark-haired man, a little taller than I. He looks younger than Jernan, and holds the hands of a boy whose head reaches to his elbows and a girl slightly shorter. I can see all of their faces clearly. The children look similar to Mirage and Juniper. The young man, oddly, reminds me of Onoku – the same round face with a hint of brass in its colouring. Is this why the caravan guard wanted to come? Does Onoku know this person? I can’t answer those questions now. Where did that huge strange creature, so like a snake, go?

          “We’ve been looking for you,” I say. “Gerda and the others returned to Vatnborg and the school by ship. With a man called Vartos. Maybe you know him? Three of us stayed behind to search. The boat will be back tomorrow to pick us up.

 

The Leather Books fantasy series (Queen of Fire, Child of Dragons, Companion of Eagles, Daughter of Earth) is available through the Saskatchewan Library system, for purchase online from SaskBooks, [Bookstore (skbooks.com)]on Amazon, or from booksserimuse@gmail.com.

Queen of Fire – Chapter V

 The following is an excerpt from book one of the Leather Book Tales fantasy series ©Regine Haensel. More excerpts from the series will be available on this blog on Sundays this month.

 

Rowan rides south to try and find her father and brother, whom she has recently found out about.

I wander in a dark wood, barefoot and cold. Water drips down my neck, but the cold and wet isn’t as bad as the knowledge that something stalks me, has sniffed out my scent in spite of the rain I have called to wash it away. I rub strong-smelling herbs on my feet and all over my body to disguise my odour. Suddenly I come to a break in the trees and eyes look at me out of the darkness. They seem to be staring right at me but can’t see me. I hear the creature draw in a breath, but it can’t smell me either. I am encircled and protected by light. There comes a sharp barking call.

Moonlight lies across my eyes; the rain has stopped. The donkey leans against one of the walls, probably asleep. I’m cold and glance at the glowing coals. Stretch out an arm to reach for more wood and  freeze as I spot a pair of shining eyes in a nearby bush. Branches rustle slightly and a black nose followed by a long muzzle emerges.For a moment I think it’s a dog and wonder if there’s a farm nearby after all.

There’s an odour, though, not the smell of dog, but something wild. What if it’s a wolf, the one that Father wrote about; but a wolf wouldn’t live that long. Perhaps it’s the one Mother feared. Why would wolves hang about our family? Another rustle and the creature moves forward. It’s a fox – sleek red-brown fur, white-tipped busy tail. I’m barely breathing, avoiding any movement that might startle it. Is it looking for food? Would it attack me? I think I could beat it away; it’s not that big, but would the bite of a fox cause much damage? The animal simply sits there and the two of us regard each other. I wonder what it thinks of me. The forest is quiet except for the occasional drip, drip of water. Eventually the fox fades back into the bushes. Perhaps I’ve merely been inspected and found harmless. On the other hand, if this were an old tale, the fox might be  messenger, but if so I don’t understand the loll of a tongue, the sniff of a nose, the tilt of a head or the twitch of a tail.

 

The Leather Books fantasy series (Queen of Fire, Child of Dragons, Companion of Eagles, Daughter of Earth) is available through the Saskatchewan Library system, for purchase online from SaskBooks, [Bookstore (skbooks.com)]on Amazon, or from booksserimuse@gmail.com.