Laurel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
laurel_crown) wrote2013-02-19 05:31 pm
laurel_crown) wrote2013-02-19 05:31 pm
Entry tags:
story snippet
My wonderful beta pointed out to me that I can't skim over half the story I wrote in January, since it doesn't fit in with the rest of it . . . so editing that will have to wait until I have the time and energy to write out at least five scenes (i.e. next holidays, probably semester break). But I thought I could put up a scene from the start, to see what people think of it! So have 521 words of my whim-turned-WIP, based on nothing in particular (some PG violence) :D
Kainon tightened his grip on the bag, searching the trees around him. The market was spilling noise from behind, but he’d definitely heard something …
A blur sped towards him, he stepped back and jumped into the air but the other fairy caught his wrist. Kainon’s brown wings buzzed, but he was held firm.
“Hear me out, half-blood.” The snarl on the fairy’s face made the simple words threatening. Kainon sighed and came down; he’d rather avoid a confrontation, especially with this guy. What was his name? Darryd-something. His scowling face was certainly familiar.
Kainon crossed his arms, trying to control his irritation. “What do you want?” What had he done this time?
Darryd stepped towards him; Kainon had to back away or be trodden on. “I’m warning you off from sniffing around our gir-”
“Sniffing around?” Never mind tact, this was too much. “I was bartering, at a public stall. Is that a crime now?”
Darryd grabbed his shirt and slammed him against a tree, pinning his folded wings behind him. Kainon resisted the urge to struggle; his damn mouth got him into enough trouble by itself. Darryd put his face in close. “The harvest moon festival is coming up, and-”
“Is it?” Kainon stared in mock surprise, wishing his mouth would listen to his brain for once and shut up. “I’d completely forgotten. Thanks for the remin-”
Darryd cut him off by pushing him further up the trunk, fists pressing against his throat. Kainon’s hands scrabbled at the wood, but the bigger fairy was too strong. He was too scrawny, and didn’t dare kick out …
“Hey, tough guy!”
Both men looked around to stare at the girl who had spoken, Kainon squinting against the stars across his vision. Her blue wings were open and flicking impatiently.
“I think we can defend our own virtues, thank you,” she said, sweetly.
Kainon, now gripping Darryd’s wrists to take some of the weight off his neck, blinked. Why did she sound familiar?
“He’s a lecherous, half-blood bastard!” Darryd protested, a little uncertainly. It seemed he wasn’t used to fairy girls interrupting him.
“Please.” The girl walked forward to eye Kainon critically. “He hardly looks like either of those. Now let him go.”
Darryd spat. “You’re just as bad as that crazy-”
“Let him down, or I’ll fetch that crazy sister of mine and we’ll make you.”
They glared at each other for a moment, and then Darryd obliged. Kainon fell to his hands and knees, coughing, wings open and limp. For a moment all he could think of was how wonderful the air felt spilling into his chest; then Darryd brought him back to earth by treading on his hand. Kainon held it to his chest as he folded his wings and sat up, stupid mouth ready to go again, but Darryd had gone. There was only the girl, gazing at him steadily.
“Thank you,” he panted. He examined his rescuer properly as he considered what to say; her wings were patterned, like his, but so pale it was barely visible. She looked fragile. He decided not to tell the girl she’d only delayed the inevitable, that the boys always came after him around festivals. He laid his hand over his heart, gingerly. “Kainonforden.”
The girl opened her mouth to introduce herself, then frowned. “Forden? Isn’t that-”
“My mother’s name, yes.” He tilted his head, daring her to say he couldn’t do that.
She shifted uncomfortably, finally settling with, “Surely that just encourages all this?”
Kainon got to his feet, and looked down at her in some surprise. She was quite small, if he was taller. “What do you mean?”
The girl gestured vaguely. “If you took your father’s name …”
Kainon’s anger flared, as it always did. “My father?” He spat the word like it was nightshade juice. “That monster I had to live alone with until he threw me out, when I was” – he looked at her carefully – “younger than you? I wouldn’t take his name in a thousand years. Not even if I had no mother to replace it with.”
The girl seemed startled by his reaction. “So he isn’t your father?” She blushed and glanced away at the look on his face. “I’m sorry, I …”
“No, it’s alright.” Kainon sighed. “Everyone’s curious. It’s just … most fairies don’t ask. They just assume.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “I know all about that. Everyone assumes they know how I feel about her. But how can they, when I don’t know myself?”
“Sorry, what was your name?” asked Kainon, though he had a suspicion.
“Ayshanairden.”
“Oh, that crazy sister,” said Kainon, before he could stop himself.
“Yes. Oh.” Aysha bit her lip, blinking quickly.
Kainon fished around for something to say to comfort her, but could only think of a confession in return. “I don’t know who my father is. My mother never said; there were only the rumours. Can’t say I blame her for being unfaithful.”
Aysha gazed at him, suspicion and shock chasing across her face, before finishing on a grim smile. “We don’t know either.” She shook her head. “Nairyin and Forlei, the two great scandals of their time.”
“Leaving their children behind to suffer in ignorance,” said Kainon, without thinking. He looked up, an apology on his tongue, but Aysha ran off. Damn. There was no way he could catch her now.
In other news, uni has got its act together (organised timetable, finally) and is starting to look exciting again! Hopefully this will last until my first assessment arrives ;)
Kainon tightened his grip on the bag, searching the trees around him. The market was spilling noise from behind, but he’d definitely heard something …
A blur sped towards him, he stepped back and jumped into the air but the other fairy caught his wrist. Kainon’s brown wings buzzed, but he was held firm.
“Hear me out, half-blood.” The snarl on the fairy’s face made the simple words threatening. Kainon sighed and came down; he’d rather avoid a confrontation, especially with this guy. What was his name? Darryd-something. His scowling face was certainly familiar.
Kainon crossed his arms, trying to control his irritation. “What do you want?” What had he done this time?
Darryd stepped towards him; Kainon had to back away or be trodden on. “I’m warning you off from sniffing around our gir-”
“Sniffing around?” Never mind tact, this was too much. “I was bartering, at a public stall. Is that a crime now?”
Darryd grabbed his shirt and slammed him against a tree, pinning his folded wings behind him. Kainon resisted the urge to struggle; his damn mouth got him into enough trouble by itself. Darryd put his face in close. “The harvest moon festival is coming up, and-”
“Is it?” Kainon stared in mock surprise, wishing his mouth would listen to his brain for once and shut up. “I’d completely forgotten. Thanks for the remin-”
Darryd cut him off by pushing him further up the trunk, fists pressing against his throat. Kainon’s hands scrabbled at the wood, but the bigger fairy was too strong. He was too scrawny, and didn’t dare kick out …
“Hey, tough guy!”
Both men looked around to stare at the girl who had spoken, Kainon squinting against the stars across his vision. Her blue wings were open and flicking impatiently.
“I think we can defend our own virtues, thank you,” she said, sweetly.
Kainon, now gripping Darryd’s wrists to take some of the weight off his neck, blinked. Why did she sound familiar?
“He’s a lecherous, half-blood bastard!” Darryd protested, a little uncertainly. It seemed he wasn’t used to fairy girls interrupting him.
“Please.” The girl walked forward to eye Kainon critically. “He hardly looks like either of those. Now let him go.”
Darryd spat. “You’re just as bad as that crazy-”
“Let him down, or I’ll fetch that crazy sister of mine and we’ll make you.”
They glared at each other for a moment, and then Darryd obliged. Kainon fell to his hands and knees, coughing, wings open and limp. For a moment all he could think of was how wonderful the air felt spilling into his chest; then Darryd brought him back to earth by treading on his hand. Kainon held it to his chest as he folded his wings and sat up, stupid mouth ready to go again, but Darryd had gone. There was only the girl, gazing at him steadily.
“Thank you,” he panted. He examined his rescuer properly as he considered what to say; her wings were patterned, like his, but so pale it was barely visible. She looked fragile. He decided not to tell the girl she’d only delayed the inevitable, that the boys always came after him around festivals. He laid his hand over his heart, gingerly. “Kainonforden.”
The girl opened her mouth to introduce herself, then frowned. “Forden? Isn’t that-”
“My mother’s name, yes.” He tilted his head, daring her to say he couldn’t do that.
She shifted uncomfortably, finally settling with, “Surely that just encourages all this?”
Kainon got to his feet, and looked down at her in some surprise. She was quite small, if he was taller. “What do you mean?”
The girl gestured vaguely. “If you took your father’s name …”
Kainon’s anger flared, as it always did. “My father?” He spat the word like it was nightshade juice. “That monster I had to live alone with until he threw me out, when I was” – he looked at her carefully – “younger than you? I wouldn’t take his name in a thousand years. Not even if I had no mother to replace it with.”
The girl seemed startled by his reaction. “So he isn’t your father?” She blushed and glanced away at the look on his face. “I’m sorry, I …”
“No, it’s alright.” Kainon sighed. “Everyone’s curious. It’s just … most fairies don’t ask. They just assume.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “I know all about that. Everyone assumes they know how I feel about her. But how can they, when I don’t know myself?”
“Sorry, what was your name?” asked Kainon, though he had a suspicion.
“Ayshanairden.”
“Oh, that crazy sister,” said Kainon, before he could stop himself.
“Yes. Oh.” Aysha bit her lip, blinking quickly.
Kainon fished around for something to say to comfort her, but could only think of a confession in return. “I don’t know who my father is. My mother never said; there were only the rumours. Can’t say I blame her for being unfaithful.”
Aysha gazed at him, suspicion and shock chasing across her face, before finishing on a grim smile. “We don’t know either.” She shook her head. “Nairyin and Forlei, the two great scandals of their time.”
“Leaving their children behind to suffer in ignorance,” said Kainon, without thinking. He looked up, an apology on his tongue, but Aysha ran off. Damn. There was no way he could catch her now.
In other news, uni has got its act together (organised timetable, finally) and is starting to look exciting again! Hopefully this will last until my first assessment arrives ;)