This one’s a bit longer than usual because there really wasn’t anywhere earlier to break it. It’s in a setting that I came up with originally for a completely different story that hasn’t yet gotten past the outline stage; I’m hoping for three or four stories there eventually.<\/i><\/p>\n
Veran heard her father’s voice as she approached the house. He sounded angry. She hoped he wasn’t mad at her \u2013 she hadn’t been out that<\/i> long, and he hadn’t actually told her to stay in the house.<\/p>\n
\u201c…boys for miles in every direction are already sniffing around her, and if we don’t…\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped abruptly when Veran lifted the latch. She peered around the door to see her father standing in the middle of the room, arms raised, while her mother sat quietly in her rocking chair. Veran’s mother’s mouth was tight, and she was looking down at her hands, not at her husband \u2013 so she<\/i> was angry, too.<\/p>\n
They had probably been arguing, then, and Veran probably wasn’t the target of her father’s ire after all. She smiled as she stepped into the house, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.<\/p>\n
Her father had not merely stopped talking; he seemed to be holding his breath. Now he let it out in a sigh as he looked at her. \u201cVeran,\u201d he said. \u201cWhere have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying down by the river,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her parents exchanged glances. \u201cWho were you playing with?\u201d her mother asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cGorbin, and Dalleth, and the Weaver girls.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds all right,\u201d her father said. \u201cBut remember \u2013 \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere must always be another girl,\u201d Veran said, completing his sentence. \u201cI know.\u201d She closed the door.<\/p>\n
There was a sudden howl of wind, and the entire house shook; all three of them froze in astonishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was that<\/i>?\u201d Veran’s sister Helria called from the attic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know,\u201d her father called back. He turned to Veran, and started to ask a question.<\/p>\n
Before he had gotten beyond, \u201cDid you…\u201d there was a heavy knock at the door.<\/p>\n
Startled, Veran whirled around.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas there someone following you?\u201d her mother asked. She sounded worried.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo!\u201d Veran said. \u201cThe Weavers went home, so I came back, and Dalleth and Gorbin were still splashing around when I left. I didn’t see anyone else!\u201d She didn’t mention that at least half an hour had elapsed between Alzi and Morin’s departure and her own.<\/p>\n
The knock sounded again. Veran looked to her father for guidance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho is it?\u201d he bellowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne who you would be unwise to offend, Larzam of Korbek!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wizard,\u201d Veran’s mother gasped.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpen the door, girl,\u201d her father barked.<\/p>\n
Veran hurriedly turned and obeyed.<\/p>\n
Wind swirled in the instant the latch released, and flung the door back against the wall, revealing a tall old man in a flowing black robe, his long white hair and beard fluttering in the breeze. His eyes were so pale a blue they almost seemed to glow, and Veran stared at his face, fascinated.<\/p>\n
This, she realized, must be Algath Skybreaker, the wizard who lived atop the Gray Mountain and ruled the surrounding valleys \u2013 including the one her family lived in.<\/p>\n
He stared back at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDread master,\u201d her father said, kneeling. \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The wizard kept his gaze locked on Veran’s face; she was becoming very nervous, but did not dare look away. \u201cThis girl,\u201d he said. \u201cShe is your daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, my lord. Her name is Veran.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow old is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Veran blinked. Why was the wizard here, and asking about her?<\/p>\n
\u201cThirteen, my lord.\u201d His voice shook slightly.<\/p>\n
The wizard’s expression changed; he cocked his head to one side, looking thoughtful. Veran tore her eyes away and glanced at her parents.<\/p>\n
Her father looked nervous, but her mother, usually so calm in appearance, looked terrified<\/i>. Veran swallowed uneasily, and turned her attention back to the wizard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s too young,\u201d he said, not addressing anyone in particular. \u201cBut then, it may take some time to arrange matters and prepare her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her father cleared his throat, and the wizard raised his gaze, looking over Veran’s head at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrepare her for what<\/i>, my lord?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what I have in mind,\u201d the wizard replied. \u201cI have a use for a beautiful woman, and my magic tells me that this girl has the potential to be by far the most beautiful woman in the Six Valleys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veran blinked. Beautiful? Her?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe… we had noticed her beauty, my lord. It has been… we have been concerned about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe local boys, my lord \u2013 they’re taking an interest. But as you say, she’s still too young!\u201d<\/p>\n
The wizard frowned. He looked down at Veran again. \u201cThen perhaps we can come to an arrangement that will please us both.\u201d He thought for a moment.<\/p>\n
Veran wanted to say something \u2013 she had a hundred questions, and besides, they were talking about her as if she wasn’t even here \u2013 but she didn’t know how to talk to a wizard. And Algath Skybreaker, Lord of the Six Valleys, Master of the Gray Mountain, was not just any<\/i> wizard; he was the ruler of the entire area. His magic permeated earth and sky for miles in every direction, and everyone who lived in the Six Valleys did so at his sufferance. He made the soil fertile, and kept away crows and locusts that would eat the crops. His magic cleansed the water and made it safe to drink. She couldn’t just talk to him as if he was an ordinary man.<\/p>\n
And then she had missed her chance, as the wizard said, \u201cI will have need of your daughter at some point in the future; I can’t say exactly when. Until that time, she will be under my protection, and anyone who would harm her, or touch her against her will, does so at his peril. I will provide you with rich fabrics, fine thread, and jewels, and you will see to it that she has clothing befitting her new role; if you and your wife are not capable of sewing suitable garments, I will find another to undertake the task. Beginning on her fifteenth birthday… ah, but wait. Do you consider a girl of fifteen to be of marriageable age?\u201d<\/p>\n
Veran turned to see her parents’ reaction; they were staring at one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cSixteen,\u201d her mother said.<\/p>\n
The wizard sighed. \u201cVery well. Her sixteenth birthday, then. From that day on she must always dress and conduct herself as if she were a king’s daughter, so that should she be snatched away without warning and brought to a royal court, she will give no evidence of her humble origins, but will appear to be a princess of the highest breeding. If you feel yourselves incapable of training her in the manners appropriate to a woman of high station, a tutor can be provided.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI… I think that would be a good idea, my lord,\u201d her father said. \u201cWe’re just ordinary folk.\u201d<\/p>\n
The wizard nodded. \u201cI will see to it that, however ordinary you may be, you will be very successful<\/i> folk, for as long as you obey these instructions to my satisfaction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, yes. As long as you remain in my domain, and do as I have told you, your every enterprise will be met with good fortune. No vermin will trouble you. Whatever you may grow in your garden shall bear plentifully, and game shall present itself to you to be trapped or shot. Any man who displeases you will displease me<\/i>, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut… I don’t understand, my lord. Do you intend to wed my daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMe?\u201d The wizard jerked upright as if stung. \u201cMe<\/i>? By the good earth, no! I have no interest in children, no matter how lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen… I don’t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a use for a woman of exceptional beauty. Your daughter will become such a woman, and there is no other in all the Six Valleys who will be her equal in the next hundred years. I am setting forth the terms under which you will grant me your daughter for my purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This one’s a bit longer than usual because there really wasn’t anywhere earlier to break it. It’s in a setting that I came up with originally for a completely different story that hasn’t yet gotten past the outline stage; I’m hoping for three or four stories there eventually. Veran heard her father’s voice as she… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","category-work-in-progress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":697,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342\/revisions\/697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.watt-evans.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}