Chapter One - Twelve Years Later

First Chapter

           Dense clouds drifted lazily above the green farmlands of the north, casting shadows and dappling the fertile earth below with patches of dark and light. Birds floated carelessly on the warm currents as a balmy breeze gently flowed through the fields and forest surrounding the small village of Driftwahl. The villagers busied themselves tending to their livestock and fields, toiling away in the bright sunlight of a beautiful late summer day.

            Laila milled around in the market, picking up a few things to bring back to the cottage so she could cook dinner for her father and little brother, Coulter. Though the afternoon was mild, there was a crisp feeling in the air, heralding the quick approach of autumn. She shivered as a chill breeze grazed her skin, causing a feeling of dread to settle in the pit of her stomach. Glancing about she realized the familiar look on the faces of her fellow villagers; an ominous weight seemed to press down on their shoulders. Though they tried to smile and hide their fear, the sense of impending doom was prominent in their half-wild eyes and too-quick movements.

            Leaving the market became a priority as Laila turned on her heels to head home. It took every ounce of her self-control not to break into a sprint as she hastened down the wide street. It was in her urgency that she failed to notice a boy walk directly in front of her, resulting in a collision that left them both on the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

            “Gerroff me, Laila!” shouted the startled boy. He quickly unwound himself and stood, glaring at Laila as she picked herself up.

            Laila stared at her feet, hoping her hair would hide her blush. “I’m so sorry, Lennan. I really should watch where I’m going. I promise it won’t happen again.” She glanced up shyly as his cheeks reddened, unsure if he was angry or embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before looking back down.

            Lennan deflated at her modesty. “S’okay, Laila. You jus’ s’prised me is all. It could’ve been avoided if I’d paid attention too.”

            Laila looked up again and he smiled sweetly at her. She gave him a small smile back. “I’d better get home, I’ll see you around?”

            Lennan grinned wider at her, “Absolutely. Have a g’night, see you soon.” With that, he trotted off down the street and disappeared into the crowd. Laila vigorously rubbed her pink cheeks in a vain attempt to wipe the blush away before going on her way.

 

~*~*~

 

            Later that evening Laila busied herself in the cramped kitchen, silently preparing dinner for her small family. As she stirred the remaining ingredients into the stew, she heard the familiar stomping of her father’s boots as he knocked off the day’s dust and muck before trudging in through the front door. As he brushed off his hands he glanced up at his young daughter, noticing, not for the first time, how much she resembled her mother. He turned his attention to the small cloth chair in the corner of the sitting room, once again drawn to remember the ache in his chest that never quite healed after the disappearance of his beloved wife.

            Athaulf shook his head almost imperceptibly before blowing out a long sigh and dropping into a different chair. It creaked under the weight of his body as well as that of his thoughts.

            “When will dinner be ready?” He asked gruffly as he kicked off his work boots.

            “It’ll be ready as soon as Coulter comes in from playing with his friends. How did work go today?”

            Athaulf grunted a halfhearted “alright” in response. They didn’t speak much to each other anymore, unless Coulter was present. He seemed to be the glue that held their little family together.

            As Laila briskly set their places at the tiny table, Coulter banged through the front door, his eyes alight with joy that reflected the rosy flush of his round cheeks. He talked animatedly about everything his friends had been doing that day while Laila finished her tasks until they were all able to sit down for dinner together. Though the stew was delicious, it did little to impede the constant stream of excitement that poured from her brother.

            For the first time that day, Laila’s heart felt light as she listened to her baby brother, letting the weight of the coming autumn slip from her mind as she quietly finished her stew. She occasionally smiled when Coulter’s stories would take an unexpected turn, laughing softly to herself at his sheer exuberance and youth. It was easy to forget the troubles of life when someone so innocent could find such joy in simply being alive. She was very grateful to her brother for that.

            Dinner was over too soon, and Laila cleaned up the table and kitchen while Coulter and her father went to their rooms to ready for bed. The quiet was overwhelming as darkness spilled in through the windows and crept through the cottage, diminished only by a single candle that Laila kept with her as she did her work. Exhaustion fell on her as the dark slid back into her heart, no longer kept away by the bright light of her young brother.

            It almost seemed as though summer grew shorter and shorter with each passing year, but Laila knew it was only the dread for the winter season that made it approach quicker than ever.

            “Maybe one of these days someone will figure out what we can do.” Laila whispered softly to the night. She glanced about one last time to make sure everything was put away before she extinguished the tiny flame and made her way to her room for the evening. Before too long, she was lying on her bed waiting for sleep to overcome her while she listened to the soft snores coming from her father’s room.

            Sleep was elusive that night, but sometime in the early morning Laila finally fell asleep, an image of shadow and malevolence drifting across her consciousness before winking away into nothing.

Author's Note

The first chapter, let me know what you think!

Reviews

[Sarah]

Laila stared AT her feet. Not and. Just a technical error. Other than that I thought this was a good piece. An excellent start that leaves the reader questioning. I'm not sure what the time period is so that should be explained. But I did love the language and the choice of words. Keep writing!

[Katie Lynn]

It's a high fantasy novel, the time period takes place in a totally different world. Thank you for the review!

[Brittanie Bardwell]

I like the overall plot though curious to see where this is going, I haven't yet felt the pull that hinted at the conflict. That may be more apparent in future chapters. If it's the upcoming winter, then I would like to see some major conflict with winter since you stated this is a fantasy book. I did notice some repeated words like "lazily" that you might want to change up.

The sentence, “Maybe one of these days someone will figure out what we can do…” threw me off a bit. Why is it an unfinished thought? Do about what? If this was intended to be a stand alone sentence with just her stating this, then it should end with a period not ... . Finally, imperceptibly should be imperceptible.

However, I do love your use in language and words throughout the chapter and hope to be able to read more. You have a great start to it.

[Katie Lynn]

Thank you very much for your review! I will revise it. :)