It's a slog- National Novel Writing Month

So only 12 days left (!) and I am not even half way through. I have had a couple of days where I did not write anything and a few were I only did a little. The real issue, however, is that most days I have done under the 1600-1700 daily minimum. Right now my average is around 1200. This means some double down days over Thanksgiving (and hopefully no missed days). Eeeek.
On the plus side the story is still unfolding. It is not great literature (and may never be) but I can see where I can go with this one.
One thing is, after November, I am going to have to do some research into Edwardian England for this thing to hold together. It takes place around 1901.
One more note, so I am 44% of the way done and the big balloon in the picture that inspired me has yet to show up (!)

D H

About 13k words in for NANoWriMo

Ok, ok, so I am a bit behind. I have been averaging about 1200 words a day, need to be at 1600. But the good news is that the story is still unfolding (not hit any serious roadblocks).

The really cool part is that I have NO idea where this is going. It was inspired by the painting below. At first it was going to be a young lady and an adventurous guy... but then I realized they needed money, so it became about a young lady and her Grandfather going off to explore an old haunt of his. Then I read this article about the Bechdel Test:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test


I challenged myself to have more women characters. And so I added a country cousin come to visit (that is not exactly how the character ends up, but close enough). So, now it is more about two young women in Edwardian England who go on a ballooning adventure. They have to find a guy who once flew in the British Balloon force and saw a city in the clouds (not, uh.. Cloud City, btw). So far they have tracked down the guy, but wouldn't you know it, he gets kidnaped from under their noses. Turns out other parties want to find this city as well...

So, there you have it, so far. 13k words in, 37k more to go...!!!!

Follow me for National Novel Writing Month

November is National Novel Writing Month - a somewhat silly but real thing where you try to write a 50k word novel in a month. I am three days in and at about 5k words for a new novel, tentatively (and lamely) entitled "The Great Balloon Adventure." It is a Steampunk Ballooning story.
Follow me, DHRichards at http://nanowrimo.org if you want!

Excerpt from Levels up now at OmniMystery

http://www.omnimysterynews.com/2015/10/an-excerpt-from-the-sci-fi-mystery-levels-by-d-h-richards-1510201200.html


Read the first two chapters from my new novel "Levels"

Levels - new novel out now on Amazon

Hi
Has it really been since May that I posted?
Since then I have decided to self publish "Levels." Not a difficult decision since it did not get picked up by Amazon or by any of the editors I sent it too. So, now it is up and ready.

This is a bit different from "the Hare, The Bow and The Girl." It is Science Fiction and a Mystery. Set in a very un-natural "city."
I'll post the first chapter here later this week.

DH
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01324ZKY6?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

Rough draft of Levels off to editor

So
Long time, been busy. The rough draft of the novel I tried out on Kindle Scout is now with an editor. The same who worked on The Hare... When I get it back and check it over I will then set up an Amazon release.
Thanks!

I must remember this

Chapter 13 - Choice

Hi
Sorry for the delay - busy here with non authorish stuff.This is the last chapter. Tune in next week for the epilogue.

thanks

Thirteen – Choice

 

It was not long before the door opened again. I expected a guard but was surprised to see King Kitsunamoshee himself. I could see several guards standing behind him and got nervous. I figured if Kitsunamoshee came, it may mean that Karn’s father did not even know I was there. I was truly in deep, just as Smit had said. I stood there, partially shielding my eyes from the torches of the guards.

“Well, this is a disappointment. In some ways I was hoping that old drunk was wrong about you, but nonetheless here we are. I must say I am angry but also somewhat flattered. It is good to know I will be marrying a girl other men desire. It does my ego good, no?”

I was in no mood to be lectured. Upon reflection I guess I should have tried to be more diplomatic, but when I thought back to what Walter and Jet had told me about him, I forgot about being nice.

“She doesn’t love you. You should let her go.”

Kitsunamoshee laughed. “Yes, I forgot. You are not from here and perhaps also something of a dolt too? I doubt very much that she even likes me, much less loves me. That is not the point. My marriage to her will allow me to unite our two kingdoms. The history of fighting between our two nations will come to an end. You look so sad, little boy, but think of it: peace! A chance to make a clean start. Think of how many lives will be saved, made better.

 “I tell you what…I am a reasonable man and about to gain the one thing I have sought since I inherited my own crown: the crown of this valley. I am not a small petty man. I am even a nice guy, or so I am told. I propose a deal with you, sir. My offer from this afternoon still stands. I could use your skills in the guard but with some added provisos now. You will swear allegiance to me and forsake any interest you ever thought you had in Karnattia tomorrow prior to the wedding. And, you will do so in front of not only me but her as well.”

I thought about his offer. At first I thought I had a way out. Since I had come to the clearing prepared to send Karn back here anyway, what would it cost me to do that publicly? Despite the feeling I knew was at the very base of my heart, the feelings I had towards Karn, I could be rational. I could suppress them and move on. What was the future with her anyway? A life of running, hiding, fighting, not a life I really wanted. But I did want to be with her, to hold her, to kiss her. I mentally shook my head clear. Just because I wanted something did not mean it was going to happen. I was not the one with power here. I resolved to accept the offer, to get myself free of this situation and then, at the first reasonable opportunity, slip away and go back over the forest to the mountain I had come from. But again, the thought of the things that Walter and Jet told me popped into my head. Suddenly I knew why I had to say no, not for me, but for others.

“What about the rabbits then?”

“What rabbits?”

“I’ve been told all about your plans for peace. You’ll buy it with a payment of rabbit blood, right? Clean start without Lepus? How can you expect me to be a part of that?”

Kitsunamoshee smiled and waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “You mistake my intentions. I merely seek to…contain them. They expect too much from us, I fear. If I fence them in it will do them some good as well as us. I am not a monster, sir.”

“I know men like you back home: men who get jollies from beating up those weaker than they are; using those that are weaker as scapegoats. I won’t be a henchman for a bully.”

A dark expression passed over Kitsunamoshee’s face. “Weaker? Look, you fool, I think you have been misled.” Kitsunamoshee collected himself. “Yes, I am sure of it. You seem ignorant—of many things. What did your rabbit friends tell you about their homeland?”

“They can’t go back, and if you chase them from here—”

“Any why can they not go back, hmmm? Did they forget to mention that part? Allow me to fill in the missing bits then. They cannot go back because if they did they would all die; they would all starve. And why? Because rabbits are thieves! They are not like men who farm the land, who remake the land to produce enough to sustain their population. Rabbits instead steal. They take, regardless of how much there is. And once they have taken everything, they move on. They contribute nothing to the greater good, to the society in which they have come to live.

“I am not evil, despite what your friends say. I have tried, tried so many times—as have many others—to teach them to farm. I have given them land to farm, tools, seeds! And what do they do? They run away. They go back to foraging, as they call it. They go back to thievery. Why can they not go back across the mountain? Because they have stripped their land bare! They took a lush green land and made it a dust bowl. Oh yes, they try to hide this. But I have sent spies there; I have first-hand accounts of a land laid bare by greedy, lazy thieves. So, I am not evil. I am the opposite. I seek to save us and our land from the fate of the Lepus. If they will not contribute to the survival of this land they must leave it—one way or another.”

“I- I don’t believe you” I said, although doubt had clearly crept into my head.

“That is immaterial. Tell the guard your answer before the midnight watch. I trust you will consider all of your options carefully, although you must know that most of them are not really options.”

“And if I refuse to join the guard?”

Kitsunamoshee looked at me with surprise and then laughed. “Are you really that slow?” He left, the door slamming shut behind him,.

As I sat there in the darkness I thought about the past week. Had it only been a week since I had stumbled across the creek? I thought back to my life before, growing up on the mountain, about my mom and dad. When they had died I had just turned 19. I knew people thought it was strange I was still at home, but being the youngest of seven kids I had no real idea what I wanted to do. I had not even graduated from the high school. Only my sisters had done that. But they and my brothers had all moved away, most out West, looking for something better. I was pretty sure I had never wanted anything better. I planned to work the small landholding we had with my Dad, but beyond that I had no real plans. Life had seemed very simple then. I had limited options on the mountain. I had limited options now too, but between those two situations I had experienced so much, or so I felt.

Sitting in that dark hole, I realized life had made plans for me. Despite my best efforts to let things wash over and by me, things had stuck to me. In the space of a few days I had met new people—well, new friends—who seemed closer to me than most of my brothers and sisters. And I had met a woman who had won my heart in a way no one else, not even my parents, had.

And there I was, about to lose those few things that had stuck to me. If I did nothing they would surely kill me, but if I joined them I would lose Walter, Jet, and probably Karn too. I hadn’t shed a tear at Mom and Dad’s funeral, but in the dark I cried sudden tears. They flowed out like a tap turned on, and in the process something unwound in me and I came apart. Walter was right: not all choices are good and bad, but I felt that the choices before me were becoming worse and worse.

I figured that was mostly my doing. Jet was also right: I had been willing to go along for the ride. I needed to start making clear choices—but how? I was locked in a jail with little chance of escape and not very good prospects in the morning. I cried tears of frustration and anger, most of all anger. I was angry with myself for being so passive, for not fighting back harder. I was angry because I had not fought at all.

And right at that point as I lay, still heaving, on the floor, the door creaked open like magic. I thought I had gone mad for sure when I saw Karn in the flickering torch light with a large white rabbit behind her.  “Karn?” I must have looked a mess.

“Eric, what did they do to you?”

“Nothing. I’m okay. No one did anything—well, not yet. I think your fiancé means to kill me in the morning, though.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. You have to go now, Eric.”

“Did you go to the clearing? They carried me away so quickly...”

“I was warned. Now get up. You need to get out of here!”

“How? What about the guards?”

“Meredith here,” Karn nodded toward the large white rabbit behind her, “makes a powerful sleeping draught, but it doesn’t last for long. She will lead you to outside the town. Walter is waiting there. You have to go.”

“Will you be there?” I asked, searching her face for a clue.

She looked away then turned back with a forced smile. “Not now, Eric. But I promise I will do what I can. I know Papa will soon see how evil Kitsunamoshee is.” She took my hand, her face serious. “You must promise me that you will listen to my plan and follow it. If you don’t Kitsunamoshee’s men will find you and kill you. Above all else I want you to live, even if we cannot be together now.”

“What is the plan?”

“Promise first.”

“Okay, I promise. Just promise me you will let me come back to you.”

She smiled softly, “I promise that back to you. Now, Walter will take you back to the bamboo forest. Wait there until morning. If I do not come you must promise me you will cross over back to your world.”

“No, Karn, I can’t, I don’t want to.”

“You have to. But I promise you I will fix things here and send for you. The Lepus can cross back and forth, you know. They will know where to find you and bring you back. I promise. Do you promise?”

I sighed; this was not what I had planned at all. But I knew by the look on her face that Karn was serious and seemed to have a better way out than my plan at any rate.

“Okay.” I leaned in and kissed her. She grabbed my head and kissed me back hard. As we broke I whispered into her ear, “I promise I will never forget you, Karn. I will count the days until we can be together.”

“I also,” she promised and then pulled away.

From underneath her cloak she drew out a small, leather-wrapped item. She opened it and inside lay a knife about six inches long with an intricately carved rosewood handle. On the steel blade was a brass inlay showing a small vine twining between small figures of rabbits.

“I want you to take this with you, Eric. It was my grandfather’s. Keep it close to you always. As long as you possess it, it will lead you back to me.”

I took the knife, wrapped it back up, and put it in my pocket. “I will keep it close, Karn.”

For the first time that night she graced me with a warm radiant smile. “Okay, go now, quickly. I have work to do.”

I will never forget her face as I left: in the flickering torchlight it looked like a painting by one of those famous European masters. I swear I can still see every detail.

Meredith led me out of the stable area to a back gate to the town. She unlatched it and I went through and found Walter and Path waiting there.

“Well, Eric, seems like you’ve gotten yourself in a boiling pot, huh? I guess I have to rescue you again. Your ledger grows by the day, kid.”

I laughed. “Walter, I think your math is off; this makes us about even I think.”

Walter huffed out of his nose. “Eric, you will always be in my debt, I am afraid. Now, we have to get back to the bamboo forest quickly.”

I nodded, not sure how that would happen. It had taken us at least three days of walking to get here. Walter came in close and put a paw on my shoulder.

“You can never tell anyone ever what we are about to do, understood? If you do so help me I will find you and geld you, clear?”

I nodded, stifling a laugh. He was so serious.

“Climb on.”

“What?” I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly, and if I had, what he even meant.

Path snorted and turned away. Walter sighed and looked at me with a faint expression of pleading.

“Climb on me, Eric. Sit on my shoulders.”

“What!” I actually took a step back.

“Don’t make this any bigger than it is, kid.”

“I didn’t think, I mean, I never even thought—”

“Well, plenty have, so if you ever tell anyone that you rode me I will come beat you to a pulp. Now get on, and hold on to my fur under my head. Do not touch the ears!”

I climbed up as carefully as I could, but it was not an easy thing to do and I did it with as little grace as possible. I had ridden plenty of horses in my day, but this mount was very different. For one thing, Walter’s shoulders were very broad, and without a saddle it was difficult to find a way to hold on.

 “Find the fold in my neck and hold on to that.”

I reached into the fur on the back of his neck and found a fold of soft skin. Finally I was up. “Okay, I think I’m ready, Walter.”

I looked over at Path, who had a funny lopsided grin on his face. Walter grunted and we took off through the night.

I don’t think there is anyone else who can say they travelled through the night for five hours on the back of a six-foot tall, 400 pound rabbit, but let me tell you it was not comfortable. I think Walter did try to make it a smooth ride, but rabbits are not built to stride like a horse. They push off with their rear legs and land on their front. Each time we would hit the ground with a thump. By the time the bamboo forest was in sight I was sore from holding on tight and my head was pounding from the constant thuds of landing. But Lepus can cover great distances quickly when they run and we covered at least half the three-day walk in just a few hours.

After several hours we stopped in a small clearing in the middle of the woods. Both Walter and Path were huffing. I climbed down and looked around. It was still dark, but the moonlight cast a dim light onto the ground.

“Are we there already?” I asked.

“No” Walter said between breaths. “There is a stream nearby. Path and I need a drink. Your ass is heavy.”

I looked down at my skinny frame and laughed. “You’re out of shape old man.”

Walter huffed and he and Path shuffled off a little ways to a small creek that ran at the edge of the clearing. All three of us lowered ourselves to the creek to get a drink. As I sat back letting the cool delicious water slide down my throat I distinctly heard a twig snap. I was about to say something when Water bolted upright and froze, holding out his paw to my face. Path, seeing Walter sit up, also sat up, looking carefully around.

We heard nothing more. The night was still, maybe too still, but it was getting towards dawn and the creatures of the night were settling down.

“Just the wind maybe?” Path said in a barely audible whisper.

“Maybe, but we should go all the same.” Walter said, motioning to me to get up on his back once again. But before I could even step towards him a loud crashing sound came out of the clearing’s other side. Four men, armed with large swords and armor, came rushing towards us.

“Get on! Get on!” Walter screamed. I struggled to climb on Walter’s back, grabbing a handful of fur and pulling myself up.

“Run! Run!” Walter said, but it was too late. The four men were on us, their swords slashing. Walter and Path bolted up, swinging around with their heavy paws. I hung on for dear life on Walter’s back. With a mighty whack! Path’s paw connected with one of the men, sending him sprawling. One of the remaining men’s swords swung at Walter’s face and a bright red line appeared on the tip of Walter’s nose. Walter yelped and then reared up, nearly throwing me, and kicked his right leg out and took down the man with a sickening crunch. The man screamed.

Suddenly I saw something else come out of the woods across the clearing. In the moonlight I could not see anything clearly. It was, I assumed, another rabbit. At first I was happy to see reinforcements, but the blur of ruddy orange and white fur bounced off of Path, sending him sprawling. The other rabbit sleeked into the woods, but I could hear him crashing, turning around for another run at Path. The two remaining men actually scurried off to the side, as if to get out of the way of the new rabbit.

I could feel Walter’s body go very tense underneath me.

“Run dammit!” he screamed at Path, who had stood up again and looked somewhat dazed. But fear quickly registered in his eyes and I could see him scramble to run as Walter, already underway, bounded away from the clearing. Walter was taking huge leaping bounds, at a much, much faster pace than any we had done so far that night. It took all of my strength just to hang on. I could feel myself slipping and grabbed another patch of fur. Walter yelled angrily.

“Watch it!”

“Slow down then damn you!”

“Shut up!” Walter was angry, and still going at a fantastic pace. Behind us I could see Path actually catching up. He was younger after all, and did not have anyone clinging to him. Even though Path pulled alongside Walter neither one slowed down at all. I looked back to see if the third rabbit was following still. I could not see it, but the dark of the woods obscured all but the area right around us.

It was another ten minutes of running before Walter slowed down. I could feel his heart pounding, his breath was fast and ragged. He had clearly worn himself out.

“Down.” He said between gasps. I slid off. I was afraid I had made him angry, but instead and flopped on his side, his chest and belly rising and falling rapidly. Path was breathing quickly too.

“Was that a rabbit?” I asked. Walter and Path briefly looked at each other. Path turned and walked away.

“I’ll look for water” he said, leaving.

“It was a rabbit, right? What else was it? I mean, are there really rabbits who work for the king?”

“Sure” Walter said, still breathing quickly, “Possibly. I don’t know. It was… dark. Did not get a good…look.”

We heard Path call and so we walked down a small hill to find another little stream. This time the water had a slightly brackish taste to it. I did not drink from it, but the two rabbits eagerly lapped up a great quantity.

“What just happened?” I asked as they drank their fill.

“Dunno, some sort of ambush” Path offered.

“But how would they know, how could they keep up with us?”

Path did not respond, but Walter sat back, water dripping from his chin. “Informants, I suspect. Got ahead of us and told the locals.. or something.” Walter was acting strangely, eh would not make eye contact with me.

“But we were going so fast. Was that a rabbit?”

“We weren’t going that fast.” Walter huffed. “You saw how fast we can go! Now, come one. We shouldn’t linger. They probably know where we are headed now anyway. We should get there as soon as possible.”

Despite my best efforts neither rabbit wanted to talk about the ambush anymore, so I dropped it. I tried to keep in mind what they were risking just to ferry me to safety. We continued on, not at the breakneck pace of the last half an hour, but at a considerably faster pace than the first part of the journey.

After another hour or so we slowed down. We then stopped behind the same large rock outcropping I had climbed to spy down on Walter and Andrew originally. We rested with our backs against an overhang. We had a clear view of the pathway leading to the forest. No one said very much. Walter broke out a packet with splints and gave one each to me and Path.

I wanted to revisit what had happened but Walter spoke up first.

“So, what, exactly, happened back at the castle Eric? What are we accessory to?” Walter said, a grin creeping across his face for the first time that night. I told them everything I could remember.

Path huffed through his nose, “Nasty business in him. I suspect this king may be more trouble than we think.”

“Everyone who thinks the way he does is trouble, Path. It is not just the king we should be worried about.” Walter said quietly. He was somber. He and Path exchanged looks again.

“I should stay, Walter. Surely there is some place I could hide and wait to see how things turn out. I could even help. If enough people side with the Lepus then maybe we can convince the others—”

Walter put his paw up. “It’s not your fight, Eric.”

“Doesn’t have to be. I’ll do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

“We don’t need heroes,” Walter said, maybe a bit more gruffly than he meant to. “There was a moment back there where I thought that you and I and Jet might be a winning combination. But I was wrong. No, let me finish. I was wrong not because of you, but because I misread my choices. I thought you were a choice I had, but you aren’t. Not yet, not now, not in this situation.”

“But maybe one day?”

Walter smiled, “Maybe, Eric. Maybe. You’re no good to us dead and now that you’ve gone and made time with the king’s betrothed, you’d be dead before anyone even thought of fighting for us or anyone.”

I had to admit to myself that Walter was right.

“I understand. I appreciate you being honest. But you have to promise me that when things are better, you’ll come and get me.”

Walter got up and thumped his paw into the dirt in front of the fire.

“Eric, stranger from across the bamboo, I swear on the gods of earth and water that I will come for you as soon as I am able,” he winked at me.

Path chuckled, “Been a longtime since I heard that oath.”

Walter laughed.

I must have looked confused—which I was—because Path went on, “We rabbits never make promises, Eric—never. If we break them our souls will be devoured by foxes in hell.”

Walter shivered and Path made a funny motion with his left paw.  

“So when we do, it’s a big deal. Consider yourself lucky. Not only did you ride a rabbit but he also swore an oath to you too.” Path said with a wry expression.

“Just keep the knife Karn gave you,” Walter said, suddenly serious.

I nodded.

“Time for bed, Eric. You got us into this mush, you keep watch. Although I doubt we’ll have company the rest of tonight. We need rest and once we get you across that bamboo we ain’t getting anymore.”

Walter and Path fell asleep right away. I tried to stay awake to keep watch but I too succumbed, overwhelmed with tiredness.

When I awoke it seemed like mid-afternoon. I heard a far-off rustling. It sounded like the thumping I had been subjected to and at first I thought I was still dreaming. But soon I could see in the distance a large white shape quickly coming down the road. I nudged Walter.

By the time he was awake, Meredith, Karn’s rabbit-in-waiting, had bounded into the clearing next to our rock. She was out of breath and visibly excited.

“Eric! You must go now, quickly, back to your home,” she squeaked. “The king’s men left yesterday. It seems they were tipped off you might come here and they mean to seal off your escape.”

“We were chased back at Staunton creek Meredith” Walter said.

“Then they do know” she replied.

“Who would have even known I would come here?” I asked.

Walter gave a large snort. “Smit  is a devil, even if he is a drunk.”

“I want to wait, incase Karn shows…” I said, searched Meredith’s face. Her expression told me everything I needed to know.

“She won’t be coming Eric.” Meredith said softly.

“Eric, we can’t wait here too much longer” Walter said, his expression serious but kind.  

Suddenly his ears went up, as did Path’s and Meredith’s, although I heard nothing.

“Men are coming. Quickly Eric—go!”

“Why don’t we fight them?”

“And then what? Remember the promise, kid.” Walter said, herding me to the field in front of the stream. “They’ll send more men, catch you, catch us, eventually, and kill us. If you go now you can come back when things have settled down.”

 “But what will happen now if that guy gets into power?”

“It’ll be years before he takes the throne, and Karn will get her father to see his errors before that.” Walter stopped and put his paw on my shoulder again.

“You cannot win this, not now. As long as you are here you are in danger of being killed and, to be honest, in the way. Let us do what we can. We will come back for you, I promise. Karn promises. Heck, even Jet does.”

“How long? I can’t wait forever, you know.”

“I know, kid. But it may take a few months to settle the dust. Don’t worry; we’ll find you. Just keep looking for a friendly rabbit.” Walter smiled and gave me another wink.

I gave him a hug, and Path, and even a surprised Meredith. Then I walked across the field. I turned back to look for them, but they had already hopped away. I waded into the stream and climbed up the other side. I pushed my way into the forest and within a few feet was lost again. It was so thick I panicked a little, afraid I would not be able to find my way back. Just when I was sure I would not be able to actually return, I found myself stumbling out into the field at the foot of the mountain.

I was back home. Alone.

“Then what Paw Paw?”

“Then nothing, boy. The story is over, that’s then what.”

“No, I mean did the princess ever come back?”

Paw Paw looked at Riley for a moment, at first with anger but then sorrow. “No, of course not; it’s just a story, boy. It never happened. Weren’t no princess. It was just a story.”

Riley was confused. “A story, like made up?”

“Yes! No. I don’t know. It’s been 75 years, Riley. At this point I am pretty sure it is just a made up story. A dream or something I read once and thought it happened to me. I don’t know. And it don’t matter none does it?” he laughed and started to cough. “Even if it were true it’s been a long time and she never came back to her young lover, did she? Pretty sad excuse for a love story if you ask me: boy meets a girl for a few days and then loses her and waits 75 years for her to show up. It never happened, boy. Just a stupid story with giant rabbits. Lewis Carroll did it better anyway. Now go on.”

“But Paw Paw, we could try and go back; go through the bamboo!”

“Boy, I tried that for the longest time. I never could find my way back. I would get in there and get lost. I even waited by the forest, expecting to see Walter hop out. But that’s when I knew it was just my imagination. No six foot tall rabbit ever came out of those woods Riley—never has, never will.”

“What about the knife then? The one you gave me. Is that the one Karn gave you?”

“That? Best as I can recall it must have been my grandfather who gave it to me, Riley. Sorry, but it is just a knife.”

“Not like any I ever saw.”

“What do you know, boy? Now go on. I’m tired. Leave me alone. Too damn old to believe in fairy tales. Leave me in peace.”

Kindle Scout Results

Yeah...
Not so much.

So now I am free to publish "Levels" on my own, after I pass it by a few other folks who might (but probably not) be interested.

First up, a thorough proofing and editing of the manuscript.

Stay tuned and thank you to anyone who nominated the book.

Chapter Twelve - The Facts Confirmed

Hi

Thanks for reading so far, previous chapters are in the blog.

 

If you have a moment please hop over to kindlescout and take a look at my new novel "Levels." If you like the small section they have there, please nominate the book. If you do and Amazon picks up the novel, Amazon will send you the full novel as an eBook when it is published.

Amazon's Kindlescout page

Thanks

 

Twelve – The Facts Confronted

 

It was like a waking nightmare. “Uh, so pleased to, uhm, meet you.” I could not even look her in the face, least I see her expression. I turned back to the King, hoping my face was not too enflamed. “But really now I must leave. Thank you again, your highness. I= I will consider your offer and, uh, get back… to .. you.”

I tried to bow but instead stumbled. My face then truly flushed I turned and all but ran out of the curtained area, past faces that showed concern, shock. I walked quickly across the stands, past the range, and into a stand of trees on the other side. I leaned up against a tree breathing heavily, certain that I would be sick. I willed myself not to throw up.

Just an hour earlier I thought I had come to understand how this new world worked. Now it felt like everything that I had been able to build up and understand about this place had just come crashing down. As I stood there, leaning my arm against the tree, the past five days again came into focus but now through a different lens. I had been a fool. No, I was a fool.

As I stood there something else was bubbling up in the back of my mind—despite being in a strange and sometimes dangerous land, I was now in real danger for the first time. Not many men I knew would take kindly to a guy making time with their girl on the eve of their wedding and I knew that the king I had just met would be worse than most. I had to get out of that place and back to the mountain.

I turned and left the closed off area without a word. I moved as if in a fog out into the daylight of the archery field and then off the edge behind the stand, into the light sprinkling of woods, not even knowing where I was going. In the back of my mind I thought I should find Walter and Jet, but had no idea of the direction I was headed. Then I heard a voice.

“Eric?”

I turned and saw at Karn, she had followed me into the wooded area.  Her face streaked with tears but still beautiful. Seeing her made me physically ache. Right then I wasn’t sure if it was with love or embarrassment.

“Go away, Karn. I guess you had your laugh, had your fling. Go, before someone sees you here.”

Karn’s face went dark. “You think this was a fling? That I was laughing at you?”

“Well, weren’t you? What was this, some dare from your friends? Mix with the common people and see what sort of trouble you can get into?”

“No! No. I mean, I did go that first day to see what it was like for everyone else. Not on a dare though. You have no idea what it is like to be separated from everyone else. I just wanted to experience life a little. I certainly didn’t mean to fall in love.”

I felt my face go flush, and I spoke before I even thought about what I was saying. “We’re not in love, Karn; nothing like it. If you think that you’re fooling yourself. God knows I was fooled.”

“Stop being so hateful, Eric. This isn’t like you!”

“How would you know, Karn? We barely know each other. Heck, I guess I don’t know you at all. Of course I’m hateful! What else can I be? I just got played with like a toy.”

“I wasn’t playing with you, Eric. You have to understand that. Do you really think I would do something this foolish right before my wedding, with all that is at stake? What I felt, what I feel, is real Eric. More real, deeper than anything I have ever felt.”

“You are young and full of dreams.”

“I know what is real!”

“How can this be real? This is all just… just some young lover’s daydream…!” I turned away, ready to leave, but when I looked back I could see the hurt in her eyes. I could feel my heart, so hardened when I saw her follow me, I could feel it melting, yearning for what I had felt with her these past few days. My brain was yelling at me to walk away, but my heart won the day. “Fine then—prove it. I know how I still feel for you, Karn. If you feel the same, come away with me now. We can slip out tonight.” I must have sounded crazy, but at the moment it seemed like the most sensible plan I could come up with.

“And go where? I’m a princess, Eric. People will know me and for sure will look for me if I run away. Not to mention the whole peace my father has constructed with Williams will be ruined. Decades of war are being brought to a close, Eric. The lives of my people and his people finally put to peace.”

“We can hide, maybe go back to my country, and let others worry about peace. It’s not your fault. With you gone it’ll be like nothing happened. The peace will hold.”

“You are the one who is dreaming, Eric. It is not so simple. It all falls to me. That’s my job. I was born and raised to be a bride my father can make peace with. I am a chess piece.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It’s life. I live a life most people never even get to glimpse. In return I have a political duty. I know my place. But… meeting you has complicated things.”

“You can’t be happy this way, right? You are not just a chess piece; you are a real person. I saw the way you were out here with us common folk.” I gently touched her hair. “You’ve got too much up here to every live that life.”

She backed off and quickly looked around. “You’re in danger. Kitsunamoshee will find us out somehow. He won’t hurt me; he can’t if he wants to inherit this kingdom. But he will not think twice about harming you. You have to go.”

“Then go with me, Karn.”

She looked at me with exasperation, “And go where exactly? “

“Like I said, maybe come back with me to my home.”

“Across the desert? How?”

“No, not the desert. Through the bamboo.”

“There is no through that bamboo, only across to the desert. I don’t know where you really came from, but no one has ever made it across that desert.”

I was confused; it was as if we were talking about two different places. But I also realized that there wasn’t time to argue.

“Think about it, Karn. Meet me at the clearing where we practiced in an hour. I’m going to go get Walter and Jet. They can take us back to a place I know I can get home through, or they’ll know where we can go and wait until this blows over.”

“Eric, wait! This won’t blow over!”

“Trust me, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“What can you do? You have to understand this is bigger than just us.”

“Take a chance with me.”

“I can’t promise anything.”

I turned to her. The setting sun was behind her, lighting her up. She was at that moment tougher, more beautiful, than any girl I had ever met. I thought my heart would burst right there.

“I know. Just go with your heart, not your head.” I said.

“That gets me into trouble.”

I quickly kissed her on the cheek. “I hope so.”

 

I turned and ran as fast as I could back to fairgrounds to find Walter and Jet, who looked gloomy as I hurriedly told them the whole story. Jet made a small sound and threw up her arms. I stopped talking. “What?”

“What? What, he asks? Really? Get a grip, Eric! You are impossible, you know that? How does your head get you through life? You pop into this world and lay back, never questioning anything, never asking about anything, and then you get all worked up when things don’t go your way. What do you know about this country, about these people, about them?” she pointed to Walter. “Nothing, that’s what. You are a good man, Eric, but you are a goddamn fool sometimes and you are going to get yourself killed!” Jet spat on the ground, turned, and walked away.

I looked at Walter. He sighed, settling down on his front paws. He sat there for a moment chewing his cud, his long whiskers twitching. Finally he spoke, so quietly I had to lean in to hear him.

“Eric, there is a lot to be known about this country. Jet is right, you are in grave danger, you are nothing to a man like Kitsunamoshee. But there is more that you do not know about what is going on here. There is a bigger issue of what is happening in this kingdom and what will happen once Kitsunamoshee gets into power. Things are not always what they seem. We Lepus are not always welcome here. People like Kitsunamoshee don’t want us here, Eric. People like Smit are bad enough—rude, uneducated—but someone like Kitsunamoshee is flat out dangerous. The idea that he wants you to go to work for him would betray everything I think you believe. He doesn’t just want to create a new kingdom; he wants to create it without rabbits.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with Karn,” I said impatiently.

Jet swore.

“It doesn’t, directly,” Walter continued. “People in this valley have been waging war against each other, off and on, for generations. Then, almost one hundred years ago we Lepus came over the mountain. It was in our interest to have peace, so we helped to broker it. I guess in many ways that process culminates with this wedding. Once it happens then Kitsunamoshee will eventually control the two kingdoms. But he will not bring peace. Not for us Lepus. He has used us to get this far, but we now fear that once he is in power he will open the floodgates of hate against us. We have nowhere to go Eric, we cannot go back over the mountain and we cannot go into your world, either way we perish surely.”

“Then why not help me stop the wedding?”

“Karn’s father is young still. The kingdoms will not officially come together for many, many years. He is an ally of the Lepus and will help us become part of society. If the wedding were to be off then Kitsunamoshee may well restart the war and use it as an excuse to eradicate the Lepus while he is at it.”

“Do you really think a few more years will change people’s minds about your kind, Walter?”

“It can only help. It will give us time to prove our abilities and make ourselves useful. We have plans Eric, plans bigger than you or me for that matter. It is either we rely on the peace of the current king or certain doom right now. Eric, listen; in life there are choices that must be made. Often the choices are not good or bad but shades of bad or worse. Sometimes the best course of action is simply the one that is not as ruinous as the other.”

“So you are saying I should just forget about Karn, accept nothing as being better than what could happen?”

“I can’t tell you what to do, Eric. But if you did agree to meet her, then you should go see if she shows up. You go meet Karn at the place in the wood. We’ll meet you about a mile out of town going north.”

“Thank you.” I looked at Jet but she just stared back and shrugged. I turned to leave but stopped when Walter spoke.

“Eric?”

“Yeah?” “Don’t wait too long for her. The king will surely find out soon enough and we need to put plenty of miles between us and his guard.”

“Sure.”

Jet cut in. “Eric, get your head out from under yourself. She’s not like us, not like you. She won’t show; you’re wasting your time.”

“Jet,” Walter sighed, “the boy must see his destiny unfold himself. No use stopping him.” He put a paw up. “Go, Eric. Good luck, but keep an open mind and a watchful eye.”

I nodded and left, confused. Walter was right. I had cornered myself into a terrible choice: either give up on Karn once and for all, or try to convince her to escape with me and perhaps doom the rabbits to all-out war. I stood in the clearing and shook my head. I thought back to the morning and how clear everything seemed at the time.

I resolved to do what was best not for me but for a greater good. I had no business meddling in this place; I did not even belong here. I would tell Karn that while I did still feel love for her the choice I had to make was the bad one, not the horrible one.

I felt a certain sadness, as if I had suddenly grown up.

I got the clearing just as dusk was settling in. The place itself was silent. I should have realized then it was too silent to be natural. I had just put down my rucksack when three guards and, to my surprise, Smit stepped out into the clearing.

He turned to one of the guards, “Told ya. Hey there, rabbit boy.”

I could smell the liquor from a few feet away. He came up to me and jabbed his finger on my chest. “Got a little deep, didn’t ya? I overheard you and the princess getting all lovey-dovey. Need to learn yer place, boy!”

I swung my arm up and managed to smash his hand into his face and took a few steps back.

“You little punk!” He reached for a knife on his belt, but by then two of the guards had come up and grabbed his arms.

“Enough!” the third guard said. He pressed some coins into Smits empty hand, “Get out, fool,” and gave Smit a shove.

Smit looked back and laughed, “Don’t worry, boy. If the King doesn’t get you, I will! A weirdo like you can’t hide around these parts.”

I turned to the guard who had paid Smit. “What’s going on?”

“You are under arrest by orders of the king.”

“Why, what did I do?” I turned, trying to see if I could maybe make a run for it, but one of the other two guards grabbed my wrist. I went slack.

“Not my concern, flea. We’re, just here to take you back to town. We can do it easy or hard, your choice.”

I decided now was not the time to test my luck. At this point I still thought I could talk my way out of all of this.

The guards took me into town. This was the first time I had made it through the wall gate into the actual town itself. The guards were frog marching me pretty quickly; I barely had time to take in my surroundings.

The town’s streets were narrow, lined with rough stone, wood, and plaster houses. In the dark I could see some of the houses lit by candles light or hearth fires, the people inside, talking, laughing—free and living. I hoped I would be both come morning.

In the center, behind yet another wall, was a larger stone building, what I guessed was the castle. It was plain, with none of the turrets or finials like castles in the fairytale books. Instead it was basically a long box with a pitched roof covered in thatch and mud.

The guards led me around this building to a smaller, low-lying stone building. They led me down a long corridor. I recognized that I was in a stable, but at the end was a room with several heavy wooden doors lined up along the back wall. They opened one and shoved me inside a smaller room with no windows. When they closed the door I was left in a pitch black, damp room.