tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z Movable Type 3.35 tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2373 2007-08-13T20:26:44Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Next Story Coming Soon!! Hi folks! Just thought I'd let you know that we've come up with the angle we want to approach the next story - an experiment in dialogue/conversation. We have each chosen a character type we will...

Next Story Coming Soon!!

Hi folks! Just thought I'd let you know that we've come up with the angle we want to approach the next story - an experiment in dialogue/conversation. We have each chosen a character type we will be delving into and then putting the two characters into a setting where they will need to converse. Unlike our other stories - this one will often be one LINE per post as opposed to one "paragraph". We plan to keep this story short - more of a scene or a one-act - and will be doing it in more of a play/screenwriter style. Hopefully we will be starting at the beginning of next week. I need to swap the recently finished story into archives and make room on the main page for the new one and I plan to try and get that done before the week is over. The current plan is for the dialog experiment to begin next Sunday or Monday after a brief "scene setting" post where we lay out the page. So check back soon! More writing will be coming your way! RaynDragon]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2372 2007-07-31T13:29:17Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Author's Note Hey everyone! You may have noticed that the most recent story has ended. We will be taking a couple weeks (2-3) of haiatus while we figure out what kind of project we want to do next. There are...

Author's Note

Hey everyone! You may have noticed that the most recent story has ended. We will be taking a couple weeks (2-3) of haiatus while we figure out what kind of project we want to do next. There are a few possible options we've been batting around, one of which is a continuation of one of the stories we enjoyed the most (story #2), although we'll need to take the time to re-read what we wrote again if we do that. There's also the possibility of doing a *gasp* "short" story too, wherein we outline it and then write it, following the outline and keeping it short (no chapters, just a story). We'd likely have shorter entries for that project. There's also the possibility that we'll come up with something new entirely over the next couple of weeks and want to pursue that instead. Whatever happens, we should have more collaborative fiction for you in a few weeks. Feel free to drop us an email or a comment here and let us know what you think of this last story. Did the scenery around the characters feel real to you? (that was one of the things we were trying to work on a little this time) Did the characters themselves feel real? Was the plotline too slow or too fast? We'd love to hear comments from our readers. The writing will return, so keep checking back! ~RaynDragon~]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2371 2007-07-28T20:21:47Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Chapter 16 - Epilogue Sharnellynn sat, perched at the edge of the driver's seat of the wagon, looking at the fire pit as if she could imagine the flames flickering. They hadn't bothered to set a fire, being in the...

Chapter 16 - Epilogue Sharnellynn sat, perched at the edge of the driver's seat of the wagon, looking at the fire pit as if she could imagine the flames flickering. They hadn't bothered to set a fire, being in the city. Matner had found them cooked food instead. It had been a nice treat after all the meals on the road. She had never felt so relieved to be out of the company of other Elves before. Matner seemed the only friend she had. Sometimes she wondered if there couldn't be more between them. She would never presume anything, however. She had stopped making assumptions a while ago. But a part of her wanted him to see her as more than just a promise he had made. It frightened her, but she trusted him. She wanted to see where that led. She thought about her life and what lay ahead. It seemed like there were so many possibilities. She wondered if they would find a home in Jundra or if Ahriender would still be rejected there. Were there any others like him out there that had been allowed to grow and thrive. If she had borne a child by a human then others could too, which meant it was possible. A part of her was hopeful, wanting Ahriender to find someone else he could relate to better. She had never thought her own kind could be so hateful. She had to hope that there were some who could be more open-minded. She knew they would have to continue the pretense of being Matner's slaves until they were out of Callest. It troubled her, having her son play the part of a slave for so long, but she'd seen that Ahriender was stronger than she'd expected. He was brave, and she knew now that he'd make it through. Not just through the injuries that were healing with remarkable speed, but from the pain of the Elves rejecting him. He'd wake up angry, but she knew that she and Matner could show him that there was hope. It seemed strange, but she had more hope now than she ever had before. She looked up to the sky, where a few light clouds rolled lazily under the stars. Long ago, her father had shown her different constellations in the sky, just before he had sent her here, to this city she sat in now. The city looked different this time, but the constellations were the same. And they would be in Jundra too. The stars know everything, Sharnellynn, her father had told her. Sometimes they show us what the Gods want us to know. Somehow, as the stars winked knowingly back at her, Sharnellynn knew. She was going to a new, strange land, where her son would be free, but it would be home. She was going home.

The End

]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2370 2007-07-28T17:38:07Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

They were both tired. Matner suggested she get some early sleep. She still agreed that keeping watches in the city would be a wise move. "What about on the road?" she asked. "All that time traveling. Are we going to...

They were both tired. Matner suggested she get some early sleep. She still agreed that keeping watches in the city would be a wise move. "What about on the road?" she asked. "All that time traveling. Are we going to have to keep taking turns through all of that?" "I think in several areas we'll be remote enough that a good fire should keep trouble away," he suggested. "But this city I just don't know about. We might even want to get a couple days out before we relax too much. We still don't know if we might be followed." She agreed that it was a good point, and she climbed up into the wagon. She was pretty, he thought, and he wondered whether if things had been different if they might have gotten involved somehow. He spent the rest of the evening thinking about her, and how for at the very least the next several months they would be together. Just the two of them and Ahriender. He decided it would not be a bad thing. She did not seem to still regard him the way she had at first, and she had stopped behaving the way she had then, as well. He tried to decide if her being an elf was a problem. Obviously there was a physical compatibility. Ahriender was proof of that. Were they that different? They had different gods, but that would give them something more to talk about. He concluded that he did not have to decide anything just then. There would be more than enough time to work it all out later. When they left in the morning he would have a good chance to ask her about her gods. The whole time she had said next to nothing about them. Lately he had not been feeling convinced of his loyalty to his own gods. He did not see that they had really helped him so far. His faith in them had not specifically helped him. He knew that was not supposed to be the entire point, but he felt it should count for something. He just did not know how much. By the time it was well past dark he had tallied more questions for later than answers. As much as his mind raced with things he wanted to remember to talk about, he knew none of it had to happen right away. He also had not slept since...he was having trouble remembering. His mind was a little fuzzy. He crawled up and in and gently woke Sharnellynn. Ahriender was sleeping peacefully. She woke easily and thanked him for letting her. He was asleep in no time. tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2369 2007-07-27T20:20:55Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

He asked about a compass and the man directed him to another shop two blocks over. He thanked him and went there next, where he managed to find a fairly basic compass amidst the elaborate ones the merchant sold. He...

free...I think that's the best place to start. Even if they live more primitively, it can't be much worse than what we've been dealing with already. If we trade a few luxuries for your freedom and if they are accepting of Ahriender, then I think it will be perfect." She thought about that for a while, studying the map, before nodding. "How long will it take to get there?" she asked. "It will probably take us eight to ten weeks to get to this river," he replied, pointing on the map again. "Then we sell the wagon and buy passage on a boat downriver to Suz. By wagon I'd estimate it would take us at least eight more months, but if we can find a small boat it will take a lot less with the river flowing that way."]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2368 2007-07-27T11:44:11Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

"So, do you have a map of this area here for sale?" Matner asked, circling the spaces between Eerwayh and Jundra with his finger. "Not all the way that far, no," Nicholaus replied. "But I do for the more local...

"So, do you have a map of this area here for sale?" Matner asked, circling the spaces between Eerwayh and Jundra with his finger. "Not all the way that far, no," Nicholaus replied. "But I do for the more local part of it, yes." Nicholaus rolled up his big map. "Wait right here," the man said. He took the rolled map and Matner heard his shoes on the stairs as he went up. The upstairs floor creaked. It was not long at all before he came back down with a smaller rolled up map. This one was painted on a smaller, thinner piece of hide. "Now, this is a nice map," Nicholaus said, "not some parchment sketchery. I studied to be a cartographer, you see--that's a map maker. I was gonna sail the rivers and the seas, making maps of the far-and-away." The man laughed. "That was before love, of course, but that's not what you came to hear about, eh? No, of course not." Nicholaus unrolled the map. It was painted in different colors for the major terrain features. Place names were lettered neatly, and there were frequent marks for distances. Nicholaus explained that some of the local parts he had measured himself, while other areas had been compiled from multiple other sources. Nicholaus suggested a price for the map, which Matner thought slightly high, even for the quality, which was actually considerable. Matner haggled the man down just a little bit, but not much. tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2367 2007-07-26T22:04:14Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

"Pretty, eh?" the man replied with a bit of a snort. "Most people who want pretty tend to head south or west to the rest of the old Elven lands. There's still a lot of land waiting to be claimed...

"Pretty, eh?" the man replied with a bit of a snort. "Most people who want pretty tend to head south or west to the rest of the old Elven lands. There's still a lot of land waiting to be claimed out there I hear. And thousands of acres of forests just waiting for hunters and lumberers. New roads being cut and new towns going up. The areas deeper south have hardly been touched yet in all the years. Most people have gone west." He showed Matner on the map where there were large rivers that cut through the land and tended to make up most of the borders. "These two rivers," he pointed out, "make up where Callest used to have it's borders. Everything to the south of here was the Elven nation of Rashen trin Fralish. After the war with the giants it all became part of Callest, adding nearly a third more to our lands. Just beyond that lies another Elven nation, called Kair a Dahlst. They are even more reclusive than the Elves we have are said to have been. They are also said to have warriors who go through some brutal rituals in order to gain the title. They live in a dangerous land, thick rainforest that is rumored to be filled with all manner of strange beasts and insects the size of your head. They don't trade much, not many live to tell tales of these folk." "This over here is the nation of Perfute," he said, pointing to another area on the map further north. "Nearly all Human in population, although they neighbor with a smaller area of Dwarves to the north at the mountains. Friendly enough and they take well to trade, but they are very strong on military. There have been a couple of points in history where we've pushed at their borders, but Perfute has always held it's side of the river. I'd say about half the population, both male and female, are trained in at least hand-to-hand there. Maybe more." "Perfute also borders a small Orc nation in the northwest and then this other area along most of it's western edge. That used to be known as a territory held by Giants, much like this area to the southeast of us, beyond the mountains. Reports say, however, that around the same time that the giants were pushed back from the mountains on the east, they also left on the west. Not sure where they all went, but I hear tell that these lands are now fought over by a variety of vicious, beast-like races. Werebeasts, and dark creatures. Not a place I'd recommend for trade, although I hear tell that the land is beautiful. While Perfute is dry and full of desert plateaus and some areas of sand that stretch for miles, this area to the west drops lower. The border there is a long ridge, not a river. I hear tell that the area there has plenty of rivers and oasis of trees and grasses, but between them it is as if the land were burned - dry and brittle and black. There are supposedly an area of strange black mountains further in." "What's here?" Matner asked, pointing to a small, kite-shaped area that seemed sandwiched in between everyone else. "That, there, is the nation of Jundra," he answered, tapping the map. "If it weren't for the ridge and the rivers, I'm sure it would have been overrun by one of the other countries long ago, but the natural borders have helped them hold it. Mostly river and jungle there. Some beasts in the rivers that will eat a man whole, if stories be true, but also some strange flowers and herbs that will cure most anything that ails you if mixed just right." "Who lives there?" "Mostly Human again, though there were quite a few Elves who fled there during the war with the Giants afore they started coming here. I hear they have a fair population of them living there nowadays. And they have a huge city at this cross of the two rivers here. Trade city called Suz. Not many make the trek back and forth as it's quite a distance, but goods that come from there are worth quite a bit by the time they reach here. Mostly those flowers and herbs I spoke of, though there's rumor that there are small magical totems that are made by Jundrans living deep within the jungle, carved of special nuts that drop off trees that only grow there. I've yet to see one myself though, so I couldn't tell you if it's true or not." tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2366 2007-07-26T11:51:19Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

It took a few minutes. A few things bumped around up there and at least one thing fell over, startling or annoying a cat. Eventually the man came down carrying a large rolled-up map. The man was fat about the...

some civilization, meaning some people to trade with. But I'm also looking for something maybe a little more removed from New Callest. Somewhere pretty?"]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2365 2007-07-25T22:32:41Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Even with restocking the supplies they needed and not being able to sell everything, there was still a lot of extra room left in the wagon. He had picked up a couple of small canvas tents, however he realized that...

Even with restocking the supplies they needed and not being able to sell everything, there was still a lot of extra room left in the wagon. He had picked up a couple of small canvas tents, however he realized that they would likely all be able to sleep in the wagon if they wanted to. It seemed a comfort after how crowded it had seemed with all the Elves. He dropped in on Smick to see if there had been any progress on selling the horses, and found that one had a potential buyer already. He settled with Smick on the price he wanted for it, based on what was being offered and the percentage Smick would take off of it. Smick said he'd let him know if anyone was interested in the second horse. The last stop he made was to a small bookshop that he got directions to from Smick. Unlike the last one he'd visited, this one had a small family who clearly owned the shop and lived above it. The woman who was sitting at the counter smiled at him as he entered, before turning her attention briefly to one of the two children who played on the floor nearby and asking the young boy to return a toy to his smaller sister. The boy handed it back with a sigh and moved on to a carved wooden horse to play with instead, prancing it about on the floor and making horse noises as he did. The girl next to him looked up from her recovered toy to giggle at him occasionally. "May I help you?" the woman asked as he approached the counter. "I was told I could find maps here," he replied, looking about. "Local, national, or beyond?" she asked, slipping off of the stool she'd been sitting on. "Mostly national and beyond," he told her with a smile. "I'm looking to travel a bit." "I see," she nodded. "Any particular direction in mind?" "Not sure," he admitted. "I've already come from East of here, so I'd probably go one of the other three directions." She laughed lightly before turning towards the door behind her and calling upstairs. "Nicholaus, I have a young man who needs to see the map of the far reaches to decide which way to go." "Right then," a man's voice called back. "Just a moment." tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2364 2007-07-25T11:32:01Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

"But where are we going to end up? Where are we going to live?" she asked. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Gods only know at this point. Maybe we find a village with a place for you. Maybe we...

"But where are we going to end up? Where are we going to live?" she asked. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Gods only know at this point. Maybe we find a village with a place for you. Maybe we find a farm or homestead like Miss Kevendish's. But we'll find something somewhere." He stood up, mentioning that he should get the shopping out of the way. He suggested they plan on sleeping in shifts, not knowing what the thievery rate around here might be. He also suggested that they start taking turns sleeping as soon as he got back. Neither of them had been getting much sleep lately. In the morning they would set out once more. She agreed, and he left. He had already noted some of the vendors he needed to visit. It felt nice having a little money to buy things with, even if he did have to stay frugal and practical about it. He did make a point of buying a dress that he thought would both fit and look pretty on Sharnellynn. She needed and deserved it. Another shirt for Ahriender went over his arm as well. It took a few trips to get everything to the wagon. Sharnellynn was grateful for the dress, and did seem to like it. She was wearing it by the time he got back with the next armload of supplies. There were even still a few coins jingling in his purse when he was done. tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2363 2007-07-24T19:25:57Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

It was still early enough that there were a few shops still setting up, pulling canvas tarps off of tables and unloading crates of merchandise. He began by taking a stoll along each of the areas, trying to determine who...

It was still early enough that there were a few shops still setting up, pulling canvas tarps off of tables and unloading crates of merchandise. He began by taking a stoll along each of the areas, trying to determine who might be best to sell his wares to. He ended up talking to several tailors and seamstresses about the fabrics, and arranging to sell some to a couple of them. He had a harder time selling off the large quantity of blankets he had gotten, along with much of the other bulk camping supplies. Too many people were already selling similar wares here already, and many suggested he'd be better off selling to people on the road as opposed to in the market. One vendor was willing to take some of the extra cups and bowls off Matner's hands, but most of the rest seemed unsellable. He then headed back and forth between the wagon and the vendors, delivering what he'd arranged to sell and collecting the money. By lunchtime, his stomach was aching and growling at him with hunger and he realized he hadn't eaten in nearly a day. He finished delivering the last of the wares he had sold and stopped at one of the food merchants who was selling some sort of spiced venison that had smelled good to him in passing. He bought a few skewers of it as well as some ripe fruit from another merchant before heading back to the wagon. He handed half the food over to Sharnellynn who looked as hungry as he felt as she barely stopped to thank him before biting into the meat. "I forgot about meals," he said ruefully between bites. "We've been distracted," she agreed. "I've sold what I can. It's not what I'd hoped, but we should be able to get some food supplies with it at least. Hopefully the two horses will sell." "Matner? Where do we go now? After we leave here, I mean. Where do we try next?" Matner thought about that while he chewed on some of the venison. It was tough, much like jerky, but tasty with a musky flavor. "I'll buy a map, for one," he finally said. "And a compass. We'll head for the border, leave this country and see what lies beyond." tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2362 2007-07-24T11:48:03Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

"I'll just be glad when we can both get all this behind us," Matner said. Sharnellynn rather enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement. He yawned and wished he could afford to sleep first. But he knew he would be better...

"I'll just be glad when we can both get all this behind us," Matner said. Sharnellynn rather enthusiastically nodded her head in agreement. He yawned and wished he could afford to sleep first. But he knew he would be better off getting all the trading done first. "I need to go look into trading for supplies," he said. "Stay here, and I guess stay out of sight still, just to be on the safe side." "I'll stay with him," she replied, not arguing or complaining. He went off with a list in his head, and a decidedly light purse. The market building itself did seem divided into logical tiers. Heavier, more commonplace day-to-day goods were on the lower level. Lighter, nicer things were on the top. There were a number of wide stairways from level to level. Each tier was divided into sections, althought they did not seem heavily enforced. Textiles were in one section, food items in another, metal goods yet had their own, and so on. He could tell that the spaces closest to the stairs were the most valuable, and most expensive, spots. Vendors there had nicer tables, flags in better condition, and generally nicer-looking wares. There also seemed to be some kind of delicious-smelling food at each stairway. Vendors hawked and enticed will any manner of hard-to-believe claim about everything from medicinal herbs to knives that never dulled. tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2361 2007-07-23T19:37:25Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Author's Note: Due to technical difficulties (looks like the host had our server down for maintenance this morning) there will be no posts today. Our schedule, such as it is, should return to normal again tomorrow. RaynDragon...

Author's Note:

Due to technical difficulties (looks like the host had our server down for maintenance this morning) there will be no posts today. Our schedule, such as it is, should return to normal again tomorrow. RaynDragon]]> tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2360 2007-07-22T16:22:50Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

Matner was almost surprised to see that the boy was human as Tommin trotted alongside him back to the wagon. He seemed to know his way around horses, however and within a short time the horses had been unhitched and...

Matner was almost surprised to see that the boy was human as Tommin trotted alongside him back to the wagon. He seemed to know his way around horses, however and within a short time the horses had been unhitched and led back to the appropriate stables. Matner chose the two horses he wanted to sell and let Smick know which stables they were in before returning to the wagon again. There was some room alongside the wagon for people to set up tents to sleep in, and a metal fire ring in it, and Matner mentally decided how he should set up camp as he hopped up into the back of the wagon. Sharnellynn smiled at him as he entered. Already she was looking less tense than she had back in the woods. "How is he?" Matner asked, nodding at Ahriender. "Getting better," she nodded. "He may even wake tomorrow. I wasn't sure, but his ability to heal is..." She trailed off and pulled back one of the bandages so he could see. The wound she revealed was closed and dark puplish-pink. It looked as if the cut would have happened a few days before instead of less than a day ago. He whistled appreciatively. "Amazing," he said. "I only hope he is healing as well on the inside," she said. "But he seems better overall. Weak, but better." tag:www.quickshtick.com,2007:/QSWStory5//6.2359 2007-07-22T15:59:20Z 2007-08-26T18:06:08Z

"Oh, ah, hello," Smick said, wiping at one eye with the back of his hand. "And what would you be needing today?" "I need some horses stabled," Matner answered. "Of course you do, boy," Smick replied. "I don't sell fish,...

"Oh, ah, hello," Smick said, wiping at one eye with the back of his hand. "And what would you be needing today?" "I need some horses stabled," Matner answered. "Of course you do, boy," Smick replied. "I don't sell fish, you know..." Matner felt a little taken aback, not expecting the response. "Oh, come now, boy," the man said with a friendly smile. "You've gotta have a sense of humor. It's the only cure for Seriousness." "I've had a seriously rough week...," Matner said. "Seriously, then" Smick asked, "how many horses are we talking about here?" "Well, I have eight, but I'm considering selling two," Matner said. "I have a sign I put notes up on. Sometimes when folk are leaving town they're looking for another horse or two. Get the horses here and show me which one's you're looking for. If I can help you sell 'em I will. I get two percent as a commission." Matner thought that reasonable enough, and nodded. "How long'll you be staying, then?" Smick asked. "Probably just a day or two, actually." Smick told him the daily boarding rate, which was also reasonable considering the care he described the horses getting. Smick waved over a boy who came trotting over. "This is Tommin. Tommin, this gentleman has eight horses that need stabling. Help him get them here and set up in stalls, would you?" "Yes, sir," the boy said.