The Goat-Bride, a story of Reiassan pre-history, for the Giraffe call

Jun27

For [personal profile] clare_dragonfly‘s prompt.

Long ago and far away, when the Callanthe people had a different name and roamed far different hills, there lived the woman who was mother to the women and men who would not marry. She was called the Goat-Bride, and in her honor, every year, there are those who stand before the gods and swear their troth to their goats.

They will bear or seed no children, save those born to the festivals. Their home is the goat-pasture and the goat-tent. They stand with the herds when everyone else must stand with their family, and they sleep with their spear and their blade.

They serve as the first to fight and the last to fall, they serve as the spine of the people. There is no shame in standing as Goat-Bride or Goat-Groom. But when the first to do so stood there, the times were different.

Kyerzha stood to one side of Stinky, watching the tribe watch her.

“It’s time.” Daryas was one of the strongest men in the tribe. “The people need babies, to give them strength”

“The people need the goats, to give them feet, to give them wind, to give them food and milk, wool and leather.” She turned her back on Daryas.

“It’s time.” Talgub was one of the cleverest hunters in the tribe. “The children are the future of our tribe.”

“The herd is our future, and its kids, as much as our children. The goats need watching when they come to term; they need guiding when they are ready to be bred” She turned her back on Talgub.

“It’s time.” Puhntozh was the oldest and wisest of the tribe. “Every goat must bend its neck to harness and every tribesmember must bend to responsibility.”

“There are goats we do not ride, but set to stud. There are goats we do not use to pull a plow but instead use for milk. There are those we do not use for wool, but ride them into battle.” She turned her back on Puhntozh.

“You turn your back on your tribe.” Kesaku was her mother, and she was angry.

“I turn my back on the road that leads no-where, to the road that leads somewhere fruitful. That is all.”

And that was all, though it took her family many years to understand.

more here

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/358759.html. You can comment here or there.

Every Gift, a story of Steam!Callenia for the Giraffe Call

Jun27

To fflox‘s prompt

Some time after Road Map

If there was one situation in everyday life where everyone seemed to have a need to get involved it was weddings.

And the problem was, in this case, Katyebah and Larzhal couldn’t find a way to deny any of them.

They were providing the land for their house – not traditional, but when Katyebah and Onton had, with Larzhal’s help, designed a plan to widen Lannamer’s worst traffic intersections, they had necessitated the semi-demolition of several buildings. One of those lots – now holding half of a former Education Bureau facility – had been deeded to Katyebah and Onton for their service.

Onton, in a rare move of complete generosity, had gifted his half to Katyebah and Larzhal as a wedding gift (until then, they hadn’t realized they were getting married, although everyone around them knew it). And the Education Bureau, grateful for the excuse to rebuild, had donated the services of their builder for a week of time.

All that was left were the designs to turn a half a building on a small lot into a full home.

And there, well, everyone had an opinion. Onton, who had given the land, had spent half a day scribbling on plans, adding “improvements.” At least he was an engineer. The happy couple’s parents, who by tradition would have provided the land and the building, had any number of ideas and input, most of which were completely unsuitable.

As the sun set, two days before the builder would arrive, Katyebah and Larzhal stared at the notes, the gifts, and the two pieces of useful input their families had provided.

“Double walls on the windward face.” Larzhal’s uncle Bantas has drawn in the lines with smooth, engineer’s-hand lines. “It’s facing the road, so it will block sound and protect you in the winter.”

“I got an overshipment of these blue tiles. It’s not enough for the whole roof.” Katybah’s aunt Gelah had dropped the cartons with a loud thump. “But you could do some sort of design.”

Katybah’s pencil was wandering, sketching designs suggesting wind and sea. The ancient building had good lines and sturdy walls, those that were left. The double wall would close in the building, and the tiles…

“Block the wind and bless it over with a prayer?” Larzhal smiled. “Always practical.”

“Always using every gift. That’s the tradition, after all.” She leaned against his arms, and considered the turret Onton wanted them to install.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/358516.html. You can comment here or there.

On Giraffes and such

Jun27

I will leave the June Mini-Giraffe Call (LJ) open until 11 EST this morning!

Don’t know anything about Reiassan? The setting spans 1500 years, from a dark-and-gritty war-torn pre-medieval society to a high fantasy setting to a steampunk era. Two warring nations inhabit a continent, the constrained and conservative Bitrani to the south, the warlike goat-herding former nomadic Callenians to the North, warring over territory, religion, and the magic-carrying síra they mine from the earth.

Many aspects of fantasy, steampunk, and Roman-era living are present here, although possibly in different forms than that you’re used to

~

The Linkback Story (LJ) has been updated with most, but not all, of the current linkbacks, donations, and prompts.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/358342.html. You can comment here or there.

Change of Power, a story of Reiassan for the June Giraffe Call @Rix_Scaedu

Jun26

To [personal profile] rix_scaedu‘s prompt. Set two three rulers before the Rin & Girey stories.

The preparations for coronation were excessive, intensive, exhaustive, and boring. Ankahbena nursed her youngest child while, around her, half of the palace fluttered around like goat kids out to pasture for the first time. Three tailors worked on the Imperial robes, around her, around Iladeta, fitting over her bare breast.

Ankahbena had been a mother for far longer than she’d been an Empress. Her grandfather had fought his battles young and then enjoyed a very long life; four heirs had died before her, while she had served in his Army and taught at his University, married and given birth to children and seen them off to the Army as well.

“Mother.” Her oldest son bowed deeply in front of her.

“Aby.” She shifted Ila, brushing away a maid with her free hand. She could still do this for herself, if nothing else.

“I asked Ukyenna if she would accept a marriage contract, if you and Father, and her parents, are amenable.”

“Ukya…?” She had seven sons, three daughters, and, to date, four grandchildren. She had a long piece of paper with all of their important information written down. She could not remember Ukyenna anywhere on the list.

“She’s a distant cousin, descended from a younger sister of Empress Ellanasia. She’s very pretty.” He sounded a bit defensive, there. “And very smart. And… she understands the palace.”

“Ah.” She studied her most ambitious child for a moment. “You think she will make a good mother to the next Emperor.”

“I do.” He tilted his head in submission. “But the choice is yours, Mother.”

She snapped her hand, trying not to hit the tailor who was still trying to fit the inner sleeve properly. The choices were all hers, now. And if her sons followed tradition and cloistered their wives, in a decade she would be the only woman in the nation with any choice. “Let me meet this girl.” Maybe she could talk some sense into Aby.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/358030.html. You can comment here or there.

Rub a Coin, a story of Reiassan for @anke, for the mini-giraffe Call

Jun26

For [personal profile] anke‘s prompt. A tien and a vieg are two units of currency, roughly a penny and a dollar (A vieg is worth a loaf of bread).

“Rub a coin.” Gettar passed over a tien coin to Polla. “Rub a coin, and toss it in the holy fountain.”

His little sister rubbed the coin between two fingers until the metal and the inlain stone were warm to the touch, despite the cooling days. “Why?”

“If you rub it while thinking of something good, the stone holds the thought, and takes it to the gods.” He rubbed his, his lips moving in the way they did. Cantya. Polla knew he was thinking of Cantya, the tanner’s daughter with the eyes like coal. She was all he ever thought about, lately.

Talgya. She mouthed the word as she rubbed the coin warm, and again as she tossed the coin into the fountain. Talgya. It might work.

~

The kids were throwing tien coins and pieces of bone into the fountain, their faces twisted in concentration.

“Rub a coin.” Polla passed the vieg to Talgya. “Something my brother taught me, when I was under-goat tall. “Think of your wish, and the sira in the coin will send it to the gods.”

“Does it work?” The veteran took the vieg, pinching it between two fingers of the hand she had left. Polla knew what she was thinking, like she’d always know who was on Gettar’s mind. It was easy. Gettar. Bring him back to us.

She pinched her own vieg. Getta. Senan. Attorora. Bring them back to us. Bring them home.

She tossed the coin into the fountain, high over the heads of the children. “It brought you home, every time.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/357686.html. You can comment here or there.

A bit of Porter, for @kissofJudas

Jun26

Addergoole Year 8, after Behind Door Number Three

Porter was being hunted. By a mouse.

He had discounted it at first. The pretty girl just happened to be around a lot. The school only had a hundred or so students. He was bound to run into everyone eventually.

And he could tell by the looks that he wasn’t her first target. The Sixth Cohort Sylvanus gave her a wide berth, and watched her with haunted eyes. He wasn’t the only one, either; there was a Seventh Cohort who followed her around, pretending he wasn’t.

Porter didn’t want to be on a string of guys. He really didn’t want to be on a string of guys to a mouse, no matter how cute she was (and he had to admit, she was sort of cute). But she kept following him. And she had a way of doing it where he wouldn’t notice she was there until they were alone. He’d walk through the halls, thinking he was fine, and then, poof, there was a girl three years ahead of him who looked like prey, smelled like prey…

…and his stupid tiger-brain wanted to pounce. Down, boy he told himself, smiled, tipped his hat, said “ma’am,” and found another way to the suite.

Every day. Every. Damn. Day. And she wasn’t saying anything, even. Just smiling at him. But it was such a knowing smile, such a painfully pushy smile, that he wanted to run and hide.

From a mouse. It was more than he could bear. Or, for that matter, more than he could tiger.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/357472.html. You can comment here or there.

Run for it, a story of Reiassan for the June Giraffe Call

Jun25

For [personal profile] ysabetwordsmith‘s prompt. Set in the same era as the Lyuda stories.

The rain started an hour before dark, and three hours out of camp. Krynia and Engot had shared a look, then another, and then they’d spurred their goats into a run up the side of the mountain.

There was no going back, not for either of them. He was a deserter, now, and she – well, they’d call her worse than that, if they found her. Losing her commission in the priesthood would be only her first problem.

So they ran, on stolen goats, into the storm, seeking a shelter, anything, anywhere. “Look at it in this light.” Engot’s Bitrani was not the best, but it was clearer, still, than the Callenian Krynia could manage without divine intervention. “The storm this bad, our tracks covered. Nobody will search.”

“Nobody will find our bodies.” She muttered her answer into her cloak, in hopes that he wouldn’t hear her. The storm provided, cracking thunder across their path. “Your country is wet.”

“So is yours.” Then there was nothing at all to say for a while, just the steady thumping of their goats’ hooves on the dirt road and the loud cracks of the lightning. Night fell with little change, the sky already black with clouds. Krynia risked a tiny pull on the sira, enough to make a small globe of luminescence to light their path. She hoped the gods would forgive her. She could not worship them if they died here. She could not worship them if she was killed for heresy.

“Here.” Here, in the deep back hills of Callenia, Engot was as much a stranger as she was. But in every corner of this land, you could find the sturdy wayfarer’s cabins of those who had come first. And this one, though the roof was beginning to fall, was still mostly intact. “This will be enough for tonight.”

“Tonight.” She knew he couldn’t see her smile, not through the gloom, the rain, and her hood and veil. “And then…?”

“Once we go through this pass, we’re out of land that the Emperor’s Army patrols. Then…” she couldn’t see his smile, either, but she could hear it. “Then we do as we please, Krynia.”

“As we please.” It was a new thought, but a nice one.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/357130.html. You can comment here or there.

June Mini-Giraffe Call: Reiassan

Jun25

The June Mini-Giraffe Call is CLOSED!! (Although, if your name is Eseme or Cluudle (or you want to donate ;-), you may still prompt. I understand job busies)

For the next 36 hours, leave your prompts on My Reiassan ‘verse.

Reiassan has a landing page here (and on LJ)

Because this is a mini-Call, there will be mini-perks!

* For every $10 donated, one prompter chosen at random will get an extra 500-word story – up to 3!
* If the call reaches $30, I will write to second prompt from everyone.- reached!
* If the call reaches $60, I will post a setting piece chosen by the readers and write Callenian poetry.reached!
* If the call reaches $90, I will throw a party! For 2 hours on a Saturday, you can ask anything and everything! With photos!
* If you donate, as always, you have sponsored 100 words continuation on any Giraffe story for every $1US donated, and I will write to at least one additional prompt of yours.

* For every prompter I will write 50 words on an extra story. For every linkback, 25 words. Every donation, 75 words!

At least 1/2 the proceeds of this Call will go towards hiring crowdfunded art or editing for the Reiassan e-book.



Donate below

Art by Djinni!
I also take payment by Dwolla

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/356644.html. You can comment here or there.

50,000 (+92)! (and giraffes)

Jun25

/falls over/

Last night, I hit 50,092, also finishing Chapter 12 – one semester of Addergoole Year 9 roughed out!

Now I get to write other things again!

Yesterday, I posted a list of settings which had been suggested for today’s Mini-Giraffe call. Right now, Stranded, Fairy Town, and Unicorn/Factory are in a three-way tie.

I will post the Giraffe Call when
(1) One of these gains a two-vote lead
or
(2) 4:55 p.m. EST arrives.

I’m also taking suggestions for a sub-theme. I.e., “Addergoole, summer camp” (Which will be the theme of July’s mini-call).

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/356562.html. You can comment here or there.

Giraffing it soon!

Jun24

So, a few days ago, I mentioned that there would be a mini-Giraffe Call tomorrow.

And I asked you what setting it should be.

So far, my answers are:
* stories outside [my] main settings
* Dragons +1 vote
* Reiassan +2 vote
* Faerie Town,
* Stranded +1 vote
* Space Accountant,
* Science!,
* Unicorn/Factory +1 vote
* Shadow Rebellion,
* Planners
* Fairy Town +2 votes

Exceptions – not Aunt Family nor Addergoole, which are the most recently done and next to be done, respectively.

Do you have an opinion on the matter? 🙂

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/355861.html. You can comment here or there.