Tree Song

I am a savior of lost souls. I am release, I am relief. I call to those who need me most. Weary travelers, desperate mothers, fearful children. I welcome all. Criminals, runaways, vagabonds. If you are scared, or tired, or lost, I will take those awful feelings away. Even now comes a weary child, drawnContinue reading “Tree Song”

The Birth of a Mermaid

In the quiet hours on a moonless night, a desperate man carries a limp form gently to the water’s edge. Cradled in his arms, he places her hand in the water and sings softly to her as he waits. It does not take long for a blue-tinged hand to take hers, and a head liftsContinue reading “The Birth of a Mermaid”

Forest Born (part 2)

The human mother awoke to the high-pitched wail of the abandoned baby, when the rays of the sun had just begun to stretch above the horizon. She pulled him from his cradle and rocked him, but still he cried and screamed. When she’d tried to feed him, he had bitten her, and when her husbandContinue reading “Forest Born (part 2)”

Song of the Island

Along the coast of the mainland sits a line of sleepy islands, home to generations of sailors and their wives. Every year before the sailors leave for the season, the Islanders row out onto the water and light candles in little bowls, one for each sailor. These are good luck charms, wishes from their familiesContinue reading “Song of the Island”

Musings 4: Too Many Ideas

It’s a common joke amongst writers, that we can’t focus on a single story concept without being distracted by several others. This often leads to dozens of started works and no finished products, which can be hard on a person’s sense of accomplishment. I had this problem bad. I had shelves filled with notebooks thatContinue reading “Musings 4: Too Many Ideas”

The Prince’s Death (part 2)

The next night, I met Prince Oryn in the tack room, long after the stable hands had gone to sleep. He was cross-legged on the floor, braiding hay. Silently, I sat down in front of him. He set the hay in his lap. “You said you’d make me look sick. How real is it?” IContinue reading “The Prince’s Death (part 2)”