"Something's happened that could possibly affect your whole life. What happened if it was to someone you loved?"
Ok, RULES:
1) TRY and finish by at least the first week of September. However, if you decide to post in December, all doors are open!
2) Tamora Peirce, duh!
3) Any pairing!
Ok, now get writing!!
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Ok! Here's my challenge for this month. I would love to see people write under these rules for their story.
STIMULUS: It was time. Time for a change.
1) A three-shot.
2) Minimum: 500 words per chapter / Maximum: 1000 words per chapter
3) An unconventional pairing (if any) - NO Kel/Dom, Kel/Joren, Kel/Neal or Kel/Cleon. Find something else.
4) Has to be set in either the SOTL era or the POTS era
5) Little to none fluff. I know that it's what most of us write best, but I kinda hate it with a passion right now.
6) Rating... not an M.
7) Genre - NOT Humor or Romance. You can include romance and humor in your story, of course, but they cannot be put down as the genres.
Now! Get cracking!
- abyssgirl
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Alanna when in old age thinks about her younger years.
Requirements:
1. must be under 1000 words
2. Must use phrase "airbrain(s) chasing butterflies".
3. Must be finished by the first day of September. I'm giving a lot of time.
4. Not too cheesy, for example: George looked at Alanna and asked what she was thinking about. Alanna replied "I was just thinking about my younger years." Alanna has to have some resonable explanation for thinking about her past.
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Challenge: SMARTALIENQT's Poetry Prompt Challenge
Rating: K
Summary: One-shot about Kel and the paths that she has chosen to follow in life. Set to Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken'.
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Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both.
At the head of the column of tired travelers, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan reined her brown mare in, slowing from a trot to a walk. Her companions gave her questioning looks as they rode past, but no one made an attempt to speak to her, though that was partly her own fault. Maybe if she hadn't been so withdrawn, so depressive, she would be in the midst of a happy conversation.
Lord Wyldon had been more than understanding, almost to the point that it was unbelievable, when she had returned from Castle Rathhausak and Blace and Stenmun. She had been so sure that she would be hung on Traitors Hill or forced out of Tortall. She was still sure that she was about to meet her end or be declared a traitor as Lord Wyldon stood over her, arms crossed and eyes hard. She was so sure until he forgave her, and still she had tried to argue back. Thank the gods that Neal had been there, otherwise she might be back in Scanra instead of on her way home.
The ride home had been a long one, and Kel was aching to have a warm bath, climb into bed and go to sleep. With those thoughts on her mind, she rose slowly in her stirrups to catch a glimpse of her new home, New Hope, over the crest of the hill they were riding up. Peachblossom tugged on his lead rope and snorted as she let out a soft sigh and sank back into her saddle, gripping the pommel to keep her balance as Hoshi pranced anxiously beneath her. Jump lifted his head over the rim of his basket and gave a low whine as he watched his mistress with worried eyes.
"I'm fine," she said in answer to her friend's unspoken questions, "I just need some time to think."
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
It was not until the next day that Kel was able to have some time to herself. She had not slept well the past night and she was sure that she would not sleep well for a long time yet. As soon as a free moment had arisen, Kel had hurried to the stables, saddled Peachblossom and ridden him out the back gate. Had she not been thinking so much, she may have noticed the concerned looks that she gained from a squad of the Own who were nailing planks of wood down to a new infirmary building. Nor did she take any notice of Neal, when he ran out into the road behind her, and shouted for her to come back as she disappeared down a trail into the forest.
It seemed like an age had passed, but her daze was finally broken when Peachblossom stopped, rather abruptly, and she went tumbling over his head. She thought to glare at the gelding who was now cropping grass and looking very happy with himself, but how was he to know better? Instead she found a soft patch of grass, beneath an old oak tree, and lay down in the shade.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
Her mind wandered aimlessly for a while, marveling at the brightness of the sun before her, or thinking about the yellowed leaves above her, blowing in the gentle afternoon breeze. It was easy to forget that her country was still at war. That she was still at war. Of course her thoughts could not remain untroubled; they soon began to examine the way that the twisted and gnarled bark of the trees resembled burnt and melted skin. How the flattened grass at Peachblossom's hooves resembled squadrons of soldiers, lying squashed before an overwhelming enemy force. Even the stream running beside her, innocent at first glance, turned into a red river, a river of blood.
And yet her thoughts taunted her, how easily she could have avoided all of this. If she had chosen to stay with her parents, and learnt to be a proper young lady, she would be married to some plain, happy man and have had plain, happy children and would be living in a plain, happy house, not running around on the Scanran border, losing her sanity and pining after handsome soldiers. Or maybe, just one handsome soldier.
She had always had two roads to choose from, one well-tread and unexciting, one unknown and dangerous. How was she to decide which was right?
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
By choosing the second road, the dangerous and unknown one, she had committed herself to a life of hardship and loneliness. Though some would argue that she was never lonely, Kel would beg to differ. All other girls of her age had a family, be it their own or one they had made for themselves. She too had a family, but not a human one; she had a flock of birds a lunatic dog and a grumpy horse. Her own family, her blood family, where miles away, and in more ways than one.
The last time she had heard from her parents was in a letter, near a month before she rescued her people from Scanra. Her mother had written that her father was unwell but she should not worry for he was a strong man and they had the palace's healers at hand. Kel had taken her mother's word and had not worried, until the previous night that was. As she lay, tossing and turning, trying desperately to go to sleep, a messenger had knocked on her door. He had word from Fief Mindelan, her father was dead. She had not told her friends, they would just pity her and ask her repeatedly whether she was 'alright' for the rest of the month.
Instead she had ended up here, pondering her past decisions and the decisions that would lead to her future. She could see now that she had two roads to choose from and yet only one choice that she was allowed to make.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
The sun had set by the time Kel opened her eyes again, though they were still wet from the tears that she had shed for her father. She sat, listening in the darkness, though for what she was not sure. When she finally thought to look for Peachblossom she noticed that the large horse was nowhere in sight, he had gone. Kel felt like shouting out in frustration, too many things had happened all at once, and now, to make matters worse, her horse was missing. The knight in her took over for a moment, calming her rampaging mind and putting some sense back into her thoughts. She was alone, in a dark wood, with no shelter and no way of getting back to camp without finding Peachblossom or walking. It was too much for her, for the knight in her even. Finally her mind buckled under the weight of her situation and she sank to the ground, sobs wracking her body.
For how long she lay, helpless and sobbing, she did not know. Though she was mildly aware that she was shaking from the cold and her teeth were chattering noisily of their own accord. It took her by surprise when she felt a woollen blanket being drawn around her body and a gentle arm wrap around her back. She had drawn her knife and clasped it to the man's neck before she looked up and recognized who it was. It took her less than a second to drop her knife and slump against the man, his arms cradling her to his chest in her moment of absolute helplessness.
It was in that time that she realized, though she walked her road alone, roads are bound to cross.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I have read two interesting pieces of poetry today, and thought of a prompt.
1. It must have the words from either "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, or "Sonnet 18" by William Shakespeare.
2. Must have at least... 900 words. I'm not picky (it's not like I'll take points off if you write only 899 words), but shoot for 900 or above, not below.
3. Have fun with it. I like Romances, myself, but if you feel like making angst out of Sonnet 18, feel free to do so.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER READ EITHER POEM:
Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare:
http://tammychallenge.blogspot.com/2008/05/shakespeares-sonnet-18.html
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost:
http://tammychallenge.blogspot.com/2008/05/road-not-taken-by-robert-frost_04.html
RESPONSES:
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By: Sea-Aggie
Challenge: wAstxd1sYmPhOny's "Protector" Challenge
Rating: K
Summary: One-shot. In response to Wastxd's challenge. Run through of Alanna, Daine, Kel, and Aly's lives and how they protect the ones they love.
"I had a dream."
"A dream to become a knight," declared a woman with a voice as fiery as her hair.
"I had a thirst."
"A thirst for revenge," softly proclaimed a woman as she choked back tears.
"I had a yearning."
"A yearning to prove others wrong," simply stated a large, muscular woman.
"I had determination."
"Determination to prove my parents wrong," the last woman cried out with a hint of mystery in her voice.
"These were our first steps, which have led us to were we now are," they said in union, they voices strong, "Then we were touched by gods, which caused…"
"….My dream…"
"….My thirst…"
"…My yearning…"
"…and My determination…"
"…To become a reality," they ended together.
"I was touched by the Goddess, who's protection saved me from trouble many a time," spoke the first woman.
"I was touched by five gods. First my father, Weiryn, a lesser god of hunting, gave me life. Then the badger god watched over me at my father's request. Next The Graveyard Hag had a short interest in me to get revenge the wrong Orzone had done. Finally my mother, the Green Lady, protected me after the badger saved my friend Numair and I from certain death. My father had pleaded when she died that she be allowed to become a goddess. He wish was granted. My father gave me a wonderful bow for protection as Numair, the badger and myself set off on a journey to find our way home. We were accompanied and assisted by Broad Foot, the animal god of duck-billed platypuses on our long journey. I was half goddess, myself," the second woman said in a singsong voice.
"My god was a strange god, for it was The Chamber. It gave me a dream. One that I had to pursue lest it haunt me the rest of my life," the third woman proclaimed.
"My god and I have a very similar personality. We live for tricks and secrets, which is fitting since he is Kyprioth, trickster god of The Copper Isles. He used me as a vessel for one of his greatest tricks," declared the fourth and final woman.
"When gods meddle your life becomes full of turmoil, as did each of ours," spoke all four women.
"I came in possession of a magical sword and gem. I was also given a cat that took it upon himself to advise me on every aspect of my life. I fought against immortals and prevailed. I became the first woman knight in many years and dueled against a powerful mage. I changed the Bazhir's way of life. I retrieved The Dominion Jewel and brought back a queen for my king. My brother raised my enemy from his sorcerer's sleep and once again I had to defeat him."
"I became an outcast. I found the magic inside me and learned how to use it. I battled many a foe with my animal friends. I escaped immortals and found my way home from the realm of the gods."
"I was teased and tormented. Terrified of heights. My maid was kidnapped causing me to face this fear. I found a baby griffin and survived raising it until it parents could be found. I was sent to war. I was put in charge of a refuge camp. My people were taken from me. I had to journey deep into my enemies land to rescue them. Ignoring the commands of those above me."
"My parents would not allow me to do as I pleased. I was forced to live in my mother's shadow – a legend. I was kidnapped and taken to another land. There I was to protect two half-raka girls. Eventually I became the country's spymaster."
"The gods meddled and through their meddling we found true love," they once again spoke as one.
"Two men attempted to woo me. One a noble man who acted as he was expected to. The other a thief. Both were king at one point in their life. The first was king of his country. The other king of the rouge. I loved both, but only one kept my heart. The first would have expected me to give up my breeches for a dress, while the other loved me no mater what I was wearing or did."
"My love was my mentor. Through him I learned how to control my magic, which I no longer fear. Though he his much older than me I love him all the same."
"A blue-eyed sergeant holds my heart. Together we are able to play many wonderful tricks on his cousin meathead. The only problem is that he is in The Own and they are not allowed to marry."
"My love is a crow. I know it may sound strange, but I fell in love with him because he is different. Instead of flowers he would give me grubs. He was quite handsome whether he was in crow or human form. Through battle he became a man, yet he still has some of his crow qualities. He is my true love."
"We have been given names by our love ones and those we protect," declared the four women.
"I am The Lioness, known for my fierce temper."
"I am the Wild Mage, a name given to me for the magic, which lives inside me."
"I am The Protector of the Small, a name I despise. It was given to me by The Chamber in honor of those I protect."
"I am Duani, a name given to me by my pack since I mother them so."
"These names describe us. The names are used by those we protect, in honor of all we do," they al said.
"I am the protector of my king and of my country."
"I am protector of the People, my animal friends."
"I am protector of those who are unable to protect themselves."
"I am protector of my queen and her people."
"We are protectors, protecting those we love," they ended.
Challenge #1: A mood piece
-mood piece does not necessarily mean it has to be sad. It can be really funny, really angsty, or just really cute. But the emotions have to be strong throughout the piece.
Requirements: Story must be finished no later than May 20th (I know that school is killing everyone, so I'm giving you a bit more than a month!)
1) The word 'said' can not be used at any point during the story
2) Story must be a one-shot. Maximum of 10,000 words.
3)There must be a character in the story who cannot speak Common. Mute is acceptable, as is an object used to personify a person (provided that someone talks to it- like a mirror, or a picture of a loved one.)
4) Weather must reflect the mood of the piece. But be subtle about it.
5) No over-used plots... For example, no Dom going to Kel and saying "Kel I've loved you since the day I met you", and no typical Dom/Neal/ the Own wars etc. Be creative, especially if you are using one of the more popular characters.
6) The phrase "the last tree in the forest" must be used. It can be within a sentence or on its own. It can have literal meanings or metaphorical meanings (or both, which is the best kind :D).
7) There must be an elderly man who uses a cane to whack people.
And, lastly: post the link to your story up on this forum when you've completed it! I can't wait :) (And do you think I'm allowed to submit a story for my own challenge, or is that a bit pathetic?)
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Link to the Challenge on the Forum.
