NaNoWriMo Story Snippets

14. Excerpt from the Viking AU

Subject to editing, etc. From the first scene of the not-remotely-historically-accurate Viking AU ("Viking" as in the society, not the TV show) I'm trying. Right now it's a muddle, but we'll see. There are supernatural elements, hence "earth-etcher", etc.

"They're here!" The declaration, exuberant and proud, seemed to echo off the craggy stones of the shore, disturbing the seabirds enough that they took flight. Even the mass exodus couldn't eclipse the figure at the edge of the water, though, jumping up and down and waving her arms madly. "The Four Horsewomen have arrived!"

Safely shielded by their ship's aura of fire, Bayley groaned. "Why does he always send Nikki of the Cross? King Drew must surely have some other knights by now. " She felt the pull of the shore, the grating of millions of grains of sand, and it did nothing to improve her mood. As an earth-etcher, long days out at sea were disorienting to her: there was little she could do to help guide the ship aside from monitor the sea beds, and having no land in sight made her dizzy.

From her vantage point on the ship's figurehead, fashioned into the likeness of a warhorse, Charlotte grinned, her hair blowing back in a breeze of her own making. Normally the air-archer preferred to be at the stern when they were this close to shore, but she loved the ruggedness of King Drew's lands—and, like Bayley, she was eager to disembark. Her gift was far more useful at sea, but it didn't make her a better sailor by any means. "What's that, Bayley? What happened to the woman who hugged so many people in the mead halls that she practically bathed in ale each night?"

Bayley sat down and concentrated on the wood of the ship. Its connection to the land had been severed years ago, but some of the magic still remained, enough to smooth the edges of her temper and her nausea. "Battle happened, Charlotte. Which you would know if you had been in the fray with us instead of flirting with the local prince."

"Our princess still needs to find a match, remember?" From the spark in her eyes, many assumed Sasha was the Horsewoman who wielded fire, but that was simply her fighting spirit. As their water-weaver, she had been invaluable on their journey to King Drew's lands. Calming the seas, distilling water for the women and their horses to drink, keeping the worst of the storms at bay: Sasha had done all that and more, and rarely had a moment's rest. Even now, as their ship entered the shallower waters, she kept busy offering the horses water. "Some of us don't have thrones to go home to, Charlotte. Some of us don't even have homes anymore."

"Shut it, all of you, or we'll all burn." The voice, strained and severe, came from amidships, where Bex stood with her hands outstretched, sculpting the flames that both protected their ship and held it together throughout the journey. Since the four women were often fighting and travelling alone, there was no way they could carry a traditional longship, so Bex used her magic to bind the pieces together when they were at sea. She hadn't thought her skill set as a fire-forger would be that important on ocean voyages, but she and Sasha were instrumental in the Four Horsewomen's successful raids. No other crew got in and out of villages as quickly as they could, but there was also a price to be paid. Between maintaining the aura of fire that protected the ship and helping to heat the air that propelled it, Bex was nearly exhausted. She was just grateful that King Drew was a straightforward ally, not one given to posturing and power plays—at least not with the Four Horsewomen. "How far out are we, Charlotte?"

Charlotte held her friend's gaze for a moment and sighed. "We're safe now, Bex. You can let it go." She knew Bex would never ask for assistance, so she subtly adjusted the temperature and flow around the ship so the flames extinguished faster. Even then, Bex staggered against the mast, a relatively recent addition to their ship. When it was just the four of them, they couldn't afford to have both Bex and Sasha weakened after a long journey, so they tried to utilize the sail as well. In cases like this, where secrecy and speed were paramount, the sail wasn't an option, though.

Sasha caught Bex as she stumbled, pressing her cool hands against the fire-forger's cheeks. "We made it. We made it in time."

But Bex shook her head. "I should unbind the ship before we go up to the castle," she protested as Sasha led her to the side of the ship. The water-weaver leapt over the side easily, submerging herself and drawing blues and green from the water to adorn her hair. She had left it plain for most of the voyage, but Queen Paige from England would be there—along with King Finn from Ireland, across yet another sea—and she wouldn't stand for looking like anything like than a queen herself. Once she was done, she made sure Bex got out of the ship safely before attending to the horses with Bayley.

Nikki of the Cross bounded up to them, her grin a crescent moon on an already pale face. "It's so good to see you again! I told King Drew and others you were on your way! I did!" She pointed up the cliff to what appeared to be just another rocky outcropping. The Four Horsewomen knew it was actually a vantage point built into the natural landscape, one they had spotted on their first arrival to Scotland, much to King Drew's equal dismay and delight. "I was up at the lookout and I thought I saw fire, but everyone else said, Ach, Nikki, it's just a funeral boat, adrift from a storm. But I knew!"

Bex had to smile at the knight's rampant enthusiasm. Nikki wasn't much younger than she or Charlotte were, but her energy seemed boundless. Many mistook that for immaturity, but she was one of the king's strongest and most loyal knights—and clearly among the most trusted, if Drew had sent her to greet his unplanned visitors. "You have a keen eye. If you ever decide to take a shining to the sea, you'd be welcome with us."

The knight's eyes went wide with wonder. "Oh! Oh, but I couldn't. I don't have the magic like the lot of you. I'm good with my sword," she added, patting the sheathed weapon at her side, "and fighting and even a bit of strategy, but. . . ."

"Not all things listen to the language of magic, or at least not all the time. We rely on oars and strong arms just as much as Charlotte's winds and Sasha's waves," Bex assured her, slumping in relief when Charlotte came up alongside her. Any of the Four Horsewomen were equipped to discuss their affairs and, in general, speak for the group as a whole, but Charlotte had a physical presence that commanded authority. "Charlotte, I'll dismantle the boat. You go on ahead and meet the king—"

"No need." The voice, rumbling deep, came from over by the caves, and all four of the Horsewomen were surprised that they hadn't noticed King Drew there. His stature was so imposing that nothing less than a mountain ought to be able to hide him, but the shadows had settled around him like a cloak. "You're welcome in my lands at any time, of course, but when Nikki told me of the speed of your approach, I knew this wasn't just a visit to enjoy more of my cellar's offerings, so I thought I would save us all some time." He nodded amicably at Charlotte before standing in front of Bex. "You look a right mess," he declared, then glanced at Sasha and nodded. "You too. Don't worry about the ship. I have some of my best knights on their way, They'll get your ship in the cave."