A Tale Before Time

A collection of historical short stories for the @HistoricalFiction SmackDown contest. All of these are based on a prompt, have a rather strict word limit and are written in a short span of time.

1. The Blacksmith's Apprentice - 500 words
Alis, a young medieval woman, dreams of becoming a blacksmith, against her family's wishes.

2. A City of Ruins - 1000 words
The story of Thamar, a surgeon, spy and slave in Constantinople during the second outbreak of the Black Death.

3. A Dream of Blood and Ravens - 1000 words
Set in the Bronze Age, young Agil had just become a man and is ready for battle, until he Dreams of death.

4. A Dance At Midnight - 1000 words
1902, the coronation of King Edward VII, told from the perspective of one of his best friends, the Portuguese Ambassador, who has a lingering affection for his Queen.

5. The Island That Fell From The Sky - 4000 words
Alternate history, 1492, instead of sailing West, Columbus sails East in search for a coveted magical ingredient that literally fell from the sky, as told by the young alchemist, Pedro del Rey, through his personal journal.