The fifteen minute novel writing experiment is a attempt to write a complete (and very rough) draft of a novel by writing for fifteen minutes each day. I have taken a timed writing from one of the daily prompts done in 2021, cleaned it up a little and used it as my jumping off point into a story. Each day I will take the last line of the story written the day before and use it as my sentence starter and write for fifteen minutes, growing the story as the year progresses.
Day 66: She looked tired as she gazed upwards at the sky.
She looked tired as she gazed upwards at the sky. Anya studied the woman for a few moments as thoughts turned slowly in her head. Shadows and light played across her feathers in equal measures of moonlight and darkness, concealing as much as they revealed. The woman smiled at her.
“If you still have questions for me then you may ask them, but I cannot open the sight in the pool again so soon.”
Anya nodded. “You said Lord Mathis believed that is the tower of moonlight,” Anya began.
The woman lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you would ask me of your family.”
“Is something wrong with my sisters?” Anya asked.
“No they and their fledgling families are fine. They are…at odds with your Uncle and Aunt over your departure from Tyrin and their sudden rise in fortunes. They have been told it was your choice to make a life elsewhere since you could not find a suitor in your village and that your uncle has found more work. They are concerned that you have not answered their letters but are mostly too busy with their own lives. They have cut ties with the rest of the family.”
Anya nodded. She couldn’t blame them. Once they married they started different lives. Her two sisters had always been closer to each other than to her. As they were happy and safe she found it less concerning. She hoped that if Lord Mathis’ men went back to Tyrin then it would be to her uncle and Aunt’s house. Anya smiled to herself realizing that she could no longer think of them as her parents. She set the thought aside for later.
“Then the tower?” She asked.
“It is possible it is the tower mentioned, but it is possible it is not. I believe a book of rituals was sent down for you to read?”
“Yes,” Anya said. “Towers were mentioned quite often as was the moon.”
The woman nodded. “The ancient cities of the Festian Empire contained many towers. As many of their rituals involved the moon and moonlight they were considered essential platforms. The tower of moonlight is believed to be the tallest.”
“Well the tower I was in was the tallest,” Anya said.
“It was the tallest left standing,” the woman corrected her. “Most of their cities are complete ruins. Some have towers standing, mostly the shorter ones as they are more stable. Of the ruined cities the one in which you were held is the tallest one left standing, therefore Lord Mathis believes it is the Tower of moonlight. It could be, or it could not be, I don’t know.”
Anya nodded. “And the house he was in?” Anya looked back to the basin of water. “Was it his?”
“I believe he is temporarily occupying it so that he can work in private. He has a more established manor house in the city of Gorl but considers it too public a place. He found this estate abandoned and as it is close to the ancient ruins and the tower he prefers, he occupies it when the tower has an occupant.”
“He mentioned something about time running out?” Anya asked.
Ten til Midnight 