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 88: ‘And I’m wearing the warmest clothes I have.’
‘And I’m wearing the warmest clothes I have.’ The thought did not bring Anya comfort. At the moment her quarters were chilly in the morning and at night about bearable when the sun still shone. She suspected that as winter took hold the sun would provide less warmth. ‘And my room doesn’t have a fire,’ she realized.
The thought hadn’t occurred to her. ‘Probably explains why the winter quarters are elsewhere.’
The three of them ate their breakfast and when they were done, walked their bowls to the side.
“Will you see us off?” the older woman asked.
“Of course,” Anya replied. She followed the two women upstairs and found they had rooms next to each other. Each clearly already packed and all they needed to do was pick up their parcels. Unlike her own hastily repaired satchel, both women had larger bags designed to be worn on their backs and covered with embroidery. The embroidery was floral and brightly colored. They stood out starkly against the darker material of the packs.
“That is quite lovely,” Anya said.
The women both blinked and stared at her.
“Goodness,” the older woman said. “I thought everyone knew Rulash embroidery,” the older woman said. Anya smiled wanly. She followed the two women down the stairs leaving her own small pack behind. As they joined the other woman preparing to leave Anya saw her mistake. Although the packs their design and their embroidered decoration were new to her, no one else felt the same. Nearly every pack carried by the women leaving looked identical to the two her erstwhile friends carried. Anya walked to the main doors with the group. She was quiet as they walked not wanting to say more that might draw attention to her differences.
“It looks like a lot are heading to Rulash,” the younger woman said. “I see several we traveled in with.” The thought that she was not the only one from her home town not to be chosen seemed to boost her spirits.
“Will you all travel together?” Anya couldn’t help asking.
“Oh yes,” she was told by the older woman. “The road leads straight to Rulash and then splits after where the group will break into smaller sections or stay in Rulash.”
“No one travels alone,” the younger woman said. She seemed to recall that Anya came in alone and flushed crimson. “I mean unless they have to.”
Anya smiled. “And no one goes in anything but a straight path unless they lose their way,” she said. “Its good to know which path o should have taken.”
At the door each of the woman paused and gave her a hug as though they were lifelong friends parting instead of recent acquaintances.
Ten til Midnight 