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 106: The older woman clucked her tongue at the disreputable looking chair.
The older woman clucked her tongue at the disreputable looking chair. “I don’t know how that was left behind,” she said. Then she saw the rug and her lips pinched down to a thin line. Anya knew the others might find her Tyrin bathing practices strange but she was certain that this woman took the cleanliness of the House of the Star just as importantly.
The men hauled the rug and chair away.
“No wonder you asked for cleaning tools,” the woman muttered to herself as she went. “Shameful, simply shameful.”
The men, the old chair and rug along with the disapproving woman were soon gone.
“I hope I haven’t gotten anyone into trouble?” Anya half said, half asked. She wasn’t sure how the rooms were cleaned but suspected it was on someone’s task list. She didn’t want anyone to be accused of negligence on her behalf.
“No,” Marta assured her. Freya is just one who dislikes the disorderly.”
Anya nodded but suspected someone would still be blamed for the chair. “Will there be issues since the matron can’t open the books?” Anya asked.
Marta sighed, her attention shifting from the chair to the books. “We’ll she’ll probably try repeatedly to open the books, as I’ve mentioned and that will increase as the season approaches. I don’t think she’ll be able to stop herself.” Marta replied. She smiled. “Both a sense of curiosity and her position as Matron will insure she keeps trying.” Marta shrugged. “And who knows when the season opens, she may be able to.”
“And will she be…upset if she can’t?” Anya asked.
Marta looked at her. “Do you mean will she be upset that you can do something she can’t and hold it against you?”
Anya nodded.
Marta stared off in thought for a moment rocking back and forth on her heels. “I don’t think so,” she said slowly. “She can occasionally get high handed. While all are more or less equal here regardless of what circumstances they started out with in life, the matron was from a fairly wealthy and powerful family. She was raised with the belief that she would run a household and the expectation that she would be in charge. She came here instead of managing an aristocratic house and ended up being the matron, so she runs us. I don’t believe there has ever been an instance where she wasn’t in control. I don’t think it will be a problem, but it might put her nose slightly out of joint for a bit. “
“I see,” Anya said. “So you don’t know.” She wondered if the Matron would still want her to stay if she continued to be unable to open the books.
“I’m sure she’ll get over it,” Marta said. “She really isn’t the kind to hold grudges. Now is there anything else you need? Now that we have disposed of the ruined bits of furnishings?”
Anya started to shake her head no but then stopped. “I looked through one of the books,” Anya began.
“The ones I can’t open?” Marta asked.
Anya nodded. “Each of the tasks seemed to require supplies.”
“Ah the tools of the sorcerers,” Marta said. She nodded. “We have books showing the tools of course, but none of the actual tools. I suppose once we find out your skills we can commission someone to make them.”
Anya nodded even though she had seen enough tools laid out on work benches to know where she could probably find most of the tools.
Ten til Midnight 