The fifteen minute novel writing experiment is an 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 211: “its leaves, tell me about the leaves,” he asked excitedly.
“Its leaves, tell me about the leaves,” he asked excitedly.
Anya described the tree as well as she was able. She wondered why he was so concerned with the tree. Personally she was far more concerned with people sensing her than with the presence of a large tree she couldn’t identify.
Deran leaned back in his chair. “A Ponela tree.”
“Ponela tree,” Anya repeated.
Deran nodded. “The wood is capable of channeling magic better than any other wood and many magical artifacts were crafted from its wood.”
“Is that why they could see me?” Anya asked.
“See you?” Deran frowned. “Who saw you.”
“The two at the estate,” Anya said. “Well not see me exactly, but sense me. They knew I was there even though I was looking through the orb.”
“Oh,” Deran said. “That is something.” He grew quiet.
“Was that because of the tree,” she asked finally.
“Hmm, oh no,” Deran said. “No doubt they were there gathering wood from the tree. And the tree is probably why Lord Mathis wants the estate. The Ponelas are very rare. Very valuable.”
“o that’s why Lord Mathis wanted the Fairweather Estate,” Anya said. “But why could the other two sense me and are other people going to start sensing me. Do I have to worry about Perov knowing I am there when I look in?”
“Oh no,” Deran said. “I wouldn’t worry about that. From the sound of him he might have one ability, like the ladies of the House of the Star have. It would be stronger in season of course, or just as the seasons are turning, but it would be faded now. And even if it was I doubt it is the sort that could sense you through the orb. It sounds like an enhanced sense of smell or some other physical tracking thing. All of that would stay back with you when you use the orb.”
Anya relaxed now that she wasn’t going to have to worry too much about Perov following her. “But the others?”
“From the estate?”
“Yes,” Anya said. She frowned. Sometimes Deran was a rather frustrating teacher. He was good with the lessons he planned but explaining things out side of them was not his strong suit.
“Ah, yes well if they are there for the wood of the Ponela then they clearly have some ability to shape things and those who shape things often see the shape of things. Those like them would have created the orb in the first place so I suppose it isn’t completely unexpected that they might have sensed you.”
“So they are children of the moon?” Anya said. “Like me?” She held out her arm displaying her crescent shaped birth mark, the one that matched Deran’s.
“Possibly,” he said. “Did you see a mark?”
“I didn’t look and they were bundled for the cold,” Anya replied.
“Ah well they might be or they might have simply worked with things that carry magic long enough to have a sensitivity to when it is being used around them.” Deran shrugged. “Even if they have no magic of their own and are just gifted craftsmen, then working often with the Ponela tree’s wood might give them extra sensitivity.”
Despite that Anya was so panicked by the even that she fled back to the safety of the House of the Star and walked away from the orb as quickly as possible, Deran did not seem to be as bothered by her encounter as she was.
‘Maybe it is nothing to worry about,’ she thought. Still a little piece of her felt strangely unsettled by the encounter.
Ten til Midnight 