Morning all. I am actually having a lot of fun going through previous year’s writing promts to look for stories. As always, I will post the prompt that sparked the idea and the basic outline below.
Thursday, January 16th: The forest was shrouded in mist.
The forest was shrouded in mist. He stared at the gray world before him. In places he could see the darker boles of the trees, shadows standing in the mist. There was a path, he could see it from where he stood, leading from the open ground and into the wood. He could only see a few feet down the trail before it was lost to the shadows.
He looked to the others. Going in was a bad idea.
He knew it in his bones.
It wasn’t just the shadows, there was …something. He could feel it.
He looked from face to face. They seemed unconcerned. Many of them seemed to think this was a fun outing. There wasn’t a worried line creasing any of their faces. He knew they would not appreciate his concern ruining their fun. He knew they would taunt him for it later, his odd hunches, his suspicions. They would call it cowardice.
He knew.
He also knew he couldn’t stay silent.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea,” he told them.
They looked to him. He saw confusion now on a few of their faces, mocking on others.
“It’s just a short walk through the woods to reach the castle on the other side,” Gerald informed him. He sounded exasperated by Franklin’s concern. “What could possibly go wrong?”
“Especially with Sir Gerald in charge,” Madaline said.
She fluttered her lashes at Gerald who preened. He puffed up his chest and turned away, his steps already taking him towards the forest.
There would be no talking to him now. Franklin knew that.
Ever since he had been knighted, Gerald thought himself invincible. The reaction of the ladies at court and the shining eyes of the men without titles in their group only seemed to encourage him. Gerald paused and looked back at Franklin.
“You can go the long way round if you’d like. We’ll tell the others you be along eventually.” He smiled. “In fact, I don’t want you with us.” Gerald’s eyes glinted with cold malice and Franklin knew what was coming before the words slipped out. “I order you to go the long way round.”
He pointed to the longer path circumventing the woods before he turned away and strode down the path. Th rest of the group, many of them giggling or letting out chortles of amusement trouped after him. They knew that he couldn’t refuse a direct order from the son of the castle’s lord.
Franklin sighed but felt a wait lift from his bones at the thought of not going into the woods. He knew what waited there waited for him, or someone like him. ‘The others should be safe enough without me,’ he thought.
Annoyed with all of them, Franklin backtracked to the crossroads and turned onto the side road. It would lead him around the mist shrouded woods and would take him at least two extra hours to cross, but the reports were still fresh in his mind.
While he knew there was something in the woods that wanted him there had been reports. Gerald read them and is armed,’ he reminded himself. Surely the group was large enough they would be safe on the path.
‘Besides I’ve had enough of this group,’ he thought as he moved down his chosen path. He kept his pace brisk, partially because it was a longer walk but partially to burn off some of his anger.
Gerald was becoming unbearable. Franklin knew that when he came of age, he would inherit a title held in trust for him. Gerald knew it as well and pointed out he did nothing to earn it.
The implication being of course that Gerald earned his knighthood.
The fact that his father bought him the knighthood, using the money that Franklin’s father paid him to help his training before he took his inherited position was irrelevant. Somehow it translated into Gerald earning his title while Franklin had his given to him.
Franklin shook his head. It didn’t really matter. Soon his training would be complete and he would come of age. He had inherited a barony from his mother’s family and would take charge of it.
SETUP: Franklin refuses to go into the woods with the others and instead goes around.
COMPLICATION: One the road back to the castle he meets a party who is also heading to the castle and they get to talking where Franklin learns of dangers that may be heading their way.
RISING ACTION: They get back to the castle and Franklin is there before the other party. He tells them he was ordered to go around. They have to send a party in. Gerald is gravely injured and several are dead. No one was impressed with Gerald’s skills. They find the attackers are tied to the trouble to the north that the party Franklin rode in with.
MEANWHILE: There are invasion forces marshaling in the North.
CLIMAX: Open combat where Franklin fights well and is knighted while Gerald sits out in his sickbed.
DENOUEMENT: Franklin comes of age and rides off to run the barony.
Ten til Midnight 