Morning all and welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Here I take the start of a story idea and work on it for fifteen minutes a day. I started with an old writing prompt that interested me, cleaned it up a bit to fit the basic outline of the story I want to write and then set aside fifteen minutes each week day to see it grow. Each morning’s writing starts with the last sentence of the day before. And so now we have the story of Kasca…
Day 73: She knew it worked as she saw it used on the others in the Sanctuary.
She knew it worked as she saw it used on the others in the Sanctuary. But she didn’t know the limitations. She didn’t know if the cure then made you immune to the disease or if it needed to be taken after a repeat contagion. ‘I also don’t know if it could be taken a second time.’
“I might see something watching the others,” she told herself. As Kasca planned to watch and study the others, if only to see if they were coming after her, she thought that she might see how their recovery played out.
‘But if they don’t leave the island they won’t risk becoming reinfected and even then they could move about shielded.’
Short of infecting herself and testing it out, Kasca wasn’t entirely certain how to test the repeated strength of the cure. She had three bottles with her, but as of yet, she had not come into contact with the disease.
That would require some thinking. ‘I also need to look for people.’
Kasca wasn’t going back to the Sanctuary. If there were people still on the island she could help then she would. Beyond that she would need to leave the island. Other kingdoms might welcome her, especially if she brought a cure with her, but she needed a way to get there and she would need more than just the resources in her pack. Even if she showed up with the cure, she would need the money to find a place to stay and to purchase the ingredients to create the cure. Her three bottles weren’t going to get very far.
‘And the place I settle has to be able to allow me to make the cure.’ Some of the rented rooms she had seen didn’t even have a fireplace relying on heat from other spaces and thick blankets in the winter time with meals purchased from stalls.
‘That would certainly take more money than I’ve got.’
Kasca sat back. Passage would depend on where she was going. There were some ports where the crossing was something she couldn’t manage on her own even if she found a boat. Given what she was, Kasca doubted any of the major ports were operating the deep water transfers.
“So one of the smaller crossings.”
Kasca took a deep breath. Choosing the smaller crossings eliminated several routes. Both the eastern and western ports were out. She doubted the southern ones would be of much use and didn’t particularly want to had back towards the sanctuary.
‘Which leaves about six ports where I could make the crossing on my own.’
She was certain she could find a small boat capable of making the crossing if she reached the ports. “Maybe I will look into them and decide which is the best option.’
With those at least, Kasca knew she had some time. With spring newly arriving in the North the passages would be too dangerous to try. The initial spring flood waters would need to pass before she could risk a crossing.
Reminding herself of this eased back Kasca’s fears of sitting still. She knew how long it would take her to get to each of those crossings, and when they could be used. She was safe here and would lose nothing by gathering information here before leaving the safety of the mine.
Kasca relaxed slightly. She had a plan, or at least the beginning elements of one. It made her feel steadier. She took a deep breath and realized her energy faded with the scrying and she would need to eat.
Ten til Midnight 