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 95: She finished her meal and opened her pack.
She finished her meal and opened her pack. Kasca knew her shield would cover a lot but she still thought practical concerns could help. She separated the coinage she carried into smaller bundles, each containing only a few coins each. She would carry a few coins on her person and keep the rest in the pack. While she was cushioning them now so they didn’t jingle on their own, Kasca didn’t want to arrive looking as though she had a ton of coinage on her. She thought that would simply encourage thieves.
If she carried a few coins then she would have access to them but not look as though she had much beyond. If she needed to pay for something then it would only come out of the scant few and not draw attention. Or so she hoped.
‘Definitely need to secure a change of clothing first,’ she thought. Even if she couldn’t pretend to be local, she would need the concealment local clothing would provide. If she didn’t open her mouth the appearance would go unremarked.
Once she situated the coins, Kasca repositioned everything so that she would have her rations close and not need to delve too deeply into the bag each time she stopped to eat. Knowing she would need her scrying bowl repeatedly, she put it in the top of the bag.
As prepared as she could be for the journey, Kasca curled up in her blankets and went to sleep.
The rain stopped sometime in the night. After so long staying in the mines, the first touch of sun wa enough of a change to startle Kasca from her sleep. She saw the rain was over and after relieving herself, she took out her morning ration to eat as she got under way. Kasca pulled her shielding spell over herself and in case there were those with magic who knew how to see through such things here, added the extra layer of protection.
Thus prepared, Kasca left the cave and began her journey in. The roads were abandoned this close to the coast. Kasca cast a spell so she would leave no footprints in the muddy road. She needed speed and the roads would provide it. If she heard anyone, she would head into the woods by the side of the road, but for now as long as she didn’t leave a trail of footprints in the mud she thought she would be fine.
Kasca walked briskly down the road. It was just past midday when she reached the nearest village. Despite the hour the palisade gates were closed. Outside the gates were several cages. Each was occupied and none of the occupants were living. While she saw them in her scrying bowl seeing them in person was a different experience. Wanting to know what she faced and unable to look away, Kasca looked into the cages. She was certain that those put in them were still alive, but by the signs she saw, they probably weren’t alive for long.
There were slash marks on their clothes and blood soaking large sections giving hints to the wounds even if she didn’t examine them closely enough to see the exact injuries. They were also stripped of all but the basics. Anything of value was taken before they were put in the cages.
Kaca didn’t see any guards but she hurried past the cages and the barricaded town as fast as she could, eager to leave it behind. It was only when it was no longer in her sight and she was once again alone on the open road that Kasca allowed herself to think about what she saw.
Ten til Midnight 