Bonus Material/Flash fiction from The Kemla Saga
Ty,
Orin - who likes to consider himself my rescuer - and I gather
together outside Ty’s Leather Smith shop.
“We
have to make it home before dark,” Orin says.
“Y’ll
be lucky!” Ty comments, his sword still in his hand though that’s
because he isn’t wearing a sheaf. I eye it – there’s nothing
special about it. He’s holding it like a foreign object. What does
he hunt with if not a blade?
“Ah,
I saw Orin draw his and fetched my own from the shop. Working leather
whilst wearing a sword gets awkward you know.” Ty shrugs. “It’s
been a pleasure.” He smiles, nothing but a gentlemen.
After
the adrenalin of confronting Slave Traders in the street Ty’s
pleasant goodbye begins to slow my heart rate down.
Orin
trots Oisen past me.
“Are
you leaving me behind, Orin of the Meadowsblade clan? We’ll see
about that!”
I
mount up and lift my butt out of the saddle to stop my legs from
rubbing. I’m not about to let Orin keep the lead because of some
saddle sores. He’s cute, but I want to win.
“Last
one out of the city grooms both horses,” I shout.
“But
y’ don’t know the way.” Orin’s reply is strangled by the wind
rushing past my ears.
Race,
Lii, race. I think and magically my
horse understands.
For
two blocks we stay just ahead of Orin. He’s smiling, he could be
laughing, at us. I’ve got the feeling that he’s letting me win or
waiting to see if I get lost. We slow through the pockets of crowds
and weave between shoppers. She’s a slighter build than Orin’s
big black stallion. Lii is white and lithe, we’re day to Orin’s
night.
We
turn another corner. I look back at Orin, but he isn’t there. In my
mind I magically search for him. Seeing the city streets like a bird
flying overhead. He’s cheating, he’s taking a short cut!
Lii
and I dance down the streets that are filled with people and race
down the empty ones with my magic guiding us.
A
stall full of juicy red apples is hugging the next corner. I let go
of the reins, lean over and collect up two apples, tossing a copper
to the shop keeper. If he reacts, we’re too far down the road to
notice it.
We
cut through another side street and come out onto the road that
circles around the whole city. We’re outside the wall, but we
haven’t won yet.
We
gallop on – the road is all ours. With my minds-eye I can see that
Orin’s still in the main street. He’s still inside the walls.
Reaching the main road I throw myself from Lii’s back and rush to
sit at the base of a nearby tree, stretch out and relax. Or at least
look relaxed when Orin gets here. I bite off a large chunk of apple
for Lii. We’re both trying hard to catch our breaths, so chewing
isn’t easy.
Orin
gallops up to us.
I
yawn. “You made it, I was beginning to think you got lost.”
“Kem,
how?”
“Easy,
I’m just faster than you.” I toss him an apple.
“How?”
I
laugh. This is exactly the reaction I was racing for. This is my
prize.
Orin
leans forwards to whisper into Oisen’s ear. “Don’t worry boy, I
think she cheated.”
I’m
not the only one who talks to my horse. I wonder if Oisen talks back?
What
isn’t funny is the simple fact that we have to keep moving. Which
means I have to get back into that saddle. It feels like my pants are
made from sandpaper and my legs are delicate rose petals being ripped
to shreds.
“Are
y’ alright?” Orin asks. His dark eyes are shadowed with worry.
“Yeah,”
I say, but I can’t handle it. Lifting my weight out of the saddle I
push myself back and sit behind it.
Orin
chuckles.
“I
don’t see what you find so funny, Orin!”
“Sorry
Kem, It’s just – ”
“Just
what?” I growl, I’m in pain and he’s
laughing.
“Look
Kem, y’ have a brand new saddle and y’r sitting on y’r horses
ass. That’s got to be the worst place to ride.”
He’s
right, this is the rockiest place to sit. I tilt from side to side
with every step Lii takes, but that’s no excuse – Orin shouldn’t
be laughing.
“Perhaps
you would like to carry me home so I don’t have to ride at all?”
I tease.
He
wraps his arm around my waist.
“Orin,”
I gasp.
He
tilts me back, scoops both my legs up and lifts me over into his lap.
“If
y’ didn’t truly want to be carried home then y’ shouldn’t
have asked,” he’s smiling at me, his eye’s dancing.
“I
didn’t say that,” I whisper unable to move my eye’s away from
his.
He
takes a breath, leans in and kisses me. When his lips finally part
from mine he has taken my heart away. Can that happen?
Now
you two, there are people coming.
“Someone’s
coming,” I whisper.
“Let
them come,” Orin smiles.
Author BIO:
Writing
is a passion, an art and some days an effort.
There
are so many amazing facets to explore, new ideas, fantastic works, a
lifetime writing is just not enough.
Cas
Webb in 2013.
Mother
to a delightful daughter, 9 years old, and darling son, 1 year old,
and partner to an amazing man (I can say that because I know he will
never read this and is not in danger of getting a fat head)
I’m
currently knuckling down with YA and MG fiction manuscripts as well
as writing Children’s Picture Books.
In my
picture books I am working on writing what children and parents will
love, books with heart and with subtle messages. Books that are going
to be too good to throw out even once the pages are torn and the
cover
is falling off.
I’ve
a picture book for release with New Frontier Publishing
in 2014, more news on that soon.
In my
YA and MG fiction I am working on writing stories that capture the
imagination, idea’s that are new and original but still with a
flavor of the familiar.
I’m
studying creative writing with Macquarie University and that has
inspired me to write creative non-fiction, personal
essays
and short stories.
BOOK BLURB:
Kemla is a teenager living in the
Summer’s Mountains.
She’s quick witted, not shy of action and smart however life outside the protective circle where she lives is all but beyond her reach. Then one day she’s kidnapped by slave traders, helped by magic and learns to trust. All the while she’s trying to avoid her past.
She’s quick witted, not shy of action and smart however life outside the protective circle where she lives is all but beyond her reach. Then one day she’s kidnapped by slave traders, helped by magic and learns to trust. All the while she’s trying to avoid her past.
Authors thoughts:
I feel
like I grew up with my main character, Kemla, because I began
imagining her life when I was quite young. Now she is very much alive
in my head, and I just write down what she’s up to. Might sound
slightly insane, but insanity makes life exciting.
A lot of my mood goes into whatever I’m
writing, and usually into the main character, too. In Kemla you can
tell when I was feeling down - she gets captured by slave traders -
and you can tell when I was feeling romantic - hence meeting Orin.
A few other things that have snuck into
‘Kemla’ are:
- a magical white horse – that was on my Christmas list one year.
- Learning to wield a sword – that was right about when the movie ‘A Nights Tale’ came out.
- And the rescue that goes kind of wrong – that’s me and my partner all over!
Because ‘Kemla’ is a book-via-blog
I often get quick comments about things that readers think can/should
be changed. And I love getting them, putting a chapter up each weeks
makes ‘Kemla’ a very interactive story.
‘Why didn’t Kemla see that coming?’
‘Where’s Leon?’
‘Spelling error on page 2.’
And so on. This medium means the book
is very open to readers. I can edit out spelling/grammar issues when
I need to (I’ll admit I don’t get many comments so I hope that
means I don’t have a lot of errors!) But I don’t make changes to
the plot.
I do have the benefit writing a new
chapter each week and I can, if I’m feeling nice, address reader
questions. So if a reader has asked, ‘where’s Leon,’ I might
sneak this into the text: ‘Where’s Leon?’ Kemla thinks, ‘is
he already in Aquilla Realm?’
So never be shy to leave me comments.
Find me on instagram @caswebb1 (http://instagram.com/caswebb1)
Find me on facebook @Cassandra webb – writer (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cas-Webb-I-write/111432965585676)
Read my mummy blog www.meandmessy3.com
Read my authors website www.cassandrawebb.com
read my ya fantasy saga KEMLA for free
Buy and Download links
The book can be downloaded for free from the ‘download ebook’ link.
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