Aldrea Alien's Blog, page 6

Rainbow Snippets: Overly cautious?

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

Dylan frowned, a flush of disappointment colouring his cheeks like a slap. He nodded all the same and turned back to the others, leaving Tracker to wordlessly follow the hunter into the forest.

She offered no explanation. No warning of what might lie ahead. Her sole gesture was to ensure he stayed close and didn’t dawdle.

Only when their camp was out of sight did she signal for him to halt.

He obeyed. He knew the woman well enough to admire her caution, but he couldn’t tell if she was being overly so. She carried no hint of encountering anything dangerous, but concern vibrated through her every movement.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Strangely curt…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

“Nothing wrong, I assure you,” he replied, grinning to round off any edges to his good-natured jab. “Did you find nothing worth trapping?”

Rather than respond with a sarcastic comment of her own, she gestured for him to stand. “I need you to come with me. Now.”

His brows shot up. Not since their first meeting had she been so curt with him. He glanced at Dylan, then the rest of the camp, before getting to his feet. “We will speak of this later, yes?” he asked of the man, a little relieved that he’d a reason not to answer now. Whatever Marin needed him for, it gave him time to mull over the consequences of a spellster knowing how to use a blade without the man standing over him.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Speak of the devil…

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

Not according to Authril. “If you won’t teach me to use a sword, I’ll simply ask Marin how to wield a bow.” He didn’t know how readily available one would be to him compared to a sword, but he had witnessed the damage they did.

The hound tipped his head back and laughed. “If you think there is anything simple about archery, then you underestimate our dear hunter’s prowess.”

***

“What have I done?” Marin’s voice rang out across the clearing.

Tracker twisted on the spot at the sound. He hadn’t expected the hunter to return until the daylight was almost gone.

She stood at the clearing’s edge, not far from them or the trail she’d left their company via earlier. Her face remained oddly grim.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Asking for the forbidden

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

He sighed. If only it was that easy. “But you’re right. We do. I want to fix that. Learn of a way to defend myself in such a situation where magic won’t work.”

“Like against a hound?” There was a humorous quirk to the man’s lips now.

He shook his head. If the other hounds fought anything like Tracker, he had no chance of matching their skill. “They’ll leash me once we reach Wintervale. I won’t be able to use my magic unless given sanction.” And all the vibrancy in the world would once again be diminished. All he could hope for was to be treated better as the last spellster in the army’s possession. “If whatever destroyed the tower reaches the capital—”

Tracker held up his hand. “I understand. Correct me if I am wrong, but spellsters learning to fight without magic is not something the army allows.”

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Magic before all else

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

“I don’t know how to wield a weapon not of my own making. You recommended a sword.” Or was a dagger was better? He recalled the hound mentioning several methods. Did he have time to learn more than one?

That honey-coloured gaze ran over him. Frowning, the hound sheathed his dagger. “I believe I also suggested you would be suited to unarmed combat.” His eyes narrowed. “Why the sudden interest? Blades are messy. Your magic is more precise than any sword could be.”

Dylan rubbed his neck, focusing everywhere but the man’s puzzled face. This was trickier than his mind had made it seem. “In the tower, you said most spellsters use magic before all else.”

Tracker’s nose wrinkled. “I said a lot of things then. Pay them no mind.”

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Blocking out the screams

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

Without looking up, the hound’s actions briefly halted at Dylan’s approach before carrying on.

Dylan cleared his throat. “I want to take you up on your offer to train me. If it’s still on the table,” he quickly amended.

Tracker glanced up from the dagger, his hand unfaltering as he continued to sharpen the blade’s edge. “You already know how to fight. I remember how you handled those bandits.”

Dylan did, too. Even after trying to block out the memories.

The screams as his lightning hit. The death-spasms of their bodies. The charred remains left to rot, reminiscent of the countless dead they hadn’t been able to bury at the army encampment.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: A managable sword

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

Dylan watched that rhythmic sweep, a slow-burning thought coming to life. The man had offered to teach him sword fighting. Although he wasn’t certain if it had been a jest or some strange attempt at flirting. It had been some time back, a few days before Oldmarsh and The Gilded Lily. And their almost kiss.

Strange how it felt like that had happened years ago.

He strode towards the man. His mind hadn’t stopped since last night, flicking through a multitude of other notions, the merits behind each one. Learning to handle a weapon beyond his natural abilities was the only one that made sense to act on. It would take weeks to reach Whitemeadow and several more to Wintervale, plenty of time to familiarise himself with the basics.

He had considered asking Authril, but her stance on him learning had never been positive. Changing her mind would be impossible. He’d likely need to borrow a weapon from the hound anyway as the sword she swung about single-handedly with ease looked less manageable than Tracker’s.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Settling in for the night

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

Marin was off somewhere out in the forest, having checked the strength of her traps whilst on the road. She wouldn’t return until it was close to dark. Even if he had gone with her, he’d no knowledge of how to set a trap, never mind where.

The hedgewitch was busy leafing through the books he’d given her. Just looking at the tomes had his stomach twisting up on itself, he wasn’t certain if he could face reading the pages. Authril sat next to her, getting the fire going and nodding along to whatever Katarina said, her expression one of resigned boredom.

Whereas Tracker…

The hound sat a short distance from the rest, reclining against a tree trunk. He had out one of his many daggers and was busy running a stone along the blade’s edge.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Where to be of use?

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

As the afternoon drew closer to the end, they returned to the forest, seeking a place far enough from the road where they’d be hidden from any traveller. The others busied themselves in pitching tents and building a base for their camp fire. It left little for him to do.

Dylan paced between two trees. His whole being vibrated, demanding he help with something. Anything. Yesterday, he had understood the hound’s insistence that he couldn’t have enough left in him to even light the campfire. He could’ve done the task, fire was easy, but had accepted the time to rest.

He felt even better, now. Not as rested as he should’ve been, but definitely strong enough to aid in setting up camp.

Convincing anyone to let him was a different matter. Where could he be of use when everyone else seemed content in winding down for the evening?

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!

Rainbow Snippets: Rumour to myth

Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week and share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation.

Being a sequel, In Love and Death is set directly after In Pain and Blood. Some snippets will contain spoilers of those events.

Following on from last week’s snippet…

With no nearby civilisation, it could take days, maybe even weeks, for someone to stumble upon the tower ruins. Rumours of how it fell would race across the land, growing wilder with each retelling. How long until speculation turned into fact?

Until everything he’d known became a myth?

They paused at noon only long enough to divide food amongst themselves. The presence of food seemed to mellow the tension, at least as far as everyone but Authril was concerned.

I’ll be back with more from In Love and Death next weekend. In the meantime, check out these other snippets.

If you’re looking for more news of my books, be sure to “Like” my Facebook page and/or join me in my Facebook group!