Eileann dances with the other virgins in Ch 11/Sc 3a of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting

Overlay graphic (c)2016 by Kim Headlee. In my monthly newsletter The Dawnflier on April 1st, I reported that I had resumed work on Raging Sea—no small feat, since I've been busy with evaluating audiobook productions, conducting book promotions, and so forth. 

Much of last week, while I was on vacation, was devoted to helping my daughter shop for clothing and apartments, in that order. And of course we enjoyed several dinners and chats together.

I did, however, manage to find time to finish chapter 14 of Raging Sea and get well into chapter 15. This is a Very Good Thing, because next week I'll wrap up sharing chapter 11 with you. I'm still not ready to disclose why this book is taking me so long to write, when I'm capable of cranking out a good 80K words in a month, but progress is progress.

I thought about going on hiatus in posting these excerpts for a month, since today's scene is set on May 1st, during the Caledonians' version of the May Day (Belteine, or Beltain / Beltane) festivities. But since 5/1 falls on a Sunday this year, and since my editor is nigh begging me to finish this book so she can get her crack at it, you benefit too. :D

Of course in the ancient Caledonian culture I've developed for my series The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, the annual fertility festival is quite spirited indeed.


Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in Raging Sea: Reckonings  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 9: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 1e |
Chapter 10: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b | Sc 3c |
Chapter 11: Sc 1a |  Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 11, Scene 3a©2016 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Eileann danced with the other virgins around the central Belteine fire, her heart hammering in time with the relentless drum beats, and her falcon-feathered ceremonial robe conspiring with the flames to roast her from the inside out. Each glimpse of her betrothed, his broad oiled chest and torso glimmering in the flickering light and his widening grin aimed only at her, ignited flames of an altogether different sort.

She threw back her head and leaped and spun all the harder.

This was the last time she would ever dance the Ruidhle na Righinnean, and she would give a performance even the gods would remember.

A priest’s blast on the aurochs horn signaled the end of the dance. Eileann halted in front of Iomar of Clan Rioghail. Another year, this might have been considered a surprise; virgins deeming themselves ready to transition to the next phase of life at Belteine were free to choose their mate, who often had no advance warning.

No surprise registered in Iomar’s gaze, of course, only intense desire.

***
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