Re: A Brand Plucked Out of the Burning [1b/?]
anonymous
March 20 2011, 15:45:27 UTC
America had not been in Boston to greet him, which was not entirely unexpected. After all, he had no reason to assume that England would make the crossing in winter, when the North Atlantic was treacherous enough to give even a seasoned sailor pause. But England's ship had arrived without incident, and he had taken only a few days to settle his most pressing affairs in Boston before he found a fresh horse and headed north, following the instinct that all nations had when seeking out the presence of one of their own.
(Oh, if only it had been south. Virginia would be far more pleasant at this time of year, and even the cluster of settlements and trading posts he'd finally managed to wrest from the Netherlands would be ever-so-slightly warmer than the Bay Colony. But north it was, and north he went.)
He hoped that he would not have to travel much farther inland. Before he had departed the last time (barely thirty years before? it felt a hundred lifetimes to him), he had warned the young colony to stay well within reach of settled lands and not to fraternise with the savage tribes that lurked in the forest depths, beyond the guiding hand of civilisation. How well America had obeyed his injunction was anyone's guess, but he would know soon enough.
Thin trails of smoke rising against the slate-grey horizon hinted at the nearness of a village, a little larger than most of the hamlets he had seen since leaving Boston. England gathered up the reins and gave his horse a bit of leg, easing it out of its working trot and into a gentle canter. Once he reached the village, he would take a few moments to reorient himself and regain the lay of the land, and perhaps find someone who would take his coin in exchange for a hot drink. He might even be able to enquire after America, albeit discreetly.
It wasn't until he came within sight of the village's meeting house that he felt the first stirrings -- a faint, skin-crawling sensation that made him shift uneasily in his seat -- that all was not well in this place.
OP loves you!
anonymous
March 21 2011, 00:49:38 UTC
I'm shaking in my seat right now in anticipation. Awesome start! And the fact that America looks nine or ten years old in this is making my eyes itch already.
So yeah. Totally stalking this fill. Thank you so much!
Re: A Brand Plucked Out of the Burning [1b/?]
anonymous
March 21 2011, 02:52:41 UTC
Wonderful start, anon. The subject is definitely challenging and the warning you made me excited as it's clear you are taking this seriously, which makes me happy. I'll be stalking this fill.
(Oh, if only it had been south. Virginia would be far more pleasant at this time of year, and even the cluster of settlements and trading posts he'd finally managed to wrest from the Netherlands would be ever-so-slightly warmer than the Bay Colony. But north it was, and north he went.)
He hoped that he would not have to travel much farther inland. Before he had departed the last time (barely thirty years before? it felt a hundred lifetimes to him), he had warned the young colony to stay well within reach of settled lands and not to fraternise with the savage tribes that lurked in the forest depths, beyond the guiding hand of civilisation. How well America had obeyed his injunction was anyone's guess, but he would know soon enough.
Thin trails of smoke rising against the slate-grey horizon hinted at the nearness of a village, a little larger than most of the hamlets he had seen since leaving Boston. England gathered up the reins and gave his horse a bit of leg, easing it out of its working trot and into a gentle canter. Once he reached the village, he would take a few moments to reorient himself and regain the lay of the land, and perhaps find someone who would take his coin in exchange for a hot drink. He might even be able to enquire after America, albeit discreetly.
It wasn't until he came within sight of the village's meeting house that he felt the first stirrings -- a faint, skin-crawling sensation that made him shift uneasily in his seat -- that all was not well in this place.
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So yeah. Totally stalking this fill. Thank you so much!
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