a story
Pistachio #8. Storytelling with a Cherry
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1266
Cherry for narrative through dialogue.
Lyssa smoothed the heavy quilt over the chest of the bed’s tiny occupant, who watched her with wide, blue eyes. A smile spread across the girl’s round face. “Tell me a story.”
“And what sort of story would you like to hear?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
“One about the Blue Knight,” was Mara’s request, as usual.
Though she shook her head and sighed, Lyssa smiled. “Always the Blue Knight.”
“She’s my favorite!”
“I can tell,” said Lyssa. “Hmm. What about her sister, the Red Knight?”
Mara’s eyes grew wider still. “Like you, Momma?” Lyssa nodded. “Did she fight demons too?”
“Of course. And monsters.”
“Monsters? I want to hear about the monsters!”
“Well,” said Lyssa, settling into the mattress and peering out the window as she searched her memory for a suitable tale. “There was one time, when the knights were traveling through the mountains on their way to the Empire.”
There was a gasp. “What were they going to the Empire for?”
“That,” said Lyssa, “is a whole other story.”
“But-”
“We were talking about monsters tonight, were we not?” Mara clamped her jaw shut and gave a rapid bob of her head. “Now then, It’s a long trek through the mountains, even along the most traveled passes, so the knights had to set up camp on their way.
“The Red Knight offered to get wood for the fire, and she wandered a long way before she found enough. She was just about ready to go back when she heard a scuffling and dust rained down on her from the ledge above. She turned around, and there on the ledge, staring at her with its beady little eyes, over its massive, wicked beak, was a roc.”
Lyssa found herself wondering just how wide those eyes could get. “What did she do?”
“She dropped the wood and ran for cover as fast as she could.”
That won her a sour expression from the girl. “I bet the Blue Knight wouldn’t have done that.”
“Oh, I’m sure she would,” said Lyssa. “Rocs are scary.”
Mara mulled this over for a moment before she asked, “Did it chase her?”
Her tone was so hopeful that Lyssa had to laugh. “Wouldn’t be much of a story if it didn’t, now would it?
“She dropped her firewood and took off. There weren’t terribly many trees around, so boulders would have to do. She could hear the thing flapping its wings just as soon as she started running. And she found just enough time to dive behind some rocks and draw her sword before that bird came swooping down on her.
“The Red Knight crouched low with her sword pointed overhead and, when the roc swung at her, its claws hit stone and steel. The scream that bird made was like nothing you’ve ever heard, and being cut only made it angrier.
“It flapped its wings so hard it sent dust and stones rattling down the mountainside, lifting itself back into the air to take another swoop. The Red Knight readied herself and her sword for the next attack. With talons that were already bloody, the roc knocked her weapon aside and clawed at the knight. It tore her shoulder and threw her to the ground.
“The Red Knight crawled behind the boulder. She was hurt and she was bleeding and the roc was bearing down on her again. There was only one thing left to do.”
She was quite convinced Mara’s eyes were now stretched to their limits as the girl whispered, “What, Momma?”
“Magic,” she said, waiting a moment to let that sink in.
Small fingers kneaded the quilt as her voice rose in excitement. “The Red Knight had magic?”
Lyssa put a hand on her hip and frowned at her daughter. “What? Only the Blue Knight can have magic? Of course the Red Knight had magic.”
“So what did she do?”
“She huddled behind that boulder and drew on her powers just as fast as she could. She poured her energy into her sword until it glowed like it had just been pulled from the forge. And then she got up and charged at that roc that was swooping down on her.
“The thing never knew what hit it. The sword singed its feathers and bloodied its hide. If there’s one thing rocs don’t like, it’s fire. The Red Knight learned that quickly, as one more swing of her burning blade was enough to send the thing flying away in terror.”
“She didn’t kill it?”
Lyssa shook her head. “She was lucky she scared it away. Magic or no, the thing was more than twice her size, and those claws are sharp. Always better to hide or to scare a roc away than think you can take it on. You remember that if you ever see one.”
Mara laughed. “Where would I see a roc?”
“You never know.” She gave the quilt another pat.
“Momma,” Mara said, as Lyssa pushed herself to her feet.
“Hmm?” she answered, bending to plant a kiss on the girl’s forehead.
“Did she get the firewood back to the camp then?”
“Of course.”
“And her arm?”
Lyssa grinned. “Hardly a concern for the Red Knight. She’d suffered much worse before.”
“So did they get to the Empire then?” Mara continued, as Lyssa reached for the lamp.
“They did.”
“And?”
Lyssa shook her head and snuffed out the light. “As I said, another story.” There was a sigh from the bed. “Goodnight, Mara.”
“Night, Momma. Tell me about it tomorrow?”
“Perhaps,” said Lyssa. “Now, get some sleep.”
She descended the stairs and slipped into the kitchen, where Ski was mopping the floor. Her sister glanced up from her work and sadly shook her head.
“I do not know how you do it,” Ski said, as Lyssa took up her usual position against the counter.
“What?”
“You make legend of even your worst blunders,” Ski answered, her attention focused back on the floor.
Lyssa laughed. “Quite a talent, huh?”
Ski just shook her head.
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1266
Cherry for narrative through dialogue.
Lyssa smoothed the heavy quilt over the chest of the bed’s tiny occupant, who watched her with wide, blue eyes. A smile spread across the girl’s round face. “Tell me a story.”
“And what sort of story would you like to hear?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
“One about the Blue Knight,” was Mara’s request, as usual.
Though she shook her head and sighed, Lyssa smiled. “Always the Blue Knight.”
“She’s my favorite!”
“I can tell,” said Lyssa. “Hmm. What about her sister, the Red Knight?”
Mara’s eyes grew wider still. “Like you, Momma?” Lyssa nodded. “Did she fight demons too?”
“Of course. And monsters.”
“Monsters? I want to hear about the monsters!”
“Well,” said Lyssa, settling into the mattress and peering out the window as she searched her memory for a suitable tale. “There was one time, when the knights were traveling through the mountains on their way to the Empire.”
There was a gasp. “What were they going to the Empire for?”
“That,” said Lyssa, “is a whole other story.”
“But-”
“We were talking about monsters tonight, were we not?” Mara clamped her jaw shut and gave a rapid bob of her head. “Now then, It’s a long trek through the mountains, even along the most traveled passes, so the knights had to set up camp on their way.
“The Red Knight offered to get wood for the fire, and she wandered a long way before she found enough. She was just about ready to go back when she heard a scuffling and dust rained down on her from the ledge above. She turned around, and there on the ledge, staring at her with its beady little eyes, over its massive, wicked beak, was a roc.”
Lyssa found herself wondering just how wide those eyes could get. “What did she do?”
“She dropped the wood and ran for cover as fast as she could.”
That won her a sour expression from the girl. “I bet the Blue Knight wouldn’t have done that.”
“Oh, I’m sure she would,” said Lyssa. “Rocs are scary.”
Mara mulled this over for a moment before she asked, “Did it chase her?”
Her tone was so hopeful that Lyssa had to laugh. “Wouldn’t be much of a story if it didn’t, now would it?
“She dropped her firewood and took off. There weren’t terribly many trees around, so boulders would have to do. She could hear the thing flapping its wings just as soon as she started running. And she found just enough time to dive behind some rocks and draw her sword before that bird came swooping down on her.
“The Red Knight crouched low with her sword pointed overhead and, when the roc swung at her, its claws hit stone and steel. The scream that bird made was like nothing you’ve ever heard, and being cut only made it angrier.
“It flapped its wings so hard it sent dust and stones rattling down the mountainside, lifting itself back into the air to take another swoop. The Red Knight readied herself and her sword for the next attack. With talons that were already bloody, the roc knocked her weapon aside and clawed at the knight. It tore her shoulder and threw her to the ground.
“The Red Knight crawled behind the boulder. She was hurt and she was bleeding and the roc was bearing down on her again. There was only one thing left to do.”
She was quite convinced Mara’s eyes were now stretched to their limits as the girl whispered, “What, Momma?”
“Magic,” she said, waiting a moment to let that sink in.
Small fingers kneaded the quilt as her voice rose in excitement. “The Red Knight had magic?”
Lyssa put a hand on her hip and frowned at her daughter. “What? Only the Blue Knight can have magic? Of course the Red Knight had magic.”
“So what did she do?”
“She huddled behind that boulder and drew on her powers just as fast as she could. She poured her energy into her sword until it glowed like it had just been pulled from the forge. And then she got up and charged at that roc that was swooping down on her.
“The thing never knew what hit it. The sword singed its feathers and bloodied its hide. If there’s one thing rocs don’t like, it’s fire. The Red Knight learned that quickly, as one more swing of her burning blade was enough to send the thing flying away in terror.”
“She didn’t kill it?”
Lyssa shook her head. “She was lucky she scared it away. Magic or no, the thing was more than twice her size, and those claws are sharp. Always better to hide or to scare a roc away than think you can take it on. You remember that if you ever see one.”
Mara laughed. “Where would I see a roc?”
“You never know.” She gave the quilt another pat.
“Momma,” Mara said, as Lyssa pushed herself to her feet.
“Hmm?” she answered, bending to plant a kiss on the girl’s forehead.
“Did she get the firewood back to the camp then?”
“Of course.”
“And her arm?”
Lyssa grinned. “Hardly a concern for the Red Knight. She’d suffered much worse before.”
“So did they get to the Empire then?” Mara continued, as Lyssa reached for the lamp.
“They did.”
“And?”
Lyssa shook her head and snuffed out the light. “As I said, another story.” There was a sigh from the bed. “Goodnight, Mara.”
“Night, Momma. Tell me about it tomorrow?”
“Perhaps,” said Lyssa. “Now, get some sleep.”
She descended the stairs and slipped into the kitchen, where Ski was mopping the floor. Her sister glanced up from her work and sadly shook her head.
“I do not know how you do it,” Ski said, as Lyssa took up her usual position against the counter.
“What?”
“You make legend of even your worst blunders,” Ski answered, her attention focused back on the floor.
Lyssa laughed. “Quite a talent, huh?”
Ski just shook her head.