Tag Archives: fantasy

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  By the way, if anyone has missed previous posts and is curious, just use the calendar in the upper right over there to navigate to them.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be careful not to embarrass you in front of your business friends,” she replied as she opened the door at the top of the stairs and started through it.

Her father grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. “It’s more than just embarrassing me by mentioning it. Some have long memories and might recall some the events around the destruction of the Shenarians, and my part in it, and may piece together some things that are better not associated.”

“Such as?”

“Such as things you’re better off not knowing.” He sighed. “Trust me, Ciana. It’s for your own good even more so than mine.”

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  By the way, if anyone has missed previous posts and is curious, just use the calendar in the upper right over there to navigate to them.

She frowned. “Isn’t there a cult that says the same thing about women?”

“Yes, there is,” her father replied with some annoyance. “But they at least feel that women have a place.”

Ciana snorted. “Yeah. At home, cooking, cleaning, and raising their children. Isn’t there a happy medium somewhere?”

“I didn’t say I agreed with them, just acknowledged that they existed.” He sighed as he opened the back door to the shop and motioned for her to enter and go up the stairs to their home. “Just promise me that you won’t talk about the Cult of Shenaria, not even in passing, not even in jest, and especially not at The Lucky Hammer.”

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  By the way, if anyone has missed previous posts and is curious, just use the calendar in the upper right over there to navigate to them.

Her father frowned. “True. They were outlawed and have been gone for much of your life. Still, the very mention of them, let alone joking about restarting the cult, is dangerous.”

“Why?”

“Because they were outlawed.”

Ciana shook her head impatiently. “Why were they outlawed? And what happened to the followers of Shenara?”

“Killed, most of them. Wiped out. The few that survived scattered, but if they’re found they’ll be put to death as well.”

“Why? What was so dangerous about them?”

He snorted. “They wanted to change the natural order of things. Live independently from men. Thought that anything touched by a man was profane.”

She frowned. “Isn’t there a cult that says the same thing about women?”

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  By the way, if anyone has missed previous posts and is curious, just use the calendar in the upper right over there to navigate to them.

“What in the name of the Cult of Merkan made you bring up the Shenarians?”

They had left the Lucky Hammer and were on their way home when her father burst out with what she knew would be the start of a long tirade.

“I don’t know. You were asking me about why the old woman insisted that I be the one to make the jewelry and since I didn’t have an answer that was the first thing I came up with.” She paused, puzzled. “I don’t know why, though. I haven’t heard about them or even thought of them since I was a little girl.”

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  By the way, if anyone has missed previous posts and is curious, just use the calendar in the upper right over there to navigate to them.

He was still muttering about the Shenarian Cult when she had changed clothes, and continued as they walked to the pub. Ciana fervently hoped that once they got there he’d go off with a bunch of his friends and either vent to them or at least end the evening in a better mood.

The Lucky Hammer was patronized almost entirely by men. Wealthy men. Most of them owned the mines that produced the precious metals that her father used in his work. It was here that he did most of his bargaining and deal-making.

Her grandfather, however, had introduced her to some other merchants, and tomorrow when she went to market she would take a side trip to purchase the materials needed for Emella’s order. And, since those merchants were friends of her grandfather but not overly fond of her father, perhaps she could mention her name and see if they knew of her. 

“Emien!” Someone called out in greeting. “How is the jewelry business?”

“Good enough to buy the house a round of stout,” he replied, nodding to the barkeeper.

“And when are you marrying off that pretty daughter of yours?”

“He’s not,” Ciana replied. “I’m considering restarting the Cult of Shenaria.”

A burst of laughter met her reply and her father had no choice but to join in, although she knew he’d likely be taking her to task for it later.

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  

“An old woman came in this morning while you were out and asked me to make some jewelry for her to gift to her granddaughter. She picked out the designs, gave me some raw gems to work with, and was very clear that I was to do it, not you.”

“And why is that?”

Ciana shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t say exactly. She saw my design doodles and liked them, and insisted that I be the one to do everything with the making of the pieces. Maybe she’s a member of the cult of Shenaria.”

Her father snorted. “There are no more Shenarians. Get that silly nonsense out of your head. Crazy bunch of women who thought that anything touched by a man was profane.”

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  

The rest of the day held a steady influx of customers and vendors, and Ciana gave a heartfelt sigh of relief when her father locked the door after the last of them had gone.

“A good day today,” he said with a satisfied smile. “Go and change your clothes and we’ll go to The Lucky Hammer for dinner.”

Ciana nodded and handed her father the cash box from below the counter, slipping the pouch into a pocket of her skirt as she did so. She didn’t particularly care for that pub, but it was one of her father’s favorite places, and she was too tired and hungry to cook.

“What’s that?” he asked, his sharp eyes noticing the pouch.

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  Picking up from last week’s snippet. 

He smiled. “For not being a member of the upper circles, you have a good grasp of the mindset.”

“My father has made sure that I am well-versed in the lineages of nobles and the doings of Councilmen.” She smiled and picked up a ledger. “I believe that the piece he made for Lady Marsil was a bracelet and matching ring?” She ran a finger down the entries, looking for it. “Or was it something else that caught her eye?”

Before he could answer the door opened and Ciana’s father entered.

“Councilman Elross! A pleasure! Is there something I can help you with?”

“I was just telling your daughter that my wife is quite taken with a piece you made for Lady Marsil, so I was hoping to commission something similar.”

“The ring and bracelet set?”

“Yes, but I think a necklace instead of the bracelet.”

The two men fell into a discussion and Ciana reached for the pouch to slip it into her skirt, but before she could excuse herself her father was asking her to fetch stones for the Councilman to examine and she reluctantly slid the pouch back onto the shelf beneath the counter.

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Picking up from last week’s post from a fantasy WiP tentatively titled Wild Worker.  Picking up from last week’s snippet. 

She picked up the pouch with the gems, coins, and sketches, chewing her bottom lip. She would have to put them where her father wouldn’t come across them.

Before she could decide what to do with them the door opened, and she froze momentarily until she realized that the man entering was not her father. Picking up the pouch she tucked it onto a shelf below the counter and turned to greet the customer with a smile.

“Councilman Elross. How may I help you today?”

“Is your father here?”

“I’m sorry, but he is out delivering a piece of jewelry. I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Is there something I can help you with?”

He sighed. “My wife has become quite enamored with a piece he made for Lady Marsil. I was hoping to find something…”

“Similar, but different, and even more eye-catching, but not outrageously ostentatious?”

He smiled. “For not being a member of the upper circles, you have a good grasp of the mindset.”

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