Sneak Peak

Herb Women

December 20th, 1000

When Mila opened the door candlelight flooded into the dark street. Mistress was talking to herself, mumbling about herbs and theories for medicines. The young queen took a deep breath. If she failed at this there would not longer be a queenship to fight for.

“Mistress Adie?”

Serving Girls

December 7th, 1000

Sasha sighed. She stared at the closed kitchen door as she thumped her heels on the wooden trunk. In the long room that made the girl servants’ dormitory there wasn’t a soul to hear her speak or cry. The tears fell one by one onto her lap.

“Stupid. Why’d I have to go an’ sass Lady?”

She whispered. Another great sigh tore through her skinny chest. From the kitchen she could hear laughter and clanking pans. The other kitchen servants were getting dinner ready. She tried to stop her rumbling stomach from thinking of what it would be. She would be good next time.

Entering the Kingdom

December 3rd, 1000

Mila perched on the edge of her seat. She took a too-deep breath and wished all eyes weren’t turned to her. At table was the ‘council of Mila’ as the folk were calling it. Three women and four men. Each were set over a district of Ponia, an area where the local labi looked up to them.

“Well- I think it’s all in order, is it not?”

Mila asked. Lovage, a brown haired young woman who sat closest to the young queen, shook her head so that her hair bobbles wavered.

“I think there is still more to discuss. We haven’t even touched on laws.”

Mila sighed and leaned back into the chair. Her eyes felt bleary and dry. She gave them one quick rub. The group of eight had been talking and arguing for over a week. Ever since she woke there had been discussion after discussion. It seemed to be never-ending. The girl tried to remember if it took her mother this long to decide simple things or not…

Latest News

Hello Everyone,
Well, Sims 3 has whooped me good. It has become unplayable for reasons unknown. I've tried restarting, clearing the cache, installing mods, uninstalling mods, uninstalling all CC, etc. SO back to Sims 2 I go. I will be re-doing the current book two chapter though so that it all flows better. I'm also going to go through and edit book one, not changing pictures though.

A quick note about the change, the Sims look different. I'm afraid I didn't save the old ones as I thought I was going to Sims 3. So the people DO look different. Sorry about that, I just couldn't seem to get them all back to what they were like. Anywhoo. That's what's been going on over here. Sorry, I was really excited about switching to Sims 3 because it looks so much better but- nope. I'm sick of fooling around with Sims 3 and trying in vain to get it to work.

That's it for now!

Book 2 - Chapter 1- Safe... for Now

November 24th, 1000 A.E

New Kintin

Mila sat up so fast a large cut across her stomach pulled apart. The room was small with a stair leading down and a door leading to the right. The walls were brick that were solid and let no cold drafts through. A window looked out over a sleeping village.
"Ouch,"
 she whispered.
"You have to be careful, go slow. I haven't time to re-stitch every lady in New Kintin."

End of Book One

Whew!
World of Itad: Book One is now finished!

I hope you enjoyed it. I know I switched things up quite a bit during the writing. I enjoyed it though! I am now working on the second book. Soon I will begin posting chapters and information on that. I'm also working on a character database that should help to keep track of everyone I introduce in book two. Hope you guys stick with me and that I will be able to update more than I was able with book one.


~Thanks for reading and book two - chapter 1 will be posted soon as I can~

Anthea

Book 1 - Chapter 19 - Awake or Asleep?

November 7th 1,000




Night lay heavy on the land. Tink sighed, her arms already aching. She clung to Mila's shoulders, trying to keep her from hitting the stone floor. Aza held her legs.
"There's no way this is going to work,"
Dill whispered. He peeked around the sharp corner of the long hall.
"There are three guards ahead of us and who knows how many more to come. We only have two weapons between us all."
 Mari glared at him. In her open palm was a small puddle of water.
"Four."
Wisp crouched beside Tink. The stones felt cold to his unshod feet.
"What are we going to do now? There could be hundreds of soldiers once we get outside, if we get that far."
 She glanced at him. Her eyes full. Lashes wet.
"We have to try,"
 she murmured.

Book 1 - Chapter 18 - The Plan

November 7th 1,000

 Night had fallen over the prison cell an hour earlier. At the same time Mila had been returned from her tenth round of  'questions' as the soldiers called it. Orange sat beside her. In the dim light of the few candles his face  betrayed the feelings. His eyes were turned down, lips pressed together.
"She's real bad off,"
 he said. The others looked down on the them both. Wisp winced. It felt so final, now that it was said aloud. Somehow worse than he thinking it to himself.

Book 1 - Chapter 18 - Captured

1000 November 5th

~Near New Kintin~

 "Come on, I ain't got all day,"
Mila's captor yelled. She hung her head, watching from under her lashes to see how Tink and Wisp fared. Tink walked along as she did, slow without a fight or word. Wisp was flinging his arms out, biting, kicking and trying to run the opposite direction their captors were leading.
"We need some of those flowers in the first hall!"
shouted the blue coated man. Mila bit her lip. The flowers... she had seen them used once in her entire life. That had been when she was small. It was horrible. When the flowers were crushed they let out a sick-sweet scent that caused a man to lose his senses. In a word: insane. It induced insanity. The type of it though also halted all resistance.

Book 1 - Chapter 17 - Scouts

1000 November 5th

~Near New Kintin~

"Here it is! The river. Now if our sources are right there should be a camp around here with the big folk in it,"
Tink said. Mila shrugged her aching shoulders. They had been walking for so long... forever it felt like. Wisp had his sword drawn, just in case. Mila sighed.
"Are we hoping to find it today?"
she asked. Tink chuckled.

Book 1 - Chapter 16 - The Rumors

1000 November 2nd 

~Glittervale~

Mila wriggled in her seat. The candles on the table gluttered an instant then returned strong as ever. She looked from Tink to Los to Wisp. The last being the most annoying and cumbersome. Ever since he had joined the party she had been unable to get a moment alone. Not even to go to the bathroom.

Book 1 - Chapter 15 - Stalker

Year 1000 October 30th 

~Somewhere in Ponia~

Wisp stretched, his legs tingled with chill air blowing hard through his thin cloth pants. The entire world seemed to have been taken over by cold winds. He turned his eyes from the sky to the group below.
They were a scouting company, he had learned, and his goal stood out in the group with her black hair. All the others had either red or light brown locks. The horses followed the group in a meandering way, stooping to eat grass whenever they could. The lady who he followed  hadn't noticed Wisp yet, atop the cliff.

Book 1 - Chapter 14 - The War Goes Onward

~Wisp's Castle~

25th October Year 1000

  The months since the war's start had been toilsome. it was hard to find the food that used to be plentiful. Folk expected one to go out of their ways to ensure servants were happy and comfortable. Most days there was at least one person knocking on the gate begging for food or clothes. It was all so uncomfortable! Lila paused  before the balcony door. It was ridiculous, waiting here for nothing. It was about the same as wanting the enemy to come and attack.

Book 1 - Chapter 13 - Hopeful Trickles

SO sorry for not posting this yesterday. I said I would but I didn't. There is no excuse for that so all I will say is sorry.

October 5, 1000

Los was a head taller than anyone else in the cave. His voice echoed throughout whenever he spoke all could hear him.
"This woman, she is the only one of you lazies that does anything worthwhile! I come and all the work stops. No work, no food. She will be the only one to get food today. The rest of you will get food in the morning if I see some work going on."
 He leaped off the barrel he had been sitting on to stand beside the girl. Jia.
Beside her stood Ami and Lich.
"Am I really a.. a hard worker?"
she asked. Her eyelids fluttered as she twisted a corner of her apron in one hand.
"Of course, I was ashamed of them on my return. You though, you kept on as if this day was like any other."
 Jia smiled. An emotion she couldn't name welled up inside until it couldn't be held inside. It burst out in the form of tears.
"Crying? What's the matter?"
he asked.
Jia shook her head. Los was seeing her cry! Anything but this, anything. She clasped Lich's hand in hers.
"Am I useful?"
she asked. Los grinned then nodded. He patted her on the back making a tsk sound in his throat.
"You're an amazing girl. Not once have you complained about things or refused to work as some do. You're parents would be proud of you."
 Jia glanced up from under her bedewed lashes. Proud. Yes, they would be.
"Thank you,"
she whispered.
Los handed her food wrapped in cloth. She made her way to her part of the cave. Isy sat on a straw bed waiting for her.
"Well, what did he say?"
she whispered to ensure the cave did not echo her words.
"He said my parents would be proud."
 Isy grinned. Her eyes crinkled in the corners.
"I could have told you that. You've been working for God right?"
Jia nodded and pulled Ami into her lap handing her a chunk of bread loaf.
"Yes, that's true."
 Isy leaned back against the cave wall.
"Well? Don't you think God is proud of you too?"
 Jia blushed. Her entire face, even her ears, felt hot.
"Him being proud is so much more... it means more, doesn't it?"
Isy asked.
Jia leaned over and grasped Isy's hand.
"Right. And I will keep on doing things as I have done. It's just nice for a human to notice my work as well."
 Isy shook her head, a frown appearing on her lips.
"God's approval means so much more than human. Isn't it said that if you reap the reward on earth it won't be given again in heave?"
she asked.
Jia nodded.
"We can't be hung up on praise and rewards here, on earth. If you do you're sure to get burned at one time or another."
 She twiddled a loose strand of hair between her index and thumb.
"Now, let's eat! We've had nothing but moldy bread for two days."
 Jia shared her bread. Inward her heart thumped over the reminder Isy had given. She was right, of course, one couldn't live for human praise alone. There was so much more to life and the world. If only she could step outside into the fresh air and blue skies. Then the day would be perfect, a gift from God as it were.
She bit into the bread. It tasted, oh so good! It was fresh, not warm but made that same day.
"I wonder who made all this bread?"
Isy asked. Jia shrugged, mouth full.
"Can you see it? Men standing around the campfires or ovens all discussing just how their wives used to do it and how they can copy it? See them burning it to a crisp before finally, finally, getting it right? All the while Los looks on laughing at their vain attempts."
Jia giggled around her bread. IN her mind she could see it all. The men huddled all trying to piece together how to bake bread.
It was good to laugh. How little she had done it since arriving at the cave! Laughter- nature's medicine to those who are losing heart and hope.

Book 1 - Chapter 12 - Uncertain

ALERT:  I'm experimenting in POVs. I look at this blog as a place to experiment so... this post will be in third person limited Mila POV. If that confuses you, I AM sorry but I'm a fledgling writer and have yet to find out what POV I'm most comfortable with.

23 September 1000

~ Abandoned Building~

  It was the third night since that man had shaken Mila's entire world. Each night since she had sat, wherever she was, and thought. Never did the subject of her anxiety change. Her chest heaved as her heart pounded thinking again on what Wisp had said. Nobody dared disturb the young woman. She fingered her hair, it was growing out again, almost long enough to push into an elegant bun.  In a few weeks it would be possible to look the part of heir. Mila sighed, craning her neck to look higher, up to the stars, through the window.

Book 1 - Chapter 11 - Being Strong

ALERT:  I'm experimenting in POVs. I look at this blog as a place to experiment so... this post will be in third person limited Jia POV. If that confuses you, I AM sorry but I'm a fledgling writer and have yet to find out what POV I'm most comfortable with.

22 September, 1000

~A Cave in the Mountains~

     Sadness flowed and ebbed like the northern oceans. In this safe place a person could feel it even when sleeping. The cave twisted and turned every which way. Holes periodically carved through to the outside world allowed natural light.

Book 1 - Chapter 10 - Fight or Flee

ALERT:  I'm experimenting in POVs. I look at this blog as a place to experiment so... this post will be in third person limited Mila POV. If that confuses you, I AM sorry but I'm a fledgling writer and have yet to find out what POV I'm most comfortable with.

September 21, 1000 - Early Morning

     Ponia had enemies inside it now. The people had lost four areas to the enemy. Mila had been to each place in the aftermath of the fighting. Battles continued to be lost. Something had to happen and soon if the war was to be won. Troops were spread thin across the mountains while those who were trying to overtake Ponia multiplied. Now Mila was scouting again for Tink, if it could be called scouting. It was a boring, no action order. Go in, ensure the place is empty then move out. A dog could do the job. Her breath came out in white puffs her nose was red. No matter how hard she tried Mila couldn't seem to coax the old excited feeling to light. A dog barked far off. 

Book 1 - Letters

ALERT: Whenever I have time I will put in pictures. I want to update this blog a lot more but taking pictures- I just don't have time for all of it. So I've decided to just write the chapters and then take the pictures at a later date. It won't look quite as good, I know, but it's better than no updates! Without further detaining you, the story.

TO: Captain TINK - Scout Team #1
FROM: COMMANDER LOS


DATED:  13 SEP 1000


Tink, how is Mila holding up? I just delivered the last of the cargo to our safe place yesterday. The village was attacked. Our people defended it bravely but I was forced to retreat. Please move on to the sabotage stage of the Grand Plan.


The girl doesn't know the reason we're giving them a safe house so don't worry. She'll find out within the week, though. She's smart even if she doesn't talk like it. I'm going to move everyone farther inland next month just to be on the safe side. When I do this you and your team will be second in command. Tell Mila I'm caring for her people.


Make sure Mila stays safe. Without her there is no way we can continue our mission. Be careful what you say around her. She is a cannon waiting to be lit by any small spark. We must wait until just the right time to light it.


I'll see you as soon as I can. Keep the Grand Plan in mind when doing anything and everything!


Los

Book 1 - Chapter 9 -Goodbyes

September 12, 1000(POV: Jia)

     Tonight everythin's silent, for once. How long it's gonna last is anybody's guess. These days it's never more than two days.

Ma is upstairs, resting. When I last saw her she was a sittin' tryin' to hide her strains.