Welcome to Tuesday Tales, where you’ll find entertaining excerpts from a group of hard-working writers. I continue here with an adventurous medieval romance featuring a knight. This week’s word prompt is orange. Make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
As the eastern sky lifted to a perse-colored hue, she arrived at the canopy of trees secluding the spring. She shivered a little from the crisp air, and mayhap from the power of this ancient well. What fairy spirit or saint of old blessed it? The folks hereabouts would know, and she would inquire if the chance arose. It glittered with sparkling reflections of the stars not yet swept away and with the pins and coins lying on its bottom. How many pilgrims and questers had lingered here? She took a coin from her pouch and dropped it into the water.
She draped her cloak on a branch and filled the basin with the clear, clean water, setting it on one of the low stones circling the well. After tying back her hair with a ribbon, she used the sliver of castile soap to scrub the ashy markings from her face and then rinsed thoroughly. She patted dry with the cloth. Completing her ablutions, she peered into the well. The stars had disappeared. Orange streaks reflected now, and she could not see her face clearly. It felt a bit tender, but the itching had thankfully eased.
The first birds began their morning litany. She wound her tresses atop her head, using the ribbon to hold them. Her ministrations were unsuccessful, and the hair fell loose to her shoulders. Low voices coming from the camp told her the others were waking. Her hands trembling, she stuffed the ribbon into her tunic. She would rebind her hair back at the wagon. For now the cloak would do fine. She reached for it. A twig cracked nearby, making her jump.
Nicholas came into view, moving fast. Seeing her, he stopped short.
She froze, blinking at the wild look on the knight’s face.
He cleared his throat and his voice sounded husky, as if these were his first words of the morning. “I told you not to venture off alone.”
She indicated the spring. “My face burned from the ash or mayhap the salve. I needed to wash.”
He moved toward her, eyeing the low stone wall. “How did you know of it?”
His nearness made it hard to breathe. “Ada and I found it yestereve.”
He moved closer, searching her face. “Did it help?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
He furrowed fingers into her hair and with the other hand pulled her to him. “You are beautiful. By heaven, Sabina.” His lips touched hers.
I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt orange. Thanks for stopping by. Read the other remarkable excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2021 Flossie Benton Rogers
What a lovely snippet, Flossie. The description are lyrical and the ending a beautiful close to this section.
I’m so glad you like it, Mae– thank you!
Love your descriptions and ahhhhhh, finally! He gives in to his desire to kiss her. Love the bit about the hair, too. You create a lovely setting and they are quite alone. Looking forward to where this is going. How can she resist him? He’s such a hero.
He is pretty irresistable. Thanks, Jean!
Whew! That started as a peaceful scene but heated up quite a bit at the end. So glad they finally got together! Great job!
They probably are, too. Thank you, Tricia!
Great description
Thank you!