Welcome to Tuesday Tales, where authors write weekly excerpts based on word or picture prompts. I hope our efforts provide some entertaining moments for you. The prompt this week is cheese. I continue with my Highlander Time Travel romance featuring Torsten and Lana. In this scene Tor and his cousin are heading to the remote hut of the Bone woman, Thula. When you finish reading my snippet, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Tor adjusted his rucksack to keep it from catching on the sea of prickly bushes bunched in the undergrowth. He was tired and thirsty. Earlier he had broken his fast on a handful of the plump berries, but that had been hours ago. He and Lew had waded through miles of thicket and low mucky areas that would suck down a hairy Highland beast. All to reach the Bone Woman’s cottage and ask her to cast the bones for his potential marriage to the widow Magnus. As he had told Lew, it wasn’t that he wanted to wed. He simply saw no other way to achieve a good result for the clan.
Tor wondered if he was doing the right thing in seeking out the strange, solitary creature who lived in the ash wood. So far, he had only told Lew about his idea of marrying.
“Halt!” Lew commanded, thrusting out a burly arm.
From behind, Tor thumped up against the older man. “What’s the matter, cousin? Forget the way to old Thula’s hut?”
“Nay. We have not far to go.” Lew turned around and eyed him well. “Aye, yer clean enough as usual with your madness for baths, but comb yer hair, lad. Yer wayward locks make it appear a squirrel has been foraging.”
Tor threw up his hands. “I have no comb on me. Do ye traipse through wilderness with a comb?”
“Nay, but I know what fingers are for, ye lummox.” Lew proceeded to tame his own unruly red hair, using a splash from his waterskin.
“Humph!” With a grimace, Tor did the same. “I’d have thought old Thula used to rough ways, having lived here all her life.”
Lew cuffed him on the arm. “She is the Bone Woman and due respect. She likes him of good manners, not churls. Be on yer best behavior or she’s like to throw us out straight away.”
Eyeing him, Tor could not stop a laugh.
“What?” Lew patted his hair in a frantic effort to smooth it.
Grinning, Tor plucked a morsel from the red beard and tossed it aside. “A bit of leftover churlish cheese.”
Lew’s cheeks blazed. He glared up at Tor, and then turned and marched on. “Come along, ye great cod head.”
I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt, cheese. Thanks for stopping by. Check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2022 Flossie Benton Rogers
Oh, my! Your line about squirrels foraging had me chuckling!! What a great line and I could envision is exactly — and with the squirrels, too! Haha. Great cod head — another great expression that brought me right into the characters of the men, the story, and the times. You are surely a magician with words! Love your writing. Well done. Oh, almost forgot, “churlish cheese.” Brilliant!!
Hahaha, Lew gives no quarter when it comes to teasing his younger cousin. I like the term “great cod head” and know some of them, don’t you? Thank you!
So much fun humor in this excerpt. The visuals had me laughing.
I’m glad you could “see” it! Thanks, Loretta.
Excellent scene. I could see those two trying to clean up. Love the comment about the squirrels in his hair and the churlish cheese caught in his beard. Looking forward to finding out what the bone lady has to say.
Yes, I think lew was taken a back for a moment! Thanks, Susanne.
Cute. Love it. The picking cheese out of the beard is disgusting but LOL! Jillian
Heh heh, yes it is. Thanks, Jillian.
Excellent job!! I love how you worked the cheese into the scene. Better than perfect!
But my very favorite line was: Yer wayward locks make it appear a squirrel has been foraging.”
Oh, I’m so glad you liked that line about the squirrels. Thank you, Trisha!
Their banter is amazing! I love how they give each other such a hard time. Great job!
They really do– like most guys I expect. Thanks, Tricia.