Tuesday Tales: Writing Bread

Welcome to Tuesday Tales, a weekly blog featuring diverse authors posting excerpts from their works in progress based on word and picture prompts. I’m pleased you stopped by today. This week’s picture prompt is bread. My snippet is from a medieval romance featuring a knight and his lady. I’m excited to work in my favorite reading genre. Enjoy the other authors at Tuesday Tales.

She jerked awake, her gaze flying to the makeshift bed where Reese lay injured. The day had diminished, and his wound must be changed while there was still light enough to see. She should eat something to keep up her strength, but her stomach lurched at the thought. She pushed aside the stale bread and took a long swallow of rosemary scented water instead.

Soon a wad of bloody bindings lay in a heap, with the final layer of bandage now exposed. She eased her fingertips over Reese’s brow, seeking to smooth the furrows that signaled his discomfort. His skin was flushed but not burning. At least he still slept, albeit fitfully. His continued slumber had worried her at first, but mayhap it was of the healing kind.  She prayed so.

Concern overtook her at the amount of blood that had seeped through the cloth since morning. She had thought searing the wound with a fiery blade would effectively seal it. Pray God she did not have to repeat the harrowing process. Never actually having ventured such a daunting task before, past observations of Goodwife Abney served as instruction. She barely made it through. First, upon seizing the dagger her trembles became so violent that she had to stop for several moments and take herself in hand. She focused on Goodwife’s refrain to “Rise above yourself.”

Then, the way Reese had flung about at the touch of the scorching blade had made the job twice as hard. She spoke soothing words to calm him and continued on. Ordinarily, there would be someone to assist her, sturdy arms to hold him down while she tended his suffering. This time, there was only she, and that she might not do it right was almost more than she could bear. What would she do if her lack of skill doomed Reese?

Resisting all such dire thoughts, she brought her attention back her duties. With great care she attempted to disengage the bandage from the wound. The cloth loosened halfway, but the remainder stubbornly refused. Biting her lip, she was forced to tear it off in one swift motion. Even in his senseless condition, he groaned and heaved to one side. Tears in her eyes, she soothed him again with soft words and promises she hoped came to pass. All the time her inner voice prayed for guidance and surety.

I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the picture prompt bread. Thanks for stopping by. Return to Tuesday Tales.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance

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