RELENTLESS crossed the 51K word mark today. Thats more than 2/3 done. Heres a teaser, fresh off the presses! “Did you play up in trees when you were young?” Leesa asked Rave while keeping her eyes fixed on Ralin, who had just swung himself off the rope and onto a thick branch. He stood upright on the limb, balancing easily while he decided what to try next. Leesa’s leg had never allowed her to climb trees when she was young, so she had no idea how it felt being up there. It sure looked scary from down on the ground, though. Rave gave Leesa’s hand a gentle squeeze. He was pretty sure he knew what was going through her mind. “All the time. Dral, Bain and I were like little monkeys. We were always trying to outdo each other, but we never fell once. Of course, we didn’t have mothers watching us and worrying. Perhaps we would have been a bit more careful if we did.” Leesa smiled. Rave always seemed to know exactly what to say. It was just one of the million or so things she loved about him. “Thank you for that. Does this mean you think Ralin is being extra careful? Because I have to say, it doesn’t really look that way to his mother.” Rave shook his head. “He’s only eighteen months old. I doubt such consideration is part of his makeup yet. Try not to worry too much—we volkaanes are pretty gifted physically, in case you haven’t noticed.” Leesa smiled again. “I have noticed. But if I shouldn’t worry so much, why are YOU watching him like a hawk?” Rave grinned. “I guess because I’m a father. That does seem to put a whole different spin on things.” “I’m glad to hear you admit that. It makes me feel a little less like an old worrywart.” Leesa had no sooner finished her sentence when her breath caught in her throat as Ralin hoisted himself with one hand up onto an even higher branch. “Tell me again, please, how I shouldn’t worry about him up there,” she said. “I will,” Rave replied, “just as soon as he’s got both hands on a branch again.” “Be careful up there,” Leesa called to Ralin. “Yes, Momma. Ralin careful.” What might have seemed careful to Ralin didn’t seem all that cautious to Leesa. The longer she watched him, though, the more relaxed with his antics she became. Even so, she still kept her eyes locked on him the entire time. Finally, Ralin seemed to grow tired of the tree. He grabbed onto the rope with both hands and began to lower himself. Suddenly, his hands glowed bright green. His magic must have manifested itself as heat, because even from her spot sitting on the grass, Leesa heard the thick rope begin to sizzle and burn. A scant second later, the rope split. Leesa screamed as her baby plummeted toward the ground. Rave reacted instantaneously. From a sitting position he leapt forward, moving so quickly he was little more than a blur to Leesa. His volkaane quickness got him beneath Ralin before the child was halfway to the ground. Rave caught him easily and pulled him close to his chest. Leesa barely had time to get to her feet, but she was now hurrying over. Ralin was giggling happily, as if the near disaster had all been part of the game. His hands no longer glowed green. “Magic,” he said to Leesa from over Rave’s shoulder. “Yes, that was magic all right,” she said as Rave handed Ralin to her. She squeezed her son tightly as the adrenaline slowly left her system. She was far more anxious about the whole thing than Ralin was. “Magic can be dangerous,” she told him. “Especially when you can’t control it. Do you understand? Ralin nodded. “Magic dangerous,” he repeated. Leesa had no idea whether he actually understood what she was telling him or if he was merely parroting back her words. “No more climbing,” she said. “Not until you can control your magic.” From the frown on Ralin’s face, Leesa was pretty sure he at least understood the no climbing part. Whether he grasped the concept of controlling his magic was another matter entirely. “No climbing,” he said sadly. “Ralin no go up in tree.” “And no climbing the rope, either. From now on, it’s only for swinging.” Ralin nodded solemnly. “Rope for swinging. Not for climbing. Ralin understand.” Satisfied that Ralin understood his new boundaries—at least until he forgot all about them—Leesa lowered him to the ground. How long they would have to wait before Ralin achieved some control over his magic she had no idea, but it couldn’t come soon enough! (What do you think?)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 18:38:45 +0000
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