Arthur reviews a civics lesson in Ch 13/Sc 2a of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting

Pendragon Cove Press logo
c2014 by Natasha Brown.

Today's excerpt from Raging Sea features the first viewpoint scene for Arthur in this book. Normally I would have created a meme to go along with this series of posts, featuring Arthur's totem dragon symbol set against the background of sea spray.

However, since I'm still recovering from my previous computer's untimely death, and since I have other commitments this week, I'm going to "cheat" and show you Arthur's dragon as incorporated into the logo of my imprint, Pendragon Cove Press.

As for the choice to use Arthur's viewpoint in this book when originally I was planning not to use him or Gyan as viewpoint characters at all, I discovered that the needs of the story would be better served if I jumped into Arthur's head a bit here. Since this is still a work-in-progress, his scenes may end up in the recycle bin when all is said and done. I will make that decision after I complete the entire draft.

Meantime, enjoy!

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in Raging Sea: Reckonings

 Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 9: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 1e |
Chapter 10: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b | Sc 3c |
Chapter 11: Sc 1a |  Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 12: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4a | Sc 4b | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 13: Sc 1a | Sc 1b |

Raging Sea Chapter 13, Scene 2a

©2016 by Kim Headlee

All rights reserved.

The Council of Chieftains, the northern Brytoni body that boasted no governing authority per se but which met most often during times of crisis for one or more member clans, possessed no set meeting place. When Ambrosius had held the office of Dux Britanniarum, and clan alliances were as fragile and complex as spiderwebs, the chieftains had agreed to meet at whichever military installation was most convenient for the man requesting the meeting, for the added protection a garrison of neutral soldiers provided. In the early days it could be any garrison, though over time the list of host sites dwindled to the largest installations along the Antonine and Hadrianic walls for convenience of transportation via the centuries-old but well built and maintained Roman roads.

From Arthur’s first meeting of the Council of Chieftains—the debacle four years ago that had nigh degenerated into civil war over who would succeed Uther as Dux Britanniarum—he hated attending them.

Oh, the meetings’ reasons were valid enough: crop failures, plagues upon people or livestock, assassinations, raids—the latter two sometimes even perpetrated by one member clan against another, for covetousness and greed were not confined to the non-Brytoni races competing for land across the Isle of Brydein.

Arthur gave a grateful grin to Bedwyr, who joined him and his three-man escort from an intersecting street as they strode toward the Caerglas praetorium’s audience hall. “Did Bann call this emergency meeting?”

“My father is here,” Bedwyr said, “but no. Lammor is quiet, thank the gods—or as quiet as it ever gets.”

Arthur nodded. This meant Chieftain Bann would officiate, then, rather than being the one presenting the problem. Arthur had all but grown up in Bann’s household, since he and his foster brother Cai had been tutored with Bedwyr as boys, and he knew the man to be a pensive, cautious leader whose devotion to a cause was unyielding and absolute once he decided to join it. In fact Bann had had more to do with Arthur’s election to the Pendragonship than any other man present.

Perhaps this meeting of the Council of Chieftains wouldn’t be so tiresome after all.

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