Gull feels a sudden chill in Ch 14/Sc 2b of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting

Graphic overlay (c) 2016 by Kim Headlee.

Welcome to October on The Maze!


The leaves are starting to turn, there's half a hint of coolness in the air (we've had a hotter than usual summer, so I'm still waiting for the promised break in thermometer antics), and the holiday madness hasn't quite hit full stride.


Ah, autumn. I love it! :)


In today's excerpt from Raging Sea, Gull feels a chill that has nothing whatever to do with the change in seasons.

Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in PERMAFREE 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 | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 2c | Sc 2d | Sc 2e | Sc 2f |
Chapter 14: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 2a |

Raging Sea Chapter 14, Scene 2b

©2016 by Kim Headlee

All rights reserved.

The merchant kicked a wee stone in the direction of the fleeing cat to convince it to keep going, and then started checking his handcart’s contents. Gull stooped to examine the child. A knot had begun to form in just about the same spot as before, if Gull’s memory proved sound, but he seemed otherwise unhurt.

Loholt—Eoghann, Gull corrected himself; he dared not alert anyone that he knew the truth—waited until his “mother” had arrived, panting and gasping and fuming, before throwing back his head and wailing as if tomorrow would never come.

“Hush, now, me little man,” Gull crooned in Breatanaiche. “’Tis nae as bad as all that.”

Eoghann, still sniffling, wiped his face with his tunic sleeve and cocked his head toward Gull, who offered him an encouraging smile.

“Thank’ee, good sir,” the woman said to Gull, looming over them both. “This one’s a hellion, and no mistake.” She gripped Eoghann’s wrist—harder than Gull thought necessary—and wrenched the lad away from him.

Gull stood and laid a hand on the woman’s. “He’s a good lad.” He gave that hand, which was holding the boy’s wrist, a firm squeeze, suppressing his satisfaction when he felt her fingers loosen to what had to be a more comfortable hold for Eoghann. “He just needs a boatload of love, and two boatloads of patience.”

The woman snorted. “And how many children have you raised, then?”

He couldn’t help but smile. “One son.” He nodded at the boy, widening his grin. “Exactly like him in temperament.”

She dipped her head in a parody of respect and stalked toward the street that angled through Port Dhoo-Glass’s inland gates.

Eoghann twisted around to wave at Gull. “Good lad… good sir,” the boy crooned as the widening distance made each word softer than the last.

Gull returned the wave, vowing to help this child even if it was the last thing he would ever do.

A sudden breeze chilled him, and he lowered his arm to chafe it.

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