Tales of Nightshade: Nightshade (Part Four)

Posted by LediaR on February 20, 2013
Posted in: Creative Writing, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Ledia Runnels, Magic, Magic Book, Novella Excerpt, Witch Hunter. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

Witch's Broom(Photo found at http://tinyurl.com/c9yqwoj)

The next night, as a full moon filled the sky, Brunda gathered several hemp bags full of dried herbs and loaded them onto her broomstick. Deftly, she boarded the narrow perch. Mandrake hopped up beside her. In an instant, they were airborne.

Beyond the forest, a bonfire flashed. Around it a group of black clad folk moved with the frenzied gyrations of wind tossed leaves. Brunda guided her broom toward the shadows that clung to the forest’s edge. She dismounted and walked toward a cauldron where boiled a foul-smelling green mixture. She dropped most of her bundles to the ground and waited to catch the eye of a hag who stood close by. Gerda was busy clapping her hands and tapping her pointed shoes in rhythm to the music. Sparks flew here and there each time her withered hands made contact with one another.

Brunda loudly cleared her throat. Gerda turned an annoyed face in her direction. At sight of Brunda, Gerda’s angry expression became a leering grin. “Brunda, Brunda! You are here.” Gerda cackled gleefully.

“Yes… but I’ll not be staying,” Brunda replied. “Pressing matters draw me elsewhere.”

Gerda’s eyes shifted from side to side. “But Magwa…”

“What about Magwa?” Brunda thundered.

Gerda watched in terror as Brunda’s faded blue eyes became two red disks of flame. Gerda raised her hand to her mouth and bit until a small trickle of blood appeared.

“Well!” Brunda drew closer to Gerda, who seemed to shrink in size with each step backwards.

In a small voice, weak as a mouse, Gerda replied, “She … Magwa has been looking for you all … all night. She’s…” Gerda swallowed loudly, eyes darting in all directions. “Magwa is quite annoyed that you, you were not here. Brunda, no!”

Gerda’s eyes had become two empty discs as Brunda raised her hand within inches of the other’s face. Slowly, Brunda lowered her hand until one bony finger rested upon Gerda’s short, pug nose.

“But I am here,” Brunda’s voice was deliberately gushing. Then it rose several octaves. “No one dictates what I do; not Magwa, not anyone! Do you understand?”

Gerda nodded vigorously.

“Good,” Brunda replied. “That is very good, Gerda. I know you do not relish spending your days as a spotted hog or worse.” Brunda chuckled softly, then pointed toward the bundles.

“These are the herbs everyone requested. Now I shall be going. Tell Magwa that I … stopped by.” Brunda gave a roar of laughter and turned toward her broom and Mandrake. A bolt of lightning flew from her fingertips and the broom raised itself off the ground. Mandrake jumped lickety split onto its handle and the broom drifted over to Brunda. She threw her leg over the handle, climbed aboard and was gone.

(Continued… https://creativemusingsoflediar.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/tales-of-nightshade-nightshade-part-five/)

Related articles

Tales of Nightshade: Nightshade (Part Three)

Posted by LediaR on February 18, 2013
Posted in: Creative Writing, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Ledia Runnels, Magic, Magic Book, Novella Excerpt, Witch. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment

Weeping Willow

(Photo found at http://tinyurl.com/ayaussg)

Hours later… Mandrake lay curled up in his corner by the hearth. He watched as intrigue glistened in Brunda’s dark eyes. They locked upon an entry in her large recipe book, under the title, “Poisonings,” its subject concerning an herbal toxin that was both tasteless and without fragrance.

“Listen to this… ‘Its only distinction is a gray-green color and knobby shape.'” Brunda traced a bony finger across the last words of the recipe: “‘leaves no discernible trace save that once ingested, victim is left quite dead.'”

Carefully, she marked the place before closing the massive book and sat thrumming her fingertips against the tome’s leather cover. “If I chose this spell, there’s still the problem of collecting all the necessary ingredients and figuring out how best to administer them. In all my years, I have never resorted to taking another person’s life, though many of my colleagues had and would do so again with little remorse. I would rather thwart the Earl by other means if other means are found. Still, I’ll keep this spell in reserve.”

Mandrake blinked his eyes. He had grown accustomed to Brunda’s outspoken meandering that sought no answer save a willing pair of ears to listen.

It was the night before All Hallows’ Eve. The auspicious date and the moon’s alignment made it perfect for gathering some of the more elusive herbs available only at this time of year. The old sorceress took her wicker basket and disappeared into the night.

The forest seemed to hold its breath in anticipation as the witch and her cat entered its domain. A weeping willow tree bore its tenuous branches to the earth, pointing toward a mound just beneath its leaves. Here Brunda sank to her knees and began digging until she unearthed a root in the shape of a miniature man. Quickly, she wrapped the sod covered radix in a piece of cloth, bound it with twine and placed it in her basket away from the other herbs so as not to spoil them with the manroot’s noxious bearing.

“We are finished here, Mandrake.” Brunda gathered the cat up onto her shoulder. “Let’s be about our other business.” With her broom tucked beneath her and a swirl of black cape, Brunda was airborne, flying low across the terrain that surrounded her land.

Once she had reached the outer perimeter, she drew a small black pouch from inside her cloak, loosened the satin drawstring and took a pinch of saffron dust between her fingertips. Every few feet she paused to sprinkle the stuff into the atmosphere while chanting incantations. Several hours later, when she had encircled the entire outer rim, Brunda replaced the pouch and flew back to her cottage.

(Continued… https://creativemusingsoflediar.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/tales-of-nightshade-nightshade-part-four/)

Related articles

Tales of Nightshade: Nightshade (Part Two)

Posted by LediaR on February 17, 2013
Posted in: Creative Writing, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Ledia Runnels, Magic, Magic Book, Novel Excerpt, Witch. Tagged: , , , , , . 1 Comment

Black Cat(Photo taken from http://tinyurl.com/cendnw6)

At high moon rise, a cup of grog steamed on the splintered tabletop. Beside it, Brunda gazed passed a massive book of magic that lay opened in front of her. Her eyes fixed on the black nothingness that occupies a mind deep in thought.

“Fie!” she shrieked. “None of these spells will do.” Her fist came down hard against the tabletop. The grog and its cup spun against the wooden floor.

Brunda caught Mandrake up onto her shriveled lap. “Once the deed is done, there must be no clue to draw attention this way. But so far, I have found no methodology that will insure this.”

A sudden rap at her door jerked Brunda’s thoughts awry. A frown creased her withered face. Thin lips tightened grimly as she rose to draw back the latch.

In the golden moonlight stood Magwa, the head witch of the local coven. With a rude gesture, Brunda showed her in. Magwa swept past the other enchantress with a crackle of black linen. Brunda grit her teeth at the hateful sound.

Magwa turned her glacial gaze upon her hostess. “You know, Brunda, I never choose to meddle in your business. But it has come to my attention; all the coven’s request cards for your special herbs are being returned to them, charred to ashes. Can you tell me that not one of our assembly is worthy of receiving your mark of agreement? You know, I am merely concerned that something is … troubling you.”

A cold rod of anger bit through Brunda. You are a busybody from way back, Magwa Witch! She kept her feelings to herself, not from fear of the other’s wrath, but because her business was her own. She said aloud, “It is nothing! I just choose not to be disturbed at this time.”

Magwa’s red eyes narrowed to slits, two flaming orbs that stared sidelong. Grim determination was apparent on her homely face. Her burning curiosity was so blatant that it came as no surprise when Magwa arrogantly chose to challenge Brunda’s power.

“I hear even your own sister received a pile of ashes when she sent out her card.”

An irritated click fell from Brunda’s tongue. “Druzelle has gotten soft living in that village. She spends her time giving out love potions to sad eyed youths and belladonna as a cosmetic to charmless girls. She has forgotten what being a witch is all about. I’ve no time to waste on her!”

“Yes, yes I can see how living too close to Christian folk could prove an undesirable thing.” Magwa reached up to stroke her knotted chin.  “Have you heard about the witch hunts and burnings? It’s not safe to be suspect.”

Brunda guffawed. “Those fools are burning their own kind. Nary a real witch did they catch and put to their ridiculous tests and nary a one will if the witch keeps hers wits!”

Magwa nodded. Her expression was searching, trying to interpret every gesture Brunda made for a clue to what the herb witch was really thinking.

Brunda saw through Magwa like gauze. She clicked her tongue once more in aggravation.

Magwa jerked of her head toward the door. “I’m leaving now, Brunda,” she croaked. “but we shall all see you at the Sabbat, on All Hallows’ Eve.” The head witch’s words were not posed as a question.

The impertinent wretch! Brunda fumed.

A flash of smoke appeared as Magwa turned to go. But an invisible force held her frozen in place.

Brunda’s strident voice cut through. “Don’t forget, Magwa they asked me first to fill the role of head witch and I turned it down.” Brunda’s eyes burned into the other ones. “I shall be at the Sabbat, but only because it suits me.”

The invisible grip released. Magwa found herself sailing pell mell through the opened door. A puff of fowl-smelling, green mist was all that remained of her presence in the herb scented room. A wry grin spread across Brunda’s face as she watched the rank vapors swirl and vanish. With a wave of her hand, she slammed the door shut. She turned toward her table of books and flasks of dried herbs.

(Continued…https://creativemusingsoflediar.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/tales-of-nightshade-nightshade-part-three/)

Related articles

Tales of Nightshade: Nightshade (Part One)

Posted by LediaR on February 16, 2013
Posted in: Creative Writing, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Ledia Runnels, Magic, Magic Book, Nature, Novella Excerpt, Witch. Tagged: . 1 Comment

Deadly Nightshade

(Photo found at http://tinyurl.com/bnrfdnb )

Nothing in life should you fear…

only seek to understand…          

It was the end of summer. A cool autumn breeze drifted past Brunda’s face as she gathered the herbs of the season that grew wild in this meadow. A robin’s musical voice filled the air, but the bone-bent old woman never noticed. In less than three months, it would be All Hallows’ Eve and she had much to do. She turned her eyes toward the western horizon where the sun began to settle. She gazed appreciatively into her wicker basket where bunches of delicate plants, bruised from picking, filled her nostrils with pungent aromas. She nodded her approval before walking the short distance to her cottage.

Her front porch was old and rickety, much like herself. Roses entwined the colonnades. Affixed to the front door was a placard. Brunda shoved a stray strand of silver-tinged black hair from her forehead, then ripped the paper from its nail. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she read it.

“This Property Has Been Seized by the County of Campbell. All Residents are Hereby Ordered to Vacate Within the Next Sixty Days. Signed, Jackson Appleby, The Earl of Campbell”.

“Those Snakes.” Brunda’s voice hissed through the brambles. “This is my land by right! How dare they try to make me leave?”

Brunda crumpled the hateful writ in her claw-like fingers. The paper became a small fireball and was instantly consumed. She threw open the front door and closed herself in the silent house.

Her keen eyes pierced the gloom. Shelves of books and a long work table filled one side of the room. On another wall of shelves, a hint of evening sunlight, trickled through a small window, glistening off rows of glass receptacles. At her feet, the bony tail of Mandrake the cat curled about her ankles. The feline’s yellow eyes flashed upward.

“Did you read this, my kitty?”

The cat leaped onto his mistress’s shoulder. He pur-r-r-red, and rub against Brunda’s neck. He had read the awful news and understood its implications.

“They’ll not get away with it. When I was young and foolish they chased me from my Denhalpith. They threw rocks at my back and screamed all manner of evil names. But their hateful tactics won’t work this time. They’ll find them ineffectual as those of a childhood bully toward the giant Goliath.”

With a deliberate nod, Brunda stroked the cat’s sleek, black fur.

“They won’t win this time, my kitty; not this time.”

(Continued… https://creativemusingsoflediar.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/tales-of-nightshade-nightshade-part-two/)

Related articles

Montgomery County Book Festival–Free Event!

Posted by LediaR on January 10, 2013
Posted in: Book Festival, Creative Writing, Creative Writing Workshops, Workshops. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
Books

Books (Photo credit: henry…)

This is the second year for the festival.

(Taken from the website: )

About the Festival

The festival is currently a one day event , with hopes to become a weekend-long celebration in the future. 

On the day of the festival you can expect to listen and speak with over 40 authors. There will be an opening keynote speaker and a closing keynote, with a special presentation during the lunch hour.  Ten different panels will each repeat twice during three breakout sessions.

There will be a Teen Zone where teens can go to mingle with authors, make crafts and pick up prizes and freebies.

Concessions will be available throughout the day. Pizza will be served during the lunch hour.

A book vendor will be onsite so that you can purchase books by the authors speaking as well as many other choices.

Entertainment will include a DJ as well as an assortment of other cultural experiences.

If you live in the Montgomery County area (that’s in East Central Texas) or plan to visit, come join us!

Here is the website with more information: http://www.montgomerycountybookfestival.com/

BTW, I have been invited as a panelist on, “Reality is Great, But I Wouldn’t Want to Live There”. My books will also be for sale.

Hope to see you there!

If you get a chance, check out my new website and my upcoming fiction writing workshops at http://lediar.wix.com/ledia-runnels

The more, the merrier, I say!

Related articles

WHO IS THE TENGU PRINCE?

Posted by LediaR on January 1, 2013
Posted in: Adventure, Award Winning, Creative Writing, Fantasy, Haiku, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythlogy, Ledia Runnels, Magic, Novel, Shape Shifter, Tengu, Yokai. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

During a time of civil war, Kenshi Sanada is born the son of a powerful warlord. When he is still a child, a rival clan takes his family castle. Helpless to save them, he can only watch as a nightmarish creature murders his father and mother right before his eyes. Barely escaping with his life, Kenshi is spirited away by the king of the tengu. The shape-shifting raven leads him to the hidden retreat of a sect of mystic warriors–mountain priests who practice the magic of Shugendo.

Six years have passed and the time has come for Kenshi to leave the mystic’s protective lair and face his demons in the world beyond. But the fiend that haunts his nightmares is also the one that shattered his life. More than a bad dream, it wants him dead.

In Legends of the Hengeyokai: Tengu Prince, nothing is as it seems. Shape-shifting creatures, both good and evil, populate the magical world of feudal Japan. And a young man could pay the ultimate price for a deadly rival spawned in the mists of time.

This riveting first volume of an epic fantasy adventure will leave you stunned and begging for more.

Find it on AMAZON.COM!

Click here: http://tinyurl.com/bpq6fz8

ALSO!

TWELVE MONTHS OF WRITING WORKSHOPS!

http://lediar.wix.com/ledia-runnels#!news-and-events/c1pz

立石光正

立石光正 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Related articles

2012 in review

Posted by LediaR on December 31, 2012
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 7,400 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 12 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Twelve Months of Writing Workshops

Posted by LediaR on December 16, 2012
Posted in: Creative Writing, Creative Writing Workshops, The Power of Myth, Workshops. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Starting in January 2013, I will offer creative writing workshops one Saturday a month. The elements of fiction are the main topics.

My new website: http://lediar.wix.com/ledia-runnels includes all workshops, time and place as well as novels under Vrint Publishing available on Amazon.com and Kindle. If you live in or near Spring, Texas or plan to visit, come join the fun and learn at the same time.

The first Workshop is:

“In The Beginning: Myths, Legends, Fables, Folklore, and Fairy Tales…”.

Learn creative writing using the structure of ancient storytelling.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Related articles
Posted by LediaR on December 10, 2012
Posted in: The :Life of a Freelance Writer. Leave a comment

LediaR's avatarCreative Musings of Ledia Runnels

The other day, I was at the playground with my almost three-year-old charge, Adam when we heard a cat “meowing“. Or at least, we thought it was a cat. The only problem was that the sound came from a copse of trees that sits near where Adam and his little friends were playing. When I say it came from the trees, I mean the treetops. It was the distinct “meow” that a cat makes, yet it was a repeated syllable like that of a bird call. After a few moments of listening to this amazing sound, I had to conclude that it was in fact avian and not feline that was making the sound.

When I got home, I booted up my laptop and began searching for who the songster could have been. The first thing I did was to look up what I thought was  the most…

View original post 200 more words

Prologue: Moon Magic

Posted by LediaR on November 18, 2012
Posted in: Adventure, Award Winning, Creative Writing, Fantasy, Haiku, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythlogy, Magic, Novel, Novel Excerpt, Self-Publishing, Shape Shifter. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Cool and velvety soft,

she pressed the last of her tiny flowers

into the open palm of his hand.…

–Legend of the Cherry Jewel

A small shrine on the grounds of the temple, w...

A small shrine on the grounds of the temple, with cherry blossoms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Year of the Dog 1503

 

On the summit of Moon Mountain, the last fire-shards of sunlight glistened against the remnants of spring snow. Dusting the ground and the upturned roof of the shelter where Hinata Jintori stepped beneath, into the narrow space.

A frozen wind blew the hem and sleeves of his robe as he broke the skin of ice that covered the stone basin. Scooping the chilled water, he drew his cupped hands toward his lips where he sipped and then rinsed his mouth of impurities. He spat the warmed water onto the ground and then shook loose the freezing droplets from his fingertips. Having completed the purifying ritual, he turned and made his way toward Sakura Jinja, a smallish shelter, enclosed by four walls, that stood a few short steps away.

Into the narrow entryway of the Cherry Shine’s outer sanctum, he crossed. A few steps beyond, he moved into the heart of the holy place. Only the rasping shuffle of his sandals against the wooden floor and the sound of his breathing broke the silence of approaching twilight.

Illuminated by the soft glow from a lantern, a silver platform occupied the direct center of the room. On the platform sat a wooden cutout, carved from the sacred Sakai tree into the shape of five cherry blossoms.

Five tiny bells dangled, one each, from the five petals, “Shards of the Sakura Hooseki”–the “Cherry Jewel.” Multihued lights flickered between the shards, accompanied by a soothing drone–like the whir of hummingbird wings.

From the topmost petal the blue-sapphire bell hovered over the jade-green bell on one side with the ruby-red bell on the opposite petal. In turn, the green bell swayed above its golden sister while the pulsating ruby-red bell bled into the brooding bone-white shard beneath it.

As he entered the room, Jintori lifted an incense burner from its place on the wall and lit the brass bowl that hung from the end of an ornately carved cherry tree branch. Standing beside the silver pedestal, he waved the bowl over the breathing Shards, sending tendrils of scented smoke that filled the room with pungent sweetness.

His warm breath formed a cloud in the frozen air as he chanted, “The Spirit Shard for the renewal of inner Chi.” At his words, the blue shard beamed with an azure glow.

He continued the chant, “The Shaman Shard for physical healing.” The jade bell shone with a verdant light, while the sapphire bell grew dim.

“The Dominion Shard, for power over the enemy.” The light from the jade bell faded as the next bell radiated a bloody aura

“The Death Shard ripped from the land of Yomi.” The ruby bell dimmed while the bone-white bell glowered like a skinless skull.

“The Eternity Shard with the power of life over death.” The glaring light from the white bell dimmed as the golden bell shimmered like a star point…

(Continued…)

Related articles