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https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/bard-dan-watt#review
You can read excerpts from BARD at: https://caedar-writing-artwork.com/books/bard/
A Review of the epic fantasy novel BARD at Reedsy
Fantasy Fiction
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part three Blog twelve)
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part three Blog twelve)
By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris
PART THREE
Master-at-arms ‘Dizzying Blade’ Sadie yawns as she buckles on her rapier and slips throwing knives into each of her boots. Next she clasps a thick silver necklace with a detachable letter opener over her neck. As she clips a corkscrew into her hair she sighs. She feels sorry about almost killing the Navigator but ‘Storm Caller’ should know better. In her pierced ears she puts in jewellery that can easily bend into lock picks. However, if she did accidentally kill—well not kill but maim—maybe just permanently damage ‘Storm Caller’s’ fighting hand, she could have that marvelous rapier her father gave her. She sighs again. ‘Storm Caller’ is her friend, her sister in their common quest to kill Barthadrow. Sadie’s glad she didn’t kill or maim her.
Barthadrow. The foul name that touches everyday of their lives. She was eight, maybe nine when the Queen of Pirates rescued her from the criminal ship both she and Alejandra were imprisoned on. She grimaces at the memory of her drunken father using most of the meager funds made from the small farm they rented in Wales to buy cheap mead. Her mother was another story: strong, fierce, and determined. She made that farm work as best she could. Still there was never enough food so Sadie took to stealing. A mistake when the British Empire decided they wanted to increase the Celtic population in Australia.
As drunk as he got her father was still a skilled swordsman and light infantry. Now that she’s much older she realizes the wounds he took as a soldier in the War of the Spanish Succession led him to his drinking problems. Since she was the only child he and her mother begot, he taught her from a young age how to use a sword—more of a dowel of wood at the time. He also taught her how use a bow, and how to load a rifle. She was too young to actually fire the rifle. It was the Queen of Pirates that made her the weapons expert she is now.
“Mornin,” First Mate Oli,” she calls to ‘One Eye’ who isn’t currently wearing an eyepatch.
“Mornin,” Master-at-arms Sadie ‘One Eye’ shouts back with a tired grin as she stands on the Poop Deck with her hands on two of the wheels spokes.
“Zala,” she says as she climbs up to the fo’c’sle and heads towards the bowsprit where the captain watches the water with a spyglass.
“Mornin’ Master-at-arms,” Zala replies. She looks terribly bored.
“Not much to call out?” she asks.
“Pretty still. Only excitement is watching the Sames trying to keep ahead of the Canibals.”
“Tristan’s ship and the Real Talls are out of sight?”
“Aye sir, heard that’s to be expected.”
“Well, keep alert Zala, our lives depend on it.”
“Looking forward to the glow of the Deep Dwellers sir.” That, Sadie notices, Zala says with some excitement in her voice.
“Comforting glow of colours that is,” Sadie says as she heads over to the Captain.
“Captain,” she says staring off into the clear horizon. She can see the Cannibals hurrying towards the Sames as Zala pointed out. With a glance back she can see Captain Peg legs’ Surprise trying to catch up.
“We’re almost out of gunpowder Master-at-arms,” the Captain says, as she continues to look through the spyglass. “And we need a ranged alternative so ‘Harlot’ Thelma is making string. What we need to do is find a shoreline that has wood we can turn into bows and maybe even crossbows.”
Sadie glances at the size of the deck and the length of the Nagua. “We could also make catapults and ballista. Or try to.”
“Talk to the Ship Builder and Navigator Master Jo Ann and see if between the three of you that’s worth doing but I want the bows made priority.”
“Aye, aye Captain.”
“We need them before we get close to Dread Island,” the Captain says in a whisper that she would have missed if there had been a stronger wind.
With thanks to Joanne Gosling (Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Master Jo Anne): Joanne is an Interior Decorator who specializes in closets: Jgosling@calclosets.com Calclosetsjoanne
Leah Weir (Helmswoman ‘Wheel Turner’ Synthia): model and cover editor
Fire & Steel (medieval rapier): https://fireandsteel.ca/
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part two Blog eleven)
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part two Blog eleven)
By Dan Watt and Taylor Norris
As she and ‘Wheel Turner’ head towards the stern Master Jo Anne grabs a mop from a chest fixed under the main mast.
“I saw her take out three of Barthadrow’s men when we stole the pregnancy ship for the Queen of Pirates,” She hears ‘Wheel Turner’ warn.
“I’m pretty fast myself,” she says patting the pommel of her rapier.
“Aye, but I can see your movements. Take my word. Poke her gently and hop back.”
“You tackle her if she comes at me.” They’re almost to the stern of the boat and she can see the door to the cabin the Master-at-arms sleeps in. ‘Dizzying Blade’ is curled up in a ball with just a powder blue sheet over her egg white night gown.
“Most likely I’ll drag you back and shut the door closed,” ‘Wheel Turner’ says.
She glances back and sees no humour in ‘Wheel Turner’s’ face. She lifts the latch and opens the door. Inside there are no window, just all sorts of weapons latched or tied firmly to the wall. She looks back to make sure ‘Wheel Turner’ is holding the door open for her to escape through.
‘Wheel Turner’ nods at her.
“’Dizzying Blade’,” she calls softly. The Master-at-arms turns onto her back and mumbles. She spreads her feet with her knees slightly ready to dash and pokes the Master-at-arms.
She is almost through the door when a hand grabs the back of her shirt and pulls her to the floor. She hears a gasp of disbelief from ‘Wheel Turner’ as she feels the edge of a knife pressing against her throat.
“The Captain wants to see you,” she gasps as she turns her head and stares with bulging eyes up into the crazy glare in the Master-at-arms’ eyes.
“Oh, that’s okay than,” the Master-at-arms says helping her back onto her feet.
“I’m just going to my cabin now and sleep,” she says dusting herself off before hurrying out the door.
“What does the Captain want me for?” the Master-at-arms asks.
“Don’t know but the ‘Harlot’ is making strings for bows and cross-bows,” she says.
“Warned you,” ‘Wheel Turner’ whispers to her. “Mornin’ Master-at-arms Sadie,” ‘Wheel Turner’ says jovially to ‘Dizzying blade’.
“Mornin’ ‘Wheel Turner’ Synthia,” the Master-at-arm replies.
She walks with ‘Wheel Turner’ to her cabin when she hears a sad song emit up from the hull:
If you didn’t like what was done to you
Why would you do it to another?
Shouldn’t you be protecting others from that fate?
All the people who try to escape what they hate
All the people who embrace what destroyed their childhood
You’re a foul thing Barhadrow
Using others’ hurt to get what you want…
“Janet’s up,” ‘Wheel Turner’ says in a dour tone.
“Aye, and if she keeps that up so will we be,” she says feeling her heart sink at the song’s words. “Good-night ‘Wheel Turner’ Synthia, and thanks for almost saving me life.”
“It was well worth the try,” she hears ‘Wheel Turner’ say with a chuckle. And as ‘Wheel Turner’ walks away she suggests, “Maybe just throw a bucket at her next time so you make through the door.”
As she covers her head with her pillow to block out Janet’s song Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Jo Ann thinks, some of us evolve Barthadrow and we protect those you abuse. Eventually we’ll bring a storm to wash away your monstrous ways.
With thanks to:
Joanne Gosling (Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Master Jo Anne): Joanne is an Interior Decorator who specializes in closets: Jgosling@calclosets.com Calclosetsjoanne
Leah Weir (Helmswoman ‘Wheel Turner’ Synthia): model and cover editor
Fire & Steel (medieval rapier): https://fireandsteel.ca/
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part Two Blog seven)
A Motley Sisterhood of Pirates! (Part Part Two Blog seven)
Part Two
“The sun is down and the two moons visible,” Navigator ‘Storm Caller’ Master Jo Anne sings as she stands at the base of the bowsprit peering into the darkening horizon with a telescope. “Smell the salt in the air to know how close to shore you are.”
Compare the direction of the wind to the movement of the waves
And you’ll know where you’re heading even in thick fog
Learn the stars that are the same but just off from those you remember seeing on lost Earth
Then take another sip of rum and you’ll see dolphin-tails and fish-tails even when there are none.”
She hears the Captain talking to the Ship Builder behind her. The Captain will sleep through the night before taking over her role as navigator in the morning. ‘One Eye’ will take ‘Wheel Turner’s’ position during the day until they get through the deadly shallows of what is secretly called Hidden Cove Strait. She watches the rapid water flowing between the barren island No Life and the cliffs that contain the cove they just left, known as Only Death Lives Here.
She glances back just as Umi climbs up to the fo’c’sle with a dim lantern. Umi will be the caller for the night until they get through the shoals. She has quite the lungs for such a quiet girl. Normally Master Jo Anne only sees her dressed in a white loin cloth; white to ward off sharks or whatever swims below in this world. Right now Umi’s in a mix match of capris, fish boots, and a blanket. What she’s wearing under the blanket Master Jo Anne can’t tell. She sees the Ship Builder nod at the Captain and Umi as walks her way.
The Ship Builder stands beside her with a rolled cloth. “In case you need it,” he says in halting words.
“I’m good,” she replies tapping the coiled hand guard of her rapier. Her gaze stays on his missing finger. “I miss her too,” she says. She looks up and notices his face drawn in. “Look,” she continues as she lifts a small scrying ball attached to a thick silver necklace from her shirt. His expression turns to admonishment. “I didn’t steal it, she gave it to me,” she says hurriedly. “She was teaching me how to use it. When I’m out here alone it helps me to focus. I don’t think it tells me what is about to happen. More it clears my thoughts so I can predict what is up ahead based on what I already see in front of me.”
She notices his lips quiver before he takes in a deep breath and tells her, “I’ll leave you to it then.” She watches him climb down the ladder of the fo’c’sle.
Fallen (from the as yet unpublished 4th book in the Children of the Myth Machine series)
(From “Miya” the as yet unpublished 4th book in the Children of the Myth Machine series)
Fallen
I rebelled against destiny
So Father Sky severed my wings
And I plummeted into Mother Nature
Who chained me to her bosom
In vines dense with iron
But still I rebelled
So they gouged out my eyes
And I can no longer see the future
Now as I wander with these chains around my neck
Listening to the betrayals and laments
I grow tired
Of killing my insides
So you feel safe
I never belonged to you
Nor do I answer to you
Though I answer
And as my destiny nears its end
I will listen
I will encourage and promote
And if necessary
I will judge
Listen with keen ears and remember
If you follow your destiny
You will have the choice to return or not
But if you don’t
You will have no choice but to return
And I won’t be here when you do
- DW
The Art of Creating the Cover for Sylvia
ACHEBE
ACHEBE and her husband were once a part of the CINN, a group made up of Earth’s richest individuals. When Achebe and her husband found out the CINN were involved with using the Children of the Myth Machines to create slaves and gladiators they joined the draoi ársa. Now Achebe is imprisoned on the dead world Sårad Värld. So far she has refused to tell the Cinn where the other Children of Myth Machines are. Or where the mystical reliquia viviente is.
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