ladyhwin

Thank you Doug for choosing my story. So.... I will give you a new word list, hope you like it.

cabbage
Ethan
qualm
slay
ardently
elves
rye
devotion
kin
queen

Yes, I know Ethan is a name. And I'm open to different ways of saying the words such as kinsman, kinship... ardent....qualms....elf, elvin, elvish, elfin... etcetera.

Oh and the word count will be an exact 277.
I can't wait to see what everyone will come up with!!!

ladyhwin

Oops, forgot.

Cut-off date will be March 6th and I will pass the torch sometime on the 7th.

Qsilv

Ethan sulked among the cabbages. All elves’ names started with E so by now they were usually pretty extravagant creations, but he was stuck with Ethan. Two syllables. Bo-o-o-o-r-r-r-ing. His mom had apparently had a bad day when he sprouted. She called him Ethan (she said) after an ancestor she’d rather ardently admired. He suspected otherwise. At the ripening age of 217, he was beginning to understand a thing or two. Gossip held new nuances. Suddenly slowed speech, sideways glances, adroitly substituted terms for things... His kinfolk were, of course, particularly respectful, but others were a trifle more casual around him. Especially those his own age. Oh his peers were careful enough, but they didn’t exactly exhibit obeisance. No kowtowing to him like elder generations, with their own ardent devotion to ritual. No awe like that which shone in the deep purple eyes of the ynglings. He nibbled a stalk of still-green rye he’d plucked from a field where he’d landed (yes-yes, a bit accidentally) two jumps before the cabbage patch. His wings were still developing, but hey, his eyes were gaining the metallic sheen of adulthood. The unripe rye tasted tangy, no sweetness in it yet. He tucked it back into his cap, on a jaunty angle. Peered at himself in a dewdrop-mirror. Problem was, it lay on a cabbage leaf (well duh!) so the background wasn’t dark enough to be sure… but… wasn’t that glimmer in his eyes growing more gold than silver? If it was true, if she – as queen – had had an affair… with… a mortal… well, he had no qualm about being slain, he told himself… hey he might even win… but…

Angelia

(277 words with out the title)

Celefin Daegurth

Celefin, kin of Elenwen,
she has her mothers graceful air.

Daegurth, though elf is she,
qualm, thou would feel to meet her.

Celefin, would with devotion harvest something
plain as rye, with many tears in her eye.

Death and shadow is Daegurth's name,
whom would slay any that stand in her way.

"Queen she in fit to be."
says Ethan, king of that elven valley,
who dreams of Celefin.

"She is evil!" his adviser screamed
when he had learned of his king's
ardent love for her.

"Get out! All of you!" Ethan said with rising anger. his head dropped into his hands as the minstrels left. "I love her" he whispered to himself "but if they believe she is evil, the whole kingdom shouldn't know in song."
Dinner. was Daeguth's thought. her eyes shone like fire as she wached her prey. she leaped!
she was on the bear's back in a second, and was dead in another.
with all the meat her horse could carry, they rode home.
Dae, was her horse. a shadow named after her. Dae was fast, but like her rider,
she was tamed wild
Celefin dismouned her black horse, "here mother." she said as she came in the door, she handed the meat to her mother Elenwen. " thank you dear." she said "we will have bear and cabbage for dinner."
a knock came at the door. an old dwarf stumbled in.
"Celefin! come with me! we need your help!" "My help?!" she asked "yes, now let me explain,
there isn't much time!"
only an hour later, Ethan stood at Elenwen's door. he knocked "I wish to see Celefin!"
"Daegurth" came the answer "who Is Celefin, has left.."

mouse

Qsliv-- I loved the story. But, I failed to understand the last line. ( about being slain) Other than that, I was caught up in the tale.

mouse

Angelia,
Another really good story-- these are the kind of tales I like to read. One sentence I had to re read a few times. " she was on the bear's back in a second, and was dead in another" . At first I thought the elf was dead not the bear. But, a good read.

mouse

I've been really busy watching a new grandchild, hope to be able to contribute to this list.

Angelia

Celefin has two names. Celefin and daeguth. does that help at all?

Angelia

sorry, the sentence should have been "She was on the bear in a second, and it was dead in another" I must have missed typing "it"

Qsilv

nod... I guessed that one... and if adding the "it" messes up your word count, an easy fix is to drop the 'and' and use a semi-colon. In fact that often adds punch:

"She was on the bear in a second; it was dead in another."

giraffe

My muse is being very twisted.. 277 w/o title?

ARDENTURE

Ethan really slays me. He is SO funny. He can be talking about rye or cabbage or shoelaces and he makes it into something really funny. Maybe I'm fallin' fer him. And those new false teeth he found? The ones that make him look like a little elf? He laughs about it. He calls them his Ar-dent-ures. That's because he can say Ar easier that the other letters.

Ma says he's no good cause he's kin to the Wheelins, but she don't know his qualms. Ethan's just his own kinda folk and by the way, who made Ma "Queen a the Holler"?

I told Pa that I was wantin Ethan to woo me and he gave me a big whooppin. Worse than any he ever give me. I was cryin in my room when Ethan comes to my window an says "Ar, ar, are you OK?" He made me laugh again.

What is it about some folks who is willin to cross the borders of the hate they are expected of, and them that don't give a rat's ass about none of it? I'm gettin sick a this holler. If I leave, I'll surely miss Ma, but if I stay, I'll get jes like her. Ethan wants me ta go with him. He says there's other folk out there who makes ya feel different.

I want to go with him cause I feel a devotion ta myself. I wanna laugh whenever I want to. An I don't wanna live their pain.

"Come with me now, Arf Arf." (outside my window).

"You know I can't Ethan" (crying)

"You make your life."

"I know."

"I'm a-going. Last chance."

"Goodbye Ethan Ar."

giraffe

How else could you work 'ardent' into this person's vocabulary?

ladyhwin

Very nice, giraffe. I enjoyed it very much!!! And the way of using ardent was awesome, I never would have thought of it.

Angelia: I loved the story Bri! I had never read anything you had written and it was a very nice surprise.

Q: Hahaha, different and refreshing! I read it three times just because I liked it so much!

ladyhwin

My turn!!! I couldn't resist. 277 words and no title.


The beautiful woman strolled through the streets of the town, taking her time before going home. Besides she enjoyed listening to others talk and make fools of themselves while she could smile and raise her eyebrows in amusement.
At last she came to her house, hung up her cloak and entered her rooms. The maid who had been cleaning hurried away without a word.
Alone, the woman stood at the mirror, gazing intently at her reflection; the dark straight hair covering her pointed ears, the deep eyes steady and full of feeling.
Those eyes drifted down to the table and saw a thick letter with her name scrawled across the top. She smiled. Another love letter from Ethan. Just what was needed to end a long day.
Picking up the letter, Lienna seated herself and began to read. As usual, he called her more beautiful than elves – not knowing that she really was – and proclaiming his absolute love and devotion for her – his queen. Then, after saying it would not be long before he should take her to meet his family and kin, he enclosed a dried rye stalk from his farms and concluded.
She smiled with delight. This was by far the best he had ever written, especially when he proclaimed himself her humble and obedient servant. She had no qualms about writing back once more and threatening to slay him if he persisted in his affections. Unbeknownst to the pitiful Ethan, Lienna was already engaged to a tall handsome Fred whom she loved most ardently and she only put up with the “cabbage- minded” letters because she enjoyed the compliments he gave, true or otherwise.

Doug

ladyhwin: WOW! What a word list. I thought mine was hard. How I'll get a "scare" out of this one is beyond me.

Q..I have to re-read that one. I know its deep. My brain isn't processing involved literary prose right now.
"His mom apparently had a bad day whe he sprouted". (what a line!)

giraffe: Well done as usual.

Doug

Ok, here's the first one 277 including title and I'm still "stewing" in my brain how to give marius some therapy with this word list..lol.

The Cabbage Cart

Roaming the city streets Ethan pushes a cart with loads of goodies for sale. Passerby’s dare a crooked glance and spy the display of everything cabbage. A dozen cabbage rolls cooked to near perfection, stewing in a pot with rye marinade fit for a queen. Cabbage soup with okra in a copper cauldron with floating veggies may hit the spot for a hearty lunch.

A gentleman walks up to Ethan and his cabbage cart and inquires about the cabbage and potato stew Ethan is stirring in another pot.

A crowd gathers…Tis not the cabbage lovers who ardently wish to quench their thirst with a cabbage smoothie, but they are cabbage haters who think the foul steaming stench must be set ablaze with a sturdy match and some ethanol. They chase Ethan who is now running with his cart faster than elves packing Santa’s sleigh. Cabbage flying in all directions some hitting the malcontents, but not one stops the pursuers only making them angrier. Ethan throws money in the air hoping to qualm their passion to slay him, but they are quite the devoted bunch raising their fists like hammers and ready to pummel poor Ethan and his cooked cabbage hide.

Ethan’s legs could take no more. He had spent all of his energy and his breath running away. He stopped…stooped down…..and plucked a head of cabbage from his cart. With the very last ounce of energy he could muster, he stuffed the entire cabbage head into his gaping mouth.

The angry mob stopped and startled faces sent panic through the ranks.

Ethan puked spraying in all directions.

Cabbage saved the day!

Qsilv

lol..... Doug that's a hoot... ok ok, twisted as per your predilection, but a twisted hoot!

and btw, mine could ...*could* ...be not all that deep.

One can always dissect things after the fact, and read into them a host of daffy Freudianisms, but I really did write that elvin coming-of-age mystery all in one go, with just the merest tinkering to get the word count right...

Well I admit there was definitely a wink and a nod in your direction when I determined to leave the ending hanging!

But the overall tone, I hoped, was consistent with both fey stuff and adolescent bravado/sulks.

Dragon

Hehehe, who'd have thought cabbage could both incite an angry riot and quell it! (BTW I love cabbage rolls, my mouth is watering just thinking of them)

Nylecoj

I think I have finally got past my writers block. For a while at least, 277 words no title.

"Elves aren't real Ethan!" screamed Roy, "quit daydreaming and help!" Ethan sighed, pushing himself up to a standing position, brushing his blond hair out of his eyes with a deft movement that displayed not even a hint of anger, though it undoubtably welled within him. "cabbage-head!" Roy muttered as the continued stacking sacks of rye in rows along the back of the shed, it was his duty to keep Ethan on track by slaying any of Ethan's stories, or daydreams as fast as they appeared, a talk he devotedly carried out with relish. "Hey! Wake up." he said shoving Ethan towards the truck, it was inevitable that his mind would wander again.
Ethan frowned, he wanted to catch a glimps of the woodland queen walking through the shadowy eaves on the edge of the forest with her white gown flowing out behind her, hair streaming in the wind, eyes glinting in the fiery light of the sun, leaving a trail of splendor wherever she walked like a stream through a dessert.
"Ethan!" Roy was shouting again, for kin, they were no where alike, one ardently in love with fantasy, the other got qualms even thinking of it. Ethan began stacking again, placing sack after sack until the mundane task, the repetitive job began to fade into a realm of danger where he was building a wall against an oncoming storm of orcs that streamed down the mountain screaming with foul voices, black banners waving on the tide.
The last brick was placed even as they reached the valley, then they disappeared, "Come on Ethan, let's go find some lunch" Roy held out his hand.

mouse

Doug-- a different direction for you this time but I did really enjoy it--I am still laughing at the sight of him running and pushing that cart (" They chase Ethan who is now running with his cart faster than elves packing Santa’s sleigh. Cabbage flying in all directions some hitting the malcontents" ) Loved it