The poll for the next short story is finished so I will begin working on a new short story for Bree & Rowan, as children. I will leave the poll up for a few more days so you can vote for your second favorite choice, and if I find time, I will write up a story for the 2nd place choice, as well. In the meantime, here is a quick short story from Reeve and Gabby's first few days in Everealm, before the tournament!
Gabby Gets Her Way
“I want to come
and watch you compete,” Gabby said. “I want to see you knock the other men on
their asses! Come on, Reeve. Please?”
“Gabrielle, we’ve
discussed your choice of using swear words. It is very unbecoming of a lady.”
“I don’t see a
lady here.”
“You may not, now. But one day you will meet a boy
that you want to impress, someday marry, and you will find that your bad habits
are hard to break.”
“If a boy wants to
marry me, he will have to like everything about me,” she said. “And that
includes my choice of using swear words. Besides, Mother used them, all of the
time.”
“And our mother
died alone, Gabby. With no husband,” Reeve said, picking up his sword and
shield. “Do you want to end up like she did? A gypsy woman, living on her own
with two children?”
Their mother’s
parents had been true gypsies, traveling from one place to another, staying
just long enough to drain the people they met of their money and jewels before
moving on to the next village and a new scam.
Reeve and Gabby’s
mother, Giselle, had been raised to follow the same tradition. Marry young, to
another gypsy, and follow a similar path in life as her parents. Those same
parents who were killed when they tried to con the wrong man.
But life had
turned out a bit different for the daughter of the gypsies. The boy she was
supposed to marry had died from disease. Then an unexpected pregnancy left
Giselle without even a prospect for a husband and after the death of her
parents, she found herself alone, with a small child. And even though she was
able to pull herself together well enough to provide at least an occasional
meal for Reeve, Giselle hadn’t been a very good mother to him.
On more than one
occasion, she left him alone for days at a time to run off with a man, mostly
complete strangers to her. At times, Reeve was forced to eat scraps that the
neighboring farmers set out for their animals each morning.
Once Reeve was old
enough to work, he found jobs in whatever town they were staying near, in order
to take care of his mother and himself. And between working and tending the few
animals they could afford to keep, he taught himself to write and read. He
thought that if he were able to provide for his mother, she wouldn’t feel the
need to run off with strange men for money. It worked, mostly. She began to
build a home for the two of them, the best she knew how. Though, she did leave
for a week when Reeve was twelve. Giselle returned, as usual, but discovered
later that she was pregnant. Gabrielle was born two days after Reeve’s thirteenth
birthday.
Holding his tiny
sister in his arms, Reeve swore that he wouldn’t allow her to face the same
childhood that he had been forced to endure. He made it his mission in life to
care for her. If not for Reeve’s persistence that Gabby get an education, she
might not have ever learned to read.
It was that same
wish to educate Gabby and provide better for her that influenced Reeve to enter
the tournament. He found out about the tournament on their first day in the
village. The innkeeper saw Reeve’s helmet and assumed he was a squire,
competing for the title of Knight of Junacave.
The prize money,
alone, would be enough to pay for tutors and new gowns for his sister. Even
though Gabby liked to hunt and spar (she was quite good with a small sword),
she still got sparkles in her eyes when she saw pretty gowns, like most
thirteen year old girls, he assumed. And while entering the tournament was not
his actual reason for coming to Junacave, he had to admit that the idea of
competing excited him. And his sister seemed to be just as anxious as he was.
“So… can I go? To
the tournament?” she asked. “I will stay in the front, I promise. And I won’t
talk to anyone I don’t know, which is everyone, since we’ve only been here for
six days.”
“I don’t know,
Gabby. I would feel better if you stay here, where I know you will be safe.”
“You don’t really
know I will be safe here, though. Do you? The man downstairs could be one of
those insane men who like to rummage through people’s trunks and wear their
clothing.”
“Your imagination
is terrifying. But you’re right. I don’t know the innkeeper very well, though,
I doubt he is an insane man who wants to wear your nightgowns.” Reeve gave her
a blank look, then sighed. “Yes, you can come. I will probably be eliminated in
the first few days, anyway…”
Gabby smiled. She
knew she could win him over, eventually. When it came to her, Reeve was soft.
But when it came to the tournament, he would be fierce and she knew it. That’s
why she had to be there. He wouldn’t have a single person in the crowd to cheer
for him, unless she was there. He wasn’t from this place, after all.
“I’ll get my
cloak,” she said, and hopped down from the wooden stool that she had been
sitting on.
Reeve was glad he
didn’t have to face his sister in the tournament because he would certainly
lose. He shook his head and muttered, “Every time. She wins, every time.”
