14,023 -- 210,575 NaNo words

That's my desk at the end of NaNo.

There. I'm done with NaNo for the year. Not a bad count, by the end. There were more times this year that I thought just to give up on it than I've ever have before. But I finished four stories -- Reflections, Storm, Working for the Guild and Gift. The last came in short, but since I'm well over the minimum 50k to win, I don't think it will matter much at all. I'm glad to have a working draft done, at least.

I was depressed when I got done and Russ wasn't here to celebrate with. He's always been great about doing stuff like that, and making me think it was important. He's only been gone a week. It's going to be a very long year.

And it looks like we're going to have a nasty storm tomorrow -- rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow. I am just so looking forward to this, and having to shovel snow for two houses. Russ always did it before. I'm sure I didn't appreciate it nearly enough.

Now I have to go do a bunch of stuff for FM and get things ready for December. Then, I think, I'm going to play with DAZ Studio for a while. And start work on the new newsletter, since I need to get to that pretty soon, too.

So. . . . Still busy. Time to get to work, I guess.


Last snippet -- from Gifts:

Keshrin silenced him with a shake of his head, and then bent to lift the hilt of the sword that still lay on the stone road at their feet. "Peri, what is this?"

"A sword."

"What kind of sword? Why did Civilis use it against you?"

"Because it is a Holy Sword," Peri said and tried not to look at the broken blade and the little bit of blood there.

"It is a broken Holy Sword. Why did it break?"

"Pardon?"

Keshrin picked up the other piece and held it as well. Peri looked down at it confused. He wasn't up to playing these kinds of word games right now.

"Peri," Keshrin said looking into his face again. "Who broke the sword? You?"

"No!"

"No," Keshrin agreed. He looked into Peri's face. "I believe it was the work of the gods, Perseus. I believe it no less than anyone else here. And if the gods stand by you, how can I not?"

Peri looked at him, blinking several times. Miracle. He had not really put the entire scene together in his mind. Gods, this was going to take some getting used to.

"I cannot -- this can't be --"

"We'll stay with you," Tomas said and grinned. "Have faith, mage."

Perseus groaned at the joke, and Quintus looked as though he was quite appalled to find them jesting over what had happened.

"Will there be any more trouble from Civilis?" Stephan asked, looking in the direction the man had fled.

"No," Quintus said. He shrugged. "I ordered him into protective custody and escorted back to Kolti as quickly as possible. After all, he was in serious danger from the crowd that had witnessed this miracle."

Peri winced at the word. He feared he would have to get used to it.

"I don’t know what will happen when he gets back to the capital," Quintus said. "My men will get there first, but that still doesn't mean anything good. I am yours, at least for now, King Keshrin. I suggest we move quickly against the Tasali."

Keshrin nodded, relief spreading all through the group. "Come with us, if you would. There is a place we can go to talk. It's a long walk, but one I think important -- I want the people to see we are allies, General Quintus."

"I would be honored," he said.

9599 (4264 Gift, 5353 Guild, 196,552 total)

Only one day left. I think I'll make the 200k at least. That is if I can wake up tomorrow and get to work. Or maybe I should just stay up tonight. No. I'm tired.

Sleep. Sleep is good. I can do another few thousand words tomorrow and make my goal. And then what will I do?

I have some other things to get caught up on. And I would like to play with the DAZ studio stuff again. I have an idea I'd like to try, but I haven't had time to do more than think about it.

Okay, tonight's scene is toward the end of Working for the Guild -- which did cross 50k today. I might add a little more to the opening. I had ideas. Or I might not. It depends on how the writing goes tomorrow and if I get fired up for it. I often do on the last day!

Snippet:

He hadn't been called to see Commander Vaddon in several months. That suited them both, he realized. They were not comfortable with one another -- not even in the distant sort of way they had been before. The few times he had come to this office, he always remembered his old battle with Starlin. How petty that seemed now.

No one bothered him anymore.

The woman at the desk merely nodded and he went into the office. Vaddon looked up from his desk -- and for a moment he had one of those uncomfortable flashbacks where it was Claudian who looked up. He grimaced and knew that Commander Vaddon had caught it. He looked uncomfortable, too.

"Sit down."

He gave a quick bow of his head and did so, watching as Commander Vaddon sat back in his chair. He frowned and then nodded as though he had come to some decision.

"The IWC are starting a task force to work on the mercenary problem," he said. "They want to work with the Guild. You are the one who will be working with them."

"Me?" he said, surprised -- truly surprised -- that Vaddon would trust him that much.

"Yes, you. You cannot stay here -- you spread your attitude like a disease, Zerod. I'm sorry, because you were a good assassin, but I cannot in good conscious send you out on an assignment that requires that kind of finesse and judgment. And you cannot stay here. You have lost your controls."

"No," he said, looking up into the man's face. "I lost my trust."

They were words Vaddon had not expected, but he knew the truth of it and he seemed to take it like a blow. Had that part not occurred to him? Maybe the problem was that Assassins closed themselves off so much from others emotions and controlled their own so well, that they no longer could make reasonable judgments on why a person might act the way he did."

"Pack your belongings. Take all your chits on the research you've done. You'll still have access to the computers, for whatever good they can do you. I think you've realized by now that these people have left no visible trails."

"Yes sir."

"There is an IWC ship at the station now, waiting for our representative. They will not leave without one. I will not allow them to come to the Guild House. I do not want to test how much they will take my answer of no. I don't want the IWC here. So be quick."

It was, he thought, as close to a joke as Commander Vaddon was going to make. He almost smiled and saw the corner of Commander Vaddon's lips almost curl up.

He stood, one hand on the chair to help him -- he still had problems, after all. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "It's the best we can do, I think," he admitted. "You've done all the research you can here. Far more than the people I have put on this matter. But I think, now, the answers are going to have to come from somewhere else. Set this right, Zerod Argentine. Help us reclaim our name and dignity."

He bowed his head, turned and walked to the door and then turned back. "Be careful, sir."

He nodded again. The door opened and Zerod walked out. He suspected he would not be coming back to this office again. It was, he suspected, a relief for all of them.

Working with the IWC. There was something unique in the annals of Assassin Guild history. Yet another odd thing to add to his own history within the guild.

He went back to his room -- grey, windowless walls, the simple bed and computer stand. He'd be glad to leave it behind. It had used to feel like a comfort, to be here in the place, safe and hidden away. But in the last few months he had printed out pictures of trees and put them on the walls. He knew it a sign of his troubled mind. He took them down now and packed them away -- to put on the walls of rooms in ships, which would be no better than this. He had no idea where he would be tomorrow or next week. Maybe he'd go all the way to the Inner Worlds Council.

Odd thought.

No one came to see him off. He boarded the shuttle and sat down and watched while the huge grey building disappeared into the distance. Gone, and he couldn't say he regretted it at all.

That's Zaphod, asleep behind me on the chair. It was hard to get the camera pointed at him without moving so much that I woke him up. Is that cute or what?

I finally -- finally -- got into the swing of writing tonight. That's good, because other wise I wasn't going to get done with the work. I think I'm still going to write some more before I go to bed.

I'm barely going to make 200k, though, from the looks of it. I’m running out of story. I don't think Gift will be more than 40k -- and I really don't care. The other three are 50k -- or at least they will be. I still have to write a couple thousand more for Guild.

This was not my favorite NaNo, but it wasn't NaNo's fault. It was just not a good month. Oh, and I had a power outage today during a wind storm. That was really helpful. And the odd problem that came up with the newsletter. I spent several hours trying to track that one down since it had to go out today.

I wish I could say that December is going to be better, but for many reasons it will not. Still hoping Russ will be home for Christmas though.

Okay, it's a bit after 3 am. I'm going to do a little more writing and then sleep for a while.

Here is today's small snippet:

"He's always like that," Brisen said. "If there weren't the rest of us to take care of him, he'd kill himself on some fool gesture to protect his friends."

"Survived to get here," Peri said, trying to make light of the situation.

"Be still, mage," Brisen unexpectedly ordered. "And I think you only survived this long because you had no friends to protect."

That silenced him with realization that the man was right. It stunned him.

"Peri?" Brisan said, concerned.

"Just -- hadn't thought about that before. They were on even ground, and it was easier. "Never had friends before I washed up on the Kalia shore."

"None?""

"I was -- am -- a half breed mage."

"Childhood friends?" Brisen asked, perhaps distracting himself with the conversation. He looked like he was starting to falter with exhaustion, and Cattalus couldn't be much stronger, though perhaps more used to this kin of hardship.

"I was the son of a Kolti soldier, living in Tassan," Perseus said. "Children can be every bit as bigoted as adults, and often twice as cruel."

"I'm sorry, Perseus. "Brisen looked over his shoulder and then back down at him. "I didn't mean --"

"No matter." Peri's hand fluttered in a weak dismissal. "What I was then doesn't matter any more. Since I came here, things have been different. I like it here."

"Only because you've been delirious through most of it," Stephan replied. "Let me take him for a while, Brisen."

"No, your grace. I have him and we haven't far to go."

"Call me Stephan."

"I'm sorry. I forgot. I suppose it would be safer not to point out any of you as men of rank."

"Besides, Stephan is my name and all my friends call me that."

Day 27: 8133 (17544 book, 178202 total)

Only three days left. I'm glad. I don't think I could take much more of a month like this.

I started with an injured wrist, which worried me. Oddly, it didn't bother me nearly as much as I expected. Well, not until I jammed my arm against something yesterday, and now it's been hurting like hell again. Gah. I still got quite a bit of writing done, so it's not nearly as bad as it was in October. But it is still annoying.

Of course, everything is annoying right now. I can't say I've enjoyed this NaNo nearly as much as I have the ones in the past, but I don't think it was the fault of NaNo or even the books I've worked on. For obvious reasons, I've not been in a good mood. I don't know if it's going to improve much or not, but I think having NaNo done will be a help. I'm going to finish Guild, and I likely will reach the 200k mark, but I'm not certain I'll have Gift done. Probably close, though. I'll be spending most of the last days doing nothing but writing. Hmmm. . . . maybe that doesn't sound so bad after all.

We're supposed to have a wind storm and snow tomorrow. With my luck, we'll lose power. It's been that kind of month, you know.

I'm tired tonight. I think I'm going to be going to bed before dawn for a change. Sounds like a good plan to me!

Snippet of Gift:

He crossed to the table and pulled out a chair -- and pushed Peri down into it before he took the chair to the right. The Lords and servants were looking increasingly distressed, but it was the look of worry on Keshrin's face that drew all of Peri's attention. The others had found their seats and a silence fell across the room.

"Is there trouble, Your Highness?" Valerian asked, leaning forward to see the king.

"All kinds of trouble," he said, and ran a hand over his hair -- a nervous gesture not lost on anyone else here. "We have word from the border. Toru has gathered another Tasali army, and he's invaded the north of Kalia again. Words is that this is no small landing force, either."

"Heading south," Valerian said and won a nod from Keshrin. "Are the Kalians putting up much of a fight?"

"All that they can -- but it's not enough."

"Kalia was already devastated when the army went through there last winter," Brisen said. "So there can't be much at all standing between the Tasali and the Avanti border."

"Exactly."

"Still, you have an excellent army, King Keshrin," Valerian said. "The Tasali are truly barbarians, and I don't think they have any idea of strategy beyond running headlong into battle. Toru has some military experience, but nothing to match your own General Roald."

"I suspect you are right," Keshrin said. "What do you know about a General named . Romanus?"

"The Kolti General?" Valerian's eyes went wide as he sat back. "One of the best generals in the army and a good leader. Gods all, tell me he's not leading the Tasali!"

"No, no, of course not," Keshrin replied.

"Praise the Gods for that," Valerian said. "I thought the world had gone mad."

"He's leading the Kolti army that's coming at us from the East."

Silence fell everywhere, and it seemed to Peri that no one breathed for a dozen heartbeats as they all stared, stunned by the news.

"The Kolti are marching against Avanti?" Antonius finally said, shaking his head in disbelief still. "Why? Why now?"

"They say because we are the cause of the infractions last winter," Keshrin replied. He put both hand son the table and looked up and down the group. "They say we crossed into Kalia to test our ability to take the borderlands, and that we're keeping a Kalian Lord hostage to use in our plain of taking the lands that have been set aside as a buffer between Tasal, Kotli and Avanti."

"Of all the stupid, ridiculous Kolti ideas I have ever heard --" Valerian began, his voice gathering strength and momentum as he spoke. "What the hell do they think the Tasali were doing all the way to the border, for the love of the Gods! What do they think Shaman was doing here!"

"They say that we fabricated the story of the Tasali and Shaman to cover our real plans -- because, plainly, no army could have invaded Kalia from the north in winter."

"Gods!" Valerian snarled.

"Fabri. . . ?" Robyn asked.

"Made up the story. Pretend," Keshrin explained. "Hadad?"

"Yes." He looked back at Tain, both of them plainly unsettled by the news, which meant they understood well enough.

"We have one other problem," Stephan added, looking down the table at Peri and the priests who had sat near him. "The Most Holy High Priest of Kolti has given his approval to this war. He has made it a Holy war, a Crusade and his chosen man with the army, who is coming specifically for Tomas, Antoni and me."

"And what have we done?" Tomas asked, his face gone paler now.

"Can't you guess?" Perseus asked, his own voice hard with anger. "You've stood with me."

"Not just because of you, Peri," Stephan said. "I sent the Most holy a report on all that happened with Shaman. He denies Shaman existed, Peri. He says we've created the lies to win gold and fame in the world of men. You were only added glitter to his excommunications."

"Gods," Tomas said. "Excommunicated. All three of us?"

"Yes." Stephan looked to Antoni and back to Tomas. "Forgive me, but this is of no real importance right now. We fought Shaman. We know he was real. We know that the Gods were with us, and we know we saved Avanti, if not all the world, from a very great evil. I respect the Most High Holy and I love the temple, but I shall not take this to heart. If I did, that would mean I must regret what we did. Do you regret, Tomas?"

"No, of course not." His voice steadied and he sat up straighter again. "It was only the shock."

"I understand. I had to sit down when the messenger handed me the note."

"We all know where we stand then," Keshrin said. "Now, I would be honored if you would all try to help me figure out what we should do next." There were nods from his friends, but the Lords seemed unsure still. Keshrin looked at them, his head tilted this time. "Unless the five of you want to tell me that Shaman never existed, and that these friends of mine are really our enemies, I suggest you join in the conversation. I will not have any more of this stupid court rivalry and jealousy. I don’t' have time to be subtle, and I don't have time to play diplomat now. Either you are with us against the true enemy, or you are not. Make your decision now."

Peri saw the changes that came to their faces -- the moment when they went from looking at him to looking at the real trouble. Good. He hadn't been certain they could work past their own bigotry.

"Well, Peri, it seems you are going to be with us for a while yet," Keshrin said. "Though, perhaps, you would be wise to get out before the Kolti invade."

"I would not leave under these circumstances," he said, bowing his head to the inevitable. "Though, Gods forgive me, I could have used a slightly less powerful omen to tell me I shouldn't go."

The candles flared all around the room.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "That's sign enough."

Late. It keeps getting later every night, I think. It's coming up on 4 am. I'm tired.
I'm cropping in the opening to the last book I'm working on. I'm not sure I'm going to get it done during NaNo, but I'm doing alright with it. The other one -- Working for the Guild -- is still moving, but so slowly that I'd have a hard time getting a good snippet it out of it. I just hope it makes 50k or I'm going to be very unhappy with it.
So here is the opening from Gift:
The night came, a cold black Tasal night in the depths of the endless winter, where the sun slept beyond the edge of the world, and never showed himself. The icy winter remained without relief, and the snows blew through days that were lost in the darkness of time. Here only the cold white of snow and the darkness of eternal death reigned, and few survived. Only the strong came out of the north of Tasal.

So they sat and waited, the five men. They huddled in the cave and watched the far peak across the snowfield, where the red fires of the God Abaddon burned bright. The vigil of the endless day and night was their sacred duty and they came here to live by their wits, far from the protection of the tribes and villages. They were the Chosen, whom even a chieftain would not defy, and they lived like animals in the cave, fighting with the wolf for the kill.

There had been unease in the world. They waited now for a sign to show victory or loss.

The sign came finally. Loss. The red fires of Abaddon flared and died -- and in all the eons of Tasali Legends, the Power of Abaddon had never failed here in the heartland of his believers. For a breathless moment the five watched the darkness with a mixture of awe and fear -- though none of them would have admitted to the last.

The fire flickered again; less now, but not dead. A cold wind blew with the moan of a thousand dead, and somewhere too close to the cave, the wolves howled in dismay.

For a dozen heartbeats all had been lost and Tasal had been without Shaman, Power and God. But the light had returned, so that the God was not defeated beyond redemption. Beyond any doubt, Shaman had died, though, and the new alter in Kalia destroyed, along with the promise of victory over the decadent southlands beyond the strait.

However, the ancient seat of power shined again with the promise of support that had always kept the Tasali fighting all within their reach. Abaddon stood with them, and such a blood-thirsty and dangerous God was not match for the soft whispering Gods of plenty from the south.

Something suddenly shined brighter above the mountain, the light nearly overpowering the blood red glare of their God's power.

The sign was not their sign. The light flared and remained in the sky, an affront to their God and them.

Standing at the opening to the cave, four men glared. The fifth stepped back one pace and drew his dagger. He killed the strongest of his companion's first and a second before the first even fell. He took a cut across the arm from the third as he jabbed the man through his heart. By then the power of the God was strong with him, and he grabbed the last and ripped his throat out. He threw the bodies down the hillside for the wolves to feast upon and then he gathered his scant supplies and prepared for his journey up the mountain to the Altar of Abaddon.

He was Shaman now and the war was his to fight. The affront of the Southerners and their Gods would be avenged. He swore so upon the holiness of his new station in life.