W is for Water (And No Tea) #AtoZChallenge

Welcome to the A to Z Challenge. This year I’m blogging about the Behind the Scenes for the Echoes Trilogy – a story a started writing about six years ago.

A2Z-BADGE-100 [2017]

Thanks to posting a review today (see it here), for the A to Z Challenge post I’m simply posting a small snippet. I hope y’all enjoy!

The food the woodcutters provided was by far the worst I had ever dined on. The bread was thick, tough, and made with a black flour that contained small hard chunks. After the first day I learned to eat slowly and carefully to avoid chipping my teeth. Potatoes were also one of our staples, but the fact that we had to pick worms out of them before partaking of them was enough to make me lose my appetite. The meat wasn’t much better, since it was all dried and had been preserved with far too much salt. I could barely choke down my pieces, even when I took little nibbles of the meat, paired with huge mouthfuls of the bread and potatoes. I was ever so hungry for tea, but plain water was all they provided me with. Determined to fit in and be strong I didn’t complain or let my face show my distaste, but it was a challenge to be sure.

“Now, ye said King Dalan will know who you are?” Titus asked the question as he chomped open-mouth on a piece of meat. He scratched his nose with the same hand that held the meat, a feat that looked nearly impossible and sent waves of nausea through me.

“Aye.” My sour mood had dissipated a bit as the days dragged on, but I still refused to spend too much energy socializing.

“Might you tell us what your plan is now?” Thurston asked, then took a few loud slurps from the common water pouch. When he was done he wiped his hand across his face, then down the front of his clothes.

17 thoughts on “W is for Water (And No Tea) #AtoZChallenge”

  2. Barbara In Caneyhead says:
    Reply

    Awesome! Your language is SO visual without being wordy. You must finish this! And it ties into my W on waste. Used to, people cut the mold off cheese and bread and eat it anyway. Mama toasted stale cereal in the oven. But, seriously, finish and submit!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lydia Howe says:
      Reply

      Thanks! That’s exactly what it’s supposed to sound like. 🙂 I’ve had my own share of picking worms out of potatoes in South America, so the idea seemed fit for my book. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!

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  8. Carolyn Paul Branch says:
    Reply

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. This A to Z thing is great for meeting new people and learning new things. Your writing style is so readable – easy, enjoyable reading. (NOT easy to write!) Since this is my first time here, I haven’t seen any other snippets, but this is so good, you should definitely plan to publish.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Lydia Howe says:
      Reply

      Awww, thank you! Your comment made me quite happy. 🙂 And yes, the A to Z Challenge is a fantastic place to meet new people!

      Like

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