This is a #storygram (mini-story) from my Instagram, which you can get to via the social media links at the top of this site. I do my best to make them daily for you to enjoy! YES, many of them will hopefully be expounded upon in novels or other future writing endeavors of mine. Thank you very much for reading and sharing them! And don’t forget to check out my film Portfolio too!
The Story:
Every night she waited at the entrance to her father’s castle. By only the light of lanterns on a cobblestone bridge, her eyes searched the darkness. But she would say her heart could see further.
Seris Priller, a knight of her father’s, had been gone for weeks on a secret quest. She and Seris were deeply in love, and she swore she would be waiting at the gate for his return.
Her vigilant watch was earning her the nickname “Watching Whitney” among the townspeople. She barely slept, and her handmaiden brought her meals, which she barely ate.
She saw a fog rolling in from the south hills. It was cold on this night. She had heard the tales–the dead that would rise from the ground and slaughter anyone who was unfortunate enough to be journeying alone in the fog. She shivered and folded her arms.
“Whitney.”
She jumped at the unexpected voice and grabbed the hilt of her sword. There, in the grass to her left beside the moat, was Seris.
“Seris!”
She ran to him, but as she threw herself at him, his arms didn’t reach to catch her. She fell into him, through him, and to the ground.
Seris turned to face her with a ghostly fluidness to his movements.
“I’m sorry, Whitney. I have failed you.”
She stood up and began to cry.
“No. No, Seris. It is I who failed you.”
She reached for his face but was unable to cradle it. He closed his eyes as if he was trying to remember her touch.
“Whitney, there isn’t much time. You must finish the quest I could not complete.”
“What? Seris, I am not a knight…”
“Only because you are not a male. But you are the warrior your father needs. This quest must be finished for the sake of the kingdom.”
The hilt of her sword called to her from her hip. She let the gold and pearl inlays have their say in the decision. It longed for adventure.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way, my love.”
She grabbed the reins of her horse and mounted him. The fog was upon them now, and she could see the silhouettes of men fade in and out of its billows.
“What is the quest, Seris?” she asked, still staring into the fog.
“To save the last dragon.”