Back to the usual SSS format this week! Yes I remembered to register – go me!
But last weeks neglect was useful because it introduced Moried, no friend to the scruffy bunch in Troop Three.
This weeks Sunday Six is from my WIP A Fierce Reaping, a story of the Gododdin, set in Scotland and Northumbria in the 7th century AD. A reminder of the premise – King Marro of Din Eidin is alarmed by the encroachment of Saxon forces lead by Aethelfrith upon the lands just south of his borders. With the help of Gwlygad, his steward, he devises a plan to drive the Saxons back to the south. He gathers a band of heroes, trains and feasts them for a year and unleashes them on the Saxons in the spring. But at this point in the story Marro has three hundred young men packed into a small space with energy to spare and nobody to fight apart from each other.
“And how goes the training?” Moried asked. “I hope that Cynon is providing instruction in baggage handling and camp fire cookery because we won’t be able to take non-combatants and one can’t expect real soldiers to sully themselves with domestic chores.”
“You mean you kill it and we’ll cook it?” Cynfal snorted. “Spit roast Saxon with horseradish might put some hair on your chest.”
Moried glanced at the front of Cynfal’s shirt, unlaced in the heat of the hall. “Speaking from experience, I see.”
Click on the picture above to go to the Six Sentence Sunday site and see the list of participating authors. There’s something there for everyone.
Elin Gregory 
Mmmm, man with unlaced shirt. Very sexy me thinks. 😉
I think you’d like Cynfal. He’s big and umkempt and a bit of a beast, but has a kind heart.
I love your dialogue! Very feisty!!
Thanks for commenting and I’m very glad you like it. 🙂
It’s easiest to find six sentences that read sensibly amongst the sections of dialogue. The descriptions, action and exposition don’t work nearly as well.
That is a great dialogue exchange!
Thans, Lisa, and thanks for commenting. Much appreciated.
Great exchange!
Thanks for commenting, Paula.
Great dialogue, I got a very clear picture of both characters. Wonderful six!
😀 Thanks for the compliment, Cassandra, and thanks for commenting. It’s very much appreciated.
Oh his unlaced shirt LOL. Yum 🙂
Yep showing a Vee of big slightly undernourished chest, furred with cinnamon coloured hair. Our Cynfal is a natural blond! 😀
This is exceptionally clever. I love it!
That’s a very big compliment. Thanks so much and thanks for taking the trouble to comment. It’s much appreciated.
LOL. I love your dialogue! 🙂
😀 thanks Lorraine and thanks very much for commenting.
Ooh, very nice. They breathe on the page!
LoL, that’s a great compliment. 😉 the heavy breathing comes later.
Elin, I love your excerpts from this story, & I’d like to offer one comment if I may. “we won’t be able to take non-combatants and one can’t expect real soldiers to sully themselves with domestic chores” seems a bit contradictory, because if they can’t take non-combatants, then who is going to do the cooking? But maybe that’s clear in context of the whole story. If so, then never mind! Your characters definitely feel 3D to me 🙂
Thanks Marcia.You make a very good point. Six sentences at a time doesn’t give much of a picture, especially since they have to be 6 sentences that make some kind of sense taken out of context. The context in this case is that Moried is ‘trash talking’ because he considers himself to be better than Cynfal. Moried is one of the nominal commanding officers ‘companions’ and there’s a key plot element about privilege and professionalism that is vital later on once they are in the field. Fingers crossed that it works. 🙂 Thanks, as always for taking the time to comment. It’s much appreciated.
Great six, Elin! So looking forward to the finished story!
Thanks for commenting CC. I reckon i have another 50k words to go. 🙂
I always enjoy reading what Cynon has to say. He’s quite the character. And, not shy from saying what’s on his mind. LOL. I loved his line, “might put hair on your chest”… my dad used to tease me as little girl and say something similar. LOVE!
My Dad used to say it too, though why he would want a daughter with a hairy chest beats me. 🙂 thanks for commenting. it’s very much appreciated.
I think dad’s just say stuff like this! LOL. See ya Sunday!!
I tend to agree with Owllady, but what a problem! Too much testosterone bottled up!
I promise that the apparent contradiction is cleared up in context. Basically Moried is being a jerk to someone he considers to be his inferior. Oh yes, the testosterone is bubbling away.:) thanks for commenting.
Mmmmm. Split-roast Saxton…tasty…. ;D Great Six!
Thanks, Steve. Much appreciated.
Your dialogue is always a lot of fun and love that twist of humor that you always include.
Thanks, Jalisa. I do like to make people laugh if I can. Then, when I suddenly get serious, it comes as more of a shock. 🙂 Thanks for commenting, it’s much appreciated.
Loving the humor in these snippets! Keep em coming!
Thanks Angela. I’ll have to get serious at times but I’ve got some fun stuff to get through first. thanks for taking the trouble to comment.
Yes, he does come across as an arrogant jerk. Great dialogue, Elin. 🙂
Thanks Siobhan. I hoped Moried would come across as a bit nastier than the usual jokers. 🙂
ROFL! I love the humor and camaraderie among these men. Soldiers are soldiers, no matter the era. (And I hear Saxon is good eatin’; tastes like chicken!)
Chicken with a hint of feet! ewww, put myself off my own dinner now. 😀 Thanks very much for your comments.
This was fun. Your dialogue was fun of the friendship and banter I expect from soldiers who work and train together. The idea that the soldiers were capable of slaying but found tossing a few ingredients into the pot beyond their capabilities made me laugh. No wonder the Brits were able to repel the Scots 😉
Absolutely! Though Moried is being unnecessarily helpless to make a point – the ratbag. Many thanks for commenting. It’s very much appreciated.
Males ready to rampage. Sounds like the two talking may indulge soon.
I love writing rampaging males. I’m a little worried about putting readers off though. 🙂 thanks for your comments, they are much appreciated.
Recusing myself on historical details, I’ll say that the personalities shine through. Nothing like two characters poking at each other to get our attention (other people’s bickering is much more interesting than our own).
I do need to do some historical fact checking. 🙂 Horseradish, for instance. Is that a later import? But this is all more of less as it spooled out of my brain during Nanowrimo last year. I was in too much of a hurry to do it then.
But I’m glad you’re enjoying the bickering. Thanks for your comments.
The snark is wonderful 🙂
Thanks Wendy. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. And thanks for commenting. it’s much appreciated.
Awesome exchange, Elin! The dialogue gives me a great feel for the story and the characters, and all are engrossing and fun. A really nicely paced setup for the inevitable battle they’re facing.
A very kind comment, Ryan. And very much appreciated. 🙂
You really do great dialogue. Sets up the characters for us so well. Great 6 Elin!
Hah! I like their wit and banter. Something tells me their joking may escalate.
I love how Cynfal holds his own with Moried. It probably wouldn’t do to appear weak in front of any of these men. Dangerous situation brewing, I fear.
Great banter!
Strong dialogue! Nice job! Great six!
Horseradish makes everything hairy! LOLOL LOVED this six, and I’m really sorry I had to wait a day to read it. (Darn family stuff intruding on my 6SS days! 😛 )
Interesting dialog that rings true; that’s great for a novel.
[…] weeks 6, follows on immediately after the one from the week before last, just to keep you on your toes, like. I put in the bit about Gwion because he’s important. […]