Another Sunday, another six sentences!
Click on the picture for the list of other participating authors. You’ll find dystopian futures, utopian pasts, speculative possibles, steampunks, fairies, vampires and dragons and masses of erotica.
However, here you get a bit of Dark Ages angst with another snippet from my story “A Fierce Reaping” – a story of the Gododdin, the tribe of northern welsh who lived in the Edinburgh area of Scotland in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Their King sent 300 carefully chosen warriors south to push the Saxons back into the sea. Rather more than 300 Saxons pushed back.
We pick it up when Troop Three is returning to Dun Eidin after a long and uncomfortable patrol.
~
They arrived in sight of Din Eidin, soaked to the skin with snow just beginning to stick again to the sodden and icy ground.
“Miserable weather,” Aeddan said, ” but at least the rain runs off our leathers. I don’t know how you stand it.”
“Neither do I,” Cynfal agreed, teeth chattering, as his soaked shirts moulded to his chest. “I’m going to have to get some.” And there was only one way he could think of doing that.
~
Elin Gregory 
Oh, yeah. 🙂
🙂 Time to show Cynfal’s true colours, I think. Or at least some of them.
I agree with the other comments about your wonderful description of the scene, but I was delighted with Cynfal’s thought. 🙂
Terrific job setting the Icy weather atmosphere. I think the miserable weather is not all they were thinking about. Ha! Good six.
Sleet – we have it by the bucket load in winter. just awful.
I’m coming in cold after having been away from SSS for a few months, so I’m curious about what his only way is. Hm. Thanks for sharing!
Welcome back, and thanks for commenting
Sleet (and slushy snow) is really my least favourite weather to be out in. Leather armour sounds like an excellent solution.
I’ve been trying to imagine the smell – urine tanned leather greased with mutton fat or pork fat and soaked with sweat – you must have been able to smell an army for miles!
You have just managed to nail my least favorite weather. Wet and cold. I hate the cold. If it were up to me it would remain summertime year round. Excellent job with this scene Elin, I can’t wait to read what happens next.
Eugh yes. that penetrating bone deep damp. Horrible stuff.
Glad you liked the scene. I’m wondering how to cut the next few bits to make it interesting.
Miserable is right. You had me at the blurb on this one really but I love the snippet too!
🙂 thanks Eleri
He sounds miserable but just how will he secure his own outerwear? I’m curious!
very visceral. I’m cold now too! lol
Geez, I’m really feeling the rotten weather now! Your excerpt combined with today’s chill make me feel like it’s a cold November. Crap! I love it when writers do that to me!
Definitely curious about what happens next.
Get some….. spell it out please! and thanks for spotting the typo on mine. It’s fixed
I don’t mind the cold, wet weather; I would mind being soaked to the bone in it. Poor guy(s)!
uh oh – he’s going to pinch Aeddan’s (leathers)
That sounds cold and horrible. Fantastic description, and a great way to pique curiosity.
Yeah, I love the sensory detail here too, and got a sense of ‘uh-oh’. Somebody’s leather is going to mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night, huh? 😉
Excellent description, Elin. It put me right there with them. Great six!!
I love how you use weather to convey character emotions, especially weather that was a big issue during that period. Great six Elin!
Ooh, miserable is right. I’m wondering how he’s going to get those leathers though. Hmm.
Definitely feeling the discomfort. And nice little hook at the end.
I can actually feel the cold and wet, but I wouldn’t mind seeing that shirt molded to his chest!!
Hmm…wonder what way he’s thinking of? 😉 Great six! Can’t wait to read this story.
I wonder what he’s got up his (wet) sleeve! 😉 Great descriptive six, Elin! The setting and characters are very credible.
I love how I’m filled with so many mental images just from this quick glimpse into the story. You paint a very interesting and believable picture! Great job, as usual! 🙂
I really enjoy these snippets. It’s so different from what I usually read, and it pulls me right into this world. Great hook at the end!
You paint a great picture with your words. Love the snippet.
Beautiful description of the weather.
Fantastic descriptions! I adore these characters. ;c)
Sorry I’m so late to get around to one of my favorite 6SS places! I should have read this last week when it was 103F. Tonight, we’re in the 50s and I just want to burrow deeper under the covers. I hope you’ll share Cynfal’s “quest” for leathers. 😉