Novel, day 2

Another day, another disclaimer. This is the first thousand words I wrote on the second. However, since I wrote over 2600 words on the first, this is about 1600 words AFTER the last post. Yes, you are missing stuff. The point here isn't to share the entire novel, but to get samples of my first draft out there, as well as possibly make the whole novel writing experience more transparent. Anyway, here is the begining of chapter 2. enjoy!

Chapter 2

~~~~~

They had to postpone the post dinner card game long enough to light the lamps. Even Devon had to agree that the cards would be hard to read in the dim light, though he tried to first blame it on the amount of sours everyone had been drinking. After much debate, it was decided by a roll of the dice that they would play “Chase the Jack”, which at least 4 of them knew the rules to.

“Ok, newbies between seasoned players. Elliot, you’re to the right of Ivy, and Samuel, you can be after Meredith.”

“So play goes to the right?” Samuel sounded confused.

“Unless another play changes that, yes.” Meredith smiled at his facial expression. “Don’t worry; we can walk you through it.”

The group fell silent as everyone organized their cards, each new player getting tips from their partner.

“Thank you for dinner, by the way.” Ivy was helping Elliot organize his hand. “That was a well roasted bird. What is your technique for keeping the meat so juicy?”

He winked at her, as he looked at her cards. “chef’s secret. Sorry.”

“Well, it went very well with the beverage, if I do say so myself.” She flipped over the first card on the deck. “Play starts to the right of the dealer, so Devon first. So, Samuel, and Elliot, what are you two doing in the festival? Will you also have crafts on display?”

Samuel chuckled. “No, lass. I’m a bit ham fisted for most of that delicate work. I mainly work with horses. I’ll be competing in the jousting, and perhaps riding the gauntlet, if I can get past the qualifiers this year.”

Meredith laughed. “Last time the course wasn’t designed for a steed and rider of Samuel’s stature. His mare could just step over the hurdle, but the weaving posts were closer together than one of his horse’s gaits. They had to make modifications to the course this year, to make sure it would be fair.”

Elliot played his card, after much debate. “If Samuel would have just stopped growing, he wouldn’t have needed such a monster of a steed anyway.”

“You’re just upset because we were the same height when you left school. It isn’t my fault I kept on growing. Just good living, I suppose.” That got a laugh from the group, as play paused for Meredith to help Samuel choose his card.

“So, Elliot, what do you plan to do this week?” Ivy was nothing if not persistent.

“Well, I was planning on competing in the throwing competitions. Ax, most likely.”

“You throw axes?” Adina seemed amused by this.

“I throw most anything, actually. I’ve been practicing with knives and other bladed throwing weapons since I was a boy, but I’ve expanded to use most anything, now.”

“Oh? Prove it!” Adina’s cheeks were reddened from the drink, and she was being brash. Ivy tried to calm the situation. “You don’t need to.”

“No, it’s fine. Adina, hold up one of the fruits from the bowl.”

Adina picked up a peach. She rested her elbow on the table, and let her hand drape back, holding the fruit at an odd angle beside her. Without a word Elliot flicked a playing card from his hand across the table. Everyone jumped. The corner of the card was buried deep in the flesh of the peach, far enough that the card’s number was buried completely within the fruit. Once the moment of shock was over, the table burst into applause. Adina, admitting defeat, took a bite of the fruit and offered the card back to Elliot.

“Oh, I think you should keep it in your hand. You obviously asked him for it.” Meredith laughed.

Adina laughed in agreement, and cleaned the juice off of the card as best she could before putting it back in her hand.

“It’s not your fault, Adina. More than one gambler has fallen into challenging Elliot like that during a game of cards.” Devon played his card and leaned back in his chair. “We met because I stuck my foot in my mouth and he helped me shove it in all the way to my knee. Figuratively, not literally, of course.”

Elliot laughed. “Devon thought the one card was a fluke, so he kept trying other things. Grapes. A head of lettuce. Even a watermelon.”

“Though, in all fairness, it did take you more than one card before one stuck in the watermelon.”

“Well, yeah, those things are tough. At first I thought when you chose the watermelon, that you were joking. Then I realized you didn’t mean the huge easy red center for my target – you meant the rind!”

“I should have grabbed the cantaloupe.”

“Wouldn’t have helped. I could do that, too.”

Ivy grabbed onto the one bit of that conversation she could question. “So, how many cards did it take for you to get the watermelon?”

Samuel answered for him. “Three! And then he got two more, in the same spot!”

“He said he could keep that up all day, but it would be too much fun. For the watermelon.”

The table burst into a riot of laughter, as Elliot blushed. “I don’t usually talk like that. But you had gotten under my skin.”

“It’s just a funny story, now. But anyway, that’s how we met, and how I learned when I’ve taken something too far.”

Samuel looked shocked. “You mean, you finally learned that lesson?”

The group busted a seam all over again. Ivy had to dab tears from her eyes. Elliot offered her his handkerchief, which she accepted gratefully. “Seriously, though, I don’t want you to think I am that crass. Don’t believe all of Devon’s stories.”

“Oh, it’s ok, and it’s all in good fun. We ladies can take a joke, you haven’t offended.”