It's a Fixer Upper

  Hello my lovelys!   Recently I have been fixing up parts of my book.  As of late I have been working on my prologue.  My whole story just felt wrong, so I decided to change some things.  I have now set more of a scene for you guys as well as changed the tense to past.  The prologue is in a different point of view than the rest of the book.  The prologue is in third person, while the rest of the story is in first person.  Now here is a HUGE thing I changed... the name is different!  I started thinking about the name, and I thought well, wizards are normally guys, so I changed the title to The First Witch!  I have some more fun surprises held up my sleeve, and I will tell you them in time.  Well, are you ready for your excerpt of the new, and hopefully improved, prologue?  Alrighty, then!

                                             Prologue
      150 A.D.

Gabrielle ran down the rickety staircase in her large, clay house, the stairs creaking from the extra weight placed on them.  
Creak, crick, creak, crick! The stairs went as she sprinted towards the entrance of her house with her Saluki, Trick, running behind her, each almost tripping over the other in their excitement.  Gabrielle was already half way out her home's entrance when she shouted “, Mum, I'm going outside to play with Trick!”  
Before waiting for a response, she was hurdling down the bright green, rolling hills with Trick. 
The sun was sinking in the sky, illuminating Gabrielle's wavy brown hair.  In the light of the sun it looked golden, surrounding her bright blue eyes like a picture frame.
Stopping at the bottom of the hill, Gabrielle searched for a stick among all the greenery.  A twisted 10 inch stick was illuminated by a beam of the sun's light.  Gabrielle picked it up and waved it in front of Trick, making him jump around giddily.
“Fetch, Trick!” Gabrielle said, as she cocked her arm to throw it.  
  She let go of the stick, watching Trick run towards a sea of dandelions, where she threw the stick.  Trick stopped among the yellow sea and looked around.  He started to whine and squeak, unable to find the stick.  His long nose snuffling among the flowers, hoping to catch the scent of the stick.  
Gabrielle was confused.  Where was the stick?  
She turned away from her dog, wondering if she just let go of the stick too early and dropped it behind her, but the answer was a bit more complicated.  The stick was floating!  
Trick ran over and started pawing above his head, hoping to reach the stick, but his attempts were ignored by the awestruck Gabrielle.   
Her eyes were pinned to the stick floating in front of her.
“Wow! What makes it do that?” Gabrielle asked herself, her little toddler voice raising an octave higher in amazement.
“Gabrielle, come back up!  Dinner is-”
The stick dropped with a thud as Gabrielle looked up the hill to see her mum, Tena, standing at the top, her green eyes as big as saucers.

How did you like it?  I would love for all of your opinions!  If you have any ideas for this story or even the prologue, tell me!  I would love to incorporate some of your ideas!

Guys!  I need a cover!  Anyone want to help?  I will give you some picture ideas of what to incorporate...

   sticks

  Saluki

Those are some of the things that would be great to see on the cover!

Hello Again

Here you go guys!

The man walks smoothly across the yard and out the white garden gate and then suddenly turns to face Gabrielle.

“What is my name?” the man asks Gabrielle. Gabrielle couldn't help but be confused; how would she know his name?

“What is my name?” the man repeats.

“I- I don't know!” Gabrille stutters. The man just stares her in the eye. She stared blankly into his eyes, but Duron didn't hesitate a moment before his eyes had a new sparkle to them.

“It couldn't be! I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. Is my old friend actually here?” Duron looks like he might explode with happiness.

“Goodness girl you need to look more closely! Your dad noticed me quicker than you did!” Septimus says scornfully towards Gabrielle.

“Duron, how long has it been?” Septimus says as he slaps Gabrielle's father on the back.

“Long enough, Septimus, my pal.” Duron says. Gabrielle was still suspicious if it really was Septimus, but then the spell was starting to wear off and he started to look like the Septimus she knew.

“We have a bit of catching up to do, but before we have a nice chat we have some more pressing matters on our hands. You see, Trick's missing. Well, he's stolen.” Duron absorbs Septimus's words and then slowly turns his head to look at Gabrielle and then gives his attention back to Septimus.

“Stolen?”

“Yes, stolen. I've been looking for him all day and he's gone. Although, I happened to find something very interesting.” At that Septimus points upwards. Straight above them was a giant eagle; it was the same eagle Gabrielle had seen earlier. Why would this eagle be hovering above them?

“I saw that eagle earlier today!” she exclaims.

“Can I guess that it was above the forest?” Septimus asks.

“How did you know?”

“I know, because it has been following me since we found the note.” After Septimus says that Duron jumps in surprise.

“It can't be The Tracker by any chance can it?” Duron asks with an eagerness that was surprising.

“I believe that is exactly the spell someone is using. Which

confuses me, because that means there is another sorcerer that knows of Gabrielle.”

Hope you enjoyed it!

The Note

Excerpt time!

The Note

It was Sunday, and Gabrielle was wondering what the next day would be like. To tick away the time until tomorrow she decided to try practicing magic again. On her way upstairs to her room she grabbed a stick from outside; this task had become habitual, for she had been practicing magic as often as she could. Even with lots of practice her magic didn't get any stronger. When upstairs Gabrielle grabbed her spellbook from under her bed and opened it up, but what she saw was not preperations for magic but growling words that say “Fight me, fight me! Try to conquer me.” The magic had become a nuisance that wouldn't behave. However, as annoying as it had become she wasn't giving up. She grabbed the stick and tried the “simple” floating spell on the ring in her hand. As always it didn't do anything. The one mistake was all Gabrielle needed to give up; she grabbed the book and slid it under her bed, once again, before going back downstairs. She found Trick in the dining room and asked him if he wanted to play a round of fetch; instantly the silky, black saluki lept up from a nice, peaceful slumber, ready to play. She went outside with the gleeful dog and grabbed a stick and threw it a decent distance away; the yipping dog jumped after it. While Trick was retreiving the stick, a thought crept into Gabrielle's mind. How great would it be to be able to talk to Trick. I could ask him what I'm doing wrong on the spell, maybe he knows. Maybe he thinks that I'm not what I assume I am. Her thoughts were interupted by Trick dropping the stick at her feet and barking at her to throw it again; she grabbed the stick, with talking to Trick on her mind, and threw it. After the stick was thrown what she heard was not a happy dog, but a child.

“I have to get it, have to get it!” a panting child's voice shouted. As Trick reached the stick the child spoke again,

“Bring it back, bring it back.” Gabrielle is confused. She didn't see a kid insight, but she heard one right beside her. Trick was back at her side as she heard,

“Throw it, throw it!” Gabrielle jumps about a foot in the air as she notices where the voice was coming from. It wasn't a child... it was... her dog!

“Trick, are you, are you... talking?” Gabrielle asks bewildered.

I hope you love my writing as much as I do writing!

Septimus Agorius

Ready for the new chapter?

Septimus Agorius

The two days were over and Gabrielle was full to the brim of questions to ask: “What am I, how do I control it”, and so many more questions. She waited until it was afternoon, and then put the plan into effect.

“Mum, I'm going to the village to pick up some grain, we're running low!” Gabrielle yells, ready to get the move on. The day before Gabrielle took the grain they had, which was full to the brim, to the farmer nearby and gave it all to him.

“I just got a new bag the other day!” Adel says bewildered on how it could be gone so quickly.

“Well the rats must of got to it, because there's no more.” Gabrielle says matter of factly.

“OK, but be quick.” Adel says, too tired to even care what the wretched child does. Gabrielle practically sprints out the door, running towards the trail to the pond. Once she gets there she slows down her pace and starts walking along the trail looking carefully for overturned rocks, or anything suggesting recent human activity. When she's close to the pond,she veres off the trail to her right. She starts to wonder if Septimus was even there. He could of left ages ago. Right when she thinks that last thought she smells a little campfire not too far north. She quickens her pace. Within ten minutes she sees it. A little log house that looks like the only thing keeping it standing is the magic happening all around it. She walks toward the little house and says

“Septimus?”

“Yes, this is Septimus, may I ask who this person is before I say anymore?” a gruph voice says back in reply.

“It's Gabrielle, daughter of Duron.” Septimus comes out of his house as quick as lightening at the sound of Duron's name.

“The daughter of Duron? Well, that scoundrel has a daughter, what do you know?

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News

It's time for an excerpt!

News

A week has passed and Gabrielle still knew nothing of Septimus's whereabouts, and she was starting to lose hope. She would whisper to her father everyday to see if he had any news, but there never was any.

“ Dad, anything?” Gabrielle whispered to her father hopefully.

“ No, but no reason to dwell the harvest festival is today.” Duron said.

“ Oh! I almost forgot about that. I'm just so busy wondering and thinking about things lately.” Things was the magic that Gabrielle was really frustrated at. She loved magic she thought it was a beautiful thing, but it was really starting to bug her.

“ Well come on lets go!” Duron said. The harvest festival was a very fun holiday in Solome. It was an event where the poor could get food cheap and the rich, like Gabrielle, could have fun watching the shows by sorcerers. It was Duron's favorite time of year. He wouldn't miss it for anything; he wouldn't miss it even to keep Adel happy. It was that important to him. It was his only real connection to the world other then his, sorcery. Before they were about to go out the door Gabrielle thought about bringing Adel.

“ Dad shouldn't we ask mum if she wants to come?”

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What Am I

Time for a preview!

What am I

“ Tell me everything that happened, Gabrielle.” Duron said growing excited. He loved the arts of sorcerers, but he knew he couldn't even talk about it with Adel. Even is Gabrielle was a sorceress he knew he couldn't influence her to practice more, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going to help her.

“ I was waving a stick around Trick trying to get him to stand up and play; when out of the wand shot a burst of blue light. It hit Trick right in the stomach and a few seconds later he was up on his feet and wagging his tail wanting to play. I really think that stick made Trick younger, but that's impossible right?”

“ I can see what you mean when you say you think it has something to do with when you were five. By any chance did you say anything?”

“ Nope, just words of encouragement to get Trick to stand up.”

“ Well, you must have said something in the words you said, because I need you to remember that it's impossible to do magic without a wand and whatever you did sounds like sorcery to me.”

“ Well, if it is sorcery what should I do to keep myself from using it uncontrollably?” Gabrielle asked.

“Well, it's obvious right you need to ask a sorcerer.  Shouldn't a sorceress talk to a sorcerer? It fits pretty well to me.” Duron told her. Gabrielle couldn't believe her ears. Was she just told to talk to a sorcerer?

“Mom would never allow such a thing.”

“ What about me I'm your dad shouldn't I have a say in what you can and cannot do, but if it's going to be a problem for you I can tell Adel that you went to the village to buy grain; when you really just went to talk to a sorcerer or sorceress.” Duron explained.

“What if she finds out?” Gabrielle questioned.

“She won't I'll make sure of it.” Duron said mischievously.

“Well then what are you going to do?”

“ I'll make her lunch. She'll have to stay to make sure I don't burn the house down with my brilliant cooking skills.” Duron said sarcastically.

“ Alright, but who do I ask?”

“ Well there's Faustus.”  

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Magical Happenings- Again

Time for your next excerpt!  Onto a preview of the 2nd chapter.

Magical Happenings- Again

166 A.D.

“ Come on Trick! Get up and play!” Gabrielle said encouragingly to her dog, Trick. Trick hasn't been wanting to play for a week now. That's very unlike him. He's usually so playful, but Trick was getting old and Gabrielle knew it. It's not everyday you see a 12 year old Saluki. Gabrielle was trying everything to get Trick up and nothing was working, but Gabrielle was still trying. She picked up a good throwing stick and waved it around Trick hoping he would jump up and grab it playingly, but that was not what happened. Instead a jet of blue light came out of the stick hitting Trick in the stomache. Gabrielle was stunned, but not at the jet of blue lightas much as what Trick did; he started jumping around wagging his tail as if nothing was wrong, just asking to play. Gabrielle looked at the stick then to her dog, wondering what just happened. Could that blue light have possibly made Trick younger? Gabrielle thought. That's impossible though! I didn't think of anyting that had to do with magic. Anyways that wouldn't explain why light came out of the stick! Maybe since my hands weren't free the magic decided to take a different direction-through the stick. I don't have magic though! All this is just to confusing! I need to ask someone what happened before my head explodes! But who? Not my mom she'd freak if she heard I did magic accidently again, she'd just yell at me like she did last time. Wait last time! This has happened before! That's right, I was five and somehow I made a stick float. Well now I have a little more information to tell whoever I tell, but that also means I have a problem if this has happened twice how am I to be sur it doesn't happen again? Who can deal with that and still be nice? Dad! He loves the works of sorcerers and sorceresses. He would be a sorcerer if it wasn't for mum hating magic.

“ Dad!” Gabrielle yelled with a hint of urgency in her voice.

“ Yes, Gabrielle?” Duron said stepping outside. When he got a good look around him he noticed something amazing- Trick was standing up and wagging his tail as if nothing was wrong. Duron went to give the big guy a nice warm cuddly hug. He had thought that Trick was nearing his end, but that was not what he was seeing here. He exclaimed

“ Gabrielle, Tricks standing up! How'd you do it?”   

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