Previously

Muttering to himself, the Owl-King marched slightly unsteadily down a long passageway; Bethany, who was walking just behind him, had the distinct impression that not just one voice, but three different voices were holding a hushed conversation beneath his flowing golden robe, although annoyingly she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

The passageway ended in a large door, decorated with an owl holding a drooping lily flower in its beak; the doors swung open and Bethany followed the now-tottering figure over the threshold. The Owl-King steadied himself, leaning on the back of an opulently appointed throne, which was one of the few items of furniture in the room; he turned to Bethany, ‘you say you know my secret, but I know yours too!’

The Owl-King bent forward; his helmet twitched, then suddenly he crumpled to the floor; his helmet rolled away and three small figures scurried from beneath the golden robe.

‘This is Owlet Hall and we are the Owlets!’ the three of them danced around Bethany, hooting with mischievous laughter, ‘drop the pretence, you’re not the golden-haired child at all!’

Undeterred, Bethany planted her hands on her hips, ‘well, to be fair, you three aren’t the Owl-King either.’

/….to be continued.

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: LILY, LETHAL, PRETENCE
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: FAIR

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE!

Previously

Mr Eyre and Bryony looked at one another in concern as Bethany disappeared inside the Owl-King’s palace, whilst the exchange which passed between Greta and Lobelia was one of quiet satisfaction; Beetle-Queen Florigia whispered soothing words to her many-hued subjects, who folded their bright wings, preparing to wait.

Ten minutes stretched to twenty and Mr Eyre began to pace, long strides repeatedly carrying him the length of the palace’s pink frontage with its blank-eyed windows, which offered no clue as to what was happening inside.

Bryony rose to her feet and joined her troubled tutor, increasingly anxious for her sister, despite their companions’ placid insistence that all would be well; she tugged at his sleeve and muttered, ‘if only we knew what was going on!’

Mr Eyre jerked his head, gesturing his young charge to follow him, before ducking around the side of the palace, where they were greeted by a surprising sight: it was as if the entire contents of the building had been dumped outside.

As they picked their way through the heaps of junk, they heard the murmur of voices; they peeked in through a grimy window. Mr Eyre’s jaw dropped, while Bryony inhaled an astonished gasp.

/….next episode.

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: VOICE, CARRY, BRIGHT
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: JUNK

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

HOP OVER HERE FOR MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES!

Previously

As the Stingers advanced, brandishing their spray cans, the living carpet of brightly-coloured insects stirred and started to hiss; realising their potential plight, Lobelia whipped out her wand and fluttered skywards, circling over the blue-clad troops, and showering them with sticky streams of gossamer which rapidly transformed them into papery cocoons; the more they struggled, the tighter their bonds became.

Satisfied the opposition had been neutralized, Lobelia descended gracefully to the ground and nodded to Bethany; the insects fell silent, turning to face the palace doors where the Owl-King stood, seemingly transfixed, while Mr Eyre let out an audible sigh of relief.

Adjusting her hairband so that her golden curls flowed more fully around her face, Bethany let her feet guide her to the palace threshold, all the time reminding herself of what she’d been told by her new friends at the welcome feast. She halted before the Owl-King and tilted her head back to look up at him.

Fixing him with a big, blue-eyed stare, she stood on tip-toes and beckoned to him; bending awkwardly, the Owl-King stooped down and listened as she whispered to him. Moments later they entered the palace together, the doors swinging shut behind them.

next chapter

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: HEAD, PAPER, BAND
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: GUIDE

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

READ MORE SPLENDID SIXES

Previously

The insect army parted as Beetle-Queen Florigia led Bethany, flanked by Greta and Lobelia, onto the emerald-green lawn, where they were bathed in the unforgiving brightness reflecting off the pink walls of the Owl-King’s palace.

Seeing her sister, Bryony dashed from the poplar grove, followed by Mr Eyre and Hildebrand, to be greeted by Florigia, beaming in all directions from her multi-facetted eyes. Their reunion was interrupted by a blare of trumpets emanating from the palace, as the massive front doors swung open to reveal a towering figure, wearing golden robes and a richly-decorated helmet in the shape of an owl’s face.

Florigia advanced on the palace; perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she seemed to grow in stature with every stride, ‘Owl-King, we have had enough of your unwarranted acts against those who use words.’ She beckoned to Bethany, ‘we present the golden-haired child, who has returned to reclaim her queendom!’

The Owl-King swept his arm forward as though swatting a fly; a shrill whistle signalled the advance of a swarm of blue-clad troops clutching sinister-looking spray cans; Mr Eyre’s eyes widened, wishing he had a plan in reserve which might save them from the Stingers.

/….to be continued.

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: PERHAPS, SINISTER, FORGIVING
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: RESERVE

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE!

Previously

Once they’d reached the apparently unguarded exit from the dungeon, Mr Eyre and Bryony introduced themselves to their fellow prisoner. Hildebrand explained that she’d been arrested for Word Singing, something she did every afternoon to entertain her husband’s elves while they plugged away assisting him in his shoemaking business, ‘Without my singing, all concentration will be lost and production will cease,’ she lamented, rubbing her red-rimmed eye sockets.

Peering around the door, they surveyed the empty yard and beyond it, the entrance gate which swung on its hinges as though someone had just departed. Mr Eyre beamed at his two companions then, taking their hands, he propelled them across the open space and through the gate.

Soon they were standing in a grove of slender poplar trees which led to the Owl-King’s palace; the ground began to shake to the rhythm of marching feet and a few moments later the palace’s emerald-green lawn was filled by an army of assorted brightly-coloured insects.

‘Perhaps you were thinking I did wrong in letting them go? said Captain Stinger to his lieutenant as they emerged from behind the dungeon’s walls, ‘but now we’ll take all the dissenters by surprise and exterminate the lot!’

next episode…

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: PLUG, SOCKET, INLET
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: LOST

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE

Previously

Bethany scanned the length of the rickety bridge which crossed the Owl-King’s Great Divide, grateful for the blanket of fog cloaking the craggy depths below; Greta nodded her encouragement and together they stepped onto the first of the wooden slats as Lobelia, her anxious wings beating, led them forward.

Alighting unscathed on the other side, they entered a towering woodland, buzzing with insects; moments later a small shower of bright beetle-like creatures descended from the orange-red canopy. One, larger than the rest and clearly their leader, scuttered over and stood before them: ‘My sisters and I welcome the golden-haired child.’ Her fellow creatures bowed their heads, then brought out a succession of leaves, laden with ripe berries, and placed them at their feet.

Bethany looked at her companions in astonishment; Lobelia stepped forward, dropping a deep curtsy, her wings fluttering delicately: ‘Greetings to you, Florigia, we thank you and your sisters for your hospitality.’

Florigia inclined her head, ‘The Owl-King’s activities have been a disappointment to us all; she turned to Greta, ‘we received Hans’s message from one of the Wandering-Wasps, the three prisoners have been freed and should be joining us shortly; then we will march on the Palace.’

read the next episode…

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: HOSPITAL, APPOINTMENT, SCAN
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: BLANKET

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE!

Previously

Mr Eyre paced the cell slowly, ‘we could use the bracelet to escape,’ he turned to face Bryony, ‘but that won’t help us find your sister, although in our current predicament…’ his voice tailed off as he caught a glimpse of the gallows outside the narrow window of their prison.

Bryony was about to reply when a strange, beetle-like creature came racing down the passageway and skidded to a halt in front of their barred cell. Glancing nervously over its shoulder, it reached under one of its armoured wing cases and drew out a key, which was almost as big as itself, and dropped it on the floor in front of them; then without a word – if indeed it could speak – it turned and scuttled off, back in the direction from where it came.

Bryony swiftly retrieved the key and Mr Eyre applied it to the lock; a moment later the cell door swung open. They were about to follow their strange, silent rescuer, when an ashy-faced woman appeared from the shadows of the cell opposite; the key fitted that door too.

Mr Eyre raised an optimistic eyebrow, ‘now all we need to do is get out of the building.’

on to the next chapter…

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – SLOW, CAMERA, SHY
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: ARMOUR

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE!

Previously

Bethany stared round-eyed at Lobelia as she fluttered through the open window and landed at Greta’s feet, without doubt, the anxious creature was one of the faerie folk; Lobelia returned Bethany’s astonished gaze, ‘so the golden-haired child has returned!’

‘We thought so too, Lobelia, but she wasn’t wearing the travelling bracelet we left for her, so she can’t be,’ said Greta, looking at Bethany doubtfully, ‘she just appeared out of nowhere, and now two more Other Worlders are here; Captain Stinger and his soldiers took them away just now.’ Greta slammed the window shut, ‘you say the Shoemaker’s wife has been arrested for Word-Singing?’

Lobelia nodded, her wings drooping for a moment, ‘so many people have been taken away for Word Crimes since the Owl-King arrived: we must do something to restore justice!’ cried Lobelia. ‘All the other faeries have gone into hiding until a solution is found,’ she stared up at Bethany, ‘and if she isn’t the golden-haired child, who can we pin our hopes on?’

Greta looked at Hans, ‘I think the time has come for us to take matters into our own hands; after all, the Owl-King doesn’t know that Bethany isn’t the golden-haired child, does he?’

on to the next episode!

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – PIN, SOLUTION, WITH
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: RESTORE

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

More Sixes here!

Previously

Bryony’s face itched from the thick hessian of the hood that had been forced over her head; behind her she heard the rasps of Mr Eyre’s breathing, as Captain Stinger and his guards herded them across the wooden bridge that crossed the Owl-King’s Great Divide.

They stumbled off the slatted planks and their forced march continued through what Bryony, from the late-season scent of autumn leaves, could tell was woodland, until eventually Captain Stinger called a halt; their hoods were removed and she and Mr Eyre were left blinking in the sunlight.

A towering, pink-stoned palace, surrounded by emerald-coloured lawns, rose up before them reminding Bryony of an illustration in ‘The Wizard of Oz’, a volume she’d been given as a keepsake by a favourite aunt.

‘To the dungeons!’ yelled Captain Stinger and once again they were on the move, escorted swiftly to a drab grey out-building set within a high-walled yard; ‘you will await your fate here,’ the Captain announced, glancing meaningfully at the gallows in the corner.

Dread welled up in Bryony’s stomach; Mr Eyre took a breath and squared his shoulders: ‘Surely your Owl-King will permit us a fair trial?

No reply came from their grim-faced captor.

/…next episode.

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – ALLOW, PERMIT, SEASON
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: KEEPSAKE

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

Join the party and read more #SixSentenceStories here!

Previously

Bethany stared after Bryony and Mr Eyre as they were marched away by the strange-looking soldiers in their indigo field dress, their fierce-looking weapons making her fear for her sister and tutor’s treatment at their hands. ‘Where are they taking them, Greta?’

‘Those are the Owl-King’s soldiers, they patrol his Kingdom making sure everyone obeys the laws and rounding up Other-Worlders, they’ll be taking them beyond the Great Divide to the Owl-King’s Palace,’ Greta glanced through the window to where Hans was returning from speaking to Captain Stinger, she sighed heavily and continued in a hollow voice, ‘no-one who has been taken there has ever been seen again.’

Hans stomped through the doorway, taking one last look down the now empty path which led across the forest, ‘I managed to satisfy Captain Stinger’s suspicions, for the time being at least,’ he raised his eyebrows in Greta’s direction, ‘but what we do now…’ his gaze rested on Bethany, his forehead furrowing.

A moment later, a tiny oval-shaped face with pointed ears and piercing blue eyes appeared at the window; Greta flung it open: ‘whatever is it, Lobelia?’

Lobelia’s wings fluttered anxiously, ‘it’s the Shoemaker’s wife, she’s been arrested for Word Singing!’

/….to be continued.

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Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – HOLLOW, SATISFY, FIELD
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: TREATMENT

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

More #SixSentenceStories here!