Monthly Featured Piece

Although it may seem like nothing has been left of the old website save for but the smallest of whispers here and there, this is one beloved page that has not changed. As empowering as it is to start a brand new website from scratch (almost from scratch, anyway) and start afresh, I wanted to keep at least one solid remnant of Literary Love with us and I've always loved the Monthly Featured Piece page, so here it is. You'll find it's the same as ever except for a new external makeover.

This page will have a monthly featured piece of writing that I feel is worth being displayed on my website for that month. It could be a creative narrative, script, poem, essay, report or any other kind of writing I created. Below will be my featured piece for the month followed by an archive of previously featured writing pieces so you can read up on a piece that you might have missed.

I really think that this system is much more organized than my previous one of mish-moshing all of my work together on one page. It gave me a headache to look at it, to be honest. From now on, I'm making an effort to really keep this site clean and organized (which is more than I can say for my bedroom).

So please read and enjoy. Remember I love feedback so pay a visit to the forum afterward to share your opinion, or send me feedback.

November's's Monthly Featured Piece

Tharion's Beginning

Chapter One: Fresh Grief

“Mama? Do you need anything?” the little elven boy whispered. Lila’s glazed eyes focused for a moment on her son. She exhaled loudly.

“Play with your sister, Tharion,” she mumbled, resuming her blank stare out the window of their filthy hollow. Tharion’s stomach ached with hunger, but he would not tell her that. He had to take care of his family now. It was selfish of him to complain when his mother and sister needed him.

“Yes, Mama,” he muttered and left to find his sister. Soft hiccoughs and sniffles led him to her. She was hiding under a pile of dirty rags their mother kept meaning to wash, but never did. “Gwydion, what’s wrong?” he asked, picking her up out of the filthy mess. She wiped her runny nose on his dirty tunic.

“Tummy hurt… hungee…” she wept. Tharion sighed and hugged her. He had to feed her somehow.

“Come on. Let’s go find some food,” he told her, carrying her out of their little hovel and down the dirt path to the local marketplace. Many vendors of different races were selling their goods out of wagons and makeshift stands. All the fresh produce from the fields displayed in front of them made the two children’s mouths water. Gwydion saw a basket of fresh apples and giggled, reaching out to grab one, but Tharion gently pulled her hand away. “No, Gwydion. We have no money to buy that. It’s not right to steal.” Gwydion started to cry. She was too young to understand the concept of money and couldn’t understand why her brother wouldn’t let her eat when she was hungry.

“Hungee…” she tried to tell him again.

“I know. I’m hungry, too but we can’t steal. Papa always said –“ Tharion stopped. It hurt to think about his father.

“When Papa come home?” Gwydion asked, tugging playfully on her brother’s obsidian locks.

“He’s not coming home, Gwydion. He’s gone… he’s in the Realm of the Dead,” he muttered. It was why their mother was so lethargic, why he heard her cry herself to sleep every night, why Tharion had to become a parent to both Gwydion and his mother. Gwydion just blinked and started complaining about her stomach again. She doesn’t understand, Tharion thought sadly.

“Why hello there, young man,” a podgy human woman beamed as she walked up to the children, carrying a pile of radishes in her apron over her work skirts. Her name was Elsa. She was good friends with the children’s mother. “How is your poor mother? I haven’t seen much of her in nearly a moon.”

“Well enough, ma’am, thank you for asking,” Tharion replied, remembering his manners. Elsa smiled sympathetically at the two small elves as she brushed a strand of curly brunette hair dampened with sweat out of her eyes.

“Well that’s good. I’m so very sorry about your father, dear. It was very unfortunate, but no one can predict when or where those dragons are going to strike next. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose,” she sighed sadly. Tharion got a tight pain in his chest and blinked hard.

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed quietly. Elsa wiped her eyes quickly with the hem of her collar and smiled at Gwydion.

“Hello there, Gwydion. How are you this morning?” she asked. Gwydion pouted and buried her face in her brother’s tunic.

“Hungee…” she mumbled. Tharion frowned. He knew she was too small to understand social etiquette, but he did wish she would keep her complaints to herself sometimes. He stroked her hair comfortingly anyway. Elsa frowned.

“You poor children look like you haven’t had a proper meal in ages,” she told them reproachfully. “I’m afraid I don’t have much to spare. My little ones need to be fed, too, but here are some radishes. I hope they tide you over for a little while, at least,” she offered, handing each child a radish from her apron. Gwydion shoved the entire radish in her mouth immediately and chewed loudly. Tharion frowned and lightly pinched her nose, because he knew she didn’t like it.

“Gwydion, chew nicely,” he scolded. Gwydion glared at her brother, but closed her mouth and chewed slower. Elsa gave a hearty laugh.

“Oh, she’s adorable. Well, I’d best be on my way. You say hello to your mother for me, Tharion.”

“I will, ma’am. Thank you very much.” Tharion bit his lip as Elsa walked away. She was a kind lady and it had been very nice of her to give them some of her radishes, but why did people have to keep telling him how sorry they were about his father? It only made it hurt more.

“Thawion… hungee…” Gwydion whined once she had swallowed her radish.

“Still?” he asked. She nodded. With a small sigh, Tharion gave her his radish. “Here. You can have mine, but chew it nicely,” he reminded her. She giggled and nodded and this time, ate it one bite at a time. Every once in a while, she would offer him a bite, but he would shake his head and ignore his stomach growling in protest. She was still just a baby and needed the food more than he did. He did try to find some leftovers in the marketplace, however.

Tharion carried his fussy sister down the dusty path. Whenever a merchant called out to him, trying to sell him his wares, Tharion just shook his head and politely declined. He could find no discarded food anywhere and after three hours of walking and carrying Gwydion’s weight, he was exhausted. Gwydion was starting to complain about the heat and Tharion decided it was best to take her home and get her some water. He could use some, himself.

“Do you feel better?” Tharion asked her once they were back at their hut and she had some water to drink. She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Despite his own empty stomach and weariness, he smiled as well and kissed her forehead. “Good. I’m going to see if Mama wants anything. Stay here,” he told her.

“Kay,” she told him, taking another gulp from her water skin. Tharion knew she would stay. She almost always listened to him, especially after their mother had stopped paying attention to her. He went around to the back where he found his mother kneeling in the dying vegetable patch, weeping. His chest feeling tight, Tharion went over to her and hugged her.

“It’s alright, Mama,” he muttered. She gave a weak smile through her tears and patted Tharion on the head.

“I miss him so much…” she choked. Tharion nodded.

“I know, Mama,” he whispered. She heaved a great sigh and slumped over.

“Is Gwydion fed?”

“Yes, Mama,”

“And you?”

“Yes,” he lied. Lila broke down in tears again, covering her face with her hands. “Come, Mama. I’ll tend the patch and take you to bed,” he offered, helping his mother stand. Hiccoughing, she nodded.

“You’re a good boy, Tharion. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she whispered. Tharion said nothing, but just took his mother’s hand and led her to bed. He waited until she was asleep to go out and finish tending the vegetables where Lila had left off. It was dusk by the time he had finished.

Tharion dragged his sore, malnourished body back inside the hut. Lila was still sleeping and Gwydion was beginning to doze off. He picked her up and carried her to the cot which was nothing more than two cotton sheets sewed together, stuffed with hay that the two siblings shared. He tucked her in first before climbing in himself. “Goodnight, Gwydion,” he mumbled sleepily, stifling a yawn.

“’Night… wuv you…” she sighed, already closing her eyes.

“I love you, too,” he assured her, making sure she had all the blankets before resting his head to drift off to sleep himself. Maybe I’ll be able to eat tomorrow, he thought to himself hopefully before letting sleep envelop him.

Chapter Two: A Challenge ->

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