Return and Other Stories Based on the Novel Arianna's Tale

By LA Quill

From the author of fantasy novel "Arianna's Tale" come ten new short stories set in the magickal world of Vorima. These stories, featuring the main characters introduced in "Arianna's Tale," give the reader further insight into the characters and aid in the understanding of the greater plot of the entire Imperial Series.

Some of the stories included in this anthology take place before the events portrayed in "Arianna's Tale." These include "Arrival," "Deception," "Exiled," and "Awakening." The first two deal with Damuk and his family. The second two with Arianna and hers.

The other six stories all happen within the novel but are not described. All ten short stories are alluded to during the course of the novel. If you enjoyed any of the novels in The Imperial Series, are looking for a quick introduction to the world of Vorima, or simply want a fun and interesting read, this anthology is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tear Drop Books
• Release date: Jan 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465945549

LA Quill

LA Quill was raised on the Canadian prairies. She has been fascinated with myth and fantasy since she was a small child. As she grew into adulthood, a fascination with the written word developed. She majored in English with a focus in creative writing when she attended university and is now pursuing her PhD. She also studies anthropology, religions, and politics, all of which contribute to her written work. Today, LA Quill resides in central Canada with her two sons. She is a full-time writer and is the author of the popular Imperial Series and the forthcoming Crystal's Chronicles. She also has several other projects in the works. If you're interested in discovering more about LA Quill and her work, connect with her through her blog: http://laquill.blogspot.com/

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Return

And Other Stories Based on the Novel Arianna’s Tale

By LA Quill

Copyright 2012 LA Quill

Published by Tear Drop Books

Smashwords Edition

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NOVELS BY LA QUILL

THE IMPERIAL SERIES

ARIANNA`S TALE

DRAGON`S TEMPEST

THIEF’S HEARTACHE

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

RETURN AND OTHER STORIES

INITIATION AND OTHER STORIES

Table of Contents

It Starts With a Dream …

Arrival

Deception

Exiled

Awakening

Rescue

Execution

Agony

Rejection

Return

Confrontation

About the Author

It Starts With a Dream …

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about Arianna’s Tale in the year since it was first published. And now that its sequel, Dragon’s Tempest, has just been released, the question I’m asked most often is this: Where do you get your ideas? The answer is a little cliché, because the only answer I have is that they come from my dreams. That may sound like the stock answer most authors give, but it’s the only one I’ve got.

Arianna’s Tale began with a series of dreams. The first of those dreams never made it into the novel. It’s the story of Arianna’s mother, Edwina, and how she ended up in the tiny village of Icana Valley. The dream was vivid and almost frighteningly clear. I saw Edwina, with her blond hair and green eyes, just as I saw Cadfael. To me, they became real people, even though I knew they were just a dream. They were real to the point where they demanded to have their story written down, and written down accurately.

So I obliged. I wrote their story down and kept going, following the tale of Edwina’s daughter. But at some point during the editing process, Edwina’s story got edited out, disappearing from the final product forever. I understood this decision, even if I was annoyed with the editor at the time. After all, Arianna’s Tale is about Arianna, not about Edwina. Edwina’s story doesn’t really belong and the finished novel is better served by the allusion to what happened in the past, and not by actually writing it all down for the reader to pour over.

But the story was there. I’d written it, and it was interesting and compelling. I set it aside in the hopes that one day it might see the light of day. I promised myself that one day I’d find some way to use what I’d written. In another book, maybe. I thought perhaps one day I’d turn Edwina’s tale into a novel of its own. But that was only a perhaps. I wasn’t sure how I’d use it, but I was determined to find a way eventually.

This wasn’t the only time it happened, either. Entire chapters were deleted from Arianna’s Tale, deemed not really relevant to the story, even if they were interesting and oddly compelling. If I have one problem as an author, it’s including too much background information, at least according to my editor. So I lived with the deletions and various changes, knowing that I had a wealth of material still waiting for me to repurpose.

And then Arianna’s Tale was finally published. People were buying it and loving it, apparently. I started to see some reviews and even got a few e-mails from readers. Most people had something positive to say, but they also had questions. Beyond the classic, Where did this idea come from? I got other questions. What happened to Arianna’s mother? What about Damuk’s history? Why is Darian so determined to abandon Arianna after Edwina dies? How did Cybil fake her death? And on and on.

For a while, I mostly ignored the questions. I didn’t have an answer, or at least not one that wouldn’t take pages worth of e-mails to explain. One day, Jonathan, who I consider my partner in crime, was reading through some of the e-mails I had received. I was hanging out on the couch, doing a lot of nothing. I was very busy. Okay, honestly, I was just trying to take a nap. I’d just finished Dragon’s Tempest and felt a rest was in order.

After a little while, Jonathan got up from his chair and sat on the couch beside me. He smacked my leg a few times to get my attention. When I finally opened my eyes, he said only, Why don’t we answer?

I looked at him curiously, not really getting it. I was still a little asleep, or trying to be.

Knowing how I am when I’m half-asleep, he realized that I really didn’t understand the question. The e-mails. About what happens. Let’s answer.

I considered pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about, but didn’t bother. I don’t think I have that kind of time. In my defense, there were a lot of questions, especially in some of the e-mails we’d received. If I remember correctly, one young woman had thirty-four questions in a single e-mail. I really didn’t have that kind of time. I needed a nap and I had a deadline coming up that I was busy ignoring.

Jonathan was already shaking his head. I don’t mean reply to the e-mails.

Now he had my attention. He had a new idea blossoming in his mind. I didn’t say anything, just waited. His best ideas always come when I say nothing.

Short stories. Publish a collection. He was obviously excited about the idea of coaching me though another project so soon after finishing Dragon’s Tempest.

But I had to disappoint him. I’m not any good at short stories. They all come out as novels. This was true, as far as it went. I get carried away and a 1000-word short story quickly becomes a 100,000-word novel. I can’t seem to help myself.

You don’t have to write short stories, he replied. Just fill in the blanks.

And the ball started rolling. As it turned out, enough material had been deleted from Arianna’s Tale for six short stories. To hit the magic number of ten stories, I didn’t have to write very much. Why ten? Ask Jonathan. He’s the one who said ten. I just write the things.

Everything in this collection was already a part of the story. Some of it was just unwritten. So I hope you enjoy learning more about Arianna, her companions, and her world. They might not be earthshaking tales, but hopefully they’ll answer some of the questions readers of Arianna’s Tale might have. These stories are in chronological order, so they should be easy enough to fit into the timeline of Arianna’s Tale.

If you haven’t read Arianna’s Tale, there will be parts of these stories that you feel should be more fully explained. They are explained, but in the novel. This anthology is designed as a companion piece, to be read in conjunction with Arianna’s Tale. It doesn’t matter which one you read first, but you’ll find yourself with a richer understanding of Arianna and her friends if you read both.

Arrival

Raewkon stood in the doorway watching the young girl-slave writhing in pain. She was covered with a fine sheen of sweat and had bitten through her lip, but she remained stubbornly silent. If she hadn’t been a slave, he might admire her for her solid stoicism. As it was, he was simply impatient.

The Emperor moved to one side as the midwife returned and scurried into the dark chamber. He watched her set out hot water and towels before fussing with blankets and fluffing pillows for the agonized girl. His eyes played over the slave’s face as he struggled to remember her. He thought he had a vague memory of a quick interlude in his study, but that might have been any of a hundred slave-girls. Raewkon wasn’t exactly picky when it came to bedding slave-girls.

Shaking his head, Raewkon decided it didn’t matter. She was about to give birth to his son. He was certain of that, having compared the blood markers of the unborn child to his own several months ago. He had no attachment to the girl, but the child was worth more than her weight in gold.

How much longer? he asked the midwife as the girl uttered a muffled cry.

The midwife shook her head but didn’t look up from her ministrations. There’s no way to tell, Sire. It could be a candlemark. It could be more.

Raewkon nodded crisply and turned away. Send for me the moment the child is born. He strode down the dark corridor, ignoring the slaves who