“The summer evening passed in a slow, bad dream for Warren. He suspected it was like pushing through the heavy sludge of a nightmare for all of them. Gran had been the one to help Iain into a standing position and support him into the kitchen, where she let him collapse into a chair. WarrenContinue reading “Final Part of The Dark Rider and Who Was Morgan Le Fey?”
Tag Archives: YA
The Dark Rider part 22 and Who is Gwyn ap Nudd?
“Iain Dyfed’s bent back came into view on the other side of the hedgerow, yellow polo shirt covered in mud-stains from his fingers. He whistled an old hymn through his teeth that Warren had forgotten the name of. “Dad!” he yelped. “Hi!” Iain straightened and glanced over his shoulder. “Afternoon. Hello, who’s this?” Mr. Rye’sContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 22 and Who is Gwyn ap Nudd?”
The Dark Rider part 21 and the Horn of Plenty
“Two years ago, when Warren started at the grammar school, two friends from his old Year Six class came with him – Robbie and Sam. Rob was a boy a head shorter than Warren with wild, sandy hair and a penchant for fixing badges on his long, beige coat and school-bag, mostly band logos andContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 21 and the Horn of Plenty”
The Dark Rider part 20 and a cupfull about cauldrons
“‘Dad, um, this is, er, Billy. You know… the one I lent Carlton to,” Warren lied. He glared at Kay meaningfully. Kay stood and scratched his head, his eyebrows furrowing together. He was clearly at a loss for what to say or do next but was present-minded enough not to contradict Warren or to askContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 20 and a cupfull about cauldrons”
The Dark Rider part 19 & one or two things about swords
“I don’t understand,” Warren said. His skin was slick and his upper lip tasted of salt. He swiped his forearm across his stinging eyes and stuck the spade upright in the soil. “Don’t the nymphs – or whatever they are – mind us digging around like this?” “Yes,” Merlyn said. He looked a little lessContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 19 & one or two things about swords”
The Dark Rider part 18 and a note about disrespectful writers
“Warren leaned against the wall and scowled. It wasn’t fair. It was as if there was some hidden conspiracy to keep him from meeting Arthur, as if he wasn’t good enough, or as if the King was too dangerous. It rankled. Lyons showed no signs of coming back. Nobody had come to relieve the guard.Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 18 and a note about disrespectful writers”
The Dark Rider part 17 & Susan Cooper
“A man was struggling with a horse near a stone monument – an old, Gothic-style cross carved out of thick, white stone but too large for a grave-marker. The horse – a big, black stallion with a white star in the centre of its forehead – refused to stay still while the man tried andContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 17 & Susan Cooper”
The Dark Rider part 16, Arthurian myth, and Thomas Malory
“George strode behind Mr. Peterson’s desk and broke open the drawers, riffling through them and pocketing a couple of items. He moved around the benches, calm and methodical, turning on the gas taps one by one. “Ready?” he said. “But… what…?” “Office now, yes? Let’s take a peek at those filing cabinets.” He shut theContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 16, Arthurian myth, and Thomas Malory”
The Dark Rider Part 12 (excerpt) and “Terminal”
George stayed in bed all the next morning. Warren rolled out of his blankets and tugged one of his brother’s legs, which was dangling over the side of the top bunk. “Off,” George mumbled into his pillow. “About what happened last night–” “Eh?” “About the Land Laid Waste–” “There isn’t such a thing as aContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 12 (excerpt) and “Terminal””
The Dark Rider part 11 (excerpt)
Warren peeked out. Men in armour, some helmeted, others not, sat in lines along two tables large enough to fill the hall. They were eating and drinking and some were obviously drunk. The only one who looked bored was a masked man lounging in a separate chair against one wall. The chair was covered inContinue reading “The Dark Rider part 11 (excerpt)”
Part 10 of the Dark Rider (excerpt)
“The night was warm, though not as warm as it had been in Warren’s bedroom. The way they followed narrowed, more sand and dust and debris encroaching on the track, until suddenly the dunes fell away to reveal a dried-out moat. On the other side of it, a couple of lights shone in a dark,Continue reading “Part 10 of the Dark Rider (excerpt)”
Part 9 of The Dark Rider (excerpt)
A huge, round rock stood in the middle of the lawn, shaped like the grinding stones used in old flour mills, except this was carved. There were letters around its edge. Warren stared, ringing silence filling his ears. He called out for his father, asking what the stone was for, but there was no answer.Continue reading “Part 9 of The Dark Rider (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…
“The storm rumbled on throughout the night until it was directly over the farm, coughing and bellowing and sending vibrations through the furniture. It had pelted with rain hard enough to sound like lead pellets being shot at a tin roof and hail fell in the early hours. All the family were heavy-eyed and irritable,Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…”
The Dark Rider: Snow, Time, Bones Part 6 (excerpt)
“I know he’s here. He’s bound to have come after us. Where is he?” Warren understood. “He’s the school guidance counsellor now. But what are you going to do? You can’t harm him.” “I can try, look you. He has a blimmin’ body, and bodies have nerve endings!” “YouContinue reading “The Dark Rider: Snow, Time, Bones Part 6 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part 5 (excerpt)
At last, as Warren was busy talking to Lyons at the gate, Ulfeus came. Ulfeus was a heavyset man with jowls and fair hair. His eyelashes were long and faint. He breathed hard when he walked. “I’ve come to offer King Ythr’s hand in marriage to the Lady Egrayne, on his behalf,” he wheezed. HisContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 5 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part 4 (excerpt)
The kitchens were devoid of people awake. A couple of servant-boys lay huddled in blankets near the long fireplace. Not wanting to disturb them, he crept around a large cauldron and hunched in its shadow, wishing he had asked the Duke for something warmer to wear when he had the chance. Warren dozed, woke andContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part 4 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider: Part 3 (excerpt)
Silence stretched between the man and the boy, punctuated by the sounds of people shouting and moving in the courtyard below. “Are you afraid?” Gorla asked conversationally. “Of what?” “Of pain. Injury. Death.” “Isn’t everybody?” “True. What of the Dark Rider? Does he instil fear in you?” “How can I be afraid of something whenContinue reading “The Dark Rider: Part 3 (excerpt)”
The Dark Rider Part II (Excerpt)
They sat on a grey rock at the side of the path for her to regain her breath. Warren placed the palms of his hands on the cool stone, and as he did so, the air blew cooler and harsher. Leaves skirled above them, red and brown and dry. The sky shone grey. He loweredContinue reading “The Dark Rider Part II (Excerpt)”
A new story begins: The Dark Rider (on Wattpad)
I have joined the community of writers and readers on Wattpad, serialising a YA fantasy novel that retells some old Arthurian myths and tales through the time-travels of a thirteen-year-old boy and his eccentric twin-lifed grandmother. An excerpt from The Dark Rider: Warren slept until the early stretches of morning. He opened his eyes, suddenlyContinue reading “A new story begins: The Dark Rider (on Wattpad)”
Nightwalks 