It’s time for another SFF Saturday Snippet! What’s SFF Saturday? It’s a group of authors who post snippets of SFF prose and poetry for comment. You can check out other SFF Saturday posts, too.
My snippet is another few lines from a work in progress called Herald (at the moment). Eventually, the project be a fantasy loosely based on the Hundred Years War, but it’s in the very early draft stages (as in, you’re pretty much getting the words as I type em).
I’ve put all the previous snippets together here, if you need to catch up.
When we last saw Denis and the enemy King of Angth, night had fallen on the battlefield. Denis’s job is done.
Strong arms lifted him to standing and the Red King’s voice rang in his ear. “Time to return to your people, Denis. Mitchell will see you back. Eat and rest and see to your ablutions, for I will be calling on the Soleil d’Or, ere the night ends.”
“Sire.” Denis’s reply was a brittle thing that broke and shattered in the night air.
The King left him with Mitchell, who helped him back across the a battlefield hushed with the low cries of the dead. Before they reached the Revenan camp, he pulled Mitchell to a stop. “I can walk the rest of the way unaided.”
He’d be damned if he’d let the Prince think him weak.
Ann Laurel Kopchik 
He’s a strong character, Denis. And stubborn. I always like that in a character. As usual, your sense of atmosphere is fantastic.
Thank you! He has a fierce pride in his calling.
I do enjoy these snippets. Denis is an interesting character. I love the undercurrents of political maneuvering between the two camps. You’ve created a wonderful tension and kept it going. Keep up the great work!
Thanks. 🙂
Ditto to JM and JC’s comment. Brilliant stuff.
Thank you. 🙂
Still love the whole concept and Denis as the middleman between these two camps and the toll it takes on him. Great scene!
Thanks. 🙂 I’ve enjoyed writing and sharing these snippets.
I love the whole idea.
🙂 Thanks!
Leave it to politics to interfere with a perfectly good war. I like what you’ve done with the story so far. Great job!
Thanks so much. 🙂 There’s going to be a lot of politics… and poor Denis stuck in the middle.
Wow… I read the previous snippets to catch up. Phenomenal work. I like the tone, the setting, the voice… And Denis is a great character!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I love how the period feel is extended into the dialogue. Not many authors can do that without it sounding weird, but when done right it adds an extra oomph. The King’s statement fit perfectly with the setting. The snippet was awesome!
Thanks Tara! I’m glad the dialogue worked. 🙂
“Denis’s reply was a brittle thing that broke and shattered in the night air.” – a really beautiful and evocative line. This whole sequence is very strong, with raw emotions and deep feelings. I am very impressed.
Thanks Peter. You’re making me blush.