Volume 1, Issue 1

Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Contents Letter from the Editor 2 Poetry 3 Stories 10 Outcast 10 The Cost of Freedom 35 Pride Goes Before the Fall 49 Virendril 56 Upcoming Books from Misty 63 List of Fairs and Conventions 64 Submission Instructions 65 Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Letter from the Editor As you can see Golden Grove is back and gone digital now that some of the legal restrictions have been loosened. I’m hoping to make this a 3 times a year publication, but that is going to be dependent on the number of submissions I get. Scroll down to the last page for submission instructions. I’m willing to publish submissions in any of the following areas: Poetry, fan-fiction (Misty’s as well as any original Sci-Fi/Fantasy works), original artwork , Fairs and Convention dates and details, book reviews and rank advancement requirements for Queen’s Own. Please keep all writing and artwork PG. And don’t forget to submit your release form. Golden Grove will be published as a PDF file which most computers can read using Adobe’s free viewer (http://get.adobe.com/reader ). It also gives those with an e- Reader the ability to read Golden Grove on their device though you may not be able to see the beautiful colors of our readers’ artwork. I hope to publish issues of Golden Grove on or about the 10 th of the following months: January, May and September. Though that may change based on outside demands beyond my control. Wind to thy Wings, Herald Nalei Rayskeline Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Moonstar Crystal blue eyes Long white hair Wisdom Belying her age Clothes of Sapphire, Amethyst, and Emerald Silk Tunic, leather trews Beautiful clothing against her tanned skin Living in a treetop Enclosed in her ekele Protected from the wind Surrounded by books Happy or sad Quiet or loud Never Caught in between Never Halfway Woman of change Far from static Loving the Starry-Eyed And all that she stands for Loss and New Beginnings Curled against Shadowlyte She cried out her pain She felt her lover’s blood pour Through her fingers Gentle hands pulled her away Nightfall’s body lay in a heap Moonstar’s world shifted Shadowlyte let her cry her eyes out And pulled her mind back into place Over the summer the two became close Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Moonstar had a new lover A woman this time A lover who was a better friend Song of a Battle Moonstar, Healer-Adept of the k’Vala Clan Goes to help Outlanders in another land Healer-Adept dressed in green Rushes to help make others clean Meeting a Mercenary along the way Traveling together at least that day Camping near a river Getting wet with a shiver Never making it to separate beds Feeling each other’s light shine in their heads Deciding to travel together to Haven Knowing of the war, thinking of the lives they were saven Mercenary helping out his native land Healer offering her helping hand Traveled together for a week Entering the town far from meek Heralds’ are meeting them from the Crown Along with soldiers from the town In one big group they all set out For Enthusiasm, the townspeople raise a shout Enemies fighting at dawn Gory battles with demonspawn Death following on both sides Blood falling in awful tides Defeating demons in the end Into the Outlands the mages they send Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Moonstar’s Words to a Mercenary I have seen you I have felt you I have mated with you Knowing you were destined for another I have felt your love for her I have felt you pushing away from me With all that you have To stay with her And keep your love pure You feel for her Near to what you felt for your wife Before she died I see you wasting that love For some misguided sense of purpose That hurts the Healer in me To see you both causing yourselves So much pain The Embrace Walking into the room Moonstar stopped and stared with awe Shadowlyte whom she hadn’t seen In two years was standing there Beautiful in body and spirit, She was standing there Moonstar’s arms ached to hold her Moonstar’s heart ached to speak with her But she stood silently watching Wolf was there, near Always near Catya The Herald to whom his heart belonged “It would never have been mine” she knew They were Outlanders and belonged together As to we Tayledras Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Not together permanently Just, always, casual lovers “Oh but I want her” Moonstar’s body cried out, Rebelling against the eyes That just wanted to observe So her voice cried out the name, “Shadowlyte” filled with Emotion, filled with raw emotion Moonstar saw the beauty in watching her Turn her face Lighting with recognition Moonstar’s heart leapt to her throat Her lover’s eyes were glistening As she whispered “Moonstar” Just the one word, the one word Filled with the same love, friendship and desire They moved as one, crossing the room Rushing to one another Arms wrapping around each other Mouths embracing Tongues mingling Bodies together saying everything They were thinking Everything was said in The embrace. The Forest Dayfire ran through the forest She greeted it with reckless abandon Though a woman in body The child of her spirit called to her She danced with the joy Feeling the love of her Goddess Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Dayfire bowed to the greatness The child of her spirit called to her The mate of her body stood before her She embraced Nightfall He joined in her dance of love The child of her spirit called to her Then he was gone He was lost to her Her joy turned to emptiness The child of her spirit called to her She fell to her knees She felt the love of her Goddess Embraced by the forest The child of her spirit cried for her Dawn Laying against the Herald The small Tayledras woman almost feared daybreak Now she was no longer alone Wrapped in the Herald’s arms she knew it would end They had one night Perhaps that was all in a world filled with such rage They filled a void Within each other they soothed the hurts of ones who were lost Now dawn was a sigh on the horizon Together they awakened, together they loved, and now together they faced the world Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Hameesheh/Forever I feel the air fill my lungs I feel you fill my heart I feel you pumping through my veins Causing a rushing, burning, yearning Need I feel the stone sheltering me from the storm I feel you sheltering me from the hurt I feel you soothing my heart Causing a rushing, burning, yearning Need I feel the fire warming my body I feel your passion warming my soul I feel you heating my blood Causing a rushing, burning, yearning Need I feel the water cleansing me I feel you cleansing my mind I feel you washing away the pain Causing a rushing, burning, yearning Need ~Kendra J. Renaud 11-19-02 Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 Outcast by Catherine Wood and Kendra Renaud The Shin’a’in guide who finally came to take Dawnweaver to Pretara’sedrin’s summer pastures surprised Heartsblood with his age, or more accurately, his lack thereof. The hunter- scout called Tanden looked to be approximately Heartsblood’s age, but he was far less mature. It seemed strange that someone so young be sent, after the Elder who had come originally to interview Dawnweaver following her inquiry into apprenticeship with the Pretara’sedrin rug weaver, Had’nira. The elderly artist herself had not made that first journey, as she had already judged Dawnweaver to be a worthy pupil based on her work. The Elder had come accompanied by two very intimidating Kal’enedral, to judge whether Dawnweaver was worthy of being adopted into the Grasscat Clan, if only temporarily. Dawnweaver had easily passed their inspection, so why did this youngling, who had only been sent as a guide, feel compelled to interview her again? Tanden folded his arms across his chest, increasing his look of self-importance. “There will be no hertasi there to dress you and minister to your needs.” After half a mark of this insulting questioning, even sweet-natured Dawnweaver was becoming cross. “Do you see any hertasi here?” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm to take in the ekele around them. “Not all Tayledras warrant the personal service of the hertasi, and most of those who do are perfectly capable of dressing and caring for themselves.” She mirrored his authoritative stance, crossing her arms, her eyes flashing defiantly. Off to the side, Heartsblood smiled and leaned back in her chair, in order to give Grasshadow more room on her lap. This young man was going to have to learn quickly that this was no way to treat a guest of your Clan, much less a woman. Dawnweaver needed no help from her older sister to settle this matter, but the amusing exchange was keeping Heartsblood’s mind off her own approaching departure from the Raven Vale. Tanden’s skull seemed very thick. “You must be able to defend yourself. The Plains can be very dangerous.” Golden Grove Vol. 1 Issue 1 “And the Pelagirs aren’t?” Dawnweaver rolled her eyes.

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