Excerpt: Untitled

Amethyst accepted the tin bowl of blackberry cobbler with a smile of thanks at the serving maid. The girl smiled back, already a regular recipient of the generous largesse Amethyst tended to spread about to those who tended to her needs. Watching the girl move to the Werens' table, she noted how short work was made not only of serving out dessert, but collecting empty plates before vacating the area.

Glancing down, Amethyst took a moment to appreciate the golden crust swimming atop a thick, rich purple sea of berry filling. The cook here was really a deft hand in the baking department, she thought while taking her first, dainty bite. A look up showed that Brian was gazing at her with an expression of mild disapproval. For some reason she couldn't quite fathom, the golden haired young man seemed to think he was the leader of their expedition. it was a notion she hadn't yet bothered to disabuse him of, but it appeared the time to do so was drawing nigh.

She knew, in that way women always know such things, that he was biding his time and planning to propose to her. She supposed Brian was nice enough, but 'nice' wasn't a good reason to shackle one's self to another for life. After the weeks of travelling that had led them to Adersol, Amethyst was also quite certain that neither Brian nor Peter actually qualified as men just yet.

No, compared to the men who lived life outside of stone walls, both were still merely boys. The men out here knew that peace could disappear in the blink of an eye; that death could come roaring over the border at any given moment.

In the same vein, Amethyst realized she wasn't yet the woman her age supposedly granted her the status of being. No, not compared to those that walked around with long knives and daggers dangling from their waists and considered the most important accessory of choice. These women were prepared to defend their children and themselves at the drop of a hat; spitting in Death's eye in order to do so.

Adersol was two worlds away from the one she was accustomed to. Her world consisted of teas in richly appointed drawing rooms, fancy dress balls and sedate canters around the park. Even the thrilling hunts occurring outside Taryton's protective walls didn't measure up to life on the frontier. She was a stranger in a land she knew little of, wanting to cross over into one that was even more wildly dangerous.

Dessert neatly and appreciatively disposed of, Amethyst dabbed at her lips and laid her napkin on the table. Her next act was to pull her small, leatherbound diary and fountain pen from her purse. She had just done so when Brian cleared his throat and announced, "I think we should go upstairs to discuss a few matters."

Lifting her head, Amethyst delivered a level gaze. Brian instantly confirmed her new opinion of him as still being a boy by flushing pink and hastily asking, "Don't you think, Amy?"

"I think," she leaned an elbow against the edge of the table and thoughtfully tapped her bottom lip with the end of the pen."That retiring is a better idea for this night. The three of you go on ahead, and I'll be up once I've taken care of my day's entry."

"What a wonderful idea!" Sally enthused as if by pre-arranged cue. The blonde, seated the closest to the Weren occupied table, had been slowly creeping down the shared bench all throughout the meal. Another inch, and Amethyst was certain Sally would be in her lap. "P'raps the upstairs drawing room for a hand of whist and a brandy before bed?"

Peter, who was a thin, serious faced young man, gave her an adoring look. Amethyst was again struck by his resemblance to a puppy upon witnessing it; the soft brown eyes and careless tumble of dark brown hair that refused to surrender to hair pomade only fed that impression. "That's a wonderful idea, Sally."

Blinking at the clear dismissal issued from the lips Brian felt sure he should have already been allowed to kiss, his own parted. But whatever protest he'd intended to make died abruptly as lightning seemed to flash in Amethyst's eyes. Deciding discretion was definitely the better part of valor in this matter, he quickly rose. "Until the morning, dear lady."

"Quite," she curtly replied, mind already back to worrying the problem of just how to approach the Weren. Watching until her three friends had disappeared from view, Amethyst glanced around the common room. Other diners were paying for their meals and shrugging into coats and jackets in clear preparation. And, she saw, two of the Weren were also rising. That would help, she decided. It would be much easier to face two instead of four of them.