NaNo Day 30

It might be the end of November, the official ending of NaNoWriMo, but I have yet to find “The End” of my story, and so the craziness continues.

I had hoped to brainstorm plot with my Beloved Sis yesterday at Granny’s, but while we did talk Story a bit, I didn’t get any brilliant revelations as I hoped.  I still had no idea what was going to happen.

I had stupid dreams all night (yeah, one of those where clothing is missing!) and barely dragged myself up for church after such a hard night.  However, somewhere today, I found the details of the first Climax.

I don’t even remember the exact moment, which is weird.  It must have been gradual, a slow, gentle revelation that built brick by brick until I can see it all so clearly in my mind.  YES.  I know how the Black Dragon wins his way into Shanhasson.  I know a few more tidbits that lead toward the second Climax.  This story is looking like it’ll get a third major twist.  One character I’ve known since Rose is going to betray her.  The intermediate plot point is still foggy, and may be part of the third, I’m not sure yet.  There’s going to be a major decision made in those pages, and I still don’t know that answer.  I guess I’ll see.

Trust the magic, I keep telling myself.  The magic is there and it when it all unravels and becomes clear, I’ll be stunned that such and such had already happened that set everything up perfectly.  It’s happened many times before, but I admitted to Molly yesterday that I always fear THIS will be the time that the magic fails me.

Today:  2,003

Return total:  67,907

Snippet:  Hmmm.  It’s going to be hard.  After all, this is the major climax/surprise plot point, so I don’t want to give anything away.  Basically, three Keldari tals stand at the Shining Gates, and she has no idea which one is the Black Dragon.  She’s not close enough to smell them, and there’s nothing visibly to differentiate one from another.

“We have a custom in the deserts that no tal may be named azi until he claims a White.  You, Your Majesty, are the Last Daughter, the Last White known to us.  We wish to court you.”

She couldn’t help but laugh.  According to the Black Dragon’s Dreams, “courting” meant tossing her to a vengeful dragon who’d rip her limb from limb.  “Surely you jest, gentlemen.”

“Did you not declare a challenge?”  The tal on the left asked, a small smile flickering on his lips so quickly she almost missed it.  The little curl of smugness was awfully familiar.  “If any man wishes to wed you, he must challenge your Blood, iyeh?  We wish to join the challenge.  We three will fight, and the last standing will then fight your Blood.”

“Absolutely out of the question,” she retorted.  Her heart pounded so hard her head echoed with the sound.  Wind nickered, her head swinging to the south with her ears perked expectantly.  No, not her heart, then; the Sha’Kae al’Dan came at a hard gallop up High Road. 

“Interesting,” the tal in the middle said loudly, rolling his eyes at her and pitching his voice to the savages behind him.  “The High Queen is not a woman of her word after all.”

“I had heard there was no challenge she would not meet,” the tal on the right said just as loudly.

“The High Queen of the Green Lands never runs,” the tal on the left whispered, flashing that faint curl of his lips again.  “Yet she runs from us.”

  “Prepare to open the Gates,” she shouted to the men on the wall.  The tals smiled, sharing condescending, knowing glances at one another.  Lady above, she hoped that Khul rode them all down like dogs as he brought his warriors into Shanhasson.