Monday, July 22, 2013

“The Story of Daiyu” in The Northern Problem and Other Stories


The Northern Problem and Other Stories
By: Laura Seeber

Blurb
Five stories tell of a world teetering on the brink of chaos.  Five people who fight to dream, to love, to scheme, and to survive.  Five glimpses into a time when a life was shaped by spirits just as much as the sword.  It is a world where the lines between a truth and a lie, life and death, and love and obsession shift like the wind.
The Northern Problem and Other Stories offer a glimpse into the lives of those that would later come together in The Spring and Autumn Murders.  Before passion, murder and intrigue would bring them together, the very same would threaten to tear their world apart.

Excerpt from “The Story of Daiyu” in The Northern Problem and Other Stories
Chuluun stumbled into the ger, and stood for a moment, watching his wife Odval sleeping soundly, her arm wrapped loosely around her daughter.  He touched Daiyu’s hair softly, and watched her breath escape from her mouth for a few moments.  He saw her eyes dance beneath her eyelids, knowing full well that she was dreaming of the hunt.
He smiled slightly.  She was nothing like him, indeed.
He watched as she rolled over in her sleep, pulling herself away from her mother’s grasp, a small snore escaping from her as she did so.  Once she had settled back down into slumber, Chuluun reached down and gently shook his wife awake.
“Odval,” he whispered softly.  “Wake up, my love.”
Odval stirred slightly and opened her eyes.  She turned to look up at her husband. 
“What is it, Chuluun?” she asked, reaching for him and pulling him down into an embrace.
“I think I have found someone worthy of little Daiyu when it comes time,” he said.  He felt his wife shift around and beneath him as he sank into the furs beside her.
“Who?”
“The young hunter Altan,” he said thoughtfully.   “The men spoke of her while they were around the fire.  His words spoke to her protection.”
“I know his family.  His parents were good and just when they were alive.  His uncle is a wise man.”
Chuluun nodded in the darkness.
“But there is time,” he said with a yawn.   “I will speak with Altan and his uncle in the morning, and see if they are agreeable with the idea, when the time comes.  For now though, little Daiyu will continue to stay with us.”
“Good,” murmured Odval as she drifted off to sleep.  “There are too many lessons for the young girl to learn before marriage.”

Daiyu slowly opened her eyes and searched the darkness, trying to remember the face of this young hunter that would become her husband.

Author Info
Laura Seeber has worked as a geologist, an environmental consultant, and a freelance writer.  She currently divides her time between her own environmental consulting business, handling various ghostwriting and freelance writing projects, and her own fiction writing.  Her interests include history, outdoor activities, martial arts, mysteries, and non-fiction material.  The Spring and Autumn Murders is her first novel.   She currently lives in Illinois with her husband, Michael.

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1 comment:

  1. Sounds really intriguing, what was your inspiration for this novel?

    ReplyDelete