Where to start? Oldest-beloved, or newest?

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings
T.H. White: The Once and Future King
Frank Herbert: Dune

Then came a long, long period where I didn't read fantasy at all. Why? Maybe I thought historical fiction, contemporary romance, and all the things I read to my kids were more age-appropriate? *shrugs* It's only within the past few years that I've rediscovered fantasy and historical fantasy. (Much as I adored The Real Star Trek Star Trek: The Original Series, I'm not that much of a scifi fan.

George RR Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire series. Rich, intricate, detailed, but don't become too attached to any characters.

Philip Pullman: His Dark Materials series, which I adore in my old age just as much as I loved Tolkien in my youth.

Guy Gavriel Kay: Sailing to Sarantium/Lord of Emperors. Those are merely the two I've read most recently, but there are many more gorgeous historical fantasy novels of his in my collection.

Emma Bull: War for the Oaks

Emma Bull, Ellen Kushner, et al: Bordertown series. Ok, edoraslass laughed at my discovery of this extraordinary series, which has been around for many many years. I guess my excuse is the same one I use for not being familar with Glam Rock bands - when all that was happening, I was off raising babies in a remote side of the galaxy. But now that I have discovered these delights, I'm totally hooked.

Naomi Novik and the extraordinary Temeraire series

Last, but by no means least, Ellen Kusher and Delia Sherman and the world of Riverside: Swordspoint, The Privilege of the Sword, and The Fall of the Kings. Of the three, only the last encompasses any bit of magic/fantasy at all, but Riverside itself is fascinating, familiar enough to reach out and touch, yet just canted-off a bit enough to remind us that this it not our world.

Your turn: Who are the fantasy/scifi writers who turned your world off-kilter?

Happy birthday, lady_branwyn! Finally, here's the installment the other four were the backstory to. Hee!

Previously on "The Five Days of Lady Branwyn":New Title: "A Heart As Huge As the World"
Day One: The Crisis
Day Two: The Return
Day Three: The Recovery
Day Four: The Celebration

( Epilogue )

First, the PSA: Happy birthday, scribendi! We love you, and miss you, and never stop hoping that you'll be back with us one day (with a huge backlog of luscious Boromir/Theodred stories.*g*) We wish you good health and happiness today, and always.

Now: On to lady_branwyn's birthday story:

Day One: The Crisis
Day Two: The Return
Day Three: The Recovery

( Day Four: The Celebration )

The Five Days of, ah, Drabbles for lady_branwyn's Birthday! Because I tried writing a whole story, and it made my head hurt too much. The drabbling has been wonderful, though, reminding me of all the stuff I love about writing drabbles: the discipline and the drive to find 100 perfect words and put them in perfect order. Ah, good,good fun.

So, without too much further ado, I give you: Part One. No, wait, there is a bit of further ado: if you haven't yet read lady_branwyn's ficlet The Onion Riddle, go do that now, or the birthday drabbles will make no sense whatsover. Go on, I'll wait.

*taps foot*

While waiting, here's the disclaimer: None of the characters in the the following five drabbles are mine. Some of them are Tolkien's; some of them are lady_branwyn's. She very courageously gave me permission to use them, though I know she's been staying awake nights worrying as to what horrible things I was going to do to them. As well she should have.

Oh, also before I forget, many many thanks to edoraslass for her thoughtful beta assistance! Ok, here we go (yes,I know the author's notes are about three times the length of the story):

ETA: The story has a title (finally): "A Heart As Wide As the World"

( The Crisis )

As requested by meggins. And not quite two sentences, either.

Bring Me That Horizon

I always felt Standstilldamnyou was not a proper name for a horse. Other horses had proper names - imposing names like Felaróf or Roheryn, or sweet-natured names like White-socks or Swish-tale. Other horses got proper food, too - timothy and oats and apples, and bran mash when they were ill. I was lucky to get moldy hay, when The Man thought of it; otherwise I tried to graze on stubby dry grass when I could. It was a hard life, and sometimes I wondered why some of us are born to suffer, and others,seemingly, not.

Until the day The New One came for me. He was shorter than The Man, and his hands were calloused, but not rough. I'll call you Bill,, he said, whispering into my ear, stroking my nose in just the right spot. He smelled strange, but not in a bad way; he smelled of warmth, and apples. A tiny whiff of danger, perhaps, faraway, but the smell of apples was stronger, and his voice was kind.



(Hee! For the title: I had a really difficult time thinking of one, but when this one popped up, I was all, "Of course!")

I am still around, really; I've just been so distracted by Horatio Hornblower that I've hardly been near the computer. I only have one more HH to go and there's the possiblity of a rant on that subject (or at least a frustrated comparison of C.S. Forester to J.R.R. Tolkien) but that's for another day. Today, though, I'm taking a break from HH and watching "The Fellowship of the Ring". ETA: Sean Bean has a magnificent voice. And the most wondrous mouth. Has it really been that long since I've watched this?

Just as I started watching, though, I was blindsided by a tiny bit of a nuzgul, inspired by a discussion of cheap eats at rivrea's place, so here's the result.

Frugality
Characters: mag_the_cook, OMC
Prompt #89, "Work"
Word Count: 300
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed.

( Frugality )

Title: Tales of the Longest Night: The Jeweler
Author: just_ann_now
Characters: The Captain-General, OMC (The Jeweler)
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed.

A companion piece to last year's story, ”Tales of the Longest Night: The Courtesan”; and possibly to scribendi's story, ”Five Things That Never Happened to Boromir and Théodred (But Bloody Well Should Have)”.

( The Jeweler )

Title: Clear As Day
Author: just_ann_now
Characters: Mag; Boromir/Theodred implied
Warnings: Thinking about stuff, but no actual stuff happening, alas.
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed. Except for Mag of course.

For fawsley, who asked for Boromir, Theodred, and Mag. This has been a WIP sitting on my hard drive for ages and ages; wonder why it was in the mood to be finished today? Part of the Diplomatic Relations ‘verse, falling right between "Fealty” and “Fathers and Sons”.

( Clear As Day )

The last of the Mag stories. For a little while.

Title: The Prodigal
Author: just_ann_now
Characters: Mag, Boromir
Warning: Got your hanky ready?
Disclaimer: Only Mag is mine.

I’m very honored that mooncross invited me to step into her 'verse of MiraculouslyUndead! Boromir, the MEFA Award-winning The Long Road Home. She asked, I would love to see the reunion between Returned!Boromir and Mag...

( The Prodigal )

Title: Foreign Ways
Author: just_ann_now
Characters: mag_the_cook, Éowyn, assorted oc’s
Disclaimer: Only Mag is mine, the rest are borrowed.

This happens to me every year. I always thought that December 25 was the first day of Christmas, but that leaves me with January 6 as the 13th day. No matter; I'll have a story for tomorrow, too.

celandineb asked for the most unusual/challenging meal that Mag ever had to cook. Here’s the most unusual thing someone else thought she wouldn’t know how to cook.

( Foreign Ways )

Title: Care Package
Author: Annmarwalkjust_ann_now
Charcters: Faramir
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed.
caras_galadhon asked, What's it like for Mag when she packs up rations/treats for the boys when they're off on dangerous missions/off to battle/etc?

( Care Package )

Title: Constant
Author: Annmarwalk just_ann_now
Characters: Mag, Boromir
Warnings: Wibbling ahead!
Disclaimer: Only Mag is mine; all the rest is borrowed.
half_elf_lost asked for Mag up late in the kitchen when one of the (sleepless) boys comes down for a snack. I'd love to read some dialogue with one of them. Might they ask her for some advice?

( Constant )

Title: Unmasked
Author: Annmarwalk
Characters: Faramir, Aragorn, Mag
Disclaimer: Only Mag is mine, the rest are borrowed.
From a nuzgul carelessly flung by edoraslass, seconded by kortirion: I'd like to see what happens when she realizes the new King is Thorongil…

( Unmasked )

Title: A Breath of Fresh Air
Author: Annmarwalk
Characters: mag_the_cook, Finduilas
Disclaimer: Only Mag is mine.

edoraslass asked for Mag talking to Finduilas, any age Mag, for any reason at all. This is the occasion Mag remembers most fondly.

( A Breath of Fresh Air )

Title: Holiday Treats
Author: Annmarwalk
Characters: Mag the Cook, Boromir, Faramir,
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed.
The first of a series of twelve Mag the Cook ficlets, and a birthday gift for meggins. Happy birthday!

ribby, you had offered this prompt: Mag and Finduilas are cooking for the holidays, but the boys keep trying to steal cookie dough, spiced nuts, etc--how will they both deal with it? It’s not exactly what you asked for, but I hope it will suit. *g*

( Holiday Treats )

Title: Tales of the Longest Night: The Courtesan
Author: Annmarwalk
Characters: Boromir, Unnamed OFC (If she reminds you of Inara from Firefly, that’s perfectly all right.)
Warnings: OMG Boromir het! Sort of. Oh, and angst.
Rating: Adult. Aren't we all?
Disclaimer: Not mine, merely borrowed.
Summary: On the Longest Night, no one should be alone.
Author’s Note: This is related to the story I wrote last year for celandineb’s Holiday Ficlet Exchange, The Longest Night

( The Courtesan )

My years of niceness finally came through on the Karma front when a beautiful Turkish boy showed up at my breakfast table this morning.

He had arrived in the middle of the night, come to collect his friend Yusef who accompanied my daughter Adventure Sally on her 230-mile bicycle trip home from school. (Had I forgotten to mention that? Well, it's all over and done with now, so not to worry. They had fabulous weather, including one 75 degree day, and averaged almost 60 miles a day). John (the Turkish boy), Yusef, and their other friend Stefan were headed up to New York City. John looked a lot like kortirion's Noldor, only about 26 years old (2600 in Noldori years), not quite so much hair, and a sweet smile. And just a hint of an accent. *blissful sigh**



How lucky that our newly remodeled, fresh and sparkly home is conveniently located right on the way to just about everywhere! And how lucky that my daughter's friends have finally matured past the gawky stage, to the flower-of-young-manhood stage! sigh yet again*

(PS: The door is always open to any of you who will be passing by, of course. The Haradric-themed guest bath is ready and waiting.)