It’s the last Monday of the month, and of as recently, that means that subscribers of my series on Channillo.com get a brand new Wilderhark Talette!
I didn’t get a chance to make a proper big deal about it last time, swamped as I was with the Launch Week of my latest Wilderhark Tale novella, “The Surrogate Sea”. But now that things have calmed down for me as much as they ever will, let me give you a bit more insight as to exactly why you should absolutely buy a subscription to the Wilderhark Talettes.
Last month’s series debut was “Horse Friend”, a short story mined from the childhood of everyone’s favorite fairytale tailor, Edgwyn Wyle. Ever wonder just how Edgwyn came to be so particularly fond of horses (as evidenced by his charming relationship with Wilhelmina in “The Stone Kingdom”)? Well, this story shows you just that – along with a little life lesson, because such is the nature of fairytales. ;D Have a sneaky-peeky snippet!
“Buy a horse?” my father said. “But we have no need for another horse. We cannot afford to keep another horse.”
“We need not keep him long,” I coaxed. “The Summer’s End Faire is not far off; we can sell him again there. I will take care of him in the meantime – such good care of him that we’ll make an enormous profit at the Faire! Please, Papa, I’ll do anything, just let me get the horse away from that awful man!”
In the end, my father agreed, and supplied a fair price for his neighbor’s horse. But when I went to make my purchase, Mister Lowam demanded an amount far higher.
“I shall have need of that much, at least!” he said of the sum. “For it is the beginning of the harvest season, and I must have funds enough to hire another horse to bring in my crops, since you would divest me of the one I have now.”
Funds to hire another horse? Another horse for him to abuse as he had Carlyle? I would not hear of it! But could I ask a farmer to abandon his fields at harvest time? Nonsense. Nor could I volunteer the use of one of my family’s horses or the time of my father or brothers-in-law, for they would be kept busy enough tending our own land.
There remained, therefore, only one thing left for me to offer.
What thing? What offer? What’s little Edgwyn got up his sleeve? Well, I’m not about to tell you here and now. Go read the rest to find out!
As for this month’s new Talette, “Heart Pure”, it was a joy to write, as I recall. I further recall my minstrel being annoyed because I was working on this – yet another Edgwyn story – when he thought I should have been writing the first draft of the origin story of Gant-o’-the-Lute. But happy endings all around, because “Heart Pure” got written, and Lute’s story will get its due time in the sun when my next book comes out; stay tuned. (And feel welcome to sign up for the book’s cover reveal, while you’re at it!)
“Heart Pure” takes place in the space between “The Stone Kingdom” and “The Seventh Spell”, and is based upon— well, why don’t you read this tidbit of the Talette and see if you can guess which famous fairytale inspired it.
“I daresay a fabric as wonderful as you’ve described would tempt a disheartening number of thieves,” I surmised.
“Far fewer than you’d guess, actually,” said Arnall, with a more lopsided sort of smile. “For you see, Your Highness, no one who sees the fabric would ever think of stealing it; and any that would steal it, could never see the fabric. As I myself was most amazed to discover, the fabric is so inexpressibly divine that only those of purest heart are granted the gift of perceiving it.”
“Really,” I breathed, giving the thought a moment to settle inside of me. Such a fabric was almost beyond my imagination. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see it… But then,” I said ruefully, and with only half-a-laugh, “perhaps I couldn’t.”
The vendor shrugged. “Well, in all honesty, very few are able to, Your Highness. But that is partly my purpose in coming here.” He regarded me with thoughtful eyes. “For from all I have heard said of the tailor-prince called Edgwyn Wyle, this fabric was made for hearts such as his.”
And that, readers o’ mine, is all you’ll get out of me in this blog post. For the whole of the story – and many more to come! – be sure you’re subscribed to the Wilderhark Talettes, one series of many awaiting you on Channillo.com!
Ever On Word 
Dwa, little Edgwyn is so CUTE!!!
“Dwa” is pretty much the sound I make, yes. ❤