The Romance Reviews

Tuesday 7 September 2010

An Undiscovered Library


There’s been so many incredible posts about the wonder, majesty and value of our libraries, I thought I’d take a walk on the fiction side.

As some of you know, I have a yen to revisit my heroines and heroes. For today, I’ve written an ancient library scene [PG] that takes place ‘after’ my book, STALLION OF ASH AND FLAME.

For the setup, pardon me, but I’m using the blurb because it will give you the atmosphere and an idea of who Trail and Seneca are.

Blurb ~

Drojovv Zyan of the V’Trailuc Realm is a man-stallion of ash and flame on a mission to save his world’s crucial Earth portal from the fires ravaging the National Forest surrounding it. Pretending to be the tracker, Trail, he settles in a small southeastern Arizona town. When he gets an eyeful of the beautiful ranch owner, Seneca, he stud lusts after the Earth human, a woman he’s not supposed to take as his Mate.

Trail leaves her alone until her brother is in a bad motorcycle accident and she needs a hired hand. Soon both of them are threatened by a whole horde of enemies. At all costs Trail must protect her. His world depends on it, her world depends on it. And his heart comes to depend on it.
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An Undiscovered Library

Trail followed his woman as they crept through the hidden cave’s narrow tunnel. Seneca followed the bright glow of the two amulets she held in each palm.

“This looks like a regular passageway. But, it’s not,” she whispered in the unnatural silence.

“Definitely created by the first wave of Atlanteans to fool their enemies.” Using his stallion instincts to keep them safe, Trail flared his nostrils and scented the stale air.

“There are no critters in here. You’re right.” Slowing her pace, Seneca glanced from side to side, but kept watch on the amulets. Their illumination glittered intensely now.

“Are we close?” Trail peered through the darkness ahead of them with his enhanced eyesight.

“I think so. I’m humming inside.”

Seneca scrutinized the rock-looking walls and Trail couldn’t help appreciating the way his woman’s body danced with each movement. When she abruptly halted, her gaze fastened on the amulets, he loosely wrapped his arms around her.

“Found it, I bet. No time to get amorous, stud.” Her dry tone teased him.

“Later,” he promised.

Relying on his extensive knowledge about caves and portals, Trail scanned for a variation in the stone’s energy. In moments, he extended his arm, flattening his hand on the bluish circle visible to his gaze. “Here.”

“Do you need my vibes?”

“Always,” he bantered.

“You know what I mean.”

Trail heard the scowl in his woman’s voice. Repressing his urge to grab her and kiss it away, he psi-sensed for how to enter. “Takes time,” he answered, feeling her impatience.

“Yeah, I know.” The softness of her tone caressed him. “Antsy is my middle name. There’s something we have to find.”

“Put your hand next to mine, Seneca.”

With their combined frequencies as man and woman, and the matrix field the amulets created around them, the doorway yielded, gradually phasing to an arched opening. Trail knew both of them gawked at what they witnessed inside.

The secret room subtly gleamed with an odd light that appeared to be emanating from the brass-colored wall itself. From his vantage point Trail saw perpendicular rows of symbols covering the entire wall. Each symbol or word was about two inches in height and had been engraved into the burnished metal with a technology not being used in current times.

“An earlier, more advanced form of Hieroglyphics. Yes?”

Trail smiled at his mate’s contagious excitement. “Yes, much earlier.”

“Is there a way out? Once we go in?”

“That’s the only thing stopping you from rushing past me, isn’t it?”

Taking hold of Seneca’s hand, Trail stepped beyond the archway. He halted immediately. The air pressure was comparable to diving about thirty feet beneath the surface of the ocean.

“Trail, what’s wrong?”

The alarm in her voice sliced through him. At the same time, her grip tightened on his hand. Trail didn’t answer. Instead, he focused on searching the room for anything that could harm them by using his inner Sight.

For now, the prevailing energies were benign. Seeing nothing but more walls, all of them the same, he answered. “I sense no immediate danger. The air pressure is different. Like scuba diving.” When she began to move beside him, he asked, “What’s your intuition, my mate?”

She halted, and from their connection, he knew Seneca investigated with her sixth sense. “Old, so very old,” she murmured. “This place feels as if its been cherished.”

The next thing he knew, Seneca peeked around the archway. Following her gaze, he saw the same bluish circle they’d used to enter.

“Our ticket out. I hope, stud.” She inched closer to him.

“I have a feeling those amulets of yours will keep us out of trouble.”

As she moved beside him, Trail heard her inhale sharply. “Wow, good thing we don’t need scuba gear in here. Omygawd!” Releasing his hand, Seneca made a beeline for one set of the symbols. “These look so familiar.”

Bending at the waist, she studied a grouping Trail read as ‘She who is Epona speaks’. Although, he wasn’t certain about his interpretation, given he based it on knowing a similar language. “Seneca, it might be the words of your ancestor, Epona.”

“Oh, Trail, I hope so.” His beautiful woman slowly traced one of the oddly formed symbols with her fingertip. “I can feel it. This is a type of library.”

“Yes, my mate.” Trail moved into the center of the area, his gaze gradually encompassing all of the walls. On either side of them, there were other rooms. “From what I am reading this is a repository of knowledge. I believe for several civilizations. It could date back to the earliest Atlanteans. However, the ancient Greek wars are chronicled.”

“Epona.” Seneca’s tone was hushed, reverent. She knelt and continued running her fingertip over the deep grooves of the symbols.

At the sound of a woman’s singsong voice, they both whirled. Because she spoke a language Trail identified as one of his world’s ancient languages, he relaxed. Robust in stature, curved like the goddess she was, the ten foot tall woman with flaxen hair waving down to her ankles, appeared to be present in the room with them.

“Hologram?” Seneca whispered as she moved within the circle of his arm.

“Crystal recording technology, my love.”

In low and supernaturally vibrant tones, Epona continued telling her story, her gestures grand yet somehow friendly. When a magnificent horse, white as new fallen snow, stood beside the emerald isle goddess, Seneca gasped in heartfelt appreciation.

“You understand her, don’t you?”

“Connect your mind with mine...” Before he’d finished, his Seneca joined her mind with his, as they often practiced.
~~~~~~

Happy Indiana Jones-ing!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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6 comments:

Lindsay Townsend said...

Wonderful, Savanna! I've love to find a library like this one!

And great fun and adventure, too!

Thanks for sharing. I like your take on Epona.

Savanna Kougar said...

Lindsay, oh, so would I. Imagine that kind of historical resource.

If I ever get to write another Trail and Seneca book, I'll have to include this library.

Julia Rachel Barrett said...

Nice! Wonderful, exciting excerpt!

Savanna Kougar said...

Julia, you've really lived the adventure.

Thanks for coming by!

LK Hunsaker said...

Hi Savanna, great twist on the library theme. I was pulled right in with them. ;-)

Savanna Kougar said...

LK, I'm glad you took the ride. Thanks!