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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 16h

#WIPSnips word for October 13th is "blue" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin notices her sister Willow wearing her pearl earrings. Willow didn't ask, she just "borrowed" without asking like annoying siblings will do.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "blue"

Now at Oakdore’s great hall, the bridal procession entered. Willow was being led by her father, Bryn, and her older brother, Hayden, the middle child. The bride’s head was covered with a fine veil of the lightest linen; a crown of ivy and daisies set over the veil. Her gown was the color of blue that matched the sky and her eyes, with a fine embroidery along the neck and hem of cream, green and red threads that Willow, Brer and Nin spent the past three weeks embroidering. Her straight, silken golden hair was flowing loose under the veil. She was the very vision of delicate femininity. It was then she noticed Willow was indeed wearing her pearl earrings, and she took them without asking. Willow had lots of earrings, so of course she took Nin’s only pair that she had bought with her own money.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

#WIPSnips The word for October 12th is "pulse" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has stopped her horse to offer a ride to the handsome stranger walking by the side of the road. Now she can see how tall he really is.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "pulse"

Turning around while seated on her horse, Nin finally gazed at the stranger. He was handsome. Far more handsome than Alan, and he was the most handsome man in Oakdore. The stranger had a neat beard that wasn’t too long and a smile that dazzled her with straight white teeth. But it was his eyes that made her heart pound as if someone was chopping wood in her chest with the sharp and thunderous impact of each beat. She could not tell if they were green or brown, for it seemed they changed colors between the two as he moved through the dappled shade. She felt hypnotized by their stunning vibrancy as he unapologetically stared back at her with an intensity that temporarily rendered her mute.
As he walked up to the horse, she finally got a sense of how tall he was. Barley was eighteen hands high, and Nin was as tall as the horse at her withers. No one except Alan was taller than Nin in Oakdore, and that was by only a few inches. This stranger’s shoulder came up to Barley’s withers, meaning he was a full head taller that Nin. Standing next to the horse, Nin gawked, her mouth agape and her pulse now beating faster than a drum during a fast jig.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 11th is "cousin" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Sitting at the wedding feast for her little sister, Willow, and Nin's former fiance, Alan, she now sees the signs that they conspired behind her back when she was still betrothed to Alan, to get dumped.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "cousin"

She dared not glance in the direction of the head table. Willow’s insipid tittering and Alan’s hearty mocking laughs carried through the air over the sound of the musicians to her ears. Nin should have suspected something was up when she told Alan that her cousin, Eirlys, had broken his leg and she was going to care for him for a month that he never said he would miss her. All he did was assure her that she would be fine, her first time leaving the village, nearly shoving her and throwing her bag in the wagon the day she left. Even Willow seemed a bit too helpful, assisting Nin when she packed up her few clothes and personal items to take with her for the month away. Nin wondered if they were secretly meeting behind her back before she left, or did they pounce upon the opportunity once she was gone, making haste with their engagement. No matter, it was done.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 9th is "raid" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin and Darach reach Ashular and cross paths with her cousin, who she took care of for a month when he got a broken leg. Her cousin spills the tea on the backstabbing that happened, including Willow's pregnancy.

Silhouette of an oak rtee against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "raid" (theft)

Now Nin knew where the missing fifty gold staters from her fortune went, besides the five hundred for Willows dowry. Her gut tensed in nauseous knots; her father, Willow, her cousin, all knowing of the pregnancy. Alan and her own mother, Brer, probably knew as well.

Nin knew she was not truly loved by her own parents, but the duplicity, the lies, the scheming plans behind her back, on top of the theft of her money, made her question her own instincts. She had tried to convince herself over the years that what her parents said and did were always in her best interest, even if she got short shrift.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 8th is "lizard" (snake) #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has just started her journey this morning and notices a man walking by the side of the road with a slight limp. Her generous nature inspires her to stop and offer him a ride.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "lizard" (snake)

The stranger did nothing but continue to smile at her warmly as if she was an old friend he had not seen for ages. Nin’s stomach fluttered strangely, as if she had eaten something that had not agreed with her. She had never experienced such a feeling before and she wondered if she ate something for breakfast she might later throw up.

Tamping down the unsettling feeling in her gut that squirmed and wriggled as if she had swallowed a snake, she finally found her voice. “Do you need a ride?” Her voice shook, realizing she knew nothing about this stranger. He could be a robber like one of the men who attacked her Uncle Liam, but he made no sudden movements nor seemed threatening. He could still be a robber, but her instinct raised no alarms. By the look of it, he could not have been more than five or ten years older than Nin, as she had difficulty discerning his age. Older than her, certainly, but she could not tell by how much upon first glance.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 7th is "comparison" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin was telling Darach about the grizzled, nearly toothless old widowers her parents wee trying to marry her off to, then wonders how old Darach is, as he is a widower too.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale "comparison"

“You must have married very young if your children are already grown to be on their own,” Nin noted, wondering his age. “How old are you?”

“Older than thirty, I assure you. I may be a widower, but I am relatively younger in comparison to the ones it sounds like your parents are trying to coerce you into marrying.” He picked up her hand and gave a light buss atop her knuckles.

Another simple gesture of affection, but Nin held tight onto him, feeling she might fall off the saddle, the touch of his lips on the back of her hand making her heart race and head spin.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 6th is "rice" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts To keep herself busy, after a bit of a brouhaha, Nin restacks the barley in the warehouse.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "rice" (barley)

That day, Nin hid in the back, restacking the sacks of barley. In less than a month she would begin brewing the ale for the Autumnal festival that honored Cráeb, God of the Forest, he who provided wood to boil the water, casks that stored the brewed ale, timber to build houses, and kindling to keep them warm during the cold Winter months. His acorns provided additional food when crops failed, and fruit and grass that ripened in the sacred forest fed the animals that provided game to hunt.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#WIPSnips The word for October 5th is "wall" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts After traveling across The Wastelands, Nin and Darach finally reached the portal to the mountain, where up at the top, the gold lay hidden.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "wall"

In the shadow of Mulhcráeb, they finally reached the gateway that would allow them access up the mountain. Tairseach Mulhcráeb was a large arch made of vines and branches woven into an intricate braid, and the only way up since the base of the hill was ringed with an impenetrable wall of hawthorn trees armed with vicious thorns as a king would encircle his castle with a moat and imposing metal spikes. Across the arch was a portcullis made of spiked branches.

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Reposted by Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation

Romantasy Pit @romantasy-pit.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Join us for #RomantasyPit, a free online pitch event where writers, agents, editors, and readers gather to share spells, stories, and love potions.

Sharpen your quills, polish your pitches, and get ready for a weekend of love and
magic

More details coming soon

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 4th is "contract" (agreement) #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Darach recalls the story of how Cráeb's wife died.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "contract" (agreement)

“Are you familiar with the technique called pollarding?”

Nin shook her head.

“For some trees, like Ash, it is where you cut all the branches back to the top of the trunk, which allows the tree to live by growing new branches. Since Cráeb and his wife were on good terms with the king of Hollydun, Cráeb’s wife generously offered up all her branches so that Hollydun’s warriors would have the best bows to win. To commemorate their victory, they wanted to build a grand hall. The king’s men came in and began to cut down the wife’s daughters, chopping ash trees down, even digging up the roots to have the longest pieces of lumber to build the tallest hall, killing them so they could not grow back.”

The tears were starting to fall down his cheeks as he continued his tale. “Begging for her daughters’ lives, she offered herself up to the king and his greedy men.” His voice was thick with emotion, nearly unable to tell his tale. “They cut her down, killing the grand lady, but they did not honor the agreement and cut down the rest of her daughters as well.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 3rd is "petal" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin and Darach finally reach the gate to Mulhcráeb where they meet a very anthropomorphic talking vine, who is acting as gatekeeper to the mountain, where the gold is supposedly up on top.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "petal"

Clearing her throat, Nin said loudly towards the gate at no one in particular, “I wish to seek entry to Mulhcráeb.”
To her surprise a pair of flowers upon the vine at the top that had not opened yet to the morning sun suddenly bloomed and turned down towards Nin. The flowers then blinked, as if they were a pair of eyes, which caused Nin to step back, surprised at the anthropomorphic flora.
A larger flower opened and began moving its petals in a manner resembling a mouth. “What do you want, human?” it asked with a rough voice, the vocalizations sounding like the creak and groan of wood. The flower-eyes then turned to Darach, and Nin swore it cocked a quizzical brow at him with the lift of a vine but said nothing. Nin kept her eyes forward without looking at Darach.
Nin repeated her request once more.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

#WIPSnips word for October 1st is "injury" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Now that introductions have been made, Darach asks why Nin is on her journey. Given how no one in her village really listened to her, she is surprised he wants to hear her story.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "injury"

“Well, that is the best place to start most stories. How does this tale of bad luck begin?” Darach kept one hand gently placed at her waist while the other gently rubbed her shoulder and upper arm in a soothing manner, which was a simple gesture that made Nin feel that she mattered, and that he was willing to listen to her.

Nin began by telling Darach about her long courtship with Alan, how he was the last bachelor left in the village who was older than her, and no men in her village wanted an older bride. She then went on to explain about how her cousin in Ashular was injured, and since there was no other family who could help, Nin’s father offered Nin to help take care of him until he was able to take care of himself once more.

“That was a very noble and generous thing for you to do for family when you could have said no,” Darach praised her earnestly. “Your cousin should be appreciative that you were there for him.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 30th is "guard" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts It is the second night of Nin and Darach traveling together, and still nothing yet has happened. The night before Nin slept on the bed and Darach on the floor, but tonight they'll have to snuggle for warmth.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "guard"

As the fire glowed red with hot coals that barely rebuffed the seeping chill of the late summer night, Darach laid out the blanket from Barley’s back. “Unless you like waking up frozen to the bone, we’ll have to sleep together under our cloaks,” he pointed out as he prepared their bed for the night. Their camp site was just off the road within a large circle of trees that stood around like sentinels, guarding them. Barley was tied to a tree root that came up out of the ground exposed.
She had ridden for two days now, either in front or behind Darach, their bodies pressed close together. Perhaps it was what was symbolized by sharing a bed with him that made her hesitant. Darach had removed his boots, belt and tunic, holding the cover of their cloaks open, inviting her in. After removing her footwear, belt and kirtle, she reluctantly climbed under the cover of their cloaks, laying her head down, facing away from Darach.
He snuggled up behind her, placing a protective arm over her, which made her initially flinch.
“Trust me. I would never force myself upon you, my sweetest bláthín,” he breathed into her hair before giving a small kiss on the top of her head.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 29th is "well" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin's little sister, Willow, married Nin's former fiance, Alan. Since Nin is the older, unmarried sister, she has to dance in a pig trough. I know, not Irish Iron Age historically accurate, but what the hey...

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "well"

Looking at the interior of the pig trough, they didn’t even bother to dump out the unfinished slop from that morning. There was a mix of leftover grease, half rotten gooseberries, wilted turnip greens, and the last of the porridge scrapings from the pot, mixed with mud from the pigs’ snouts. After quickly yanking off her footwear, seething with impotent rage, Nin stepped in. A shudder of revulsion ran up and down her spine as the cold, unctuous slop squished between her toes.

“Dance! Dance! Dance!” the wedding guests began to chant.

The band struck up a lively tune.

With her best dress now hitched up to her knees, flashing her lower legs for everyone to see, she began moving her feet up and down doing more of a march than dancing.

People started clapping, but most notably laughing. It was not the jovial lighthearted type of chortle but laced with the cruelty of derision. Her jaw set, she would not let them see her cry even though her eyes began to well up.

To Nin’s relief, the song was short.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#WIPSnips The word for September 28th is "prime" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Though born in the village, Nin doesn't quite fit into her village.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "prime"

Nin was thirty years old, past the prime age of being considered a suitable bride; taller than all the men in the village – except Alan, which made her less attractive in their eyes; built like a stone teach house, broad and sturdy, not delicate, petite and slender, like her much younger sister, Willow. Add to that the muscles from growing up working in the family brewery, she could beat many men in the village arm wrestling, which she had. Plus, her ample figure added to her stout silhouette. Nin was sweet in nature, a bit too sweet, most often unable to refuse when someone needed help or even the loan of a few gold pieces when pouches were light. Now she was feeling taken advantage of yet again, kicking herself for being unable to say no. And when she tried to say no, she was often made to feel that she was being selfish. There seemed to be no way of winning.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 27th is "delay" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts After Darach and Nin were attacked on the roads by bandits, Darach took her to a secret cave with a healing spring to recover for a while before they continued on their journey to Port Rowan.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "delay"

They had enough provisions for five days, in case they were delayed arriving in Port Rowan. Darach had been supplementing their stores with game and flora he had foraged in the surrounding area, which allowed them the luxury of staying longer in the cave while Nin recovered.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 26th is "observe" #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #WriteSky After riding for some hours on the first day of their journey together, Nin and Darach stop for a brief mid-day meal of bread, cheese and ale.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Talee #WIPSnips "obserrve"

Watching Darach eat was a strange thing to observe. It was like something new and curious to him as he would take the initial bite before finding the taste pleasant and taking a bigger bite.
“It’s like you’ve never tasted food,” she remarked casually.
“We have different food from where I come from,” he said before taking a long drink of ale. “It’s also been quite a while since I’ve eaten.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 25th is "nation" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Some of these old traditions are based on natural catastrophes and explained away as angering some god, and sometimes it is far more complex than one could guess.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text:: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "nation" (kingdom)

Each year, a Queen of the Forest of was crowned, picked by a random lottery of all the unmarried women in Oakdore and those who came from other surrounding villages. Róis, the old wood worker’s wife, said it was a thousand-year-old tradition that was started after a neighboring kingdom was destroyed from Cráeb’s rage. It was said that his rage created The Wastelands, what was once a prosperous land filled with farms, a large city and thousands of people within its borders. The offering of a maid each year might appease him to prevent further destruction of nearby realms, including the village of Oakdore. It added already to Cráeb’s fearsome reputation, though the Forest God had never appeared to ever claim any maid in the centuries the tradition had taken place.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 24th is "meddle" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts It's the second day of travel and Nin is curious to learn more about her traveling companion.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text:: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "meddle"
“What about your family? You mentioned a sister. Did you and your wife have children?”
“Ah, my sister is a bit of a meddler. She has been known to play some elaborate tricks on people. But she lives far away and only visits rarely. As for children, they are old enough to take care of themselves, and they are on their own.”
“You must have married very young if your children are already grown to be on their own,” Nin said, wondering his age. “How old are you?”
“Older than thirty, I assure you. I may be a widower, but I am relatively younger in comparison to the ones it sounds like your parents are trying to coerce you into marrying.” He picked up her hand and gave a light buss atop her knuckles.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 23rd is "tumble" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts While coming down the mountainside from retrieving the gold, Nin slipped on the mud and took a tumble.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "tumble"

Sitting up, she shook her head, feeling dizzy from the multiple times she spun down the hillside. “I think I’m all right,” she began, but hissed when she tried to use her right arm to try and stand up. “My shoulder!”

Darach cut a tear in the bottom of his cloak before ripping off a strip along the weft of the weave. “Here, my poor Nin,” he cooed soothingly as he set her arm in a sling to immobilize her shoulder. “A bit of a tumble and you’re bruised like a flower.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 22nd is "meltdown" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts The sounds of the wedding feast, of her little sister to her former fiance, is so tortuous to Nin, she'd rather risk the perils of assault, death or fairy abduction than continue listening to it.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "meltdown" (mad with misery)

The pounding of the music and the raucously strident noise of the wedding feast revelers were like daggers in her mind. Each beat was a thrust of scathing scorn into her aching hollow chest; every bellow was derisive mocking, belittling her further. There was no corner of the village Nin could hide and not hear the taunting cacophony. Nin needed to get away, or she would go mad with misery.

Standing at the eastern edge of the village along the high road, Nin could feel her heart pounding against her chest and up in her throat. Since she was a child, she was told never to leave the safety of Oakdore, that upon the road beyond that lead to Ballihazel was dangers of wild animals, bandits, or worse: fairy music. Not to mention, what might happen to her if she trespassed into the sacred forest.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#WIPSnips The word for September 21st is "stream" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin is treated like an outsider in her own village where she was born and raised, never quite fitting in.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "stream"

Nin had tried to be sociable, but when she tried to be, it seems people only wanted her around when they wanted something from her: A pint, her strong back, a few coins to borrow. Even when she had tried to join the women washing laundry in the nearby stream that flowed behind her house and along the entire length of the village when she was fourteen and finally a woman, eager to participate in the singing and local gossip of what seemed like a social sisterhood, she was ignored. Coming to wash her own clothes and hoping to join the communal circle of women, as soon as Nin showed up, everyone began making polite exits as to why they had to leave even though they had not finished their washing.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 18th is "payment" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Reflecting back, Nin realizes Alan never loved her. When she was about to leave for a month to take care of her cousin who broke his leg in another village, she asked for a kiss. He asked for a coin.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "paymeent"

It was Alan’s demand for payment for that bit of affection that made her question if she should remain engaged to Alan during her month away. Nin had overlooked and forgiven Alan’s carelessness when it came to money, spending it on drink and gambling as freely as Willow did on bits and bobs to adorn herself. So desperate for affection, she was blind to his many faults that she could clearly see now through the hindsight lens of being spurned. Alan took advantage of Nin’s needs and wants, as did many people of the village as well, turning her need for their approval into a tool for their benefit.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 17th is "effort" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts The noise from the wedding feast of Nin's little sister to her former fiance, Alan, drives Nin to finally leave the safety of the village and walk alone along the road, contemplating her life so far.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "effort"

The trunks of the oaks reached up and stretched overhead, creating a verdant arbored tunnel over the road in which she walked. Nin felt protected by the multitude of oak trees that lined the road, guarded by her sylvan friends. Inspired, she began talking to the trees that flanked the route as she often had done with Darach, her oak tree next to the house when she wanted someone to listen to her without judgement or saying, “Yes, but…” When talking with other humans, if she expressed that she was feeling put upon by others’ wants, asking for her help, unable to say no in an effort to be accommodating and pleasant, often she was dismissed. Even her so-called best friend, Úna, was not very sympathetic to Nin. She had given no consolation to Nin when told the news about Willow snatching her fiancé away. Only Aunt Sadhbh did not make her feel that way when she spoke her troubled mind.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 16th is "call" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts While relieving herself behind a bush, Nin wandered too far from the road, and a wolf began stalking her.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "call"

Step by step, she tried to move through the forest, but the path back now seemed obscured. Stepping on a twig that cracked loudly underneath her foot, she once again heard the threatening growl that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on edge. If there was anything left in Nin’s bladder, she was sure she would have pissed the rest of it that very instant. It was closer this time, much closer.
“Darach.” Her call came out as a harsh, voiceless whisper.
The growl was so close she could pinpoint it was directly behind her, less than ten feet.
Her eyes scanning, all the trees were too large to wrap her arms around to climb up and the lowest branch too high to jump and grab upon.
Taking her chances, she bolted, screaming at the top of her lungs, “DARACH!”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#WIPSnips Sept15 exterior #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has discovered her parents stole most of her savings to give to her little sister for her dowry. But with her Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, she feels guilty for making her father angry when confronting him about the theft

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "exterior"

Nin felt beyond lost, her rage countered and diminished from the disapproving stare her father glowered at her for challenging him, even if it was justified. Deep inside, guilt swelled in her chest for raising his ire. It was all she could do to not cower under the stern glare of his cold gray eyes lacking any sympathy and an end to his patience. She felt as hollow as a tree eaten away from within, her exterior, like bark, the only thing holding her up from collapsing in within herself.

Her father made some grumbling noises, but no apology or acknowledgment of his transgressions came forth. “Be sensible. Marry Rhod.” Bryn turned and went back downstairs to finish his dinner with their guest while Nin was left to sit on the floor feeling as if all choices in her life were being stripped away.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 14th is "month" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts The traveling magician has come to town to sell the villagers all sorts of cures and talismans. Maybe he can sell Nin a cure for her bad luck.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "month"

People started filing in, one at a time, having just left the magician’s wagon.

Holding up what looked like a common rock, one farmer said, “The magician said if I planted this during the next new moon, in a month, come harvest time in two months, my crop will be double.”

Others who were now walking into the tavern meandered over to look at the enchanted rock, but he closed his hand over it, shouting, “Go get yer own, no you can’t see it. I paid two silver staters for this!”

Other people started filing in cradling bags of powders, scraps of fabric with strange symbols written on them in ink or dye or other such talismans for people to use.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 13th is "distract" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has started her journey that morning and shortly afterwards offered her new companion a ride. Now they have stopped briefly for lunch.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "distract"

“What’s this?” he looked at the skein curiously.
“Ale.” When he gave her a blank look, she asked, “What, they don’t have ale where you come from?”

“I normally drink water,” he said simply.

“Water? That stuff will make you sick. Only safe for animals. Ale is safer.” When he looked with uncertainty at the animal bladder, tanned and treated to hold liquids, she opened one end and showed him how to drink, tipping it up so a stream of ale poured into her mouth.

Holding the bag up, he tried and wound up with some dribbling down his beard and onto his tunic, which caused them both to laugh. Darach took his sleeve and dabbed his face.

The way he smiled at Nin made that fluttering in her insides return that she almost didn’t have the stomach to eat. To distract herself, she took out her small dagger at her hip and cut off a piece of cheese from the wheel she packed and ripped of a piece of bread from the few loaves she packed for herself.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 11th is "exhaust" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Twice Darach was about to kiss Nin for the first time and both times they were interrupted - the second time that morning. Nin is now fit to be tied with all her pent up unresolved sexual tension.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "exhaust"

Astride Barley while sitting behind Darach, Nin was taught as a bow string. She had experienced this sensation before when Alan would give her a dry, perfunctory kiss, then walk away from her leaving her unsatisfied. She thought it was anger at the time, but now she finally understood it was frustration.

In those moments, she would work off her pent-up energy by restacking the barley in the warehouse or even chopping wood until she was a sweating profusely, her muscles aching and trembling, and her body was exhausted. Being stuck on horseback with no way to satisfactorily vent this excess energy inside of her, Nin clung onto Darach, grasping him in her arms with all her might until her arms nearly shook from muscle fatigue.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 10th is "teeth" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Now that her little sister is married, Nin's parents are trying to foist her off, threatening to kick her out if she doesn't marry soon, so they found a match for her, Rhod, the widowed miller.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "teeth"

“But you still need to find a husband. And Rhod is here ready to take you into his house which is already in good order,” Brer added, piling on with her own reasons why Nin should get married.

“Being a spinster is certainly sounding like a better option to me than marrying this…” Nin’s eyes roved over the erinaceous old miller, his back bent, more than half of his teeth gone and what sparse hair was left was gray, his chin covered with grizzled whiskers. He didn’t even bother to shave when coming to dinner with the intention of agreeing to a match set up by her parents. She had always tried to avoid disappointing her parents, or anyone for that matter, but this time, she could not stomach what her parents were proposing and made her position clear.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 9th is "rig" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts After their first night at the inn and pretending to be married, Nin slept in the bed and Darach offered to sleep on the floor. In the morning, Nin isn't about to let Darach go out looking like a schlumph.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "rig" (gear)

After dressing under the covers, they packed up her gear, as Darach had none other than the clothes on his back.
As they were about to head out the door, Nin chided, “You’re not going out like that?” she asked as he looked at his hair that was a tangled mess, before he had a chance to put on his simple hat.
“What’s wrong with it?” he asked as he attempted to finger comb it, but it was too far gone to do that.
“Sit!” she ordered as she pointed to the edge of the bed before fetching her comb she used to fix and braid her hair that morning.
Nin began combing his hair, starting at the ends and untangling it in small sections. “It’s like tangled brambles. When was the last time you brushed your hair?” she scolded him softly.
“You’re like a mother cat with her kittens.” He turned his head and smiled up at her, “You’ll make a good mother someday.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 8th is "mental" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has loaned money out, and now is asking for repayment so she can buy some land to farm, since her parents have threatened to throw her out if she doesn't marry and cantankerous old widower.

Silhouette of an oak tree againstt a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "mental"

“So, can I have my money, since my parents stole most of what I was saving? I really need it,” Nin begged, her desperation growing more urgent.

“If it was for something sensible, like your dowry, maybe, but this?” Úna had the temerity to laugh mockingly. “Besides, with another one on the way, we won’t be able to pay you back for a while,” she said blandly, as if that absolved her of her duty to repay a debt.

Her shoulders slumping with defeat, Nin muttered, “I guess I’ll just go.”

“You’re strong,” her friend said, referring to Nin’s assumed endless mental and emotional fortitude. “You’ll figure it out.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#WIPSnips September 7th is "elevator" (stairs) - since they didn't have elevators in the Iron Age #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts The tavern owner assumed Darach was the fiance Nin was telling him about when she visited before, not knowing Alan jilted her. Now it's #pretendmarried time.

Silhouette of oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan ale #WIPSnips "elevator" (stairs)

News had spread around the tavern about the newlyweds, and everyone started whistling, clapping and making crude comments. Even the musician played his lyra in a way to imitate the creaking and strains of a bed being used in the act of consummation, which made more of the patrons laugh lewdly.

Nin buried her face in Darach’s shoulder, trying to hide her undisguised embarrassment. “Did you have to carry me?” she asked quietly as they ascended the stairs behind Tadgh.

“Tradition, my bride,” he whispered under his breath. “You wouldn’t want everyone here to think I wasn’t your husband and was your lover instead?”

That prospect was even more mortifying.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 6th is "sigh" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin has just been coerced to dance in the pig trough at her younger sister's wedding. After wiping her feet clean, she is putting her shoes back on, eager to get away from the wedding feast.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "sigh"

“Aren’t you coming back?” Aunt Sadhbh asked, gesturing towards the raucus feast. The musicians were playing again, and Nin could tell dancing had already begun with the sound of feet stomping carrying around the corner to where they were currently hiding from view.

Nin never felt like she truly belonged, and this wedding just made the anguish of such a fact more apparent.

She shook her head while giving a heavy sigh of resignation. “I’ve had enough punishment for one day. Besides, mother said they didn’t even plan for me, so that’s more food for everyone else.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 5th is "panel" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Shortly after Nin is cursed by the forest god, a magician arrives in the village. What a coincidence!

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "panel"

As evening set and everyone in Oakdore was done with their daily labor, the villagers gathered in front of the magician’s wagon. Torches were set in a semi-circle, lighting the small stage that had been lowered from the back of the wagon, supported with beams and posts.

There was the thunder of a large drum and the jingle and metallic rattling of a tambourine and bells, followed by the bright flash of purple smoke. As the smoke cleared, on the small stage, stood a curious looking man in a royal blue robe, embroidered with gold thread depicting a sun on the front right panel, and silver thread used for a crescent moon upon the front left panel. He wore a tall, pointed hat in the same royal blue velvet as his robe with silver stars embroidered upon the crown.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 4th is "collapse" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts On the road to Port Rowan, Nin and Darach are attacked by bandits. In the process of trying to flee, Nin fell and knocked her head against a rock. When she momentarily comes to, she is in Darach's arms.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSNips "collapse" (unconscious)

Waking to realize she was curled against Darach’s chest in his arms, she was sure she was dead and that she and Darach were now together in the afterlife. She was positively tiny in his arms, as if she had shrunk, or he had at least doubled in size.

His stern face was splattered with blood, thick rivulets of blood and a small chunk of shredded meat clinging to his beard.

“You’re safe now,” he said, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
Trying to focus on his face despite her throbbing head, she did not see his warm hazel eyes, but a galaxy of stars where his irises and pupils were. It must have been the trick of the light with the sun overhead and the bump to her head, but the branches from the tree overhead made it look like Darach had a rack of horns, like a mighty stag

Nin slipped once more into unconsciousness.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

September 3rd is "effective" #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin challenges her drunk former fiance to an arm wrestling match.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "effective" (effect)

Alan’s smug grin infuriated Nin as he pressed forward until he was back to where they started.

“Finish her, Alan!” Kennan shouted.

As Nin’s hand began to move backwards, Alan’s grin grew crueler as he whispered, “To think I would marry a fat spinster like you. Not only are you unf*ckable, you’re stupid as well.”

Instead of having the effect Alan thought, destroying what little confidence Nin had left, it caused her to draw deep within herself, no longer caring what Alan or anyone else would think if she beat him. Channeling her anger that still burned at being cast aside and all her other recent humiliations, she threw everything she had into the challenge.

Just as Alan’s hand was halfway to victory, his advantage began to wane.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 2nd is "button" (belt) #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts First night at the inn with one bed and Darach, seeing how terrified Nin is, is being a gentleman and sleeping on the floor by the door. #onebed

Silhouoette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSNips "button" (belt)

Nin removed her shoes but crawled into bed and covered herself up before removing her belt and kirtle, setting it atop the bed. She secured her dagger, hiding it discreetly under her pillow while Darach was setting up his own bedding in front of the door.

It was then Nin realized she couldn’t sneak out of the door in the morning without waking him. She had thought to make leave in the early morning leaving him behind, but she had no idea what his own plans were.

Now tucked under the covers, holding the edge of it up to her chin, she watched as Darach laid down his cloak that had dried during supper near the hearth down on the wooden floorboards before taking one of Nin’s saddle bags for a makeshift pillow.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#WIPSnips word for September 1st is "garden" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin loved playing in the dirt and growing things.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "garden"

It had taken a few months of Nin doing her own washing by herself that she finally got the hint that she was not welcome. Though, when they wanted a nice tall person to help tie up laundry line, they always flagged Nin down for help. Which is why the solitude of working alone in the back suited her just fine. It left her less resentful at the end of the day. Her satisfaction was knowing she made a great vat of ale. But her greatest satisfaction was her garden, growing things, working in the sun or light misting rain.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#WIPSnips The word for August 31st is "chip" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Aunt Sadhbh tells Nin about the time she wandered off when she was about four then came back a few days later, the village thinking she was a changeling.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "chip"

“Unfortunately, there are some in this village that have never stopped thinking you are a changeling.”

“But changelings, after a time, they reveal themselves. It’s been twenty-six years.” Nin was trying to recall that far back, but nothing was coming to her mind, until she remembered a long-forgotten memory.

“Yes, when everyone started claiming you were a changeling, I pressed an iron ring into your hand. If you were a changeling, the iron would have hurt you and caused you to scream in pain, but you merely played with it and even began chewing on it, chipping another one of your milk teeth.”

Nin laughed, recalling a long-buried memory of her tongue playing with the sharp edge of the chipped teeth that fell out a few years later.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 30th is "soup" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Nin and Darach are camping for the night and Nin makes some soup for supper.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "soup"

As the sun started to get near the horizon, they finally stopped and camped on the west side of the road, even though it was late with the summer sun setting far into the evening.

Darach fetched some water from a nearby stream, which Nin added some dried vegetables and meat to make a simple soup in which the ingredients boiled for a while.

“You won’t drink water, but you’ll eat soup made with boiled water?” Darach observed, pointing out the incongruent logic.

“I make ale with water, but that needs to be boiled too.”

“So maybe it’s not the water that makes you sick, since you drink ale, but something happens when you boil it that makes it safe to eat or drink?”

Nin had to laugh once it dawned on her. “I had never thought of it that way, but there might be some truth in that. I’m still not going to drink plain water. I’d rather drink ale.”

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 28th is "snuggle" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts It's the second night of their journey together and there was no village between Ballihazel and Ashular so they camp by the roadside.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Talee WIPSnips "snuggle"

The fire glowing with red coals, Darach laid out the blanket from Barley’s back. “Unless you like waking up chilled to the bone, we’ll have to sleep together under our cloaks,” he pointed out as he prepared their bed for the night at their camp site that was just off the road within a large circle of trees that stood around like sentinels, guarding them. The horse was tied to a tree root that came up out of the ground exposed.

She had ridden for two days now, either in front or behind Darach, their bodies pressed close together. Perhaps it was what was symbolized by sharing a bed with him that made her hesitant. Darach had removed his boots, belt and tunic, holding the cover of their cloaks open, inviting her in. After removing her footwear, belt and kirtle, she reluctantly climbed under the cover of their cloaks, laying her head down, facing away from Darach.

He snuggled up behind her, placing a protective arm over her, which made her initially flinch.

“Trust me. I would never force myself upon you, my sweetest bláthín,” he breathed into her hair before giving a small kiss on the top of her head.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 27th is "moth" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts First night during their travels and the inn keeper have assumed Nin and Darach are married, and Nin doesn't correct this assumption either. Now it's time to go to bed and Darach picks Nin up and carries her off.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "moth" (butterflies)

Darach carried Nin over the threshold. The act was performative – though it seemed Darach was relishing his role a bit too much, which made the butterflies in Nin stomach start up again. They weren’t even actually married, but she had dreamed of being carried over a threshold with her husband someday. Now, it was with a handsome stranger she met only earlier that day who now had an unfamiliar twinkle in his eye that Nin was beginning to suspect was something more than amusement of the situation.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 26th is "symbol" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Each year, Nin's village has a 1,000 year old lottery each Autumn of picking a maid to be a forest god's bride to appease him, as folklore says the tradition began after destruction of a nearby village.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Texxt: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "symbol"

Nin had hoped once she was old enough to enter that she would be chosen in the lottery, but each year some other maid had been selected. Willow had won three times over the seven years since she entered womanhood. The lottery winner was crowned with a circlet of oak leaves, carried upon the shoulders of the men of the village to the largest oak tree in the village that stood towards the western end of the high road, where she was set upon the low crotch of the tree, symbolically marrying the God of the Forest until another maid would be picked next year. After being crowned, Cráeb’s bride could name any man to dance with her in Cráeb’s stead, an allegorical dance of bride and groom representing fertility with the ripening crops through their joining. Each year that Willow won, she picked Alan, including her first year in the lottery when she was thirteen and crowned.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 25th is "panic" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPromtps Nin's parents for threatening her to either marry or get kicked out of the house. Since her parents stole most her money for her sister's dowry, Nin is trying to collect money she lent out so she can buy land.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "panic"

“My mother and father are trying to force me to marry Rhod,” Nin said with disgust clearly written on her face, her lip curled into a sneer.

“We might be able to pay you back in time for the wedding. When is it?”

“I am not marrying him! I need the money so I can buy some land as my parents threatened to kick me out if I don’t marry Rhod, or someone, by Autumn Festival.” Nin was in a near panic, hoping her plan would come together and her best friend would at least support her in her endeavor to avoid a fate worse than spinsterhood.

“Why would you need land?”

Nin blinked in surprise. “I’ve told you over the years about my dream to have a piece of land of my own to grow things. And if my parents evict me, then I can live there.”

“You were serious? I thought it was just a silly little wish. I had no idea you were serious,” Úna admitted while giving Nin a look of pity.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 23rd is "album" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts It's the wedding day of Nin's little sister to Nin's former fiance, Alan. She is sat behind a large wooden column and can't see the ceremony - sh*ttiest seat in the hall, the seat saved for her by her own mother.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "album" (music)

Nin could only listen to the wedding conducted while reminiscing in a numbing haze of heartbreak, compulsively chewing on the cord of her shell necklace.

For three years she had dreamed of this day; what she would wear, and her vows spoken to Alan, and his to her, the color of their handfasting ribbon, the food and drink, even the music. Now she could not even be a spectator to what she long fantasized about many nights, eager to move out of her parents’ home into one in which she would be the mistress. She had even saved all her money from wages working at the brewery all those years, knowing she’d have to provide her own dowry, since her parents made it clear from a young age that they would not have any to spare for her.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 22nd is "fresh" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Looks like Nin's "bad luck" has caused all the wort in the brew vats to go bad.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tree #WIPSnips "fresh"

This was not the first time the wort had gone bad. The last time was when Hayden was left in charge to brew while Nin was bedridden three years ago. She was so sick that even her parents agreed she should stay in bed and rest.

Unwilling to deal with the nonsense rumors of bad luck and curses, Nin marched back into the brewhouse to begin the laborious process of removing the spoiled wort and cleaning the vats once more with lots of boiling hot water.

Over the next three days, Nin got up before her parents to avoid their accusatory dark looks, as if it was her fault the wort went bad. She worked all day and into the night, even having her supper in the warehouse where the barley was stored until the vats were cleaned to her satisfaction. The only person whose company she could tolerate until her task was done was her aunt.

Finally, mashing a fresh batch of barley with hot water completed in all four vats, Nin emerged from the brewhouse.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 21st is "wine" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Being something other than a normal mortal, which Nin doesn't know yet, Darach hasn't drunk ale.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "wine" (ale)

“What’s this?” he looked at the skein curiously.

“Ale.” When he gave her a blank look, she asked, “What, they don’t have ale where you come from?”

“I normally drink water,” he said simply.

“Water? That stuff will make you sick. Only safe for animals. Ale is safer.” When he looked with uncertainty at the animal bladder, tanned and treated to hold liquids, she opened one end and showed him how to drink, tipping it up so a stream of ale poured into her mouth.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 20th is "footprint" (trail) #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts Despite being an Irish Iron Age romantasy, I don't have the word "footprint", but I have "trail" since this is a #onehorse story.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan Tale #WIPSnips "trail"

Before most of the town awakened, they left Port Rowan and began their trek across The Wastelands, land supposedly claimed by Cráeb, but not part of the original sacred forest. It was early enough so that no one saw them entering what was a forbidden land, no one having return from entering it, a land known for death who attempted to cross it.

Darach was steering Barley to walk towards the whale skeleton in the distance, Mulhcráeb looming beyond, with a bunch of wildflowers grasped in his hand while the other held the reigns. Nin sat behind him, holding onto him from behind.

Barley’s hooves were the only sign of anything that had ever trod across the salt-caked playa, the delicate crust broken with each step, leaving a visible trail behind upon the desolate landscape.

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Elise Betz #amquerying and seeking representation @elisebetz.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

#WIPSnips word for August 19th is "anymore" #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts As they ride on #onehorse, Darach asks Nin about her life. Nin is surprised as no person has lent her an ear before, wanting to listen to her.

Silhouette of an oak tree against a green background.

Text: A Sylvan ale #WIPSnips "anymore"

Nin went on to tell about her return and the sudden change in Alan, transferring his affections from her to her younger sister, Willow, but she explained that upon hindsight that her former fiancé never loved her.

“He was a fool,” her companion insisted, continuing to rub her shoulder in a supportive manner.

“I was a fool for thinking he actually loved me. It was the free ale he loved, not me.” Nin didn’t even feel much of a pang over it anymore, except for brief moments of self-loathing for not spotting it sooner. It was like an old scar that had healed over and no longer felt discomfort, just the memory of the pain she once remembered lingering behind.

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