2025 B : Blue Sky

   

"B” in the AtoZ Challenge is Blue Sky. Not the social media site, but my preferred writing locale…outdoors on a lakeside deck or a serene wooded glen. But not all outdoors time has blue skies as seen in the following excerpt from Windmaster.

“Something’s not right,” Ellspeth said. “The color of the sky is wrong. The masters on both barges agree.” Dal nodded to the bargemaster and his mate as he joined the group on the deck of the barge. Dal’s gaze scanned the horizon. The sky had leached all life from the river. Behind the barge, ranks of ever-darker clouds marched over the colorless waters.

Gusty winds picked up, driving not only their barge toward the shore, but also the boat carrying Barris, Murdo, and the fàlaire. Even without sails, the speed of the two barges increased. They rushed over rocks and bulled through eddies as the raging current overrode the crews’ efforts to steer their normally placid vessels. A sharp jolt beneath their feet threw Ellspeth into Dal. Only his quick grab of the rail prevented them from flying into the benches that filled the center of the barge.

Murdo’s bellow roared above the waves as light glinted off the drawn swords held by the dozen men who now lined the river’s bank. “Ambush!”

Check out Windmaster Legacy to see the result of the ambush.

In recognition of these precious places, a photo array of skies and sunsets.

Early morning, Blue Ridge Mountains

Sunset over Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.

Buy the Windmaster Novels at Amazon and These Sites

~till next time, Helen

P.S. My blueSky handle is @history2write.bsky.social. Follow me there if you wish.

If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the other participants.