2026 U: undercover

 

In the world of the dragshi, girls were not as a rule admitted as apprentices to the Ceoltier Hall. Females were educated there on special admissions based on their talents or expected place in life, primarily female dragon lords or the daughters of the leaders of a major village. However Anastasia was none of those. She was the granddaughter of the leader of a trading caravan. Not important enough to justify the formal training, but she possessed a rare skill…She could use mental speech to communicate with the dragon lord and his dragon soul twin. Her tue to the dragon lords made her vulnerable to their enemies so the decision was made for her to go undercover at the hall as a boy. Her hair was cut short, she wore trousers instead of a trader’s skirt. Her name became Stosh. Close enough to her real name to make it easy for her to respond yet different enough for others not to make the connection.

~till next time Helen 

If you want to see my previous postings for the challenge, go here.  

 

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

Buy Dragon Destiny at Amazon and these sites

2026 S : Stellae

 

Stelae (plural of stele or stela) are upright, vertical stone slabs or pillars, often carved with inscriptions or reliefs. Primarily used in the ancient world, these monuments served as tomb markers, boundary markers, or to commemorate rulers and historical events.

The excerpt from Hatchlings Curse captures the finding of stelae in a lost valley.

Three wingstrokes took Anastasia through the concealing mist, revealing a verdant valley. A wide lake glittered at the far end of the expanse. Her gaze rose from the row of stone buildings filling the ridgeline to stop at a distant peak. There, towering over the valley and the other buildings, stood a massive structure built of stepped levels of black rock. A sense of violating sacred ground warred with the siren call.

The flat top provided a perfect site to land. Yet Anastasia refused the temptation and glided down to just beyond a ring of panels made of the same material as what she could only call a temple. She hastened the shift to her own form. Her unearthly beacon vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Two quick steps took her to the closest stone. Symbols in an ancient language covered the slab as tall as five men. Using her studies under the ceoltiers and in the archives at Cloud Eyrie, she translated the meanings. Her understanding grew the longer she studied the glyphs. One showed a female dragon swallowing a large fish.

Anastasia followed the chiseled marks to the back side of the panel. The entire surface was taken up with the aerial acrobatics of a mating flight. Her pulse raced. Maybe she was right that something was missing in the dragon’s life in the mountains. Nowhere in any of the archives of the dragshi or the stories of the true dragons was there a single reference to what she saw. And, instead of a single pair of dragons, five males pursued one. Unbidden, she reached out and touched the black rock. A sensation of agelessness rocked her—the feeling of the ancient ones—the true dragons. She stood transfixed until she could no longer ignore the increasing calls in her head. Several minds pushed at hers. Unconsciously, she reached out for the most familiar one.

~till next time Helen 

If you want to see my previous postings for the challenge, go here. If you're following other blogs in the challenge, here's the master list of the participants.

Buy Hatchlings Curse at Amazon and these sites.

2026 R : Riot

 

2026 marks the year of the fire horse. The element Fire amplifies the Horse’s natural traits of energy and passion. Characteristics of the magical equines of the books I write. From Dragon Destiny an excerpt illustrating energy and passion using " riot" as the "r" in the atoz challenge.

The shouts of frightened men and the high-pitched squeals of terrified animals competed with the thunder. A discordant twang pulled Branin’s gaze upward to the hayloft where a white-faced servant wrung the jarring notes from a bagpipe. The young man tried to play the slow lullaby that usually calmed the horses during the winter storms. However, his hands shook so badly neither chord nor tune emerged true.

A pair of brown horses at the double doors caught Branin’s attention. Neighing wildly, the two young colts reared in unison. Their front hooves smashed down, chipping away the bar that held the doors closed. If they reached the outside, the storm would blind and disorient them until the frightened creatures ran off the cliff.

“Enough of this,” Branin snarled. “Forget the lullaby,” he called to the musician. “Play the Seidheirn Battle Hymn.” Suiting actions to words, he drew his sword, snatched up a metal bucket, and pounded out the beat. His voice, pitched to be heard above the din, rang out with the ancient call to war.

“Shoulder to shoulder, we charge onto the foe.
Fighting we battle on, to the next world we go.
Seidheirn, seidheirn, sound the battle roar,
Honor the fallen, and mourn no more.

Answer the battle cry with honor,
Until victory is born.
Our spirit can never be broken,
Even when the final requiem is spoken.” 

One by one, other voices joined in. Then a second and a third makeshift drum added to the cadence. No longer needed to keep the tune moving, Branin sheathed his sword and tossed the bucket aside. He walked among the grooms, squeezing a shoulder here, a clap on the back there. “Keep singing,” he encouraged. “Louder... louder.” With each verse, the effect of the hymn grew stronger while the infectious rhythm kept even the worst of the singers in a semblance of harmony. Seidheirn began to stomp their hooves, sending up clouds of dust.

Branin’s pulse raced and leapt with the words of the stirring battle cry. Letting his voice die away, he listened with his dragon senses. The singing drowned out the thunder. This isn’t possible. A double handful of men can’t make this much noise. It quickly became obvious the song resounded not just from the grooms in that section of the barn, but also from the other three wings of the x-shaped stable. Liam must have heard what I was doing and had the others try the tactic too. A reinforcing energy flickered at the edge of his mind. He realized Eirwen utilized the song to forward strength from everyone in the main building to support those trying to subdue the crazed animals.

For the first time since he entered the stable, Branin felt the emotional state shift. Several of the horses stopped rearing and allowed the grooms to slip ropes over their lowered heads. Now that the humans had regained control of their fear, Branin put the next part of his plan into action. He watched Marsainn block a dappled mare’s wild dash from a stall. The stallion snapped at the horse, forcing her back. “Mar, get over here,” Branin yelled.

In response, the black seidheirn trumpeted an obvious command. A younger version took a protective stance in front of the mare, who now quivered in the corner. Freed of guard duty, the larger animal wove his way through the press of horses in the aisle.

“You know what to do, Mar,” Branin directed. “The horses are primed. We just need to key them into their training.”

The stallion tossed his head in agreement. He nipped one of the browns attacking the door, then the other. They stopped their frantic rearing at Marsainn’s neigh. One snorted and started to rear again, but dropped back to all fours when Marsainn clamped his teeth around the rebel’s neck. When the smaller horse whinnied in submission, Marsainn released his prisoner and galloped over to Branin.

Branin leaped onto Marsainn’s back. “Column of twos,” he ordered in a voice that cut through the bedlam. With an exuberant bugle, Marsainn spun on his haunches. He pranced in place before heading down the aisle in a high-stepping march. His hooves struck the ground in time with the human chorus.

Instead of resuming their breaching of the doors, the two browns reacted to the repeated command of “form up” and moved into position at Marsainn’s heels. A pair of young black horses joined the ranks. When Marsainn strutted past each stall, except for mares and their foals, the true horses and seidheirn trotted out and added to the line. Any of the horses in the main aisle backed into a stall at the line’s advance or joined the impromptu parade. If they did not move fast enough, they were helped along by a quick nip or a nudge from Marsainn or one of his sons. All the stallions and geldings reacted to Branin’s repeated calls of “column of twos” and “parade march.” Their combat training took over, and the animals, although they bore neither rider nor saddle, turned into the line.

The men’s singing became ragged, yet they forced stressed vocal chords to continue the chant. On the next verse, all the seidheirn trumpeted. Before the line completed another circuit of the barn, every horse and seidheirn either marched in the procession or pranced in place. One by one, the men’s voices fell away when a servant or groom stopped singing to talk quietly to the trembling animals near them. Soon, only the drone of bagpipes from the hayloft could be heard above the thunder and the rain beating on the roof. Branin started to order a change in the music just as the piper turned the final note of the seidheirn challenge into a ballad with a strong beat. The musician slowed the melody with each verse until it became almost like a lullaby.

Marsainn shifted to a walk that kept the earth-pounding rhythm, but covered less ground. 

Now when they passed a stall, Branin called out “rear guard, break.” Marsainn snorted, reinforcing the command. Branin half-turned to see the result of his order. Two horses at the back of the column separated. One trotted left, the other walked to the right. Waiting men stroked the horses’ necks, and slipped ropes over the animals’ heads as they filed into their stalls. Again and again, the scene repeated until only Marsainn, the two brown horses who had tried to destroy the stable door, and two large black seidheirn stallions high-stepped the length of the stable. Foam covered all five animals.

“Column, halt. Dismissed,” Branin called in a final command. He waited while grooms led the now-compliant animals to stalls. “Just a few minutes more,” he told the trembling Marsainn. Sliding down to the floor, he snatched a scrap of rag to rub down the sweat-drenched mount. The familiar action helped Branin release some of the stress of controlling the emotions of so many men and animals. “You did well, Marsainn,” Branin murmured. “You served your kin well this day, old friend.”

The black stallion nickered and tossed his mane as if to say, I know.

 

~till next time Helen 

If you want to see my previous postings for the challenge, go here. 

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

Buy Dragon Destiny at Amazon and These Sites

2025 A: Apprentice

An apprentice is a young person who works for someone in order to learn their skill. In the Dragshi Chronicles, apprentices at the Ceoltier Guild learn from the guilds masters and scholars to be teachers, musicians, and arbiters of justice. An apprentice can be identified by the color of his cloak lining which is a light green the color of new hay as opposed to the darker emerald of a master.

The master - apprentice relationship is not always congenial. In the Windmaster Novels, the wizard Bashim treated his apprentice, Nobyn, as a slave. He also kept his knowledge to himself sharing very little.

The following excerpt from Windmaster Legacy shows a different relationship. To set the stage, Ellspeth, not much more than a fledgling mage herself, is Bashim’s prisoner. Yet she sees Nobyn's yearning and starts to teach him how to use his magic. Nobyn had just brought Ellspeth's meal to her cell. A meal tainted with a sleep potion. And she asks him remove the magic spell. 

Nobyn’s low question interrupted Ellspeth’s reflection. Another sliver of hope joined the others to produce more optimism than Ellspeth had thought possible a few hours before. An evenness she didn’t feel colored her tone. “I’ll give you the incantation and show you how to use it by taking the sleep injunction off the water. Then you try clearing the food.”

Held breath and a sparkle in Nobyn’s eyes told Ellspeth she was on the right track.

“Your powers are strong enough to know if the spell worked,” she added.

On Nobyn’s next visit, she did not even have to ask him to remove Bashim’s spells from the food and drink. Nobyn sat the jug of water and plate with meat and bread on the floor in front of the bench. His eyes scrunched in concentration, he mouthed the words he had learned such a short time ago. Sheer joy filled the youth’s face at his success. “I never knew I could feel this way,” he muttered. “Is this how it feels to be a mage?”

Ellspeth answered the only way she could, with a knowing smile.

~till next time Helen 

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

 

Buy the Windmaster Novels at Amazon and These Sites 

 

2025 Z : Zealot #mfrwhooks

     

In the challenge, "Z" is for zealot. For the purposes of the post, the definition of a zealot is a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

A zealot has appeared in the fantasy worlds of the Windmaster Novels and of the dragshi. The brethren in Imprisoned in Stone was a fanatical cult determined to rule the world by any means possible. Blood sacrifices, curses and dark magic were their primary tools. Anyone with even a hint of power was forced to submit the Brethren's rule or be killed. In Dylan's case, for healing without payment in disobedience of the brethren's rules, his soul was imprisoned in stone.

The dragshi had their own zealotry to deal with for not everyone appreciated the rule of the dragon lords. Those without a dragon soul twin hated those who did. Not just because the dragshi had power, wealth, and respect, but because they were different. One such group was Groslom and his descendants. The tale of one descendent, Pyrell, is told in the novella "Forever Bound" in First Change. 

In Windmaster, a cult of clerics determined to rid the world of magic were not going to stop with the deaths of anyone who had even a hint of magic. It didn't matter if they were innocent and had no magic themselves, the friends and families of a wizard were also marked for death. The clerics planned to raze any place associated with a mage.

The following excerpt from Windmaster illustrates the depth of their hatred. To set the scene, Ellspeth arrives on horseback at her ship to find her way blocked and  stopped her horse in the shadows of the alley’s entrance. From her height she could see a squad of mercenaries gathered at the water’s edge. Craning her neck, she saw a row of  armed men in the guild colors of the House of Cszabo filling the dock. Several squads of mercenaries stood at ease in the patches of shade around the edges of the square. Nearest to her, a dozen unaffiliated sailors blocked the entrance to the alley. Even worse, a ranking member of her house council stood on the dock. And his companion? A cleric of the Oracle of Givneh.

Captain Ellspeth,” her kinsman dismissed her with a wave of his hand, “by order of the House of Cszabo I am taking command of Sea Falcon.”

“Falcon is my ship. If it goes anywhere, I will be at the helm.”

 “Enough of this.” Another’s imperious voice broke in.

Ellspeth shifted her focus to locate the speaker and settled her gaze on the face beneath the brown cowl.

“That ship needs to be purified. It is tainted by magic.”

“You want to take my ship because I gave passage to a wizard?”

“It is tainted. It will be purified... as will the crew.” Each word spit out, the tone demanded immediate, unconditional obedience.

Without looking Ellspeth could sense her crew preparing for battle behind her. Her own sword’s weight felt comforting across her thighs.

Read Windmaster to see if Sea Falcon sets sail and who would be at her helm. 

I hope you enjoyed the challenge posts. ~till next time, Helen  

To find buy links, click on the covers in the banner or use the pull down menus, or find me on Amazon.

The posts from the Marketing for Romance Writers group are listed below.

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

2025 W : Wall

 

     

In the challenge, "W" is for the wall, the setting for the short story, "Between Swords and Sickness," in the collection First Change: Tales From the Eyrie.

To set the stage, the fever called the demon fire ravaged the city leaving only a handful of oldsters and teens to care for the sick and man the wall. Defending the sick and the dying, one man stood alone against an invading army. He had no hope but for dragon fire and talons. But Geelneach is only a man.

From "Between Swords and Sickness - The Undefended Wall" from First Change: Legends From The Eyrie.

Geelneach stood on the rampart above the city gate. The decision, whether to fight or surrender, was his to make. An option, one he had not dared consider, refused to be quashed. He sent Silat and the others to man the barricade at the Great Hall. Jaoth and Silat had argued, but Geelneach prevailed. “You are my lieutenants. It is your duty to obey. Now go.” He laid a gentle hand on both the youth’s shoulders. “No matter what happens this day, you have done your city and kin proud.”

He waited until their shadows disappeared into the mist which still blanketed the city. Despite the fog, the black pillar of the funeral smoke stood out. Each day he had prayed the column would still be seen and word sent to the dragshi of Alcari’s troubles. Or the local men recalled from their hunt. But time had run out, no reinforcements had come. Only one more thing remained to be done—to challenge the leader of the invaders.

Ignoring the danger, Geelneach stood up, silhouetted by the rising sun. Battle energy surged through him and he pulled his sword. His voice pitched to be heard by those standing at the foot of the wall he issued a simple challenge. “Drust, I challenge you, fight me one-on-one.”

“And if I refuse?” came an answer from the throng below.

“Then you are a coward,” Geelneach taunted. He let his disgust show on his features.

A tall, broad-shouldered man in well-worn armor pushed his way through the group of soldiers standing in front of a tent decorated with a captain’s banner. “Bold words for the lone defender of a city,” Drust laughed. “Did your troop desert you? If you can call that handful of gray-haired oldsters and unbearded youths a troop.”

The mercenary waved, his gesture encompassing those around him. “My ‘men,’ are all veterans of a dozen campaigns.”

~till next time, Helen 

 

To read "Between Swords and Sickness," get First Change: Legends From The Eyrie at Amazon and These Sites

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

 

On The Shore, Hatchling's Mate #wewriwa #SundaySnippit

 

  

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)  Some help arrives (Unexpected Help), but it isn't enough. (Dive Deep) The crossing continues with unexpected help from dragonkind. (Crossing Continues)

After following the crossing for so long, it wouldn't be fair to you, the reader, not to tell you Talann's future ... at least for now.

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Gathering strength, Talann pushed back the redness still clouding his consciousness. One by one, other sensations penetrated his awareness. An iron grip suspended him above the waves, high enough to breathe, although spray stung his eyes. Movement replaced the feeling of weightlessness. Mud sucked at his hands. Pebbles scraped his knuckles and snatched at his feet. Huffs of breath in his ear let Talann know the price of the effort being made to shift his not insubstantial frame up the bank. ...

Muirea laid Talann on the ground beneath a tree with the effortlessness of a woman placing a babe in a cradle.

* * * *

Although safe for now, it is not the end of Talann's experiences with the river. He is still trapped on a hill that is rapidly being flooded by the rising waters. Be sure to read Hatchling's Mate for the next chapters.

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

5Crossing Continues, Hatchling's Mate, #wewriwa

  

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their posts. And don't forget to visit the  Sunday Snippet group for their teasers.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)  Some help arrives (Unexpected Help), but it isn't enough. (Dive Deep)

The crossing continues with unexpected help from dragonkind.

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
A glow, like that of thousands of fireflies enveloped his body. Confusion did not affect his eager grasp of the potential savior. No human, not even the dragshi had that kind of magic. The ancient ones, the true dragons, controlled such power, but they did not usually help un-bonded humans, only their own kind—and the dragshi.

Dragon-sent energy warmed—and healed—Talann’s body and soul. Could he be a dragshi after all? His pulse sped and frozen muscles thawed. Where before the surface appeared unreachable, within two heartbeats he breached into life-giving air.

Long gasps drew breath deep into his lungs. The burn lessened to be replaced by anger. He could not move. A wave washed over his head, then another.

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

Dive Deep, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)  Some help arrives (Unexpected Help), but it isn't enough.

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Handhold by handhold, he moved along the muck. His lungs burned until the need to suck down anything, even water, overwhelmed. Only his steel-tight grip on his will prevented giving in and he blindly fought toward the next purchase. The filtered daylight did not reach the black object in front of him enough for a clear identification. He couldn’t tell if what blocked his path was the bank he sought, or he feared, a boulder with raging water on the other side.

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

Unexpected Help, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. (Crossing Halted).  His ribs are broken by debris. (A Question Answered)

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Strength from a source other than his own will surged through Talann’s body. Within a heartbeat, the pain receded to a more manageable level and he pushed away from his floating sanctuary. Where before he had fought a losing battle, now he cleaved through the choppy waves. Each stroke brought him closer to the shadowy figure frantically beckoning him on.

<Dive, Tal. Deep!> Glyn’s command rang in Talann’s head. <Debris will reach you in four... three... two...one.>

The countdown echoing in his head, Talann bent at the waist and, ignoring the pain in his chest, dove until he touched the rocky bottom.

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

A Question Answered, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa, #SnippitSunday

 

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. Waves knock him against rocks, doing more than knock the breath out of him. On the shore, Glyn sends out a mental question. "How bad are the ribs?"

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
Talann groaned and tightened his grip on the log. Any thought of fabricating disappeared in the instant of its creation. You can’t lie with your mind, Talann’s honesty whispered.

And I never could dissemble with Glyn. With a resigned sigh at the inevitable, he answered the query. <Broken>

* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen

A Crossing Halted, Hatchling's Mate #WeWriWa

​ 
Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Visit the other participants on the list and read, and comment on their 8sunday posts.

​Today's excerpt is from the fantasy romance Hatchling's Mate. To set, the scene, To set the scene, against all orders, Talann attempts to swim across a flooded river to save women and children stranded on a hill. Waves knock him against rocks, doing more than knock the breath out of him. On the shore, Glyn sends out a mental question. "How bad are the ribs?"

And now the Sunday Snippet.

* * * *

Excerpt
 
The lack of response from Talann raised questions as to his true condition. Did he have the reserves necessary to complete the mission? More than his life was at stake. A decision had to be made whether to allow Talann to continue on, or to use the ropes intended to save others to save him. Finally, Glyn cast a silent prayer to her ancestors—and his—to guide her choice, and pressed for a reply.


* * * *

Buy Links: / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / More Sales Sites 

Visit the Dragshi's page for more on the Dragshi Chronicles.

​I hope you like the snippet I shared for Talann / Glynnes this week. Be sure to read the other Weekend Writing Warriors blogs and the #SnippetSunday authors for more great reads. 

~till next time, Helen