Tenderness

Prompt: tenderness by in_the_blue. 100 Word Stories

Technically, these prompts are freely available from in_the_blue, but since she’s my beta and one of my dearest online writer friends, the community counts for my 365 Challenge. A double-drabble of 200 words.


Liana Mir

Liana Mir reads, writes, and wrangles the muses from her mundane home in the Colorado Rockies and, occasionally, from the other side of the Barrier.

Series Listing

409 S

Hunt the Mists

409 W

Keeping the Balance

459 S

A Handsbreadth Light

461 S

Remembering Stories

489 S

Tenderness

496

Gone Hunting

496 AU

That is Something

509 W

Portrait of a Butterfly

510 S

To Dance with a Dragon

514 W

Crossing the Barrier

517 S

The Cloths of Heaven

517 S

The Way of the Hunt

519 S

Blood of Dragons

Story Within a Story

The Caller and the Dragon

Story Within a Story - 508

A Lady in the Dragon's Court

Story Within a Story - 510

How We Write Poetry

Story Within a Story - 517 W

A Letter to Fellow Historical Intern, Whom I Named Huerél

Tenderness

Renaiven was known as a harsh man, but almost no one knew why.

489 S
Vardin Science Fiction Fantasy
Flash Fiction Short Story

Renaiven was known as a harsh man—for the severity of his punishments within the Hunter’s Guild, for how he trained fighters with fatal precision as if they were responsible for their own life, for his merciless and uncompromising approach to guarding Vardin, willing to sacrifice anything at all.

When he stepped inside his home, a tiny child unaware of his reputation ran giggling to his knee and raised her arms with delighted smile.

“Rose.” He caught her in his arms tenderly and held her close, burying his face in her auburn hair. Over the tiny head, he could just glimpse her mother standing in the doorway, watching him. “Do you know I love you?” he asked.

“Of course, I do, Daddy.” She kissed him on his cheek, heedless of the emotion swirling inside him.

Renaiven was known as a harsh man, but no one but his wife knew the real reasons why, knew that he would sacrifice anything at all to avert the dark futures he had seen with his gifts and in visions, anything to save this tiny child and the nation that birthed her.

He held her and, for a while yet, refused to let her go.

#


Vardin Science Fiction Fantasy

If you liked this story, you may also like Portrait of a Butterfly. Please consider sharing this story or tipping the author at left.

What do you think of this post?
  • Love It (0)
  • Helpful (0)
  • Surprising (0)
  • Giggles (0)
  • More Please! (0)

2 Responses to Tenderness

  1. G.J. says:

    I love the little glimpses this snippet gives into the whole Vardin universe, so subtly and without fanfare. It's a great way to tempt people into reading more without giving all of it away.

    • Liana says:

      Thank you! Sometimes I wonder if I am too coy, and this piece... Well, I am glad you like it. It is indeed a glimpse.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


three × 2 =