This month I’m interviewing the five other authors who are in the Christmas anthology with me. So my prompts will reflect the genres they write.
The prompt today is inspired by the Laurie Lucking’s short story “Return to Callidora”, a Christmas fantasy with everything a fairytale needs — a princess, a dragon, a knight, a commoner, and magic.
Once upon a time … is the girl dancing for the dragon? Is she unaware the dragon is above her? What about the two riders on the right? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys?
How does this photo inspire your imagination?
Here’s what I came up with:
As soon as she saw her father nearing, Freya started to dance for joy. She barely noticed the man with him. She and her mother had waited four long months for her father to return from diplomatic business. Freya knew no details of the reason for his absence, but she didn’t need to now. Her family was reunited – well, almost.
Seeing the dragon fly above took her by surprise since the sun was high in the sky. Usually the faithful watch-dragons made their rounds at dusk and dawn. Only in the event of a kingdom-wide celebration or emergency would they fly in the middle of the day.
Freya had been raised to trust the flying dragons, and had been helped on several occasions by them. That was why her parents, though grieved, were not particularly worried when her older brother had been swept up onto the back of a dragon and flown into the vast blue sky as a child. Freya could barely remember her brother or the day he had disappeared.
Naturally, her parents missed him tremendously, but they truly believed he was in no danger, a faith that impressed Freya. They often explained to Freya that the watch-dragons hand-picked her brother Orion for a unique mission in another land. They often gazed at the horizon, hoping to see him returning. No one in the kingdom had heard news of his whereabouts or the mysterious mission. If only the dragons could talk, thought Freya.
As her father neared and she could see the face of the other man, a shiver went up her spine. Could it be her long-lost brother Orion? His eyes looked like her father’s, and his smile and wave pricked a long-forgotten memory. Orion was home, too!
I love this! So much to work with if you want to develop a longer story. And you worked in everything in the photo is such an imaginative way! Thanks for sharing
She went dancing for the dragon
for its aesthetic need,
while two knights lifted up a flagon
of the best Milwaukee mead.
She danced just like a Cossack
in movements wild and groovy
’cause she knew that ‘Sound of Music’
was dragon’s favourite movie.
She danced just like a warrior bride,
her face alight in smiles,
for she hoped to catch a ride
with her frequent flier miles.
She danced with footwork harsh and soft
and the dragon matched her steps, aloft.