Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Day Seven

Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Day Eight

Lady in Waiting is a flash folk-horror told through prayers. Each episode is just minutes long. This is an immersive audio drama. So, turn your volume up. A supplement to the audio drama The Thief [https://thief.substack.com]. Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lady-in-waiting-•-flash-folk-horror/id1859324550], Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/collection/1832895](totally free), Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7KJrADPpwKqMeLWJswEuRo?si=935c006ff46f4989], or subscribe to the newsletter [https://thief.substack.com/]. Previously, the lady-in-waiting discovers she is no longer alone on the road. Exhausted and exposed, she wonders at the haze in the distance. A hallucination of her servant, Brona, warns her to get off the road - but she doesn't. DAY EIGHT > I am never more than a lope from “Boots,” part of the Burhwick chattel escort who found me in the road. It’s rationed but there’s water. They left my biscuits in the dirt but there was a stew when I’d come to - and I feel better. > > Boots is not young, but he is not old, and he mistakes me for a failed runaway. I don’t correct him.  > > When we are marched behind the wagon, I am roped together with everyone else, but the ties aren’t good, and the pace is slow. > > We trail behind because where else would we go? > > These are families, and I am not of them. They don’t care. We don’t talk. No one talks, not really. There are no raised voices but for the Burhwicks, who don’t care either - or can’t tell.  > > I am in the current. > > I sign thanks to the fay of the land because I need a blessing, or need to feel blessed, and I choose to interpret having been so easily assimilated as a blessing. > > I’m no longer Wirwen Osgard. No crown-traitor. I am - no one, given a gift of anonymity. > >  I see the old woman see my thanksgiving, and she cocks her head like a dog. > > Ahead, the driver-in-the-habit yells “no, damn you, left!” and the wagon creaks into a small crater with a shuddering SNAP of the wheel. “Damn it, damn it -” damn, damn, damn the driver yells with the rhythm of the switch crack on the horses’ backs. > > It turns out there is a wainwright among us and while he is made to work, we are the rest of us corralled into a sprawling circle and sit in the grass. We are commanded to silence. > > But I could reach out and touch the observing old woman and I lean-in and ask, “Pardon (!), but where —” I look for Boots and lean closer — “where are we going?” > > She snorts. And — I don’t know, forgetting my circumstance, I am offended. > > But she sees these things and this makes her laugh. > > “They’re marching us to the longboats waiting for us on the shore.” She looks me up and down, and scoffs. “Oh yes, you are leaving fine things behind, you are. How does it feel?” > > I speechlessly think of my comb. She likes this. > > But there is a thonk and she reels over a-sudden, her face bruising from the rock thrown at her.  > > “I said quiet!” says Boots. Furbelow Written and produced by Michael Schofield Performed by Rae Witte Introduced by Jeremy Román Inspired by S. Kaiya J.’s game Her Odyssey Boots is Jeremy Román "Siren Acapella Voices" by Orchestralis Lady in Waiting is produced by the fyrd: Emelie Johansson, Hannah Radcliff, Ivan Duch, Lucas Duff, Patrik Deraković-Rakas, Jon, Kier Hodsgon, Charles Villard, Jeremy Román, Kari Sutcliffe, Nandi K., and Amz Deen.

Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Day Seven

Lady in Waiting is a flash folk-horror told through prayers. Each episode is just minutes long. This is an immersive audio drama. So, turn your volume up. A supplement to the audio drama The Thief [https://thief.substack.com]. Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lady-in-waiting-•-flash-folk-horror/id1859324550], Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/collection/1832895](totally free), Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7KJrADPpwKqMeLWJswEuRo?si=935c006ff46f4989], or subscribe to the newsletter [https://thief.substack.com/]. Previously, having fled the cyngdón days ago with stolen papers and now malnourished and exposed on the long road east, the lady-in-waiting is giving-up to magical thinking - and hallucination. DAY SEVEN > Brona is tying a knot. I start to ask what-for but my tongue hurts to move; my mouth hurts to move. My own breath like plunging my chapped lips into salt. I focus on the wavering road and the wavering horizon. > > Brona hears me anyway. "My mother showed me. It's a message." > > What does it say? > > I blink and see cloud-cover still. I shrug and still find myself wrapped in my blanket. Distantly, very distantly, it occurs to me I am still cold. Then why does the road move like that? > > "It's dust," says Brona. > > "Get off the road, my lady," she continues. I wince, though. My foot throbs from the threat of again getting wet. It prefers its dry ache. Instead, I limp. "My lady, the grass is dry - get off the road!" > > Stop prodding, Brona, I hiss. > > "My lady," she tries again. I turn on her. > > Brona isn't there. > > "Mm - miss?" Brona, your voice. "You there." No, no - this isn't you. I am - I am not well. "Hey!" I blink away what I think are tears. I am looking south, I think, away from the road. I -- > > But I am hit hard from behind and fall. Crumple, really. I almost lose my things but instead of risk them scattering and catching myself, I hug my things to me and land hard. > > My forehead is on the roa d, like in prayer. > > I turn my face to face the boots. Boots between me and the horizon. Through the window of these ankles I see maybe a hundred yards out a chattel of women and children at spear-point clambering to the road from the north. > > There is chimney smoke, maybe, curling from that direction, and not grassland but farm. > > I shift like larvae. > > "Were you trying to run?" > > Boots push me over. > > "Ugh, look at you." He sucks his teeth. Through blur I see familiar colors on his tunic. > > "This won't do," Boots de cides. I blink. I see the colors of Burhwick. A friend? > > I am Gwéndhrwil's shadow. Take me home, please. > > "Not anymore," Brona reminds me. > > "What's that," asks Boots. He kneels. Other boots are joining him. He has a kind face, I think. > > People are looking for me, and I am lost. You will be rewarded. > > "He is not your friend," Brona says. > > Boots squints. "I don't know what you're saying." > > "I'm sorry," I started. "I - I won't run again." Furbelow Written and produced by Michael Schofield Performed by Rae Witte Introduced by Jeremy Roman Inspired by S. Kaiya J.’s game Her Odyssey Brona is Emily Morse-Lee Boots is Jeremy Roman "Arabic Middle Eastern Female Vocals" by Orchestralis Lady in Waiting is produced by the fyrd: our hoods (patreon) and thegns (susbtack): Amz Deen, Nandi K., Kari Sutcliffe, Patrik Deraković-Rakas, Ivan Duch, Lucas Duff, Jen, Kier Hodgson, Hannah Radcliff, Jeremy Román, Charles Villard. You can join the fyrd and help me make this stuff on patreon.com/thethief. [https://patreon.com/thethief.]

Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Days Five and Six

Lady in Waiting is a flash folk-horror told through prayers. Each episode is just minutes long. This is an immersive audio drama. So, turn your volume up. A supplement to the audio drama The Thief [https://thief.substack.com]. Previously, having fled the cyngdón with stolen papers, the lady-in-waiting finds refuge in an abandoned change station on the high road. Her foot is injured, she is thirsty, she is so hungry she is eating straw - but Burhwick is just two days ahead. Day Five > Brona? I awakened thinking she was here. Her shadow crossing through the sliver of sunlight that late morning pushed into my room. > > "My room." I am still in the changing station, sitting in straw. It's close to noon. > > I didn't mean to sleep late, but it's hard without her - Brona. And here I now wonder how she rose without her own attendant. > > Everything aches. Hair: smells; legs: stiff; my ... foot doesn't look good. I spit on the cut to clean it but - there's no spit. > > The road looks very long today. I can't do this on my own. Day Six > Dawn. Next day. Angry with myself for throwing away that time, but I slept. There's a lot of time to make up. I chewed off a strip of this horse blanket where it'd gotten threadbare and wrapped my feet. > > Muslin biscuits. My papers. That letter. I must look like a witch in a dun shawl. > > Well. Let it be. > > Fay of the land, I write your name and utter it: dûnloenwær. See me. Furbelow Written and produced by Michael Schofield Performed by Rae Witte Introduced by Jeremy Roman Inspired by S. Kaiya J.’s game Her Odyssey Lady in Waiting is produced by the fyrd: our hoods (patreon) and thegns (susbtack) Mary Abercrombie, Kari Sutcliffe, Nandi K, Amzylee, Trei Brundrett, Andy McLellan, Eudico, Rebekah Monson, Andy Priestner, Mike Atchley, and Patrick Myers. You can join the fyrd and help me make this stuff through Substack or Patreon.

Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Day Four

Lady in Waiting is a flash folk-horror told through prayers. Each episode is just minutes long. This is an immersive audio drama. So, turn your volume up. A supplement to the audio drama The Thief [https://thief.substack.com]. Previously, the lady-in-waiting fled the cyngdón with stolen papers, underdressed, afraid, praying to her grandfather as she skirted Áendhrod. Rain forced her into the low country. She lost a slipper, drank from the run-off, but limped onward with cut feet. She discovered most of the papers she thought were evidence of something - were blank. And in her guilt she feared her flight would bring ruin upon Elinor, her father, and all she left behind. Day Four > The folly was that I had hoped. Mid-day. I am in, out of the wind, which isn't hard - but .... I forget what I was saying. The sun feels nice but the ditches are dry. Elinor maybe would love seeing me drink from a puddle - but, no, Elinor wouldn't. I am not myself. > > I am in, I think, a change station. There should be horses. It smells - unoccupied. There's some hay here. Coals in the hearth, but - there's no one here. No one's been here. > > Before I catch myself I find myself yelling "hello??" Long grass swishes and carries the echo. > > What am I doing? I am a traitor. I need to ..., just be quiet. > > I ate some straw. > > Evening. > > I ... can't start a fire, but at least out of the wind it is not too cold. I gathered a pile of straw and suddenly discovered the twilight. It feels good to just - sit. > > There was a small half-door I missed earlier with a lock on it, but I could pry the corner of it open enough to stick-in my arm and I found some muslin biscuits I guess were intended for a postman, and a horse blanket. > > The biscuits are - hard to eat. I am here gnawing on one wrapped in this dun-colored, wool, warm, hugging, warm, warm blanket. Writing to you, ada. I am a horse with a cut in her hoof. > > And my head hurts. I need water. > > Now I've acknowledged it, it hurts to think. If I'm at the change station then I might be close to Burhwick. Two days walking with a limp, maybe, if I can make it? I don't ... think, Burhwick are too keen - I should watch who I implicate. > > Needless danger to others. > > Neigh. Furbelow Written and produced by Michael Schofield Performed by Rae Witte Introduced by Jeremy Roman Inspired by S. Kaiya J.’s game Her Odyssey Lady in Waiting is produced by the fyrd: our hoods (patreon) and thegns (susbtack) Mary Abercrombie, Kari Sutcliffe, Nandi K, Amzylee, Trei Brundrett, Andy McLellan, Eudico, Rebekah Monson, Andy Priestner, Mike Atchley, and Patrick Myers. You can join the fyrd and help me make this stuff through Substack or Patreon.

Lady in Waiting • A Flash Folk-Horror // Day Three

Lady in Waiting is a flash folk-horror told through prayers. Each episode is just minutes long. This is an immersive audio drama. So, turn your volume up. A supplement to the audio drama The Thief [https://thief.substack.com]. Previously, the lady-in-waiting fled the cyngdón with stolen papers, underdressed and without provisions, praying to her áda for protection on the long road east to Lingwiloce. She kept her distance from Áendhrod’s torchlit walls, sleepless and afraid, before rain forced her into the low country. She lost a slipper in the mud, drank from the runoff, and climbed to the standing stones for refuge. Hungry, soaked, and still pursued by the glow of the tower, she left her prayer in the ring of stones, begging her áda for help. Day three > My hair is dry, small blessing. My clothes are still wet. I no longer feel the chafing in favor of a new discourtesy: I stepped on something sharp. > > I should have stayed in the mud. > > I'm not far enough from town that I should expect to be alone for long. > > Glad for the turn in the weather, just to be afraid of the road again. > > But there's no one in either direction. Gray road. Gray grass. Gray sky. > > I ate the ginger. I don’t know that you can hear me, áda, without it. I have all this paper, though. I took what was on the table. > > I - didn't expect so much of it would be blank. > > Blank, mostly. All my things I left behind. My bear. Blankets. All that's left I lay in front of me on the cobble. So much blank paper. I count 48 silver. My lady Gwéndhrwil gave me a comb worth more than 48 silver. > > Why didn't I take my combs? > > Her seal is broken on this letter that's here, which means Aelfsi read it. > > What good is it that I have this? What does it change? What good is it if I die, or I get it wet, or .... No evidence, then. And so what? > > Father worked so hard to secure me a place in Gwén's shadow. Will Aelfsi think it was so I could do this? So that I could smuggle some useless missive and condemn everyone I know to be an acquaintance of a turncoat? > > And Elinor - oh god, I'm so, so sorry. Your family. I am so sorry. I'm so stupid. I hope you're okay. There's no reason you wouldn't be. > > Our - no, your lady is not heated. I just acted spur of the moment and you know nothing. She'll believe you. You're so good. You'll look so golden now next to me she's bound to shower you with favors. > > Look at me, wasting paper. > > I have to make it. Furbelow Written and produced by Michael Schofield Performed by Rae Witte Introduced by Jeremy Roman Inspired by S. Kaiya J.’s game Her Odyssey Lady in Waiting is produced by the fyrd: our hoods (patreon) and thegns (susbtack) Mary Abercrombie, Kari Sutcliffe, Nandi K, Amzylee, Trei Brundrett, Andy McLellan, Eudico, Rebekah Monson, Andy Priestner, Mike Atchley, and Patrick Myers. You can join the fyrd and help me make this stuff through Substack or Patreon.