Mother’s Day Blog Tour

Welcome to the Twitter Chats Blog Tour, organized by Mari Juniper at Mari’s Randomities and Anne Tyler Lord at Don’t Fence Me In. Today’s theme is Mother’s Day.

You’ll be traveling with us through the blogs of some of the fantastic authors and writers who participate in our weekly — funny, entertaining and educating — Twitter chats. This tour will feature writers from #writechat, #litchat, and #fridayflash.

You will be directed to your next stop at the end of this post. Please feel welcome here, and have a happy Mother’s Day!

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Serenna closed her eyes and let the seeking spell flow outwards from her.  The spell curled its way through the mansion that was her husband’s ancestral home like a pale, white mist.  Generations of ice elementals had lived there, each one adding to the rambling structure that covered the ancient bridge at its foundations.  And while the ever-changing floor plan served as a defense against spies from rival Houses, it also provided an endless number of places for one small, inquisitive five-year-old to hide.  Three hundred years the sorceress had lived, before deciding to have a child. Perhaps she had waited too long, but when life seems endless you seldom think about the passing years.

Serenna poured more power into the spell, while a nervous nanny stood at her elbow.  The girl wrung her hands and made worried noises that distracted Serenna just enough to make the spell dissolve before finding its target.  She reminded herself not to lose her temper with the girl – Nox was hard on her care-takers, and this nanny had lasted longer than most.  She gave the girl what she hoped was a non-threatening smile.  “The trail left off in the kitchens.  We will go talk to the head cook, and then proceed from there.”  The girl bobbed her head and mumbled ‘yes lady ambassador.’

The chef was in the midst of preparing dinner, his arms covered in flour.  “Yes milady, Nox was here for a while.  Had to shoo her out though, after she burned the cake to cinders.  No idea how she managed it, and I’ll be lucky to get its replacement done in time for the banquet. “

“Which way did she go after she left?” Serenna said.

“I suggested she go play in the garden, she always loves it there.”

Serenna thanked him, remembering again to hold her temper.   There was no way he could have known that the last time Nox was in the garden, she had climbed the tallest tree and tried to fly.  The child was fascinated by the old stories of the House of Winds, and had tried more than once to re-enact scenes from the tales.  The guards had managed to get there in time to keep gravity from doing its inevitable work, but only just.  The thought was enough to turn her irritation to fear.  Serenna hurried her steps, and called for the guards.

“Spread out, and search the mansion.  Brand, please check the weather scope.  Nox was trying to take it apart last week, she may have gone back for another try.”

The captain of the House Guard bowed, but not deeply enough to completely hide his smile.  “Yes ma’am, I’ll have my men comb the building.”

Nox had nearly everyone wrapped around her little pinky, even that horrid old ghost out in the graveyard.  She had made pets of every guardian around the mansion though, so it shouldn’t have been too surprising that the grim was no more immune than anyone else.  Several guards joined Serenna in searching the garden, but there was still no sign of her little girl.  The rest of the guards’ reports were the same, Nox was not in the mansion.

Just as panic began to set in, Serenna heard a deep, rumbling voice in the back of her mind.  “Lady Ambassador, I believe I have found something you lost.”

The grim was a huge, shaggy, soot-grey hound that haunted the old graveyard in the hills just beyond the mansion.  At six feet tall he towered over Serenna, but she refused to ever let him see that she was intimidated by him. Today, he looked amused rather than forbidding as he paced through the halls.  Nox was perched on his back, her tiny legs sticking straight out sideways and her arms were full of yellow flowers.  Her hair was a wind-blown mess, like a black dandelion puff, and there were grass stains all over the knees of her pants.  She bounced up and down, giggling.  “Mommy, mommy!  Look I what I got for you!” She tossed a leg over the grim’s neck and slid down his side.  “Aren’t they pretty?  They match your hair mommy!”

Serenna let out a relieved sigh.   “I have told you time and again, daughter, you are not to go outside on your own!”

Nox replied with her usual breathless chatter.  “But I wanted to make you something so I went to the kitchen, but the cake went boom and then I went to make a picture, but the guard said I couldn’t draw on the wall and then I went to get flowers but you said not to go in the garden and I remembered the flowers where Grimmy lives and I went to get you some. “  She held up the bunch proudly.   “Happy mother’s day, Mom!”

Serenna felt a little lump form her throat, she had completely forgotten what day it was.  She knelt down and tried to smooth Nox’s hair. “You know that I love you?”  she said.

Nox grinned and said, “Love you too, mommy!”   Serenna hugged her daughter tightly, despite her squirming protest.  “Mom!”  Nox said, drawing the word out into a multi-syllable complaint.  “You’re squooshin’ the flowers.”

Serenna let her go.  “We can put them in some water, I am sure they will be fine.”

“Ohhhkaaaay.  Can I go play with Grimmy tomorrow too?”

The grim chuckled.  “If she sneaks out again, I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Serenna pursed her lips, worry clear on her face.  “You will keep her safe?”

“Always,” the hound said, and bowed before disappearing.

“H’ray!”  Nox tugged at her hand.  “C’mon mom let’s get some water and a really big vase and we can put it in your room and you can see them every morning when you wake up and they’ll be pretty and make you smile…”

Serenna did smile.  It seemed she was wrapped around her little girl’s pinky too.

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Thanks for stopping by! Your next stop for the Mother’s Day Twitter Chats Blog Tour is Donna Carrick of Donna’s Blog.

The complete list of participants can be found at the host’s blogs: Mari Juniper and Anne Tyler Lord.