Monday (Tuesday and Wednesday)

8 AM EST, for the next 23 weeks

From the book: R5) Rome Too Far

The Story of Greta, wise woman of the Dacians in the days of Roman rule.

Greta is a middle child stuck at home in Boarshag, with her younger brother, who wants to be called Hans rather than the childish name of Hansel.  Meanwhile, her older brother gets to be with her father and all the men in the capitol of Ravenshold.  The high chief of Dacia has died, and the men need to select a new high chief, with Roman approval, of course.  Sadly, Greta, as a woman, even as the wise woman in training, has no say in that matter.  The men will argue for weeks, as only men can do so well.

Since Greta inherited some of her grandmother’s sixth sense, she got selected at a young age, by old Mother Hulda, to train as the Woman of the Ways for all of Dacia.  There is so much to learn.  Greta, not one of the beautiful people, figures she will have a full life learning and working for her people.  But then her father comes home.  He has been elected to be the new high chief, and suddenly, Greta is betrothed, and to the enemy, a Roman officer.  And sadly, she has no say in that matter, either.

That much alone would make any young woman’s life complicated and difficult.  But the life of the Kairos is never so normal.

Decades ago, in the days of the Emperor Trajan, there were guns–yes, guns and ammunition that the Kairos destroyed but for one caravan that never made it across the Adriatic.  Now, the wind of Dacia smells of rebellion.  Greta’s Roman officer must ride to confront the rebels.  Greta, with terribly mixed feelings, must walk the short-cut to Ravenshold.  She must cross the haunted forest.  Of course the forest is haunted.  And she must find the guns and destroy them before the rebels find them and turn a rebellion into a slaughter.

Worse, the rebellion appears to be led by the Dacian war chief’s mother, a true wicked witch whose power dwarfs Greta and her small magic.  And thousands of Germanic Quadi sit on the border, just waiting for an excuse to overrun the province.

There are fairy tales within this fairy tale of an adventure.  Enjoy.  Welcome to the forest, and Happy Reading.

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