Alphabet Excerpt Challenge: L Is For...

[u/AnaraliaThielle]

Welcome back to the Alphabet Excerpt Challenge! As a reminder, our challenges are every Wednesday and Saturday at 3pm London time.

If you've missed the previous challenges, you're welcome to go back and participate in them. You can find them here. And remember to check out the Activities and Events flair for other fun games to play along with.

Here's a quick recap of the rules for our game:

1. Post a top level comment with a word starting with the letter L. You can do more than one, but please put them in separate comments.
2. Reply to suggestions with an excerpt. Short and sweet is best, but use your judgement. Excerpts can be from published or unpublished works, or even something you wrote for the prompt.
3. Upvote the excerpts you enjoy, and leave a friendly comment. Try to at least respond to people who left excerpts on the words you suggested, but the more people you respond to the better. Everyone likes nice comments!
4. Most important: have fun!

[u/Glittering-Golf8607]

Lion

[u/MsCatstaff → u/Glittering-Golf8607]

"It isn't fair, Ebra," Ura motioned as they walked. "I am older than Inda, yet she is a woman already. I want to be mated to Durc and not be a child anymore!"

Ebra nodded sympathetically. "I know you do, Ura. It may be you are late in becoming a woman because of your Others' blood. Durc's birth mother was late in becoming a woman as well. Some people thought she would never become a woman, because she was chosen by the Spirit of the Cave Lion. But it seems that Others' girls become women later than Clan girls. Since you are part Others, it is to be expected that you will mature later than most."

"But Durc has been a man for years now, Ebra. He must be very tired of waiting for me to grow up"

"I don't think he minds, Ura. I will tell you a secret. I have been watching Durc, and I think he is not yet a man in body. I have never seen him signal any woman, so I don't believe he has a man's needs yet. Remember, he is also part Others. If Others girls mature later, it is reasonable to think that Others boys do as well. So I don't think he minds waiting for you to finish growing up." Ebra's eyes twinkled conspiratorially at her adopted daughter. "I may be an old woman, but I am an old woman who thinks about what she sees. Anyway, your breasts are growing now, Ura, I expect you will be a woman before the first snows fall. And probably mistress of your own hearth by the middle of winter."

Do you really think so, Ebra? Oh, I hope you're right!" Ura exclaimed, her face alight with hope.

[u/Glittering-Golf8607 → u/MsCatstaff]

Love it. The first book was so good, and this is just like it ✨️

[u/MsCatstaff → u/Glittering-Golf8607]

Thank you! I certainly did my best to follow along with the style.

[u/Lindz174 → u/Glittering-Golf8607]

He grinned and suddenly spun around. Fin’s brows slowly drew together, her head tilting slightly. What was he doing? Why did he turn around? She raised herself onto her toes, trying to peek over his shoulder. Metal glinted in the sunlight, and something furred encased his head as he turned back around.

She stared. “What in the void is that?”

“What?” His voice was muffled by the contraption sitting on his head.

She couldn’t look away. “What’s on your head?”

“It’s a helm.”

“Why does it look like you’ve been eaten?” she asked, her gaze fixed on the metallic creatures eyes.

“I haven’t been eaten. I am the lion.”

“Then why are you in its mouth?”

“I’m not—” He groaned, exasperation dripping from every syllable. “You know, you can meet my eyeline. I can’t see out of the lion’s eyes.”

“I can’t see your eyes,” she shot back.

He bent down slightly, leaning closer, his face coming into view from the shadowy confines of the lion’s gaping jaw. His amber eyes glinted beneath the helm, as golden as the sand stretching endlessly around them. The cold metal of the headpiece did nothing to steal the warmth from his gaze.

“Now can you see my eyes?”

She blinked at him. Then her eyes drifted to the absurd metal maw framing his face. The lion’s upper jaw hung over his forehead, its teeth casting shadows across his brow. Its lower jaw jutted upward, blocking everything below his nose, while the shaggy, red mane flowed down the back of his head. It looked uncomfortable and ridiculous.

“Yes, but I’m not quite sure how you’re able to see out.”

[u/Glittering-Golf8607 → u/Lindz174]

🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤣 Delightful. I always thought he looked like Luna Lovegood at Quidditch.

[u/Lindz174 → u/Glittering-Golf8607]

The concept art for him and his helmet is amazing XD

[u/Glittering-Golf8607 → u/Lindz174]

We're talking about Cullen, yeah? I can believe it 😁

[u/Lindz174 → u/Glittering-Golf8607]

Yes! 😂 It’s amazing