I’m trying something new. Every day I’ll write for 10 minutes. I won’t limit what I write to any particular thing. It could be fiction, poetry, an essay, whatever. The goal is to write and then publish and share it. I need to get over my fear of publishing and I need to build a writing (and publishing) habit.

Misty mountains entered my mind as I sat to write tonight. Argvid came through the mist of my mind and onto the page. Not a lot happens here, but let me know if you find the introduction intriguing.

A mist filled the valley and obscured all that lay there. It swirled and jostled amongst itself like a living organism. The mist stayed there in gloom or in brightest day. The sun’s rays could not burn it off. Those who live in the mountains around the valley whispered of it around cookfires at night to scare each other. None dared to enter. They did not seek stray livestock there no matter how meager their subsistence. Monsters and worse tarried there, and if a sheep or goat here and there kept them at bay, it was worth the price. Or so the common folk thought.

The truth is no monster lived in that mist. Wild beasts occasionally wander into the valley but were the usual sort: wolves, wildcats, deer. Nay, what kept the mist in the valley was not an effervescent evil waiting to consume mortal souls. It was simply a man.

Argvid lived in a hut at the base of a mountain. A stream fed a pond, providing fresh, clean water for fish, Argvid, and his chickens. Argvid thrived in solitude and loneliness. He did not wish those in the mountains to visit or chat or trade or introduce him to their eligible cousins. All Argvid needed was quiet contemplation and peace.

Argvid did not know at the time that the mist was tied to him. He thought it a fortunate natural phenomenon. He knew nothing of magic or destiny.

When Argvid had been a soldier, he saw much death as he tramped across the mountains to lands far away. He fought under many banners. At first, he fought for clan pride, then for personal ego, and then for money. And finally, he fought for love. Fighting gained and lost everything for Argvid. What he did not know, was that he would have to fight again.

If you like what you’ve read, please let me know, and I would also appreciate you sharing it with your people (or very smart pets). Also, let me know your favorite places in nature to visit, the places that feel magical. If you want to make sure you don’t miss these, subscribe to my newsletter below or subscribe to my social networks. Thanks for reading!