I just had to! A single look can speak volumes. I use a lot of that in this story. I still haven’t decided what happened to her during her captivity (and I’ve written nearly 50% of the book). But I like the open ended nature of how I’ve handled it thus far. You see the aftermath, but are never explicitly told what happened. People are smart. They can fill in the blanks far better, and with far more elegance than I could ever pull off. Explicitly stating what happened, it feels like that would cheapen her experiences, and the experiences of those that have been through similar.

Brutality isn’t as important as the courage and strength used to overcome it.

Well, I imagine a knight would have to be perceptive to stay alive. 😉

Oh, Amara will find gads of courage as the story progresses.

Oh, interesting! That’s what I love about sampling the story among readers like this. It wouldn’t have even occurred to me that she would be seen as just a girl. Of course, by modern standards, I think she is just a girl (well, teenager). She’s still unmarried, and women were historically married quite young. I’m not sure I’ve really decided on her age. I don’t think I’ve ever said.

Well, I’ll be back next week.

Thanks. It’s always a challenge trying to create a sense of environment and characterization without telling too much. I’m trying to disseminate information as needed.

I swear this story makes me not want to work on my other one, the one I promised myself I’d finish first.

Thanks! I’m really feeling good about this story.