Side Quests, Anyone?

Hey Everyone,

While I was writing the novel, I would think of random side quests for my protagonists; you know, little adventures that weren’t essential to the plot, but still offered insights into the characters, expanded on the world, or even gave a life lesson or two to the reader. I jotted the ideas down and when I’m not editing, I’m writing these out, usually not more than 1,000-1,500 words. Check out the opening to the first one:

The Many Quests of Princess Evarose & Kay-Tom: Of Good Things & Bad Things

by

Daniel Van der Roest 

Many suns and many moons ago, while off on one of their many adventures, Princess Evarose the Keeper of Flowers, and Kay-Tom the Great Green Knight, were rounding a corner on the wooded trail when Kay-Tom abruptly announced, “We should set up camp soon, Princess.”  

They had only been traveling with one another a few days now, heading to the nearest town for supplies, having met under curious circumstances (which is recounted elsewhere) but they had quickly and easily, much to Kay-Tom's surprise, aligned, meshed, and synced as old friends do after some time apart.  

Princess Evarose, still in her tattered and weathered ball gown (what do you expect after being asleep for one thousand years?) proclaimed, “Not yet, Kay-Tom. I’ve a few more skips in my step!” And with that, she skipped ahead with a giggle, her dress bouncing with her; it was a curious thing that she and her dress managed to somehow stay so upbeat and joyful after so long.  

Kay-Tom stopped in his tracks and grumbled. He shrugged his shoulders, adjusted his mighty garden hoe Maggie, and sighed. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, that Evarose ignored one of Kay-Tom's suggestions. Afterall, he tried to remind himself, she was only ten years of age.   

After enough skipping to fill herself, they had chosen a spot off trail among the light woods to camp for the evening. The sun, though still masked behind the dark clouds, had just disappeared under the horizon and as Evarose began collecting firewood (she sometimes listens to Kay-Tom's requests), she heard a cry for help. She ceased her activities and waited.   

“Help!”   

Evarose turned to the direction of the distress and called out to Kay-Tom, “Kay-Tom, did you hear that?” Kay-Tom was too busy and too far away to hear either the call for help or Evarose’s shout. She dropped the firewood she had gathered and decided to investigate alone.  

The air was still save the hustle of the forest creatures turning in for the night, (and the bustle of the other forest creatures stirring to wake) which was intermittently interrupted by the “Help me!”s and “Someone help!”s. Evarose put a kick in her step to heed the call as she drew closer.  

She discovered its source but a short distance away: a rabbit with its leg caught in a snare.   

“Oh, you poor thing!” Evarose said as she rushed over.   

The rabbit flicked her nose and adjusted her bonnet, “Please help! I was simply collecting berries and stumbled upon an old trapper’s cruel trap.” Indeed, next to the cottontail was a fallen basket of berries and a kerchief. There was no blood, just a clever hunter’s knot about the rabbit’s foot.  

“Here, let me help you.” Evarose crouched and attempted to finagle the rabbit’s foot out. “What’s your name?”   

The rabbit looked around as Evarose continued to work with the trap. “Um, Brie. My name is Brie.” Other than her bonnet, she wore simple clothes: blue gatherer’s attire, fit for a modest woodland bunny, such as seen here. The trapped creature looked around some more, leaning to peer around a few trees and over Evarose’s shoulder and then asked, “Are you alone?”   

Evarose grunted and huffed at the snare, “No, my friend-”   

“Princess?” Kay-Tom bounded over with his mighty garden hoe, Maggie, unsheathed. “Is everything alright?” He was nearly out of breath; as the self-proclaimed protector and guide of Evarose, (she was after all, the flower foretold to save All Land) he had nearly lost her.  

Evarose stood up, “Oh, Kay-Tom! Just in time!”   

Brie sighed and hit the ground with her fist. Her eyes rolled and when they came back around, they watched Kay-Tom with keen caution.  

Evarose recounted the current situation, “Poor Brie here was collecting berries when she stepped into an old trap! Can you untie it, Kay-Tom? I tried but couldn’t make up or down of the knot.”  

Kay-Tom looked the rabbit over who returned the glance with a practiced tear in her eye; Kay-Tom nodded with a step in her direction. A secret grin cornered the rabbit’s mouth.  

Evarose asked, “Do you live close by?”  

Kay-Tom took a knee next to the trap and laid Maggie down with Brie paying particular attention to the weapon. The Frog Knight examined the trap then stopped; something didn’t look right.   

“Yes, just beyond-” and before she finished, Brie unsheathed a dagger from under the kerchief and swiped at Kay-Tom's arm and then lunged for Evarose. Quick to respond, Kay-Tom picked up Maggie and easily disarmed the rabbit; the knife flew into some nearby bushes. The rabbit charged Evarose, rammed her over, and then bounded away.   

Evarose, more shocked than anything, lay on the ground looking up at the sky thinking the whole matter over. All Land was not what it used to be she thought.

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