I did it.

I don't exactly know how, but I did it. I have done better in this year's NaNoWriMo than ever before. I mean, look at this:

 

I don't know how I pulled that one off. I really don't. I just know I sat down and started writing, and boom. Story exploded all over me.

I accidentally the whole thing in 5 days. I'm not done yet, though. I'm maybe - maybe - at the story's halfway point, and this is the first of three. 

My carrot dangling in front of me isn't just visions of an agent and a publisher (although I will admit that would be nice) but nursing school. Since my diagnosis, I have been so scattered, so fatigued, so unable to focus and finish anything that I can't risk an application because if I do get in and burn out, it would crush me. But, if I can stay focused to finish, not just one novel but three, not just the rough drafts but a polished finished version, then I can pull myself together enough to be serious about nursing.

In the meantime, I'm going to sit here and stare at myself and try to figure out how I averaged 10k a day, and I'll share a little bit of the raw material I produced during this time

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     The sunrays coming through the trees increased in angle as the day wore on, and although William was tired, there seemed to be a degree of tension in the group that worried at his nerves. Suddenly his horse shied, tossing its head back and almost clipping him in the mouth, and a shrill, jabbering shriek came from somewhere to the east.

While William was trying to make certain his horse didn't bolt out from under him, Baeron and Jo were already nocking arrows, aiming in the direction of the shriek. The woods were as still as death, then he heard the noise again.

"What was that?" he heard Anna ask, her voice low.

"That was a bzoar," Roth replied. "That's how they communicate with their tribe."

"They're a ways off," Baeron said, though he didn't lower his arrow.

"They're not on the hunt right now. They sound different when they do. But be cautious, and keep a keen eye out for any movement in the woods. Don't be afraid to point out anything that looks suspicious," Roth said. "Try to make as little noise as possible."

The string of horses began to move again, although William noticed flecks of white, foamy sweat forming on his horse's shoulders and neck. It snorted, tossing its head more, the small pointed ears swiveling and always in motion. Baeron and Jo relaxed their bowstrings and lowered their aim slightly, but kept their arrows nocked.

The strain of the hard trail and the threat of bzoars wore everyone's nerves thin, but there was no arguing among the group as they all remained silent. The road was too steep and the horses too tired for them to move any faster than they did, and William watched the encroaching spread of evening from the east with a wary eye. He heard the bzoar's jabbering cries off and on throughout the afternoon, though it was hard to tell if they were any closer or not.

William glanced over his shoulder, and saw Tyzel had a battle axe ready in his hand, although it rested in a casual manner against his leg. He twisted back around in the saddle, and started to recite the spells he had been learning before the trip, practicing at drawing forth the energy. He stopped before the spell completed, and allowed the built-up energy to bleed off. He was told that it was similar to lifting heavy things to get physically stronger, and the exercise kept his mind off his nerves and on something he could use for defense.

The woods grew darker as evening arrived, and William anxiously waited for signs of a settlement up ahead so they could take shelter. Another jabbering shriek broke the quiet, and gooseflesh raised on his arms. That voice had been definitely closer.

While he looked around for signs of either danger or sanctuary, Baeron moved his arms enough for William to notice that Anna seemed to be wiping at her face a great deal. He caught himself before he could say her name, wanting her to look back at him, to see if she was crying, and say something to make her stop and feel better if she was. Instead, he tried to will her to look back, staring hard at the back of her head.

Anna did not seem to notice, but Baeron did, and looked behind him at William for a moment. Then Roth turned around a slight bit in his saddle, and looked at Anna briefly before putting his attention back on the woods. William bit back a noise of frustration at the apparent awareness of Anna's distress, and no one seemed to do anything to stop it.

He was so focused on Anna that the next shriek made him jump, almost causing his horse to bolt. There was another shriek, closer, the sound seeming to echo off the dark trees, and then further away, there was a howl that made his blood turn to slush.

William could feel his horse trembling underneath him, from either fatigue or fear but likely both. The white foam of sweat lathered on its neck seemed to glow in the dark when he wasn't looking at it, and faded away to obscurity when he tried to focus. Then the horse seemed to perk up and find a new burst of energy, and they all broke into a slow trot. The ground was not as steep as it had been, although it was still far from level.

Move quickly. Roth's voice in his mind startled him, he'd forgotten about the dragon's telepathy. Then he saw thin slats of dim light coming from shuttered windows. The buildings were smaller than he expected, after the last village, and while there were a number of dragon-sized buildings, he saw just as many, if not more, sized down for an elf.

Roth dismounted and everyone else followed suit, and Jo's horse reared a bit when another howl echoed through the woods. William staggered on shaky legs, leaning against his horse's sweaty shoulder for balance. The only noise was the shuffling of feet and the agitated snorting from the scared horses. Someone grabbed his arm, and William stumbled a bit as Tayani pulled him over to Anna, and then escorted the two of them to a doorway. She tried the latch then knocked hard, and William watched the others hurry to get the horses into a building across the road.

The door next to him opened, and a green-eyed older man eyed them suspiciously. "Get in," he said, looking past them to the others. "How many in your party?"

"Eight more," Tayani said. "Have you room?"

"Barely," the old man said as they passed. He kept the door open and watched, and William looked around, realizing they were in the tavern room of an inn. Several others were present, somber and grim-faced, watching in silent curiosity.