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    Reenie Gyse
    Reenie Gyse
    Reenie Gyse
    Ebook74 pages1 hour

    Reenie Gyse

    By Katherine Starbird

    ()

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    About this ebook

    "A captivating tale of Norse Gods, sea witches and a hero in denial."

    Young Elof, a descendant of Norse gods, is retracing his father’s voyage around the world in a magical wooden yawl, trying to make sense of why his father abandoned the family. When charming Reenie Gyse, an aging denizen of a city marina, draws Elof from his course, he’s in danger not only of failing to come to grips with his heritage, but of losing his identity entirely.

    A novella from award-winning author Katherine Starbird.

    "An eerie, tantalizing story reminiscent of The Odyssey"

    "The surprise ending made me laugh out loud. A must read!"

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKatherine Starbird
    Release dateJul 2, 2013
    ISBN9781301182756
    Reenie Gyse
    Author

    Katherine Starbird

    Katherine Starbird spent much of her childhood on and around the water—sailing, collecting shells and hunting sea critters in the flats near St. Petersburg, Florida. There she dreamed up fantastical stories about young people and the ocean. Today Kate lives in Longwood, Florida where she writes, edits and teaches; still dreaming up stories—some short, some novel length. She is married to her college sweetheart and together they are blessed with three cheerful children, two fluffy cats, and one very bad, book-eating dog.

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      Book preview

      Reenie Gyse - Katherine Starbird

      Reenie Gyse

      ✦

      Katherine Starbird

      To my parents

      Who provided the wellspring of childhood experience from which this story flows.

      Copyright © 2014 by Katherine Starbird

      This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this work either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally.

      For information regarding reprinting all or part of this book, please contact Katherine Starbird at http://www.katherinestarbird.com

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Reenie Gyse

      For a free sneak peek at the novel The Jaguar Key: Rosamond Eternal, click this link. I’ll email you the excerpt Freedom’s Bells as a thank you for downloading this book. Enjoy!

      Chapter One

      The Call

      Elof had no idea he was trapped. The melody had coiled itself in the periphery of his consciousness like the tentacles of an octopus pulling its prey close, its beak poised to strike. He barely noticed the tune playing in his mind as he leveled his father’s old spyglass on a sparkling gap between the headlands to the East.

      His thoughts were securely fixed on the hardships of the ocean crossing. He relished every harsh wind, every bitter cold morning, every wild pitch of the boat on the waves. The more he punished himself, the more clearly he could imagine his father sharing the same suffering.

      The late-afternoon sun peeked out from behind clouds on the horizon and shone pink and gold on Skidbladnir’s tanbark sails. Elof turned away before his perfect agony was spoiled by the beauty of the moment.

      After a hundred or so miles following the shoreline south, he’d had enough of coastal sailing. He needed to restock his provisions, then he’d head offshore again to embrace the discomfort of the ocean.

      He tucked the spyglass between the cockpit cushions and consulted the chart. If a bay hid behind that gap, chances were good that he’d find a marina there and a market. The sweet taste of fruit not-from-a-can already tickled at the edges of his tongue.

      The melody in his mind played on, soothing his mood. He began humming the unfamiliar tune. As much as he loathed the comforts of shore life, one night at a marina wouldn’t kill him. With the boat tied to a dock, he’d get a solid night’s sleep. In the morning, he’d stock up on staples and fresh produce and be on his way. Elof released the jib sheet and pushed the tiller of his father’s boat hard to leeward.

      Skidbladnir responded to the tiller with a sharp change of tack. According to his father, the boat was made of wood from the World Tree. His father had been a wellspring of boastful stories. He shared them with Elof to justify abandoning his family for months and years on end. What could compare to sailing on a magic boat, exploring the world, and imparting wisdom to the masses?

      When he was a child, Elof had resented the boat for taking his father away. Now that he’d sailed her, he’d come to realize the boat was something special. Certainly not mythical as his father claimed, but she handled better than any boat he’d sailed before. Skidbladnir lithely dipped and skidded ahead of the wind, practically dancing across the waves as she flew up the bay.

      As he approached the telltale forest of masts on the city’s waterfront, a musical breeze whistled through the rigging of a hundred sailboats. The wind played an accompaniment to the tune in his mind. It sounded as though the clarion voice of a woman sang a duet with the breeze.

      He allowed the tune to soak through him. He felt warm and relaxed for the first time in ages. Couldn’t he enjoy a pleasant sail without begrudging his father the same experience? Pushing thoughts of the old man from his mind, he focused instead on the rhythm of the waves and the way Skidbladnir’s tiller tugged in his calloused hands. His uncle, the one who raised him while his father was away, would have wanted him to enjoy the journey for a change.

      Elof filled his lungs with the salt air. Soothing lullaby strains rolled over him in time with his breathing. His head grew heavy. His chin nodded toward his chest.

      The flapping of the jib brought him around.

      The tune continued to play in his mind while he checked the set of the sails. The haunting vibrato could have come straight from one of his father’s stories. He remembered believing there had been a time when monsters roamed the earth. The brave hearted fought flesh-and-blood dragons

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