TraverseB

There's an old saying on the Bermark: If there's trouble, it means that you're still alive.Kim and Lonne are pioneer kids living out the hardscrabble life of the Bermark Highlands. Lonne is the older. She's a bona fide survivor who could live on twigs and fall asleep in a snowbank. Kim is the thoughtful one, with a curious condition that no one is supposed to know about.Then comes the summer of the monstre-wele, the season of the monster. The talk of the 'Mark is a series of vicious attacks keeping the pioneers up at night. Couldn't hurt for the kids to look into it, right? To join the fyrd in tracking the ol' monstre down? After all, they remember the Old Advice passed down from the heroes and monstre-hunters of yore:Sleepy eyes, swords ariseTrembling hand, words commandEyes a' fear, hold them nearEyes a' lust, leave you mustEyes a' black, hold them backEyes a' white, say goodnight.Kim and Lonne are in trouble.Combining elements of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and backwoods humor, "The Scop's Tale" is an attempt at epic, world-building story telling in serialized form. Pull up a log, borrow a piece of my fire and listen to a story or two from another place and time.…