Two entirely different books by Charles G Dyer - ABATWA and AED’s JOURNEY have been published and are on sale at special Christmas rates from Just Done Productions - Publishing
ABATWA R90
The word ‘Abatwa’ seems to stem from the Zulu word used mainly in a derogatory way to describe the Bushmen or San people. It appears that the root of this word is actually Batwa, which may also refer to Pygmies.
The Abatwa are Southern African people. They are, in most respects, perfect miniature replicas of humans. A clan oriented species that are said to coexist with the ants. Some reports state that they have been seen riding ants.
As an elusive and very shy species, they remain hidden from most adult human eyes. Only very young children, magicians and pregnant women have ever seen them.....
Tola and his wife Noti are riding ants to escort a group of youngsters to another nest to look for suitable marriage partners. In a journey filled with danger and death, he entertains the youths with folk tales.
The exchange goes well but tragedy strikes. Caught in a stampede of antelope, several party members are killed. Some of the survivors try to console each other by swapping folk tales and tribal philosophies.
Excerpts:
Tola mused over these facts and wondered how many people hid their evil by keeping their mouths shut. If he thought about it, he could remember times when he felt jealous but did not say anything. Because he had kept his silence, none of the other clan members had been aware of the evil spirits within him. He had appealed to the good spirits of his ancestors to drive the evil away and they had obliged him. What if the spirits had ignored him? He shuddered to think of how the healer might have dealt with him.
…..
The storyteller shuffled over to Tola and called him aside. “Tola I’ve been watching you for some time now. You are always asking questions. Many of your challenges are quite taxing to me. I’m an old man now and have yet to find a suitable replacement. I think that you have all the makings of a good storyteller. Would you like to study under me?”
Tola was stunned by the request. It was such an honour that his ancestors would forever be proud of him. He was speechless and stood gaping for a while before coming to his senses. “Do you really mean that Moya? Do you think that I could tell stories as well as you?”
The old man smiled. “Maybe not as well as me but well enough. In time you will improve and the Spirits will help you...Pain and suffering work in strange ways to make us more complete people. Age and experience is the nectar of the storyteller. It is seldom that a young person will make a good storyteller. You are no longer young and you have experienced battles and tragedies.”
Placing his hand on Tola’s shoulder, Moya went on. “You also have an enquiring mind and I believe that you are a good listener. You can draw on your sorrow to put feeling into your stories. Storytelling is as much about listening and telling. If you listen well and remember then you will be able to recall that story for telling at some time in the future.”
Fiction: Fantasy, A5, 105 pages, paperback contains a glossary and a few b/w illustrations
AED'S JOURNEY R120
She had everything a girl could want until the envy of her neighbours stole it all away. They accused her of witchcraft and but for the aid of a friend, she would have died at their hands. Fate had other plans for her.
After she made good her escape, she discovered that she was indeed gifted with powers of sorcery…Awesome powers that would lead her on an extraordinary journey. A journey of life peppered with love and betrayal, fear and horror, abduction and revenge, sacrifice and death.
Excerpts:
“I am called Aed ma Uar Mistress.” She managed to say without hesitation. Aed was the word for fire in the Old Tongue and Uar meant cold. Most families added the “ma” before the name and she thought it had a nice ring to it. Then it occurred to her that Uar also meant cruel but it was too late to retract what had been said.
“An unusual name to be sure. No matter Aed, just call me Cori. Come along girl.” Cori took her hand to pull her towards the kitchen. Nodding her head politely, Erin smiled at the innkeeper.
“Thank you Mister ma Tair.” He acknowledged her gratitude with a dismissive wave and a smile. The warm kitchen was as clean and neat as the common room. Copper pots and cauldrons, suspended on hooks or chains, gleamed from one end of the room to the other.
The smells of porridge and frying bacon, freshly baked bread and wood smoke filled the air.
........
Elated with her results, Aed packed the nosebag away and tugged at the reins with renewed vitality. A mile up the slope the trees thinned enough for Aed to see her destination. A ruined castle stood on the crest of a small hill some two hundred paces from the tree line.
Most of the outer walls had crumbled with age or been destroyed during some long forgotten siege. The keep was still intact and stood starkly silhouetted against the pink glow of the setting sun on the snowy peaks beyond. The twin furrows of the trail led straight up the side of the hill to disappear into the rubble.
Tethering Smoky to a tree, she patted the horse. “Wish me luck girl. I need as much as I can get. By Brigit, I’ll pray that your shield protects you from the wolves, as I pray that mine hides me from this cur.” She ran as well as she could towards the ruins.
Crouching in the shadows of the rubble that had once been a portcullis, she studied the ground. A slight breeze was accompanied by sporadic gusts that kicked up puffy clouds of fresh snow. She pulled her grey cloak tightly around her and huddled against a pile of weathered dressed stone.
FICTION: Fantasy, A5, 536 pages, paperback contains glossary and map
Charles Dyer’s interests are many and varied, ranging from computer programming and graphics, reading and writing to gardening, woodwork, photography, science, nature, animals, making things as diverse as furniture and miniature musical instruments. He started out as a bank clerk, did military service in South West Africa and
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