Rook and Rose short stories Archives

cover art for issue #320 of BENEATH CEASELESS SKIES

“As Tight as Any Knot”

Ondrakja had a sharp eye for valuable things. A handkerchief of fine lace from southern Vraszan. An inlaid ivory snuffbox. A purse fat with coins and left too vulnerable, ready to nick off a man’s belt while he was distracted. A girl begging on the corner of the Uča Idvo.

“The Faces and the Masks”

In every labyrinth in Vraszan stand the Faces and the Masks.

cover art for Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue #373, showing a tree at sunset

“Constant Ivan and Clever Natalya”

Of three parts is every story woven: the warp, the weft, and the fabric they make together. The warp is Constant Ivan, strong and steady. The weft is Clever Natalya, darting here and there. As for the fabric they make, listen and you shall hear.

cover art for When Swords Fall Silent, showing a hooded greyscale figure wielding two blades

“Pearl’s Price”

A novelette about the downfall of Kaius Rex and the creation of the legendary, immortal outlaw who defends Nadežra to this day.

woodblock-style images showing a face with gold coins for eyes on the left, holding a broken thread, and a hollow-eyed mask on the right, holding an intact thread

“The Merchant With No Coin”

In the days before now there lived a merchant of Vraszan who belonged to the clan of Kiraly, people renowned far and wide for their skill and cunning at trade.

cover art for Beneath Ceaseless Skies #388, showing a traveler in a desert

“The Naming of Knots”

Sounds drifted up from the manor house below, music and laughter and the muffled thunder of feet on a ballroom floor. As Tseges eased over the roof’s edge and trusted his weight to the rope, he reminded himself to breathe.