Autumn in the Forest

Autumn in the Forest

Thursday, March 15, 2018

On Location--The Crow Kingdom

A vengeful mousemaid, Aster, and her friend Thistle find themselves banished from the security and protection of Evershade. While sheltering in the little grove, Aster peers across the grasses of the field at a line of trees in the distance. It is the Crow Kingdom, and it is then she hatches a plan to exact revenge on Evershade.

Aster's arrogance leads her to believe she can convince the crow king to attack Evershade. Leading Thistle out of the relative safety of the little grove, she bullies her way through the grass, hoping to get caught by passing crows. She gets her wish.

In reality, the line of trees that inspired the Crow Kingdom in "Season of Crows" is a very thin strip of spindly trees mixed with a few cedars (the little grove is on the left in the photo, and the strip of trees is on the right in the distance). The kingdom I envision is comprised of a slightly thicker strip of trees wide enough to contain the crow council area, at the edge of which stands a tightly woven cage called "The Hole" where they keep prey in reserve for the Moon Feast.

This location is literally a couple hundred yards from my home. The Ozarks are riddled with paved farm roads that run across fields and meadows, through woods, and into valleys. Several roads pass through areas that strike me as great locations to use in a book. Having an entire cluster of locations near my home is a true blessing.

 





No comments:

Post a Comment