Author Diana Metz

Comments on Talon...

Much like a director’s commentary on a DVD, I thought I might add some tidbits that might amuse or enlighten you.

Please Note: There might be spoilers here, so reading the book before delving into my mind might be a good idea.

I originally used the prelude of Felgrig and Tolago as a method of foretelling Talon’s magical abilities. I grew to like these two hapless dragons and included them in all three books (and maybe more). It wasn’t until I began work on Brinn that I decided to repeat the same first-line text in all the books.

The first major change that had to be made was Talon’s age. Since I was writing for an eleven year old I thought it best to reduce the age of my main character. This small change led to the removal of the slightly unattractive barmaid. Originally I was concerned about using a younger character, then I realized that in a Medieval setting Talon was old enough to participate in wars, become an apprentice, own land, and get married. I use this age difference in my other books in this series.

The vision I had of Olwin’s cave entrance was that it liked to tidy itself and the drawings on the walls would move as if playing out a story.

In Olwin’s cave I introduce the first of several cats. Please don’t think I prefer cats over dogs. I initially chose cats to co-hebetate the wizard’s cave because they were similar in temperament. I felt Olwin would appreciate the independent nature of the feline mind.

My original plan was not to have the dragons interested in Talon until he took Olwin’s place. I couldn’t come up with a good reason for Graldiss to hang around a human, so I decided to have the dragon assigned to keep an eye on the curious boy then later become his friend.

The idea of the Rings of Ko-Mon Po took a bit of consideration. Would they be taken as ‘borrowing’ from Master Tolkien? I knew I couldn’t use two gold wrist bands, the vision of Wonder Woman kept popping up. I decided my Rings were different enough from the One Ring not to rub Middle Earth fans the wrong way.

I loved writing Rudrick’s torture scene. I envisioned hot pits with pokers, victims hanging from the walls, tables full of spikes, racks and wheels. Everything a good dungeon needs. And walking through this room of horrors would be a foppish, overdressed gentleman. I imagine him listening to the moans and screams as anyone else would listen to a symphony. Rudrick it truly twisted.

The scene of the dragons playing in the thunder storm came to me out of the blue and all in one vision. What appears on the page is exactly as I saw it.

The line “I’m fifteen, I’m supposed to be selfish” was a way of reminding myself and readers that Talon was not an adult.

When Graldiss is captured by Keldric I had no intention of letting Talon leave him to his fate. But I didn’t have a clue how I was going to rescue him. Talon’s method was as much a surprise to me as it is for the reader.

For those of you who wonder such things, Keldric is a bad character because that is the choice he has made. I decided that my villain would not be a product of an unhappy childhood or circumstances beyond his control. Keldric chose to take the path of evil all on his own.

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‘How To Change A Bear’s Mind’, ‘Finding The Wrong Mushroom For Any Occasion’, ‘Getting Your Socks To Smell Like Roses’, ‘How To Season Eel’. He glared at Olwin. “What is this? This doesn’t look like a book of magic spells. ‘How to Peel Grapes’. I loved coming up with the “spells” in Olwin’s musty book. If you think about it, the thrill of being able to turn your worst enemy into a toad or winning the lottery would soon wear off. It’s the mundane aggravations of everyday life we need that little bit of magic for. I’ve always wished I could make my bedroom light turn off at night while staying under my nice warm blankets.

Did anyone else cheer when the dragons dropped a load of dung of Keldric?

The original version of Talon ended on Chapter 9, with Talon and Graldiss riding off into the sunset. The rest of the story would be included in the second book. I changed my mind after my dad complained that he wanted to know what happened next and he didn’t want to wait.

Here’s a bit that didn’t get in the book. Graldiss is curious that one so young would be a soldier. Where Talon came from first born sons inherit the land while second sons are promised to the local lord for soldiers, third sons can choose clergy or schooling. Talon was the second son.

“From the time I was a small boy, a retired soldier from the nearby village came to train me for combat. Haleck, my brother, spent his days with my father, preparing to take his place one day. Old Valmy said I was the best he’d ever trained. I think I just didn’t have the distractions the other boys had. They continued to work on their families farms and shops. I didn’t. Father thought it was a waste of time, since I would most likely get killed in some war or other. So my days were free to ride and study. Valmy taught me everything he knew about tactics and battle strategies and swordsmanship. In my innocence I thought Valmy loved me like a son.” Talon kicked a stone, hard. “He got paid more for better trained boys.” Talon said nothing for a long time.

“When I was eight Haleck demanded that I give him my horse, he thought that the stallion was too valuable for a little pissy boy like me. Father never forgave the scar I left on Haleck’s face. He never spoke to me since. He wouldn’t let mother shed a tear when I left. I heard Father died a few years ago.”