Short Stories by Nikki Bollman
Farmer’s Market Fairy
On a trip to the farmers’ market, Lily discovers a secret stall that sells fairies. She’s eager to have one, but it escapes from its jar, even though she’s told never to let it out. She must deal with the consequences and find out how to live happily with her fairy.
This story also appears in the short story collection Fairy Stories.
A Fairy Yarn
Anja can’t get rid of the fairies that have moved into the yarn shop. Signs of their mischief are everywhere, and Anja is afraid she’ll be blamed for it and lose her job. Each time she tries to destroy their nests and put their mischief to rights, something worse seems to happen. How will she stop the fairies from ruining her job?
This story also appears in the short story collection Fairy Stories.
Stories set in Arethia
The following short stories are set in the country of Arethia, the setting for my novels in the Dragons of Arethia trilogy. Some of the stories have dragons in them, and others are from a time before or after the dragons existed.
A Mage’s Choice
Nicolas struggles to care for his ailing mother, beset by a sickness that affects only his people, the Senemi. Although the Senemi people are believed to be incapable of performing magic, Nicolas has discovered that he can. He secretly studies magic, and when given the chance to study at the university, he must make a difficult choice.
This short story was originally titled “Nicolas’s Story”
To the Hatchings
Muri wants to be a dragon rider. She has traded all of her savings for a trip to the city of Areth to attend the hatchings, the ceremony that decides which women will become riders. Along the way, she befriends Emy, one of the daughters in the family of traders whose wagon she’s bought a ride on. Together, they face the possibilities of a new life in Arethia — but will it be as a dragon rider?