"Shades and Silver"

A Finalist for the Indie Ink Awards "Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by a Disabled Author" Ástfríður, inheritors of metal mastery, shape their destinies with the earth's hidden treasures. Britt struggles to choose their path, haunted by an identity stolen by disability. As the day to decide arrives, uncertainty looms. Astrid, untouched by the metal's call, dons a forged circlet, navigating a world that seems to reject them. Behind the Veil of the Ástfríður, safe yet feeling like imposters, Britt and Astrid grapple with secrets and the echoes of a past that threatens to overshadow their true selves. The Veil of the Ástfríður has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes.