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Arn 14

1479 - 6 - 12 Arn 14

Among his many responsibilities gathering herbs, treating the injured and preparing the dead, Jorik the Embalmer collected information and advised Stone Spear and the other chiefs as a sage. He discerned omens from the old signs, but had once tried to make a better raft. Did that fit with the old signs?

A storm struck a few days after his conversation with Logern. The fishermen would not help him reach Scoa, but Arn could do it on his own. Jorik’s help would speed things up and convince the hunters there was some sense to Arn’s plans. All Arn wanted was more than Razaad offered him. Continue reading Arn 14

Lerran 47

1479 - 6 - 11 Lerran 47

Like most mornings, Tassina and Lerran ate breakfast in front of the windows in their quarters. The faint taste of cinnamon in his coffee lifted Lerran’s spirits, and the news a few minutes later lifted them higher. More ships had arrived a half hour ago, Captain Uthran reported. Lerran finished his coffee quickly.

“Go get it,” Tass said with a smile and Lerran leaned in for a kiss before following his Guard Captain into the hall. Continue reading Lerran 47

Raya 34

1479 - 6 - 10 Raya 34

Raya had been enjoying her new home, despite her hesitance to trust Axar. The city of Ith seemed much calmer to her here, though she could not be certain if that was a lull in the tension between the city’s rulers and its people or if it was due to her distance from the bustling commotion of Massed Alley and other, similar boroughs. Benn and her ate breakfast together every day, while Dondar joined them often. Sometimes, the middle-aged guardsman was absent, either hung over from a night at a tavern or walking to put distance between himself and the magicians that Raya seemed to be constantly surrounded by. Continue reading Raya 34

Aralim 42

1479 - 6 - 8 Aralim 42

Though it was the Emperor’s private day, the amphitheatre built under the left corner of the Iron Palace was filled. Nineteen of the twenty seats were taken, and several men and women stood on the stage before them. Aside from the crowded auditorium, only the Aura moved about the royal grounds. Aralim waited patiently on a stage as each of the candidates for the empty seat of Selected gave their introductions. Continue reading Aralim 42

Zanna 5

1479 - 6 - 5 Zanna 5

At least ten bug bites. Zanna’s arms and neck itched, but she ignored the irritation with willpower. The river boats from Maga were large rectangular boats, with a narrow point in the front to divide the water. Four posts and a thick wooden canopy covered the stiff-backed chairs where Zanna, Tylan, Lady Marna, and Lord Reeth were seated. Continue reading Zanna 5

Arn 13

1479 - 6 - 3 Arn 13

The lagoon below the cliffs where the tribe lived was accessed by a series of ledges and various hanging vine ladders. To descend, Arn simply dropped from tier to tier, his feet deftly absorbing his weight. He had chased an animal down a slope this sleep, without losing his footing. He purposefully slowed himself and used the ropes to descend the last few layers so that others would not see his skill. Today, like all days, he had a specific purpose.

He found three fishermen at the base of the cliffs, on the rocky beach of the murky water. Sand deposits were thick with gravel and strewn with seashells, making traversal cautious for fear of the dark rocks jutting upward where the tide had not yet worn them away. The fishermen looked at Arn in surprise. What was the Chief Hunter doing here? The hunters were only beginning to wake, for the sun had not found the horizon yet. Continue reading Arn 13

Lerran 46

1479 - 6 - 1 Lerran 46

The hammers and saws of workmen echoed up through the hallways of the Lerran estate from the cellar. Six guards stood on duty down there, to ensure the security of his fortune and his wares from the citizens at labour. They were building, for the Prince of Sheld, a proper vault. At its completion, it would be protected by a master-crafted lock and would only open to two keys.

Lerran leaned against his desk, and groaned. The noise made his office even more irritating. As he sipped his rum from a tall mug, he drummed his fingers against the desk. After a moment of annoyance, he glanced back up at Gadra and Isar, and the three candidates that stood before him. Continue reading Lerran 46

Aralim 41

1479 - 5 - 30 Aralim 41

Occasionally, Aralim would miss the ocean. He’d travelled many lands, during his ongoing pilgrimage as a Walker, but he’d spent most of his forty-six years on the sunny deck of a proper sailing vessel. It might have been a weakness he needed to shed, or it might have been a clue to enlightenment. After all, the spirit of the ocean and the spirit of the wind were far more powerful than he.

There was a light rainstorm during the final morning of the month. When it had passed, Aralim opened his glass windows and smelled deeply of the fresh air. On a whim, he chose to leave the mansion on West Corid and walk down to the riverside to enjoy the relatively gentle temperatures. A few of the poorer streets he walked down were full of dripping garments of clothes or bedsheets, and the people who had shorn them waited patiently for their world to dry. It didn’t take long, even with the humidity of the rainforest. Continue reading Aralim 41

Farek 10

1479 - 5 - 27 Farek 10

In the stables of House Thrane, two servants split a bail of green hay with big wooden forks and distributed it amongst several of the stalls. There was a wind that day, and the barn creaked during a particularly strong gust. Sawdust and bugs fell from the beams over the young men’s heads, as did a few scattered drops of water. One of them hummed a quiet tune as he worked, and patted the sides of a big black steed. The beast looked like a Yurnese purebred, brought across the Stormy Sea from the continent at great expense. Continue reading Farek 10

Raya 33

1479 - 5 - 26 Raya 33

“And what of Jadden?” Raya asked. Benn and she sat at a table with three men who had attended the funeral of King Rull.

“Captured once more,” one grimaced. “Along with the other two hundred citizens freshly enslaved.”

Raya shook her head. They had received the news yesterday, for their visit to Axar’s estate had filled conversation for the remainder of that day. But when Raya had woken up in the Freeman’s Bunkhouse, she’d heard the sorrows immediately. Jadden and his rebels had set explosives beneath the Bridge of Norzeen to detonate it when the funeral procession had crossed. No more of the Mage Kings had perished, though many guards and slaves had. Continue reading Raya 33