Courage to Sacrifice
Page 69
Still he hesitated. What could he possibly say? What words could make them forget everything that had happened in his absence? Uncertainty rooted his legs in place. He could face Eirdkilrs by the thousands, but faced with his sons, he felt a strange, chilling fear. Would they hate him as he had his father?
“They will understand,” Mylena’s whispered words filtered into his ears. “They know the truth.”
In that moment, staring into those faces—faces so like his own, blended with all the best of Mylena—he knew he would be different from his father. In the aspects that mattered, at least. He could never have back all the years he’d lost. Years spent away from his sons, from his wife, his home. Yet he would do everything in his power to be the father he’d wished his father had been. He could only hope they didn’t hate him. Or, if nothing else, they could forgive him.
Releasing Mylena’s hand, he moved around his wife and strode toward his sons. Rolyn flinched back a fraction, shielding Adilon instinctively—a sight that both tore at Aravon’s heart and filled him with pride. Gently, careful to keep his movements slow, Aravon knelt in front of the two boys.
He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him. What could he say to them? What words could possibly make up for everything they’d endured? They had believed he was dead—nothing he could say would take back the pain and sorrow they’d felt, or give back the nights they’d doubtless cried themselves to sleep. Now that he had come face to face with them, his sons, the boys he’d given everything to protect, he had nothing to offer.
Rolyn stared at him, his gaze piercing, searching Aravon’s face for…what? What did he look for in those battle-hardened, bearded features? Was he staring at the scar running down the side of Aravon’s face, inflicted by Hrolf Hrungnir? Or was he seeking something else, something—anything—familiar about the man he could hardly remember?
Adilon slid beneath his brother’s protective arm and came to stand before Aravon. Slowly, he reached out a hand. Tentative, his movements hesitant, uncertainty darkening his olive-green eyes. Chubby fingers brushed Aravon’s long, thick beard and pulled back.
“Prickly!” Adilon’s face crinkled into a frown and, with the innocent candor of youth, met Aravon’s gaze. “I think you looked better without it.”
The words stunned Aravon to silence. He gaped, too surprised to say anything, and could only stare dumbfounded at his brazen son.
Snorting, chuckling laughter shattered the moment. A half-snort, half-rumble burst from Belthar’s lips, and Skathi joined in. Noll’s cackling filled the air a moment later, accompanied by a more polite, restrained laugh from Prince Toran.
Aravon couldn’t help joining in. He’d dreamed of this moment for months—since the day he died on the Eastmarch. Had dreamed of being reunited with his family. Never in the countless times he’d pictured it had he imagined those words being his greeting.
Yet, in that moment, they felt perfect.
He swept Adilon into an embrace, pulling the little boy close. After only a heartbeat of surprised stiffness, Adilon melted into the hug and wrapped his arms around Aravon’s neck. A second later, Rolyn joined them. More reserved than his younger brother, but his embrace held a greater strength.
Aravon held his sons, and again tears streamed down his cheeks. Tears of utter delight and perfect bliss. He had come home to his family. Something he hadn’t believed possible, yet here it was, utterly real, as perfect a reunion as he could hope for.
The pain of loss would remain, would weigh on his heart for years to come. Sixth Company, Draian, Duke Dyrund, his father, Captain Lingram and the Deadheads, and, most of all, Zaharis and Rangvaldr. The burden of grief would persist, kept alive in the memory of his fallen friends and comrades.
But for now, the mere presence of his loved ones—his wife and sons, as well as three of the Grim Reavers that had become a vital part of his family—was enough.
He was home. For a soldier, a man sworn to serve Prince and country, it was the best future he could have hoped or wished for.
The Adventures Aren’t Over Yet!
I’m not yet ready to say goodbye to the war-torn continent of Fehl. Are you?
The story of Aravon and the Grim Reavers might be over, but there are more stories to tell. Stories of courage under pressure, sacrifice, and heroism in the face of certain death.
There are two more stories that need to be told before you are finished with this slice of my epic fantasy world. First off, the tale of Duvain, Endyn, Corporal Rold, Captain Lingram, and every other Deadhead that sacrificed their lives to help Aravon and the Grim Reavers stop Tyr Farbjodr’s evil.
Ragged Heroes is the story of the battle for Saerheim, the Deid village from Steel and Valor—home to Colborn’s grandmother, and the place where Lord Virinus takes young Branda to flee the Eirdkilrs after the death of Duke Dyrund. Chronologically, this takes place around the end of Battle for Peace, in the weeks leading up to the Battle at Hangman’s Hill. You will definitely want to read this story to find out what happened to the Deadheads and how the ragtag group of the Legion’s outcasts ultimately became the heroes they are when you met them in Battle for Peace.
Ragged Heroes
When death came calling, the outcasts became the champions.
The Deadheads. A ragtag band of disgraced soldiers, killers saved from the gallows, and recruits too inept to hold the shield wall. They are the dregs of the Legion of Heroes.
Duvain and Endyn are no exception. A giant with a terrible secret and his weak, incapable brother, they are barely competent enough to march in a straight line and hold formation.
But when a humdrum posting far from the battle line sets them directly in the path of an unstoppable barbarian horde, the Deadheads are all that stands between the enemy and total annihilation.
Can the good-for-nothing soldiers prove themselves capable enough to turn the tide of battle and save innocent civilians?
Ragged Heroes is the fifth book in the riveting Silent Champions military fantasy series, a companion novel that fleshes out the war-torn world of Fehl.
For those who love heroic underdogs and snarky soldiers, dive into this gripping, action-packed story today!
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The prequel to my Hero of Darkness series!
The Hunter of Voramis does not forgive or forget. But his thirst for vengeance against a deceitful client could lead to consequences far graver than he realizes.
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Pronunciation Guide
Kaldrborg – KAAHLD-uhr-BOORG
Fjorlagerfa – Fyour-LAW-guhr-FAH
Gnottmessa – HNAWT-mehz-sah
Haustmessa – HOWST-mehz-sah
Megin – MAYG-een
Illtgrund – EELD-gruhnd
Saetavirki – Sat-ah-VEER-kih
Hafoldarholl – Hahf-OLD-ah-rahll
Kunnigr – KYOO-nig
Praellboer – Prahll-BOAR
For-faras – Fohr-FAHR-ahs
Groennrjodr – GROAN-yodd-uhr
Svassmeyla – Svahs-SMAY-lah
Min Brodir – Meen-BROHD-uhr
Fadir – FAH-deer
Dróttinn – DROWT-ihn
Fornlid – FOHRN-leed
Grimabrandr – GREEM-ah-BRAHND-uhr
Enjoy More Series by Andy Peloquin
Plus, get backstory and insight into the epic world of Einan!
Queen of Thieves
They killed her family. They ripped apart her home. But to repay her debts, she'll have to sacrifice her innocence.
Robbed of everything she loves, Viola mourns the sudden loss of her mother. Now burdened with an impossible debt to the Night Guild, she’s forced to train as a cunning thief. Subjected to cruelty at every turn, the scrawn
y criminal apprentice vows to survive long enough to become the kingdom’s best.
Thrown together with unlikely allies, her burgeoning skills draw the attention of sadistic bullies and jealous rivals with dark intentions. But fueled by grief-filled rage, Viola won’t let anything distract her from preparing for The Guild’s most treacherous test.
In a cutthroat den of thieves, can Viola rise to power and outrun a brutal death?
Child of the Night Guild is the first book in the gripping Queen of Thieves epic fantasy series that’s not for the faint of heart. If you like grimdark battles, improbable heroines, and graphic scenes, then you’ll love Andy Peloquin’s unflinching coming-of-age tale.
Buy Child of the Night Guild for a pitch-black tale of thievery today!
Book 1: Child of the Night Guild
Book 2: Thief of the Night Guild
Book 3: Queen of the Night Guild
Hero of Darkness
The best assassin in the world doesn’t come cheap. Betraying him will cost your soul.
The Hunter is a name feared by all in Voramis. He is an outcast, driven by a cursed dagger with an unquenchable thirst for blood and death.
Yet he follows one simple code: kill those who truly deserve to die. His creed is put to the test when, deceived by a shadowy employer, he unknowingly slaughters an innocent man.
With the most powerful criminal organization in the city after his head, the Hunter must fight for his life and find a way to atone for his mistake. When his enemies harm the people under his protection, it will take much more than an army of criminals to stand in the way of his revenge.
If you love anti-heroes like the Punisher or Dexter in a breathtaking fantasy realm, then immerse yourself in Hero of Darkness today! Dive into an epic tale of one man’s struggle to survive in a world of magic, blood, and death.
Book 1: Darkblade Assassin
Book 2: Darkblade Outcast
Book 3: Darkblade Protector
Book 4: Darkblade Seeker
Book 5: Darkblade Slayer
Book 6: Darkblade Savior
Book 7: Darkblade Justice
Different, Not Damaged: A Short Story Collection
Heirs of Destiny
A kingdom of death. A war for power and profit. Young heroes caught in the crossfire.
Kodyn expected hardships along his journey to return a kidnapped girl to her father. Yet harsh deserts and cutthroat bandits prove far less lethal than the foes that await him in Shalandra, the City of the Dead.
In the shadows of golden spires carved from mountain stone, currents of corruption and vice run deep. Priests of the god of death rule with an iron fist, imposing a rigid caste system that elevates some to a life of privilege and condemns others to miserable squalor.
Together with Aisha, a fierce warrior from the north with the mystical ability to speak to the dead, Kodyn must survive the cesspool of high society deceit and betrayal.
Polite smiles hide sharp knives. Killers, criminals, and bloodthirsty cultists lurk around every corner. Can these youths overcome impossible odds to save the realm?
Click now if you love action, intrigue, and heroic deeds that will set your heart racing! For fans of A.C. Cobble, Jeff Wheeler, and Robin Hobb, Heirs of Destiny is a thrill ride on epic fantasy’s darker side.
Trial of Stone (Book 1)
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About the Author
I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.
Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!
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