Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale
Page 33
“What are you doing?” the great wolf growled, feeling strength rush through him.
Pulling her hand away, she licked her palm. His blood felt like fire in her mouth.
“My dear wolf,” she said, hugging him with both arms and legs. She held him tight for a few more heartbeats, then rose up, holding her bow high.
“Call them my hunter!” she cried. “Gather your brothers and sisters! Tonight we hunt the nightmares!”
Othalas tilted his head back and let out a call. It rose and it wavered. It dipped and it shuddered. Howl became growl and then howl again. Three times he lifted his voice. Three times the echoes filled the night. Then, other howls ripped through the air in answer. These were not the calls of normal wolves but savage cries. Luthiel added peals of her silver horn to Othalas’ brutal answers as the werewolf sprang away from the elfin host and toward his kindred.
There, in the moonlight, they saw their liquid bodies streaking through the night. Their teeth gleamed like white knives. Their eyes like sparks filling the night. Hundreds leapt out over the Vale’s steep walls and filled the mounds about them.
These were the kin of Othalas and none but he could command them—not even Vyrl. For he was the greatest and oldest werewolf, and they only hunted alone unless he brought them together. It was a very rare thing—this pack of werewolves.
They formed a large circle and joined their voices, howling out to earth and sky, showing their flanks out of respect to him and his fae mistress.
Still the werewolves gathered. Their large bodies flowed out of the night like great specters. Stranger and taller than Urkharim, these once-men were now the mightiest of wolves. Around Othalas and Luthiel, they came to order and by some unspoken command all fell silent. The Great Pack had formed.
Luthiel thumped Othalas on the neck and pointed with her bow. With a leap, he shot out into the mounds. Legs ate up the ground and the Great Pack silently and swiftly followed.
Luthiel's Song Concept Art
During the development of Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale, anime artist Siya Oum produced a number of rough concept sketches, character renderings, and other concept art. Some was used in early serial editions of the novel, and most have rarely been seen. In this special digital edition of Luthiel's Song, we present you some of this fanciful work together with the book for the first time.
Even more bonus material will be available in the e-book version of The War of Mists!
www.luthielssong.com
Table of Contents
The Lilting
Prologue: A Dispatch of the Lord Tuorlin
Luthiel
Leowin
The Wyrd Stone
A Blade Dancer Comes
The Chosen
Silent Farewell
Into the World of Dreams
Race to the Vale
The Sorceror’s House
A Night Terror
Spiders and Werewolves
Into the Vale of Mists
The Cave of Painted Shadows
A Castle in the Mists
The Vyrl
The Mists’ Changing Magic
Melkion the Dragon
Summoned by Monsters
The Blood of Vlad Valkire
Rendillo the Grendilo
The Pools of Ottomnos
Ashiroth’s Army
Luthiel’s Promise
Seven Ride To Ottomnos
A Darkness in Dreams
A Black Curse
Lady of Ottomnos
Gift of the Bond
A Brief Rest
Cutter’s Shear~the Sword of Vlad Valkire
Armies Gather
A Secret Council
Vaelros’s Tale
A Piece of a Shadow Crown
Of Thrar Taurmori the Demon Lord
Do No Harm Without Need
How The Widdershae Came to Be
Escape Plans
Farewell to Ottomnos
Appendix I: The Elfin Runes
Appendix II: The Suns and Moons of Oesha
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Preview of The War of Mists
Luthiel's Song Concept Art