“So…you’re okay.”
She shrugged. “More or less. A bit tired, actually—you wouldn’t believe the amount of paperwork one has to see to in the running of a city.”
“Well,” he said awkwardly. “That uh…that’s good then.”
She cocked her head, eyeing him. “What’s wrong, Dannen? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were sulking.”
“Nothing,” he said sulkily. “I just…well, I mean, we came here to save you, you know.”
“With an army no less,” she said, nodding. “I am very impressed.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry, alright, but when a man is late, a woman can’t just sit around and wait to be saved, can she?”
“Damnit, Clare, this isn’t a joke!” he snapped. “I thought you were being hurt or tortured or…or that you were dead. I thought they’d taken you to that damned tower, and…”
“Well, they did,” she said. “The worst day of my life, I can tell you. Oh, they didn’t torture me or anything—at least not with those crude instruments they seem so fond of. But the questions.” She rolled her eyes. “Nearly unbearable. Still,” she went on, “if it means so much to you…I suppose I could go back into the tower. You could rescue me there. How does noon sound?”
Dannen frowned, staring at his feet. “It isn’t the same.”
“Well,” she said slowly. “I guess…I’m sorry, then?”
“Took a lot of work,” he said, “bringing this army. Wasn’t an easy thing.”
“No, I suppose it wasn’t,” she agreed. “And, as I said, I am quite impressed.”
Dannen was angry. The problem, though, was that he didn’t know who to be angry with. “What about the other Tribune?”
“Vacation,” she said quickly, maybe a little too quickly.
Dannen frowned. “Vacation?”
She nodded. “A very long one. In fact, I doubt he will ever return.”
“Oh. Well, I guess that’s a good thing. The man didn’t seem to be my biggest fan.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Oh, Danny. Is anyone?” She glanced past him at the others. “It seems that Fedder and the rest made it back alive as well. I’m glad.”
“Are you?” Dannen grumbled. “Try sleeping next to the snoring bastard for the better part of a week while you rush to a rescue someone that doesn’t need rescuing.”
“Ah. Right. I can see where that might be a bit…off-putting.”
Dannen snorted. “Yeah. That’s one way to say it.”
“Anyway,” she went on, giving him a coy smile, “in this rescuing of yours, this gallant ride to the tower to save the damsel in distress…” Dannen winced as that was almost exactly how he’d imagined it. “I wonder,” she went on, “how did it end?”
Dannen sighed, stepping forward and pulling her into a tight embrace. “Like this,” he said. Then he kissed her. That, at least, she’d have a hard time doing on her own.
Now we have come to the end of Don’t Feed the Trolls, book two of The Antiheroes. I hope that you enjoyed it and stick around—book three, Probably it’s Prophecy is coming soon!
In the meantime, why not check out A Warrior’s Burden, book one of Saga of the Known Lands? It is the story of a fallen prince, a retired warrior forced to confront the mistakes of his past to save the people he loves.
If you’ve enjoyed Don’t Feed the Trolls, I’d love it if you could take a moment to leave an honest review. There are few things better for an author than hearing from readers who have given his book a shot!
To leave a review simply click on the appropriate link below:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
If you’d like to reach out, you can email me at [email protected] or visit my website.
You can also give me a shout on Facebook or on Twitter. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Turn the page for a limited time free offer!
Sign up for my mailing list and, for a limited time, get a free copy of The Silent Blade: A Seven Virtues novella. You will also be the first to know when a new book comes out!
Click here to get your free book now!
About the Author
Jacob Peppers lives in Georgia with his wife, his son, Gabriel, his daughter, Norah, and three dogs. He is an avid reader and writer and when he’s not exploring the worlds of others, he’s creating his own. His short fiction has been published in various markets, and his short story, “The Lies of Autumn,” was a finalist for the 2013 Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose. He is the author of the bestselling epic fantasy series, The Seven Virtues.
Note from the Author
And that, dear reader, brings us to the end of Don’t Feed the Trolls. Make no bones about it (undead joke: cue laugh track) this one was a blast to write, and it is my hope that you enjoyed it as well, though maybe not as much as me. Such a thing wouldn’t be proper.
Dannen and his companions have survived an undead dragon, ravenous trolls, and an army of the undead. They have slain the necromancer and his brother, saving the north and, perhaps, even the world. But let’s not start the parade just yet. After all, there’s a reason why bards are the ones who recount the stories of a hero’s life—the heroes are often far too busy being dead to do it themselves.
There are plenty of pros and cons to being a champion of the gods. For cons, well, there is the fact that death is almost certain, a painful death at that. And, of course, no matter how many monsters and evil necromancers a hero slays, there always seems to be another—they’re a lot like ants that way. As for the pros…give me a bit, would you? I’m working on it.
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read of The Antiheroes, stick around—there is plenty more heroic monster slaying and very unheroic running to come.
Now, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have helped to make this book better or, in many cases, to make it exist at all.
Thank you, first and foremost, to my wife, Andrea. As always, your support means the world. Thank you, also, to my three-year-old son, Gabriel and five-month-old daughter, Norah. You two may not have contributed to the book overly much, but you contribute to my life every day, and it is a privilege to be your father. Even when that means I’m the one who gets knee-capped with a toy baseball bat or poked in the eye by flailing hands.
Thank you, as well, to my beta readers. Many of you have lent your assistance for some time. Others of you are new but all of you, without fail, make a huge difference in the quality of the book, and I cannot overstate my appreciation for the time and effort you put in!
And lastly, thank you, dear reader. Without you showing up, without your support, I’m hardly a writer at all, more like just a man with voices in his head, and I’m fairly certain they make pills for that.
I can’t promise you Shakespeare, can’t promise that the next book will be a shining example of…well, anything really. But I’ll promise you this much—if you keep showing up, I will too.
Happy Reading and all the best,
Jacob Peppers
Don't Feed the Trolls Page 41
