The Way to Freedom: The Complete Season One (Books 1-5): An Epic Fantasy Action Adventure (The Way to Freedom Series)
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A loud roar of approval leapt up from the Dymarki crowded within the trees and as Dearen stared about her most of the Elder Council looked pleased by the decision.
All except Raga.
Raga of Clan Trisqa stood as still as stone except for a hand that clenched and unclenched at his side. To Dearen his face was as lifeless as marble but his eyes had narrowed to golden slits that seemed to burn with an internal fire as Raga watched her. Dearen could feel on the edges of her mind his hatred for the Northerners blazing hot within him.
Dearen turned her eyes away from him. She knew what it is to hate, she had felt it surge through her last night before using her power to burn the Bareskins to dust. Perhaps the hatred of those two brothers Hauga spoke of did not die with them. Perhaps it now lingers in this place of their death to latch on to any who might be open to it. It is something Dearen will have to discuss with the Lore Master Hauga assigns to her.
‘Clan Leaders, send out the call to Muster all who are willing to fight to assemble here at Councilmeet. No one who is of age and is willing will be turned away, be they male or female. We will leave for Hatens Field in three days hence.’
Chapter Eight
Dymarki Invitation
The sun sank slowly towards the horizon casting the grasslands and the foot of the Bhaglier Ranges in a warm evening glow that made the stone walls of Xiang Lo gleam like beaten gold.
Around the hastily repaired high walls of Xiang Lo walked the new guard shift. Those who patrolled the western wall cast anxious eyes at the dark mountains that held the border between Arran and the Suene Empire. Every man there knew that the Suenese Army was massing beyond that range readying themselves to attack.
But a new terror had now arrived in the mountains, one that had not been seen there for nearly a thousand years. Arranian patrols had started to disappear on their usual routes on their side of the mountains. The Suenese were blamed at first and the patrol sizes were doubled, but then they too disappeared. Thinking that this was the prelude to an attack by the Suene Empire, the Arranians began to amass the bulk of their armies against their Southern border. And that’s when the sightings began. The IceTigers had returned and it looked as if they were fighting for the Suenese.
A large Arranian force was sent into the mountains weeks ago to hunt down the IceTiger Guerrilla force and they are late back by four days. The group had a SpellCrafter in command so that was something in their favor. But as the guards stared out over the mountains, they felt a shiver as the mountain shadows made by the low setting sun quickly lengthened and swallowed the keep in darkness.
One of the guards atop Xiang Lo’s main gate was staring across the small stretch of plains that lay between the fort and the Bhaglier Ranges. He squinted into the darkening shadow. Was that something moving out there? He tapped the shoulder of the man next to him and pointed out into the shadows.
“Can you see anything moving out there?”
At that moment a pinprick of flame suddenly flared out from the darkness of the plains.
“Sergeant, you’d better get the Captain to come up and see this,” the second guard shouted down to the guardroom next to the main gate.
A few moments later a third man joined them on the battlements and looked out across the plains as the two guards pointed out the flickers of orange flame to him.
“Li. Please tell the Captain that he is needed on the wall immediately.” The sergeant did not look at the man as he spoke; instead he kept his eyes peeled to the darkening plains before him. It was not long before the sergeant got a response.
“What is so important that it should take me away from my dinner?” the Captain shouted up from below.
“There is something strange out on the plains Captain,” the sergeant called down. As the man spoke, the flame abruptly became larger and larger in the darkness speeding towards them as if carried by the wind.
“By the G…”
The second guard’s words were cut off with a gurgle as a blue fletched arrow thudded into his windpipe. The force of the blow knocked the guard clean off the bulwarks and sent him crashing back onto the cobbles below, landing at the shift Captain’s feet.
There was a moment’s pause as the guards along the western wall stood in shock, staring at the body of their fallen comrade lying unmoving on the ground below. Then the air was filled with the sound of bowstrings as men fired uselessly into the darkness covering the plains.
The Captain slowly pulled his napkin from his collar and knelt down at the man’s head, staring incredulously at the still burning fire arrow protruding from the man’s throat. Right near the fletching was a piece of fleece-oiled fireproofed parchment wrapped around the shaft and secured by a thin twist of leather. With nervous fingers, the Captain snapped the leather cord and carefully unrolled the note.
The lettering on the small sheet of parchment was neat and even and was written in fluent Arranian. The Captain quickly read through the five lines that were written on it.
“Captain, what is going on? Who authorized the firing of those arrows?”
The Captain rose to his feet and turned to see the dark silhouette of Xiang Lo’s Company Commander coming towards him through the darkness.
“Light those torches,” the Captain shouted as he marched to meet the Commander. The dusk lighting of the torches had been forgotten at the appearance of the flame.
“Commander, the IceTigers have delivered us a message,” he said handing the parchment to his commander as the torches around the main gates and the walls flared to life.
The commander took the note and scanned its contents by the flickering torchlight. When finished, his gaze quickly locked onto that of his Captains.
“So, the IceTigers want to have an honorable war. I think we should give them one.”
This is the End of Season One
Kalena’s story will be Continued with Season Two, Book 6
Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you again.
Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won’t you please take a moment to leave me a review on Amazon?
THE KALARTHRI
The Way to Freedom, Book One
“This Hatar Kalar has more natural Talent than any Second Born found in the Empire.”
Every ten years the Imperium Provosts travel the provinces of the Great Suene Empire and take every second born child as the property of the Emperor. His Due for their continued protection.
Kalena, taken from her family and friends finds herself alone and scared in the imperial Stronghold of Darkon. And when she cries out to the darkness for help, Kalena is shocked when it answers her back.
Book 2: The Dream Thief
Book 3: The Awakening
Book 4: The Enemy Within
HOWLING VENGEANCE
John McCall Mysteries, Book One
John McCall just wanted to get a surprise for his men. Instead he got a disemboweled body.
A man is arrested for the murder but McCall is sure that they have the wrong person.
And when McCall starts digging around for the truth, he unearths a whole lot more than he bargained for.
Howling Vengeance. A supernatural mystery in the Old West.
Available now at your favorite Online Bookseller
THE ENCLAVE
The Verge, Book One
Katherine Kirk lived only for vengeance.
Vengeance against the man who destroyed her home, her family and her life.
Sent on a babysitting mission to Junter 3, RAN officer Katherine Kirk, finds herself quickly embroiled in the politics between the New Holland Government and the Val Myran refugees claiming asylum.
After an Alliance attack Kirk and her team hunt the enemy down and discover that they have finally found the lair of the man they have been searching for…
And the captive who has been waiting patiently for rescue.
“What would you do to the man who destroyed every important person in your life?”
&nb
sp; Winter’s Magic
Book One of The Order
Kaitlyn Winter is biting at the bit to become an active agent for the Restricted Practitioners Unit. And on her first day in the job she is thrown into a virtual s**t storm (to put it nicely).
First, she gets targeted for Assassination by The Sharda’s top assassin
Second, her Werewolf best friend decides that her being ‘Straight’ means she can’t protect herself and places her in protective custody
Third, the love of her life still won’t notice her existence and the Tempus Mage who’s set to keep an eye on her is infuriatingly attractive….
You can find out more information and sign up for Hayley’s monthly newsletter on her website
http://www.hmclarkeauthor.com/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In a former life, H M Clarke has been a Console Operator, an ICT Project Manager, Public Servant, Paper Shuffler and an Accountant (the last being the most exciting.)
She attended Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Science (Chem), and also picked up a Diploma in Project Management while working for the South Australian Department of Justice.
In her spare time, she likes to lay on the couch and watch TV, garden, draw, read, and tell ALL her family what wonderful human beings they are.
She keeps threatening to go out and get a real job (Cheesecake Test Taster sounds good) and intends to retire somewhere warm and dry – like the middle of the Simpson Desert. For the time being however, she lives in Ohio and dreams about being warm…
You can find out more information and sign up for Hayley’s monthly newsletter on her website – http://hmclarkeauthor.com
http://eepurl.com/SPy61
Or catch her on Twitter - @hmclarkeauthor