“Eyes up here, Mister Harwin,” said Rose sternly as she caught his gaze slipping down to her chest.
Harwin grinned.
“Apologies, ma’am. Just enjoying the natural beauty in the world.”
A final snip of the scissors and quick scan around his face followed.
“All done.”
Harwin finished dressing, observing his healed scar. It felt a bit tight, but the pain was no longer present. Behind him, Rose tidied up, her movements efficient and elegant.
“I’ll be going, then,” said Harwin. “Thank you for your expertise. It was a pleasure to be under your care.”
He grabbed his sword and shield and headed out. He looked back over his shoulder one more time, thinking that perhaps it would not be such a bad time to settle after so long in the army.
“Mister Harwin?” said Rose as he opened the door.
He stopped and turned.
She smiled, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her apron in a very girlish way.
“If you ever feel like enjoying the natural beauty of this world some more, come look me up.”
Harwin returned her smile.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said politely. “I might just do that very thing when I have the chance.”
Harwin made his way to the second level plaza. He massaged his shoulder to get the blood flowing and rotated it to loosen the joint.
“Getting ready for another day of dragging stuff around?”
He looked up to see Brenton Baltor coming down the stairs.
“That, and these blasted beds are way too comfortable. They’re making me feel lazy and old,” Harwin said with a smile.
“Today was your last day in the healers’ wing, right? You moving across the plaza?”
“Actually, I was thinking of crashing in the barracks. Leave the other housing to a family that truly needs it. The tent encampment is overflowing as it is,” said Harwin. “Besides, now that I’m officially healed according to the experts, it’s about time to continue on to Shid’el and join the others. Thought I’d put in another day or two of helping and rebuilding the city, as appreciation for the provided care, and then go.”
He wanted to get out of bed and help with the cleanup days ago, but the healers had refused to let him go at first. He was about to discharge himself when Rose challenged him to a game of checkers—a game he often played with his fellow soldiers. But it was not until after she had completely devastated him that he found out she was the ruling champion of Azurna Castle. She had baited him into another seven days of bed rest.
Harwin looked at the Talkarian prince as they made their way through the corridors. Two swords hung from his belt. Since the attack on the harbor, the prince had not been seen without them.
“Will you be joining me in the city? We can grab a proper ale after. I heard they reopened The Old Bull.”
“I’m afraid I can’t. The Twins is scheduled to be back this afternoon with supplies from up north. I’m meeting my guards outside to go to the harbor early and make certain they’re done with the temporary dock to receive them.”
“Ah, so you’ll be leaving soon?” said Harwin. “Back to the island, I mean.”
“Indeed. I’m worried about everyone back home. I still haven’t heard back from them. If Lord Algirio hadn’t convinced me to send the Twins on a supply run north, I’d probably have left already.”
“Prince Baltor, if you have a moment. There’s an urgent message for you.”
A messenger came running up behind them. Brenton took the message and broke the seal.
Speak of the devil, thought Harwin, but he swallowed his words just in time as he saw the expression on Brenton’s face change.
“What’s wrong?” he asked the prince.
“My father…he’s dead,” said Brenton in disbelief. “I need to speak to Lord Algirio immediately. They’ve taken over Tal’Kabur.”
“What? The city?”
“No. Everything.”
The Talkarian prince turned right, taking the corridor away from the plaza.
“Tell my escort the harbor visit must wait,” he called back to the messenger as he increased his pace.
Harwin quickly followed the prince.
“If this is just reaching us now, the king and council need to be made aware of it, too,” he said. Brenton looked at him questioningly. “I need all the information we can get, if you don’t mind.”
The Talkarian prince nodded as they jogged up the first stairs to the higher level. They entered the high plaza, where they were welcomed by the clang of alarm bells coming from the city.
“What’s going on?” the Talkarian prince asked the nearest castle guard.
“The black sails, milord. They’re back!”
Additional bells joined the call as Harwin ran to the rampart. He stared to the east, but saw nothing.
“Where are they? There’s nothing off the coast.”
“Not there,” called the soldier, running off to man his post. “South. They’re coming from the south!”
- To be continued -
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About the Author
A.J. Norfield lives with his loving family on land, but below sea level. He tries not to worry too much about climate change and the melting of the polar ice caps. His wife, and two rascally children, keep him engaged and grounded in life while he pursues his goal of publishing a story that has been stuck in his head for years.
As a long-time forest and mountain enthusiast, A.J. often wonders about his flat surroundings and how to escape them. In his rare moments of free time, he enjoys gaming, reading, writing, drawing and socializing. His interest in dragons and fantasy novels began when he was first old enough to read and has followed him throughout his life. It was this interest—along with a number of broken nights thanks to his daughter’s sleeping schedule—that eventually led him to write ‘The Stone War Chronicles’ and put it out into the world.
Inspired by the likes of Anne McCaffrey, Terry Goodkind and Naomi Novik—to name only a few—A.J. hopes to find his own path among the genre’s greatest writers.
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Wavebreaker_Book II of the Stone War Chronicles_Part 1_Trickle Page 57
