Shadows in the Stone
Page 78
*The End *
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About Diane Lynn McGyver
Diane Lynn McGyver grew up along the wild shores of Nova Scotia, Canada. She spent her summers running barefoot through the forest and sailing on the sea, and her winters building snow forts, skating and playing hockey. She began writing at an early age, filling Campfire Notebooks with tales based on her imagination and her adventures.
She currently dwells on a small homestead where she raises children, Toggenburg goats and heritage-breed chickens. Her work has appeared in more than a thousand publications since 1997.
She is the author of Shadows in the Stone (traditional adult fantasy), Pockets of Wildflowers, Twistmas - The Season for Love (both adult romance), Fowl Summer Nights (humour) and Nova Scotia - Life Near Water (anthology). The second book in the fantasy Castle Keepers series Scattered Stones will be launched May 6, 2016.
Other titles by Diane Lynn McGyver
Shadows in the Stone
Scattered Stones (Coming May 6, 2016)
Pockets of Wildflowers
Twistmas – The Season for Love
Nova Scotia – Life Near Water
Castle Keeper Tales
Blade of Truth
Destiny Governed their Lives
Connect with Diane Lynn McGyver
Diane McGyver’s Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Quarter Castle Publishing Author Page
Diane began the Castle Keepers Tales to share extra stories about the characters who appear in The Castle Keepers novel series. Each is a stand-alone story, often telling a tragic event that happened in the past, before the first book, Shadows in the Stone. Through these stories, readers can better understand the characters and appreciate a little more of why they act as they do. We are all products of our past and pivotal events shape us into whom we are. These stories are not spoilers for the books, but enhance them. If a story does prove to undermine the enjoyment of a book, I’ll make note that the book should be read first. Otherwise, enjoy these tales without worry.
Dedication
Although many hands helped bring this book to publication, my journey to Ath-o’Lea would not have begun without the wisdom, dedication and humour of one man: Peter Mortimer.
Those few precious years between being a kid and becoming an adult are volatile. During this time, I was fortunate enough to discover the world of fantasy through the portal in which the greatest dungeon master I knew led me.
Peter introduced me to Dungeons & Dragons and to Argon (who would become Bronwyn), and encouraged me to explore the land of fairies. He's the best dungeon master I've ever known, and he's impacted my life in ways I can't even explain.
I met Peter first as a dungeon master that warm summer day running through the Boys & Girls Club lounge and later learnt he was our new club director. He stayed for about five years and created the club I'm glad I didn't have to live without. They were the most important (and volatile) years of my life (13 to 18).
Copyright for Shadows in the Stone
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of Diane Lynn McGyver.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Published by Quarter Castle Publishing
May 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9868089-8-2
Cover Design: Diane Tibert
Edited by Jay Underwood of Pennydreadful Publishing
Text and Illustrations Copyright@Diane Tibert
Scattered Stones – Chapter 01
Approach to the Dungeon
Second Book in the Castle Keepers Series
Bronwyn Darrow wriggled beneath the stone wall. Twigs, dry leaves, spider webs and dirt collected on his clothing. As he snaked forward, the hilt of his sword snagged on a tree root. He retreated far enough to jerk it free, then continued. An average-size human couldn’t fit through the shallow slit, but Bronwyn, a lean dwarf, slithered through easily. The hidden gap was also too dark for human eyes, but the dappled light of the waxing crescent moon shining into the passage at both ends provided enough brightness to guide the dwarf.
As he dragged himself towards the opening on the other side, he reviewed his plan: break into the dungeon, find his daughter and escape alive. The last part served as his good luck charm, insurance he’d see another sunrise. It hadn’t always been this way, but he had lived without the comforts and the protection of Aruam Castle for more than five years.
Five years was a long time to travel The Trail, searching and keeping alive the hope he’d find his daughter. From one aspect, time had passed quickly. Months slipped by as he pursued leads, explored new lands and fostered alliances in the diverse settlements dotting Ath-o’Lea. The valuable connections meant dozens of others kept watch for signs, sightings and news of Isla, his adopted daughter. They spread throughout the land, and whenever he entered a village, town or city, his contacts supplied updates.
But from another perspective, the five years had elapsed at an agonizing pace. He had made friends along the way but none he travelled with for long. On The Trail, company came and went as individuals chased their own vocation and inspiration. His visits to see family and friends had been few. When he discovered on his first return home the woman he loved had departed, it shook him to the bone. Alaura of Niamh had sought to join him in his search for Isla, but he had forbidden her, hoping she’d remain safe at Maskil. Her actions proved him wrong. She had left the same day as he had. If only he had known she would begin her own search, he’d have allowed her to accompany him. But now, the ifs and would haves amounted to nothing; Alaura had disappeared and become as impossible to find as Isla.
When Bronwyn found Alaura, he’d beg for her forgiveness. He carried no doubt she lived; her energy pulsated through his blood, delivered to him by the Transfer Spell, an incantation cast on their first quest together. Alaura could send objects small enough to fit into her palm directly to Bronwyn’s hand using the magic bridge. Bronwyn lacked magic, so he could send nothing. Still the spell furnished him unknown capabilities, including the power to feel her energy when he searched for it.
Unfortunately, wicked magic held in Bronwyn’s right hand transferred to Alaura. It had the capacity to steal her strength and make her ill. Whenever he encountered a mysterious item he believed possessed magic, he touched it cautiously. If he felt opposing pressure, he knew Alaura mentally forced the item from his hand. He obeyed instantly.
Since parting, Alaura had used the Transfer Spell once. His desperate state had spurred her into action. He had been lost for weeks on Blue Mountain and had exhausted his food supply. After three days with nothing to eat, he put his hand over his stomach, the same hand connecting him to Alaura. His stomach felt hollow, and a deep grumbling told him if he didn’t find food soon, he’d feel the ill effects of starvation. To his surprise, his hand warmed, and a full plate of food materialized. No sooner had he set down the ration when other foods appeared: bread, biscuits, apples, pears, green cheese, salted meat, cookies, canned beans, water, tea and his favourite bread-topper, fenberry spread. Alaura had delivered enough food to sustain him until he found his way off the mountain.
Through her energy vibes, the food delivery and the occasional magical item rejection, he knew Alaura to be alive and well. The question he couldn’t answer haunted him night and day: Where was she?
Bronwyn swept these thoughts from his mind to focus on the task ahead. With skill and luck, in a few hours he and Isla would be on their way to safety. His informant had confirmed
the rumours and provided additional information. The transfer of prisoners from another castle to the one he prepared to enter had taken place today. A seventeen-year-old hauflin arrived with the prisoners. Bronwyn had paid a fair price for the information, but he’d have paid triple to rescue his daughter from five years of captivity.
The moonlight shined down on Bronwyn’s face as he peered from the slit beneath the outer defence wall. He had visited Tigh Na Mare only once, but he had entered through the front gates on that occasion. Tonight, with a little help from another informant, Jack Somerled, he would penetrate the castle undetected through an entrance guarded by secrecy. Don’t get caught, Somerled had warned.
Getting caught meant a fate worse than death. The female warriors who ruled the castle gave no mercy to men who crossed their lines. Four decades beforehand, the army of human women had forcibly taken the ancient Tigh Na Mare Castle overlooking Ellswire Harbour. Their ruler, a brute named Lord Orenda Nassen, had ignored Bronwyn’s request for assistance in finding Isla. To add insult to his rejection, she forced him to strip to his shorts and carry his possessions while he walked through the castle and the small settlement to the village gates. Along the way, the inhabitants taunted him with words and sticks, testing his self-control to remain calm.
Bronwyn slipped from the weed-covered hole, glanced to confirm the guards on the wall patrolled a safe distance away, then moved towards an inside corner of the castle. There, beneath the west tower, lay the steel grate the informant had spoken about. Bronwyn surveyed the area. This location put patrolling guards at a disadvantage because they could see only a small portion of this section of wall, making it the perfect spot to enter the castle unseen. He lifted the grate, slipped inside the tunnel and pulled the screen back into position.
Turning to face the narrow passageway, Bronwyn paused, allowing his eyes time to adjust to the dimmer conditions. It will darken enough to blind you, Somerled had said, but if your feet keep to the left, you’ll find your way. Upon approach to the dungeon, the torch light seeping through the cracks in the wall will illuminate your target. Bronwyn trusted Somerled. He met the human shortly after his search for Isla had begun and maybe two dozen times since. Somerled travelled The Trail too, but not for the same reasons as Bronwyn.
Tiptoeing forward, he became blind as darkness swallowed the passageway. He placed his hand on the left wall and let it guide him, taking each step with care to avoid making unnecessary sounds. Seeing a dim light ahead, he crouched low and continued. The concealed passageway ended near what Lord Orenda Nassen and her warriors called the Entertainment Room. There, unwelcome guests such as Bronwyn would feel their wrath. Given the lateness of the day, the room probably sat empty.
A soft thud stopped Bronwyn in mid step. He looked towards the grated entrance but saw nothing in the pitch black. Had a guard on the wall spotted him as he entered the castle? Or did another intruder use the secret entrance this evening? He crept forward, searching for a place to hide and discovered another tunnel and stepped inside.
Bronwyn clutched a dagger, ready to strike if necessary. If a guard discovered him, he needed to act swiftly. A scream, a shout or the slightest sound of a struggle could alert others. He held his breath and listened for the soft footsteps on the stone floor. He couldn’t guess the distance. The stealth prowler moved silently.
The intruder paused near the second tunnel entrance, and Bronwyn spied on the silhouette from the shadows. It was a male dwarf, not a guard. He recognised the pattern on the scabbard illuminated by a shaft of light but couldn’t place it. The intruder peered into the passageway. Bronwyn felt he stared directly at him but knew better—he crouched in complete darkness.
Bronwyn had a better look at the face and couldn’t believe his eyes. Impossible! What was he doing here? Could he be trusted? Bronwyn wondered what to do next. After an evaluation of what could happen with two break-ins occurring at the same time, he made a decision.
“Tam,” whispered Bronwyn. The swift movements of the dwarf with his weapon urged him to speak louder. “It’s Bronwyn. I mean no harm.”
Tam Mulryan gripped his dagger. “Bronwyn Darrow?”
Bronwyn stepped into the glimmer of light. “I can’t believe my eyes. We thought you were dead.”
“It’s what many believe.” Tam sheathed his dagger.
“Why are you here?” He watched him struggle to impart the information. They couldn’t be here for the same reason: to rescue Isla. Although Tam had participated in the kidnapping of Bronwyn’s daughter, he wouldn’t have spent five years searching for her. To him, she was only a twelve-year-old girl tangled in a shady deal by her blood sire.
“My sister.”
Bronwyn heard pain in Tam’s voice. So the guess he made many years beforehand proved correct. Tam must have agreed to steal Isla in order to free his sister. Now, five years later, he still fought to gain her freedom. “Was she transferred with the prisoners today?”
Tam nodded. “And you? What brings the honourable Sergeant Darrow to Tigh Na Mare?”
Bronwyn swallowed hard. Since losing Isla, he hadn’t felt so honourable. He had done things over the years he wanted to forget. Trail life was different from life at Maskil. Incidents he had no control over drove him to choose between being honourable and living. “Isla. She’s amongst the prisoners.”
“Isla?” Tam appeared confused. “You failed to rescue her that day in the mountains?”
Bronwyn nodded.
Tam gazed into the darkness of the passageway. “I didn’t know. I had slept a long time in the trunk of that tree. After I broke free, I drifted. I thought for sure she was safe.”
“She’s here.” Bronwyn pointed towards the dungeon. “If I’m right, I’m within a hundred feet of rescuing her tonight. And your sister. We’ll get them both.” Bronwyn stuck out his hand. “Together?”
Tam eyed him. Bronwyn thought he might walk away and continue to look out for himself, as life on The Trail had taught him.
“We’ll get them both.” Tam grabbed the hand and shook it. “But we follow the rule—if one of us falls, the other takes the women and doesn’t look back. Their freedom is what we seek.”
“Agreed.”
An explosion shook the walls. Bronwyn and Tam dropped to the floor. Pieces of loose rock and dust fell from the ceiling and clouded the dim light. When the rumbling stopped, the sound of earnest voices echoed throughout the castle and seeped in from the grated entrance. Bronwyn motioned Tam towards the dungeon. Regardless of the turmoil erupting in the castle, he wasn’t leaving without Isla.