Wyntier's Rise (Creatures of the Lands Book 3)
Page 30
From the shadows, four other deer emerged in her path, two does and two stags. They appeared to be around her age. All five deer stood still when they saw each other, heads, ears and tails up.
A small doe was the first to walk forward. She stuck her nose out and followed the scent of the strange doe. One of the males traveling with them began to herd the last doe away, until she head-butted him and turned to watch the scene.
The small doe asked, “Where did you come from? I’ve never seen you around here before.”
The large doe blinked her brown eyes. “I…I don’t know. I’m not sure.”
“She probably got attacked by Ortusans.” One of the stags walked forward, observing the doe. “It makes sense that she wouldn’t remember anything, due to the venom. Look at her. She’s covered in blood.”
Star looked sympathetically at the strange doe. “You’re probably right, Orphiyus. Stream, Cozue, get over here. This doe needs help.”
The other stag and doe journeyed closer, coming close to the newcomer. “What happened to her chest?” the stag called Cozue asked. “It’s all mangled.”
“I told you, Ortusans probably did it. Her injuries are typical of this kind of attack,” Orphiyus said wisely.
“What’s with the necklace?” Stream asked, touching it with her nose. “Why would you need such a thing?”
“I...I don’t know.” The strange doe looked down at the talisman shining amongst her brown fur, mottled with dried blood. “I think someone I love gave it to me.”
“Hey, wait a minute…” said Stream, poking her head out cautiously. “I’ve seen you before.”
“We’ve met? I can’t remember,” the strange doe said.
“I definitely know this deer,” Stream said assuredly. “Her voice echoes just like I remember. This was the doe I was telling you about, the magic deer who set me free from the humans!”
“Are you sure?” Orphiyus asked in skeptically. “She doesn’t look like magic.”
“I believe her, Orphiyus. It could be true.” Cozue came forward and looked her over. “You’re hurt, but you’ve obviously survived, so you’ll be fine. Lean against me. You’re shivering.”
“Thank you,” the doe said, pressing herself against Cozue.
“Now we just have to figure out where you come from,” Star said.
“We can do that in the morning.” Cozue led the strange doe up the hill. “Right now, she needs some rest.”
“I just woke up,” the doe protested.
“Yeah, but from what?” Cozue asked. “Obviously, those Ortusans barely left you alive.”
“I’m a little dizzy,” she said, weaving on the spot.
“You’re just overtired. Come on, let’s hurry. It’s a long walk back to the herd.”
When they had finally reached the large clearing where the herd was gathered, the strange doe saw hundreds of deer sleeping, grazing and on watch. “Why are there so many deer?” she asked.
“A new wolf pack just moved in,” Stream explained. “We’re not taking chances, so we’ve banded together. The herd has exploded since the human deer joined us.”
“Human deer?”
“We call them that because they were brought here recently by the humans, and are even stupider than they are. They can’t even talk. Watch.” Star belted out a challenge to another doe, but she shied away without a comment.
“See? Stupid.” Star flicked her tail and laid down in the grass. Stream followed suit and the strange doe dropped to the ground, the dizziness still whirling in her head. The stags went to the edge of the trees, to protect the females.
“I never asked what your name was,” Star said, letting out a large yawn as she laid her head upon the ground. “Do you remember it?”
The strange doe blinked twice. As it was, her name was the only thing she could recall.
“Allie,” she said. “My...my name is Allie.”
Will Allie and Kennu ever be reunited? Or will death claim the young prince before Allie’s memory returns? Find out in Vixen’s Fate, #4 of the Creatures of the Lands Series.
Like magic and dragon shifters? Receive a FREE copy of THE WITCH’S CURSE by signing up for Gryfyn Publishing’s VIP list here!
Natalie Erin can be found on her Facebook page, or at www.gryfynpublishing.com.
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Thanks for reading!
Acknowledgments
Ha! I got you there for a second, didn’t I? Okay, so maybe I didn’t, but hopefully I did. If you think that’s the worst I can do, just wait until you read the next three books. They’re particularly cruel, in my loving, twisted sort of way.
Wyntier’s Rise is one of my favorite Creatures of the Lands books, because it’s all about being a teenager. I enjoyed hanging out with Kennu and his friends in the forest, and going to class with Soran at Dinkleberry University. It’s one of those books where you can just kick back, relax, and have fun with all the characters. There’s bad stuff going on in the world, but Kennu and Soran just keep powering through it with the help of faith, love, and the power of friendship. In the worst of times, humor and friendship can be the thing that carries you through it. I hope you enjoyed enduring the darkness with my most beloved characters.
So thank you, dear reader, for once again coming on this journey with me. The blood’s gonna spill during one of the biggest battles of the series in Vixen’s Fate, so be ready for some action!
THE WITCH’S CURSE
"The scream of a dying girl was the singular sound that changed my life, forever."
When Briar enters the Eldermere Woods alone, she never could've imagined the danger that awaited her there. As a young witch, she's sought by hunters who desire her blood, a group of radicals who wish to eliminate all magical creatures. When Briar discovers a fellow witch slaughtered in the forest, her boring afternoon is changed into a fight for her life.
With the help of her dragon shifter love, Thomas, Briar must find a way to stop the witch hunters from destroying her town of Thorny Brook. But is her magic strong enough to defeat her most dangerous enemies? Full of danger, fantasy, and fun, THE WITCH'S CURSE is another thrilling installment by bestselling author Megan Linski.
Now FREE by signing up for Gryfyn Publishing’s VIP list!
About the Author
Natalie Erin is the pen name for the writing team of Megan Linski and Krisen Lison (also known as Krystyl Lisoh). They completed the first draft of Kiatana's Journey in 2008 when they were freshmen in high school, and released the book online in their graduating year of 2011. After some revisions the girls decided that they would find representation for the novel, but this was disrupted by Miss Lison's untimely death in 2013. She was 20 years old.
One year after Lison's passing Linski created her own company, Gryfyn Publishing, and released the updated version of Kiatana's Journey as the company's breakout novel on November 1st, 2014. Miss Linski is currently working on publishing the rest of the Creatures of the Lands series in Lison's honor.
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