by Ember Lane
Bethe appeared by his side. “You’re back. We have guests. There are seventy-two new inhabitants, and eighty tree elves have decided they want to train under Jin. We’re going to have to up the levels of the farms, the feasting hall, the—”
“All in good time,” Lincoln said. “All in good time.” He broke into a smile as he saw Glenwyth running across the bridge. She hesitated briefly when she saw Mezzerain but skipped forward anyway.
“They want to fight! They want to fight!” She ran up and jumped on his horse, settling behind him, her arms around his waist.
“So, how come?” but Lincoln didn’t finish. As soon as he made the bridge, his horse was mobbed with folks reaching up and thanking him. He shook their outstretched hands and looked into their pleading eyes. A safe haven, that was what they wanted, and come what may, he was going to give it to them. That was Joan’s legacy.
Then he saw Gillian, standing on the pub’s stoop. She raised a mug of ale and smiled at him with her arm around her husband, and Robert, just in front, looking up at the village’s tree. It had grown and twisted around the inn. Lincoln doubted it would be getting planted anywhere else.
The stone dwarves were first to call it a day; their wake had drowned them in ale. Then, family by family, the settlers began to wilt, now eager for beds, the exhilaration of finding safety finally waning and full bellies settling. Grimble and Ozmic had cooked pot after pot of broth for them, and Aezal and Crags had manned the tavern’s counter, keeping everyone in ale. It had been a good night, but they all now drifted into the empty cottages.
Late on, Lincoln finally got to speak to the leader of the tree elves, Ardreth. His expression was already haunted, a sign that his alignment leaned to the dark. “Your words didn’t go amiss,” Ardreth told him. “And then we sensed trouble out in the forest beyond the ridge.”
“The settlers?”
Ardreth nodded. “Slavers, and a grim bunch, no doubt pressing folks into Muscat’s swelling army. I lost some good elves. We’ll be better prepared with Jin’s help.”
Lincoln offered him little more than his thanks. The elf was already converted to his cause.
“Would you be happy to range the forest outside looking for more?”
Ardeth nodded. “With Jin’s help we will become invisible and deadly.”
“Now that’s my kind of elf,” Mezzerain grunted.
The moon was high in the sky when Lincoln finally got to sit on his stoop with Glenwyth, Elleren, and Mezzerain. Aezal had called it a day. Crags was out back brewing up some more ale. Both Ozmic and Grimble were sleeping by the fire pit, their cottage lent to some settlers.
“So it works,” Lincoln said, pointing up at the script pinned to the tavern’s wall.
“So that was what it was,” Mezzerain said. “A damn Hero Hunting script. I wondered why I couldn’t resist its pull.”
“You want the position?”
“Be nice,” Mezzerain said. “Who wouldn’t. The ale’s the best I’ve tasted. This place will be near invincible if you get it right. Cushy number.”
“So…”
“So it pains me that I must decline. Like I said, I am destined to fight alongside another.”
Lincoln shrugged. “Not the first time I’ve heard that today.” And he pulled Glenwyth close.
He got up, poured another four drinks and sat back down. “You should stay a few days. Recharge those… Have a rest.” Pulling out his pipe, he primed its pot.
“Do you think you’ll get one?” Mezzerain asked.
“One what?”
“A hero.”
Lincoln grunted.
“With my luck, two will come along.”
The end
I hope you enjoyed Lincoln’s first adventures in The Land of Barakdor. Please leave a review, it would be much appreciated. My next Barakdor book, “A Novice’s Quest” will be out within a month or so. If you’d like to know the date, why not join my mailing list? Just Barakdor related info, nothing else : Barakdor, or give a like to my Facebook page.
About the Author
Ember Lane is a pen name for British Author Ian R Thompson. Ember Lane was born and used to test the second Barakdor book, A Novice’s Quest, on Royal Road Legends, and the name just fitted, so it gets to keep living, and separates out the Barakdor books from other series.
The Land of Barakdor was conceived over ten years ago as homage to a few MMORPGs namely Evony, Lords of Ultima, Dragons of Atlantis and the like. ZyBandian played a number of NA worlds, and a few Ultima servers. Alexa Drey was known to ride the odd dragon. Barakdor is an on going series, with four books currently written and in the mill, and more to come. I hope you enjoy them, and thank you for your patience while the stories are carefully woven together.
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