Kar’s mustache and beard twitched as he smiled warily. “Let us hope, for all our sakes, that you’re right. Until that day, I will stand vigilant. There is research to be done and questions to be answered. Alto, Namitus—a fine job was done by both of you. Karthor, you made me proud. Your mother would be, too, even if her ghost’s worried you’ll be found kneeling on the wrong side of an altar one day.”
Karthor shook his head and smiled. Kar grinned again and waved before heading out of the Foaming Mug. The priest laughed and rubbed at his eye. “He means well enough,” Karthor said.
Alto nodded. “What of you?”
“Me?” Karthor asked.
“How has all of this treated you? We’ve not had much time to talk but I’ve heard enough about you and from you that it seems things are going well with the church.”
Karthor shrugged. “Well enough. Not the church itself, but with my patron. Ironic how it took a shaman of Jarook to teach me more about my own beliefs.”
“Have you gained more of Leander’s favor?”
“Some,” Karthor admitted.
“Enough to share with an injured farmer?”
Karthor laughed and reached across the table to clap Alto on the forearm. “Let’s find out!”
“Leaving me again?” Aleena pushed herself up against Alto and bent over the table to pass out the latest round of beverages. “But you just got back! I was hoping you’d tell me about your adventure.”
Alto stared at the pretty barmaid as she turned and ran her fingers down his arm. Somewhere, a mile or two away perhaps, he heard Kar laughing at him. The laughter only made his face warmer but he couldn’t stop grinning.
“Come.” Namitus rose up and pulled the surprised girl away from him. He blew a short tune on his pipes and spun her around. “Dance for a bit while Alto tries to remember how to speak!” Namitus put his pipes back to his lips and began to blow a lively tune through them.
Aleena stood there, stunned by the change of events and looking demurely at her feet. Karthor rose up and went to her, and then took her hand and pulled her with him in tune with the music. Her wide eyes went to Alto and she gasped before she slipped into the dance with the priest.
Alto watched them for a moment. “Join them,” Tristam said. “Enjoy being young and in love!”
“Love?” Alto stammered. He turned to look at the seasoned warrior. “I’m not in love.”
Tristam shrugged. “Why not? Love her for the night, at least. Tomorrow’s a new day.”
Alto shook his head. “What about us? What will we do now that we’ve lost William, too?”
“Before you came along there was only six of us. Now there’s five. We’ll find someone else if we need to,” Tristam said with a shrug.
Alto’s eyes went back to Aleena. “I’ve an idea,” he said.
“Her? She’s a pretty girl. Young for the tricks she’s playing with you. Have fun with her but don’t get serious. If you want to make a life of this, you don’t want to be tied down with a wife and children this young.” Tristam paused to belch. “And I’ll not be taking a lass such as that into harm’s way.”
Alto shook his head through Tristam’s speech. When he could finally interrupt, he said, “No, not her. Someone else.”
Tristam’s eyes narrowed. He stared at Aleena and then chuckled. “The Kelgryn lass! Ambition, boy, you’ve got loads of it. Might be one day I end up riding on your coattails.”
Alto grinned through his latest blush. Patrina had said she wished she could come with them. Perhaps some encouragement was all she needed. He was certain her fear of her fate being tied to the Kelgryn should be over now that Barador was gone.
“That day’s far off though,” Tristam continued. “Go on, dance with the girl! Or if Karthor’s already wooed her, find another one.”
Alto stood up and stumbled forward. He glanced at the ale and chuckled. He’d regret it tomorrow but for tonight he felt good. He stopped when he realized Aleena was laughing as Karthor twirled her about. Alto looked around, feeling foolish, and then saw Namitus and let out a laugh. He grabbed the surprised musician’s arm in his own and began to spin him around. Namitus lost his tune on his pipes for a moment but the laughter of the people in the tavern and the regular cadence of their clapping to the music kept them going.
Alto grinned like a fool. Tomorrow morning was truly going to be a terrible thing to wake up to!
* * * *
“I heard some of what happened,” Halgin said three days later. Alto, Karthor, and Namitus had ridden to his father’s farm. Halgin moved with a limp and had trouble with the strength in his arm, but he seemed to be in good spirits. “Got something here for you, too,” he added.
Alto and the others tied their horses to a fence and followed Halgin to the barn. Caitlin and Kressa burst out of the house behind them, screaming for Alto. He stopped and waited while they rushed him, grinning ear to ear at the reception he was receiving. His mother, Lana, and his two remaining younger sisters rushed out a moment later.
After Alto recovered from the mob of affection, he straightened and looked over at Karthor and Namitus. He shrugged a little at the barrage of childish questions and made his friends laugh.
“Enough!” Halgin laughed. “Your brother will have time for you all later. Let him breathe!”
Alto turned to his father but stopped when he saw his brothers Darren and Edwin coming out of the barn doors. Darren walked Sebas and another horse out while Edwin held the reins of several more.
“Sebas showed up one day a few weeks back,” Halgin said. “He brought a few other horses with him, complete with saddles and tack.”
Alto went to his horse and rubbed him. Sebas stomped his foot, happy to see him again. “Pity you can’t talk,” Alto said. “I’d pay dearly to know what it was that sent you running.”
“I thought it was—”
Alto turned and silenced Karthor with his gaze. “We’d know for sure then.”
Karthor glanced at Alto’s family and smiled. “True enough.”
Halgin chuckled. “Sounds like there’s a story to be told after all.”
Alto smiled again. “If you’ll let us stay the night, I expect there are a great many tales that could be told.”
“You’re always welcome here!” Lana said. “And your friends as well. We owe your priest friend a debt greater than we can ever repay.”
“About that,” Karthor said. “I’d like to try again, if you don’t mind.”
“We can’t afford to pay,” Lana objected.
“I’m getting along fine,” Halgin stiffened and said at the same time.
“I’m not here for your gold. I’m here to try to help,” Karthor reassured them. “I planned on trying this myself but your son wouldn’t let me suggest it before he was badgering me about it.”
“Alto!” Lana hissed.
Alto gaped at the accusation. Namitus and Karthor burst out laughing, proving they were having fun at his expense.
“Later on, after we’ve supped and had a chance to hear Alto’s side of things,” Halgin agreed. “Thus far, all I’ve heard is rumors of what’s been done in the mountains. Dangerous place, those mountains.”
Alto nodded and stared at his father. “I seem to remember you spending some time in them a while back.”
Halgin smiled and glanced away to the north.
“Come, out of the sun and inside. Supper’s nearly ready and I don’t think the children will be spending any more time on their chores or lessons today!” Lana said.
Alto’s siblings cheered at the news and started chanting his name. He laughed and let them lead him into the house he’d grown up in. He felt comfortable and at home, but he couldn’t help but notice how much smaller the house seemed.
* * * *
“Great Sarya, I bring news,” Fizzulthorp said from where he knelt on the ground.
“I know of your news, worm!” the deep voice of the dragon washed over him and made him shrink closer to the ground. �
�Your leader has failed me. You have failed me.”
“No!” the wizard cried out. “I haven’t! I and a few of the others escaped. I met them, the people who killed Barador. One of them died in the fight at Barador’s hands, but Barador was killed by a boy!”
“A boy?” The dragon snarled the words and Fizzulthorp felt a wave of heat pass over him.
“He possessed a magical broadsword. I saw it with my own eyes. It had a black pearl in its hilt and pommel. That’s how he killed Barador. They say the sword was glowing red when they fought.”
“I know this blade,” Sarya said. “It has been lost for many years but I have heard of it. The boy, is he one of the coastal humans?”
Fizzulthorp shook his head. “No, he’s a young warrior from the Kingdom.”
Sarya snorted again and flames lit up the sky and cast shadows around the cowering wizard. “You are wise to return to me, wizard. I would have hunted you down and destroyed you had you fled.”
“I know.” He nodded his head so violently, he bumped his forehead against the rocky ground he knelt against. “I believe in your plans and I want to be a part of them still.”
“You will be my new general,” Sarya proclaimed. “Using the goblins was a foolish mistake. They are weak and pathetic. Barador should have known better. You will do better. Tell me of your plans, wizard. How will you assemble an army to secure the mountains and the northern realms?”
“The trolls and the ogres can be made to help us still,” Fizzulthorp said. “They’ll work for a pittance so long as they have the chance to wreak havoc on the Kingdom. We need the giants as well; with their strength, we can lay siege to the Kingdom’s forces. There are more creatures from the mountains we can lure to our side as well—the wolves and other beasts. My magic can subvert them to our cause.”
“The humans are many,” Sarya reminded him.
“They are,” Fizzulthorp said. “But there’s more to them than you think. We can raise an army of mercenaries; they’ll fight if we pay them. You don’t seek the destruction of humans, just domination of them.”
“For now,” Sarya said. The dragon paused a long moment and then blew another blast of air so hot it stole the breath from the wizard. “Rally your forces, Fizzulthorp. I give you a year to assemble them and prepare them. Rally them and prepare them to go to war to reclaim the northern realms from the humans that thought to tame it!”
“Yes! In the meantime, I’ll see to it that the boy and his friends can never interfere with us again,” Fizzulthorp promised.
Sarya’s resulting chuckle lit up the mountain sky with sinister flames.
###
Afterward by the Author
Child of Fate is the first book in a new fantasy series that has been many years in the making. I've dreamed of these characters and experimented with them for over two decades. Now it's time at last to let them out and to bring others the excitement they've brought me.
Let me encourage you to share your thoughts publicly or privately about the book with me. Visit my blog (http://booksbyjason.wordpress.com), my website (http://www.booksbyjason.com), my twitter account (http://www.twitter.com/booksbyjason or @booksbyjason), or look me up on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Voidhawk). If that's too much, just send me an email at [email protected]. I'm always happy to encourage reviews at the point of purchase, those really help writers such as myself make a living.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read Child of Fate. Keep an eye out for the next book I put out, whether it's in this series or another one, I promise to do my best to keep you entertained.
Other books by Jason Halstead
Child of Fate
Victim of Fate
Voidhawk (Voidhawk, book 1)
Voidhawk – The Elder Race (Voidhawk, book 2)
Voidhawk – Redemption (Voidhawk, book 3)
Voidhawk – The White Lady (Voidhawk, book 4)
Voidhawk – Lost Soul (Voidhawk, book 5)
Wanted (Wanted, book 1)
Ice Princess (Wanted, book 2)
Bounty (Wanted, book 3)
Dark Earth (Dark Earth, book 1)
Devil’s Icebox (Dark Earth, book 2)
The Lost Girls (The Lost Girls, book 1, a Dark Earth novel)
Traitor (The Lost Girls, book 2, a Dark Earth novel)
Wolfgirl (The Lost Girls, book 3, a Dark Earth novel)
Black Widow (The Lost Girls, book 4, a Dark Earth novel)
Voices (a Dark Earth Book)
Bound (a Dark Earth Book)
Vitalis (Vitalis, parts 1 – 7)
New Beginnings (Vitalis, part 1)
Vitalis: Resurrection (Vitalis, book 2)
Human Nature
Sex Sells
Child of Fate Page 23
