Serenity Valley
Page 32
Demon and Mildred were straining against the turnout fence. Gamel said, “Maybe Samuel would like to meet the other beasties.” Gamel carried Basilea over to Demon and Mildred.
Giselia said, “Samuel, go meet Demon, Mildred; you live them here now.” Samuel slowly walked over to the fence and greeted the two horses. They pressed their nostrils close and took scent from each other.
Gamel said, “Samuel, this is Demon. The pretty mare is Mildred.”
“Samuel, do you like Demon, Mildred?” Samuel slowly moved his head up and down. Giselia said, “Samuel, he like horses.”
Fulk went to the gate and dropped the rails, saying, “Samuel, you can go in if you like.” Samuel backed up, then slowly walked to the gate and into the turnout. Fulk replaced the rails and watched to see what would happen. Samuel first went to Demon and started grooming his mane. Demon returned the kindness, the sign of true friendship for horses. Mildred came over and broke up the party. She whinnied and started grooming Samuel’s mane, and in return, he groomed hers with his lips. Everyone was smiling as the horses trotted off together so Mildred and Demon could show Samuel his new home. Then, they all went in the house and resumed their places at the table. Before long, three horses were at the rear window over the kitchen worktable.
Nesta said, “I have just the thing for them.” She went to the kitchen and handed each horse a loaf of black bread. All three horses concentrated on getting the entire tasty treat into their stomachs as fast as possible.
Everything is as it should be at Sirates House this day.
From a cursory look at the old, abandoned warehouse, no one would notice that the interior space was much smaller than the structure’s exterior warranted. Nearly one fourth of the interior space had been cleverly concealed by a false wall at the rear of the building. This partitioned section had been carefully crafted into beautiful living quarters, complete with great room, fully equipped kitchen, and bedrooms. Some ten feet from the huge hearth was a fine table and chairs large enough for twelve people to sit comfortably. At present, the table was occupied by its owner, Master Spy Strom, and a very disturbing guest. Strom was always uneasy around this man. Truth be known, he sent shivers up his spine, but his gold was good, and this new project promised to line his pockets well.
While he waited, the eerie guest stared at Strom with his lifeless eyes, partly to make Strom uneasy, but also to reflect and evaluate the man. He found Strom to be somewhat clever but none too intelligent. His resources and information were of value to him nonetheless. If he had to describe Strom with a single word, the best he could do would be to label him useful. As they continued to wait for their second guest to arrive, the man reflected on the events leading up to this meeting. The failed attempt by his men to end Lady Bella at festival festered in his memories like a wound filled with puss. In over six hundred years, the Assassin Guild had never failed to complete a contract. Worse than losing over one hundred of his best men, the battle had claimed his only son, the heir to his position as King of Assassins. The death of his son did not disturb him in the slightest, as he regarded his son’s life with no greater regard than any other living thing, which was with no regard at all. After all, his son would have ascended to his position via assassination, which was customary for the craft. What he cared about was the tradition of the guild, which would now die with him, ending the history of the legacy. For this reason, he would devote all resources and his vast wealth to extract his vengeance on the House of De Ferrier. It had taken months to gather the information necessary to enact this meeting and set his plan in motion. Two of Goodwin’s neighboring lords were candidates for the plan. One was a simpleton whose single tactic was straightforward brute force. The other was more intelligent and calculating and first choice for his plan.
When one of Strom’s men announced the arrival of their additional guest, Strom rose to his feet to greet him. The unnerving man remained seated and turned his unholy gaze to this new individual. Strom clasped forearms with this new guest. He said, “Glad you could come, Lord Hamond; there is someone here whom you should meet. May I introduce Lord Shade of the Kingdom of Ackmer.”
The Author
Rocky Bills is the author of The Rogue Gallery book series. The youngest child in the family, he was left at home while siblings attended school three years ahead of him. His earliest childhood memories are of days spent with his constant companion, Strikey, a collie dog professed to be descendant of one of the lassie lines. The bond was extremely strong between him and the family dog, and his lifelong relationship with animals was permanently embedded into his values. This obsession with four legged critters has remained with him throughout life, except for the briefest of times there has always been a dog as a family member.
After a career in management and several small businesses, an opportunity surfaced allowing him to indulge in his ultimate obsession, horses. Already a horse owner for some time, he purchased a horse trail riding business. It’s a good thing the objective was not to make money, as it was a real money looser, but it allowed him to live his dream. Every day was spent training, riding, and caring for the horses. With an old cowboy as teacher, he learned more about horses and equine behavior than he ever expected to in his lifetime. The work was hard, the heat and humidity stifling, but it was some of the best times of his life.
After his father passed away he moved to southern California to live with his mother, so they could take care of each other. Although it was time to get out of the horse ownership business, the bonds still remain. Writing the series has kept the dream alive, and combining his interest with medieval history has been recreational if not therapeutic. The current four legged companion is Blu, a 100 pound Australian blue healer mix. With his striking blue eyes and unique personality, he is the court jester of the house.
About the Series
The Rogue Gallery book series happened pretty much by accident. Looking for a project to occupy free time, the family story teller began writing a tale to entertain the family. While creating the story, the author found it easy to lose himself in the story environment, and writing soon became recreational.
After compiling the story over a couple years, the family became avid about publishing the project so others could read it. Never having written a novel before, the author was very surprised to find enough material available for a book series.
Over a period of time the project was separated into novel sized pieces and the rewriting and editing process began. At the time of publishing book one, books two through four are in various stages of editing. The fifth book in the series has a planned completion date in spring 2015.
If you have an interest in the most current updates and information about the series, please visit The Rogue Gallery website:
http://www. theroguegallery.com
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