Garath glanced toward the far longhouse. "That man wasn't..."
"An illusion." Tyressa's eyes tightened. "Perhaps like the promise you made to return me."
Garath looked at her, then down. "All that kept me alive these last years was my desire to fulfill that promise. I was captured and tortured, Tyressa. You can't imagine...I'd personally angered one of the powerful demons, and he found it entertaining to invent new punishments for me, always healing me just enough to keep me from crossing death's door. Eventually, I managed to escape, along with a few other prisoners. We came south. We were bound for Ustalav, then heard you were here."
"You should have come here immediately. You said you'd come back."
"I wanted to but...."
"What?"
His hands curled into fists. "I truly am one of the Broken Men, Tyressa. My mind is not always my own. Seldom, in fact. I may not be as bad as the worst of my brothers, but there are times a wolf would be better company. I didn't want to be a burden. The men with me, the nightmares, the memories. I'm not fit to be a husband or parent."
"Yet you had the presence of mind to send Kiiryth to watch over Jerrad."
"That was vanity." He wiped his nose on the back of his glove. "In that prison-hole, Tyressa... I let myself imagine a perfect life. To be so close, and yet unworthy... I still had to know. Serra, our Serra, I could at least guess at. But our son. I had to know."
"You could have come here and known."
"Could I?"
The pain in his voice clawed her heart. That she might have rejected him was pain she could understand. No so rejection by his children. Their memories had been reshaped or replaced by stories. The man before me is not the Garath Sharpax of legend. But then, who could ever be?
Tyressa made herself smile as tears came. "You are not absolved of your promise to me. You have fulfilled it. You have returned—wait, let me finish. You seem to think you've done something wrong. You think you need to apologize for being the man you've become. But you did nothing wrong. And were I to treat you as if you did, I would not be worthy of your return."
She pointed toward where men were dragging away pieces of the ogre he'd slain. "I don't know if you consider yourself to be Garath Sharpax anymore, but I do know this: Garath Sharpax would be proud to know the man who acted as you did."
Tyressa extended a hand toward him. "And I will be happy to welcome that man home as my husband."
∗ ∗ ∗
Jerrad grabbed the goblin by the wrists and Nelsa got it by the only ankle it still had. They swung it twice, then released it. It landed on the pile, then slid halfway back down until an arm got trapped between a pair of legs.
Others dragged more bodies from the sledge, so the two of them backed off to the piles of firewood people had gathered and began shoving sticks in wherever they would go. Some of the lumbermen brought over long poles, which they leaned on the pyre and used to prop some of the bodies in place.
Nelsa pointed back toward Silverlake. "Looks like the wee ones are back." With Oreena leading them, Silverlake's children marched in an orderly file around toward the gate. "Not sure if I'd have been more scared on the boats or in the fight."
Jerrad shrugged, then rubbed at his sore shoulder. "The good thing is that the fear will fade."
She frowned. "I ain't sure there's going to be a lot of forgetting going on."
"No, you're right. Just folks won't remember as strongly." He nodded toward the kids. "They'll be looking at the result of the storm, which is better than having been in the thick of it."
"I reckon that winning makes for better remembering anyway." She snapped a stick in half, then twisted both halves deep into the pyre. "How scared were you?"
"Plenty, I guess. When Serra fell, and when my mother was down. Those scared the life out of me."
"But never for yourself."
"I must have been. I guess I was just too busy to notice." Jerrad smiled. "How about you?"
Nelsa straightened up proudly. "Weren't a lick of fear in me."
"No? Really?"
"Really."
"Why not?"
"No need wasting fear on an outcome what was decided in our favor. Them ogres was damned fools attacking the home of Jerrad Wisewing Ogrebane."
"Ogrebane is my mother's name."
"And you laid claim on it coming out of Mosswater. You killed how many?"
"I don't think luring them to a magic death counts."
"I don't reckon any ogre looking for a vendetta would be that particular." She started ticking things off on her fingers. "You got two to start, and at least one more when you were escaping."
"Fleeing. For my life."
"You say fleeing. Sprites say you rescued a sprite maiden from a city full of ogres. Then there's the goblins you've killed, and..."
Jerrad raised both hands. "Hold up. You're making it sound like I'm a hero."
"You are. That's why I wasn't afraid. I was fighting side by side with a hero."
"No, no, I'm not a hero..." He shook his head adamantly. "I'm not a hero. I'm not..."
"...Not your pa?" She reached out a hand and caressed his cheek. "Your pa may have been the bravest hero in the whole world. Could be that had his shadow just touched any of them ogres, their hearts woulda seized on up and they'd have died stone dead. But just because that's what he would have done don't mean what you did wasn't heroic."
"But I didn't do anything more than anyone else."
Nelsa arched an eyebrow. "Everyone fought, that's true, but didn't nobody go running at an ogre armed with nothing more than a magic costume. You up and made yourself a target. That saved your ma. And as I understand it, heroing ain't about doing the most killing, it's about seeing that folks don't get theirselves killed. Now if you care to explain how you ain't a hero, I'll just listen, then tell you how wrong you are."
Jerrad glanced down, watching field grasses slowly rise after having been stepped on. "For as long as I can remember, I've been invisible. I wanted to be. That was safe. Invisible meant no one would see me try the things my father would do. No one would see me fail. No one would have proof I wasn't a hero."
"Jerrad, it's not that you're not a hero. It just that you ain't your pa." She took his head in both hands and kissed him softly on the lips. "Give yourself some time to think on it, and you'll see how right I am."
"Thank you." He pulled her into an embrace. He hung on tight despite the soreness and pain from his injuries. Holding her just felt better than his wounds felt bad.
One of the lumbermen pointed back toward Silverlake. "Ain't that Lady Ogrebane waving your way?"
Jerrad glanced over. "Appears to be."
Nelsa slipped her hand into his. "Looks like she wants us back there."
Hand in hand, they ran back toward the settlement, the dawning sun rendering Silverlake as a silhouette. That hid its imperfections, and gave it sense of peace.
Jerrad waved back at his mother. "We're coming!"
"Hurry, Jerrad." His mother urged him on. "There's someone here you need to meet."
About the Author
Michael A. Stackpole is an award-winning game designer, computer game designer, graphic novelist, screenwriter, podcaster, editor, and novelist. He got his start writing solitaire adventures for Tunnels & Trolls, so it was a distinct pleasure to return to a world of pure fantasy for this book. Mike lives in Arizona, teaches writing classes through the Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University, and swing dances in his spare time.
Glossary
All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of several key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see The Inner Sea World Guide, or dive into the game and begin playing your own adventures with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, all available on paizo.com. Tho
se readers particularly interested in the region explored in this book should check out the setting book Pathfinder Online: Thornkeep or explore, fight monsters, and build their own settlements in the Pathfinder Online massively multiplayer online roleplaying game.
Ardis: Former capital of Ustalav.
Azlant: The first human empire, which sank beneath the waves long ago.
Azlanti: Of or pertaining to Azlant; someone from Azlant.
Broken Men: Derogatory River Kingdoms term for deserters and former crusaders heading south from the Worldwound.
Caliphas: Current capital of Ustalav.
Carrion Hill: City in Ustalav.
Crusader Road: Local term for the branch of the Sellen River flowing south from near the Worldwound to the Inner Sea, and used for travel by crusaders headed north. Also called the River Road.
Crusades: An ongoing military campaign against the demons of the Worldwound.
Demons: Evil denizens of the plane of the afterlife called the Abyss, who seek only to maim, ruin, and feed on mortal souls.
Demonic: Of or related to demons.
Dismal Caverns: Notorious subterranean goblin den south of Silvershade Lake.
Druid: Someone who reveres nature and draws magical power from the boundless energy of the natural world (sometimes called the Green Faith, or the Green).
Echo Wood: Large forest in the eastern River Kingdoms, along the border with Ustalav.
Elves: Long-lived, beautiful humanoids identifiable by their pointed ears, lithe bodies, and pupils so large their eyes appear to be one color.
Fauns: Fey creatures with the upper half of humanoids and lower half of goats.
Fey: Creatures deeply tied to the natural world, such as dryads or sprites.
Furrows: Region of Ustalav heavily scarred by a past civil war and haunted by the ghosts of the dead.
Glow Water Lake: Lake near the former town of Mosswater.
Goblin Dogs: Grotesque creature combining the features of dogs and canines, often used by goblins as mounts and companions.
Goblins: Race of small and maniacal humanoids who live to burn, pillage, and sift through the refuse of more civilized races.
Half-Elves: The children of unions between elves and humans. Taller, longer-lived, and generally more graceful and attractive than the average human, yet not nearly so much so as their full elven kin. Often regarded as having the best qualities of both races, yet still see a certain amount of prejudice, particularly from their pure elven relations.
Inner Sea: The vast inland sea whose northern continent, Avistan, and southern continent, Garund, are the primary focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting.
Katapesh: Mighty trade nation south of the Inner Sea. Also the name of its capital city.
Kellids: Human ethnicity from the northern reaches of the Inner Sea region, typically viewed as uncivilized, superstitious, and violent by other cultures.
Lamashtu: The Mother of Monsters, goddess of madness, monsters, and nightmares.
Mendev: Military nation on the eastern border of the Worldwound, devoted to keeping the demons from spreading out across the world.
Mosswater: River Kingdoms city on the shores of Glow Water Lake, destroyed by a savage ogre attack fifty years ago.
Necromancy: School of magic devoted to manipulating the power of death, unlife, and the life force, particularly undead creatures.
Nirmathas: Fledgling forest nation constantly at war with its former rulers.
Nirmathi: Of or pertaining to Nirmathas.
Nixies: Humanoid water fey.
Ogres: Hulking, brutal, and half-witted humanoid monsters with violent tendencies, repulsive lusts, and an enormous capacity for cruelty.
Ogrekin: The offspring of ogre and human relations. Somewhat smaller than true ogres, but still larger than humans, and often just as unpleasant as their monstrous parents.
Osiriani: The native language of Osirion.
Osirion: Ancient nation south of the Inner Sea renowned for its deserts, pharaohs, and pyramids.
Redcap: Fey creatures that look like tiny, angry old men with bloodstained, pointed caps and metal boots.
River Kingdoms: A region of small, feuding fiefdoms and bandit strongholds, where borders change frequently.
Satyrs: Male fey with horns, the legs of goats, and a reputation for seduction. Related to fauns, but a distinct breed of their own.
Sellen River: Mighty river that spans the continent of Avistan from north to south, making it useful for travel and trade.
Silverlake: New River Kingdoms settlement founded on the shores of Silvershade Lake.
Silvershade Lake: A lake near the edge of Echo Wood in the River Kingdoms.
Sorcerer: Someone who casts spells through natural ability rather than faith or study.
Sprites: Small, winged fey known for the magical lights and capricious pranks.
Taldane: The common trade language of the Inner Sea region.
Thornkeep: Town on the western edge of the River Kingdoms, surrounding a fortress of the same name and ruled by the bandit lord Baron Tervin Blackshield.
Ustalav: Fog-shrouded gothic nation with a reputation for strange bests, ancient secrets, and moral decay. Rife with superstition and often said to be haunted. Also the term for an Ustalavic national.
Ustalavic: Of or related to the nation of Ustalav.
Wizard: Someone who casts spells through careful study and rigorous scientific methods rather than faith or innate talent, recording the necessary incantations in a spellbook.
Worldwound: Constantly expanding region overrun by demons a century ago. Held at bay by the efforts of the Mendevian crusaders.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Pierce Watters, James Sutter, and his agent, Howard Morhaim, for making this deal possible. In between drafts of this novel, the author traveled to Austin, Texas and taught two days' worth of writing classes with his friend, Aaron Allston. During that trip he was able to figure a number of things out about the story, thanks to many insights Aaron offered in his classes. He'd also like to thank Kat Klaybourne, Chantelle Osman, Jami Kupperman, and Paul Garabedian for keeping him sane while he wrote the book. (Tough job, which is why it required four people.)
Table of Contents
Teaser
Dedication
Map
Chapter One: In The Court of Baron Blackshield
Chapter Two: Unexpected Danger
Chapter Three: New Friends
Chapter Four: No Place Like Home
Chapter Five: Not As Simple As It Seems
Chapter Six: Dance And Diplomacy
Chapter Seven: Familiar Territory
Chapter Eight: Forging Alliances
Chapter Nine: Bargains Good and Bad
Chapter Ten: New Secrets
Chapter Eleven: Suspicion and Honor
Chapter Twelve: A Dream Rooted
Chapter Thirteen: A Dream Uprooted
Chapter Fourteen: To Begin Again
Chapter Fifteen: A Visitor From Home
Chapter Sixteen: The Measure of a Hero
Chapter Seventeen: Things Arcane and Odd
Chapter Eighteen: Forging Alliances
Chapter Nineteen: The Asp
Chapter Twenty: The Perils of Curiosity
Chapter Twenty-One: A Lovely Place to Visit
Chapter Twenty-Two: A Lovelier Place to Escape
Chapter Twenty-Three: The Scourge of Silverlake
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Messenger
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Ritual
Chapter Twenty-Six: At the Murdoons
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Broken Men
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Visions of the Future
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Wheels Turn
Chapter Thirty: The Interloper
Chapter Thirty-One: Cruel Steel
Chapter Thirty-Two: Cold Manners
Chapter Thirty-Three: Quenched in Blood
Chapter Thirty-Four: Etched in Pain
/>
Chapter Thirty-Five: Homecoming
About the Author
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Pathfinder Tales: The Crusader Road Page 29
