Blurb:
To honor a promise made to his dying father, Alric trains as a Defender. For some reason the Swordmaster wishes him gone and his first two bondings end in failure. A failed third one will see Alric banished. His meeting with the older daughter of the Swordmaster reveals a double heart bond, but she has been promised to Petan, the Swordmaster’s favorite. A duel is fought and though Alric can read Petan’s lines of fire, the other dueler cheats and nearly kills Alric. Petan is banished but he knows secret ways into Defenders Hall. Kalia, his now bondmate’s lines are tarnished. Not only do Alric and Kalia need to find Petan, they must learn how to cleanse her lines.
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Excerpt:
Whispers of the grief to come slithered through Alric’s thoughts. He
knelt beside his father’s bed and brushed the older man’s hand. The lines of
fire on his father’s skin, once bright scarlet, had faded to pale pink. Thought
the end approached, Alric wasn’t ready to see his father pass from life into
the abyss of death.
“Papa,” he whispered. "The men of the Guild Houses and their
bondmates arrive in just five days to test me for admission into the Defenders
Hall.” His words were a plea for his father to remain with him for that time.
The older man’s eyes opened. The pain Alric saw brought wetness to his
eyes. When his father died, there would be no relative to witness the
acceptance as a Defender trainee. From the moment his father had given Alric a
wooden sword and shown him the ways one could be used, he had desired to leave
the village and pursue more training.
With fierce determination, Alric sought to infuse some of his vitality
into his father. As always, the attempt failed. Why could the lines of fire be
used to halt the flow of blood and to not achieve a return to vitality? Alric
groaned. If he had been on the wood-cutting trip into the forest, he could have
helped his father and the other man. A boar had gored and broken their bodies.
The other lumberman had died. Alric’s father had lingered and suffered.
“Son.”
The harsh whisper startled Alric. His father hadn’t spoken once in the
ten days since his shattered body had been carried to the village.
“Papa.”
“Listen. Be Defender.”
“I promise.”
“Swordmaster. Enemy. Lines of fire. Not all can see,”
Alric frowned. What die his father mean? Was the Swordmaster the reason
his father’s bond had been broken and he had been banished to this distant
village? Why should the lines remain a secret? Before he had a chance to ask
his father spoke again.
“Find sibs.”
Alric’s head jerked up. “Sibs. I have none.”
“One boy. One girl. Too young to steal away. Just you.”
This new information rocked Alric’s thoughts. “I will find them.”
“Bracelet. Take. Use. True mate.”
New ideas and new demands swamped Alric. Questions rattled like nuts
falling from the trees in autumn.
“Save. Defenders. Restore old ways. Promise.”
“I will.” Alric wasn’t sure what he had promised but his father’s words
flowed through his thoughts the way the lines of fire flowed over his skin. He
pressed his forehead against his father’s hand and slammed shut the gates of
grief.
The rattled breathing slowed and began again. Each stop and start brought
a welling of tears closer to the surface. The sound stopped. Alric waited. He
raised his head. The lines of fire on his father’s skin vanished.
Gut churning sobs began and wracked Alric’s body. When the storm of tears
stopped Alric rose. With leaden steps he walked to the cabin door to summon the
village women to care for his father’s corpse.
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7 comments:
A very clear call to duty. And a sad one!
SO sad. Great job.
Totally interesting. I'm hooked.
Emotive! And so many secrets...intriging!
The excerpt is extremely well-written - full of emotion which draws the reader into the story.
Excerpt pulled me in. Now I want to see how Alric handles all the tasks given him.
Interesting snippet!
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