Saturday's Chapter featuring Lines of Fire by Janet Lane Walters #fantasy #romance

The Guild House Series


Defenders Hall

Lines of Fire

Prologue



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.



* * *



On the day of testing, Alric waited with the other youths on the village commons. He had his father’s knife, sword and bonding bracelet. As he stared down the road, he recited the names of the four Guilds and their colors.

“Healers, blue. Justicars, black. Artisans, motley in red, purple and yellow. Defenders green.”

Around him whispers rose until they became a steady buzz like swarming bees. “Here they come.”

He studied the riders and their mounts. Four men and four women approached the village. The twin horns of the steeds had been polished until they gleamed. The coats of the bihorns varied in color from cream to sable.

By the end of the day, Alric bristled with pride. He had fulfilled one of the promises made to his father. He was the only one of the boys chosen to train as a Defender. Two girls had been tapped to become Defenders. He wondered why they had been chosen. Neither had any weapon skills.

Before leaving the village with the youths selected for the four guilds, he slipped away from the celebration to visit his father’s grave. Silent tears fell. He dashed them away. “In five years I’ll wear Defender’s green. I will keep the promises I made.”

Friday - Release coming - Janet Lane Walters - Lines of Fire #fantasy #romance

Since the person who should have done the How She Does It feature never sent her material, I'm taking over at least today with news about my uncoming release that will arrive sometime in January.

Lines of Fire is a fantasy romance that was fun to do and is an imaginative adventure that is a bit different, at least I hope so. Fearful of being forced by the sorcerers, the four Guilds of Investia have crossed the mists to a new world. They have erected a large structure known as the Guild House. The Guilds are Healers, Defenders, Artisans and Justicars. Not all of their people have the talents in the four areas and live in villages and farms.

Lines of Fire is the first of a trilogy about the Defenders Guild. Alric, the hero has promised his father a banished Defender to return the Defenders Guild to the ways of old and to find his missing siblings. Alric is chosen to train as a Defender and the story opens when after a duel with a Desert Rider, he learns his second bondmate will not make the bond permanent. According to rules established by the family who has ruled the Defenders for generations, a third failed bond will banish him. The current Swordmaster wants this to happen even though Alric is the best dueler among the group. Alric also sees the lines of fire that flow over people's skin and uses them when he duels.

Kalia, the Swordmaster's older daughter has no wish to bond or to be a Defender.  She also sees the lines of fire but wishes to use them to heal. She has halted the flow of blood following injuries many times. Once, she managed to dissolve a blood clot that threatened someone's life. The Swordmaster has decided she will marry his favored Defender and Kalia would rather flee than bond to Petan.

Petan and the Swordmaster's lines of fire are dark and turgid rather than the vivid red of the others. Petan wants Kalia for taking from her lines will allow him to continue to function.

The hero and heroine must learn how to clear the lines and to defeat those who wish them harm as well as learn that love is the answer to many problems.