I thought I would post a snippet from my present novel, Dragonsong, for the reader's pleasure while I prepare Stormfyre chapter 13, which will be posted shortly. Feel free to leave me a comment and let me know how you like it! If you enjoy, and haven't read chapters One and Two they are available on this blog for free. Look them up! God bless. Dragonsong is available for purchase at Brosoft Booksellers and most anywhere books are sold online.“How close will we be to Aradis?” Marek asked.
“A few miles. But the cove is well concealed by walls of jagged stone that crop out of the sea water. A fair sized ship could lie in waiting there, anchored indefinitely, and not be seen by a patrolling galleon unless someone actually entered the cove itself, or spied the vessel from land. If that happens to be the case, then we’ll be running into unwanted company.”
“I rather doubt the Priesthood is going to waste their time combing the entire northland forests for us, no matter who is with our party,” Marek argued. “They lost us once, and they’ll bide their time until they have a better chance at catching us in their nets again. Likely, if their hunting for us there will be a party to greet us in Aradis.”
“But we aren’t going to Aradis, right?” Justias asked.
“Right. So that means there will be military ships patrolling the waters between the northern port and perhaps all the way down to the Elder’s Bay, which will make our passage south, or at least the first half of it, very interesting.”
“I don’t relish the prospect of a sea battle,” Barlow frowned. “I’m afraid I’m rather out of my element.”
“I’m not going to worry about the voyage south,” Justias informed them. “I have a feeling that Uriel will be more than ready for whatever peril finds us out there. He strikes me as the sort that’s prepared for anything. Let’s just focus on getting to the ship.”
“Well, I feel put in place,” Marek said pointedly to Barlow as he rubbed the side of his face. Then he tore his hand away and scowled when he found it covered with the coarse beginnings of a beard. Justias shook his head.
“You can have a shave when we reach the river, Marek.”
“It’s easy for you to take it lightly,” Marek shot back. “It takes you a month to grow three chin hairs.”
Just then the quiet of the forest was broken by a deep roar, marred with pain and the thundering crunch of foliage being trampled by a massive animal. Everyone snapped to attention and rose in a flash, a wave of steel appearing in every able man’s hands as they turned toward the origins of the sound. Coming over a rocky hill and through a copse of gangly trees appeared a large bear, heaving with breath, a wild look in its eyes. The animal staggered forward and let out a pitiful roar before swaying and collapsing some thirty feet before it reached anyone. Dirt and dust flew out from under its great girth. When it settled it revealed a voracious wound on its right side where claws had rent the fur and flesh so deeply that it lost most of its life’s blood as it ran from its attacker. From out of the wood line behind the bear came its killer.
The beast was immense; at least seven feet at the shoulder while it stood there regarding them with deep-set eyes. Its limbs were thick and bent, with mighty, hooked claws tipping the gigantic paws. Its muzzle was stunted and leathery, with flaring nostrils and a crown of curved, dull horns adorning its head over the pitted eyes. It’s under belly looked like a carapace, and where shaggy fur ended a smooth, leathery shell began, safeguarding its chest and stomach from below. It snorted as it watched them, and a low, baleful growl issued forth like distant thunder. Justias gaped at the monster as recognition made his pulse race.
“A Racksha,” he murmured. And the monster lumbered forward.
“A few miles. But the cove is well concealed by walls of jagged stone that crop out of the sea water. A fair sized ship could lie in waiting there, anchored indefinitely, and not be seen by a patrolling galleon unless someone actually entered the cove itself, or spied the vessel from land. If that happens to be the case, then we’ll be running into unwanted company.”
“I rather doubt the Priesthood is going to waste their time combing the entire northland forests for us, no matter who is with our party,” Marek argued. “They lost us once, and they’ll bide their time until they have a better chance at catching us in their nets again. Likely, if their hunting for us there will be a party to greet us in Aradis.”
“But we aren’t going to Aradis, right?” Justias asked.
“Right. So that means there will be military ships patrolling the waters between the northern port and perhaps all the way down to the Elder’s Bay, which will make our passage south, or at least the first half of it, very interesting.”
“I don’t relish the prospect of a sea battle,” Barlow frowned. “I’m afraid I’m rather out of my element.”
“I’m not going to worry about the voyage south,” Justias informed them. “I have a feeling that Uriel will be more than ready for whatever peril finds us out there. He strikes me as the sort that’s prepared for anything. Let’s just focus on getting to the ship.”
“Well, I feel put in place,” Marek said pointedly to Barlow as he rubbed the side of his face. Then he tore his hand away and scowled when he found it covered with the coarse beginnings of a beard. Justias shook his head.
“You can have a shave when we reach the river, Marek.”
“It’s easy for you to take it lightly,” Marek shot back. “It takes you a month to grow three chin hairs.”
Just then the quiet of the forest was broken by a deep roar, marred with pain and the thundering crunch of foliage being trampled by a massive animal. Everyone snapped to attention and rose in a flash, a wave of steel appearing in every able man’s hands as they turned toward the origins of the sound. Coming over a rocky hill and through a copse of gangly trees appeared a large bear, heaving with breath, a wild look in its eyes. The animal staggered forward and let out a pitiful roar before swaying and collapsing some thirty feet before it reached anyone. Dirt and dust flew out from under its great girth. When it settled it revealed a voracious wound on its right side where claws had rent the fur and flesh so deeply that it lost most of its life’s blood as it ran from its attacker. From out of the wood line behind the bear came its killer.
The beast was immense; at least seven feet at the shoulder while it stood there regarding them with deep-set eyes. Its limbs were thick and bent, with mighty, hooked claws tipping the gigantic paws. Its muzzle was stunted and leathery, with flaring nostrils and a crown of curved, dull horns adorning its head over the pitted eyes. It’s under belly looked like a carapace, and where shaggy fur ended a smooth, leathery shell began, safeguarding its chest and stomach from below. It snorted as it watched them, and a low, baleful growl issued forth like distant thunder. Justias gaped at the monster as recognition made his pulse race.
“A Racksha,” he murmured. And the monster lumbered forward.
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