Bethan adjusted the mandolin’s pegs ever so slightly. At this point, she could tell just by the feel of the instrument whether something was off with it. Satisfied, she gave a slow dragging rake over the strings, and a lilting chord drifted out over the square. One side of her mouth lifted into a slight […]
The great gate jerked slowly upwards, step by step. The sound of slow, clunking gears echoed out towards the Stormguard gates. The aurc stood, clad in sleeveless furs , a rucksack upon his back, and an axe in one hand, an envelope in the other. He took a deep breath, and watched as the slow
A ray of warm light filtered into the dark room as the door creaked open, and the figure on the table thrashed. A man walked in, shutting the door gently behind him, clad in the elegant clothes of the aristocracy, sandy blonde hair combed into a neat parting. There was blood on the floor. “How
A gang of waiters emerged from the kitchen, weighed down with masses of silver platters. Heads turned as they walked swiftly to the far table, scurrying around it as they deposited dish after dish until the white cloth over the vast table was no longer visible. Other patrons of the restaurant craned their necks, trying
The halfling tossed open the fur flap of the tent, ducking under and entering the dimly lit canopy. At the far end, a man stood behind a heavy table, laid with maps and pieces. He did not look up as she entered. “I recovered it.” The man’s gaze lifted to regard Lidda, but he did
The blade stood, sunk into the palatial floor, casting a shimmering rainbow as the morning sun bled through the tall windows, warping and reflecting through its glass facets. It would remain here today, and tomorrow, perhaps forever, as it had for four hundred years — a lasting reminder of the evil men can do, and
“Terror in Redcrest! Hear all about it!” Some of the Shard’s inhabitants continued on their way, but the crier’s small crowd grew slowly as he regaled the neighbourhood’s citizens of the goings on without. “Court Wizard Yvena has been outed as a traitor by Rell’s Heroes!” At the mention of the name, a gaggle of
“Excuse me?” Virtue turned, casting an eye behind him to determine the question’s source, before lowering his eyeline to regard the young boy tapping on his armour. The knight smiled, showing pointed teeth, a helmet tucked under one arm and the other hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “Yes, my friend?” The young
Mara shook her head. “No way.” A chorus of groans and jeers erupted out of the other children. “Go on!” “Chicken!” “Mara’s too scared!” She furrowed her brow and crossed her arms. “I’m not going down there,” she said, “people don’t come back from the Warrens.” “My cousin says he has a friend that went
“What?!” Helga couldn’t make out anything over the winds whipping around her and the din of driving rain. “I said pull her down!” yelled the captain, “We can’t make it through this!” “Down’d be the heart of the storm, cap’n!” the dwarf cried. “Do it!” There was a crack of lightning to starboard, and the
