Child of Fate (30 page)

“Please, no more!” Alto cried out.

Tristam pushed the mug of ale in front of him
in spite of the young man’s protests. “You’ve earned this, son.
We’ve all said it a few times, so one more time won’t hurt
you.”

Alto grabbed the tankard and stared at it. It
wasn’t as strong and bitter as the Kelgryn ale but he knew he’d
still regret all the celebrating in the morning. “As long as this
is the last time,” he conceded.

“Ha! Fair enough.” Tristam turned, raised his
own mug and waited for the others to follow suit before he began.
“To the youngest, most stubborn, and foolish member of the Blades
of Leander! Your courage is matched only by your heart. We owe our
victories and perhaps our lives to you.”

With the exception of Alto, all of them, even
the surly wizard, drank. They paused when they saw Alto’s cup was
still raised in the air. “To our fallen friends,” he said in a more
somber voice.

The others repeated the praise and joined
Alto in drinking. Kar finished his cup and pushed it away, and then
reached for a goblet filled with water. He took a drink from it
before rising. “Job well done, my friends. I’ve much to do and the
longer I tarry, the less prepared I am.”

“Much to do? We’ve done it all!” Tristam
crowed. “Killed the evil general and defeated the army of monsters.
We helped retake Highpeak and set things a-right between nations.
What could be left, save the company of wine, women, and song?”

Namitus pulled out his pipes and blew on them
for effect. Tristam laughed in appreciation.

“The plans and the memories of dragons are
long. This is but a setback,” Kar prophesied. “The creature we
learned of will not be pleased with our accomplishments. There will
be more difficulties in our future. Much more.”

“You sound like an old woman worrying about
the weather,” Tristam said.

Kar’s mustache and beard twitched as he
smiled warily. “Let us hope, for all our sakes, that you’re right.
Until that day, I will stand vigilant. There is research to be done
and questions to be answered. Alto, Namitus—a fine job was done by
both of you. Karthor, you made me proud. Your mother would be, too,
even if her ghost’s worried you’ll be found kneeling on the wrong
side of an altar one day.”

Karthor shook his head and smiled. Kar
grinned again and waved before heading out of the Foaming Mug. The
priest laughed and rubbed at his eye. “He means well enough,”
Karthor said.

Alto nodded. “What of you?”

“Me?” Karthor asked.

“How has all of this treated you? We’ve not
had much time to talk but I’ve heard enough about you and from you
that it seems things are going well with the church.”

Karthor shrugged. “Well enough. Not the
church itself, but with my patron. Ironic how it took a shaman of
Jarook to teach me more about my own beliefs.”

“Have you gained more of Leander’s
favor?”

“Some,” Karthor admitted.

“Enough to share with an injured farmer?”

Karthor laughed and reached across the table
to clap Alto on the forearm. “Let’s find out!”

“Leaving me again?” Aleena pushed herself up
against Alto and bent over the table to pass out the latest round
of beverages. “But you just got back! I was hoping you’d tell me
about your adventure.”

Alto stared at the pretty barmaid as she
turned and ran her fingers down his arm. Somewhere, a mile or two
away perhaps, he heard Kar laughing at him. The laughter only made
his face warmer but he couldn’t stop grinning.

“Come.” Namitus rose up and pulled the
surprised girl away from him. He blew a short tune on his pipes and
spun her around. “Dance for a bit while Alto tries to remember how
to speak!” Namitus put his pipes back to his lips and began to blow
a lively tune through them.

Aleena stood there, stunned by the change of
events and looking demurely at her feet. Karthor rose up and went
to her, and then took her hand and pulled her with him in tune with
the music. Her wide eyes went to Alto and she gasped before she
slipped into the dance with the priest.

Alto watched them for a moment. “Join them,”
Tristam said. “Enjoy being young and in love!”

“Love?” Alto stammered. He turned to look at
the seasoned warrior. “I’m not in love.”

Tristam shrugged. “Why not? Love her for the
night, at least. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

Alto shook his head. “What about us? What
will we do now that we’ve lost William, too?”

“Before you came along there was only six of
us. Now there’s five. We’ll find someone else if we need to,”
Tristam said with a shrug.

Alto’s eyes went back to Aleena. “I’ve an
idea,” he said.

“Her? She’s a pretty girl. Young for the
tricks she’s playing with you. Have fun with her but don’t get
serious. If you want to make a life of this, you don’t want to be
tied down with a wife and children this young.” Tristam paused to
belch. “And I’ll not be taking a lass such as that into harm’s
way.”

Alto shook his head through Tristam’s speech.
When he could finally interrupt, he said, “No, not her. Someone
else.”

Tristam’s eyes narrowed. He stared at Aleena
and then chuckled. “The Kelgryn lass! Ambition, boy, you’ve got
loads of it. Might be one day I end up riding on your
coattails.”

Alto grinned through his latest blush.
Patrina had said she wished she could come with them. Perhaps some
encouragement was all she needed. He was certain her fear of her
fate being tied to the Kelgryn should be over now that Barador was
gone.

“That day’s far off though,” Tristam
continued. “Go on, dance with the girl! Or if Karthor’s already
wooed her, find another one.”

Alto stood up and stumbled forward. He
glanced at the ale and chuckled. He’d regret it tomorrow but for
tonight he felt good. He stopped when he realized Aleena was
laughing as Karthor twirled her about. Alto looked around, feeling
foolish, and then saw Namitus and let out a laugh. He grabbed the
surprised musician’s arm in his own and began to spin him around.
Namitus lost his tune on his pipes for a moment but the laughter of
the people in the tavern and the regular cadence of their clapping
to the music kept them going.

Alto grinned like a fool. Tomorrow morning
was truly going to be a terrible thing to wake up to!

* * * *

“I heard some of what happened,” Halgin said
three days later. Alto, Karthor, and Namitus had ridden to his
father’s farm. Halgin moved with a limp and had trouble with the
strength in his arm, but he seemed to be in good spirits. “Got
something here for you, too,” he added.

Alto and the others tied their horses to a
fence and followed Halgin to the barn. Caitlin and Kressa burst out
of the house behind them, screaming for Alto. He stopped and waited
while they rushed him, grinning ear to ear at the reception he was
receiving. His mother, Lana, and his two remaining younger sisters
rushed out a moment later.

After Alto recovered from the mob of
affection, he straightened and looked over at Karthor and Namitus.
He shrugged a little at the barrage of childish questions and made
his friends laugh.

“Enough!” Halgin laughed. “Your brother will
have time for you all later. Let him breathe!”

Alto turned to his father but stopped when he
saw his brothers Darren and Edwin coming out of the barn doors.
Darren walked Sebas and another horse out while Edwin held the
reins of several more.

“Sebas showed up one day a few weeks back,”
Halgin said. “He brought a few other horses with him, complete with
saddles and tack.”

Alto went to his horse and rubbed him. Sebas
stomped his foot, happy to see him again. “Pity you can’t talk,”
Alto said. “I’d pay dearly to know what it was that sent you
running.”

“I thought it was—”

Alto turned and silenced Karthor with his
gaze. “We’d know for sure then.”

Karthor glanced at Alto’s family and smiled.
“True enough.”

Halgin chuckled. “Sounds like there’s a story
to be told after all.”

Alto smiled again. “If you’ll let us stay the
night, I expect there are a great many tales that could be
told.”

“You’re always welcome here!” Lana said. “And
your friends as well. We owe your priest friend a debt greater than
we can ever repay.”

“About that,” Karthor said. “I’d like to try
again, if you don’t mind.”

“We can’t afford to pay,” Lana objected.

“I’m getting along fine,” Halgin stiffened
and said at the same time.

“I’m not here for your gold. I’m here to try
to help,” Karthor reassured them. “I planned on trying this myself
but your son wouldn’t let me suggest it before he was badgering me
about it.”

“Alto!” Lana hissed.

Alto gaped at the accusation. Namitus and
Karthor burst out laughing, proving they were having fun at his
expense.

“Later on, after we’ve supped and had a
chance to hear Alto’s side of things,” Halgin agreed. “Thus far,
all I’ve heard is rumors of what’s been done in the mountains.
Dangerous place, those mountains.”

Alto nodded and stared at his father. “I seem
to remember you spending some time in them a while back.”

Halgin smiled and glanced away to the
north.

“Come, out of the sun and inside. Supper’s
nearly ready and I don’t think the children will be spending any
more time on their chores or lessons today!” Lana said.

Alto’s siblings cheered at the news and
started chanting his name. He laughed and let them lead him into
the house he’d grown up in. He felt comfortable and at home, but he
couldn’t help but notice how much smaller the house seemed.

* * * *

“Great Sarya, I bring news,” Fizzulthorp said
from where he knelt on the ground.

“I know of your news, worm!” the deep voice
of the dragon washed over him and made him shrink closer to the
ground. “Your leader has failed me. You have failed me.”

“No!” the wizard cried out. “I haven’t! I and
a few of the others escaped. I met them, the people who killed
Barador. One of them died in the fight at Barador’s hands, but
Barador was killed by a boy!”

“A boy?” The dragon snarled the words and
Fizzulthorp felt a wave of heat pass over him.

“He possessed a magical broadsword. I saw it
with my own eyes. It had a black pearl in its hilt and pommel.
That’s how he killed Barador. They say the sword was glowing red
when they fought.”

“I know this blade,” Sarya said. “It has been
lost for many years but I have heard of it. The boy, is he one of
the coastal humans?”

Fizzulthorp shook his head. “No, he’s a young
warrior from the Kingdom.”

Sarya snorted again and flames lit up the sky
and cast shadows around the cowering wizard. “You are wise to
return to me, wizard. I would have hunted you down and destroyed
you had you fled.”

“I know.” He nodded his head so violently, he
bumped his forehead against the rocky ground he knelt against. “I
believe in your plans and I want to be a part of them still.”

“You will be my new general,” Sarya
proclaimed. “Using the goblins was a foolish mistake. They are weak
and pathetic. Barador should have known better. You will do better.
Tell me of your plans, wizard. How will you assemble an army to
secure the mountains and the northern realms?”

“The trolls and the ogres can be made to help
us still,” Fizzulthorp said. “They’ll work for a pittance so long
as they have the chance to wreak havoc on the Kingdom. We need the
giants as well; with their strength, we can lay siege to the
Kingdom’s forces. There are more creatures from the mountains we
can lure to our side as well—the wolves and other beasts. My magic
can subvert them to our cause.”

“The humans are many,” Sarya reminded
him.

“They are,” Fizzulthorp said. “But there’s
more to them than you think. We can raise an army of mercenaries;
they’ll fight if we pay them. You don’t seek the destruction of
humans, just domination of them.”

“For now,” Sarya said. The dragon paused a
long moment and then blew another blast of air so hot it stole the
breath from the wizard. “Rally your forces, Fizzulthorp. I give you
a year to assemble them and prepare them. Rally them and prepare
them to go to war to reclaim the northern realms from the humans
that thought to tame it!”

“Yes! In the meantime, I’ll see to it that
the boy and his friends can never interfere with us again,”
Fizzulthorp promised.

Sarya’s resulting chuckle lit up the mountain
sky with sinister flames.

###

Child of Fate is the first book in a new
fantasy series that has been many years in the making. I've dreamed
of these characters and experimented with them for over two
decades. Now it's time at last to let them out and to bring others
the excitement they've brought me.

Let me encourage you to share your thoughts
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Thank you very much for taking the time to
read Child of Fate. Keep an eye out for the next book I put out,
whether it's in this series or another one, I promise to do my best
to keep you entertained.

Child of Fate