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| Current Project-- Starcrossed Legacy a Novel in progress |
From The Commentaries on The Great Ritual by Darl the Pious.
“The gods have left their towers, but the towers are forbidden to men, for they are full
of power still. These teeth of the gods will bite the unrighteous, the followers of
Godon.”
From The Great Ritual, chapter three, verse twenty-nine.
Work in progress from Chapter 11
Albehr had not been gone fifteen minutes when Reanne began to fidget. First
she paced to and fro for several minutes and then stared down the trail for several
more. And then she repeated the pattern. At the beginning of the third repetition Suko
got to his feet and bellowed, “Enough! Sit, please, and rest. We will be moving fast
when Albehr gets back, eh? You will need to be rested.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” she said.
“Oh, you maybe know something?” Suko responded.
“No, I really have no specific knowledge of anything in particular,” she said,
looking the big man directly in the eye. “It’s just that I don’t trust the intentions of
that man, Javask. He seems devious, ruthless and does not seem to abide by the
dictates of that Great Ritual that you all seem to put so much stock in.”
“But you brought him back to life at the gods’ tower, eh? Why perform an act
of power on someone you so despise?”
Reanne sighed, “I was trained in the healing arts and I merely used a technique I
was taught. No arcane powers were used. I would have done the same for anyone.”
“You maybe don’t like this Javask fellow because he spoke so strongly against
you, eh?”
“No, it’s not that, at least not entirely. I can’t explain it. It’s more of a gut level
feeling that he’s up to something. Something that will be a danger to Albehr and to
us.”
With that Reanne began pacing again and Suko squatted on his haunches, his
brow furrowed in thought. After about five minutes of concentration he jumped to his
feet and shouted so loudly that three swords were drawn before his booming laugh
was heard.
“Brandon, put up a perimeter guard and prepare for camping here tonight,”
bellowed Suko. “I’m off to give Albehr a helping hand. He’s a good man, but would
be the last to smell treachery in one of his own clan. I’m taking the woman with me,
eh? She would be useful if he needs medical attention. If I don’t return tonight make
for the city at first light.”
Suko then bit off a large chunk of pemmican and began chewing it. He
motioned to Reanne to do the same. When he had finished chewing and swallowed
the last of it, he said, “Let’s go!”
Reanne was astounded at the pace the big man set. It was obvious that his bulk
was not due to fat, and she struggled to keep up. When they were well out of earshot
of the others she screwed up her courage and asked, “What made you decide to go
after Albehr?”
Suko laughed, “A little bird kept chirping at me until I took the time to do some
thinking.” He grinned broadly. “You probably say to yourself ‘Suko thinks, eh?’ and
then you say ‘He’s so big he doesn’t need a brain’. When I decided to go for clan
leader of the Bear Clan, everyone thought I must be too dumb because I was so big,
but everyone was afraid to challenge me because I was so big and had great weapons
skills. I have been the chief of the clan for ten years now and no one wishes to
replace me. I can do more because few know that I can think. So when a little bird
chirps at me I listen and I think. And I think the little bird was maybe right, eh?”
“The gods have left their towers, but the towers are forbidden to men, for they are full
of power still. These teeth of the gods will bite the unrighteous, the followers of
Godon.”
From The Great Ritual, chapter three, verse twenty-nine.
Work in progress from Chapter 11
Albehr had not been gone fifteen minutes when Reanne began to fidget. First
she paced to and fro for several minutes and then stared down the trail for several
more. And then she repeated the pattern. At the beginning of the third repetition Suko
got to his feet and bellowed, “Enough! Sit, please, and rest. We will be moving fast
when Albehr gets back, eh? You will need to be rested.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” she said.
“Oh, you maybe know something?” Suko responded.
“No, I really have no specific knowledge of anything in particular,” she said,
looking the big man directly in the eye. “It’s just that I don’t trust the intentions of
that man, Javask. He seems devious, ruthless and does not seem to abide by the
dictates of that Great Ritual that you all seem to put so much stock in.”
“But you brought him back to life at the gods’ tower, eh? Why perform an act
of power on someone you so despise?”
Reanne sighed, “I was trained in the healing arts and I merely used a technique I
was taught. No arcane powers were used. I would have done the same for anyone.”
“You maybe don’t like this Javask fellow because he spoke so strongly against
you, eh?”
“No, it’s not that, at least not entirely. I can’t explain it. It’s more of a gut level
feeling that he’s up to something. Something that will be a danger to Albehr and to
us.”
With that Reanne began pacing again and Suko squatted on his haunches, his
brow furrowed in thought. After about five minutes of concentration he jumped to his
feet and shouted so loudly that three swords were drawn before his booming laugh
was heard.
“Brandon, put up a perimeter guard and prepare for camping here tonight,”
bellowed Suko. “I’m off to give Albehr a helping hand. He’s a good man, but would
be the last to smell treachery in one of his own clan. I’m taking the woman with me,
eh? She would be useful if he needs medical attention. If I don’t return tonight make
for the city at first light.”
Suko then bit off a large chunk of pemmican and began chewing it. He
motioned to Reanne to do the same. When he had finished chewing and swallowed
the last of it, he said, “Let’s go!”
Reanne was astounded at the pace the big man set. It was obvious that his bulk
was not due to fat, and she struggled to keep up. When they were well out of earshot
of the others she screwed up her courage and asked, “What made you decide to go
after Albehr?”
Suko laughed, “A little bird kept chirping at me until I took the time to do some
thinking.” He grinned broadly. “You probably say to yourself ‘Suko thinks, eh?’ and
then you say ‘He’s so big he doesn’t need a brain’. When I decided to go for clan
leader of the Bear Clan, everyone thought I must be too dumb because I was so big,
but everyone was afraid to challenge me because I was so big and had great weapons
skills. I have been the chief of the clan for ten years now and no one wishes to
replace me. I can do more because few know that I can think. So when a little bird
chirps at me I listen and I think. And I think the little bird was maybe right, eh?”
