the wolf arrives

Five horses broke from the approaching column. In the center a huge man rode astride a grey warhorse. Before him, even Borden looked small. The man wore rich furs, yet there was nothing either soft or luxuriant about him. His long golden beard was streaked with grey: piercing eyes were hawkish in their power, even in the darkness. In height and girth he was a bull, and like a bull, it was all muscle and power and unstoppable force. He rode up with two warriors on either side of him. Borden spoke first.

"Welcome, my lord Hosten."

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Chapter Nine of Taerith by Rachel Starr Thomson is up. Go, read, comment.

Deadly Dance

Zoe has returned once again. Read and comment, please! I love every single comment I get, they are so encouraging. Thanks to you all!

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Zoe had just finished swallowing her last bite when an object flew through the air toward her. She instinctively grabbed it to keep it from whacking her in the head and saw that it was her sword.

“Prepare yourself,” Jaedon ordered, his own sword already drawn as he advanced toward her.

She sprang to her feet and tossed the scabbard aside. Her muscles were tense and she threw herself into the duel with all her skill. She managed to evade his swift-flickering sword for almost five minutes but eventually the flat of his blade slapped down on her left shoulder, directly by her neck, stopping her in her tracks. She glared, aggravated at being beaten by him…again.

“Good form, but too practiced,” Jaedon commented.

Too practiced. She had heard that before. It did not take long to recall when: in Ruma, months earlier, when she had tried to escape out the backyard with Tancred’s artifact sword. They had crossed blades for all of ten seconds before he disarmed her. Her eyes now darted to where he sat comfortably by the small, smokeless fire, wordlessly observing. Judging by the tiny laugh lines around his eyes, he remembered the incident all too well. She gritted her teeth and then took a deep breath.

“This time, improvise what you know,” Jaedon instructed, lifted his sword. “Again.”

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Don't forget the commenting part! :)

Departure

In an amazing turn of affairs, Zoe has another chapter to post. I must apologize, for the quality of the dialogue and content in this chapter is not quite what I like it to be. If you have suggestions on what might need to be changed, I'd be very grateful! ;)

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The sun was just beginning to peek over the far horizon when Tancred arrived at the northern edge of the camp. Jaedon and his mother Shyla were both waiting for him. He greeted Jaedon and turned to Shyla. “I wondered if I would see you before I left,” he said.

She smiled. “Did you think I’d let my son go all the way back to Elangsia without seeing him off? I was busy last night or I would have seen you then.”

Tancred wondered what she had been doing the previous evening but she said no more to clarify her words. Pulling his head down, she kissed his cheek. “Have a safe trip,” she told him, suddenly serious. “You know the dangers as well as I.”

“Yes,” he responded quietly. “I will be all right.”

“Perhaps it is not you I am worried about.”

He stared at her in mystification. What? “You think Jaedon will give me extra grief this trip?” he teased, expertly hiding his slight uncertainty.

Jaedon’s quiet answering guffaw did not help elucidate matters any. If there was one thing Tancred hated, it was not knowing what was going on, and he suspected his mother and mentor both knew something he did not. Shyla looked pointedly behind him. That, in addition to the sound of a clearing throat, tipped Tancred off.

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So, go read it already! DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT!!!

Aiden Chapter 7 and 8

Hi All,
In an extremly unusal move, Aiden has posted two chapters. I finished chapter 7, but wanted to add on a little. Only a little turned into a lot, and I decided to make two chapters rather than one. So, make sure you check out both chapter 7 and 8!!
Thanks!
Charissa

Skirmish!

Zoe has moved! Come read the latest - and don't forget to comment, 'kay?

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Loud crashes sounded from the woods behind Zoe, and she whirled, her hand flying to one of the knives at her belt. “Zoe! Quick, c’mon!” She looked down to see Geoffrey below her, a mixture of mad excitement and nervousness in his eyes.

“What is it, Geoffrey?” she asked, forcing her grasp on the handle of her dagger to relax.

“An Elangsian battalion,” he explained. “Lance is going to ride out with a few of the men to fight them and said I could come too. I thought you might be a good asset…you being so good with weapons…and all.” His voice trailed of a little near the end. He was obviously slightly embarrassed to be paying her compliments.

She smiled a little and nodded. “All right, I’ll come,” she agreed. It can’t hurt to stop one more battalion before I leave. She swung up on Brac fluidly and rode down to Geoffrey. “Hop on,” she ordered. “He can carry the both of us back to camp.”

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So, go read it already! ;)

Enter Evil

Taerith was last through the door, with Kardas only a few paces behind him, but just before the tavern's noisy dim closed in over him, he saw a hand clap down on Kardas's shoulder and heard a voice intone, "Greetings, my lord Half-Blood."

Taerith drew his hunting knife and was back on the street in an instant. Three men stood around Kardas. They held no weapons that Taerith could see, yet their expressions were unmistakably threatening. The chief of them, a tall, stocky man with a half-shaven head and a dull wine-coloured cloak, drew his hand back from Kardas's shoulder. He glowered at Taerith with such displeasure that he almost expected him to hiss.

"Who is he?" he asked.

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The Eighth Chapter of Taerith, by Rachel Starr Thomson, hath been posted! Comment, all ye who enter here.

Bound and beset

Wren

“My, she is a pretty one when you get her hair loose.” One of the younger, cockier men of the group stepped up to me and grabbed my chin. Lifting it so he could view my face, he laughed. “Can I have her, Roark? I have always fancied women with straight hair.”

Find out the answer - Chapter Seven

Hi everyone! I have just posted Chapter 9 of Daelia's story. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts!

Have a blessed day,
Rachel Brewer

Well, don't that beat all! Aiden has a new post up! What will happen next?
Aiden gets a not so little surpize and he's not too happy with the results! Check it out!
http://aiden-romany.blogspot.com/

Toward the Docks

Arnan surfaced to find Meridel clinging to the rope with one hand and to Pepper with the other. They had been in the water longer then they should have. Pepper was ghostly white and the Princess could not control the shivers running through her body.

“What’s going on?” Meridel’s question came through chattering teeth.

“Gical.” Arnan lifted a hand to wipe away the cold spurts of water running down his face. “Somehow he found us.”

“No.” Meridel was searching his eyes, “Before that, Where did you go?”


Chapter 6 is up!