anthorn
Well-Known Member
Hi, guys, on the advice of some people I have changed the prologue. Here is the first half and it is set 20 years before the main story.
Winter Is Coming
“We should start back,” Min urged, holding her rifle close to her chest with one hand while holding the reins of her horse with the other. The sun was waning in the sky above them and the trees cast longer shadows.
“Are you frightened?” replied Telfor, smiling. “Does the dark frighten you?”
Min did not rise to the bait. She was pas t thirty and had more years under her belt as a Guardian than the green Telfor had hot dinners. “I have seen too much to be frightened by the dark, boy. I have seen wonders you couldn’t possibly believe.” She spoke of the many changes seen throughout the world in recent years and the introduction of gas lamps, Airships, and steam-men. “Run through the reports once again Elsa, will you?”
Elsa swallowed. She’d known they would include her sooner or later but did it have to be sooner? Couldn’t she just sit here in silence and enjoy the ride? “The reports said that the caravan master went to Mindis to enquire upon the none reply to his many letters. When he went there he discovered the village abandoned save for the dead left in a pile.”
“The reports are most likely exaggerated,”Telfor said, sagely. “I have it on good authority that Master Will enjoys his drink a bit too much. Likely they were out in the fields.”
“What? In this weather?” Min scoffed. Tobring home her point a gust of wind battered them for a minute, dying away as quickly as it came.
Telfor shrugged. “Indoors wrapped up warm then. Whatever the reason I doubt the village abandoned. No one simplyvanishes.”
Elsa did not have the courage to mention the Abandoned Isle to the west of them. Around three hundred years ago the entire population had vanished in one night. The Commander of the Guardians at the time had ordered about fifteen of his finest Guardians to investigate only for them to vanish too. No one lived on the island anymore. No one dared. In the end the disappearances were put down to Lancifer-a tower once belonging to the End-Lord Anwyn. So it was entirely possible that a village could simply vanish. If only she’d the courage to say that. The End-Lords are gone, she told herself. They all died before she was born and magic with them. But on a night like this and with tales of an abandoned village it was easy to forget. There was probably an entirely different reason for a village vanishing, or maybe itwas as Telfor said and Master Will was mistaken.
The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, and their structures stand abandoned. Silendra does not sleep in Hell Tar Garr.Rael does not dine in Machina City. Kandera does not wait at Rossia. Anwyn does not watch us from on top Lancifer. She told herself this again and again hoping it was true.
“We should turn back,” Min said again. “We can go in the morning when no enemy can catch us unaware.”
Telfor laughed. “Do so if you wish, but Elsa and I are investigating tonight.”
Elsa did not have the courage to agree with Min and she couldn’t argue with Telfor despite the truth that she was two years his elder and also an experienced Guardian. Telfor had only been granted the cloak recently and had the easy confidence of the newly graduated. The first son of a wealthy family he’d taken the opportunity to dress himself in the finest of garments. With a resplendent cape of blue silk, a double breasted jacket the colour of red and black, thick elbow length wool gloves and woollen trousers, and riding boots, he looked every inch the Guardian lord he claimed he was.
The moon had taken its place in the sky by the time the village was sighted. It was a full moon and provided ample light to see by. Elsa found the light eerie in the way everything appeared a shade of blue.
“Dismount here,” Telfor said.
There was a rotting wood pole sticking out of the ground and they all tied the reins to this pole before drawing their weapons. Elsa carried two weapons-a short sword and revolver. Min and Telfor held rifles.
It doesn’t look like they’re still here, she thought. The village was starting to fall apart due to neglect; the broken windows had let snow into homes and the occasional roof had caved in. Mostly the village was untouched and peering in through the windows they saw the remains of half eaten meals. Everything appeared to have been left as though they’d simply stepped out for a moment. She looked over her shoulder and saw Telfor and Min heading off in separate directions. Elsa decided she would make her way to the centre of the village where Will had said the bodies were piled. With each step bringing her nearer the more her fear grew. The wind was back and reaching a crescendo as it tore through the broken windows and pulled torn flags on poles every which way. The cold was the worst. The cold and the silence that made her jump at every little sound. The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, and their structures stand abandoned. Silendra does not sleep in Hell Tar Garr. Rael does not dine in Machina City. Kandera does not wait at Rossia. Anwyn does not watch us from on top Lancifer.
The End-Lords were gone.
Somewhere close, a wolf howled.
The End-Lords are gone.
The sound of metal on metal and a scream cut off before it begins. Elsa jumped and pointed her revolver at the dark. There was nothing-no one. The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, backing away.Slowly, she turned around and gasped. There before her and piled high to the heavens were the bodies just as Will had told them. Something heavy landed beside her at her feet. Nervous and afraid she looked down and screamed. It’s a body-the body of Telfor and half his face is eaten away. Retching into the snow, Elsa had enough sense to run. She couldn’t remember the exact direction she’d taken but knew to head south. There is no thought to Min only her own survival.
Another wolf howled and this time it is closer-behind her even.
She runs. She runs. She runs. She runs until eventually she reaches the end of the village and sees the pole where the horses should have been but are not. Instead a woman stood by the pole with the reins dangling from one hand. “Who are you?” Elsa demanded, remembering herself. “What do you want?”
The woman looked at her with eyes the colour of orange and smiled. No, it can’t be! Elsa backed away, dropping her revolver. The woman did not move. “We will not harm you,” the woman said.
We? Elsa turned then, and saw the shadow of a man wolf leaning over her. Its smile was the smile of a predator. Falling to her knees she prayed to the Father and any other deity that might listen.
The wolf man reached out with its large hand and lifted Elsa up into the air. The woman was beside her now and she was still smiling. “Oh yes. You’ll do perfectly.”
Elsa screamed, but with the wolf hand around her throat it came out as a garbled sob.
Winter Is Coming
My path is down a long dusty roadwith
Iron bars on either side. I rideupon a
Horse with legs as lame as myarms
My eyes are windows to my soul
And my soul is dead.
Author Unknown.
“We should start back,” Min urged, holding her rifle close to her chest with one hand while holding the reins of her horse with the other. The sun was waning in the sky above them and the trees cast longer shadows.
“Are you frightened?” replied Telfor, smiling. “Does the dark frighten you?”
Min did not rise to the bait. She was pas t thirty and had more years under her belt as a Guardian than the green Telfor had hot dinners. “I have seen too much to be frightened by the dark, boy. I have seen wonders you couldn’t possibly believe.” She spoke of the many changes seen throughout the world in recent years and the introduction of gas lamps, Airships, and steam-men. “Run through the reports once again Elsa, will you?”
Elsa swallowed. She’d known they would include her sooner or later but did it have to be sooner? Couldn’t she just sit here in silence and enjoy the ride? “The reports said that the caravan master went to Mindis to enquire upon the none reply to his many letters. When he went there he discovered the village abandoned save for the dead left in a pile.”
“The reports are most likely exaggerated,”Telfor said, sagely. “I have it on good authority that Master Will enjoys his drink a bit too much. Likely they were out in the fields.”
“What? In this weather?” Min scoffed. Tobring home her point a gust of wind battered them for a minute, dying away as quickly as it came.
Telfor shrugged. “Indoors wrapped up warm then. Whatever the reason I doubt the village abandoned. No one simplyvanishes.”
Elsa did not have the courage to mention the Abandoned Isle to the west of them. Around three hundred years ago the entire population had vanished in one night. The Commander of the Guardians at the time had ordered about fifteen of his finest Guardians to investigate only for them to vanish too. No one lived on the island anymore. No one dared. In the end the disappearances were put down to Lancifer-a tower once belonging to the End-Lord Anwyn. So it was entirely possible that a village could simply vanish. If only she’d the courage to say that. The End-Lords are gone, she told herself. They all died before she was born and magic with them. But on a night like this and with tales of an abandoned village it was easy to forget. There was probably an entirely different reason for a village vanishing, or maybe itwas as Telfor said and Master Will was mistaken.
The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, and their structures stand abandoned. Silendra does not sleep in Hell Tar Garr.Rael does not dine in Machina City. Kandera does not wait at Rossia. Anwyn does not watch us from on top Lancifer. She told herself this again and again hoping it was true.
“We should turn back,” Min said again. “We can go in the morning when no enemy can catch us unaware.”
Telfor laughed. “Do so if you wish, but Elsa and I are investigating tonight.”
Elsa did not have the courage to agree with Min and she couldn’t argue with Telfor despite the truth that she was two years his elder and also an experienced Guardian. Telfor had only been granted the cloak recently and had the easy confidence of the newly graduated. The first son of a wealthy family he’d taken the opportunity to dress himself in the finest of garments. With a resplendent cape of blue silk, a double breasted jacket the colour of red and black, thick elbow length wool gloves and woollen trousers, and riding boots, he looked every inch the Guardian lord he claimed he was.
The moon had taken its place in the sky by the time the village was sighted. It was a full moon and provided ample light to see by. Elsa found the light eerie in the way everything appeared a shade of blue.
“Dismount here,” Telfor said.
There was a rotting wood pole sticking out of the ground and they all tied the reins to this pole before drawing their weapons. Elsa carried two weapons-a short sword and revolver. Min and Telfor held rifles.
It doesn’t look like they’re still here, she thought. The village was starting to fall apart due to neglect; the broken windows had let snow into homes and the occasional roof had caved in. Mostly the village was untouched and peering in through the windows they saw the remains of half eaten meals. Everything appeared to have been left as though they’d simply stepped out for a moment. She looked over her shoulder and saw Telfor and Min heading off in separate directions. Elsa decided she would make her way to the centre of the village where Will had said the bodies were piled. With each step bringing her nearer the more her fear grew. The wind was back and reaching a crescendo as it tore through the broken windows and pulled torn flags on poles every which way. The cold was the worst. The cold and the silence that made her jump at every little sound. The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, and their structures stand abandoned. Silendra does not sleep in Hell Tar Garr. Rael does not dine in Machina City. Kandera does not wait at Rossia. Anwyn does not watch us from on top Lancifer.
The End-Lords were gone.
Somewhere close, a wolf howled.
The End-Lords are gone.
The sound of metal on metal and a scream cut off before it begins. Elsa jumped and pointed her revolver at the dark. There was nothing-no one. The End-Lords are gone, she repeated, backing away.Slowly, she turned around and gasped. There before her and piled high to the heavens were the bodies just as Will had told them. Something heavy landed beside her at her feet. Nervous and afraid she looked down and screamed. It’s a body-the body of Telfor and half his face is eaten away. Retching into the snow, Elsa had enough sense to run. She couldn’t remember the exact direction she’d taken but knew to head south. There is no thought to Min only her own survival.
Another wolf howled and this time it is closer-behind her even.
She runs. She runs. She runs. She runs until eventually she reaches the end of the village and sees the pole where the horses should have been but are not. Instead a woman stood by the pole with the reins dangling from one hand. “Who are you?” Elsa demanded, remembering herself. “What do you want?”
The woman looked at her with eyes the colour of orange and smiled. No, it can’t be! Elsa backed away, dropping her revolver. The woman did not move. “We will not harm you,” the woman said.
We? Elsa turned then, and saw the shadow of a man wolf leaning over her. Its smile was the smile of a predator. Falling to her knees she prayed to the Father and any other deity that might listen.
The wolf man reached out with its large hand and lifted Elsa up into the air. The woman was beside her now and she was still smiling. “Oh yes. You’ll do perfectly.”
Elsa screamed, but with the wolf hand around her throat it came out as a garbled sob.
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