The human woman opened her eyes upon cold ground. Darkness pressed around her, thick and shapeless. She couldn’t see walls, a door or even the edge of the floor beneath her knees. For several heartbeats, she didn’t know where she was or how she had come to be there. Then the pain arrived. Her right […]
Tag Archives: Suraia
EotOF 7 – By firelight
The next morning brought more travel. Camp disappeared piece by piece as the tents came down and Thorn released the branches of the living shelter from their woven shape. Once packs and weapons had been gathered, Garrick returned to the front with the map and led them north again. The forest continued to thicken around […]
EotOF 6 – Journey through the woods
Quintra’s light seeped into the camp in thin, broken bands, turning the dew into scattered sparks across moss and fern. The hunters woke like people who didn’t have the luxury of slow mornings. Boots scraped against the ground, gear shifted and someone was already swearing at a stubborn strap. Garrick’s voice cut through the bustle. […]
EotOF 5 – The Hunter’s camp
Vasha walked beside the Ee’dornil as they followed Kaelen towards her camp. The large elf still carried Suraia in his arms, while the half-elven woman bore her dead campmate across her shoulders. She shifted the weight higher with the ease of someone accustomed to carrying weight that way. It was late in the afternoon when […]
EotOF 4 — Honey and Blood
Quintra’s light filtered through the canopy in broken shafts, catching upon dew and moss until the forest floor glittered with scattered sparks. The damp air smelled of sap, earth and last night’s fire. Somewhere deeper among the trees, a bird offered the morning its finest song. Suraia opened her eyes and blinked, taking a moment […]
EotOF 3 – Into Lyonne Forest
Lyonne Forest received them quietly. The road narrowed almost at once, swallowed by moss and root until it became less a road than the memory of one. In the early afternoon, light slipped between the branches in pale threads. The air had changed as they left Lyonne d’ura behind: less salt, tar and fish; more […]
EotOF 2 – The Journey through Calithor
“Land ho!” a sailor shouted from above. The call tore through the lower decks long before Quintra even thought about rising. It was not shouted only once, either. It spread, repeated along the length of the ship with the kind of excitement that made sleep suddenly impossible. Somewhere above them, boots thundered, a hatch banged […]
EotOF 1: A day on the Kestrel
The sea was calm, an endless plain of open water rolling in gentle swells beneath a steady breeze. Far ahead, the sun Quintra rose just above the horizon, low and bright, spilling warmth across the waves until the surface glittered with flakes of gold. Along the ship’s side, careful white letters caught that newborn light: […]
The Outcasts 13: The Price of Mercy
The climb to the watchtower took the rest of the night. By the time the torches on its walls came into view, the sky had begun to pale with the first hint of dawn, soon the sun Quintra would show her face above the trees. Inside, the tower was cool and dim. Christopher guided them […]
The Outcasts 11: The Lake
They ran beside the river’s bend and foam, as swift as water over stone. Thorn’s dire-wolf paws ate the distance, Suraia balanced low across his broad back, fingers buried deep in the thick ruff of his fur. Wind tore her curls behind her shoulders. The little arctic fox darted just ahead, blue-tipped tail streaming, loosing […]