A Tribute at the Gates by C J Aaron

Author:C J Aaron [Aaron, C J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781790177394
Amazon: 1790177391
Goodreads: 43156428
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: 2018-12-04T05:00:00+00:00

30

The horses ate the miles quickly running alongside the river’s lazy course, passing the crops and fallow fields that blanketed the gently undulating landscape. Ryl spent the miles in silence, his mind a flurry of activity. He was lost in thought, striving to decipher and understand the unknown power flowing throughout his body. He practiced controlling the woodskin and toiled with a grasp of the soulborne wind. He made a pattern of practicing the woodskin then the soulborne wind, breaking up the repetition with small periods of uncomfortable rest and meditation.

Ryl barely noted when they paused at the first waystation to drop off the treatment. No conversation was offered in his direction, so he remained silent, diligently working in the inner recesses of his mind.

They had been traveling for hours when the familiar landscape surrounding Stillwater came into view. Ryl turned his body to look at the small camp. He could see the movement of three bodies working near the shoreline. The annual fish harvest would be occurring soon, preparation must be in full swing. He laughed to himself as he contemplated where Quinlen would have found to stash his homemade brew now.

Ryl closed his eyes as he looked toward the still waters of the lake, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. Through the blackness he could see the beginning of three tiny beacons of glowing golden light flickering softly in the distance. He snapped his eyes open, focusing instantly on the people working near the shore. He closed his eyes and was again rewarded with the same results.

Ryl was shocked. The beach must have been one hundred paces away from him, yet he could clearly make out the signatures left by the tributes. The distance was staggering to him. How many times had he written off the glowing orbs that flashed in his mind when he closed his eyes as merely a trick played by the sudden absence of light? Again and again, he closed his eyes with the same result. The beacons of light grew fainter before disappearing completely somewhere around two hundred paces.

After passing the Stillwater camp, the uneventful journey trudged on. Not long before nightfall, the shadows of the Erlyn rose, looming over their path. Ryl could feel her call, sense her relief that his heart still beat. He had no recollection of his last passage through her midst, he had barely clung to life the last time she had seen him. The gloom of the forest welcomed him as it swallowed Ryl and his silent companions whole.

Ryl greeted the Erlyn with a thought as the guards stopped the wagon to light their torches. One of the two guards dismounted, carrying a torch a few paces ahead, lighting the way for horses and wagon. The river had long since receded back to its original flow. The road was wide and solid, making for fairly easy travel.

The urge to connect with the Erlyn was great. Ryl fought it off with effort. His body and mind were drained from the day spent practicing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.