Claimed by the Orc Prince (The Orc Prince Trilogy Book 1) by Hart Lionel

Author:Hart, Lionel [Hart, Lionel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2021-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The following morning, Taegan made all the arrangements for their trip, and by the early afternoon everything was prepared for them to make the journey to the Silverwood, where giant boar could be found in abundance during the spring and summer. It would be an overnight trip, he explained to Zorvut as they prepared to set out, and they would return the following evening. Graksh’t carried some of the heavier camping supplies, while Moonlight carried extra arrows and bedding that did not quite fit in their backpacks.

They set out, Taegan leading the way and Zorvut following quietly. He still seemed tense and distant, but Taegan was just glad he had agreed to come at all. It was a long ride, but a scenic one, and as Taegan pointed out landmarks and villages he felt like he was mostly talking to himself. Zorvut followed a few paces behind him, always within earshot, but never quite side-by-side although the road was wide enough to allow it.

“The village along the river there is where my father was born,” he said, a few hours into their trip. The small fishing village of Pondshear was nestled in between the bend of the river and the foothills of a mountain range. Zorvut glanced over at him, a faint look of surprise crossing over his face.

“The king?” he asked.

“No, my other father,” he said, shaking his head. “They met when Papa was a knight.” He smiled faintly, remembering the story he had been told a hundred times before. “It caused a big fuss for a prince to want to marry a knight, but he was the prince, and no one could tell him no. And Papa was the greatest swordsman in the royal guard, which was why he came to live in the capital—and, well, this part may have been an embellishment, but they always said that if anyone tried to keep them apart, Papa could cut them down, no matter who they were.” He made a slashing motion with one hand, the same way Papa would whenever he told the story.

When he looked back, Zorvut was still peering over at the fishing village, but met his gaze when he noticed Taegan watching him.

“He was a warrior,” Zorvut repeated. “Was he slain in battle?”

Taegan flinched at the blunt question. “Yes,” he replied. “Almost ten years ago, now.” He hesitated, and added, “You may have heard of him, Alain Glynzeiros. He was known for wielding two swords, rather than a sword and shield. He led a battalion into the eastern mountains hoping to launch a surprise attack on the orc tradepost there, but they were intercepted. They were able to retrieve his body and bring it back for a proper burial, but…” He trailed off. The last part of the story was always the worst to tell.

“Without his arms,” Zorvut finished, and Taegan nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. I had not realized…” He sighed, looking away. From the bond he could feel something like bitterness. “I’m sure this would not change how you feel, but I wasn’t in that battle.

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.