Iron and Shadow by Brad Farley

Author:Brad Farley [Farley, Brad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781537237350
Published: 2020-04-21T22:00:00+00:00

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The crowd that had gathered at the training yard had grown until there were no more seats and it was standing room only. While there were normally those who came to watch the warriors of the Iron Kingdom train for war or competition, today, they had gathered in record numbers. The reason for their numbers was the simple yet astounding fact that the Iron King had shown up early that morning to train with his men. This hadn’t happened in many years and only those with gray in their hair could remember a time when the king would arrive to spar and train in tactics alongside his men. These older citizens often told of such times, relishing the attention it garnered them. Today, however, the legendary warrior king was on full display before the crowd and his prowess did not disappoint.

All that morning, the king ran and drilled alongside the soldiers of the kingdom. He took part in all of it, from small unit tactics to single combat. It was clear to everyone watching that the king was not as he had been. His speed and agility were those of a much younger man, his skill that of a veteran of hundreds of battles and his strength more like that of a bear than that of an actual man. It was astonishing to watch their sovereign in action and the onlookers whispered and talked among themselves at the sheer spectacle of the Iron King, his vigor and strength restored. Soon, the king was constantly being cheered and his every movement watched and dissected. The impossible sight of their rejuvenated monarch made the people proud. There were those who found the display strange and disturbing, especially when it defied the laws of nature, but most of these were wise enough to keep their feelings to themselves.

Calder was one of those who was troubled to see the king in action. While the druid was gladdened to see his old friend in action, his mind whirled at the repercussions the ancient magic of Winter’s Heart would have upon him in the long run. Watching Ragnur as he briefly rested, Calder’s eyes were sharp, as if he could pierce through and see into the mind of his king. The king sat among his warriors laughing and joking as he wolfed down a small repast of dried meat and a bit of cheese, washing it down with well water. It was all that the sergeants drilling the men would allow and Ragnur limited himself to their soldiers fare.

Around the old druid people were talking and he sat among them, feigning weariness but listening to every word. Most of the them were both astonished and proud to varying degrees at the display the king put on. Many spoke of the monarch’s exploits in times past and how that the martial display today was nigh godlike. There were, however, also those few dissenting voices, though they were more often derided by the majority. It was these voices that Calder was most keen to hear.

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