Landfall (The Tales Of Albion) by Peter Newman

Author:Peter Newman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Publisher: Sandbox Interactive GmbH
Published: 2016-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

‘THERE IT IS!’ said Randall, hiding his relief. ‘I told you we would see the wall soon.’

Gravia nodded. She’d been quiet since they’d left her mother’s camp. Randall wondered if she was starting to regret her decision to come with him. ‘This is the last chance, you know?’

She turned to him, focused, as if she’d been daydreaming before. ‘Chance to what?’

‘To leave. To go back where it’s safe.’ He frowned. ‘Safer.’ He frowned again. ‘Where there are more people, at least.’

She took his hand and smiled slightly, embarrassed. ‘I’m happy here.’

He believed her. Was happy about it too, but also concerned. On the one hand, he was quite scared and it was easier to hide that fear when someone else was there. Truth be told, he liked her and had grown used to her being around. She was quiet in nature, not dim, just reserved. So much easier to be with than the overbearing sorts he’d been used to at the palace. On the other hand, however, her being there made it more real somehow, less of an adventure. A lifetime of denial had taught him not to think about his own demise, but he found himself worrying about Gravia’s fate often. He felt—the word stuck slightly, reluctant to form in his mind—responsible.

The wall loomed before them, rising among the trees. How was such a thing possible without magic? Had the artisans mastered some secret crafting arcana? Perhaps their tools were simply more effective here than at home.

To Randall, the structure was more than just stone; it was power. His father’s might had erected that wall, even though the King was on the other side of the sea. Conjuring fire was one thing, healing a wound another. But this? If the ability to move armies and change landscapes was not high magic, Randall did not know what was.

Four soldiers stood in their polished armour. They were alert, ready for trouble. He was sure to keep his hood up and his head down. Luckily, they seemed as keen to avoid contact as he was, and soon the two of them were passing under the arch and through the wall itself.

As they emerged on the other side, they saw a man and a woman on horseback riding towards them. Randall didn’t recognise any of their markings, but it was clear they had means. The horses were strong and well kept, linked plates stretching along their necks and flanks like a second skin.

The woman was covered from head to toe in thick plate mail. A blank shield was slung across her horse, its surface scarred and scorched. If she’d laid it flat, it would look like a tiny ravaged landscape.

The man wore leathers that seemed to glow softly, though they didn’t shed any light of their own. It was as if they were just more sharply defined than the things around them. He carried a book in one hand. Randall could see little tasselled strings marking a number of pages, and immediately warmed to him.

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.