The Balborite Curse (Book 4) by Kristian Alva

Author:Kristian Alva
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: fantasy, epic fantasy
Publisher: Defiant Press
Published: 2014-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Outlanders

Tallin and Duskeye stayed at the Southern Oasis for another night, enjoying Sa’dun’s hospitality and excellent food. On their last evening among the nomads, a feast was prepared, and they were honored with a storyteller’s performance. After the evening meal was over, Tallin and Duskeye said their goodbyes and ascended into the air, taking advantage of the cool evening air.

The pair continued south, stopping frequently to rest and explore. Tallin’s promise to help Endrell’s wife and son had not been forgotten, but he was deeply distressed that Shesha, a surviving female dragon, might be starving to death somewhere in the desert.

His eyes scanned the horizon constantly, searching for the sulfur mudhole. Finally, after many days of travel, he and Duskeye crossed over the Elburgian Mountains and into the southern territories.

They arrived in Hwīt Rock soon after, landing in a forested area away from the main outpost. The area was clouded with fog. After decades of living in the desert, the frigid dampness of the air seemed foreign to him.

He dismounted and donned his heavy cloak, drawing his hood down low over his face.

“Stay hidden, and keep your eyes open,” he said to Duskeye. “It will be difficult enough to keep from drawing attention to myself.” Tallin’s dwarvish features made him an unusual sight, even in a busy port like this.

Duskeye nodded his agreement. "I shall wait here until you return. Be careful."

Tallin walked through the trees, avoiding the main path, then cut through a small meadow to the portside section of the harbor. Hwīt Rock was larger than he remembered, but the wharf still looked impeccably clean.

He watched a sailboat maneuver carefully next to dozens of others already moored along the dock. At the waterfront, men unloaded cargo onto waiting carthorses, goods bound for nearby cities and villages. Everywhere he looked, people were conducting business.

He encountered an old woman selling spiced ale, and she struck up a conversation with him. “Where do ye hail from, boy?”

“Faerroe,” replied Tallin, “Just got into port today.” He accepted a cup of ale, paying her with a few copper coins.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “That town’s full o’ crooks. What brings ye ‘ere?”

“I’ve come to purchase some herbs. Faerroe doesn’t have a proper apothecary shop—not a good one, anyway.”

The woman smiled understandingly, accepting Tallin’s simple lie. “Oh, aye! I understand ye, the shops are better ‘ere, and the prices, too. Not all herbalists are good, but the one ‘ere is worth his salt—he does quite well for ‘isself.”

Tallin nodded as if it was the most interesting comment in the world. The old woman was thrilled to have such a rapt audience, and she expounded her opinion on everything that was happening at the outpost. Tallin listened attentively to every word, responding frequently in order to continue the conversation. Eventually, the discussion turned to smuggling, as Tallin knew it would.

“Yep, we've been havin’ a bit o’ trouble with smugglers here. Smuggled goods come through this port sometimes, but our mayor is workin’ hard to stop it. Dock sentries search the boats randomly now, and they’ve caught a few bad apples.

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