The Scars of Jorn Redclaw by Anthony Mitchell

Author:Anthony Mitchell [Mitchell, Anthony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-07-18T23:00:00+00:00

Part III

Waiting for the Eighth

‘How long are they going to keep us waiting?’ whined Talak.

Seemed he was always whining, even at the best of times. By the Seven, the bastard had a gift for it. He was sitting close beside the fire, picking at the thread on the leather-bound hilt of his sword, his narrow eyes and hooked nose giving him a sour look. Jorn stared at him for a moment, teeth grinding in frustration.

He’s the one, thought Jorn, no trace of doubt in his mind. Of all the boys gathered with Halgor, it was Talak who had shown the most promise when it came to matters of the All Song. Yet there was an edge of darkness to his character too; one he’d been unable to hide entirely. They’re taking us to war over this annoying shit!

‘It’s a weapon,’ said Halgor, who was moving along the defensive circle, straightening boys up with a brisk shove here and a sharp kick there, tightening straps and loosening limbs. ‘Stay alert,’ he told them. ‘Test your blades. Make sure they’re not frozen in your scabbards when you need them.’ Then he turned back to Talak. ‘They keep us waiting in the hope our fears get the better of us. Don’t let them.’

‘Easier said than done,’ mumbled Garda. The words were barely out of his mouth, before Halgor leapt on him like an eagle taking a mouse.

‘Why? Why is that so hard? Your name is Garda, no? Son of Lagat Coldstone? Your father earned his name throwing a Stormhand down from the wall of the One God.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘And wasn’t it your mother who saved the Heart’s Fire from the Crawsmen who came seeking revenge for the death of their chief? That’s the blood that flows in your veins.’

Halgor heaved a sigh. ‘By the Seven, Garda, you swam the Adalvas before your fifteenth winter. You all did… save for this one.’ And Halgor stepped up beside Jorn, gripping him by the shoulders. Jorn groaned as all eyes turned to him. He wanted no part in playing the example, least of all because he was as scared as the rest of them. ‘Jorn here swam it when he was eight! And then he stood against the tribe for Radok, while the boy’s strange looks blinded all the others. Jorn opened our eyes to the man Radok could be, and, together, they showed us there can be more to folk than meets the eye. That’s the Grey Crow way.’

Halgor drew his sword and jabbed it away from the circle of defenders to where the torches waited in the distance. ‘But these fools… with their fire and their theatrics. They will show you that sometimes there is less to folk than meets the eye. The fire is all they have. It defines who they are. But you wear the feathers of the Grey Crow; each one earned by your deeds. Today, you will earn another. You will be the boys who stood against the Burning Sun and went on to touch the Blackstone, returning home as men of the Grey Crow.

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