The Sword of Darrow by Hal Malchow & Alex Malchow

Author:Hal Malchow & Alex Malchow [Malchow, Hal & Malchow, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, young adult
ISBN: 9781935618881
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
Published: 2011-09-02T20:00:00+00:00

• 29 •

To the Fort!

Darrow awoke an hour before sunrise. He threw back his bedding and looked around the yard, now cluttered with cloaks and blankets and snoring men. The excitement of the previous day had faded into the reality before him. Today, he would lead his army into battle.

These new recruits knew only his legend. They praised him. They worshiped him. They had left their homes to risk their lives and follow him to war.

But they had never seen Darrow fight.

He wrapped his feet in cloth and reached down for his sword. His hand gripped the handle and the weapon practically lifted itself into the air. Darrow looked down at the weapon. It was not his sword.

The metal of this new weapon glowed bright silver, as though newly forged. The handle fit his hand perfectly. But this new sword was not his. He inspected its markings, but it bore no name. Darrow smiled.

As he gripped this weapon, a warm glow passed through his body. His hand squeezed more tightly and he felt new strength in his shoulders and arms. He thought about the battle to come and no thought of failure entered his mind. He imagined dueling the goblins, his metal clashing against their own.

He raised the sword high above his head. It did not feel like a real weapon—it was too light. Surely, it would shatter on contact. But he liked the way this weapon made him feel.

He walked to the edge of the woods. He swung at a small tree and the sword cut deep into the wood—another stroke and the tree fell. He swung it again and again, each time with more power and confidence.

The first glow of sunrise appeared in the sky. In this better light, he held the sword across the palms of both hands. On the handle, in the metal, was a tiny marking—a figure. A bird. A tiny bird painted yellow. He had seen that bird before but could not remember where. Something told him that this sword with the bird would bring him luck and this he knew to be absolute truth.

Darrow placed the sword in his scabbard and began to walk the camp, brimming with optimism, eager for the day’s events. He talked with each of the new arrivals. He asked about their skills, their experience, and from where they had traveled.

He wanted to know how each man had heard of their battles in the forest. They told him that all Sonnencrest was alive with the stories of Darrow’s army and his courage in battle. And to each of these reports, Darrow responded with a confident smile.

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