The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 02 - Vaetra Untrained by Daniel R. Marvello

Author:Daniel R. Marvello [Marvello, Daniel R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Magic, Sorcery, wizard, swords and sorcery, mage
Publisher: Magic Fur Press
Published: 2013-07-22T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Paeter's Legacy

Dumont ~ Dusk, Sunset Province

Dumont stepped through the portal onto a hill overlooking the confluence of the Merciless and Teardrop Rivers. One flowing ribbon of blue merged with the other. They came together at the southern end of the Merciless Valley, which lay between steep-walled mountain ridges that formed its east and west boundaries. Behind him, Paeter closed the door to the Portal Keep and then came over to stand at his side.

Dumont glanced at Paeter, who gazed over the valley with a relaxed, half-smile on his face. For Paeter, this was a homecoming.

From the top of the overgrown trail that dropped to the valley floor, they could see the cultivated fields that stretched across the short plain from one rocky foothill to the other. Tiny distant shapes moved against the backdrop of growing grains. The farmers from the town of Dusk were tending their fields.

Agriculture in the Merciless Valley was a frantic affair. The spring snowmelt and rains conspired to flood the valley every spring, and the moment the waters subsided, the farmers had to get busy sowing so the plants would mature in time for a fall harvest. The bounty of silt and nutrients brought into the valley by the floods was welcome, even if the risk of a late melt and the resulting loss of crops was not. Then, after a hot summer of explosive growth, the harvest would have to be processed and stored before the first frost and the snows of the area’s too-early winter.

Across the valley, a road zigzagged in switch-backs up the eastern ridge, curving in places to dodge granite outcroppings. Sturdy houses fronted the roadway most of the way up the mountain. All of the buildings were constructed in the style common to the Northern provinces, with high stonework foundations topped by timber framing or log walls. The roofs were slate or wooden shingles, and moss grew like dark green fur on top of the most shaded homes. Perched on the hillside, the homes were safe from the spring floodwaters and had a commanding view of the valley below.

“I once dreamed that all this would be mine one day,” Paeter mused aloud. “Discovering I could channel destroyed that dream until Astin was born. Then the dream was destroyed again when my father died and Frederick Brachus successfully petitioned the emperor for the governorship. I’m afraid to reawaken the dream only to be disappointed yet again.”

Dumont gauged Paeter’s mood and decided careful encouragement was needed. “You have a real opportunity now to restore what was taken from you. The planning is done, and the preparations have been made. All you need to do is carry it through and Astin will be the next Governor of Sunset Province with you by his side.” And with me whispering into your ear from the shadows.

Paeter glanced at him and gave him a sardonic smile, showing that he appreciated the effort to bolster his courage. “Thank you, Master. I appreciate all you have done to help me recover my son’s birthright.

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