Warrior in the Wilderness by Kaoru Kurimoto

Author:Kaoru Kurimoto [Kurimoto, Kaoru]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: adventure, fantasy, light novel
ISBN: 9781934287057
Amazon: 1934287059
Goodreads: 1300871
Publisher: Vertical

Chapter Three

The General’s Pavilion

⁠—⁠—⁠— I ⁠—⁠—⁠—

The Marches sun rose high in the vault of the sky, its hard white light scorching the rocks of the Nospherus wildlands as if it meant to parch all things to dust.

In the shade of a jagged crag of sharp pale stone sat a wide tent of heavy cloth reinforced with leather⁠—the pavilion of the Mongauli archduke’s daughter, Amnelis. This was the center of a temporary base of operations for the Gohran knights that had crossed the Kes the night before.

From the spike at the pavilion’s top flew the black lion of Gohra and the golden scorpion of Mongaul. In their fluttering shadow two pages stood, guarding the entrance. The rest of the Mongauli host, five hundred strong, stood at ease with their horses beside them, arrayed in concentric circles around the pavilion. They were at ease but alert, waiting for the signal to ride.

Guin, Rinda, and Remus sat on the bare ground under the watchful eyes of several knights. The sun seared their skin, especially that of Guin, whose burns ached and festered in the heat.

The three companions had not been bound or fettered, but still Rinda complained of their treatment to any knight who would listen. The only answer she ever received was a reiterated order to wait in silence. It seemed that Amnelis was preparing to question her captives here in the wildlands, without first returning to the temporary fortification on the river.

“Well, if we must wait, how about giving us some water, at least? How much longer do you intend to have us sit here in the dust? Some knights you are!”

Guin’s injury, Istavan’s desertion, and worry over what happened to poor little Suni⁠—the weight of disaster was almost more than Rinda could bear. Yet no matter how much she pleaded with the knights, the answer was always the same, cold “Wait.”

“Curse Jarn a thousand times for granting Mongaul any kind of victory at all. Even if your reign shall be very, very short lived!” shouted Rinda, but even that failed to evoke a response from the stolid guards.

At last a sharp order came from the tent: “Bring in the captives!”

Guards dragged the three companions to their feet. Rinda scowled at the one who pushed her toward the entrance, but in truth she was glad to be finally getting out of the blazing heat.

The sudden darkness of the pavilion interior rendered Rinda nearly sightless. Remus was quick to catch her when she tripped on something and nearly fell headlong onto the sandy floor.

As they entered they heard a female voice exclaim in surprise: “Are there only three?” It was the voice of a woman well accustomed to having her questions answered and her orders followed. “Vlon! Lindrot! Have a small squad of knights search the area at once. There were two others on that raft, and I want them found.”

The two noblemen nodded and moved to give the orders. But after a moment’s hesitation the speaker⁠—Amnelis⁠—stopped them. “On second thought, we already seem to have gotten the ones I was most interested in.

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.