Voices of Fire by Christoph Hardebusch

Voices of Fire by Christoph Hardebusch

Author:Christoph Hardebusch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Van Canto
Published: 2016-11-15T00:00:00+00:00


Elena

Their route first led them away from the sea and deeper inland. The maps that had been copied for Elena showed a road that branched off Northwards there towards the mountains.

Their departure had been brisk. Baroness Rafel had given them the maps, plenty of supplies and two riding horses, thanking them once more in the name of everyone in Gorint. Her last gift had been thick cloaks, dark enough to be mistaken for black.

"Your wealth will not be as visible under these," her cryptic words had been.

Elena had been about to point out that they owned barley anything but what they wore on their bodies, and that their armours and weapons were quite simple by the standards of their home, but she had reconsidered and merely thanked her for the kind gesture.

Revus had also shown up for a last word. He had given them an apologetic smile and claimed that Aidan, too, wished them all the best for their journey.

On the one hand, Elena was glad that she had now left everything behind and was back on the road. On the other hand, she was angry that the bard hadn't even thought it necessary to show up in person. After the unpleasant words of the previous night, however, it might have been for the best.

How he had conducted himself in the battle had won her admiration. It wasn't just the power of his voice, but his activity and the ability to inspire and lead others. The way he had appeared there, even though he was surrounded by chaos and destruction, had given everyone hope. That hope had not been disappointed.

Maybe Elena had read too much into those moments. He had seemed to be a far-sighted and skilled man, but that illusion had shattered the next day. Wanting to be isolated in the world went beyond anything she could understand. No goal, no loyalty, only his own life – it was a foreign concept to her.

So it was probably for the best that she was alone with Kaleona again now. Dealing with such egotistical companions would have been fatal to their quest.

The horses trotted down the narrow path. They were no special animals, rather small and with coats in a common nut-brown. Rafel had assured them, however, that they were enduring. Not suitable for battle or races, but certainly with the stamina for long journeys.

At least they knew the landscape here well. They needed barely any commands at all from their riders to follow the path. The day was grey, still dominated by low-hanging clouds that moved quickly across the sky. Inland, they could see the cloud cover tearing open here and there, letting through bright rays of sunlight and blue sky. With a little luck, they would be able to avoid another rain shower, and the sky would continue to clear up.

Better weather did nothing to put the landscape into a better light, though. Quite to the contrary – the pale light matched the barren landscape well. The soil was light-coloured and stony.



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