Epilogue   With No Man’s Land finally behind them, Pa’hu let out a long whoop of elation from deep within his gut. This was echoed by more than fifty thousand Northerners, a sound that pierced the crisp, cool air like one of their feathered arrows. At his side were Cawa, his personal beliei, and Vergud, who was beating his chest as he wore the grin of ten men. Soon after saving Pa’hu’s life from the uoko, he had been made daroo, most trusted of warriors. Is Tendrils of Darkness new to you? Click here to go to Chapter 1. For the first time since leaving their home, the Northerners of t ..read more

Final Confrontation   Years of sentinel training had taught Daen that there was only one replacement for careful planning and patience—dumb luck. They would need plenty of it to get through today. No sooner had they left the sea of encampments behind than a single rider came into view. It was too dark for him to make out the features of the rider, but the king obviously knew him well enough to recognize him by little more than his silhouette. Is Tendrils of Darkness new to you? Click here to go to Chapter 1. “Rives,” called His Majesty. “Is that you?” Rives came a little closer befor ..read more

Secrets Revealed   Circling Copius, the owlbear appeared to loosen up, taking long, thunderous strides. He dared not get back within close quarters of the beast; his still-throbbing back was a reminder of that. He shifted his feet and readied himself for the next altercation. Darkness had set in, and only a handful of torches lit their skirmish. An awful squawking startled him. Shrill, repetitive chirps—it took him a moment to realize they came from the owlbear. On the eighth ear-pummeling screech, the creature charged with such ferocity that the entire crowd held its breath. Is Tendr ..read more

Uncomfortable Questions   “This is Prince Peldrin’s tent, not King Reginald’s,” said the sentry. Daen had assumed the giant tent in middle of the royal pavilion would be what they were looking for. “My apologies,” he said, starting away. “Hey,” the guard called after him, “where’s your palrock?” Is Tendrils of Darkness new to you? Click here to go to Chapter 1. With that one question, their carefully laid plans unraveled. Preoccupied by controlling the crowd Cahrin and Copius had drawn, the guards hadn’t noticed Daen remove one of the spikes holding the wall of the pavilion to the gr ..read more

Misdirection   “Too many moving parts,” Sel grumbled under his breath as he edged his horse along the road. At least, that’s what his father would have said. As a tinkerer of sorts, he believed the simpler, the better. Selgrin couldn’t agree more. Take this plan of Daen’s. As a whole it had merit, but on closer inspection it was a disaster waiting to happen. One misstep or unanticipated event and they all could end up dead. Is Tendrils of Darkness new to you? Click here to go to Chapter 1. The worst of it was relying on Raven. The man would turn against them in an instant if it got h ..read more

A Precarious Plan   “Look who I brought,” Zeph announced, arriving on horseback with a darkly cloaked figure Cahrin recognized at once. “I sort of saved his life—and he, mine.” Selgrin groaned. “Raven!” Copius stood up to give greeting. “It’s g-good to have you back.” Is Tendrils of Darkness new to you? Click here to go to Chapter 1. Despite what the others thought, Cahrin had rather been hoping to see the illusionist again. She had never met a ghasiv so unflinching in his resolve. Raven returned no pleasantries. Scanning those present, he hesitated at Biltrin. “Can he be trusted?” Z ..read more

Schie Kalro   It took three more days to climb the mountainside where the Rulakon made their home, days that would have been better spent marching the clans toward Asormo. Azren would not welcome the delay, though Pa’hu could hardly care. He’d come to dislike Azren and his minions almost as much as the ghasiv. His appointed emissary to the Northerners, Kreeb, was crafty like a fox. His shrewd moves had so far worked to Pa’hu’s advantage, but he knew this would not always be the case. The feelings of Azren and his kind were ephemeral. Friend could turn to foe as quickly as an ice storm ca ..read more

The Start of a War     “You see, it all started last fall,” Biltrin began. The others formed a circle around him. Zeph scooted in—he always did love a good story. “There was a growing worry among the merchants with the number of caravan raids going on.” “Most of the Western Kingdoms’ wealth comes from trade the merchant caravans bring, so King Reginald is keen to solve this problem. At first, everyone thinks the raids are coming from a band of brigands. Then something interesting happens: Rives—you know, the head of PIKE—he tells Prince Peldrin that his goods are being looted by sol ..read more

The Crow’s Message     Raven had expected a death sentence. What he got was his own bulstan keeper: an imposing warden who watched over him even during his sleep, never more than a dozen steps away. No longer was Raven a guest. He was trapped, unable to leave the confines of the campsite. If that wasn’t enough, Gyste had been acting like a spoiled child, avoiding even the simplest attempt at conversation. This was unfortunate. Raven had grown to accept the kobold’s company. In fact, the days prior were the first in memory that he welcomed anyone’s presence. Now he was very much on h ..read more

Wolf Encounter   Zeph was beginning to think Biltrin had taken one too many knocks to the head. Who goes charging off alone into a pack of blood hungry wolves, anyway? It was always the quiet ones that ended up foaming at the mouth—and when Biltrin did talk, it was about that soldier’s code of his and for the king’s ears only. Worse, the insanity seemed infectious. Selgrin followed Biltrin’s lead, and not a moment later Copius too broke toward the tree line. “No!” Daen yelled, causing Copius to pause. “Stay by the fire. We do not have the numbers to survive otherwise.” Copius pressed his ..read more