Swords with Souls
A Medieval Fantasy Fiction Story
(Adult Content)
By Dan Watt
(Author of the Children of the Myth Machine series)
(Author of the Plagueborn series)
A Giant’s Sword
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Madame Swan squints through the drizzle and recognizes the young woman even though she wears a dark green cowl and is hidden three-quarters behind a poplar tree. The girl is holding a cross-bow. Madame Swan strokes the side of Flyste’s neck and whispers soothing words towards the Cleveland Bay mare’s ears. Beside her is Crimthann on his destrier, a horse similar to his nephew’s. Crimthann also pats his horse but says nothing as he stares emotionally straight ahead.
“Auden,” Madame Swan calls.
“You look worse for wear, Madame Swan,” she hears Auden shout through the drizzle. “Is that Crimthann with you?”
“It is,” she replies and shivers. The air is getting cold.
“You can pass. There’s a fire at the lodge. You remember how to get there from here?”
“Thank you,” Crimthann says, “But I must go to my nephew’s farm and find out what news there is.” He leans over so that their horses shift side-to-side and kisses her lips fully. “I’ll return soon, my love.”
She strokes his left cheek and says, “Make it sooner.”
As Crimthann’s destrier trots away, she sees Auden pull out a bone pipe flute and play a specific sequence.
“They’ll know someone important is coming,” Auden tells her.
“Things are much more dangerous now, Auden. Be more alert than normal,” she says and gently nudges Flyste to trot ahead.
The path she follows is not well worn and designed to slow movement. There are no cart tracks suggesting only horses and people are meant to enter.
As she gets closer to the valley village, she sees a stone and mortar wall is being built. A few wooden towers, far behind the wall but not too far back to shoot arrows have been erected since the last time she was here. There’s an iron gate attached to one side of the wall. Two women pull it open as she rides closer.
People I Follow
Military Officer, Miss Canada, Busker, Humanitarian
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