Jessica Jackson
Stories
5
Chapters
1,060
Words
656.8 K
Comments
0
Reading
2 d, 6 h
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Ten days after arrival, Brand stood in the courtyard shortly after sunrise. Hitherto, he and Jana had spent their time much like on the first day, mingling at court. Now, he met a housecarl to accompany him outside; for the first time, Brand would be leaving the castle, though without Jana. “Haki,” Brand said with a nod in greeting. “Arnarson,” the housecarl replied. “I was told to accompany you. Where are we going?” Brand raised his eyebrows. “They did not tell you?” Haki…
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The bell rang, summoning the inhabitants of the castle to the evening meal. The courtiers gathered in the hall, waiting for the king to arrive; Jana and Brand were among their number, attracting stares. A few housecarls stood nearby; while they also kept their eye on Brand, their expressions denoted caution rather than curiosity. Although Brand had been given the courtesy of remaining armed at court, the housecarls remained vigilant. The king arrived, flanked by his son and daughter. Aged around thirty,…
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After their meeting with the king’s counsellor, Brand and Jana were shown to the quarters made ready for them. A small wing with a chamber for each, connected by a parlour. Furniture and space appeared scarce, but this was no slight towards the pair; in Dvaros, most rooms tended to be small. Although confined to the castle, their quarters were not meant to insinuate imprisonment; even visiting jarls would not receive better. As soon as the servant leading the way had left them, Brand checked the bolt on…
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They sailed through the nights, as the wind allowed; the oarsmen needed sleep, after all. The stars provided guidance for the captain or his helmsman, as they steered the longship across the open sea of Drake Run. On the second day, small islands could be spotted on the horizon. All of them had their villages and towns, little harbours of fishing boats and moored longships, and each isle was ruled by its own jarl. The ship from Fortönn paid them no heed, having enough supplies to continue to the journey…
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The Teeth stretched from the mainland in the east to the island of Fortönn in the west. In most parts, they were little more than reefs or shallow spots of land, treacherous to all vessels that dared brave them. Yet some did, smuggling goods through the narrow straits to be sent further south. In response, the ships of Thusund patrolled the Teeth in swift, light longships, able to traverse the dangerous waters with unmatched speed. The harbour of Fortönn provided a home for the longships and their crew.…
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Maleth had neither size nor significance to be surrounded by walls. Various roads led into the town, with most traffic entering from the south. A pittance of farmland and pastures provided food for the inhabitants along with a few other goods; beyond that, most survived on the fish brought in from the sea. It was hard to see why there would ever be caravans moving between this settlement and Alcázar except for one reason. Maleth lay close to the treacherous straits known as the Teeth. Passing through…
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When Brand woke, his eyes slowly moved to survey his surroundings. By his right side, a pole was raised, holding up a tent. He had blankets beneath and one above him. His left arm lay atop, and his hand was being held by someone else. Moving his head slightly, he followed the foreign hand up the arm to find Jana’s sleeping form next to him. He opened his lips but managed only a croak. Instead, he squeezed her hand several times until she stirred. “Brand,” she exhaled. “I am so relieved.” She…
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A desolate region lay between the South Cities along the coast of the Mydlonde Sea and the Langstan to the north. The people of Alcázar called it a desert in memory of the great dunes south of the Mydlonde Sea, whereas the Mearcians styled it as the southern wastelands. It rained only scarcely, and the ground swallowed all water greedily until nothing remained; no rivers or brooks flowed through the wastelands. It was rocks and cliffs with barely a blade of grass. Only a few hardy tribes of nomads lived…
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Once they could no longer be seen from the city walls, the fleeing pair turned away from the main road. Instead, they rode at a slower pace through the farmlands surrounding Alcázar; most of it was occupied by fruit trees able to survive the long summers with little rain. When they had not seen another living being for a while, Brand halted the horse. “We should walk a while. We have already exhausted our steed, galloping while carrying two.” “As you say.” Jana dismounted and extended one hand…
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The princess, the prisoner, and their horse hastened away from the palace. With pained expression and some difficulty, Brand got on the steed, sparing his leg. He pulled Jana up behind him, and they rode away. Few were on the streets at night in the north-western part around the Kabir’s palace; they passed through what seemed an empty and eerie city. Once they had distance between themselves and any possible pursuers, Brand steered the horse away from the main streets and into the medinas near the…
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