“Harsh words for a man you think so highly of,” Hrothgar said. Alfhilde seethed inside, but kept her lid on, though her words came out fast and clipped. “Highly? I think nothing beyond that he is our best hope of … Continue reading →

Alfhilde huffed. “We will see about that.” Turning to Sif and putting on a smile, she said, “That’s all.” Sif picked up her pace to walk next to Falthejn, while Sif slowed her step until she was walking with Hrothgar. … Continue reading →

Falthejn shrugged. “Before we knew the dangers of magic, we had only the Twelve’s warning that its unsanctioned use meant death, and their wrath if we tolerated it. Now that we know the truth, your choices are a great deal … Continue reading →

Falthejn raised an eyebrow, and Sif had the uncomfortable feeling that he saw right through her. “Though we grew up in different circumstances,” he remarked, “in many ways, you are very much like a younger me. You know very well … Continue reading →

Sif only half-heard Falthejn’s reply. Poisoned? Her mind whirled. Without him, they weren’t safe, and, not to put too fine a point on it, she had no future. The tone of the conversation changed, and she picked up the thread … Continue reading →

They ran, crashing through the underbrush, until they reached the road. They turned north. After what seemed to Sif like an eternity, Falthejn slowed to a walk. She gratefully accepted her pack from Hrothgar, and winced at the stitch in … Continue reading →

Sif spun and screamed as leaves and twigs showered over her. The monsters looked her straight in the eye, and she scrambled backward, slipping and falling. Then, she felt a tugging at her mind, and suddenly, she saw the true … Continue reading →

Time slowed to a crawl. For Falthejn, the phrase occupied the middle ground between a figure of speech and the honest truth. It happened sometimes when a situation suddenly took a turn for the complex, some trick of the intersection … Continue reading →

An ontling pulled itself up over the edge, dirt clodded between its claws, and let out a hissing scream as it threw itself at Falthejn. The diviner moved, snakelike, and the ontling fell a yard past him, blood soaking into … Continue reading →