The Brotherhood of Dwarves: Book 01 - The Brotherhood of Dwarves
Page 19
That evening, Molgheon came to Roskin before he fell asleep and gave him his sword. She had meant to give it to him all that day, but they had both been too busy with their tasks. Roskin stared at the blade, the enormity of his emotions overcoming him, and he fought against the tears that pooled in his eyes.
“Forgive me for all this,” Roskin said, looking down at her boots.
“Grussard was my friend, poor thing,” Molgheon replied. “But he knew the risk when he sold this to you.”
“I never meant for him to die or you to lose your home.”
“That wasn’t my home, just a place to grow old and die.”
“I was foolish.”
“Yes, you were, but you’ve paid for it. I saw you on that post. It’s a hard sight to see a fellow dwarf beat up like that.”
“They broke me with the lash.”
“When Carloghone died, I was broken, too.”
“Will I ever beat this?”
Molgheon shrugged and looked away, her eyes distant.
“Is Bordorn well? Has he healed?”
“I don’t know. I followed the slave trader just after you left. As far as I know, he’s still there.”
“Once we get these people to safety, I’m going to take him home. He doesn’t belong among those outcasts.”
Molgheon sat beside him on the soft grass and leaned back on her elbows. She stared at the stars for several minutes without speaking, which made Roskin uncomfortable. He wanted to break the awkward silence, but her expression was so serene that he didn’t want to disturb whatever pleasant emotion had overcome her.
“Between battles, Carloghone used to talk about what he wanted to do when the war was over,” she said, still looking at the stars. “He wanted to rebuild every town and village that we saw, and he sometimes talked about going south to help the Tredjards against the orcs. I thought he was a fool. All I wanted was to survive the war and have a family when it was over. You reminded me of him just now with your talk of helping others. Strange how things turned out.”
“At least we all survived this war,” Roskin offered.
“That was just a battle. The orcs will chase us to Kehldeon if they have to. Then, we’ll see how many of us have survived.”
With that, she stood and bade Roskin a good night. All around him, campfires danced and sparked against night, and the sounds of laughter and long-stifled conversations blended into a soothing symphony. He was shaken by the thought of being chased by these orcs, but he would gladly fight them when the opportunity came. He held up his sword and looked at it in the faint light. Its handle felt right in his palm, and he was glad to feel it again – the curve of the guard against his right hand, the slight give of the leather when he squeezed the pommel, the perfect balance from tip to tang. While the ancient throwing axes were crafted from better metal and were a superior grade of weapon, the sword somehow fit him better. He traced his left index finger along one of the fullers and whispered thanks to Grussard for forging it so well.
D.A. Adams Bio-presented by Christopher Rico
D. A. Adams is a novelist, a farmer, an instructor of English, and in my estimation, a true gentleman. His breakout fantasy series, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, transcends genre and illuminates the human soul in all its flashes of glory and innumerable failings. His ability as a storyteller breathes life into every character, and his craftsmanship as a writer makes these stories about relationships; human or otherwise.
He is active on the Con circuit and has contributed writing to literary as well as fine art publications, and maintains his active blog, The Ramblings of DA Adams. He lives and works in East Tennessee, and is the very proud father of two sons, Collin and Finn.
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
About the Author
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