BLOG TOUR STOP~ A STORY OF RIVER by Lina Axe

A Story of River


TITLE: A Story of River
AUTHOR: Lina Axe





Synopsis 

  Aelryk’s kingdom is under attack by monsters conjured by a dark sorcerer. His only hope lies far to the west, where a powerful water elemental is rumored to dwell. Along the way, he joins forces with the Wild Elves, who were once his enemy. They alone can lead him through the dangers of the Wildlands. Together, they must journey to a mysterious land of eternal spring and return before the kingdom is overrun by evil.



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EXCERPT
Chapter 2

“I won’t do it. They’re murderers. They’re not to be trusted!” Mel didn’t care that he was raising his voice at the clan overseer. He detested the men of Na’zora, and he would never forgive their crimes against his people.
“Yes you will. You will go without a doubt,” the overseer said with a smug sense of satisfaction. “Thinal is going.”
Mel glanced over at Thinal. Her dark eyes turned to Mel and danced with playfulness as her mouth turned up into a mischievous grin. Mel was speechless with frustration. He stormed from the overseer’s hut.
“Mel, wait!” Thinal had followed him from the hut. “You’re not really mad are you?”
Mel sighed and looked up at his mate. “You know I could never really be mad at you, but this is dangerous. These men can’t be trusted. The best we can hope for is an easy chance to kill them all.”
“Oh, Mel. Where’s your sense of adventure?” She took his hands in hers and laughed playfully. “There has been peace for many years now. They have tried to make amends, and they’ve been fair with us. I’m not defending the past, but I don’t see any reason to fear them now.”
“I’m not afraid!” he shouted. Lowering his voice, he added, “I just don’t trust them. We’re expendable to them. We can’t expect their help if trouble finds us in the Wildlands.”
“You mean when it finds us.” She smiled and drew her sword from her back. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll protect you.”
Mel laughed and threw an arm around her waist, drawing her towards him. He kissed her passionately, and all his reservations about the upcoming journey fell away. His love for Thinal was much stronger than any emotion he had felt. She was impulsive and adventurous, his exact opposite, but he loved her. If she was going, he would always follow.
“So,” she said. “Should we get back in there and start planning for our trip?”
“They can wait an hour or two.” He grinned and led her towards their hut. Making love with Thinal was far more important than planning a trip with a couple of human emissaries.
The men had come seeking aid from the Wild Elves. They needed scouts who could track and locate the monsters now inhabiting the Wildlands. There was no better scout than Mel.

* * * * *

Afternoon came as Mel and Thinal lay in each other’s arms. Thinal awoke and kissed Mel on the nose. He stirred and rolled onto his back. “Wake up, sleepy!” She slapped him on the chest. He startled awake and sat straight up. Thinal got out of the bed and began to dress. “Come on now,” she said. “We have a journey to prepare for.”
Mel slowly left the bed and began to dress. “Maybe they’ll decide they don’t trust us and they’ll piss off back home.” He knew they wouldn’t. All Wild Elves were experts on the forests and the creatures that dwell within it. New creatures, evil ones, had begun appearing. So far they had left the Wild Elves in peace, but traders at the borderlands had sent word of the beasts attacking the outlying villages of Na’zora. With his own eyes, Mel had seen these beasts passing north of the Elven border. They were surely driven by some unnatural force. Not once did he see them stop to take food or drink. They ran on towards Na’zora, and if the rumors could be believed, slaughtered the humans relentlessly and dragged others away.
Together they walked out of their hut and saw preparations being made for the evening feast. The emissaries from Na’zora were being treated as honored guests. Mel was disgusted. Here were representatives from a kingdom that had slaughtered his kind in the past. Now they pretended to be friends. They brought fine gifts with them including some jewels and fancy metal dishes. He wondered what good such things could possibly do for his people. Such gifts were entirely useless to them. Everything the Silver Birch Clan needed was supplied by its members. Food, shelter, clothing, weapons, and tools were all they needed. Spice and sugar gifts would have been acceptable. But these items he could get trading furs at the borderland markets. He didn’t need emissaries to bring them.
The Overseer was sitting on a woven chair outside his hut. He beckoned with his hand for Mel and Thinal to come over. Mel contemplated stabbing himself in the thigh to avoid the upcoming conversation. Just suck it up, he thought. Thinal was excited about the chance for adventure, and as usual, Mel would indulge her. He could never refuse his love anything.
“Mel, I’d like you to meet the emissaries from Na’zora.” He gestured to the two men seated on a low log bench to his right. “This is Loren and that is Mi’tal. You will be helping them track the unfamiliar beasts in hopes of finding their kidnapped citizens.”
“Surely there are others coming as well,” Mi’tal said.
“No, just Mel and his mate Thinal. Mel is an excellent tracker and Thinal is our finest sword maiden. You may consider her help a bonus.” The Overseer smiled smugly at the men.
Mi’tal looked back at Loren, and they both seemed disappointed. One scout, even a very clever one, to cover all the Wildlands wasn’t going to be a speedy process.
“Don’t look so disappointed,” Mel said. “I already know where your citizens have been taken. I’ve seen the creatures heading in and out of Al’marr.”
Loren rose to his feet, his temper flaring. “You’ve seen this and made no attempt to stop it?” he shouted. “Coward!” The two guards who had been standing around observing the other elves' activities took notice of Loren’s tone and came to his side. Their hands rested on their swords in preparation for a fight.
Mel drew his knives from his belt as the Overseer stood and said, “Please, let’s be reasonable here. My Lord Loren, you can’t expect one elf to fight an entire pack of ferocious beasts. A few of our clansmen have seen these creatures, but all of them were alone at the time. We hunt using stealth, but once an arrow is loosed, all hope for secrecy is gone. Then one must face whatever threat is in front of him. You cannot expect a solitary hunter to carry out a rescue attempt.”
“Forgive me.” Loren looked down at the ground and then back to Mel. “I understand, and I apologize for my behavior.” The guards became visibly more relaxed as their hands moved away from their swords and hung casually at their sides.
Slowly, Mel sheathed his knives. “The bigger question is, what do you expect me to do?”
Mi’tal spoke this time. “We need to get a basic idea of these creatures. We need to know their movements, their behavior, and where exactly they are hiding our citizens. Most importantly, we must learn if the kidnapped citizens are being kept alive somewhere that we might rescue them.”
“Seriously? You’ve come all this way for that? I find it difficult to believe you have no scouts among men who are capable.” Mel was more than a little annoyed.
“There are no men in Na’zora with such an in-depth knowledge of the Wildlands. We patrol near our borders, but we very rarely venture far beyond that. Your people are knowledgeable of the area and highly skilled in tracking, so we’ve come to you. I can promise you that King Aelryk will reward you greatly for your help.”
The Overseer, who had been sitting quietly, finally spoke up. “We ask for no other reward than the continuation of peace with your kingdom.”
“No,” Mel said. “If I’m the one going, I ask for the reward of settlements for my people anywhere within the Wildlands. You have restricted us here in these forests and declared the rest of the Wildlands as off limits except for hunting. Our numbers are growing since the wars have stopped, and we need more land to settle. If I provide this service and help you to save the lives of your people, I will expect your king to consider my request.”
“You have my oath, Mel,” Mi’tal said. “You will have an audience with my king as soon as this matter is settled.” His blue eyes seemed sincere, and he extended his hand towards Mel. Mel nodded and shook Mi’tal’s hand. He did not trust men, but he was willing to give this one a chance. There was no way to talk Thinal out of going on this journey, so he may as well try to make the best of it.

Meet the Author 

lana axe with frame
  After eight years of jotting notes and building a fantasy world, she has finally begun releasing novels in her Tales of Nōl'Deron series. They will feature many of the same characters, but each novel will stand alone. She hopes to have her second novel completed in Fall 2013.



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