Map Section of Terrus

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Prologue

The little girl screamed loudly, angry at the rough jostling of the speeding wagon. Hannah hugged the baby close to her chest, hoping the wailing would soon subside. If only they could reach the border, then maybe they’d stand a chance of escaping. So many people had given their lives just to get this far, and the three of them were all that was left.

She looked at her companion sitting beside her, panic starting to set in. “Jerin, why are we slowing down?”

He shot her a worried look and shook his head. “The damned horses are reaching their limit. They’ve been run near to death.”

She looked behind them and saw the group of men fast approaching. Over a dozen, astride their mounts and armed for battle. She knew that it was the end of their journey, and though they put forth a valiant effort, it simply wast enough.

She sighed in resignation. “Stop the wagon.”

He looked at her incredulously. “What?”

She looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “They’re after the baby, not us. If we give her up, they might let us live.”

Her words apparently struck a chord within him and he pulled the reins, slowing them to a stop. She could hear him muttering curses under his breath, obviously angry at their perceived failure. He was proud and determined, but he was also smart enough to know that she was right. They really had no other choice at the moment.

Within a matter of minutes the riders were surrounding the wagon, their horses frothing at the mouth from running so hard. Their leader, clad in a heavy mail gilded and adorned with precious metals and gems, removed his helm and sat it astride his saddle. He was an older man, with graying hair and a clean shaven face, with an air of superiority about him.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Do you know who I am?” he said flatly.

Hannah shook her head. “She said mercenaries from Andesty might come after her and the baby.”

He chuckled unsettlingly. “They did. The first ones I sent gave her that, and the second group died trying to take it back. I decided to take the matter into my own hands this time.”

She realized a brief moment later what the man was telling her. She scrambled off the wagon and knelt on the ground, holding the baby towards him. “My lord, please, we had no idea it was you.”

Lord Alric motioned one of his men to take the baby from her, which she gladly passed over. She had no idea how to even care for this child, having the responsibility thrust upon her so suddenly. And what was it even for? A reward that may or may not even exist?

He got off the horse and pointed to the ground in front of him. “Both of you, kneel before me.”

She moved to the spot he indicated and knelt before the lord of Andesty. Jerin joined her side a moment later, slowly kneeling down to the ground. She knew that he didn’t want to show subservience to any man, but for her, he’d do anything to keep her safe. She reached out and held his hand, silently communicating her love for him.

“I see you two love each other,” he said, smiling down upon them. “I admit. I was very displeased to find the lady’s charred bones, but your former companions told me she died after giving birth. A tragedy.”

Hannah looked at him and nodded. “It was my lord. She asked to be cremated, but we didn’t dare to stay long enough to bury the bones.”

“Well, what’s done is done,” he said, removing his gloves and tossing them aside. “You both tried to honor her wishes and I find that commendable. I will show mercy by allowing you to live out your lives together.”

Hannah smiled up at him and started to speak, but he held a hand up to silence her.

“Did the lady name the child before she passed?” he asked.

“She did my lord,” the woman said, beaming up at him. “She named the girl Danica.”

“Danica?” He repeated it a few times. “Interesting name.”

A brief flash of movement, like a bolt of lightning, and Alric stood before them, his sword displayed in all its glory. She tried to speak, but found her voice no longer seemed to work. She turned to Jerin, a look of shock upon his face, and saw the crimson line across his neck widening out. She grabbed at him and held him close, scared of what waited for her beyond this mortal coil.

The light began to fade away and the last thing she heard, before death’s cold embrace, was the wailing cries of that innocent baby girl.