Valkyria

Valkyria

All Rights Reserved

Copyright 2015©
Gareth Torrance

Published by
Ink Blood Publishing

All Rights Reserved. This Book May Not
Be Reproduced, Transmitted, Or Stored In Whole Or Part Or In Part
By Any Means, Including Graphic, Electronic, Or Mechanical Without
The Express Written Consent Of The Publisher Except In The Case Of
Brief Quotations Embodied In Critical Articles And
Reviews.

*~*~*

*~*~*

DEDICATION

To my darling daughter, whose smile
gave me the drive and strength to finish this book. You are truly
the greatest inspiration I could ever have asked for.

*~*~*

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Epilogue

About the
Author

Sneak Preview

*~*~*

1

ALEXIA

“
It is said that when you
are born, you are touched by the Arcana and that it will guide you
through life to your death.”

“
Exactly, Alexia,” said
Priestess Erey. “I am glad to see you have been studying. Such a
better child than your brother.” Alexia glanced up at Ma’am Erey’s
face, a blanket of white, wrinkled and weathered by an age alone on
the secluded island that was Suhran.

“
My brother is far too
concerned with the local wildlife. Rather than educate himself so
that he might go to Argent or Kihro to earn money for food, he
would prefer to drag a lifeless carcass into this small village to
show his prowess.”

Ma’am Erey stood from the table in a
sudden and swift motion most unbefitting of one her age. A deep
breath followed as she grasped the chair she had just left, her
body swaying like a leaf in a breeze for a few seconds before she
walked across the wooden hut toward a small stone stove.

“
Well my dear, thank you
for reminding me about my supper. I was cooking a lovely wolf rump
stew if you and brother should be interested later in the day. For
now though, we have studied enough. Perhaps you could leave an old
lady to her meal and find young Einar. Please scold him for
me.”

Alexia tilted her head in
acknowledgement before rising from the table in a manner quite the
opposite of Ma’am Erey. As she stood, her rags of cloth fell neatly
into a purple dress whose color had dulled over the years. She
adjusted the small piece of fabric she used as a hair tie so that
the lilac material looked like a flower in her hair.

She moved to the door, itself having
seen far better days, being older than Ma’am Erey, before grasping
that oak handle and turning it. As the door creaked open her eyes
were welcomed with a screen of white before finally adjusting to
the natural light. Ma’am Erey never opened her windows, instead
using candlelight for fear the sun would make her older
still.

“
What took you such a great
length of time?”

The deep voice that filled her ears was
more becoming of a bear or some giant of a man, but instead she
simply saw her brother. His black rags were covered by his white
hunting cloak, and the daggers he had found in their Uncle’s
storage chest as a boy hung at his side.

“
If you ever lifted your
finger for anything except an animal you wouldn’t have to ask that,
dear brother.” The deliberate tone of her voice made Einar shake
his head.

“
Right now, beloved
sister,” he said, using the same tone. “We have far more important
issues than some forgotten old crone babbling about hogwash like
gods. We have no food left, and the gods aren’t helping with that,
now are they?”

“
Actually, brother, they
are.” She smiled as her eyebrows lowered. “Ma’am Erey has made wolf
rump stew and offered it to us today.” She expected a look of sheer
delight to appear on her brother’s face but instead he just
sighed.

“
You do not understand. We
will have no food for a week.”

“
Then go and get some like
you always do. What is the problem?”

“
The problem,” said Einar,
“is that I cannot move the meat cart by myself and Rin is in Saylae
for five more days, or have you forgotten he is getting
married?”

Alexia paused, her mouth open and
awaiting a clever and sly response that simply never came. She had
forgotten about Master Rin’s wedding. The old fool had found a
young bride more beautiful than any girl Alexia had seen, but then
she hadn’t seen that many. Of course, Einar was right. There was no
way he could move the meat cart such a distance by himself,
especially when it was full.

“
So what will you
do?”

“
I think you mean to say
‘what will we do’.” The words ran like crude humour into Alexia’s
ears. He couldn’t possibly be serious, could he? His face, however,
was stern like the wolves he killed. He was.

“
I do not,” she spurted
out, lacking a more refined answer. “I have not hunted before, as
you well now! It is dangerous!”

“
Yet if you do not start
now,” said Einar, “we will have no food for at least five
days.”

The young girl glanced over at the oak
wall that lined Caim Village. The wall itself rose up at least
three times the height of her brother, but the gates were only
twice the height. However, those gates had protected her since she
was but a babe. Even now, she was only just sixteen and Ma’am Erey
always said that beyond the gates were places only those who had
reached adulthood should tread.

“
Alexia, please,” Einar
said, stealing her train of thought.

“
I know the old bat keeps
telling you it’s dangerous to go out in the woods but that’s just
because she’s too scared to leave her own damned hut. Rin and I
have been going out there every day for a year together, and before
that he went out every day by himself for five years. Besides, it’s
not as if you would be unarmed. You could take that stick the
merchant’s boy gave you for your birthday.”

“
Stick!?” Alexia’s face
twisted and contorted into a face resembling the monstrosities in
Ma’am Erey’s books.

“
Fine,” interrupted
Einar.

“
The lovingly carved shaft
of wood that was given to you by a boy who wanted nothing more than
your maidenhood and whom you will never see again and who probably
just found it laying around somewhere anyway.”

“
Einar, how dare you talk
of Jon that way? He was a kind and gentle fellow who really cared
for me.”

“
No, Alexia. He acted like
he cared for you and then went back to his master’s tent to talk
with him about your shape.”

“
Enough!” It took all her
strength not to raise an open hand to his face. He was wrong about
Jon, he had to be. “If we need food I will help you with the cart,
but you will not talk of Jon is such a manner. Do you
understand?”

Einar simply rolled his eyes as Alexia
swung herself away from him. Walking briskly along the stone dust
that was supposed to be the main path through Caim Village, she
remembered young Jon’s face. He had been a new adult when he and
his master came into the village. His hair had flung in the wind
and glistened like gold threads, and he wore such finery that she
had not seen in her life.