a brief excerpt from After the Fall of Darkness
Krish walked into the hall, sat down on
a bench in the corner, and closed his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled
and stained from the long hours spent with the healers. Carnac walked
over and put a mug of ale in front of Krish and sat down, waiting.
Krish opened an eye, looked at Carnac and sighed. He took a long pull
from the mug and wiped his mustaches on a tattered
sleeve.
‘Thanks,’ he said, ‘where is everyone
else?’
‘Brandor and Martek are doing guard duty, Storm
and Logar are out back in the privy, too much ale you know,’ said
Carnac.
Krish finished his ale and laid his head back. Carnac
walked over to the barrel and filled the mug again and sat back down.
Logar and Storm walked in and filled their mugs and sat down next to
Carnac.
‘How is Raif?’ asked Logar.
‘She’ll
live, a few more scars,’ Krish said, ‘but she’ll live.’
‘Thank you for what you did,’ said Logar.
‘I just
helped, it is Sam who is doing all the work,’ Krish said, ‘but
for her, many more would have died today.’
Logar nodded and
stared over his mug at a smiling Storm. Finishing the mug, Logar
stood and walked out the door. Storm chuckled, drank off his mug and
followed, winking at Carnac and Krish.
‘Vaughn still with
the prisoners?’ asked Krish.
‘Where else would he be, he
is angry enough for ten men,’ said Carnac.
‘Cain and
Caldor are still missing, they were not part of the wounded,’ said
Krish, ‘Where is Calorn?’
‘He is sulking in the stable,
something about his lost of honor,’ said Carnac.
Krish
looked hard at Carnac, who just shrugged and stood up, stretching.
Krish stood and walked out the door. Calorn could be touchy about his
honor to the point of being belligerent, and that was the last thing
they needed right now after the disaster of the past few days of
battle. Krish felt tired as he walked toward the stable, this day
was never going to end.
The stable was the best building in
the camp and yet it was so worn down it was a wonder any horse would
enter. But there was plenty of fodder and they built the camp over a
well full of good, clean water. A couple of horses were drinking from
the trough and Riggs was brushing down a horse at the entrance as
Carnac and Krish walked up.
‘Calorn, are you in there?’
asked Krish. It was always a good rule to announce your present to
warriors of any clan, especially someone with wounded pride, like
Calorn..
‘Come on out and have a drink with us,’ yelled
Carnac. Krish turned and looked at Carnac. There was no
answer.
‘Calorn are you in there?’ asked Krish, walking
through the doorway.
‘Aye, I am here, what do you want
Krish?’ said Calorn from the shadows.
‘The day has been
long, we are all tired and need a break,’ said Krish, 'come on over
to the hall and have a mug of ale.’
‘I don’t want any
ale or company today,’ said Calorn.
Krish looked over at
Carnac and shrugged. Carnac was edgy, pacing back and forth in the
doorway. Calorn looked up from where he was cleaning his boots and
glared at Carnac. There was something here and Krish couldn’t
figure it out.
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