ounce of muscle he possessed. Then maybe Isla would be safe at home instead of…
He wiped the corner of his eye, straightened and focussed on the next stop. He could not change the past, only work on the future and learn what he could of Blackvale Castle and share it with his son who sought to rescue Isla.
A few miles farther, he stopped at a modest cottage and his brother stepped out the front door. “Gavin, you brought the sunshine,” said Darby.
“It followed me.” He secured the reins, set the waggon brake and lifted a sack from behind the seat. “As did these raspberry brownies. Maisie thought you and Cora would enjoy a treat.”
“I too have a treat,” said Darby. He motioned him inside the dwelling. Once over the threshold, he closed the door. “It is not much,” he whispered, “but it is something.”
“What?” Gavin waited, hoping for good news.
“Word from Glen Tosh says a prisoner has escaped from Blackvale and has made her way home.”
“Do we know her?”
He shook his head. “A distant friend of Imogen. They paid a ransom for her return.”
“So contact has finally been made.”
Alaura of Niamh
Hauflin/human, healer, born in Petra North, lived in Maskil, first appeared in chapter 1 of Shadows in the Stone
A voice shattered the stillness of the night. Alaura of Niamh pressed against the stone structure and waited, drawing her cloak around her. The village of Insihmore existed on the edge of Forest of Caucy. The inhabitants were humans and elves and a mixture of both races interbred. Its history of archaic magic and secrecy hadn’t brought Alaura to its cobblestone lanes. Instead, the stories of a half-elf who had once been imprisoned at Blackvale Castle lured her to the isolated location.
Her contact spoke about an elder who lived near the centre of the village in an abode carved into a mammoth boulder. The entire village subsisted within the rock, homes carved in or built around stone. Alaura had never seen a place such as this. From afar, the settlement appeared small and insignificant but upon entering, she realised the countless knolls were the roofs of homes and businesses.
Alaura sneaked down the lane. Moments later, she paused at the base of a ladder leading to an oval door—Elwyn’s door. A dim light glowed within the peaceful dwelling. Her contact had said the woman was harmless to those with good intentions, deadly to others.
Sources across Ath-o’Lea had spoken of her fiery temper and her quickness to judge, making Alaura hesitate. This elf, well-versed in magic, may judge her incorrectly. Still, she had to meet with her, gather the intelligence needed to learn Blackvale Castle’s secrets. Perhaps good fortune would grant her an audience with the former prisoner. To save Isla from the same prison, she’d ask the impossible.
She stepped onto the first of five rungs, making her way to the doorway slowly. Before she gathered the courage to knock, the door flung open, revealing a venerable woman who gawked at her with more curiosity than concern.
Captain of the Guard Zipporah Sanderson
Human, captain of the guard with Aruam Castle guard, first appeared in chapter 4 of Shadows in the Stone
The door opened, delivering an icy wind into the guard house. Zipporah Sanderson shivered. The captain of the guard was ill dressed for the frigid weather.
“Sir.” Sawney closed the door and brushed snow from his shoulders. “It’s brisk out there.”
“With the clouds breaking and a clear sky ahead, it will be a colder night.” Sanderson fastened his vest. He required more layers before starting his rounds.
“I look forward to the fire,” said Sawney. “And the warming season.”
“That’s in the thoughts of many.” Sanderson entered the wardrobe chamber and snatched a fleece sweater from a hook. Its warmth stalled his chill. Next, he donned a hat with flaps that passed over his ears, swooped under his neck and laid over his shoulders. The long, thick overcoat he pulled on kept the flaps in place.
As he dressed, he thought about the day; it had been quiet, as if no one dared cause mischief for fear of freezing to death. In the kitchen, bathed in lantern light and heat from the hearth, the cooks cheerfully sang as they prepared the rations, and the maids in the scullery joined them.
The frosty weather seemed to lighten the spirits of those within Aruam Castle, not stifle them. He recalled other cold seasons creating similar feelings of happiness though he could not understand why.
Sanderson stepped out the door and a blast of icy wind struck his eyes. Bitter, was the only word that came to mind. Nevertheless, his rounds would be completed. It was his duty to inspect the exterior of the castle before darkness fell. In his thirty-eight years as captain of the guard, he had missed his rounds only once, and that night he’d always remember, for the woman he loved had disappeared, taking his heart with her.
The End
If you enjoyed Castle Keepers Vignettes Volume 01 by Diane Lynn McGyver, please leave a review to tell others. Thank you.
About Diane Lynn McGyver
Diane Lynn McGyver grew up along the wild shores of Nova Scotia, Canada. She spent her summers running barefoot through the forest and sailing on the sea, and her winters building snow forts, skating and playing hockey. She began writing at an early age, filling Campfire Notebooks with tales based on her imagination and her adventures.
She currently dwells on a small homestead where she raises children, Toggenburg goats and heritage-breed chickens. Her work has appeared in more than a thousand publications since 1997.
She is the author of Shadows in the Stone (traditional adult fantasy), Pockets of Wildflowers, Twistmas - The Season for Love (both adult romance), Fowl Summer Nights (humour) and Nova Scotia - Life Near Water (anthology). The second book in the fantasy Castle Keepers series Scattered Stones will be launched May 6, 2016.
Other titles by Diane Lynn McGyver
Shadows in the Stone
Scattered Stones (Coming May 6, 2014)
Pockets of Wildflowers
Twistmas – The Season for Love
Nova Scotia – Life Near Water
Castle Keeper Tales
Blade of Truth
Destiny Governed their Lives
The Castle Keepers Vignette Series
Volume 02
Connect with Diane Lynn McGyver
Diane McGyver’s Blog
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Quarter Castle Publishing Author Page
Goodreads Author Page
Copyright for Castle Keepers Vignettes Volume 01
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of Diane Lynn McGyver.
All rights reserved. Published by Quarter Castle Publishing
January 2016
ISBN: 978-1-927625-24-8
Cover Design: Diane Tibert
Editor: Diane Tibert
Text and Illustrations Copyright@Diane Tibert
Scattered Stones – Chapter 01 Approach to the Dungeon
Second Book in the Castle Keepers Series
Bronwyn Darrow wriggled beneath the stone wall. Twigs, dry leaves, spider webs and dirt collected on his clothing. As he snaked forward, the hilt of his sword snagged on a tree root. He retreated far enough to jerk it free, then continued. An average-size human couldn’t fit through the shallow slit, but Bronwyn, a lean dwarf, slithered through easily. The hidden gap was also too dark for human eyes, but the dappled light of the waxing crescent moon shining into the passage at both ends provided enough brightness to guide the dwarf.
As he dragged himself towards the opening on the other side, he reviewed his plan: break into the dungeon, find his daughter and escape alive. The last part served as his good luck charm, insurance he’d see another sunrise. It hadn’t always been this way, but he had lived without the comforts and the pr
otection of Aruam Castle for more than five years.
Five years was a long time to travel The Trail, searching and keeping alive the hope he’d find his daughter. From one aspect, time had passed quickly. Months slipped by as he pursued leads, explored new lands and fostered alliances in the diverse settlements dotting Ath-o’Lea. The valuable connections meant dozens of others kept watch for signs, sightings and news of Isla, his adopted daughter. They spread throughout the land, and whenever he entered a village, town or city, his contacts supplied updates.
But from another perspective, the five years had elapsed at an agonizing pace. He had made friends along the way but none he travelled with for long. On The Trail, company came and went as individuals chased their own vocation and inspiration. His visits to see family and friends had been few. When he discovered on his first return home the woman he loved had departed, it shook him to the bone. Alaura of Niamh had sought to join him in his search for Isla, but he had forbidden her, hoping she’d remain safe at Maskil. Her actions proved him wrong. She had left the same day as he had. If only he had known she would begin her own search, he’d have allowed her to accompany him. But now, the ifs and would haves amounted to nothing; Alaura had disappeared and become as impossible to find as Isla.
When Bronwyn found Alaura, he’d beg for her forgiveness. He carried no doubt she lived; her energy pulsated through his blood, delivered to him by the Transfer Spell, an incantation cast on their first quest together. Alaura could send objects small enough to fit into