He moved away from the clearing into the brush and circled around. He moved as quietly as he could, but when he stopped, he was alone.
Royce stood puzzled. He looked for tracks, where he saw the figures, but none existed, not even a bent blade of grass. At last, he gave up and returned to where he left the others.
“All’s well?” Hadrian asked, sitting atop Mouse with the sun on his bare shoulders and chest wrapped in broad strips of white cloth.
“I suppose,” he said mounting up.
He led them southwest along the highlands near the falls, following a deer trail that cut through the deep forest. It was the same trail he had found in his hours searching for a tunnel to the tower. Hadrian and Mauvin appeared to be doing better than expected though each of them winced in pain whenever their horse took a misstep.
Royce continued to look back over his shoulder but nothing was ever there.
By midafternoon they had cleared the trees and found the main road heading south to Alburn. Here they paused to check Mauvin’s and Hadrian’s bandages. Mauvin started to bleed again, but it was not bad and Magnus turned out to be almost as good a nurse as he was a sword smith, fashioning a new pad for his side. Royce searched through the saddlebags and found Hadrian a suitable shirt.
“We should be fine,” Royce told them, going through their inventory. “With a little luck we should reach Medford in a week.”
“In a hurry are you?” Hadrian asked.
“You might say that.”
“Thinking about Gwen?”
“I’m thinking it’s time I told her a few things about myself.”
Hadrian smiled and nodded.
“You think Thrace will be alright?”
“Tomas seems to be watching out for her pretty well.”
“Do you think they’ll really make her empress?”
“Not a chance,” Royce shook his head and handed the shirt to him.
“Arista told me you two were with Esrahaddon in the tower last night. She said he needed help with something, but wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
“He was using the tower to look for the Heir of Novron,” Royce replied.
“Did he find him?”
“I think so, but you know how he is. It’s hard to be sure of anything when dealing with him.” Hadrian nodded and winced as he pulled the shirt over his shoulders.
“Having troubles?”
“You try getting dressed with broken ribs sometime. It isn’t so easy.” Royce continued to look at him.
“What is it? Am I that entertaining?” Hadrian asked.
“It’s just that you’ve worn that silver medallion ever since I’ve known you, but you never told me where you got it.”
“Hmm? This?” Hadrian said. “I’ve had this forever. My father left it to me.”
Books in the Riyria Revelations
The Crown Conspiracy
Avempartha
Nyphron Rising*
*Forthcoming
The Riyria Revelations
If you enjoyed this novel, you will be happy to learn that...
Avempartha is the second novel in The Riyria Revelations, a multi-book saga that tells one story in six episodes.
Rather than a string of sequels based on the first successful story, this entire epic tale was completed before the first novel was released allowing for a tale that unfolds across the whole breadth of the series. Characters introduced lightly, gain depth as the series develops making each novel a fresh experience.
While the series comprises one story, each book remains a full episode that be enjoyed independently. With the Riyria Revelations, you won’t have to read the next book, you will simply want to.
About the Author
Born in Detroit Michigan, Michael J. Sullivan has lived in Vermont, North Carolina and Virginia. He worked as a commercial artist and illustrator, founding his own advertising agency in 1996, which he closed in 2005 to pursue writing full-time. His first published novel The Crown Conspiracy was released in October 2008. He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia with his wife and three children.