A Romantic Fantasy Adventure Book Series
Avalyne Series by Linda Thackeray
Series Excerpt
Visitors to the Green were rare.
Nestled in the western shadow of the great Baffin Range, the village was hidden away in the middle of Barrenjuck Green, the oldest forest in Avalyne. It was also the only community of size before one reached the distant fishing town of Lenkworth. Shielded by the mountains and flanked by the Brittle Sea, the people of the village were of human stock, but managed to remain untouched by Balfure and his armies. Mostly farmers, the folk of the Green found no reason to venture beyond their borders, particularly when they heard the tales of travellers who spoke of trouble happening in the rest of Avalyne.
Everyone noticed the rider from Carleon.
Garnering curious stares from the locals as he rode through the small community to deliver his message, the messenger knew his instructions. Deliver the news, wait for a response, if there was one to be received, and then leave immediately. He was to disturb nothing in this small community, beyond the duty he needed to perform. Once he left the Green, the town of Tumbur, which sat at the foothills of the Baffin Range, would be the only place he could stop for rest before crossing the mountain and returning to Carleon.
Although the presence of the visitor drew much interest, the locals knew for whom the messenger had come. There was not one person in the village who did not know the high king’s connection to the occupants of Furnsby Farm. The couple was deemed foolish by most of the village for becoming involved in the whole business when they gave the future king of Carleon refuge from Balfure’s Disciples. The consequences to Keira Furnsby were terrible indeed, but there was no denying the lady’s courage or the admiration she earned for saving the king.
The messenger gave his news to Keira as soon as he was met at the door to their home. Keira gave her response immediately, aware it was a long ride to Tumbur, and he would have to make it again if she made him wait for an answer. It was more than a year since she and Tully last travelled, and she knew he would very much like to accept the king’s invitation. Despite the fact Tully enjoyed his life in the Green, he liked to travel and would be thrilled to see what had become of the world since Dare was crowned king.
Sending the messenger on his way, after telling him the Furnsbys would be in attendance at the King’s celebration, she left the house in search of her husband. Putting on her boots and her cloak, because the air was cool this morning, she went to the east paddock where she knew Tully was working. Today the spring calves were finally old enough to leave their pens, and she knew Tully would like to keep an eye on them as they took their first tentative steps into the world.
“Tully!” She called out to him as she neared the paddock, her red hair escaping the hood of her cloak and blowing over her face. Tully Furnsby was watching carefully the calves sniffing at each other in interest, trying to make sense of the world outside their confinement, when he heard his wife’s call. Leaning against the fence, he glanced over his shoulder to see her approach, wondering what she was doing here. She was a small woman, petite in her stature, with freckles across her nose and brown eyes. Life on a farm had made her strong, although not even to withstand torture by Disciples, he thought sourly.
“Is everything alright, Keira?” He asked, as soon as she was near “You’re not feeling poorly, are you?” He had launched into the familiar tirade of questions that was sure to annoy her, he realised belatedly.
“Tully,” Keira’s expression darkened, wishing he would not treat her as if she were made of glass, “I’m fine. I would tell you if I wasn’t.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” Tully countered, perfectly aware that she’d keep silent him because she didn’t want to worry him. He knew he shouldn’t be so over-protective. Ever since the Disciples, Tully blamed himself for what happened to her, though he would never admit it out loud. Whenever she had a bout of sickness or woke up screaming in the night from a nightmare, he cursed himself again for letting this happen to her. He wished he could show her how much he admired her for withstanding the torture, and how strong she was but all that ever came out was his worry.
“We are pair, aren’t we?” He smiled at her.
“We are.” Keira agreed, leaning over the fence to kiss him on the cheek. “So, what’s happened? Did you need me for something?” He guessed whatever the reason for her presence here, it wasn’t urgent.
“I do.” Keira nodded, reaching into the folds of her cloak to produce the invitation delivered to by the man of Carleon.
The envelope was very fine and did not appear to be stationery common to the village. Farmers were very sensible with their parchment, preferring function over ostentation, and they certainly wouldn’t use one gilt with gold, if they even used it at all. In the Green, the fastest way to pass news was to go to the market and tell Mrs Birdweather about it. After that, everyone in village would know.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“This,” Keira said, smiling, “is an invitation from Dare to visit him and the queen in Sandrine. It appears he is having a party and wants us to attend.”
As always, Tully’s first thought, when considering such a trip, was how Keira would manage. Sandrine was quite a ways away. Despite the fact it was seven years in the past, Keira did not recover as she ought, and occasionally she had strange turns, but he also knew a change of scenery might also help the situation.
“I told the messenger we would go.” Keira declared in case his hesitation was due to his usual concerns about her.
“You did?” He asked with some surprise, and he felt himself relax in light of that revelation. If she felt well enough to go, she’d only get cross with him if he did. Keira didn’t like being reminded she wasn’t as well as she should be. “Then we’ll go.” He grinned. “It would be nice to see Dare and that lot again.”
It still felt odd though, calling the king of Carleon by name, or to think of him as the War Dragon. To Tully, he would always be Dare, who appeared on their doorstep needing help, and showed them there was no such thing as hiding from evil if evil was determined to seek them out.
“Yes, it would,” Keira agreed, grateful he offered no protest.
“I wonder what the celebration is about,” he mused, not expecting an answer.
Keira knew, but she kept it to herself for now.
“I suppose we’ll find out when we get to Sandrine. The ‘why’ doesn’t matter much as long as we get to see our friends.”
“You’re right as always, Tully,” Keira agreed, glad to be going on a trip to see everyone again.
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