I hope this week’s newsletter finds you all well. This week’s Notable & Quotable comes from Roland’s Triumph, Book III of the Heirs of Vanity Series.
“There were many of us sad to see your father leave the front and return to Fordir to take the position of Reeve,” Sir Brutis said. “I understand it, but we missed his sword. I missed his friendship. We had known each other since the Silver Helm academy.”
“You were in the Silver Helm academy as well?” Sir Eldryn asked as he rode up to them.
“That I was,” Sir Brutis replied. “A long time ago. I attended there with Velryk and his brother in fact. I met Ellidik sometime later, on the front in the war with Tarborat. He was riding with the Sheld Fleet by then. They would be proud of the warriors that you have become.”
“You didn’t know my father in the academy?” Eldryn asked.
“No,” Brutis replied. “He was much younger than I. He and Velryk met when Dik joined the King’s army. Dik’s academy was a few years after ours.”
“Then you knew Kyhn as well?” Sir Eldryn asked, changing the subject. He enjoyed hearing of tales of his father and his friends. However, those stories should be shared near a hearth with a drink in hand, not on the road to a battle.
“Yes, he was a fellow student at one time.”
“Then you know that we will also likely meet him,” Eldryn said.
“Yes, I am sure of that,” Sir Brutis said. “Remember this, he is only a man. He bleeds like any other.”
“Forgive me, Sir Brutis,” Roland said, clearly not taking the cue from Eldryn to move on to a more practical conversation. “Did you say my father and his brother? I would like to hear more of my uncle, Jonas. I have never met him.”
“Yes,” Brutis replied lowering his face a bit and looking off into the distance. “It is a shame about him. We missed him on the front as well.”
Curiosity burned in Roland’s mind. He decided, however, that he didn’t want anyone else to know how ignorant he was of his own family.
“Did Lord Velryk teach you the guard of the Hawk, or the Stance of the Bear?” Sir Brutis asked.
“Both,” the young men replied in unison.
“That’s unusual,” Sir Brutis said. “Either is hard to master, but learning both requires talent, skill, and a great deal of practice.”
“He also taught us the Moras Hold and the River Stance,” Eldryn said.
“I wouldn’t say that we mastered any of them,” Roland said. “But father always said it was good to understand yourself, but better to understand your opponent.”
“Well, then,” Sir Brutis said as he directed his horse out of line from the convoy of soldiers. “Let’s try a game. It’s a game that Engiyadu taught us. One that they ‘play’ on the Disputed Isles where he is from.”
You can find an ever-growing glossary and geographic guide on our website here; www.bloodlinesreforged.com. You can also find a few spoilers such as the lineage of kingdoms, the Code of the Cavalier, and so on.
Also, codes are available for a FREE audiobook of each of the titles in this collection of Sci-Fi & Fantasy audiobooks! This is a limited time offer, so act now.
The book I need to tell you about this week is a tale from Mike DeSousa called Valley of the Red Ghosts; Vanguards vs Paladins. Here’s what one Amazon reviewer had to say, “Good read. Has a dungeon crawler vibe to it and interesting characters. Can’t wait for more!”
Our group promo this week is a collection of fantasy adventures all available on Kindle Unlimited. Check out the New Year, New Monsters collection pronto.
As to life here in our little corner of the world, we are all doing well and making our Christmas runs. I thought I would include a picture sponsored by the Ghost of Christmas Past. This is a pic of me, my Dad, my Mom, and my younger brother circa 1998. Yep, that’s RJ pre-beard.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you! Let me know how you’re doing. Feel free to drop me a line at rj@bloodlinesreforged.com with word of how you’re doing, questions about our tales, or comments about the story or the world of Stratvs. If you enjoy our brand of ‘humor’ or just want more frequent updates, you can follow us on Facebook here; Roland’s Quest!
Until next time, ‘Crush your Enemies!’
R.J.