Heart of the Hunter

Please enjoy Chapter 19.

On top of that, a swarm of bloodsuckers came out of the cool, rainsoaked night, in numbers enough for the entire crew to hear the hum of their manifold wings.

The sidekick of a madman he was no longer. He was more, so much more. Now, he was K’uun. And he would have his revenge on them.

 

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I’ve broken the 90,000 barrier and there’s still novel left to write. Woot!

I don’t think I’ll go too much farther past 90K, though.

Special thanks to Jason Penney’s wonderful plugin, ProgPress for providing the meter.

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“Very well then.” he said, touching her forehead, and suddenly her muscles unlocked and she was able to move again. Raven’s daggers flashed into her palms and she made a move to attack the hyenaman instantly, but with one syllable, again, the man held her fast. “Oh, well, um. I’d prefer you not kill them, either, at least not while you have the advantage. Until I sort things out, that is. OK?”
Raven breathed out slowly, raggedly, feeling her heart racing.
He touched her forehead again, and she was able to move once more. “That is VERY annoying, whatever power it is.”

Warning: this episode has some icky bits. Not as bad as the transformation scene with Frick, but pretty bad.

Please enjoy Heart of the Hunter 18.

Special thanks this time to all those listeners who have been rooting for me to get this thing done, among them:

Hope Evey, Natalie Metzger, Teesa, Jack, and the DM of Doom!

 

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Just a little note here to talk about how far along I am on “Heart of the Hunter.”

As you can see, thanks to Jason Penney’s wonderful plugin, ProgPress, I am very close to my current stated goal of 90,000 words.

I think I can get done with the complete story by that time. Heart of the Hunter is not meant to be the first of a trilogy. It is a complete book by itself. There are possibilities for future novels in the same world and with some of the same characters, but as of this time there are no plans for a “sequel.”

Thank you all for sticking with me on this ride. Chapter 18 should be ready soon!

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Cover Art by Natalie Metzger

Please enjoy Chapter 17

“Easy it is,” spat an ahgrim warrior with a booming voice, “to sit behind the warriors and point the way. Will the Swamp Witch come to fight with us?”

A silence descended upon them and Uline swiveled her mount to regard the one who spoke. A few Gnael moved slowly away from him, as if trying to distance themselves from her power. He stood his ground, alone.

Special thanks to Hope Evey for supplying the intro voice!

 

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Jack from 12V Theater requested a shorter promo to play in his really cool literary podcast, so I made one yesterday. It is very short (38 seconds), but it includes music from Scott McLeod from Incompetech.com

Chapter 17 has proven to be a difficult one to marshal into place. It is written, but it doesn’t want to be finished editing. That, and the fact that I’ve maxed out my Libsyn account until the 7th means that posting the next chapter is proving to be difficult. That doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen! I’m going to figure out something. Y’all sit tight, OK? We’ll be back up and running before you know it.

If any of you have podcasts and you want to play this promo for me, I would be very grateful.

 

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Cover Art by Natalie Metzger

Please enjoy Chapter 16

“The Brother Alobar is an excellent teacher.”

“What does that mean?” Shandra asked.

“When you use energy, Shandra, it uses you. If you do not properly go about it, you will find that you are on the bad end of the bargain. Magic always has its cost, but with skill and practice you can minimize that cost. The steps he led you through, the grounding and centering, that was for your benefit.”

“I..I see. There is so much that I do not know. Brother Alobar says that all power eventually comes from the Light. Do you believe that?”

“I believe that if one has gifts, one should use them. That is something that was hard won for me. I have…well, sometimes its a curse, sometimes a blessing. The Sight.”

“How does it manifest?”

“Sometimes I can see that which is, or was, or sometimes even that which will be. It is a gift of my Valisti blood.”

“You see these things as if they were real, there in front of you?”

“I have to find the middle spaces, the shadows, the places in between to look. Then the visions come to me. They rarely, if ever, come unbidden.”

“I see. And you…you saw how Father died that way?”

“That I did.”

“H-how did he die?”

“As I told you when first we met…he was killed by Gnaeltongues. Most likely by the same warband that attacked my people while I was away. Apparently, Uline has been patrolling this land as if it were her own.”

Shandra nodded. “I thought..I thought he was just away. Just delayed. That he would return. We should have left last year, but he thought to wait out the winter. We had enough supplies, and the stone house. It was not difficult to convince the Gnaeltongues to leave us be. But when the snows melted, he had to go for supplies. He wanted to take me with him, but I refused because I knew that would mean we would lose all that we had gained. I didn’t think it would take so long for him to come back. And then it was too late.”

She collapsed into tears of bitter grief, and Auryn drew her into an embrace. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her softly in the dim light of his tent, and her tears stained his threadbare silk shirt.

 

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New artwork by Natalie Metzger

“So how far away do you think we are from them?” Peter asked, after handing Raven a mug of beer.

“A day’s travel, maybe two, no more.” Raven said.

“Excuse me,” Jurgen Coalsblood said, getting up suddenly. “I have business to attend to.” He said, moving off quickly to his wagon. Peter got Raven’s attention again with a fire-warmed sydal roll, still sticky from a bit of honey.

“Eh. Troops take longer to get places than individuals do. And you say the River Road is no more?” Peter asked.

Raven chewed and swallowed, washing it down with a swig of beer. “It has been totally eaten by the swamp, I tell you. The river itself flows through it.”

 

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Please enjoy Chapter 14

“You do understand the concept of scouting, right Raven?”

“What? Yeah. Sure. Just um, go see what’s going on. Yanno, look around and stuff.”

“Yes. And there be one vital part of the job ye may be missin’.” PEter said.

“What’s that?”

“Lettin’ us know what ye found. That means comin’ back, ya see? Not gettin’ into it with ‘em. Do you have me?”

“Uh, yeah. I have ya. Do I look crazy?”

Auryn grinned, “You don’t want me to answer that, I’m certain.”

“Silence, Gypsy. I am no fool, Sarge. Tell you what. Pour me a beer. I’ll go out there, I’ll see what’s what, and I’ll make it back here before the head dissolves.”

“It’s a deal, then Raven. See you soon.” Peter said, nodding, and she ran off into the woods, seeming to vanish the moment after she broke through the treeline.

“Auryn, do you go with Shandra. She’s over there with the preacher and the Greenward, they’re gonna do what they can do for this fire.”

“Aye, Sarge.”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Not you, too. Sarge. That woman’s a bad example.”

But Auryn merely swept him a bow and was off.

 

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Please enjoy Chapter 13

Churysk could not stop shaking, as the rage from the shame built up in him. He wanted to launch himself at the swamp witch, wanted to rip her throat out. Instead, he kept silent. He had heard and seen too much of her power to doubt that she could well and truly deal with him should he actually attack.

“What now, then? Am I to be reduced to kilkul, a lowly spear-carrier? Will that motivate your warriors to strive against adversity? I do not think it will, Great Wise One. If standing has no weight in this, all will question their standing, and the warriors’ thoughts will not be in the fight.”

“Do not think to lecture me about motivating Gnael, basetongue. Your time for wisdom was earlier this morning. You will bide here now and wait my pleasure. I have a new champion now.”
The shaman chieftain turned to her left, and addressed someone standing in the all-gloom darkness behind her cypress throne. “Do you come forward, honored one.” She said quietly.

 

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Please Enjoy Chapter 12

He stepped out of the wagon to see if Dav had returned, or if Gar was himself ready for the fight.
Then to his surprise and dismay, all around him in the trees he heard a hissing, the clicking of teeth and the rattling of spears on shields. The Gnael were here, and they were already surrounded.
“Well now. Didn’t ever think I’d hear that sound again.” Peter raised his voice in challenge. “Hello there, Gnaelboys. Did ye come to stare or did ye come to dance?”
A hooting cry came up from the trees, and a mass of Gnael bodies swarmed the camp.

 

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Please Enjoy Chapter 11

“The healing sleep lasts quite a while, if that’s what you’re asking.” Alobar said. “What are you getting at?”
“Well, then, she won’t have a problem then.” Auryn said, walking to the front flap of his tent. He wrapped his hand around the strap with the buckle that formed his magical rucksack’s handle.
Alobar held up his hand. “Oh, no. No, no. You did that to me. It gets dark in there when you…when you turn it into a rucksack like that! And I couldn’t get out!”
“Listen, Brother. She’s asleep! The night grows ever shorter. We promised the Sergeant that we would be back to camp before daylight. The Ride of Vela will only take 13 riders and it would take days…literally days…to get back to camp if we did not take the spirit roads. If she is sleeping inside aunt’s rucksack, she should have no trouble at all. Besides, I’ll keep the pocket unzipped so she can have some fresh air.” With one smooth motion, Auryn grabbed the satchel’s strap, and the tent was now a bag again, with Shandra still asleep within.
Alobar winced. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Safe as a tadreela in the grass” Auryn said, bowing.
“Whatever that is. ” Raven said.

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid from the Podsafe Music Network

 

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Natalie Metzger’s lovely art will soon grace the cover of “Heart of the Hunter”!

Her work is wonderful!

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Please enjoy Chapter 10

Uline addressed the Tangresh in Gnael. “Go forth from this place and speak to the chiefs of the Blood Wolves and the Death Birds. Let them know that Mother Uline wills them to a war council. The soft ones come, they bring guns. Once again we must fight to preserve Gaikul.

“I hear and obey, Mother Uline.”

“Go.”

She turned away from the rest of the captive Tangresh then, not even noticing them as they looked forlornly after their freed brother, wishing that it could’ve been one of them instead.

She sought comfort in the beautiful snake that was her familiar, and wrapped herself in its strong body. More was coming, the portents said. She would know at nightfall.

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid from the Podsafe Music Network

 

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Author’s Note: There was a bad bobble in Chapter 9, so I have edited it and uploaded the replacement. Sorry for the inconvenience!

The T’yangaman turned back to the Gypsies. “There, you see? They can be reasonable. Now, I’m sure we can talk about this like Gentle….”

His voice was cut off by a burbling sound, and his red-black blood was seen filling his mouth. Two daggers had appeared in his back by the time he was falling forward, bloody and already dead. Daggers with raven talons on them. Then, suddenly, the daggers vanished, and blood poured from his wounds like wine from a broken cask.

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid from the Podsafe Music Network

 

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“There are words that you travel on the Long Ride.” came the voice of the woman in the shadow, who must be Corinne. The redolent scent of honeysuckle danced along the breeze from where she stood. But his eyes made out her ample, curvaceous form, the turn of her leg. And nothing else. She was playing close to the edge of what the Women’s Circle would accept, placing herself in so close proximity to him without a chaperone. But by not identifying herself, or speaking his name, things remained in the realm of the deniable. But just barely.
Auryn nodded, eyes gazing off to the middle distance. “There are those who know the past very well. Some of us have lost brothers to the threat. The threat must be dealt with.”
“And yet, when one’s brother is already lost, is it then time to lose one’s love?” Corinne said.
“There is more at stake than just one person. There is a need. The Fatana have decreed….” Auyrn began.
But she interrupted him. “The Valiste are not marionettes, to dance to the Gods’ tunes. We are the fiddlers, not the throng.”

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid
Crossroads, Mindmixing and Fangorn the Forest by B. Lindner
Krakatoa by Clouseaux
Midnight Wednesday by Dave Howard

 

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Please enjoy Chapter 7.

Darda closed his eyes, a wave of sadness cresting over him. “Yes, I See it.” he said quietly. When his eyes opened again, they were full of anger. “The Rabid Dog must be put down, Auryn Singer. The blood of Yahn is on his hands, yes. But he threatens us all. You were the last of us both to sense him true. Can you reach out with your Sight and find him? Or have you grown lapsed in your learning, being away from the People for so long?”
“Father. I…I will try.”

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid
Crossroads, Mindmixing and Fangorn the Forest by B. Lindner
Krakatoa by Clouseaux
Midnight Wednesday by Dave Howard

 

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Please enjoy Chapter 6 of Heart of the Hunter.

The river-hawk gave its cry as it rode the warm morning breeze down to a perch set aside just for his use. His wings ached from the long flight, but his duty had been made clear to him. The hawk settled on the perch, tucking his wings in perfectly, respectfully waiting to be recognized.
…
“I bring news from the Watcher to the South, Greenward.” The raptor sent.
“This one listens to you, brother hawk.” The Greenward sent back.
The hawk’s eyes were clear and penetrating. “The two-legs from the city come, on four-legs riding and pulled, and follow the river path.”
The Warder nodded. “Has the swamp witch noticed them yet?”
“Uncertain. The eaters of the dead have, however.” The Greenward nodded, understanding that the bird meant the Gnaeltongues, who often ate carrion and their own dead.
“And their number grows daily, as their hunting parties plunder further South from the Wastes.” the Greenward said.
“Winds are changing.” The hawk sent.
The Greenward sighed and looked out into the forest. “Yes. And mayhaps now they turn the way we wish them.”

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid
Crossroads, Mindmixing and Fangorn the Forest by B. Lindner
Krakatoa by Clouseaux
Midnight Wednesday by Dave Howard

 

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Please enjoy Chapter 5.

“How do you know this, Auryn?” Peter said, looking skeptical atop his horse.
“Suffice it that I know, for now Sergeant. It is a certainty.” Auryn said quietly, but very sincerely.
Peter nodded, accepting what he said. “Very well. Miss Shandra, I think it’d be best if…”
The door slammed shut, the sound of a heavy bolt being thrown followed, and the sobbing increased within the stone outpost.
Peter turned to Gar. “Gar, see if Master Factor’s awake. We need to have a talk, he and I.”
The Sydalian nodded and went to fetch the Erendani Factor.
Peter turned back to Alobar. “Brother, could you see if you could get the girl to talk to you, calm her down some?”
“I’ll do what I can, given that she’s now in distress. Was it absolutely necessary to tell her so sharply, wunjo?” Alobar asked, frustration in his voice.
“I thought you Alors were wedded to the truth, Brother. That’s all I gave her.” Auryn said, defensive.
“There is truth, and there is cruelty. And there is no way to tell whether your so-called Second Sight is accurate or no….” Alobar began.
“Don’t belittle my Blood, Brother, and I won’t douse your Light.” Auryn hissed.
“That’s enough, soldiers. Listen to me. It’d be nice to sleep indoors tonight. We have many miles ahead of us.”
Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid
Crossroads, Mindmixing and Fangorn the Forest by B. Lindner
Krakatoa by Clouseaux
Midnight Wednesday by Dave Howard

 

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Welcome to Chapter 4!

The arrow flew past Auryn, wide to the left, and vanished into the darkness. Another followed the first, more narrowly missing the Gypsy.
Auryn had already drawn his pistol; now he futzed the chargestone, and shot back. He knew that none of his people were in that direction, and even if he didn’t hit anyone, the magic-charged gun would make enough noise to start waking the others.
The bullet burned with a white light as it flew into the darkness, illuminating two pair of reptillian eyes and a scaley snout. The sudden illumination made unnatural shadows in the trees until it vanished, burned out.

Music in this Chapter:
Dignity by Green Druid
Crossroads, Mindmixing and Fangorn the Forest by B. Lindner
Krakatoa by Clouseaux
Midnight Wednesday by Dave Howard

 

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