It took less than an hour for two dragonriders to show up, but it was another three hours before actual cavalry from the 2nd Army arrived from Brakoff. When the dragons showed up, Grundoon, Jandle, and Kreg were standing under the arch of the gatehouse, the only structure in which they could take any sort … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 40

Jandle had laid out the orc’s armor earlier in the day, and Grundoon took off the finer, more delicate decorations of his uniform in order to put on the well-worn suit of banded mail. There were no words adequate for how much he appreciated this protective outfit. He had worn this armor for every battle, … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 39

The morning went by quickly, and the communication crystal finally alerted Jandle, thanks to the 2nd Army garrison in Brakoff, that the dwarven caravan had left the city and was on its way to Castle Linkristle. He awoke his master, and Grundoon laid there on his cot, blinking in the sunshine that was streaming into … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 38

The snow had melted throughout Romilmark, except for the peaks surrounding what would become Slothjemia’s newest Grafdom. There was plenty of water in the creeks and rivers, and the startling green of the grass, new leaves on the trees, and budding wildflowers. There were occasional rain showers, but the icy winds had ceased for the … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 37

Grundoon was exhausted. The climb up that ladder had taken more out of him than he had wanted to admit. He was glad that he hadn’t been in the thick of the fighting inside the keep, or for that matter anywhere in the castle. These things were better left to the next generation. There were … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 34

Grundoon woke up before the sun rose, and while he knew from experience that sleeping in his armor meant waking up with sore muscles and weary bones, it also meant not wasting precious time getting ready for a fight. He checked to see if Jandle was still asleep, and he was, so he shook the … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 32

The four soldiers quickly bundled up their tarpaulins and saddled their horses. Unlike the uniforms of regular soldiers, theirs had purple trim instead of red. They were not as heavily trained for combat duty as regular troops, but they were terribly motivated, and passionately loyal. It only took a few minutes for them to be … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 31

Jandle got out the deck of cards again, and the party spent the evening playing games. It was lighthearted, and no scores were kept, at least not officially. The primary topic of conversation was how difficult it was to get used to not being nocturnal any more. Targul and his friends still hated the daylight, … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 30

Dawn discovered Brakoff cold, but the sky was clear. The only clouds to be seen were hovering around the peaks south of the city. Kreg had readied the sleighs, and the party had gathered for their next adventure. Trangdor was going along, just in case there were people to talk with, and notes to be … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 29

The orcs that had come down the mountain had all been allowed to watch the fight, and the outcome upset their world more than the death of their old chief. The women were split into two factions, those that thought any woman should be happy to have Targul as a husband, and those that were … Continue reading The Governor-General’s Oath; Chapter 28