Volume 3- Pirates!

Devrim and his band of servants, noblemen and soldiers pushed through the wall to escape the gnomic and dragon invasion. The grey-eyed man was second-guessing his decision to leave his son and the elven spymaster behind, but there was little time to lose. If Brinn and Alaron were unsuccessful at stalling the enemy, the gnomes would catch them very soon.

Ahead of the humans was the Great River. It ran from the north, wound through the city of Valiant, and continued southward. Much of the world's trade came along that river, and so ships were often spotted in the current. But the ships that Devrim saw just now were not trade ships.

"Pirates!" Junayd screamed.

"Do not look at their leader!" Devrim ordered. He turned to Mairwen and Eira. "Do you both have your glasses?" he asked as he pulled out his own pair of orange-tinted lenses.

Eira slipped on her pair while Mairwen groped for the pocket in her dress. She pulled out the frames and another wave of grief washed over her. Renat had made