Ayla had always loved her garden. Since she was a little girl and her grandmother started teaching her about the power of the healing plants and herbs, Ayla had spent time each day in the garden, tending to it. She grew all kinds of medicinal plants–from embelia, which loved the sun, and served for healing wounds, to swamp-root, which thrived in swamps and was good for lung sicknesses.When the plants were mature, Ayla collected them and gave them to Drax, the Water Mage novice. He used them to make potions, elixirs, or tonics. Some could be applied directly to the wounds or transformed into ointments. Leaves or other parts of plants were dried to be made into teas.While working in the garden, Ayla loved hearing the birds sing while the sun warmed her skin. Butterflies or dragonflies danced between the flowers. Myrthana was, after all, the Kingdom of Everlasting Spring.But for some time, the sun felt cold, as if he hated Ayla. The birds were silent, and even the wind had died. There
The once busy roads of the Kingdom of Myrthana were mostly empty. Except for Orcs and mercenaries, almost no one dared travel between towns or villages. The road to Erylas, the capital of Myrthana, was empty except for four riders and their horses. A fifth horse had the carcasses of two deer and some pelts and furs. The riders were dressed simple—trousers, pants, and cloaks. The cloaks were mottled grey, green, and brown. A man with wings was embroidered on the left side of the cloaks—the mark of the Dark God. The riders had the hoods of their cloaks over their heads, and shadows hid their faces. They rode in silence, studying the dusty road or the green forest. One of the riders, the biggest and the strongest, lifted his head and looked at the sky for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the road. He said nothing as he rushed his black horse. The others did the same as they followed his lead. Sometime later, they reached a bridge. Orcs and human mercenaries wearing ar
The mercenary moved his hand higher, and the wench girl was trying to get free from him. The other mercenaries were laughing and shouting words of encouragement, while the Orcs seemed oblivious to what was happening at the table.Eude gripped his fork hard. "We have to do something; else, they will force her all night long!"The Orcs' table was left to those occupied by Rhobart and the Paladins. The King and his men had been studying the mercenaries and Orcs for a while.Rhobart rose from his seat and looked at the mercenary who was touching the wench girl. "We want more mead! Let her go!"The mercenary looked at Rhobart. "Just because you are permitted to travel and hunt doesn't mean you can order me around! Sit down, finish your dinner in silence, and leave!"Milton put his hand in his trousers pocket and grabbed a magic rune. He kept his hand in the pocket.The wench girl looked at Rhobart, "I am used to it now. You shouldn't get into problems because of me.""You heard her!" the m
Erylas, the capital of Myrthana, was built on a big plateau. A river separated the city from farms, fields, orchards, and the main road. Except for the North-East gate, all the other gates were closed, and the bridges were up. Orcs and mercenaries patrolled in and around Erylas.South of the capital was the most important vineyard of Myrthana. A minor road was behind the last rows of vines of grapes. The road led to a big hill covered by a dense forest of pines. After leaving the cabin from the grove, Drax took Rhobart, Milton, and the Paladins to a forgotten mausoleum built in the heart of the pine forest. Moss and vines covered the mausoleum, and the doors were long gone. Two wolves made from marble guarded the entrance.Drax dismounted his horse and tied the reins close to the mausoleum. The others did the same. Rhobart let Kerra out of his shoulder bag. “What is this place?” he asked, looking at the forgotten place. “A long time ago, Eike, a Son of Earth, and his loyal men fou
The King of Nordmar started walking; each step took him closer to his soulmate. He did not look behind. He didn’t need to do so; he knew his men would follow him anywhere he went. They walked in silence for a while, following Hudde’s light globe. “I feel as if someone is watching me,” Eude said after a while.Hudde looked around. “Do you think it’s a ghost?”Gorn snorted. “I think your brain might have ghosted you!” Tizgar and Droyn laughed. Rhobart looked around the catacombs. Some sarcophaguses were so old that Rhobart didn’t recognize the language in which the King’s or the Queens’ names were written. He wondered if the language was that of the Gods. The tunnel turned to the left, and Rhobart followed it. “It’s the Shadow Mage,” Drax said.“The who?” Tizgar asked.“The guardian of this place,” Drax replied. “He usually kills those that disturb his rest.”“Why haven’t you said this earlier?!” Milton asked, and took out a magic rune.“Put the rune back, Milton!” Rhobart said. “
The dungeons of the Black Tower were cold, even more than Nordmar. The thin dress Galian had forced Ayla to wear did not protect her from the cold. She forgot how it was to feel warm and safe. She didn’t remember how it was not to be tortured and not to feel pain all the time. She might have even forgotten the taste of food, for all Godefray and she received were water and old, moldy bread. Ayla looked at the little piece of bread she had in her hand and put it down next to her. It did not matter if she lived or died. Not anymore. Her hands shook from everything the Dark Master and Galian did to her. Or perhaps it was from the cold. She didn’t know. A rat that lived in a hole made in one of the cell’s walls came and stole Ayla’s bread. “Stupid creature!” Godefray said and pushed his share of bread into Ayla’s hands. “Eat!” he said. Ayla’s hands spasmed hard, and the bread fell on the dirty floor. Godefray picked it up, cleaned it as best as he could, and took it to Ayla’s mouth
Galian slammed her on top of the torture table, knocking the breath out of her. Her back hurt, but Ayla said nothing. Galian tied her legs and hands and looked into her eyes. “This is your last chance to tell me the truth about Nordmar! Otherwise, I will break you!” Ayla spat in his face. “I will never betray Nordmar! Never! And you will never break me!” Galian slapped her before looking at Eluvene. “Bring me the box with the Soul Eaters!” Ayla almost let out a scream of fear but forced her pounding heart to slow its beatings. Her hands spasmed violently. Of all the forms of torture Galian and the Dark Master have tried on her, the Soul Eaters were the worst. Galian looked at Ayla, and an evil grin appeared on his face. “Afraid of some tiny worms, little sister?” “I am Ayla, wife of Rhobart Braveheart, Queen of Nordmar. I am not afraid!” she said. Eluvene gave Galian a black box. He opened it, lifted a little black worm, and put it on Ayla’s neck. Ayla felt the worm digging its
Godefray sat on the mattress with Ayla across his lap. Her throat hurt badly from all the screaming she did. But her body—Gods, her body—was a constant source of pain. Even Godefray avoided looking at it most time. Except for her face, her skin was full of cuts and bruises. After Galian used the five Soul Eaters, her body hurt more than usual, and her hands twitched badly.Godefray leaned her head over his left shoulder, tucked some hair behind her ear, and picked up one of the vials. “When we return to Nordmar, I will teach you how to wield a sword properly. After that, I will stand next to you while you take Myrthana from Galian and King Amul.” He opened one of the vials. “But first, you must drink the potions Eluvene left for you.” Ayla blinked. She didn’t want more potions or torture. Or anything else. She just wanted to close her eyes and rest. She deserved that much. Godefray cleared his throat. “You know, when Rhobart took you to Nordmar, I disliked you very much. I thought the
Hi everyoneThe book is not abandoned, neither is the story, but some things are happening with the story, the world.There is another story that comes before Frozen Heart - no need to read, but I am focusing to finish that one first, before I go back to Frozen Heart. Once Wolf Heart is done, I will finish this story as well.I just ask all of you to be a bit patient until I finish what I have planned.I also want to wish everyone a happy new year.you can find me on FB as well - Amy T Stories is my group and I will post news there pretty soon
His long hair was braided, and he wore not only a cloak identical to that of Rhobart—mottled grey, green and brown but also his tunic and trousers had the same colors, making him hard to be seen in the forest.“Who are you, female?” he asked.Rhobart took out his sword and put the tip against the Elf’s neck. “Put the bow down, or else I will remove your head!” Rhobart growled.But the Elf’s eyes were still fixed on Ayla, and he did not appear to have heard Rhobart. Rhobart nicked his skin, a few drops of blood ran down his neck.“Don’t release more arrows!” the Elf yelled, lowering his bow.Two more Elves jumped from the trees—a female and a male, both blondes—landing close to Kerra before moving closer to Rhobart and Ayla. The male had a sword in his right hand, while the female had a whip on her left hip and a short sword on the right one.“She looks identical to you, Taeral,” the female said. “Except for her ears, which are human.” She sniffed the air. “But she is only part human.”
The forest felt so silent Ayla could hear her heart pounding against her ribcage. Rhobart straightened himself in the saddle, his fingers brushing the pommel of his dagger. Ayla reached inside her to that strong spring of magic—her gift from her mother or father, or perhaps both.Kerra sniffed the air, her two tails whipping violently.“We mean you no harm,” Rhobart said, his voice strong. “We are just passing by!”“Where to?” the man asked from a different tree.Ayla wondered when he moved so fast. Or so silently.“Far away from Myrthana. I advise you to do the same!” Rhobart replied.“You lie! I see you wear the cloak of a hunter while the female has a black one, like those used by mercenaries. You had your chance to leave, but I am afraid your time is up,” said the man. Ayla tried to say something, but he went on, “Release the arrows!”Kerra growled and got in an attack position.A few leaves rustled, Ayla put her right hand in the air, and a magic shield appeared around Runner and
“Runner knows you. Trust him and me. Grab the reins,” Rhobart said before handing the reins to Ayla.Rhobart put his left hand under her tunic, his thumb brushed over her peak, while his right hand drew circles on her stomach. “Rho!” Ayla moaned when his hand went down, two fingers slowly circling and pressing her throbbing core. She felt as if she would melt. Pleasure started building in her lower stomach.“Are you wet and ready for me, Ayla?” asked Rho, his voice coated with desire.Oh, she was. Rhobart’s fingers kept moving, and his lips went up and down her neck. Tension kept building inside her body.“Yes,” Ayla forced the word out of her mouth.“Had you been wearing a dress, I would have ripped your undergarments, spun you around, and have you sit on my cock. I would have Runner gallop fast, and I would fuck you until we reached the rebel camp,” Rhobart said into her ear as his fingers moved faster. Rougher.‘Oh, Gods!’ Ayla thought.“Would you like that, t’xoria? To be fucked o
Rhobart looked at Eluvene, his eyes turning cold as the stark winter. “He will never lay another finger on her again! But I need to know everything about King Amul. He is more cunning than I thought.”Eluvene’s green eyes went to Ayla. “King Amul accepted what Ayla refused,” said the Dark Mage, winking at Ayla. “I don’t know much about King Amul. He mostly spoke with King Galian and with my former Master. But since he accepted the Crown of Darkness, he stopped being a normal human.”Rhobart frowned. “What did Ayla refuse and when?”Eluvene shrugged.Between the prophecy, the Seeker, the forgotten book, and the attack on the Fire Monastery, Ayla had forgotten about her vision with Beliar. When she saw that crown on her father’s head, she hadn’t made the connection with the one she was wearing in her vision. “Nothing important,” said Ayla. And it wasn’t. “I chose you back then, and I will choose you always!”Rhobart’s gaze lingered on Ayla for a heartbeat before turning his attention to
Milton returned from the river and grabbed a bowl of porridge. “Rania is a Fire Mage novice, and Sylvar is a Snow Elf. They are n’alxaes, but the twins fucked Rania. I am still wondering how Sylvar permitted you two to live after touching what is his.”“We did not fuck her!” Eude protested.Rhobart snorted. “You only deflowered Rania... as you did with Skurja! Don’t think I forgot about my cousin!”Ayla had missed the bickering between Rhobart and the twins. When she heard the twins and Rhobart fighting for the first time, she was afraid for the twins, but as time passed, she came to understand the brotherly affection Rhobart, Milton, and the Paladins had for each other.“We might have plucked a petal or two, but nothing more!” Hudde said. “And Skurja had many petals gone by the time she was on top of me!”Rhobart folded his arms. “You mean you ripped all of Rania’s petals! And talk about Sjurka like that, and Ayla won’t stop me again from challenging you to a duel!” He looked at the
After Ayla and Rhobart completed their alxa-lotx, when she remembered the prophecy, Milton had been the first to suggest that Fire, Water, and Darkness could refer to mages. Ayla and Rhobart had spent many hours discussing it, trying to understand everything. In the Fire Monastery, when Ayla found the forgotten book, they searched for clues about Uzriel and the prophecy, but the book had yet to reveal all its secrets to her. The forgotten tome was still in her bag, together with Eude’s sketchbook, which she would burn, sketch by sketch, so that Rhobart wouldn’t get any new ideas from it. Or embarrass her with it.In the Black Tower, when Ayla and Godefray gradually started to become friends, they talked about the prophecy. Ayla had hoped the dragons would appear again in her dreams, but the last time she spoke to them had been before the fight with the Seeker. There were many things Ayla still didn’t know and wanted to learn before sailing to Korinus Island.Milton picked up a flat pe
Hudde pointed at the burning tent. “I was in the tent, sleeping with Eude, Hewe, Tizgar, and Gorn. The tent was not big enough for all five of us, and my ass was almost sticking out of it. I could have slept better, but someone refused to let me use his tent. Anyway, I was dreaming about… never mind that, when Milton set it on fire and burned my ass in the process,” he complained while turning around to show Rhobart and Ayla his burned trousers. Ayla covered her mouth and hid a smile while trying to look shocked. “This was my last clean pair too!” Thick smoke was coming from the burned tent, making Ayla’s eyes fill with tears. She flicked her index and middle finger, and a soft breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves of the trees, carrying the smell of smoke away from the camp. Ashes jumped on the two remaining tents, and they caught fire. Kerra came out of Rhobart’s tent with a big bone in her mouth. Drax took out a magic rune, and small grey clouds appeared above them,
Rhobart kept walking, and Ayla looked around the forest. While in Nordmar lived many dangerous beasts, Myrthana’s woods were quieter, and the animals were smaller. Even the shadowbeasts were not as aggressive as those that lived in the cold forests of the Northern part of the continent.“Earlier, when I was hunting with Kerra and Gorn, we stumbled upon a small cave. It hasn’t been used by wild creatures for some time, and furs and blankets are inside. Even some wine. I think the lumberjacks used the cave to wash because there’s a small pool inside. Would you want to go there? And while we wash away the dust from our bodies, we can also spend a few quiet moments.”It did not matter if it was only a lonely rock, as long as she was with Rhobart. Ayla nodded against his chest, his scent soothing her. “I don’t know if I told you, but I’ve missed you terribly,” she said as the sun began to set. Rhobart tightened his arms around her. “I was afraid I would never see you again.”“I will never