Realm of Dhea Loral

I appreciate the patience of my fans. My new readers have been anxiously awaiting the third book in the Earthrin Stones series.

I was reminded of how that can feel just this past week. I finished reading a good book by a new author, the first in a series. Unfortunately, the sequel hasn’t been finished yet! So, here I am aching for more.

I thought I’d share a small passage from the Muster of Heroes revision. Just a small part! In the scene below, Trestan is probing into Lindon’s past. In the original, he didn’t ask about Lindon’s family. This question and response was blended into the existing conversation. I’m glad inspiration provided it, because I felt I haven’t expressed enough of Lindon’s character.

Trestan had that thought on his mind when he managed to find a break in the conversation. “Lindon, you certainly have done a lot of traveling. You call Orlaun your home, but when did you leave to explore all these places?”

Lindon relaxed back into his seat. “I left Orlaun as soon as was feasible after my tenure at the Artistic Enlightenment College. Within a week of concluding my studies, I set sail to see the world. I wanted to see everything if I could…and I mean everything! I wanted a tour that would even go beyond the boundaries of the known kingdoms.”

Trestan felt he could identify with with Lindon’s feelings. “Like your home was too small, and there were all those tales of faraway wonders?”

“Aye,” Lindon nodded, “Aye, indeed. At least that is how it started out. When learning about music and folklore one learns about a lot of fantastic things out there in the world. It opened my eyes to places I wanted to visit and experience firsthand. You must understand, my youth was spent in one of the poorest districts of an otherwise rich city. Even when I walked through the cultured areas of the city they treated me poorly. I was a cretin in dirty rags. People thought of me as crazed, a beggar or even a thief.”

“And your parents?” Trestan ventured.

Lindon sighed, “There was only my mother. Very supporting. She showed me how to cook dirt in an alley and make it seem tasty. Elles. A simple name that couldn’t begin to touch the depths of her character. We spent a lot of time begging for food. She had to teach me how to run and hide from trouble. I even found out she’d…” His voice caught. Lindon paused a moment before shaking his head. “Nevermind that. Some things aren’t meant to be shared. I will say, mother made it clear to me that she had one goal she could hope to attain: giving me a happy life. She even showed me a spot where we could peek over a wall and observe high-society plays, and we’d laugh at the outrageous dress styles of both actors and patrons. Illness took her from me. I watched her die over the course of a few days, unable to save her.”

The minstrel glanced upward. His light blue eyes were usually lit with an inner happiness, yet the ghosts of the past could be seen lurking there. “It’s not a subject I usually discuss. I am quite happy to forget about that existence. If Korrelothar had never given me this…”

He reached into his vest. His nimble fingers plucked out a bamboo flute that seemed longer than what his vest pocket could accommodate. Trestan and Cat had been witness to how well the minstrel could play the instrument.

“…I may never have escaped that prison of society. I am eternally grateful to that elf. Aside from hunting for food, I had nothing to do but practice. The more I practiced, the more the flute paid for my meals. When my fortunes changed I had the bardic college to house me while I learned from the masters. Once I was free, I flew like a bird that just found his wings.”

I hope you all enjoyed this peek at the revision! I’m working hard at it today!