Child of Fate

Child of Fate Read Free Page A

Book: Child of Fate Read Free
Author: Jason Halstead
Tags: Magic, dragon, sorcery, warrior, wizard, Princess, Viking, goblin, priest, troll, ogre
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man.”
    Karthor shook his head. Alto returned his
earlier smile, at a loss for what else to say.
    “As I said, he will live. He may sleep a
while yet; the blow to his head was serious. His leg was broken at
the thigh and the ankle. The long haul back damaged his hip, I
think. He will be a long time in healing and too weak to help with
the planting this year. If he rests and heals, he may help some
with the harvest, but he will never move as well as he did before
today.”
    Alto nodded, fighting back the feeling of
despair that threatened to settle on his heart. “I thank you for
your aid; that he lives is enough for us.”
    “If I had proper training, I might have done
more, but that would take me years. Given time to rest and heal,
say a couple of weeks, you could take him to the temple in
Portland. For a price, they will be able to do more for him,”
Karthor explained.
    “Portland I know,” Lana said, wiping away a
tear. “How much will it cost?”
    Karthor shrugged. “I’m not certain. For such
a restoration and healing, I think they would seek a donation of no
less than a hundred and fifty gold.”
    Some of Alto’s brothers and sisters gasped.
Lana blinked and nodded. “My thanks as well. I don’t know what we
would have done without you.”
    Alto glanced around and saw that Magdalene
had slipped out. He had no idea where the healer had gone, but
suspected that she refused to stick around while a real healer
proved the insufferable woman wrong.
    Karthor and Kar left the house, heading back
out to the front. Tristam followed, though he made a nodding
gesture toward the outside to Alto. Alto followed him until they
were out of earshot of the others.
    “That’s a lot of gold, son,” Tristam said. “I
don’t suppose you’ve got that much around here, do you?”
    Alto looked at him for a long moment before
he shook his head.
    “I could use a strong lad like you,” Tristam
said. “The pay’s an even share of whatever job we’re after, minus
the group cut for supplies. Rate we been going lately, you could
have that much gold in a couple of months.”
    Alto stared at him, perplexed. Earning that
much wealth that quickly seemed impossible. He was certain no one
in his family had ever seen such a fortune. Their land might have
been worth it, but he doubted even that. Still, if he were to go
with Tristam, with his father ill, there would be two less to tend
the farm.
    “I’m not a soldier,” Alto said, his way of
turning down the generous offer.
    Tristam laughed. “Yes, but that’s a good
thing. Soldiers are brainless half the time. No, you’ve got no
training, son, but we’d learn you right. Teach you to use that
blade proper. You’d not be a soldier, but a warrior.”
    Alto glanced back inside the house, knowing
he should go back in to be with his family. He turned back to
Tristam, smiled appreciatively, and shook his head. “My thanks to
you, Tristam. For the offer and for the help. My place is here,
with my family.”
    “You’re a loyal son. I admire that,” Tristam
said. “But think on this, Alto, you’re what, eighteen, twenty
summers old now? This isn’t your family; it’s your father’s family.
Any time now, you’ll be moving on to start your own life.”
    Alto shook his head. “I’m only sixteen,” he
admitted. He was less than two months from being seventeen but Alto
wanted to shock him.
    Tristam did a double take, staring at Alto’s
legs, arms, hands, chest, and then finally meeting his gaze again.
“Sixteen and that strong. Boy, I wish you the best in life, but
know that wasting such potential, such strength, toiling on a farm
would be a terrible loss.” Tristam clapped him on the shoulder
companionably. “I respect your decision, but my offer stands. We
headquarter in Portland, near the river Yelb at the main crossing.
We call ourselves the Blades of Leander. It upsets the church and
amuses Kar to no end.”
    Alto nodded, and then gripped forearms with
the man. Alto turned

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