Fate Rides Wicked: Volume I of the Lerilon Trilogy Read Free Page B

with a jeweled hilt. Holding it above his head, the
prince pulled out the sword. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires
and diamonds glinted in the lamplight and the sword shone
as polished steel does.
    Morg stepped away and Tych handed his sword to his
mother. A line had formed, spiraling around the lawn. The
prince accepted each token with a respectful bow until the
di Thain family reached him. They had chosen their
daughter, Lendril, to present their gift, and when Tych saw
her, he froze. To him, she was the most beautiful woman
alive; her shimmering golden-blond hair accented her
bright jade eyes and captivated him. He had fallen in love
with her the first time he saw her. She smiled back and
only she saw the image in his eyes: they were dancing in a
rainbow of colors, laughing joyously.
    Later, as the morning was just becoming bright, Tych’s
parents saw him to bed. He wanted to stay with Lendril,
dancing and kissing into the next day, but the king insisted.
“I have a surprise that will make you feel better,” he said to
encourage him to come.
    Now his father sat down on the bed and took a deep
breath. “Tych, we’re going to be taking a long and perilous
journey to the homes of the mendar and then the thrandrils.
You, Cort and Crat will be traveling with me and Cert will
stay here to study with Corl. She has chosen a path that
requires it.”
    “But Crat hates me, father. Isn’t that asking for
trouble?” Tych said this without emotion but his father had
to smile at the maturity of his concern.
    “Crat doesn’t hate you, he’s just the jealous type.”
Greentree kneeled next to the bed. “There won’t be any
problems.”
    “You said there would be a surprise when we returned.”
Morg laughed. “This is the surprise.”
    “Well, who else is going? You can’t convince me that
anything which excludes my Lendril is a surprise.”
    “Oh, did I forget to mention the rest of the list.”
Morg smiled a wry grin. “The di Thain family and forty
or so soldiers will be traveling with us.”
    For the first time in literally seventy years, when
he broke his leg, Tych showed emotion and cheered loudly.
“When do we leave?”
    “In two days. Now get some rest, you may have to do
battle during this long journey.”
     

Chapter Four
TWICE AMBUSHED
     
    They marched east, always wary of the woods around
them. On these narrow, winding roads, passing north of the
kingdoms, creatures found ample space for attack. The
days and nights, however, passed uneventfully but for the
frequent problems with the heat. Crat and Tych never
walked together, partially because of Lendril, but also
because of the rivalry.
    Crat felt cheated by life. His brother walked with a
beautiful girl, a jeweled scabbard slapping against his
soldier’s armor. Crat walked with the younger di Thain
children, a boring lot of garbage, if one wanted to ask him.
He only carried a small sword. ‘Much too small,’ he
thought to himself. ‘It’s almost smaller than Tych’s
daggers, which he’s so good with, of course. If they treated
me as well as him, I’d be just as talented.’ All this
rambling made no sense because Crat received treatment no
different than any of the di Corl children. Unfortunately,
nothing could prevent these thoughts, since Tych’s talents
came naturally and Crat hid a dark secret.
    The jealous prince became even more infuriated when
Tych was invited to participate in a counsel on the third
night of the trip. Lendril kissed Tych, causing Crat to
grimace, and went to help her brothers and sisters with
getting into bed. Crat slipped off and went to his mat, evil
thoughts running around and around his head.
    Thain, Tych, Morg and Morg’s general were bent over
a map of the continent on the ground. “If you don’t mind
me saying so, My Lord, we’re really not in a hurry and
crossing through kingdoms would be very dangerous.”
Taller than Morg, the general lacked looks but made