Free The Sorcerer's Ring: Book 05 - A Vow of Glory by Morgan Rice Page A

had been
gearing up mentally to leave these borderlands, to return to King’s Court; to
lead an expedition now to go and investigate this would take he and his men
nearly a full day's ride in the opposite direction, closer to the Highlands. It
was not something he wanted to do unless there was good cause.
    There
came a sudden commotion, and Kendrick turned to see a lone rider approaching the
town from the long road that led in the direction of King's Court. His heart
soared as he recognized the rider immediately: his horse and armor gave him
away. It was a man he had known and fought with since the time he could walk.
His close friend of the Silver, Atme.
    It
warmed his heart to see him; but as Kendrick watched him gallop for the town
gate, he could tell by his urgency, by his posture, that something was wrong.
This was not a casual visit. Atme had urgent business, and Kendrick sensed it
was bad news.
    He
braced himself as Atme charged through the town gate, spotted him, rode to him
and dismounted,   running up the stone
steps for Kendrick three at a time.
    "The
last time I saw you run like that, you were running from your debts,"
Kendrick said with a smile as his old friend arrived, gasping for air, and they
embraced. An attendant rushed over and handed Atme a bucket of water, and he
took a long drink, then dumped the rest on his head.
    "The
Empire, the Canyon," Atme breathed, gasping. "The shield is down.”
    Kendrick's
heart stopped at his words. Coming from anyone else, at any other time, he
would have assumed it was a joke. But not coming from Atme, and not at this
time.
    Kendrick
could hardly process the implications. The Shield was down. It was not possible.
Not with the Destiny Sword in King's Court.
    "What
of the Destiny Sword?” Kendrick asked.
    Atme
shook his head gravely.
    "It
is no more," he said. “It’s gone. Stolen.”
    Kendrick's
breath froze.
    “Stolen,"
he gasped. "How could that be?”
    “A
large group of men stole it in the night. They crossed the Canyon with it,
boarded a ship, and they've taken it to the Empire.”
    It all
felt surreal. The Destiny Sword, the life-force of MacGil Kings for centuries,
stolen. In Empire hands. The Ring unprotected. Somehow, he sensed that Gareth was
behind it.
    Kendrick
turned and surveyed the new town wall he had just built, and realized that it
had all had been for nothing. Without the shield, the entire Empire could
invade—and nothing, certainly not this town wall—could stop that.
    Immediately,
Kendrick thought of his family, of Gwendolyn, Reece, Godfrey. He thought of
King’s Court, vulnerable to attack.
    "King's
Court must be fortified at once,” Kendrick said.
    Again,
Atme shook his head ominously.
    “There
has been a rift. Your sister has left King’s Court and has taken half the
people, the ones we care about. They march now for Silesia. The MacGil kingdom
is fractured in two. King’s Court is Gareth's domain now. Gwendolyn sent me for
you.”
    "We
must to my sister, then," Kendrick said. “To Silesia.”
    Kendrick
surveyed the townsfolk below.
    "Without
the shield, these folk will be defenseless,” he said. “These fortifications are
designed to hold against McCloud's troops—not against Andronicus’ million man army.
These people will never survive an Empire invasion.”
    Kendrick
turned to Atme.
    "Go
to my sister. Ride ahead of me. Tell her I am coming. I can't return without
these people.”
    Atme’s
face flashed in concern.
    "It
is noble of you,” he said, “but they will be slow-moving. If you wait to
accompany them, you may not reach Silesia in time.”
    “That
is a chance I must take,” Kendrick said.
    Atme
stared at his old friend, and nodded slowly.
    "I
expected no less,” he said. “That is a chance I will take with you. I ride by your
side. Always!”
    "My
lord!" came the panicked voice of the scout, tapping Kendrick on the shoulder.
    Kendrick
turned and followed his finger as he pointed at the horizon. This time,
something