Free The Sheening Of The Blades (Book 1) by Kari Cordis

interested in…her beginning, her miracles, the wars…?”
    “ The end,” Melkin said.  Ari’s eyebrows inched up.  For not knowing anything about her, he seemed pretty sure of himself.
    “ Well,” the Shepherd grunted, “Like all great Good, her whole life was devoted to the fight against Evil—to include the very person of the fire-god himself.  They were bitter enemies…”
    “ Yes,” Melkin said softly, leaning forward.  When the Shepherd made no sign of continuing, he pressed, “Could there be an association between her story and the possibility of war coming again?  There are signs, worrisome, old omens that are now only half understood, that our peace may have an end.  That the Sheelmen stir in the south and with them the malice that would threaten the Realms.”
    “ There will always be war,” Galeb answered, unconcerned.  “The Realms will fight themselves eventually if the Tarq do not provide.”  The idea didn’t seem to disturb him much.
    Ari frowned slightly.  Before Banion ’s story the other night, he’d never heard Sheelmen referred to as anything but ‘the Enemy.’  Yet now, here at the far end of the world, amongst these rustic, secluded people, not only was their presence known, but so was this other name.
    “ There are Ram patrolling almost to the Kendrick,” Melkin said gently, eyes like a hawk on the seamed face across from him.
    “ Are there?” Galeb seemed genuinely surprised.  He shook his heavy grey head.  “I will tell you, there are ever wars and rumors of wars.  It concerns us little here, for we are always prepared.”
    The sun had already passed behind the high crests of the surrounding mountains, and the verandah was cooling in more ways than one.  A great eagle floated with inimitable grace out over the deep crevasse in front of them , hunting—probably considerably less frustrated than the predator after knowledge on the verandah.
    It was a good time for dinner; the acolytes appeared again, this time almost overburdened with heavy plates of delicately grilled lamb, a surprising array of vegetables, and best of all, such thick, rich, redolent slices of fresh bread that Ari almost dripped saliva all over himself.  The acolytes giggled, the Northerners inhaled and gave small exclamations of delight and for several minutes there was nothing but the sound of a simple meal being deeply savored.  The atmosphere was much more convivial once they all sat back, indolently choosing grapes from the desert platter and picking lamb unobtrusively out of their teeth.  Banion rumbled out casually:
    “ The Five Hundred Years of Peace are known here in Addah, are they not?”
    And Galeb, who with great and oblivious courtesy had yet to give Melkin a single bit of information, said readily, “But of course!  They began not a hundred leagues from here!”
    Melkin ’s chin, which had been resting pensively on his chest, came up.  Everyone looked at the Shepherd.  Curiosity became almost palpably intense, sparking like a current of electricity through the group.
    “ You mean…the last battle?” Melkin said, as if he couldn’t believe his luck.
    “ We refer to a different event with that title,” Galeb said with a quiet smile, “but the Battle of Montmorency, yes.”
    “ Clarmorency Fields!” Loren whispered reverently.  He and Ari exchanged deeply satisfied looks—history was the only class they’d paid any real attention in, especially when it came to the legendary battles, the Great Heroes and the Lesser Heroes.  Loren had even studied.
    “ The Fields of Clarmorency once lay in what is now the northeast Empire,” Cerise began, in the voice of one setting things straight.
    Banion smoothly drowned her out.  “Perhaps we should hear the Addahite version, seeing as we’ve come so far for it … ”  She narrowed her eyes tightly at him.
    Galeb chuckled.  “Aye, and it might be a bit different, at that,” he conceded.  “But I will give you the