Hooked on Windmaster, Something Approaches #MFRWhooks

I hope you enjoyed the “hooks” from Windmaster over the last few weeks. If you’re interested in finding out how the journey ends, do the “One Click.”

Last week's excerpt ended with Ellspeth sensing something in the darkness. This week's continues as the watcher appears.

Excerpt from Windmaster:

Dal’s soft singing woke Ellspeth. It’s almost fifth hour, she decided after a quick search of the sky. I never realized sleeping on the ground could be so comfortable. Unwilling to move, she lay there, listening to the wizard whose even breathing gently lulled her back to sleep. The next time Ellspeth woke, lured by the smell of brewing caffa, only a sliver of the second moon remained over the horizon.

“I knew you liked it so I packed some in the supplies,” Dal explained. He stopped in the mid-action of handing Ellspeth a cup. “Watch it, it’s still hot.” A quizzical look appeared on his face. “We’re about to have company. No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, don’t leave the fire.”

The sound of what seemed like thunder rolled in on the wind. A smile on his face, Dal dissolved the wards surrounding the camp and took seven long steps out into the grass. The roar came closer. Ellspeth suppressed a gasp as four horses galloped into sight. Their long manes shimmered in the early dawn. Only these weren’t ordinary horses, they were larger than any she had ever seen, including the draft animals used by boat builders to pull cut trees down from the hills. The wizard’s grin grew large at the sight.

“Dal, run!” Ellspeth yelled. Yet he made no move to evade the stampede. Just as it appeared that the wizard would be trampled under the huge hooves, the lead horse checked its headlong rush. A dust cloud rose to envelop Dal. All Ellspeth heard was the snap of teeth...

~ * ~ End of the excerpt.