S is for Shepherd. Meet Keldar from the Dragshi Chronicles and Idwal from the new release, Fire and Amulet. Although both manage a flock of sheep, the men and their lives are quite different.
Idwal is a gray-bearded oldster. The flock he manages is Trelleir's property. However as long as there are sheep for his meal when he comes calling, Trelleir allows Idwal to keep whatever coins he makes from the flock's wool. A few lines from Karst's meeting with Idwal.
Karst took in the shepherd with a glance. The other man didn’t carry a sword but held a tall staff with the familiarity of a well-used weapon.
The next morning, things don't go as Karst planned. To start his day, Idwal's head dog pulled Karst's blanket off.
“Now, Kir,” Idwal’s voice came from the darkness on the other side of the ashes. “That’s no way to greet such a distinguished guest as Slayer Karst.” He gave a harsh laugh. “My apologies. Kir doesn’t always have the best of manners. I just told him to wake you, Slayer, ‘cause we be leaving. You can stay as long as you wish. I drew the landmarks and directions to get to the upper trail in the firepit ashes.”
Karst felt more than saw the massive dog pad away in response to Idwal’s whistle. Moments later, the only sound was the buzz of the biting insects flying above the grass. Rage surged through Karst’s frame. “What about my breakfast?” he yelled.
Only a chuckle reached his ears.
We meet Kedar as a mere youth of sixteen and as agile as the sheep he cares for. Yet, his responsibility exceeded his age. He cared for the special flock of sheep the dragshi kept as tribute (and meals) for the dragons who lived on the high ledges above Cloud Eyrie. In fact, he had worked with this flock since he took his first steps. For saving one of the true dragons when a pride of mountain cats attacked, Kedar received additional training. Acting as a messenger and special agent for the dragon lords gave him the opportunity to travel and exposure to the finer things of life.
The excerpt is from the gryphlor attack.
Kedar focused on the snarling creatures in front of him. A swing of the staff broke the closest one’s leg. Crying, the wounded animal limped away. Using the momentum of his attack, Kedar advanced on the second gryphlor. This time, the sturdy wood staff that moved a sheep down the trail or pried a hoof loose from a rock, whipped down onto the middle of the gryphlor’s back, breaking it. Unable to move its rear legs, the cat struggled to rise. Only the tip of its ears rose above the grass before a second blow ended its life.
Fire ripped Kedar’s side. Blood flowed from a rip in his tunic. He turned to see a brown blur. While the two gryphlor had kept him occupied, a third had moved unseen through the tall grass. His teeth gritted against the pain, he hobbled in a circle to keep the remaining cat in sight.
To see the rest of Kedar's destiny and how he becomes the first man to wield the magical sword, Mt’wan Comraich, click on the First Change cover in the banner for buy links and a free read of the first chapter.
A SIDE NOTE: One of the dogs that assist Kedar with the flock and later in his special assignments is Faoth. The puppy is also featured in W : Working Dogs later in this series.
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| From my childhood, the inspiration for Kir and Faoth. Even without formal training, the collie became quite adept at herding sheep and children. |
If intrigued by this post and the ones that came before, click on the Buy Links below for the entire tale of Deneas and Trelleir.
Sales Sites for Fire and Amulet at Books2Read.
To make following my posts in the challenge easier, you can find all my posts at 2022 AtoZ Connections. Just remember, the next day's post isn't live until midnight.
~till next time, Helen
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