It had the tang of eucalypt mixed with horse sweat and saddle soap. It was a cattle property, mainly, with some sheep, on land full of gullies and ridges. The house was long and low. Soon after we arrived, it grew even larger. Uncle Donald added two new rooms for us and lengthened the verandah. L...
He should have swallowed the insult and kept her talking, convinced her to surrender and then consult the Lake. Buy some time. Leof rode back to the camp in a foul mood, angry with himself, Vi, Thegan, even the Lake itself, ignoring the glances Hodge and the men exchanged ...
The relief almost brought her to tears. This place, so different from the forests she had known, sapped her strength. She had never felt so alone, as though she had been traveling among the creaking pines for weeks instead of days. The earlier panic had left her, but a deeper sadness grew in its ...
“Come with me,” she said. They left Cael sitting on the hall bench and opened the door. The warlords were still arguing. “Apologies won’t stop them!” Thegan said forcefully. “He’s prepared to sacrifice any number of his own p...