A myriad of campfires extended as far as the eye could see as I rode to the pavilion of Phraates for a meeting of his war council. In the distance a red glow filled the horizon — the fires of Narses’ army. Palace guards were standing around the royal enclosure every ten paces, while inside a smal...
I was suspicious of him at first, but Akmon told me that he was an excellent instructor, albeit a hard taskmaster. I did not doubt that, as all centurions seemed to have an inbred callous streak. Nevertheless, he was the man I needed and so I paid him a visit on an expanse of ground upon which st...
The relief army had swept over the eastern side of the Danish camp, which appeared to be filled with wounded men hobbling around or sitting listlessly round campfires. He could see freshly dug earth covering what he presumed was a burial pit; beside it another pit was being dug. The Danish soldie...
Conrad felt a knot in his stomach as he wondered what had happened to Thalibald and Waribule. Rameke and a score of warriors had escorted the women and children from his and other villages to the castle where they had been accommodated in the castle quarters. He and the other novices had been unc...
A few threw up outside the hut first to provide a breakfast for the mangy dogs that stalked the village. They really were a disgusting people, and yet they were also hardy and had resisted foreign powers for thousands of years. As his warriors splashed in the water and engaged in boorish horsepla...
It was late now and so servants placed bronze oil lamps on the tables and balustrade so we could see each other’s faces, though I was mischievously tempted to order them to be taken away so that I would not have to look at Dobbai’s haggard old visage. They also placed stands around the balustrade...
The ripened crops were still in the fields, waiting to be harvested, though the first frosts had already appeared and geese and skylarks had begun their migratory flights to warmer climes. This part of western Semgallia comprised fertile lowlands watered by numerous lakes and rivers and was dotte...
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author. Formatted by Jo Harrison This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination ...