The tree stump was a short walk from the bridge. A loud sound began emanating from the small clearing the closer that they got. When they entered the clearing, the place was buzzing with activity. The stump was still where it was before, but the ruins beyond were, miraculously, no longer ruins. A bright and bustling village overflowed with people and creatures that were happily working together.

Marwynn and Muriel glanced at each other and then back at Morganse. Marwynn spoke first, “Well,” he paused, “Declan took Muriel’s place.” Morganse turned to Muriel, “took your place? What does that mean? Did you not just catch up with us?” “No,” Muriel said and filled both Morganse and Finn in on the events that had led her to be here with them.

Declan was led by guards to the lower level and placed behind the bars of a holding cell. When the door closed and the lock clicked, Declan looked around at his surroundings. It was similar to the viewing room when they had first come in but it was much colder here. The dripping of the cave was much louder and he saw that to his left, a stream of water was flowing through to some distant place out of view.

Marwynn was holding onto Muriel so tight that she was wincing. “Could you please loosen your grip Marwynn?” she said. Marwynn looked down at her arms and realized how tightly he was holding her and immediately released his pressure. They had left the auction and Declan behind them and were silently speeding past trees into the forest. Marwynn’s head was spinning with everything that just took place.

Author's Note*** Enjoy this extra long chapter today! I had considered releasing it in two parts but could not justify it. Thank you for reading and drop me a comment or question after the chapter, I'd love to hear from you. “It’s time. Wake up” Marwynn gently shook Declan’s arm. Stretching his arms over his head, Declan let out a yawn.

The gentle swaying of the powerful horse had lulled Muriel to sleep. When she awoke, it took her a moment to gather her senses. She was in a clearing surrounded by a vast array of trees. Ebony was bending down to eat some of the tall grass surrounding them. Muriel cooed at Ebony and patted her gently. Muriel did not know how far they had traveled as she slept but she climbed down from Ebony’s back and stretched her aching back.

After traveling for a day and a half, Declan and the others reached the place named Small Falls. The place was named appropriately as the waterfall was wide but it’s height was very small indeed, only a few inches, you would hardly notice it was a waterfall at all if it were not for the flat sharp rock that jutted out into the river.

Author's Note* Extremely short chapter today, I will make up for it by adding another chapter tomorrow, keep an eye out! Lady Revna stood by the window of the king’s chambers in Whitehaven Castle. She gazed across the vast ocean as if she could see her castle from where she stood. A guard hurried towards her, “My lady!” he half yelled.

Muriel made it through the night traveling on foot. She heard some awful screams and other strange noises but had not come across anything to frighten her. She could not sleep so she just continued to walk. At daybreak, she sat down by a stream of water. Her eyelids were heavy and she began to doze. A while later Muriel awakened from the sound of a horse whinnying.

*Author's note: Hi everyone! I love all of you that have stuck by reading my story so far and i hope you have thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be updating two chapters today as they are both very short chapters so keep an eye out for chapter 45 in a few minutes! Thank you for reading, take a minute to leave me a comment or suggestion i would love to hear from you!

Muriel walked down towards the village outside the castle. She went into an abandoned barn and changed into her clothes. She was not sure if Lord Tarlock had alerted to the guards yet to keep her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. After she was ready, she slid out of the barn and walked towards the gates. The guards did not look especially menacing so she hoped that they would not stop her from leaving, she watched for a few moments by a cart with hay in it as others walked through without incident.

Marwynn had stopped Ebony by a stream to allow her to drink from the cool water. Declan and the others caught up a few moments later. Out of breath, Declan said, “Marwynn.. I know.. you are.. upset.. but slow down.. we can’t keep up…” “Sorry Declan,” Marwynn said. Wincing, Finn climbed out of the saddle and limped over to Marwynn, “look here!

The next morning arrived quickly. Declan took what little he had and packed it up. When he was finished, he walked to Marwynn’s room and knocked lightly. He heard some rustling on the other side of the door before it swung open. Marwynn stood there a bit disheveled and unkempt. His hair was quickly pulled into one ponytail. The bottom had not been sectioned and tamed yet and as such, it stuck out like a pouf on the back of his head.

The villagers cleared out scurrying to their homes and only Declan and his friends remained. Muriel was pale-faced and clinging onto Morganse. Finn who had never looked so serious, was statuesque and his eyes were unblinking. Marwynn was lost in thought and Declan stood by Morganse and placed his hand on her arm. A small voice came from behind him, “how did that thing get here?” Declan turned to see Finn’s fear-filled eyes.

Short chapter this week, I am sorry for the inconsistency for the past few months. I am trying to get back on schedule for Mondays now that summer is over 🙂 BOOM! Oaklynn ran as fast as she could, glancing behind her for a moment, she could see multitudes of creatures escaping in all directions from the Embergate prison. There were creatures flying into the air, scampering across the ground, diving into the depths of the river, and burrowing under the ground.

Marwynn checked his reflection in the looking glass before leaving for the feast. He looked sharp in the black fitted uniform. As it was customary for a general, he did not wear the tell-tale gloves and mask that all the lower ranking shadows were required to wear. The side of his face was marked with a black symbol of the shadows stretching from his cheek to behind his ear.

Evening came and the colder air sent a shiver down Marwynn’s spine. He didn’t want to see Muriel with anyone but him, but he could not tell her. It wouldn’t be right. She deserved to be happy and safe from danger. If he didn’t believe that Lord Tarlock could provide that, he would have insisted that she leave. It was almost time for the feast to begin and Marwynn trudged around his room to get ready.

*Author's note : Thank you for reading! I will be going back to my regular posting every Monday until the book is finished. I do have exciting news for those interested, I have finished writing this book and have decided it will need to be a trilogy in order to tell the entire story. In total there are 52 chapters in this one and i am considering self publishing with my own artwork throughout the book.

*Author's Note* Hey lovely readers! I have an announcement. I will be continuing this story but I will be taking a brief pause in my upload schedule. I am going to be entering a writing contest and will need to pour my efforts into that over the next few weeks. On the website Royal Road, they have a community magazine contest with an outstanding writing prompt: Children of the Sky.

Marwynn left early the next morning from Crossroad Inn. He chose to stay off the main byways and ride along the shores. There were many unmapped fishing villages that could possibly be a haven for Muriel and Declan. He had no luck the first few that he visited as they were not large enough to be visited by any of the major ports including Little Oak.

Fin smiled wide as he recognized Declan. “Declan! Where did you come from?” “Long story,” he said and continued, “Did Muriel tell you what happened?” Fin looked puzzled, “Muriel?” Declan’s smile faded, “did she and Davey not make it to Hollowcoast?” Fin shook his head slowly, “No, were she and Marwynn not with you?” “I was with Muriel, we had to flee from Whitehaven, we hired Davey to bring us here.” He answered.

*Author's Note: I apologize for being off schedule this week, I had a medical concern on Monday evening and after an overnight haul of tests at the ER, I am grateful nothing serious was found. Feeling much better today and wanted to update you lovely consistant readers! Thank you so much, feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you!

A large wave propelled Declan and he landed face first on the sand. He propped up his leg and was about to stand up and another wave tumbled him down. He cried out in frustration and crawled to where the waves could not reach him. He leaned back on the sand and closed his eyes. Almost a full minute passed and Declan just breathed in and out.

Marwynn paced the inside of his room in the North Tower of Whitehaven. He was impatiently waiting for news of Declan or Muriel. Lady Revna had been cautious around him since the night of the Hunter’s moon. She did not rely on him the way that she had before and Marwynn knew that she was suspicious of him. She had every right to be.

The morning was cool and a light fog hung in the air. The sky was a soft gray and whispered of an occasional rain. The trees fluttered lightly in the gentle wind. Declan had been awake for about an hour helping Davey get the boat ready for sail. They were just about done packing for the trip when Muriel arrived. …