Where the Clouds Catch Fire
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Alynn has lost one family. Can she kill to protect her new one?
Change is the only constant in Alynn’s life. Every few months, there’s a move to another house, another town, another church. Finally, her father runs out of Ireland to wander through and takes what’s left of his family to Scotland.They never make it. |
She vows to fight off the Norse alongside him. If they win, she gets the home she’s always wanted. If they’re defeated, she faces death–or worse, slavery.
Alynn doesn’t have much of a chance. But if it means a forever home, it’s a chance worth taking. Don’t miss this stunning tale of faith, courage, and the power of family.
Where I Stand, Book Two in the Clouds Aflame Series,
is now available on Amazon.
Excerpt
Alynn stood just inside the stable’s door and looked around. Pigs, sheep, chickens, and a single horse were all pleading for attention. But Lukas didn’t even look at them. One of the stall gates was open.
“What escaped?” Alynn asked.
“The mare. Alynn, stay here. I’m going to look for her.” Quickly, he saddled the remaining horse—a handsome, snow-white stallion—and galloped out the door.
Alynn wasn’t quite sure what else to do, so she went back outside. She walked in an aimless circle before a late-blooming flower caught her eye. She knelt in the rain-dampened grass to touch the lacy white blossom. It looked crushed, as if it had been stepped on—perhaps by the mare.
Alynn glanced up, saw a trail of hoofprints in the grass, and started running.
She ran through vegetable gardens, skeleton plants brushing against her legs until she reached the empty grain fields. The soft soil showed the hoofprints perfectly. She kept running. Finally, she looked up to see a horse, standing still in the field in front of her.
The mare was a beautiful dark bay, with a white diamond on her forehead. Her black mane and tail drifted in the wind as she looked up at Alynn, unafraid yet as gentle as a spring breeze over a heathery meadow. “I’ll not hurt you,” Alynn said. She gently approached the mare, one hand extended for her to sniff. “I’m here to bring you home. I’ll not hurt you.”
The mare took a few steps toward Alynn. Alynn was almost frightened of her, but she kept walking. Slowly, the gap between them closed, until Alynn reached out and touched the mare.
The mare snorted, sniffing the hand that caressed her. Alynn smiled and stroked her forehead. “There you go,” she said. “Good girl. I’m here to take you home.”
She slipped one hand under the mare’s warm mane and held the lead rope with the other. Gently, the mare followed her. Alynn shivered with excitement.
Suddenly, the mare stopped and jerked on her lead, snorting fearful warnings with her frightened eyes. “Gentle, girl! Easy!” Alynn cried. She jumped backward, clutching the lead. The mare reared and screamed like a terrified child. Alynn froze, staring in horror at the sharp hooves that sliced the air inches from her face.
Suddenly, Lukas’s voice shot through the nearby woods. “Alynn, what the devil are ye doing?”
Alynn couldn’t answer. She couldn’t even breathe. Her fingers clutched the lead rope as if they were made of iron. She couldn’t let go.
“I told ye to stay at the—Alynn, don’t move!”
Alynn’s heart skipped a beat. She heard an almost sickening sound behind her—like a demon clearing its throat.
Slowly, Alynn turned her head to see the demon personified. It was a dragon, three feet long with neither legs nor wings, with amber scales and black, undead eyes. It flattened against the ground, lifting its head to stare at her. Alynn had never seen anything like it before. She shrieked. The mare screamed again.
“You’ve got a month of practice? You’ll need some divine intervention, and even then you’ll probably lose a limb. Care for a quick lesson?”
“Pardon?”
Drostan didn’t bother to answer. He quickly lashed out with his sword, and Alynn drew hers just in time to parry. “Drostan Leifson, are you tryin’ to kill me?” she shrieked.
“Nay—just testing your skills.” Drostan calmly parried a couple of Alynn’s lunges. “Only a complete twit would hurt a girl on purpose.”
Well, isn’t that lovely, Alynn thought. “What am I doing wrong?”
“You have good form,” Drostan said. He swiped at Alynn’s head twice and was blocked both times. “Don’t use your elbow so much. It just wastes energy.”
“Thanks. Anythin’ else?”
Drostan parried a blow aimed for his neck. “Your feet,” he said. He tried a thrust, but Alynn dodged him. He nearly fell over. “You look like you’re dancing. You want your feet planted for balance unless you’re shuffling to get somewhere.”
“Grand. Now, what about strategy?”
Alynn twisted Drostan’s sword out of his hand, but he caught it again. They circled each other, swords together, panting with the effort.
“I don’t know,” Drostan finally admitted.
“What’s their weakness? They have to have somethin’.”
“Most of them,” Drostan said. “Some of them have been fighting since they were old enough to hold a weapon. There’s nothing much you can do against them. They’re just too good.”
“What about everyone else?”
Drostan thought for a while. “They’re strong. But they’re also stupid. Talk to them like you’ve never had a conversation before, and they should be confused enough to give you an opening.”
Alynn smiled. “Thanks, Drostan.”
“Remember what I taught you,” he said. “I’ll fight like one of them now.”
Alynn grasped her sword with both hands and parried a downward swipe that nearly wrenched her arms off her body. “What on—”
“When I said we’re strong, I meant it.”
“I can see that now.” Alynn dodged Drostan’s next few thrusts, then decided to use her head. She leapt behind a pine tree and snapped a branch in Drostan’s face.
Drostan stumbled backwards, his head snapped backwards. His face was scratched, and blood trickled out of his nose.
Drostan swore. Alynn leapt onto a half-felled tree for leverage. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I hurt you?”
Drostan blinked pine needles out of his eyes, his hands in angry fists. “You dog!” He kicked the tree Alynn was standing in, and she fell backwards onto the snowy ground. And suddenly, Drostan was angrily lashing out with his sword.
“What escaped?” Alynn asked.
“The mare. Alynn, stay here. I’m going to look for her.” Quickly, he saddled the remaining horse—a handsome, snow-white stallion—and galloped out the door.
Alynn wasn’t quite sure what else to do, so she went back outside. She walked in an aimless circle before a late-blooming flower caught her eye. She knelt in the rain-dampened grass to touch the lacy white blossom. It looked crushed, as if it had been stepped on—perhaps by the mare.
Alynn glanced up, saw a trail of hoofprints in the grass, and started running.
She ran through vegetable gardens, skeleton plants brushing against her legs until she reached the empty grain fields. The soft soil showed the hoofprints perfectly. She kept running. Finally, she looked up to see a horse, standing still in the field in front of her.
The mare was a beautiful dark bay, with a white diamond on her forehead. Her black mane and tail drifted in the wind as she looked up at Alynn, unafraid yet as gentle as a spring breeze over a heathery meadow. “I’ll not hurt you,” Alynn said. She gently approached the mare, one hand extended for her to sniff. “I’m here to bring you home. I’ll not hurt you.”
The mare took a few steps toward Alynn. Alynn was almost frightened of her, but she kept walking. Slowly, the gap between them closed, until Alynn reached out and touched the mare.
The mare snorted, sniffing the hand that caressed her. Alynn smiled and stroked her forehead. “There you go,” she said. “Good girl. I’m here to take you home.”
She slipped one hand under the mare’s warm mane and held the lead rope with the other. Gently, the mare followed her. Alynn shivered with excitement.
Suddenly, the mare stopped and jerked on her lead, snorting fearful warnings with her frightened eyes. “Gentle, girl! Easy!” Alynn cried. She jumped backward, clutching the lead. The mare reared and screamed like a terrified child. Alynn froze, staring in horror at the sharp hooves that sliced the air inches from her face.
Suddenly, Lukas’s voice shot through the nearby woods. “Alynn, what the devil are ye doing?”
Alynn couldn’t answer. She couldn’t even breathe. Her fingers clutched the lead rope as if they were made of iron. She couldn’t let go.
“I told ye to stay at the—Alynn, don’t move!”
Alynn’s heart skipped a beat. She heard an almost sickening sound behind her—like a demon clearing its throat.
Slowly, Alynn turned her head to see the demon personified. It was a dragon, three feet long with neither legs nor wings, with amber scales and black, undead eyes. It flattened against the ground, lifting its head to stare at her. Alynn had never seen anything like it before. She shrieked. The mare screamed again.
“You’ve got a month of practice? You’ll need some divine intervention, and even then you’ll probably lose a limb. Care for a quick lesson?”
“Pardon?”
Drostan didn’t bother to answer. He quickly lashed out with his sword, and Alynn drew hers just in time to parry. “Drostan Leifson, are you tryin’ to kill me?” she shrieked.
“Nay—just testing your skills.” Drostan calmly parried a couple of Alynn’s lunges. “Only a complete twit would hurt a girl on purpose.”
Well, isn’t that lovely, Alynn thought. “What am I doing wrong?”
“You have good form,” Drostan said. He swiped at Alynn’s head twice and was blocked both times. “Don’t use your elbow so much. It just wastes energy.”
“Thanks. Anythin’ else?”
Drostan parried a blow aimed for his neck. “Your feet,” he said. He tried a thrust, but Alynn dodged him. He nearly fell over. “You look like you’re dancing. You want your feet planted for balance unless you’re shuffling to get somewhere.”
“Grand. Now, what about strategy?”
Alynn twisted Drostan’s sword out of his hand, but he caught it again. They circled each other, swords together, panting with the effort.
“I don’t know,” Drostan finally admitted.
“What’s their weakness? They have to have somethin’.”
“Most of them,” Drostan said. “Some of them have been fighting since they were old enough to hold a weapon. There’s nothing much you can do against them. They’re just too good.”
“What about everyone else?”
Drostan thought for a while. “They’re strong. But they’re also stupid. Talk to them like you’ve never had a conversation before, and they should be confused enough to give you an opening.”
Alynn smiled. “Thanks, Drostan.”
“Remember what I taught you,” he said. “I’ll fight like one of them now.”
Alynn grasped her sword with both hands and parried a downward swipe that nearly wrenched her arms off her body. “What on—”
“When I said we’re strong, I meant it.”
“I can see that now.” Alynn dodged Drostan’s next few thrusts, then decided to use her head. She leapt behind a pine tree and snapped a branch in Drostan’s face.
Drostan stumbled backwards, his head snapped backwards. His face was scratched, and blood trickled out of his nose.
Drostan swore. Alynn leapt onto a half-felled tree for leverage. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I hurt you?”
Drostan blinked pine needles out of his eyes, his hands in angry fists. “You dog!” He kicked the tree Alynn was standing in, and she fell backwards onto the snowy ground. And suddenly, Drostan was angrily lashing out with his sword.