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  Silver & Light

  The Lionheart Province

  Book Two

  Chronicles of Alburnium

  by

  J. R. Castle

  Castle Book Creations

  Silver & Light

  Copyright 2019 by J.R. Castle

  Castle Book Creations

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Find out more about the author at Jackie Castle’s Story World,

  To keep updated on new releases, sign up for the Castle’s Story World Newsletter

  Or email her at: [email protected]

  Cover art created by Castle Creations

  Edited by Fix it or Nix it

  Castle’s Other Works

  From

  The White Road Chronicles:

  Illuminated

  Luminosity

  Emanate

  Radiance

  Ignited

  Ablaze

  From

  The White Road Tales Novellas

  Captured

  Stolen

  Ransom

  The Chronicles of Alburnium

  Blood and Water

  Silver and Light

  Gold and Fire (coming soon!)

  For Young Readers

  The Sentinels Archives: Through the Portal

  For Romance Lovers

  Madison Creek Bed & Breakfast Series:

  The Grimwood Legacy Series

  Lavender Vale Farm

  Dedication

  To all of you who’ve inspired the quirky characters

  I so enjoy writing about.

  You know who you are.

  ❤️

  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

  as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

  1 Peter 4:10 NIV

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Silver & Light

  The Lionheart Province

  Book Two

  Chronicles of Alburnium

  A Grimm’s Fairy tale Retelling based on

  The Maiden Without Hands

  Chapter One

  Kardia nestled deeper under her woolen blanket, breathing in the scent of damp earth and moss. She’d made camp beside a stream after venturing off the road she followed in her search for the King’s Highway. Hopefully, she’d find the road to Aloblase soon. She was running out of the few supplies she’d packed before leaving Goia, her childhood home.

  Her eyes, heavy from exhaustion, slowly closed. She’d almost drifted off when the sound of wagon wheels rolling over the dirt road caused her to sit up. A chill of fear raced down Kardia’s back. Hopefully, she was far enough off the road to not be spotted. Holding her breath, she waited for the traveler to pass. Her heart pounded like a drum in her ears. She curled her arms tighter around her chest and tried not to move.

  The clomping of hooves stopped.

  Something made a sniffing sound.

  Strange.

  Kardia tried to peer through the fern and brush toward the road, but the growing night made it too difficult to see more than gray shadows.

  “Hello in the woods,” a deep voice called out.

  Oh no! They knew she was there. But how?

  Kardia held perfectly still, not daring to breathe lest she make her position known. Silently willing them to leave, she tensed up, wondering if she’d get very far if she ran for it. Why hadn’t she left her boots on? If only her tired feet hadn’t hurt so badly when she stopped earlier. She’d not wanted to lose her toes like she’d lost her fingers. Despite the pain, she’d wriggled out of them. They were so hard to get on and off with her damaged hands.

  “I can smell you. Human, for sure. Are you hurt? I smell the scent of blood hanging about you. I can help…” the man moved off the edge of the road. It wasn’t footfalls she heard, but rather the clomping of…what exactly was she hearing? How did he… smell…her?

  Granted, she’d not tried to bathe yet. She’d hoped to find safe shelter before attempting that.

  “I won’t hurt you, little human.” It sniffed again.

  Kardia reasoned that if it was calling her human, then it wasn’t.

  “Ah, there you are,” the stranger declared, his tone softening.

  Her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest.

  “If you’re hiding a weapon, you should know I’m a master fighter. I’m also much larger and stronger than you could ever dream of being.” Then he added, “Even if you were a grown human male. But rest assured, I intend no harm, so be a good little human friend and sit up slowly so we can talk.”

  She bolted to her bare feet, stepped on the edge of a jagged rocked, and cried out from the sharp pain. Her foot misstepped and she started to tilt toward the stream.

  The creature-man darted forward and caught her by the arm. To her shock, he wasn’t dressed! His bare chest glistened in the dim light of the rising moon. His bearded face and wild hair came into focus. He towered over her by nearly two feet. Thick hair covered his lower arms. As she dared to lower her gaze, she found thick hair, or rather dark brown fur, covered the lower half of his body down to his hooves.

  Kardia blinked. She’d heard of the half human half goat men before. They were called…what? The part human and part horsemen were centaurs, she was sure.

  “Faun!” she exclaimed as the name slammed into her memory. “You’re a faun!”

  “Jael Azazel is my name. My home is in the Melodies Forest. My friends call me Jael. What may I call you… friend?” His grip on her arm tightened.

  Her gaze took in his thick hooves and strong goat-like legs. She’d never be able to outrun him. “Let me go if you’re a friend. You’re hurting my arm.”

  “Oh.” He backed a small step away and dropped his hands to his side. “My apologies human girl. I’ve introduced myself, now will you show the same courtesy and do the same? Or are you one of the kinds who sneers their uppity noses at my kind? If so, say so now before I waste more of my time with you.”

  “Who am I to look down on anybody? Besides, you’re much too tall for me to look down upon, don’t you think?” He was forward in his mannerisms, but maybe some company wouldn’t be so bad. The King’s books promised to send help when someone was in need. Was Jael the King’s provision?

  Least she could do was try to find out.

  “My name is Kardia.” She gave a slight bow, trying not to lose her balance again. “From the House of the White Horse.”

  “Well, there you go, that’s how it’s done.” The faun smiled, showing a row of thick yellow teeth. His beard and tangled hair were a bright red that darkened
into a chestnut color toward his arms and legs. His ears turned upward into points, just like a wizard’s.

  With a nod, Jael glanced around her campsite. “No fire? Nothing to eat?” Then his gaze fell upon her hands. “Are you running, Kardia? You don’t seem like the thieving type to me, with your fine clothes and nice boots. But I’ve heard enough tales to not be surprised by anything these days.”

  She shook her head, not sure what she was willing to tell him.

  He jerked his thumb toward the road. “Let me pull my cart closer and then we’ll talk. I bet you have the most interesting story. I’m eager to hear it.”

  She didn’t wish to share too much of her story with a stranger. Yet, he seemed friendly enough. If only she could know if he was a good faun, or not. After being tricked by the wizard’s apprentice, she couldn’t help but be suspicious of any stranger.

  “You know,” Kardia said as Jael pulled his box-cart deeper into the cover of the trees. “I wasn’t planning on staying here long. I should be on my way while—” Pots and other objects clanked together as he maneuvered the small wagon over the uneven ground.

  “Nonsense. Nobody should travel at night. That’s when the baddies come out. Wolves, there are. They stroll across the land like they own everything, the ratty beasts.” He spat out his words with such venom, she had a feeling he knew this from experience.

  Waving his hands in a downward motion, he ordered, “Sit and let me fix us something scrumptious to eat. I’m famished after walking all day, peddling my wares. I don’t normally come this far into the province, but… well, an opportunity presented itself.” His smile and mannerisms brought forth a giggle from her.

  She’d never met a real creature before. Were all of them like this? So friendly and bold? Her stomach rumbled at the thought of warm food. It must have gotten over the revulsion of the sight of her fingerless hands. At least Jael the faun didn’t seem repulsed by her, though he was assuming she might be a thief. She’d feared that would be most people’s reaction.

  “Where are you from, Little Bit? I can’t help but call you that. You’re so small, like the tiny flowers that grow beside the lane. So dainty but determined to find their place in the sun. That’s you, I think. Something is driving you. Something that’ll cause you to travel all by yourself?” He clapped his hands. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear this. Yes, but first we’ll eat. I found some tubers and the most delectable morels I’ve seen in some time. Oh, and wild garlic.” He smacked his lips while pulling a basket from his cart. “If only I’d been able to stop long enough to hunt, but perhaps there’s a couple of fish lurking in that steam. Do you think I should give it a go? It’s a little dark to see below the surface properly…oh, perhaps I’ll wait till morning…” and on he went, chattering like a flock of birds when the sun rises.

  Kardia managed to get her stumpy thumb to hook around the tie on the meat bag. She pulled it from her pack and offered to share whatever was inside.

  Jael clicked his tongue sympathetically over her impairment. “No wonder you’re such a rag muffin, poor Little Bit. Lucky for you, ol’ Jael came when he did. I can help. I’m happy to help. I think the golden-haired Little Bit will be quite a profit…uh, proficient…” he paused as if trying to stop himself from saying too much. With a chuckle he finished with, “We’ll be great friends, I believe. You seem like a good one, to me. I’m a great judge of character. Just ask me.” This brought out a hearty laugh as he waved his hands before him and shook his head.

  Kardia couldn’t help but grin at him. He was so funny.

  “You have a nice smile, too,” he winked then set to his tasks of making their dinner. “Don’t be taking ol’ Jael too seriously, little Kardia. He likes to joke and have fun.”

  Before she knew it, he had a fire blazing and a pot from his cart bubbling with his foraged plants and her dried meat. “And I love a hearty meal. Like this one is going to be.”

  She couldn’t wait, finding herself hungrier that she thought at first. Since leaving Goia, she’d had to settle with nibbling on hard bread and what few apples and spring vegetables from their garden that Mother had packed for her.

  Though Kardia wished to help, Jael seemed to have everything under control. He hummed merry tunes as he worked and kept sneaking glances at her. When she caught him, he’d wink and laugh. Such a strange faun. Or maybe they were all like this. How could she know?

  Remembering the book she’d been reading before the sky grew too dark, she scooped it up in her palms and dumped it into her open pack, along with several twigs and rotting leaves. Oh well, at least it was safe. If she had reason to run, she didn’t wish to lose anything important. The contents in her bag were all she had in this world. A much bigger world than she’d ever imagined.

  And she was only getting started.

  She slipped her feet back into her boots but couldn’t get the laces tied.

  Jael’s bottom lip puckered out. “Poor Little Bit, looks like you’ve not been long without your digits, have you? So, tell me. I promise not to judge. I’m not anyone who has a right to casts stones, let me tell you.” He moved closer and secured the strings for her. “Did you nick something?”

  “No! I’m not a thief.” She didn’t even know how to explain about the wizard’s curse and didn’t really want to. For some reason, she’d rather people thought she was a thief. “I didn’t steal. It was an … accident. My father was chopping wood. I got careless.” Close enough to the truth, with a few major facts left out.

  Jael sat back on his haunches. “Faerie fluff!” He seemed to grow annoyed for a moment, then managed to shake it off. “Oh, never mind, if you don’t wish to tell me. I understand. Doesn’t really matter.” He returned to stirring the contents of his pot. “I’m always saying, keep your eyes looking forward, Jael, or your hooves will trip over a log.” At her perplexed frown, he added, “You know, from looking back and not… oh never mind. The stew is nearly done. You hungry?”

  Kardia nodded. While they ate, Jael did most of the talking. She’d asked him what he kept in the cart and he talked about how he enjoyed traveling and trading goods.

  “I collect plants for healers, special stones for masons, and any other oddity that’ll prove profitable. Never know what you’ll find around the next bend in the road. As I said earlier, I’d not intended to come this far into the province, but… it’s proved advantageous if you ask me.” He mopped up the last of the stew with the bread she’d shared.

  Setting the bowl aside, he patted his swollen belly. “Oh, but that was delicious. And we have enough for the morning. We make a great team, you know? You should consider traveling with me. I’ll keep you safe from the baddies, I promise.”

  Excitement bubbled up in Kardia’s heart. Maybe this was the provision the King’s book talked about. His letters said he would send help to those in need, and she was in great need.

  “I’m looking for the White Path, also known as the King’s Highway. Can you show me where to find it?” She tried to scoop up his bowl so she could wash them in the stream. Hopefully, she wouldn’t drop them or they’d be carried off on the current.

  “Never heard of such a thing. What’s so special about it? You’re already on a road. Where are you going, Little Bit? Since you deny that you’re running. I’m still very curious about this.”

  “Not running,” she assured him. “I’m traveling to see the King of Alburnium.”

  Jael’s brown eyes widened, and he started to laugh until he realized he was laughing alone. “Oh, you’re serious. Huh.” He scratched at his head while settling back against a fallen log. “Well, that’s optimistic of you. Do you have any idea where the King lives?”

  Kardia stared down at her lap, then gave a slight sake her head.

  “Right. Thought as much. If you knew, you’d realize what a daunting trip it’s going to be. Especially someone limited as you are.” He motioned toward her ruined hands. “Poor little thing has no clue what she’s in for. But I promised that I would keep
you safe, and I will. Say you’ll come with me. I like you an awful lot. And I don’t say that often about humans. Not at all. Normally, I avoid dealing with your kind, but something about you is different. I sense a good heart.”

  Kardia’s face heated over his compliment. “Thank you, Jael.” She edged toward the stream. Keeping the bowl pressed between her palms and dipped it into the cold water. Burning pain shot up her wrists up for a moment, but the cooling water numbed it to a dull throb. “I suppose we can travel together for a while. At least until I’m able to find the path.”

  “Right, if you find the path, I’ll restock your bag and bid you a sad farewell. But all we have is right now, don’t we? Let’s worry about tomorrow when it gets here.” He was up and at her side. “Poor Little Bit, let me help before you lose my bowls, silly thing. Such a determined one, aren’t you? It’s good, I think. Very good that I found you first.” His smile widened. “You go rest. We’ll be back on the road by early morning.”

  She wanted to ask where he was going but figured it didn’t matter at the moment. All the walking she’d done had tired her out, as well. Her eyes grew heavy so she curled into her blanket once again. Hopefully, tonight she’d enjoy a sound sleep.

  The familiar doubts crept in, warning her to not let down her guard. Was the faun really safe? He seemed like a jovial fellow. And if she did travel with him, he’d help her do things she wasn’t able to do for herself at the moment.

  When she did finally doze off, her slumber was fitful and full of shadows that frightened her. Each time her eyes fluttered open, Jael remained on the opposite side of the small fire, watching her. Always watching and never sleeping himself.

  She wasn’t sure what to make of her new friend. Despite his friendliness, he made her nervous.