Empress Aurora Trilogy Quest For the Kingdom Parts I, II, and III Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) Read Online Free PDF

been caught in
the raid and unable to keep his rendezvous with Marcus?
    The family of
Cadeyrn had no stimulating conversation, no humor to liven the dull days, and
worst of all the hut and its inhabitants reeked of sheep. Although the Eirini
had absorbed some of the customs of Eirinia, bathing among them, it did not
dispel the odor of sheep that clung to his own and Cadeyrn’s clothing. Marcus
felt his entire world had been reduced to the smell of sheep and the sound of
their bleating. His life was a far cry from the stately dignity he had enjoyed
as his father’s son.
    Although
Marcus had not himself seen any evidence of the brutal savagery attributed to
the Eirini in warfare, nor witnessed any sorcery among those with whom he
dwelt, he was aware of undercurrents of secrecy; whispers between Cadeyrn and
his wife that stopped abruptly if he entered the hut, covert glances in the
village between certain men who gave hand signals to one another, quickly cut
off if any chanced to catch their exchanges.
    No, he did not
evidence anything sinister with his own eyes, yet he sensed that the rumors he
had heard of Eirinia all of his life were based on fact. It did not make him
feel at ease in this eerie yet beautiful land…
     
    Something
brushed against him in the dark, startling him. It was Monte, the lamb who
seemed to haunt his steps. Cadeyrn had named him Bleater because of all the
lambs he bleated the most. But Marcus dubbed him Monte because of his
black-tipped nose.
    At first,
Marcus had been annoyed that some dumb, four-legged, smelly creature would
follow him so relentlessly. But Monte persisted in following Marcus, even coming
to lie down beside him to sleep. Gradually Marcus came to accept this, although
he didn’t think he would ever get used to the smell of these sheep! But in
truth, he was glad of the warmth of Monte’s wool on this chilly autumn night.
    The hilltop on
which they tended was open on three sides, exposing them to the biting wind.
The fourth side was bordered by an ancient forest that ran down the hillside
and extended for miles. It offered shelter from the wind, but provided no
safety, as it was an excellent hiding place for wolves and wild boars. The
redolent aroma of pine and the musty scent of dead leaves came to Marcus’
nostrils, carried on the breeze. The air was cold, but it kept the mist which
concealed night terrors at bay. 
    Cadeyrn
returned from his circling of the flock. It was his custom to walk the
perimeter of sheep and count heads before they settled for the night. Too often
a frisky lamb would wander from the flock, sometimes leading others astray and
exposing all of them to danger if there were any wolves about.
    Now he warmed
his hands at the crackling fire. A log fell with a hiss that shot a spark into
the crisp air. Cadeyrn’s craggy face was momentarily lit with a ruddy glow as
the flames billowed into new life.
    “Cold,” he
observed to Marcus.
    He wondered
why Cadeyrn felt a need to state the obvious. Marcus knew it was cold; he felt
no need for the fact to be put into words. He saw this as yet another proof of
the lack of intelligence of the people he had been forced to live among.
    He glanced at Cadeyrn
who was clearly waiting for a response, and realized that he was simply trying
to converse with Marcus.
    Marcus now
stared at Cadeyrn. Why should he, the refined and cultured son of the commander
of the vast legions of the Empire, have discourse with this coarse and
illiterate sheep herder? The five months of bondage that Marcus had endured had
not endeared Cadeyrn to him. Did this man not comprehend who he was?
    Cadeyrn
returned Marcus’ stare. For a long moment they took each other’s measure, as if
silently daring the other to blink or look away first. It was suddenly more
than Marcus could bear.
    “Do you know
who I am? Who my father is?” he demanded.
    Cadeyrn merely
shrugged.
    “My father is
Valerius Maximus, the Commander of the Imperial Army of Valerium! And