Exodus: The Windwalker Archive: Book 3 (Legends of Agora) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Michael James Ploof
surrounding pines, and the closer she got, the more her heart fluttered and her spirit soared with the words.
The next spring, Talon’s mother was born.
Talon had heard the stories—usually after Gretzen had partaken in festivities that he would never see—and he had never forgotten a word.
“You seem very happy here,” said Talon.
“What is happy?” said Gretzen. “Roof over head, food aplenty, wind in face and smiling sun; these things make happy. Volnoss is a miserable place. Has many angry spirits. They make unhappy.”
“Do you speak with spirits here? Like…elf spirits?”
“Sometimes. They speak in strange tongue. Very old. Azzeal teaches me the words. Gives me books.”
“Do you think he’s in big trouble?”
Again she shrugged. “Worst they do is strip his power.”
“I never wanted something like this to happen.”
“Not your fault,” said Gretzen. “Azzeal make own decisions.”
“Do you think that the elves will take my ring?”
“Not if Gretzen has voice to speak about it. Summon Chief, I would see him again.”
Talon fished the trinket out of his pocket and summoned forth the spirit wolf. Chief swirled out and solidified before Gretzen. When he saw her, he leapt up and licked her face until she was chuckling.
“Good wolf,” she said, petting his coat. She stared intently at the wolf, as though she were reading something of his look. Finally, she glanced up at Talon. “Wolf say that he was stolen…twice.”
The pie became a lump in Talon’s throat, and he swallowed it down with effort. After washing it down with sparkling water, he regarded his amma, knowing that he could not hide his guilt.
Talon told her everything that had happened since he left Volnoss. When she learned that he had freed Tyson and the others, she nodded with approval. However, when he told her of their fates, she scowled and shook her head. Talon admitted to killing the slavers who had murdered Windy, Marcus, and Thorg, and to his surprise, Gretzen said nothing about it; she only listened more intently. When he spoke of the cave of dreams, she nodded knowingly. Then came Tyson’s death, Talon’s pursuit of the Sea Queen, and then his meeting with Captain McGillus.
After he was finished explaining how he had beaten McGillus and taken over the ship, Gretzen’s face was alight with pride.
“I tell you of your stars. You never believe me. Now you believe?”
Talon felt his face flush; it hadn’t been all him after all. “I do the best I can with what I’ve got,” he told her.
“Humble is good, but sometimes naïve. It is not stars that make you good man, they only speak of what you might do. You still have to do it.”
“I was just trying to find Akerri,” said Talon. “I didn’t know all this would happen.”
“This no mistake. This what you were born to do. This your calling.”
“And what about Akerri?”
“She is one of many.”
“I love her, Amma. What are you saying? To give up on the search?”
“Put no words in my mouth! I say only to remember your people. What if you find her? You think fight is over?”
“No,” said Talon. “I made a promise to Jahsin. But I’m still going to find her. She is my first priority right now.”
“Of course,” said Gretzen.
She got up from the table with more ease than Talon remembered. She seemed taller as well, and held herself higher than her hunched back had previously allowed.
“Come. Now we go see elf.”
Chapter 7
Ralliad of Elladrindellia
I wait. Biding my time. I wait like a man outside his wife’s birthing room. I see the beginning of a new nation in my dreams. I see a people renewed. I can only hope that these visions come true.
-Azzeal, Keeper of the Windwalker Archive
They followed the path from Gretzen’s tree west toward the Thousand Falls. Elves offered them polite smiles and respectful nods as they went about their business. Talon could feel their eyes on him after they had passed, and
The next spring, Talon’s mother was born.
Talon had heard the stories—usually after Gretzen had partaken in festivities that he would never see—and he had never forgotten a word.
“You seem very happy here,” said Talon.
“What is happy?” said Gretzen. “Roof over head, food aplenty, wind in face and smiling sun; these things make happy. Volnoss is a miserable place. Has many angry spirits. They make unhappy.”
“Do you speak with spirits here? Like…elf spirits?”
“Sometimes. They speak in strange tongue. Very old. Azzeal teaches me the words. Gives me books.”
“Do you think he’s in big trouble?”
Again she shrugged. “Worst they do is strip his power.”
“I never wanted something like this to happen.”
“Not your fault,” said Gretzen. “Azzeal make own decisions.”
“Do you think that the elves will take my ring?”
“Not if Gretzen has voice to speak about it. Summon Chief, I would see him again.”
Talon fished the trinket out of his pocket and summoned forth the spirit wolf. Chief swirled out and solidified before Gretzen. When he saw her, he leapt up and licked her face until she was chuckling.
“Good wolf,” she said, petting his coat. She stared intently at the wolf, as though she were reading something of his look. Finally, she glanced up at Talon. “Wolf say that he was stolen…twice.”
The pie became a lump in Talon’s throat, and he swallowed it down with effort. After washing it down with sparkling water, he regarded his amma, knowing that he could not hide his guilt.
Talon told her everything that had happened since he left Volnoss. When she learned that he had freed Tyson and the others, she nodded with approval. However, when he told her of their fates, she scowled and shook her head. Talon admitted to killing the slavers who had murdered Windy, Marcus, and Thorg, and to his surprise, Gretzen said nothing about it; she only listened more intently. When he spoke of the cave of dreams, she nodded knowingly. Then came Tyson’s death, Talon’s pursuit of the Sea Queen, and then his meeting with Captain McGillus.
After he was finished explaining how he had beaten McGillus and taken over the ship, Gretzen’s face was alight with pride.
“I tell you of your stars. You never believe me. Now you believe?”
Talon felt his face flush; it hadn’t been all him after all. “I do the best I can with what I’ve got,” he told her.
“Humble is good, but sometimes naïve. It is not stars that make you good man, they only speak of what you might do. You still have to do it.”
“I was just trying to find Akerri,” said Talon. “I didn’t know all this would happen.”
“This no mistake. This what you were born to do. This your calling.”
“And what about Akerri?”
“She is one of many.”
“I love her, Amma. What are you saying? To give up on the search?”
“Put no words in my mouth! I say only to remember your people. What if you find her? You think fight is over?”
“No,” said Talon. “I made a promise to Jahsin. But I’m still going to find her. She is my first priority right now.”
“Of course,” said Gretzen.
She got up from the table with more ease than Talon remembered. She seemed taller as well, and held herself higher than her hunched back had previously allowed.
“Come. Now we go see elf.”
Chapter 7
Ralliad of Elladrindellia
I wait. Biding my time. I wait like a man outside his wife’s birthing room. I see the beginning of a new nation in my dreams. I see a people renewed. I can only hope that these visions come true.
-Azzeal, Keeper of the Windwalker Archive
They followed the path from Gretzen’s tree west toward the Thousand Falls. Elves offered them polite smiles and respectful nods as they went about their business. Talon could feel their eyes on him after they had passed, and