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Back Forsworn
Chapters (53)
  1. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area- Western Half
  2. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Eastern Half
  3. Map of Kingdom of Finfalla and Surrounding Area - Full Map
  4. Important Trigger Warning
  5. Prologue
  6. PART I
  7. One
  8. Two
  9. Three
  10. Four
  11. Five
  12. Six
  13. Seven
  14. Eight
  15. Nine
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Twelve
  19. Interlude: The River of Life
  20. PART II
  21. Thirteen
  22. Fourteen
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Seventeen
  26. Eighteen
  27. Nineteen
  28. Interlude: Fallow Fields
  29. PART III
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Twenty-Three
  34. Twenty-Four
  35. Twenty-Five
  36. Interlude: Of Man and Monster
  37. PART IV
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Twenty-Eight
  41. Twenty-Nine
  42. Thirty
  43. Thirty-One
  44. Thirty-Two
  45. Thirty-Three
  46. Thirty-Four
  47. POSTLUDES
  48. Postlude 1: Lana Vica
  49. Postlude 2: Ludo Vica
  50. Postlude 3: Cainan
  51. Acknowledgments
  52. An excerpt from Heartsworn, Volume II in The Forsworn Oath, available for preorder now!
  53. PART I

She watched him, wondering what had happened to his brother, how he’d died. With another snap of her wrist, she transformed her serash back into a belt and tethered it back into place around her waist. Then she slid to the ground beside him, roping her arm around his chest. He stiffened at first, but then relaxed. He brought his hand up to hers and their fingers twined together. “For body heat,” she murmured against his back.

“Aye. For body heat,” he agreed.

They slept.

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Ludo

The next day dawned bright and clear. When Ludo first dragged his eye open, he thought he could still feel Bryony tucked against him, but when he turned there was no one there. Had he imagined it? No, it was as real as anything he’d ever experienced in his life, the depth of their conversation seeming to press into him everywhere her body had.

He searched the surrounding area, eventually lifting his gaze to the crest of one of the hillocks where she stood, just a silhouette staring into the rising sun. She was balanced on one foot, the artificial one, her other foot lifted high into the air and held against her head. She didn’t so much as waver in her balance, almost as though she’d grown roots that held her in place.

Ludo breathed as silently as possible, afraid he might distract her. Eventually, she dropped back onto her real foot and then stretched her back. She turned and he slammed his eye shut, pretending to stretch as he ‘awoke’, clearing his throat. “You’re up early,” he said.

“Or you’re up late,” she shot back. With the same grace in which she seemed to do everything, she galloped down the slope and skidded to a stop. In truth, it warmed his heart to see her looking so spry again after such a rough few days. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like a babe. I had a pretty great blanket to keep me warm.”

“Don’t get used to it. The next time we’re lucky enough to stay indoors, we’ll have our own rooms.”

“We’ll see.”

“Yes, we will. Now come on, we can eat on the road. Today’s our last day to locate Oath, remember?”

“How could I forget?”

They started off, weaving a track westward through the hill lands, making what felt like decent progress even if it was hard to tell within the endless labyrinth of grass and dirt. “Have you ever tasted Solarii wine?” Bryony asked when they’d stopped for a brief rest.

“No. I usually stick to ale. The stronger the better.”