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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

“Is it? Thought it was jest obvious. Oi, Corinthia, by chance can ye go any faster?”

The only response she received was a growl as the bloodpanther practically flew through the night.

Twenty-Seven

Bryony

Dunmire, Finfalla

Dunmire was a city stuck between progress and a world trapped in the past. Everywhere Bryony looked there were the telltale signs of dilapidated structures badly in need of repairs, while nestled between them were new-looking creations of stone and wood. One side of the village was flanked by the farmlands Bryony had passed through as she’d made her approach, while on the other side, the northernmost structures were not more than a stone’s throw from Lostwood, though every map she’d ever seen placed Dunmire’s tiny dot miles away from the forest. Comman Dur, on the other hand, should be positioned just within Lostwood’s perimeter.

She remembered how far the overgrown wood had expanded its borders to the west, could it really have grown this far south as well?

As she scanned the bustling main street, she was forced to leap back as a cart rattled past, the driver of the mule that pulled it shouting, “Make way, woman!” as he shook the reins. Bryony felt her ire rise as mud splashed her boots, but she tempered it with several deep breaths before glancing in both directions and then crossing to the establishment she’d selected for her purposes.

The Horse’s Rump was a less-than-spectacular-looking tavern on the corner of the main row, so though it could still be considered “respectable” based on its prime location, by the look of the other patrons entering its doors, it catered to a different sort of crowd. As she entered the smoky room, shouted conversations and rough laughter filled her ears, and she made a point of avoiding eye contact with the cruel-faced men who dominated the space between the four walls. Not for her sake, but for theirs. She wasn’t looking to start a fight on her first and last night in Dunmire, but she wouldn’t hesitate to end one if push came to shove.

She carefully selected a stool at the tavern’s sagging, scratched bar, one that had plenty of space on one side and a half-wall on the other. She waited patiently, hands placed casually in front of her and trying not to think about what was making the bar feel so wet.

Bryony also avoided the barkeep’s eyes, though she was well aware that he’d pegged her the moment she’d entered, tracking her path the whole way. He was probably groaning at his ill luck, which was a selfish reaction. A sheep had entered a lair filled with wolves, and he would be the one forced to clean up after the carnage.