The Stone Wolf (The Chain Breaker Book 4) by D.K. Holmberg (digital book reader TXT) 📕

“These damn things are moving at three times the speed of any horse I’ve ever ridden on,” Gaspar said.

“Faster,” Imogen said softly.

She didn’t look nearly as distressed as Gavin or Gaspar, just as though she was more amused than anything else by how they’d been traveling.

“Regardless of that,” Gavin said, “we still need to keep moving.”

“Keep moving?” Gaspar patted the creature on its side, and it stopped. He slipped off the wolf’s back. “I don’t know if I can ride this thing anymore. My ass hurts like I’ve been bounced around by—”

“A mountain?” Gavin asked.

“Pretty much,” Gaspar said, then looked over to Imogen. “How are you holding up? You barely have any ass to begin with.”

A tight smile crossed her face. “I can manage.”

Gaspar grunted. “Women always make it look easy.”

“I want to get through this,” Gavin said.

“We got here quickly.”

Gaspar peered around, and Gavin did the same. In the distance, Nelar rose ahead of them. It was a walled city of stacked white stone, unlike Yoran, and a few towers soared above it. Several massive homes near the center stretched taller than the surrounding structures. No one else traveled toward the city.

“We’re not going in,” Gavin said. “When the letter indicated that I had to come to Nelar, I knew,” Gavin said softly.

He had brought the letter with him, though he doubted that it would make any difference. It was merely a missive on where to find Tristan, and probably had little to do with Wrenlow. Nothing that would make much difference in the long run, anyway.

“Remind me where we have to go,” Gaspar said. “I know this place means something to you. Or did.”

Gavin sighed as he pointed to the north. Past the outskirts of the city, the forest stretched much like it did around Yoran. The trees were not quite as leafy, mostly pine, and many towered above the ground. The forest also carried with it a certain energy. Beyond would be El’aras lands, though he had never traveled that far before.

“He brought me out here. Used me.”

“I’m sorry, boy.”

Gavin looked over to Gaspar. He actually seemed to mean it.

“There’s a house nestled into the forest,” Gavin went on, not wanting to get caught up in what he experienced all those years ago. They had defined him, but they no longer did. He would find Tristan. And stop him. “That’s where he’s going to be.”

“If we follow what he wants you to do, we aren’t going to surprise him.”

“I don’t know if we can surprise Tristan.”

“You’ve got a way.” When Gavin looked over to him, Gaspar shrugged. “Us. Your team. He’s not going to expect you having this kind of help.”

Gavin chuckled to himself, sliding off the wolf’s back, and he looked out toward the forest. The wolf turned to him, and he patted him on the side. Gavin closed his eyes for a moment, remembering what it had been like when he had gone there with Tristan all that time ago. How nervous he had been, how uncomfortable he had felt, and how unsure he’d been that there’d be any way for him to complete the job.

Why would he have had that dream and then be given this job? The timing of it was so suspect to Gavin, which was part of the reason it bothered him so much.

“All of this is a message.”

“You said it was a test,” Imogen said. A darkness surged behind her eyes. “I’ve had tests like that.”

She didn’t talk much, and when she did, it left him with more questions than not.

“I’d like to know about your tests,” he said.

“My people are raised as fighters,” Imogen said softly. “We learn the blade early.” She glanced down at the hilt of her sword, and Gavin didn’t dare breathe or speak. He wanted Imogen to share, especially as he knew so little about her or her people. “Testing yourself against others is considered a rite of passage. It is how you progress from the earliest stages of knowledge to higher levels of skill.”

“When do you learn to fight sorcery?”

He didn’t know if she would answer. She’d never spoken about it before, though had acknowledged that she had the ability to handle that kind of power.

“From the beginning.”

“Why?” Gavin asked.

She looked up at him, holding his gaze. “Coming from you, I find that question surprising.”

“What do you mean, coming from me?”

“I should think that if anyone understood the dangers sorcery has caused this world, it would be you.”

Gavin frowned. Could she really hate sorcery that much?

He supposed she could, but she had hidden her dislike well. She had fought alongside him, her sword a useful tool in the battles they had faced together, but he had never known that she had been raised to combat sorcery. Gavin supposed it made a certain sort of sense.

Gaspar grunted. “I just want to get this job over with so that we can go back.”

“Are you worried about Desarra leaving you?” Gavin asked.

Gaspar snorted. “Do you think I have a hard time keeping her satisfied?”

“You’re getting older.”

“And you’re getting slower. Let’s get going. You said there’s a house in the forest?”

Gavin nodded. “That’s what the letter indicated.” Gavin pulled out the letter and handed it to Gaspar. “It says the city and the year. That’s it.”

“You would remember that so well?”

“It was a job I didn’t do as well as I should have,” Gavin answered.

He started forward, the wolf following him, and knew that Gaspar and Imogen would hurry to keep up.

He reached the outskirts of the forest and walked among the trees. It wasn’t far by foot, though it was a long way when injured. Gavin was still tired and wished he had more time to rest and recuperate his core reserves, but at least he wasn’t hurt this time. He had enough strength that he didn’t have to fear he wouldn’t be able to keep up and keep going. Gavin stared through the trees, and every so often, he found his hand drifting over to