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Monsters of Lake Gravendon

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Blurb

Chaos doesn’t follow her around. It doesn’t have to. She finds it on her own.

She steals from the wrong man, lands the new liege lord in jail then goes off on a quest to slay a monster, all in three weeks time.

She’s rash and too curious for her own good. it’s a miracle the little thief, with her overdeveloped sense of right and wrong and her urge to save other people’s lives instead of her own, survived for 15 years – give-or-take a few, because no one counted in the orphanage.

Is it really a miracle? Do the gods guard her steps? Or does she have a secret?

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A Suitable Grandfather
A Suitable Grandfather I’m sitting on the wide branch of a tree, enjoying the autumn afternoon, lazily watching the sunlight glinting off the helmets of the city watch looking for me below. The timing of a crime is important if you want to be comfortable while being chased. Climbing a tree to avoid your pursuers can be risky because if they find you, you have nowhere to run, but I bet the guards won’t look up. For some reason, people seldom do, when they search for others. I had bet against worse odds, anyway. I smile as I remember the time when Tim stole, I mean liberated, the old cockerel waiting for slaughter at the kitchen of the orphanage and entered it in the cockfights. I bet both my coppers on that stupid bird half the size of its opponent because Tim somehow convinced me that betting against your friends was not cool. My smile fades when the less pleasant memories surface in my mind. I don’t want to think about that godforsaken night. It’s enough to say that after Tim’s death I had no intention of staying in the orphanage, as I don’t want to stay in this stupid tree anymore. How long does it take for the guards to give up on finding me, anyway? I did nothing wrong, I just sold a horse. How was I to know it was the captain’s horse? It’s totally his fault for not wearing his uniform. It’s time to move on if I want to reach the next city before nightfall. The helmets are glinting a little ways away and I’m pretty sure I can outrun any guard since they wear heavy armor. I cautiously climb down the tree and head east. My good mood returns after a while. The money I got for the captain’s horse will buy me dinner. Nice dinners are served in nice taverns. Unfortunately, wandering orphans are not welcomed in nice taverns, and proper ladies don’t travel alone, while the ladies of disputable reputation are expected to sell their bodies. I, however, did not work so hard on becoming a good thief, to then lay with drunks. I could dress up as a man. With my thin figure and young face – I think I’m around fifteen years old, but no one counted at the orphanage – I can pass for a baby-faced man. I’m lucky because my oh-so-common brown eyes and brown hair are combined with a forgettable face, which comes in handy when you spend the better part of your life being chased. The main problem with dressing up as a man is that a young lad dining alone will be bullied, beaten and robbed if he can’t defend himself. The obvious solution would be to have a grandfather. Luckily, the cities are full of suitable grandfathers, I just need to find the right one. I look at the beggars on the stairs of the temples and find a promising candidate in front of the Chapel of Smiths. He has both his hands, both his legs and most of his teeth. If he combs his unruly gray hair and washes his face, he could look like an acceptable traveler. I sit beside him, offer him one of my recently bought apples and test how well he understands subtle hints. “Hi grandpa, I brought you an apple. If you had your rest we can continue on our way to the tavern.” He looks baffled, but I don’t let him get a word in edgeways. I’m pretty sure no one pays any attention to us and it’s totally unnecessary to be so circumspect, but I enjoy the game and the flabbergasted look on the old man’s face. “You know I’d be happy to go ahead and order dinner by the time you arrive, but the innkeepers in these parts are so backward they wouldn’t serve a girl, no matter how I swore my grandpa was on his way.” A slow grin spreads across his face as he understands what I’m getting at and the twinkle of the coming fun lights up his blue eyes. “Of course, I’m rested. Even Trion the Strong doesn’t remember how long I’ve been sitting on the steps of his chapel,” he grumbles. “Tell me you didn’t spend all your money on those apples,” he inquires politely about my financial situation. “Don’t worry, gramps, I still have almost all I’ve got for the horse.” He scrutinizes my face. I think he’s trying to determine if I’m serious. I reassure him with a tiny nod and he looks at me with respect. He doesn’t ask stupid questions, like whose horse it was or why am I wasting my money. I smile, relieved. I knew he was cool. “Dinner sounds good. I can’t remember the last time I had a decent roast and I could do with some wine too.” His tone is kind of questioning, unsure. It makes me feel in control. I’m beginning to really like this guy. “I could drink some wine,” I answer as a last test and he does look mildly surprised but I see no judgment on his wrinkled face. He treats me like a person and I like that a lot. Most people take one look at me, notice my age and act as though I’m an invalid. He slowly gets to his feet and I give him a helping hand up. “Which tavern were we going?” he asks. “You know, that fancy one we haven’t visited for a long time,” I answer. We smile at each other because we’re on the same page and we go on our way. He chooses the tavern because he knows where he’s least likely to be recognized. I select our traveling clothes from some well-situated cloth-lines. We wash up at the well of an abandoned house and I even grab us luggage off an arriving stage-coach. The lofty merchant getting out doesn’t see a thing and he has so much stuff I wouldn’t be surprised if he never realized something went missing. Thus geared up we arrive at the tavern as tired travelers. Grandpa sits down at a table while I order a room, the roast and drinks. My money barely covers the costs but it is worth it, and tomorrow is so far away, why should I worry about it now? The old man is totally cool, we have fun talking, and after dinner he vanishes into the night. I unobtrusively move into my room and fall asleep instantly under the soft covers.

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