Summer 1094 SR
A light breeze blew in from the south, enough to keep the heat at bay as Charlaine eased Emerald into a slow trot, making her way through the village of Verfeld. A bit of movement up ahead at the base of the keep drew her attention. It appeared a couple of soldiers were practicing their fighting techniques.
Bringing her horse to a stop, she dismounted and stretched her legs, then soothed the animal by rubbing its forehead.
“What have we here?” came a voice. One of the men had broken off from the practice and was walking towards her.
“That,” said the familiar voice of Ludwig Altenburg, “is Charlaine deShandria.”
“Well, how do you do, Charlaine?” the first man asked.
She looked him over. He was a little older than Ludwig but stood with the self-assurance of one comfortab
