B T Narro [Narro - Echoes of a Fallen Kingdom

ECHOES OF A FALLEN KINGDOM

By B.T. Narro

Book 1

The Stalwart Link Series

Copyright 2018 by B.T. Narro

Cover and Map by Beatriz Rare

Interior Illustrations by Beatriz Rare

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental.

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

CHAPTER ONE

Supper was ready, yet Leos brother still wasnt home. Leo was only ninestill too young to be out alone at night. But Andar was older, thirteen and nearly a man. Father didnt seem too concerned as he sat before his plate. Perhaps Leo was wrong to be worried. Or perhaps Father was just hiding his worry again.

Hell be here soon, Darren said and pointed at Leos chair. Lets eat.

Obediently, Leo sat and stared at Andars empty chair. There used to be four places at this table, but theyd sold their fourth chair soon after Leos mother died. He couldnt help but fear that one day they might have to sell Andars chair as well.

Leos brother was a thief, though Andar despised that word. Thieves steal for money, he would say. They dont care who they take from so long as they can sell it, but I only take food or clothes from those who dont need them as much as we do.

This was true, Leo knew. But there was no better word than thief for what Andar did, and unfortunately it came up more often than either of them liked.

Leo and his father ate silently for a while. Without Andar bringing anything home, their meal tonight consisted only of a watery barley soup.

Darren stood so suddenly his chair fell over, hitting the floor with a loud thunk. Im going out to look for him.

Was that concern Leo saw on his fathers face? The lines across Darrens forehead always seemed to be there when Leo looked for them, as he did now. It was Rygen, Leos friend, who noticed something about Darrens face that Leo hadnt been able to forget.

Does he have bigger bones in his face? Rygen had wondered aloud one day.

Leo had asked, What do you mean?

Bigger bones than the rest of us, Rygen had specified. And his face seems to be made out of rock. All of him seems to be made out of rock. How did he get so strong?

Leo remembered the fear hed heard in Rygens voice, as if Leos father was capable of great destruction.

There were many possible answers to her question, but Leo didnt know which one was right. His father never talked about his past, never even mentioned their mother unless Leo asked. Instead, Leo directed his questions about her to Andar, who always spoke freely about her.

Leo did not fear anything happening to his father. He just hoped Father would find Andar quickly and bring him home. Most streets were very dark during the night. It was easy to become lost.

Leo stayed at the empty table and finished his soup, though his appetite was gone. He cleaned up afterward, leaving his fathers half-eaten bowl for when he returned, as well as a full one for Andar. Leos brother and father always finished everything they could scrape off their plates or bowls. Leo sometimes left some of his helping for his brother to eat, for Andar was growing tall and would probably one day be the size of their father. Leo hoped the same for himself, but he was still small for now.

He looked at the front door, which had no lock. There were similarities to many of the houses in the city of Jatn, Leos included. Most people who lived around here could not afford locks for their doors. The only lock in the house was the one that came with a small lockbox Andar had taken from the market years ago. It was where their father kept their money, which Darren never showed to Leo or Andar.

They couldve purchased a wooden beam and built their own holders behind the door so they could bar it from the inside, but the three of them were away from the house each day. Any intruder who wanted to get in could always break through one of the weak wooden shutters that covered the windows.

There was no safe place in the house. Leo knew this. The only way to keep himself safe if his father wasnt here was by hiding or finding something to use as a weapon.

He finished cleaning up, then decided to fetch the largest knife they owned. It was nearly as long as his forearm, feeling akin to a sword. He set it on their table in the center of the small kitchen, the closest surface to the door.

Leo waited by the window. By order of those who ran the large city, no one was supposed to be out when it was dark. He could faintly make out the street in front of him. Each passerby was nothing more than a shadow. They all turned to look at Leo as they crossed by his window, making Leo wonder if he should put out the lamp on the table behind him. But he didnt want Andar or his father to have trouble finding the house. They all looked the same at night. They were nearly the same.

The Farmers Guild owned all houses of this kind. Leo had lived here his whole life, but he knew enough about the world to understand that farmers were only powerful here in Jatn, and not farmer workers like him or his brother. It was the farmers who didnt actually lift a finger around the farmthe guild master, the overseers, and other men of high rankwho took the income made by the many farms within the city.

Leo palmed his thumb, pressing into the coarseness of his hand. Hed started his work at the farms four years ago, at five, an age when many other boys and girls started the same work. The harder he slid his thumb against his resistant palm, the more he tried to repress his worries. Andar was never this late. What if Father never finds him?

Leo jumped, startled, as he heard a crash on the roof above him. Suddenly, he was at the table with the knife in hand. He didnt recall shutting and latching the window, but it was so. He heard no movement from whatever was on his roof, but he could feel that something was still there.

It could be Andar , he realized, but why would his brother climb up onto the roof? And wouldnt Leo have heard him climbing? Instead, it sounded as if hed landed on the roof after an impossible leap.

Perhaps its a thief. Leo was painfully aware that he was the only one here to defend their meager belongings. Losing their robes and coin could be the end of them. He wouldnt hide. His father had taught only Andar how to use a knife, telling Leo he needed to be older. Leo would curse the thought right now if he was allowed!

At least Andar had promised he would teach Leo how to use a blade if Father didnt by the time Leo was ten. So much would change in Leos life upon his birthday, and it was soon. Perhaps he should hide after allno, he wouldnt.

The door opened, startling Leo again. Weapon at the ready, he spun to face his attacker but let out a relieved breath when he recognized his brother. Andar didnt notice Leo as he quickly shut the door behind him and pressed his palms against it. He struggled for breath, his wide shoulders lifting with each inhale. One hand went to his pocket with speed. He seemed about to pull something out when he looked over his shoulder and spotted Leo. Andar removed his hand from his pocket to reach for the knife.

Give me that.

Leo handed it over. His brother kept a tight hold as he walked to the window and opened it with his other hand. He peered out silently for a moment, glancing in each direction, then closed the window and gave the same two looks to the kitchen.

Wheres Father? Andar whispered.

Out looking for you.

Keep your voice down. With the knife still in hand, Andar blew out the lamp on the table. It put them in complete darkness.