The Chosen (The Compendium of Raath, Book 1) by Michael Mood Read Free Book Online Page A

his
shoulder. “Don't give up on your dreams, Krothair. If you do, your
hair turns gray and your eyesight fades. The men of the Kingsguard
can't live forever, you know, no matter what the stories say. They
are just men. But, for now, the Vapor is the best place for you.”
Germon smiled. “I know Irving thinks so, anyway.”
    “He's truly awful,” Krothair said, letting a
small laugh escape his lips despite his sadness. “You might want to
teach him to parry a bit better. Or at all.”
    “You leave him to me,” Germon said.
    Krothair tucked the Kingsguard paper back
into his shirt pocket and nodded his head while backing slowly
towards the door. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
    Germon smiled sadly and went back behind his
desk. “Show me one of your medals someday,” he said. He bent
towards his papers, quill in hand.
    Krothair willed himself through the door,
deciding to move on despite whatever he would lose or gain from it.
He could always come back here.
    But he wondered if he would ever see Germon
after today.
     
-4-
     
    I t
wasn't far to the city of Haroma. It would be three or four hours'
hard ride at most. Krothair had been many places in his life, but
never into the heart of a city as big as Haroma. The paper that
Germon had given him rested in the same pocket as his Kingsguard
paper now. Perhaps they will call me
the Paper Soldier , he mused.
    The countryside whizzed past him. The gray
mare that Germon had given him wasn't the best horse in the world,
but Krothair knew her from his time in the Western Watch and the
horse liked him.
    It hadn't taken him long to
gather his things because he didn't have many things. He and Germon had
gone through the Western Watch's supplies and picked out the best
sword they had, stuffed it into a sheath, and hung it from his
waist. It swung there now, in time with the mare's hoof beats.
Likely Krothair would be given a new sword, but he might have to
earn it as well. Germon hadn't known how Ti'Shed would operate or
what exactly Krothair should expect, despite the fact that he had
trained with him. Germon had described Krothair's new master as
fluid and slightly quixotic.
    Houses started to appear with more
regularity: low little things all made of wood with fields around
them. The early indications of a rough road began to appear, and
the horse had a much easier time walking on the even, hard-packed
ground. The sun was just beginning to drift below the horizon and
the day was just giving way to the coldness of night. Krothair
didn't feel it at all.
    Then something started
to rise over the
horizon. The city walls of Haroma were massive. Torches blazed
their contention to the approaching night. Krothair could see the
road winding all the way up to the walls, and for the first time in
his life he could smell what could only be the ocean. It was a
sensation he had never really prepared for. The salt tang hit him
full on; even the mare snorted a little bit.
    Haroma was set with its eastern side to the
ocean. Krothair had heard stories of the Golden Fleet, but had
never seen a ship in his life. He had been to a few cities, but
this was to be the largest by a wide margin. A full half-million
people lived here. This number was almost too big for Krothair to
comprehend.
     
-5-
     
    T en more minutes of hard riding brought him to a bustling
crowd trying to get into the gates. As Krothair brought the gray
horse up, he took a moment to let himself be overwhelmed.
Everything had become like a dream. Details were completely lost in
the grandiose feeling he had.
    Someone was talking to him, and he said
something, but he couldn't remember what. Someone bumped into his
leg and swore at him to get out of the way. He obliged. He
dismounted. He wasn't sure if that was what he was supposed to do,
but he didn't feel right riding the horse into the city. He didn't
see anyone else riding horses. And anyway, he wanted to go in on
his own two feet. It seemed even more grand that way.
    The colors