The Game Piece ("Homeward" Collection)

By Barb hendee

In his youth, Loni never felt that he fit in anywhere, even among his family or his people — the Lhoin’na or the elves of the central continent. As he dwells on tales told to him by a doting grandmother, he begins to believe he might have been born in the wrong time.

One scant tale of a past age hints that the legendary Sorhkafâré led some of Loni’s people to the east at the end of the great mythical war. Loni dreams of those forgotten Departed ones, wondering if their descendants still exist. The answer may be more and less than he hoped in his quest to find where he belongs.

About "Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga"...

No knowledge of the Noble Dead Saga or related works is necessary to read and enjoy these stories. They are written for fantasy enthusiasts in general and not just our established readership. Readers new to this world can step into it through any of these short works.

Tales are organized into “collections” where all stories therein share a theme and/or premise. When one or more link together, subsequent stories will mention “sequel to...” on their covers to guide you. Even so, each is self-contained enough to be your first adventure into this world.

—Barb & J.C. Hendee

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barb and J.C. Hendee / NobleDead.org
• Release date: Sep 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9780985561604

Book preview

Homeward:

Silent Bells

nd_logo

Barb Hendee

T · N · D · S

Tales from the world of

the Noble Dead Saga

Copyright

nd_logo Barb and J.C. Hendee / NobleDead.org

Copyright © 2012 by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee.

eISBN: 9780985561604

BNID: 2940014558389

ASIN: B007XK17WA

ISBN-13: 9780985561604

ISBN-10: 0985561602

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Design, layout, and cover art by J.C. Hendee. 

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior contractual or written permission of the copyright owner(s) of this work.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to persons, living or deceased, businesses establishments, events, or locales is entirely incidental.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Table of Contents

Foreword

The Game Piece

Other Works

The Noble Dead Saga

Tales from the world of the Noble Dead Saga

The Mist-Torn Witches Series

The Vampire Memories Series

Foreword

No knowledge of the Noble Dead Saga or related works is necessary to read and enjoy these stories. They are written for fantasy enthusiasts in general and not just for our established readership. Readers new to this world can step into it through any of these short works.

Tales are organized into collections where all stories therein share a theme and/or premise. When one or more link together, subsequent stories will mention sequel to… on their covers to guide you. Even so, each is self-contained enough to be your first adventure into this world.

—Barb & J.C. Hendee

The Game Piece

Reluctantly, Loni packed an overnight satchel, stuffing in little more than a tunic, a pair of pants, and a small brush to clean his teeth. He hated visiting his family more than anything in the world, mainly because he never felt like he belonged there.

Looking around his small, private room at the branch of the Guild of Sagecraft among the Lhoin’na—[Those] of the Glade, or the elves, as humans called them—he was well aware that he didn’t belong here either.

His satchel lay on a bunk that resembled a shelf of wood growing directly out from the wall, with a simple linen-covered mattress. Beside the bed was a desk with a single chair. The desk was covered with quills, ink, and a few unread books.

This was the room of a scholar.

But he was no scholar; he’d only applied here three years back because his father insisted that he consider some form of vocation, some way to contribute to his people and the community at large.

His father and his older brother were both members of the Shé’ith—what humans sometimes called the Serentiers. The Shé’ith were military guardians who patrolled the people’s vast forest territory, all of its enclaves, great and small, and this heart of it all, the great city called a’Ghràihlôn’na—Blessed of the Woods. Although Loni’s father had begun training him early to follow in the same footsteps, by ten years old, Loni had not developed a hint of interest in becoming one of the Shé’ith.

The problem was that, as more years passed, he developed no interest in becoming anything else either. Studying at the guild had been chosen by default.

So, at the age of seventeen, and in desperation, he’d applied to become an initiate. He was too old and he knew it, but his father held some influence with the guild’s premin counsel, and so he’d been admitted. In the three years since then,