The Last Warband

By Autumn Nicole Bradley

Far to the north of Delmyria, a loose coalition of clans and tribes known as the Kingdom of Korbuch is building an army. Each tribe sends their greatest warriors to join the Last Warband.

Mokat was given the greatest honor his tribe could bestow: he was chosen as their clan's champion. But he resented being sent away from the war he knew while his enemies still stood. It felt too much like fleeing. And his axe had not drunk enough glory to flee so soon.

Pay With A Link: If you like what you see, you may set your own price (and yes, that includes free). Or, you may “buy” them with a tweet, Facebook or other social media post, or a blog post linking to them and consider any moral obligation you feel to compensate artists for their work fulfilled. :)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Autumn Nicole Bradley
• Release date: Jul 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466069053

Autumn Nicole Bradley

A. N. Bradley writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction for young adults and general audiences. Like any true geek, Bradley has spent more time online than off, including blogging, gaming, and more than a little programming. Bradley also writes the paranormal romance story "Trash Romance" at http://trashmance.com

Book preview

The Last Warband

A Tales of Delmyria short story

by

Autumn Nicole Bradley

SMASHWORDS EDITION

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Autumn Nicole Bradley on Smashwords

The Last Warband

Copyright © 2011 by Autumn Nicole Bradley

Cover art by Stephanie Stanga

http://www.stephstanga.com

All rights reserved. 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 written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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 person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

* * * * *

Thanks to Steph, for putting up with the changes.

* * * * *

The Last Warband

Even at high sun, sweat froze to armor that high in the mountains. Steam rose from weeping wounds only to cauterize them a moment later by frost rather than fire. The battlefield sang with the cries of the fallen as the skirmish drew to a close. The Korbuch warband had been forced to retreat.

An icy, red paint covered the rocky teeth of the Dragon’s Maw Pass. Not all of it was blood spilled that morning. Generations of warriors from Korbuch and Marne had washed it, layer by layer, and the unforgiving cold had frozen it into a permanent red stain.

A Korbuch warrior of the Kroh’chuk clan, thick with sinew and steel, brought his double-bladed axe down upon a Marne boy no older than his son. It cleaved the soldier’s helmet, and the Maw consumed one