The Castle of Endless Woe

By Ty Johnston

Althurna at 12 years of age finds herself orphaned after the execution of her father for being a wizard, and now she is trapped in a life of servitude to Duke Rand and his family.

Worse yet, the duke has been appointed to a nearly forgotten castle in the northern hinterlands of Ursia. As a member of the noble family's servants, Althurna is obliged to travel the wilds with the family to the castle.

Upon arriving, the group finds the place deserted and in
a shambles. Work begins to restore the castle and its grounds, but it is soon revealed the living are not the only inhabitants.

Finding the nobles and the servants suspect of Althurna because of her ties to magic, she soon learns to trust only one member of their party, Talkan, the barbarian guide.

But are a mage's daughter and a warrior with a steel blade
any match for what haunts the castle?

-----------------------

"The Castle of Endless Woe" is a young adult, dark fantasy novelette bordering on horror fiction.

The tale takes place in the world of Ursia, the author's lands from his epic fantasy Kobalos trilogy and Sword of Bayne trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ty Johnston
• Release date: Aug 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466103412

Ty Johnston

Originally from Kentucky, Ty Johnston is a former newspaper journalist. He lives in North Carolina with loving memories of his late wife.Blog: tyjohnston.blogspot.com

Book preview

The Castle of Endless Woe

a novelette

by Ty Johnston

Copyright 2011 by L. M. Press

for Shirley

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1,046 years After Ashal (A.A.)

The first sight of the castle came from around a hill above a bend in the dirt road. Althurna leaned far out the carriage window with the bright eyes of her twelve years, but those eyes quickly grew old as she shivered at the image before her. The tower was the first section of the fortress to be seen, and it looked black and skeletal, as if the boney arm of some long-dead god clawing up from the grave to grasp at the sky.

A few hiccups of the wagon wheels and the front of the castle came into view, it in little better condition than the crumbling tower and its cracked, teeth-like merlons. The front wall was of ancient logs, huge and looking like stakes left behind by some forgetful giant. Vines of green and gray snaked up, covering much and reaching over the top as if hungry for whatever might lay inside. The place looked more like an abandoned fort than a true castle.

The large wooden gate, studded with iron, hung open. One of its doors creaked at an angle, the top hinge rusted through and the bottom one little better.

Althurna, get your head inside, girl.

It was Yeowoman Thancy who had spoken sitting next to the child. Her words had been less concerned or harsh than merely ones of retaining order, slow and languid in the summer heat.

The girl eased back onto the padded seat of the carriage, more than glad to take that awful tower and the desolate castle out of her view. She glanced across from her and realized the view there was prettier but almost as cold.

Duchess Gasa stared back with a gaze like ice and lips that were not quite cruel but crimped at the edges. Did you see our new home?

Althurna nodded, averting her eyes to the bouncing floor. Yes, your grace.

The girl let out her breath. Until thinking about it she had not realized she had been holding her breath, but Duchess Gasa did that to her. Althurna was often nervous around the woman. In the weeks they had been traveling together, the duchess had not proven to be a brutal master, but her words often had a callous sting to them. It was no wonder the duke and duchess were childless, as neither seemed to want a daughter or son. They did not seem to want children around at all. As Althurna was the youngest of their party, often enough harsh tongues fell against her.

The girl glanced over at the yeowoman, plainly dressed and with a plainer face. At least she was kind at times. Yeowoman Thancy usually ordered Althurna around as if she were a slave, which truth be told was almost what the girl was, but the woman also recognized she was still dealing with a child, though a child who was almost a young woman. Yeowoman Thancy worked Althurna, and often enough got on the girl for one meaningless triviality or another, but she also allowed for play time and had even offered a candy treat at the beginning of their journey.

Althurna smiled at the thought she could be in worse company, and thanked Almighty Ashal for that.

A belting voice outside called the carriage to a halt, and soon enough the rough figure of Duke Rand appeared atop a steed next to one of the windows.

The burly man leaned down from his saddle to glance inside at his wife. His lower face was covered with a thin layer of black hair, a reminder of their trip through the hinterlands of northern Ursia. The dull sheen of the helmet atop his head and the jangling of his ring-studded hauberk caused Althurna to shiver once again. Duke Rand was an inflexible man, hard in his ways. He had never spoken so much as a kind word to the girl. When he did take notice of her presence, it was often with a sneer.

We are here, the man said, giving Althurna little more than a dark glance. Dislodge yourselves.

There was a shout ahead, likely from