Into the North: Gryphonpike Chronicles, #6

By Annie Bellet

The mute elven archer known only as Killer. Azyrin, a half Winter-orc shaman and his human swordswoman bride, Makha. Drake, the charming, swashbuckling rogue. The fireball-slinging pixie-goblin, Rahiel, and her mini-unicorn, Bill. These are the Gryphonpike Companions.

Taking on their most dangerous quest yet, Killer fears she won’t survive to break her curse. Tasked with finding the source behind a magical winter without end far to the north on the isolated island of Imaldor, Killer and her companions sail north.  There they must face off against the elements and an unknown foe to end the deadly winter before it ends them and all hope Killer has of ever going home.

This is the final adventure fantasy novella in the Gryphonpike Chronicles series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doomed Muse Press
• Release date: Jun 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386664482

Annie Bellet

Annie Bellet is the author of the Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division, The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, and the Gryphonpike Chronicles series. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.   Her short fiction work is available in multiple collections and anthologies. Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs and many other nerdy pursuits.  She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a very demanding Bengal cat.

Book preview

Into The North

The Gryphonpike Chronicles: Book Six

by Annie Bellet

Copyright 2017, Annie Bellet and AnneMarie Buhl

All rights reserved. Published by Doomed Muse Press.

These stories are a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [e-mail].

Cover designed by Greg Jensen with art by Kerem Beyit.

Formatting by Polgarus Studio.

If you want to be notified when Annie Bellet’s next novel is released and get free stories and occasional other goodies, please sign up for her mailing list by going to: http://tinyurl.com/anniebellet Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Also by Annie Bellet

About the Author

We all know this tale. There once was a beautiful elven princess who lived in a crystal forest in a hidden kingdom far beyond the common worlds. Her voice was unparalleled among the World-singers and her power brought her all she desired.

Until Wrath and Pride wound their way around her heart, turning songs of beauty and creation into songs of death and violence. For her crimes, she was cast out and cursed to live among the lesser creatures, among the elves and men who had forgotten those who sang into existence the earth they squabbled over. Her voice was stolen; her words taken like ember-waves melt footprints from the glowing sands.

Her banishment and silence will end when she has purged her crime by doing one thousand good deeds. So she joined with a rag-tag band of adventurers who call themselves the Gryphonpike Companions.

I am that foolish Singer. These are the chronicles of my path home.

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Chapter 1

Let me get this straight… we are sailing into that ice because winter is staying wintery too long? Drake stared out over the dock at the two ships waiting to transport the first spring shipment of supplies to Greypoint, a settlement on the island of Imaldor. The swordsman’s dark brows were pressed together forming an unhappy line on his brown face.

Don’t forget the strange critters and unnaturally strong storms, Makha said brightly as she clapped him on the back. Drake had to brace himself against the hit, the big red-haired fighter sometimes forgot her own strength. She grinned at him through chapped lips, her pale face reddened with cold and windburn.

Word had come to the guild hall in Ramsport via traders from Glassnesse that winter wasn’t letting go of the island, and odd, vicious creatures were attacking the town there. Strangely strong snow and ice storms had been plaguing the Broken Isles as well. The Companions and I had spent the winter in Ramsport, cleaning up the infestation of Broodling dragons an over zealous, glory-seeking group had unleashed on the countryside. We had planned to journey south, but when the call came for someone to investigate the talk of strange magic and unnatural storms in the north, my Companions had decided to go.

Part of it was surely that Greypoint was primarily a winter orc settlement. Azyrin, upon hearing of their troubles, was keen to go. He had been born just north of the Silverwolf River, in the foothills of the Icerift Mountains, and some of his tribe had been among those who moved to Imaldor, he told us. The

Reviews for Into the North

[Theodore Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't care that this book wraps a lot of stuff up, I want so much more of this! This book, along with the other five stories in this series, does a very good job of establishing simple characters with more than one dimension, and the plot was neither convoluted nor predictable. No, this wasn't a megalithic Stephen King novel, but I think it was very effective and enjoyable nevertheless, and I'd give it 6 stars if I could!