Bond Forger: A Legends of Lasniniar Short: Legends of Lasniniar

By Jacquelyn Smith

Barlo guards a secret. Only his best friend Iarion shares it, along with the rest of the Light Elves.

No one else can ever know.

Barlo's secret keeps him apart from other dwarves. Even his own family. Memories of another time haunt him. He longs for a way to claim his identity. To be himself.

…A hero of Lasniniar, capable of leaving Dwarvenhome to go on adventures. (With Iarion, of course.)

But his secret acts as both a blessing and a curse. And the call to adventure proves too strong to deny.

A stand-alone story of the infamous friends Barlo and Iarion from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WaywardScribe Press
• Release date: Oct 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9780987879943

Jacquelyn Smith

Jacquelyn Smith writes both epic and intrigue-based fantasy, and mysteries that range from cozy to kick-ass, with independent, strong-willed heroes, in search of their place in the world. These heroes take the problems they face seriously (but never themselves), and are supported by unlikely friendships they forge along the way. Jacquelyn is the author of the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series, the Fatal Empire fantasy intrigue series, the kick-ass Kira Brightwell mysteries, and the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mysteries. (She originally published several of the early Kira Brightwell titles under the pen name Kat Irwin, before killing Kat off to eliminate the many awkward questions about having a second identity.) When spending time in the real world, Jacquelyn lives on the suburban outskirts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, Mark, and their feline owner, Xena, who is definitely a warrior princess. To learn more, visit: JacquelynSmithBooks.com

Book preview

Bond Forger

BOND FORGER

A LEGENDS OF LASNINIAR SHORT

JACQUELYN SMITH

WAYWARDSCRIBE PRESS

For my niece, Isabelle, on behalf of Nana and Daboo.

Here’s to more adventures to come! Hopefully, you’ll read these books someday when you’re a little older...

Bond Forger: A Legends of Lasniniar Short

Copyright © 2023 Jacquelyn Smith

Published by WaywardScribe Press

First published in October, 2012 as Legends of Lasniniar: Bond Forger

Cover and layout copyright © Jacquelyn Smith

Cover design by Jacquelyn Smith/WaywardScribe Press

Cover art copyright © Radhika3dk/Dreamstime

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

CONTENTS

Bond Forger

By the Light of the Moon

A Note from Jacquelyn

About Jacquelyn Smith

BOND FORGER

Barlo was restless. His hair was damp, and a trickle of sweat traveled down his neck. His fingers moved without conscious thought, setting polished stones in newly crafted weapons and jewelry, but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts kept wandering from the confines of the family forge and Dwarvenhome’s mountain halls to the wide world beyond.

Pass me the tongs, will you? Fidar asked.

Barlo suspected from Fidar’s tone this wasn’t the first time he had made the request. Barlo shook his head to clear it and handed his son the metal tongs. Wincing inwardly, he corrected himself for the umpteenth time.

My father. Fidar is my father now.

Twenty-three years had passed since Barlo had been reborn, and he still had a hard time keeping his relations straight. In his previous life, Barlo and Fidar’s roles had been reversed. For hundreds of years, Barlo had been the father, and Fidar had been his youngest son. Barlo’s final quest to overthrow a terrible evil that had threatened all of Lasniniar had changed everything.

Woolgathering again? Fidar asked with wry smile.

I suppose I was, Barlo said. Sorry. I’m having a hard time staying focused lately.

As much as he wished he could unburden himself to Fidar, Barlo was forced to keep his memories of his previous life to himself. He had sworn not to reveal the secret of his reincarnation, which only made his situation more awkward.

Fidar returned to his work, using the tongs to retrieve a mold and place it into a bucket of water. He ducked back from the rising cloud of steam. Barlo watched him from the corner of his eye. They both had the same short, solid form all dwarves shared, and the same broad nose, but the similarities ended there. Unlike Barlo’s matching brown eyes and beard, Fidar’s whiskers were the color of coal, and his merry eyes were a deep blue. Fidar had inherited his mother’s coloring. Barlo thought of Narilga with a pang. He still missed his wife terribly.

Barlo realized his hands had stopped moving and forced himself to focus on his task. He was supposed to be helping Fidar, not staring off into space like some moonstruck elf having a vision.

And of course, that thought only made him wonder how Iarion was doing. How long had it been since he had visited his elven friend? It couldn’t have been that long, but it seemed like ages. The elves were the only ones who knew and understood Barlo’s situation. Unlike dwarves, reincarnation was a regular part