Trials on the Isle of Morr (Aevalin and the Age of Readventure, #2)

By Lawrence Caldwell

Yoreno Brendara, a relatively sheltered noble, has joined his father in the mythical kingdom of Aevalin with his mother and sister. His father has arranged for him to train under Dantera Brennovo, a descendant of the legendary Arlian Brennovo who fought in the Grand Bastard’s war against King Balthazar and his High Mage to save the world. Now Yoreno will become an adventurer, fighting alongside a successful lady in arms—and a rich one at that. It is a grand opportunity for Yoreno to become a knight of Aevalin and to participate in the glorious new Age of Readventure! But first, he must accompany his mistress to the Isle of Morr to do battle with a terrible monster.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lawrence Caldwell
• Release date: Apr 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9780463575178

Lawrence Caldwell

Lawrence Caldwell is believed by some to be a wandering samurai, or a vagrant, or possibly a ninja—though perhaps in his infinite mystery, he’s none of these things. Whichever the case, he wanders home as Odysseus did after the great Trojan War in some realm unbeknownst to our world. And—by direct theft of a quote from a certain dwarf named Varric Tethras—he "occasionally writes books."

Book preview

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AEVALIN AND THE AGE OF READVENTURE

TRIALS ON THE ISLE OF MORR

Book Two in the Aevalin and the Age of Readventure series.

Lawrence Caldwell

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © Lawrence Caldwell, 2021

Look for These Other Titles by Lawrence Caldwell

AEVALIN AND THE AGE OF READVENTURE

Aevalin: Klause Schuar, the Grand Bastard

Aevalin: Trials on the Isle of Morr

Aevalin: Knight of Aevalin

Aevalin: Errant Adventurer

Aevalin: Kingdom of the Blue Dragon

THE JINNI AND THE ISEKAI

The Jinni and the Isekai

The Black Cobra of Mar’a Thul

Coil and Strike

The Sultan of Darshuun

Sultan’s Legacy

ANARCHO

Fracture Rating

Hussy

Landfill Lich

Rescue Operation

Dreams of Forever

THE PRINCESS AND THE MAGICIAN

The Wind Steppe Princess and the Amalfi Magician

OTHER TITLES

Wakiagau

Haven

Teisatsusha

Blackwood Company

Littlehand Hakuria

Attack on the Spire Keep

The Reconnoiters

Skydrift

Acheron

I’m a businessman. My family has a seat in the Dwarven Merchants Guild. Merchants buy and sell goods. Businessmen buy and sell stores. In my spare time, I manage a spy network. And occasionally, I write books.—Varric Tethras

I

Yoreno breathed in deeply. He felt so nervous after last night’s dinner when his father had introduced him to many of the kingdom’s nobles, most notably Lady Brennovo. He didn’t know much about her, but apparently she was famous for her connection to some long dead legend that saved the world.

He needed to learn more about that history so he fully understood who he would be dealing with. His father, John had somehow procured for Yoreno the position of pupil. He was under no illusions that this was not a coveted position within the kingdom of Aevalin.

And that was why he was shaking right now. Yoreno was to become a knight. He had had some sword training, but not a lot. What if she thought him a soft noble unfit for knighthood? He would be disgraced, not only within his own family, but also among Lady Brennovo’s companions.

Since she was famous, Yoreno would be known far and wide as the pupil who had failed, and Lady Brennovo being who she is, how could she fail a student? She was a top-tier adventurer. The failure would be Yoreno’s entirely.

He swallowed, rung his hands. Even he was aware of how nervous he must look. But no one in the early morning seemed to care that he was walking in the street. Right now he was in a residential district just outside of the area where the new apartments his father had procured were.

A lovely place to live, he thought. And that was the soft boy talking right now. He knew as much. Yoreno needed to harden himself. He wanted this knighthood. Now with the new proclamation of the Age of Readventure, adventuring was to become a lucrative trade. Or was it already a lucrative trade?

Yoreno felt so ignorant.

On either side of him were triple-story houses, their blue and red tiled roofs and eves so different than the construction in Haven only a few day’s travel from here. This city was at once more grand and opulent than Haven or any other walled kingdom Yoreno had heard of.

Despite its terrible history, things seemed quite well these days. People had money, wealth, high-class lifestyles and beautiful housing. At least those in the city did. Yoreno knew nothing of the surrounding countryside.

He would learn. All in due time. He walked on, taking the street on his left. In the distance, a dog barked. In front of him people began to set up shop in the streets to sell fruits, vegetables and meats.

The city of Aevalin was rich, the foodstuffs and work plentiful, if the morning market stalls and the ships in the harbor were any evidence of that.

Yoreno caught the sun in his eyes as it crested the gable of the house in front of him. He shielded his eyes from the golden morning light. The sun wasn’t strong now, but it would be later.

In Haven, the summers were hot—stifling even. Aevalin was not far enough away to have weather that was any different, other than the sea, and that, Yoreno discovered, did bring a certain coolness.

And rains! John had said.

Father was so excited to be in Aevalin, he spoke about it often, the things he had learned, the opportunities in the now and the future. His excitement was infections to Yoreno.

And now he was to meet Lady Dantera Brennovo at her guild house.

He swallowed again. Was he ready for this?

After breakfast this morning, Yoreno bid his mother farewell, gave her a kiss and left. Celine hadn’t even awoken yet—the lazy cat. But like him, she probably couldn’t sleep. Everything was so new and fascinating he had gone to bed that night after the welcoming banquet more jittery than a rabbit caught in a dog’s teeth.

He sighed.

Lady Brennovo was intimidating to say the least. She was young, beautiful and famous. The other lords at the banquet all knew her, all wanted her attention, Yoreno could tell, much to the jealousy of various women.

The time they spent together was brief. Yoreno’s father had introduced them before they sat down and during the meal it was difficult to communicate, as there were many guests. Most of the exchanges were simply small talk and pleasantries. She had asked him a few questions, like what his experience with swords was, had he ever seen a monster, and the best, about whether he had spent much time outside of the walled kingdom of Haven.

Which Yoreno had not.

It was embarrassing!

Thankfully lady Brennovo didn’t show any signs of surprise or disgust with his answers. Maybe she was putting on a good face. He reached the seaside road. The windward direction leading out to open sea was not obscured by buildings, except for a short wall. Behind it were dunes and to the north, some wharfs.

Ships sailed the harbor, coming and going. Aevalin was a busy kingdom, and a port kingdom at that. No wonder it was rich. Adventuring by land, and shipping by sea.

Lady Brennovo’s guild house was north of here. Yoreno picked up his pace as seabirds cried. They made sounds unlike other birds. It was a croaking keen.

His mind wandered back to the Roaming Lions.

That was the name of her guild. She had given him instruction on how to find it. It was located up off the road he was on.

Don’t worry, she had said her strong Amalfi accent, smiling at him like he was some inexperienced boy. You can’t miss it. It’s the manor house with the red flag, a half square of silken gold with a lion’s head atop it. My personal crest. Have no worry.

Feeling sheepish, Yoreno had nodded.

Now he was supposed to take the aptly named Lion Crest street off this road. Ahead, he saw the sign, burned into a lacquered plaque atop a post. Even the signs here bespoke of Aevalin’s stature. The signs in Haven were often of old rotting and flaking paints, simply put on the sides of buildings.

He turned down Lion Crest street. Sure enough, the guild house loomed before him. It was beautiful, large and was surrounded by a wall and a gate. The wall had pinions of gold and red fluttering in the wind. Beside the wrought-iron gate on both sides were white marble statues of lions clawing at the air, their maws open wide and their manes flowing with the breeze.

Lady Brennovo’s guild house was dwarfed by Aevalin castle nestled up against Mount Herrylenia in the distance that gave it an air of grandiosity. The guild house was impressive in its own right, not because of its defenses, of which there were little, but because of the apparent wealth.

The wall was well maintained, the statues cleaned. Through the open gate Yoreno could see the manicured grounds and the hedges flanking the pathway into the guild house that had four levels, an overhanging roof of red tiles and a portico with steps leading to the front doors.

Guarding the gate was a man liveried in blue, red and gold and in his hand was a poleaxe with a spear tip. His silver helmet glinted in the morning light. Good tidings, he said nodding as Yoreno approached.

Hello, he said. I am Lord Yoreno Brendara, here to see your lady.

The guard nodded. Please enter.

It seemed the guard was mostly a formality. Thank you. Yoreno swallowed and passed through the gate.

There were guild members out and about. One was playing a flute on the steps, while two more were practicing at swords in the grounds, a small group of people and instructors watching them. To his left the gardeners were hard at work digging and moving dirt in wheelbarrows as they put in some saplings into the yard.

Yoren craned his neck to get a look at the Roaming Lion guild house. More pinions of blue, red and gold flew from the roof. He suspected the blue were in support of the kingdom, while the red and gold were of her house colors.

On the front of the portico was another lion’s head. This one was carved of white marble. Lady Brennovo was surely quite rich, as Yoreno’s father had remarked upon the day before. He went up the steps and passed through the fluted pillars of the portico. The guild hall was a flurry of activity. There were adventurers speaking in groups and at the front there was what looked to be an area for drinking spirits. On both the left and right sides of the room were boards with pins.

Calls to adventure no doubt.

On either sides of the large vestibule were stairs leading to other parts of the guild house. Yoreno had no idea where to go, so he went to the man behind the bar who was wiping a glass cup, something not seen often in Haven. Excuse me, he said.

How can I help you, sir?

My lord, actually, Yoreno said.

The bar man looked at him skeptically. In any event, what can I do for you?

I’m looking for Lady Brennovo. I have an appointment to see her.

Oh, he said, surprised. You that new kid that’s supposed to be her apprentice?

Yes.

He nodded. She’s probably on the terrace. She likes to train in the morning. He pointed to the stairs on the right side of the room. Go up those stairs and through the first door heading straight. She’ll probably be on one of the last terraces overlooking the sea.

Yoreno nodded. Thank you.

He did as instructed, pushing through the first door heading straight after ascending the stairs. The common room had lot of dark fancy wood, lacquered to perfection atop a floor of white and black tiles, but once Yoreno pushed through this door, he found himself in a stone corridor with open arches overlooking the smaller structures with titled roofs and the sea.

Squinting, he made his way forward, the fresh and mild wind cool on his neck and the smell of flower blossoms filling his nose. As he approached what looked like the end of the corridor, the sounds of blades clashing and grunts of effort were audible to him.

Yoreno turned within the arch to find an open terrace, atop it were Lady Brennovo and another man he didn’t recognize. They