Dark Fate The Gathering: Book one

Chapter one

“Kinsey,” the chancellor hissed. Another branch snapped under his richly, embroidered boot with a loud crack. The sound echoed off the surrounding trees like children at play with wooden swords.

Already agitated with the nobleman, Kinsey cursed softly. He turned to the damned, fool aristocrat and spoke in a low voice, “If you want to die, please, allow me the opportunity to fulfill your wish. Otherwise, be still!”

Chancellor Kesh Tomelen looked at Kinsey in stunned silence and froze in place. Kesh’s pale, delicate features slowly turned a dark crimson and his usually handsome features transformed into an ugly frown of scorn. “I’ll not be spoken to in such a manner! As leader of this expedition I will be given the proper respect. And don’t forget why you are here in the first place... you’re lucky your attack on Lord Graves didn’t cost you your commission,” Kesh stated in an arrogant tone.

If Kinsey hadn’t been so angry he would have laughed. Instead, he stepped much closer to the chancellor so that their noses almost touched, “You and I are pretty much equals on this little expedition, and seeing as how there’s no castle walls around, that puts me in charge. And I say, shut yer mouth and be still!” He said in a low growl.

Kinsey watched his words take a most desirable effect as the chancellor’s fists tighten so that his knuckles turned white and the veins on his forehead bulged like fat earthworms threatening to explode from the pressure. Kinsey thought the chancellor might actually try to strike him, but to his credit, Kesh held his tongue and stopped his stumbling about like drunken fool.

Pointing a finger at the ground for emphasis Kinsey spoke in a hushed, peremptory voice, “Stay here! If you make too much noise we’ll be discovered. I’ll relate the details of what I find when I return.”

Without waiting for a response Kinsey crawled into the wall of dense brush before them. He attempted to be as quiet as possible but chainmail wasn’t made for sneaking and Kinsey wasn’t made for it either. His real purpose was to get away from the chancellor, not to play scout, that particular role was being fulfilled by someone with the skill for such things. Kinsey just needed some distance between the nobleman and himself, before his anger made him do something rash. Kesh had been driving him crazy with incessant whining of current affairs, and boasting of past adventures. The previous three weeks had been like sustaining a barrage of verbal floggings and Kinsey’s patience was at an end. Usually he could handle this kind of situation but his temper flared much more easily as of late. The reasons behind his increased aggression where a mystery but the last thing Kinsey needed was to pummel the man sent to gain favor with his prince’s future wife.

Kinsey crawled a bit further once he cleared the thicket, then stopped to look back and make sure he wasn’t followed. Kesh was an able enough politician but woodsman he was not; the fool needed constant tending so as not to get injured, or Eos forbid, killed. Although, Kinsey thought, this mission might be the death of us both.

Looking around the small clearing he observed that the trees here were enormous in circumference as well as height, and their roots covered the ground like massive spider webs, creeping along the ground waiting to snare the unsuspecting wanderer. It would take ten men with their arms spread wide to reach around the smallest of these giants and this was just the edge of the forest they belonged to. Rumours spoke of trees in the deep wood that would take a hundred men to span their bases. Kinsey had only seen one of such size, in the heart of Waterfall Citadel, a behemoth even amongst these trees. A beacon of hope for many a traveler, it could be seen from miles away and heralded the presence of the greatest city of northern Orundal.

Although the size of the trees were quite unique, the Winewood got its namesake from another trait just as distinctive. The rich maroon color of the bark motivated the naming of these woods, and some used to believe they tasted like actual wine... total nonsense of course. In his youth Kinsey had put a piece of the stuff in his mouth and regretted it immediately; the taste was so bitter his face puckered for a week.