The ash plains stretched on toward the horizon, endless and empty. Veiled by a haze of dust, the dispassionate moon hung in the sky, offering little light and less comfort for a young woman alone.
Sarka stood at her window, holding aside the threadbare curtain. She peered out into the darkness and did battle with her fear. At first, she could see nothing in the gloom, and she tried to reassure herself that she was alone in the night.
Then came the evil glint of a feline eye and the outline of a shadow-shape slinking past the stone well in front of the house.
Sarka shivered and dropped the curtain, which fell to cover the dirty window. Pulling the blanket she wore as a shawl tight around her shoulders, she went back to her chair by the low-burning fire. A broth of weeds simmered over the coals; it would be her only supper.
Glancing up at the long stone column of the chimney, Sarka wondered whether a clever animal might use it as a way in. She pushed the thought out of her mind. The chimney was too narrow, and no sane creature would go in where smoke came out.
And yet, were a creature driven mad with hunger...
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Song of Ashes
FantasyA jealous, vengeful goddess. A ruined land. A woman alone, desperate to survive. When the goddess Kogoren was betrayed by one of her worshipers, she took out her rage on her realm. In her righteous anger, she shattered the continent, raised razor-sh...
