Breaking an Empire (17 page)

Tarranau gathered himself and turned away, walking at a slow and steady pace off of the quay. He wanted to make his point clear, but not so fast as to miss any response.

“Ten, then.”

“Eight, and I’ll help your ship’s mage out with any tasks that he feels are needed.”

“Accepted. Should have mentioned that before, might have made me go even lower.” Mesvigne looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes with his hand.

“Go and get your things, and have them stowed away soon. There’s about two hours before we push off from the dock. We’ll have dinner on board, so don’t worry about eating beforehand. Just make sure you’re here if you want to make it across.”

Tarranau nodded. “I will. I’ll return with my things shortly.”

He set off along the docks, his pace quickening as he stepped onto the dry land of the shore. It was done. Negotiations for the berth were completed, and he was to be a passenger on a ship to Arnich. All that remained was moving his belongings onto the ship. Once the
Fregyion
pushed away from the shore and passed the mouth of the harbour, it would all be behind him. A new beginning, in a land he had never been to. Somehow he doubted it would be as fanciful as the bards made it out to be. The women and coin that poured over those in songs were unlikely to trouble him for some time. Still, it was a nice image to hold while he walked down the docks. Perhaps
he
could be the one for whom those stories were true. Tarranau laughed. It was a good feeling. A decision had been made, and a weight lifted. He opened the door to the warehouse and pulled out the sacks of goods. They were heavy, but over the short distance to the docks he could carry them all. Tarranau the pack mule, off on an adventure. He shut the door of the warehouse behind him, the tracks and flurries of dust the only sign that he had been inside. It screeched as it closed, a low and mournful sound of parting.

Tarranau turned himself northward, and began the slow march back towards the
Fregyion.
It was the first step.

Thank you for reading this free sample of
Tarranau
by James Tallett. We here at Deepwood Publishing hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you would like to continue the story of the errant watermage, just search for “Tarranau” or “Deepwood Publishing” in the book store of your choice. Both print and electronic copies are available.

Tarranau
is the first book in a six book storyline, with the second book titled
Chloddio
and the third
Læccan Waters.
In addition to the six books of the main story line,
Unfolding a New Continent
is an anthology of shorter tales that surround and support the main storyline.

Chloddio
is slated for release in the spring of 2012, followed by
Læccan Waters
in winter 2012.

We at Deepwood Publishing would like to thank you for your interest in James Tallett’s
The Four Part Land
series, and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.

Deepwood Publishing can be reached at
[email protected]

James Tallett is available through his website or via
[email protected]

About the Author

James Tallett is the author of a seven book series of fantasy novels set in The Four Part Land, the first of which was published in 2011 by Deepwood Publishing. In addition to his novel writing, he keeps up a steady stream of short stories and flash fiction, much of which is published online. Aside from writing, he can be found on ski slopes across the world.