{"id":3272,"date":"2010-03-23T08:17:24","date_gmt":"2010-03-23T16:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/?p=3272"},"modified":"2010-03-23T08:18:04","modified_gmt":"2010-03-23T16:18:04","slug":"free-readin-the-desert-spear-by-peter-v-brett","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/2010\/03\/news\/free-readin-the-desert-spear-by-peter-v-brett\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Readin’ | The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"<\/a>\n

Last year, Peter V. Brett surprised a lot of people with his debut novel, The Warded Man<\/strong> (or The Painted Man<\/strong>, depending on your region). We’ve long since forgotten that Brett wrote the novel on his Blackberry (or equivalent device), and he’s since established himself as a bright new voice in the genre.<\/p>\n

I’m sure Im not alone in look to The Desert Spear<\/strong> as one of the most anticipated novels of 2010. When I started reading it a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to bring a sneak peek to my readers. Peat and I discussed a few different scenes from the novel, and eventually settled on Chapter 15: Marick’s Tale<\/em> as a perfect taste of what the novel has to offer. I’m sure you’ll recognize a few faces!
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Chapter 15: Marick\u2019s Tale (Partial)<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

The Corelings\u2019 Graveyard was in chaos when Leesha and the others returned to town. Hundreds of folk, many of them injured and none of them familiar, filled the square. All were filthy, ragged, and half starved. Exhausted, they rested in grim misery on the frozen cobbles.<\/p>\n

Tender Jona was running to and fro, shouting orders to his acolytes as they tried to give comfort to those in need. The Cutters were dragging logs out to the square so people would at least have a place to sit, but it seemed an impossible task.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank the Creator!\u201d the Tender called when he caught sight of them. Vika, his wife, ran to embrace him as he hurried over.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Leesha asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cRefugees from Fort Rizon,\u201d Jona said. \u201cThey just started pouring in this morning, a couple hours past dawn. More arrive at every moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is the Deliverer?\u201d a woman in the crowd cried. \u201cThey said he was here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe wards in the entire city failed?\u201d Leesha asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cImpossible,\u201d Erny said. \u201cRizon has over a hundred hamlets, all individually warded. Why flee all this way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t the corelings we fled,\u201d a familiar voice said. Leesha turned, her eyes widening.<\/p>\n

\u201cMarick!\u201d she cried. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d The Messenger was as handsome as ever, but there were yellowed bruises on his face only partially obscured by his long hair and beard, and he favored one leg slightly as he approached. <\/p>\n

\u201cMade the mistake of wintering in Rizon,\u201d Marick said. \u201cUsually a good idea; the cold doesn\u2019t bite so hard in the South.\u201d He chuckled mirthlessly. \u201cNot this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it wasn\u2019t demons, what happened?\u201d Leesha asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cKrasians,\u201d Marick said, spitting in the snow. \u201cSeems the desert rats got sick of eating sand and decided to start preying on civilized folk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha turned to Rojer. \u201cFind Arlen,\u201d she murmured. \u201cHave him come in secret and meet us in the back room of Smitt\u2019s tavern. Go now.\u201d Rojer nodded and vanished.<\/p>\n

\u201cDarsy. Vika,\u201d Leesha said. \u201cHave the apprentices triage the wounded and bring them to the hospit in order of severity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two Herb Gatherers nodded and hurried off.<\/p>\n

\u201cJona,\u201d Leesha said. \u201cHave your acolytes fetch stretchers from the hospit and help the apprentices.\u201d Jona bowed and left.<\/p>\n

Seeing Leesha giving direction, others drifted over. Even Smitt, the Town Speaker and innkeep, waited on her word.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can hold on food a moment,\u201d Leesha told him, \u201cbut these people need water and warm shelter immediately. Put up the wedding pavilions and any tents you can find, and have every spare hand you can find hauling water. If the wells and stream don\u2019t provide fast enough, put cauldrons on a fire and fill them with snow.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see to it,\u201d Smitt said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when does the whole Hollow hop to your commands?\u201d Marick asked with a grin.<\/p>\n

Leesha looked at him. \u201cI need to see to the wounded now, Master Marick, but I\u2019ll have many questions for you when I\u2019m through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be at your disposal,\u201d Marick said, bowing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d Leesha said. \u201cIt would help if you could gather the other leaders of your group who might have something to add to your story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Marick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll settle them in the inn,\u201d Stefny, Smitt\u2019s wife, said. \u201cSurely you could use a cold ale and a bite,\u201d she told the Messenger.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore than you could imagine,\u201d Marick said.<\/p>\n

\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

There were broken bones to set and infections to treat, many from blistered feet that had burst and been left untreated as folk spent more than a week on the road, knowing that to fall behind the main group meant almost certain death. More than a few of the travelers had coreling wounds, as well, from crowding into hastily put together circles. It was a wonder any had made it to Deliverer\u2019s Hollow at all. She knew from their tales that many had not.<\/p>\n

There were several Herb Gatherers of varying skill among the refugees, and after a quick check of their own state, Leesha put them to work. None of the women complained; it was ever the lot of the Herb Gatherer to put aside her own needs for those of her charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would never have made it without Messenger Marick,\u201d one woman said as Leesha treated her frostbitten toes. \u201cHe rode ahead each day and warded campsites for our group to succor when the corelings came. Wouldn\u2019t have lasted a night without him. He even felled deer with his bow and left them on the road for us to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time Rojer reappeared, the worst of the wounds had been treated. She left control of the hospit to Darsy and Vika and went with him to her office.<\/p>\n

When the door closed behind them, Leesha slumped against Rojer, finally allowing her exhaustion to show. It was late in the afternoon, and she had been working for hours without a break, treating patients and fielding questions from apprentices and town elders alike. It would be dark in a few short hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to rest,\u201d Rojer said, but Leesha shook her head, filling a basin with water and splashing it on her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo time for it now,\u201d she said. \u201cHave we found shelter for everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBarely,\u201d Rojer said. \u201cAll told, there\u2019s more refugees than the entire population of Deliverer\u2019s Hollow twice over, and I\u2019ve no doubt there will be more tomorrow. Folk have opened their homes, but Tender Jona still has people sleeping sitting up in his pews, just to keep a roof over them. If this keeps up, every inch of the greatward will be covered in makeshift tents by week\u2019s end.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha nodded. \u201cWe\u2019ll worry over that come morning. Arlen is waiting at Smitt\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Warded Man is there,\u201d Rojer said. \u201cDon\u2019t call him Arlen in front of those people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s his name, Rojer,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d Rojer snapped, surprising her with his vehemence. \u201cThese people need something bigger than themselves to believe in, and right now it\u2019s him. No one is asking you to call him Deliverer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha blinked, taken aback. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten used to everyone leaping when I say \u2018hop\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell you can trust me never to do that,\u201d Rojer said.<\/p>\n

Leesha smiled. \u201cI want it no other way. Come. Let\u2019s go see the Warded Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The taproom of Smitt\u2019s tavern was filled to capacity when Rojer and Leesha arrived, even though the new inn was twice the size it had been when it burned down the year previous.<\/p>\n

Smitt nodded to them as they entered, and jerked his head toward the back room. They hurried through the crowd and ducked through the heavy door.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man was in the room, pacing like an animal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should be out hunting for more survivors before nightfall, not waiting on council meetings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be as swift as we can,\u201d Leesha said, \u201cbut it\u2019s best we do this together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man nodded, though she could see his impatience in his clenching hands. Smitt entered a moment later, ushering in Marick, along with Stefny, Tender Jona, Erny, and Elona.<\/p>\n

Marick stared at the Warded Man, though his hood was drawn and his tattooed hands were hidden in the voluminous sleeves of his robe.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you… him?\u201d Marick asked.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man pulled back his hood, revealing his painted flesh, and Marick gasped.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou the Deliverer, as they say?\u201d Marick asked.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man shook his head. \u201cJust a man who learned to kill demons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jona snorted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething caught in your throat, Tender?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other Deliverers never named themselves as such,\u201d Jona said. \u201cThey were all given the title by others.\u201d The Warded Man scowled at him, but Jona only bowed his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Marick said, though he sounded a little disappointed. \u201cI didn\u2019t really expect you to have a halo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwelve days ago, the Krasians sacked Fort Rizon,\u201d Marick said. \u201cThey came in the night, bypassed the hamlets, and took out the wall guards, opening the gates of the central city wide at the crack of dawn. We were all still in our beds when the killing started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came in the night?\u201d Leesha asked. \u201cHow is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got warded weapons that kill demons,\u201d Marick said, \u201csame as you Hollow folk. They talk like there ent nothing in the world more important than demon killing, and taking Rizon was just something to keep them busy till the sun set.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on,\u201d the Warded Man pressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Marick said, \u201cit\u2019s clear their eyes were on the central grain silos, because they took those first. Their warriors killed any man that resisted, and bent any woman that looked old enough to bleed.\u201d He glanced at the women present, and his face flushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no shock what men will do when they think they can get away with it,\u201d Elona said bitterly. \u201cGet on with your tale, Messenger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marick nodded. \u201cThey must have killed thousands, that first morning, and took the city walls to keep the rest of us in. We were beaten, tied together, and dragged into warehouses like cattle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you escape?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first I didn\u2019t think any of the desert rats spoke a civilized tongue,\u201d Marick said. \u201cI know a couple of sand words I picked up from other Messengers, but it\u2019s mostly curses, not much to start a conversation with. I figured I was done for, but after a day, a fat one came who spoke Thesan like a native. He started rounding up the royals, landowners, and skilled laborers, bringing them to the Krasian duke. I was among those.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou saw their leader?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I saw that big bastard all right,\u201d Marick said. \u201cThey brought me before him, bound and battered, and when he heard I was a Warder, he set me free like nothing had happened. Even gave me a purse of gold for my troubles! I think he meant for me to teach them our wards, but I was over the wall and out of the city at dawn the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir leader,\u201d the Warded Man pressed. \u201cWhat was he wearing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marick blinked. \u201cOpen white robe and head rag,\u201d he said, \u201cwith black underneath, like their warriors wear. And he wore a crown; that\u2019s how I knew he was their duke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA crown?\u201d the Warded Man asked. \u201cAre you sure? He didn\u2019t just have a jewel set in his turban?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marick nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sure. It was gold, and covered in jewels and wards. Ripping thing must have been worth more than every other duke\u2019s crown combined.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this duke, did he speak our tongue?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter than some Angierians I know,\u201d Marick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat was his name?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

Marick shrugged. \u201cDon\u2019t think anyone said it. They all called him some sand word. Shamaka, or somesuch. I figured it meant \u2018duke.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShar\u2019Dama Ka?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAy,\u201d Marick nodded. \u201cThat was it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man swore under his breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Leesha asked, but he ignored her, leaning in to the Messenger.<\/p>\n

\u201cWas he about this tall?\u201d he asked, holding up a hand above his own head. \u201cWith a forked, oiled beard and a sharp, hooked nose?\u201d<\/p>\n

Marick nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he carry a warded spear?\u201d the Warded Man asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey all carried warded spears,\u201d Marick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou would remember this one,\u201d the Warded Man said.<\/p>\n

Marick nodded again. \u201cMetal, it was, point to butt. And covered in etched wards.\u201d<\/p>\n

The growl that issued from the Warded Man\u2019s throat was so feral that even Marick, usually fearless, took a step back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Leesha asked again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAhmann Jardir,\u201d the Warded Man said. \u201cI know him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d she asked, but the Warded Man waved the question away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes no difference now,\u201d he said. \u201cGo on,\u201d he told Marick. \u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I said, I scaled the wall and fled the city the moment they set me free,\u201d Marick said. \u201cThe hamlets I passed through were half deserted by the time I arrived. When word of the attack reached them, the smart folk grabbed what they could and were on the road before the blood on the cobbles of the central city was dry. Those too weak to travel or too scared of the night stayed behind. I think more stayed than left, but there were still tens of thousands on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI bought a horse from an old fellow got left behind, and galloped off. I caught up to the folk on the road soon after. The groups were too large to stick together; no city could absorb so many. Most went to Lakton and its hamlets, where any with a hook and line can fill their belly, but the Jongleurs have had a lot to say about you,\u201d he pointed to the Warded Man, \u201cand them that believed you were really the Deliverer come again flocked here. I needed to get back to Angiers and report to the duke, but I couldn\u2019t just leave folk on the road with so few to ward for them, so I offered up my services.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a good thing you did, Marick,\u201d Leesha said, laying a hand on his arm. \u201cThese people never would have made it without you. Go and take your ease out into the taproom while we discuss your news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a room reserved for you upstairs,\u201d Smitt added. \u201cStefny will see you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man put his hood up as soon as the Messenger left. \u201cDaylight is fading. If there are more on the road, I need to make sure they see the dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha nodded. \u201cTake Gared and as many Cutters as can sit a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet your cloak,\u201d the Warded Man told Rojer. \u201cYou\u2019re coming with us.\u201d Rojer nodded, and they headed for the rear exit.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll need Warders,\u201d Erny said, pushing back his wire-framed glasses and rising from his seat. \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elona was on her feet instantly grabbing his arm. \u201cYou\u2019ll do no such thing, Ernal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Erny blinked. \u201cYou\u2019re always complaining I\u2019m not brave enough. Now you want me to hide when people need my help?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll prove nothing to me by getting yourself killed,\u201d Elona said. \u201cYou haven\u2019t sat a horse in years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has a point, Da,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay out of this,\u201d Erny said. \u201cThe town may hop at your word, but I\u2019m still your father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no time for this,\u201d the Warded Man. \u201cAre you coming or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot,\u201d Elona said firmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing,\u201d Erny said, pulling his arm from her grasp and following the other men out.<\/p>\n

\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThat idiot!\u201d Elona shrieked as the door slammed shut. Everyone else glanced at one another.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake as long back here as you like,\u201d Smitt said, \u201cI need to get out front.\u201d He, Stefny, and Jona quickly filed out of the room, leaving Leesha alone with her fuming mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be all right, Mum,\u201d Leesha said. \u201cThere\u2019s nowhere in all the world safer than traveling with Rojer and the Warded Man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a frail man!\u201d Elona said. \u201cHe can\u2019t ride with young men, and he\u2019ll catch his death of cold! He\u2019s never been the same after the flux took him last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, Mother,\u201d Leesha said, surprised, \u201cit sounds like you truly care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t take that tone with me,\u201d Elona snapped. \u201cOf course I care. He\u2019s my husband. If you knew what it was be like to be married almost thirty years, you wouldn\u2019t say such things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha wanted to snap back, to shout out all the horrible things her mother had done to her father over the years, not the least of which being her repeated infidelity with Gared\u2019s father, Steave, but the sincerity in her mother\u2019s voice checked her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right, Mum, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Elona blinked. \u201cI\u2019m right? Did you just say I was right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did.\u201d Leesha smiled.<\/p>\n

Elona opened her arms. \u201cHug me now, child, while it lasts.\u201d Leesha laughed and embraced her tightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll be fine,\u201d Leesha said, as much for herself as her mother.<\/p>\n

Elona nodded. \u201cYou\u2019re right, of course. He may look a terror, but no demon can stand up to your tattooed friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth of us right in one night, and Da not here to witness,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll never believe it,\u201d Elona agreed. She dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief, and Leesha pretended not to notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo was that the same Marick you used to shine on?\u201d Elona asked. \u201cThe one you ran off to Angiers with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never shined on him, Mother,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

Elona scoffed. \u201cSell that tampweed tale to someone who doesn\u2019t know you. The whole town knew you wanted him, even if you were too prudish to act on it. And why not? He\u2019s handsome as a wolf, and a Messenger on top. That\u2019s man enough for any woman. Why do you think he used to make Gared so jealous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything made Gared jealous, Mum,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

Elona nodded. \u201cHe\u2019s just like his father: simple men, ruled by their passions.\u201d She smiled wistfully, and Leesha knew she was thinking of Steave, her first love, who had died the year previous when flux took Cutter\u2019s Hollow and the wards failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Marick I saw when we were alone on the road wasn\u2019t much different,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you used Gatherer\u2019s tricks to keep him off you,\u201d Elona guessed, \u201cinstead of taking it as the perfect opportunity to have a romp with no one the wiser.\u201d It was true enough; Leesha had secretly drugged Marick into impotence to prevent his taking advantage of her on the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you would have?\u201d Leesha asked, unable to keep the bite from her tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Elona said, \u201cand why not? Skirts lift up for a reason. Women have needs down below, just as men. Don\u2019t lie to yourself and pretend otherwise.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, Mum,\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know it,\u201d Elona agreed, \u201cand yet still you sew your petticoats shut, and think denying yourself somehow makes you heroic. How can you treat every body in the Hollow when you don\u2019t understand the needs of your own?\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha said nothing. Her mother had a most unsettling way of reading her thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should go up and talk to Marick while your other suitors are out of town,\u201d Elona said. \u201cHe\u2019s had years and tragedy to season him, and come out a hero. The folk outside can\u2019t stop singing his praises. Perhaps he\u2019ll be more to your liking now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know…\u201d Leesha said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, go on!\u201d Elona said. \u201cTake a plate of food up to his room and talk to him. It\u2019s not like you have to let him stick you this very night.\u201d She smiled and winked. \u201cThough if you did, it\u2019d be a better use of your night than fretting over problems that will remain come morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leesha laughed despite herself, and hugged her mother again.<\/p>\n

\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Several times they passed scenes of slaughter; bodies, alone and in groups, torn apart by corelings when night fell upon them without succor.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man cursed the sights, spurring Twilight Dancer on harder, not bothering to stop after the first. The others who followed him, even Gared and the Cutters, were inexperienced riders falling well behind his powerful stallion, but he didn\u2019t care. There were refugees on the road, driven out of their homes by Ahmann Jardir, the man he had been fool enough to call friend, and he needed to find and protect as many of them as he could before night fell. <\/p>\n

But he would hold Jardir to account for every life lost. Corespawn him if he did not.<\/p>\n

More than an hour of hard riding brought him to a large group of refugees. The sky was awash with color as the sun set, but the folk were still working on their wards. They had painted the magical symbols on wooden boards, but the area they needed to secure was irregularly shaped, and the net was out of alignment.<\/p>\n

He galloped right to the edge of the wardnet, pulling Twilight Dancer up short and leaping down with his warding kit. People cried out at the sight of him, but he ignored them, inspecting their wards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s him,\u201d one Warder whispered to another. \u201cThe Deliverer.\u201d The Warded Man paid him no mind, focusing on the task at hand. Some of their wards he turned or twisted to align properly with others, but many he altered with charcoal, or turned the boards over and replaced entirely.<\/p>\n

A crowd began to gather around him, folk clutching one another and whispering as they stared at his tattooed hands and tried to get a peek under his hood. None dared approach him, though, and his work went uninterrupted. When his companions finally caught up, Erny fumbled his way down off his horse to assist. Rojer and the others placed themselves protectively between him and the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeliverer!\u201d a woman screamed at him. He glanced over to see her struggling vainly toward him against the pull of Gared\u2019s trunklike arms, her eyes alight with fanatical fire. He turned back to his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease!\u201d the woman cried. \u201cMy sister is still on the road!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man looked up sharply at that. \u201cTake over the warding,\u201d he told Erny. \u201cDraft as many of their Warders as you need. I\u2019ll leave a couple of archers to buy you time to finish.\u201d Erny gulped, but he nodded and called to the Rizonan Warders, who had been standing back with the rest of the refugees.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet her go,\u201d the Warded Man told Gared when he reached the pair. Gared complied immediately, and the woman fell to her knees before him, clutching at his feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, Deliverer,\u201d she said. \u201cMy sister is with child; too far along to sit a horse. She and our gray parents couldn\u2019t keep up with the group, so our husbands bade me take the children on ahead while they set a slower pace.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they haven\u2019t caught up,\u201d the Warded Man finished for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is nearly dark,\u201d the woman said, weeping upon his feet and clutching at the hem of his robes. \u201cPlease, Deliverer, save them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man reached down to her, placing a hand on her chin and gently pulling her to her feet. \u201cI\u2019m not the Deliverer,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I swear I\u2019ll save your family if I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned to Gared. \u201cPick two archers to stay with Erny while the wards here are completed,\u201d he said. \u201cThe rest of you are with me.\u201d Gared nodded, and moments later they thundered out of the camp, riding even more frantically than before.<\/p>\n

\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It was dark when they found them: five people, as the desperate woman had said. They stood in a tiny makeshift ward circle, surrounded by dozens of corelings. Flame demons spat fire and wind demons swooped down from the sky. There was even a rock demon, towering over rest.<\/p>\n

Each time the demons struck and the wardnet flared to life, Rojer could see the holes in the web; holes more than large enough for a demon to squeeze through.<\/p>\n

The two young men stood by those holes, stabbing out with pitchforks to drive the demons back as an elderly couple tended to the obvious reason why they had fallen behind.<\/p>\n

The young woman at the circle\u2019s center was giving birth.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man growled and kicked his stallion forward, leaping ahead of the others. He cast his robe aside, and it floated to the ground in his wake. Gared and the Cutters gave a cry and followed suit, freeing their warded axes as they galloped toward the fray.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man rode Twilight Dancer right into the rock demon, the warded metal horns welded to the horse\u2019s barding crackling with power as they punched through the black carapace of the demon\u2019s abdomen. The Warded Man leapt from his horse as the demon was driven back, grabbing one of its horns to hold on to as he rode the coreling to the ground, punching it repeatedly in the throat with warded fists as it went down.<\/p>\n

He was up in an instant, tackling a flame demon and tearing its lower jaw clean off. The Cutters caught up to him then, catching flame bursts on their warded shields and hacking at the demons as if they were sectioning lumber.<\/p>\n

Wonda and the archers took a different tack, halting their horses several dozen yards back and sighting the wind demons that filled the sky. They came crashing down one after another, feathered shafts jutting from their leathery bodies.<\/p>\n

Rojer slipped from his horse, leaving it with the archers, and took up his fiddle, playing even as he ran for the small circle. Much like Leesha\u2019s Cloaks of Unsight, his music made him effectively invisible to the corelings as he waded through their lines, but without the need for a slow pace. In moments he was inside the circle, and changed his tune to the jarring notes that would drive the demons away from the small family.<\/p>\n

The young woman screamed as battle raged about them, black demon ichor flying free in the night air. Her parents were doing what they could to make her comfortable, but it was clear from their fumbling that they had no idea how to assist in the delivery.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs help!\u201d Rojer cried. \u201cWe need to get her to an Herb Gatherer!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Warded Man broke away from the demons he was engaging and was at Rojer\u2019s side in an instant. He was clad only in a loincloth, covered in tattoos and demon ichor. The Rizonans backed away from him in fear, but the girl was too far gone to even notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet my herb pouch,\u201d the Warded Man said, kneeling by the girl and examining her with a surprisingly gentle touch. \u201cHer water\u2019s broken and her contractions are close. There\u2019s no time to get her to a Gatherer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rojer ran out to Twilight Dancer, but the stallion was in a wild rage, trampling a pair of flame demons into the snow and mud. Drawing his warded cloak about him, Rojer took up his fiddle again. As with the corelings, Rojer\u2019s special magic found resonance with the beast, and in short order the horse stood calmly while Rojer retrieved the precious herb pouch.<\/p>\n

He brought the pouch to the Warded Man, who quickly began grinding herbs into powder and mixing them with water. The girl\u2019s family kept back, watching the scene in horror as the Cutters laid waste to demons all around them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know what you\u2019re doing?\u201d Rojer asked nervously, as the Warded Man brought his potion to the moaning woman\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was apprenticed to an Herb Gatherer for six months as part of my Messenger training,\u201d the Warded Man said. \u201cI\u2019ve seen it done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSeen?!\u201d Rojer asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to do it?\u201d the Warded Man asked, looking at him. Rojer blanched and shook his head. \u201cThen just play your ripping fiddle and keep the demons back while I work.\u201d Rojer nodded and put bow back to string.<\/p>\n

Hours later, with the sounds of battle long faded, a shrill cry broke the night. Rojer looked at the screaming babe and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no denying it when people call you Deliverer now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Warded Man scowled at him, and Rojer laughed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Desert Spear<\/strong> is released April, 13th, 2010. The paperback of The Warded Man<\/strong> hits North American store shelves today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year, Peter V. Brett surprised a lot of people with his debut novel, The Warded Man (or The Painted Man, depending on your region). We’ve long since forgotten that Brett wrote the novel on his Blackberry (or equivalent device), and he’s since established himself as a bright new voice in the genre. I’m sure… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n