The Sundering Wall: Book Two of The Shattered Moon
A new journey of discovery begins.
Having finally broken with the Guild of Dawnsingers, Jerya and Railu are joined by Rodal as they strike out into the mountains. None of them have any idea what lies beyond the borders of the map, or if there are feasible passes through the high peaks.
Tensions mount under the strain of the hazardous journey, and thoughts return to their former lives and friends left behind, but Jerya’s determination drives them on. Each will be tested in different ways as they draw closer to unravelling the ultimate mystery of the Unsung Lands.
A new journey of discovery begins.
Having finally broken with the Guild of Dawnsingers, Jerya and Railu are joined by Rodal as they strike out into the mountains. None of them have any idea what lies beyond the borders of the map, or if there are feasible passes through the high peaks.
Tensions mount under the strain of the hazardous journey, and thoughts return to their former lives and friends left behind, but Jerya’s determination drives them on. Each will be tested in different ways as they draw closer to unravelling the ultimate mystery of the Unsung Lands.
A Brief Sample
"Which way?" said Rodal, and Jerya could not answer at once.
Think… The crag above really did lean out, even if the overhang wasn't as dramatic as it had seemed on its first appearance through the mist. Like the other side, there was a relatively level ledge at the top of the scree; it shouldn't be hard to explore to left or right. But trying the wrong direction would be wasted effort, and she knew she was tiring.
She tried to recall what she'd noticed on the way up. Her attention had been on the gap, not the rocks either side, but surely… She found a vague sense that they had bulged out more to the right of the notch.
"We go left," she said, and set off at once so she didn't have to see Railu and Rodal look at each other yet again.
If she'd chosen wrong, she feared, they might finally rebel altogether. It would be no use then to argue that water was closer on the other side than anywhere they'd seen on this. It all seemed strangely dry, this pale high country. Was it something to do with the rocks? They weren't like the familiar rocks of Delven.
Clearly there was rain, or snow that would melt to feed streams, unless it all just disappeared into the soil and rock. Most of yesterday's snow had gone, but there were older patches scattered about. Snow was water, of course, though how did you melt snow if you couldn't make fire?
She counted her steps. At fifty paces, she was becoming seriously worried. Could she really have got her direction so far wrong? And how would the others react if she had? But then she felt something, a breath on her cheek. It had been quite still under the cliff till now, but here the air was in motion. Another ten paces and she could feel it for sure; twenty, and she could see movement in the mist ahead, and a lightening.
Ten more, and she was on the easy rock slabs below the notch. The bone-coloured rock had a finer grain than Delven's gritty sandstone, and she thought it might be slippery when wet, but at the moment it was dry, and her boots gripped reassuringly.
"This is it," she said, turning, but they weren't as close as she'd supposed. Rodal was behind Railu. There wasn't space for two to move abreast, so he couldn't support her as he had before. (Had he supported her all the way up to the place where they'd eaten? she wondered guiltily.) He was murmuring encouragement, adding a word of advice as Railu came up the slabs.
"This is the place," said Jerya again as they joined her. Railu's gaze found hers and Jerya wanted to say, You have to trust me one more time, but she let her eyes say it for her.
"Which way?" said Rodal, and Jerya could not answer at once.
Think… The crag above really did lean out, even if the overhang wasn't as dramatic as it had seemed on its first appearance through the mist. Like the other side, there was a relatively level ledge at the top of the scree; it shouldn't be hard to explore to left or right. But trying the wrong direction would be wasted effort, and she knew she was tiring.
She tried to recall what she'd noticed on the way up. Her attention had been on the gap, not the rocks either side, but surely… She found a vague sense that they had bulged out more to the right of the notch.
"We go left," she said, and set off at once so she didn't have to see Railu and Rodal look at each other yet again.
If she'd chosen wrong, she feared, they might finally rebel altogether. It would be no use then to argue that water was closer on the other side than anywhere they'd seen on this. It all seemed strangely dry, this pale high country. Was it something to do with the rocks? They weren't like the familiar rocks of Delven.
Clearly there was rain, or snow that would melt to feed streams, unless it all just disappeared into the soil and rock. Most of yesterday's snow had gone, but there were older patches scattered about. Snow was water, of course, though how did you melt snow if you couldn't make fire?
She counted her steps. At fifty paces, she was becoming seriously worried. Could she really have got her direction so far wrong? And how would the others react if she had? But then she felt something, a breath on her cheek. It had been quite still under the cliff till now, but here the air was in motion. Another ten paces and she could feel it for sure; twenty, and she could see movement in the mist ahead, and a lightening.
Ten more, and she was on the easy rock slabs below the notch. The bone-coloured rock had a finer grain than Delven's gritty sandstone, and she thought it might be slippery when wet, but at the moment it was dry, and her boots gripped reassuringly.
"This is it," she said, turning, but they weren't as close as she'd supposed. Rodal was behind Railu. There wasn't space for two to move abreast, so he couldn't support her as he had before. (Had he supported her all the way up to the place where they'd eaten? she wondered guiltily.) He was murmuring encouragement, adding a word of advice as Railu came up the slabs.
"This is the place," said Jerya again as they joined her. Railu's gaze found hers and Jerya wanted to say, You have to trust me one more time, but she let her eyes say it for her.
