Cover Reveal and Excerpt from The Legend of Oescienne - The Ascending!

COVER REVEAL AND EXCERPT FROM THE LEGEND OF OESCIENNE - THE ASCENDING!

EBOOK AVAILABLE MAY 20TH, 2016!

A year has passed since the Tanaan dragon Jaax and his human ward, Jahrra, came to live within the protected boundaries of Lidien, the great City of Light.  But even the safest places in Ethöes can harbor enemies, and one cannot hide from one’s fate forever.

At the onset of yet another departure, Jahrra realizes there is more to this next step in her journey than she previously thought.  With Lidien fading in the distance, she understands she is finally leaving behind not just her friends, but also her childhood and a life once filled with dreams and illusions of safety and love.  The road ahead is perilous, and Jahrra knows she will face many trials before coming to stand before her destiny.  With each passing day, the threat of the Crimson King grows stronger, and Jaax and their allies will need the help of the legendary Creecemind dragons if they wish to overthrow their common enemy.

Before they can present their case before the king of the Creecemind, however, Jahrra and her Tanaan guardian must make a perilous journey north through the mountains, where danger and uncertainty lurks in every crevasse and behind the face of everyone they meet.  Their trust in others must be bartered carefully, for the Tyrant’s influence stretches far and wide.  And even if they do reach Nimbronia, the frozen City in the Clouds, their troubles may not be over.  If the king of the ice dragons cannot be convinced to join their cause, then their fate, and the fate of Ethöes, may very well be sealed in sorrow and defeat.

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-Prologue-

The Winds of Change

It is said among the ancient ones in Ethoes that the trees know the goddess’ secrets.  Toward the clouds their branches stretch, and into the depths of the earth their roots reach, so how can they not?  They do, however, keep these secrets close, revealing them to no one, for Ethoes understands her creation would not be able to accept most truths.  Despite their loyalty and silence, the secrets the trees keep do not always stay with them.  Where the trees guard confidences, the wind shares them.  Laughing, crying, singing.  The wind does not know the meaning of silence.  Rising from the seas, coursing down the valleys, rolling through the grassy plains, dancing over the dry deserts, climbing the mountain peaks.  The winds of Ethoes comb through the boughs of oak, pine, beech and fir, tickling their thoughts from their leaves and branches, carrying them across the lands for anyone to hear, so long as they know how to interpret the trees’ language.

However, the breath of the earth carries not only the secrets of Ethoes, but also bears the voices of those holding dominion over others.  For those who know how to control and manipulate it, the winds can be very useful in conveying messages across continents.  And, depending on the time of year, those loquacious gusts can prove useful to anyone wishing to communicate over a vast stretch of land.

In the Hrunahn Mountains of the west, during the thawing weather of early spring, one is likely to find an abundance of wind, fresh and cool and eager to spread its gossip.  And it just so happened someone was waiting to take advantage of its garrulous nature …

Boriahs wrapped his threadbare cloak closer to his body and cursed the relentless breeze.  Not only did it bite at his exposed skin and cause his eyes to water, but it also worked to draw information from him.  Far to the east, his Master awaited news of his exploits, and he would not be surprised if the wind had already tattled on him.

Shaking aside his concerns, he continued his search for a small pool of water that wasn’t frozen over.  He longed to be out of these accursed mountains, to be moving east again back to his desolate homeland of Ghorium.  But he wasn’t too eager.  The biting cold would be worse there, and he had yet to accomplish something to appease his merciless Master.  Twice in Oescienne, he had failed to capture the human child, and then once again in Lidien.  He had been mere hours from making his most recent move, a strike which would have been successful.  Yet, that accursed Tanaan dragon had somehow discovered his plan, fleeing the city with the girl right under his nose.  They were still moving, even now as he stumbled around in the forest, heading north toward the realm of the Creecemind.  If it were up to him, Boriahs would have gone after them right away.  But to change his plans without informing his Master would be suicidal.  And it had already been several days since their last conversation.

Boriahs cursed, a long, nasty string of barbed words laced with magic.  A cluster of small saplings nearby shriveled and turned black, the result of his careless language.  The man sneered in perverse satisfaction.  He did not like trees, and being in the tree-infested mountains of the west was only turning his mood fouler.  But he knew the true reason for his anger and fear: his inability to capture the human child his Master so desired and the repercussions of that failure.  Yes, Boriahs was frustrated, but more than that, he was afraid.  The Crimson King had been patient for five hundred years, surely he could be patient for a bit longer.  Boriahs, however, didn’t want to be the one to test that patience.

He kicked aside the ashen ruins of the trees which had played victim to his ire and ascended a few dozen feet more through a thick carpet of pine needle detritus, making it past one last rocky outcropping.  He stumbled upon an empty glade a minute later, his heart clenching and giving a relieved flutter in the same beat.  Several pools of frozen snowmelt littered the ground like icy mirrors.  Boriahs was glad the strenuous hike was over, but he feared what awaited him.  Seeking out the largest puddle, he trudged over, the muddy ground pulling at his boots.  To his great relief, the pool had only a thin layer of ice covering the top.

This is the best you are going to get, he told himself as he picked up a rock and smashed away the film of frost.  Cool, black water soaked into his gloves, and once the liquid settled, his reflection stared back at him, glowering.  Stark eyes, unkempt hair and a slightly crooked nose suggested a life of hardship, but the most distinguishing, and telling, feature was the scar on one side of his face.  Boriahs lifted a hand and brushed at the brand that marked him as the Crimson King’s slave.  Years of suppressed memories and suffering rushed forth, almost stealing Boriahs’ breath away.  He had joined the king’s army when he was young, his heart torn asunder for the loss of all those he loved.  He had willingly given up his mortality and free will for the promise of vengeance.

His father had tried resisting the Crimson King when he’d first come to power.  A simple tradesman in one of the coastal cities of Ghorium, he had helped lead a rebellion against the Tyrant in the north.  But they would never gain their chance to challenge the king of Ghorium.  Boriahs’ father and his companions were discovered and brought to ruin.  The townsfolk had uncovered the men’s plot and had recognized it for what it was: a risky venture that would only result in angering the Tyrant who ruled over them.  Boriahs’ father and his companions were captured and tortured.

Every single rebel was killed that terrible day, their dismembered bodies strewn throughout the town, a warning to those who still wished to draw attention to their city by provoking the Tyrant King.  To make certain the townspeople never took it upon themselves to revolt again, the families of the usurpers were also dealt with, many burned to death within their own homes.  Boriahs managed to escape, but not his mother and sisters.  He had been sixteen years of age when he fled, and on the anniversary of the slaughter of his entire family, he’d returned to that sleepy little port with a contingency of the Crimson King’s army and a fresh scar burned into his cheek.  He had watched in cold satisfaction as the men who had caused so much harm and pain succumbed to the same fate as his parents and siblings.

He had enjoyed seeing their suffering, but when the Crimson King’s men continued to burn and kill and raid their way through the entire town, Boriahs learned the terrible mistake he had made.  For one single moment of revenge, he had forfeited his soul, pledging it to a madman controlled by the god of death and chaos.  He understood, as he and the army left the ruined city behind to return to their new Master, that his life was bound to that of the king’s.  So long as the Tyrant lived, so would he.

Taking a deep breath of the biting air, Boriahs tried to clear his thoughts so that he might get through his task.  But the past’s dark memories clung tightly to him, their claws buried deep, and by the time he was in control of his own mind once again, the sun had broken free of the horizon.

Cursing a second time, Boriahs used his numb fingers to dig out his dagger.  He had best hurry.  His men would be waking soon, and he needed his next set of orders from his Master.  Removing the glove from his left hand proved tricky, but he didn’t even feel the cold steel as he pressed it against his palm.  One swift movement reopened the wound that could never quite heal.  Fresh blood, dark red and tainted with poisonous magic, welled up.  Boriahs released the dagger and used his free hand to pull a cord from around his neck.  The pendant hanging from it was the color of yellowed ivory, a bloodrose carved from bone.  According to the Crimson King, it was bone taken from the last king of the Tanaan before his people and descendants were transformed into dragons.  Boriahs believed it was bone, but he had his doubts about where it had come from.  Human, perhaps, or more likely bone from one of the Tanaan dragons his Master had captured and killed over the years.  Regardless, Boriahs wrapped his bleeding hand around the talisman and held it over the pool of water.  He gripped it tight, forcing the blood to bead and drip from his clenched fist.  As the dark droplets met the surface of the water, he muttered ancient words of dark magic under his breath.  His concentration was absolute, and soon the dark puddle was swirling and rippling, even though the wind had finally ceased its endless barrage.

Boriahs called upon his Master, both in mind and aloud.  The undulating water began to churn, then bubble and froth.  Putrid smoke rose from its surface and curled over the muddy earth.  It was as if Ethoes herself knew who he conjured and fought against his vile presence.

Boriahs gritted his teeth and fought the ache in his head.  The connection was a distant one, making it all the more difficult.  Gradually, the water simmered down and smoothed out, the acrid smoke hissing against the ground.  The puddle no longer resembled the muddy water it was composed of, but a window into another land, a cold, dark land.  A face appeared out of the gloom, and Boriahs drew in a breath of relief.  It was Cierryon, in his human form, not the demon god who controlled him.  That meant Ciarrohn was at rest, and perhaps, he would avoid the god’s wrath today.

As the magic worked and the picture grew clearer, Boriahs took the time to study his king’s features.  Golden brown hair, sprinkled with some gray, covered his head and fell to his shoulders.  He looked to be approaching middle age, but the Crimson King’s servant knew better.  Cierryon had stopped aging the day he’d struck that terrible bargain with the god of hatred.  He had become immortal, a link, a puppet, for the god of death and despair.  Without Cierryon’s consent, Ciarrohn would never have been able to consume him, to channel his vast power through the human king’s soul.  Because of Cierryon’s greed and ambition, half the world had fallen to the dark god’s malice.

The water settled, and Boriahs shook himself free of his treasonous thoughts.  If the Crimson King discovered how much his servant despised him, then Boriahs would be dead.  Instead, he looked his Master in the eye, eyes that reflected the black pit where his soul used to be, the place where the demon god now lived.

“You have news for me, Boriahs,” the Tyrant said, his voice quiet, but resonant nonetheless.

It always made Boriahs shiver, for his king’s voice reflected everything he hid within.  If anyone were to encounter Cierryon in his human form, they might not be able to discern just what he was if he remained silent.  The moment he spoke, or the moment one looked him in the eye, however, would let them know what they dealt with.  Boriahs had seen warrior elves and centaurs alike brought to their knees by a mere whisper from his Master’s lips.

Boriahs shook his head again and cleared his throat.

“I have,” he answered.

“Very well.  You have kept me waiting long enough.  I will hear what you have to report.”

And without any further delay, Boriahs told King Cierryon everything that had taken place since his last reporting.  He told him of his attack and eradication of the dragon Hroombramantu and the interference of the dragon Jaax in the kidnapping of the human girl.  He spoke of the corruption within the Coalition and his dealings with the dragon Shiroxx.  He told him about the rumor that had been spread about the girl’s questionable heritage and how the same rumor had called the dragon Jaax’s competence into question.  And reluctantly, he divulged how the girl and her dragon guardian had, once again, slipped through his fingers.

Boriahs finished his tale with his head bowed and his eyes closed, anticipating the blast of angry magic that would most assuredly come.  He waited, and waited a few seconds longer, but there was no reaction.  When he dared to open his eyes, what he saw terrified him to the point of utter speechlessness.  The human face had changed, warping into the skeletal visage of a demon.  Burning red eyes regarded him under a forest of wicked, black horns.

“You try my patience, slave,” Ciarrohn hissed, this voice deeper, harsher than Cierryon’s.

“Forgive me, my lord,” Boriahs rasped, lowering his gaze once again.  “There are spies I know nothing of aiding the girl and the dragon.  They were warned before I could move.  My men and I were gathered around the outskirts of Lidien.  A day more, two at the most, and we would have had them.”

The demon’s ire burned with rage, his slit nostrils flaring as black smoke poured from them.  Boriahs felt his bare hands dig into the mud, his fingers curling into fists, trying to grab hold of something to keep from shaking.  Frozen air drifted up from the puddle and curled around his body like a giant hand.  The icy breath passed through his clothes and seeped into his skin, closing in on his heart.  Boriahs gulped for breath and his heart sped up, fear and frost waging war on his senses.

“You are too valuable to me to kill,” Cierryon growled, the last traces of the demon god fading from his visage, “but do not think anything less than capturing the girl and that dragon will garner my forgiveness.”

Boriahs shook his head, his eyes wide with terror.  “N-no, your Majesty.  I would think not.”

Slowly, the ice receded only to be replaced with the prickling pain of warmth returning to his body.

“Do not report to me again until you have accomplished something worthy of my attention.  That you did away with that bothersome dragon in Oescienne will grant you my peace for only so long, Boriahs,” the dark voice murmured as it faded away, the resonant tones echoing in Boriahs’ mind.

Gritting his teeth and taking deep, ragged breaths, the Tyrant’s slave fought against the intense nausea that resulted in these magical exchanges.  He fought it, but lost out in the end.  On wobbly legs, he stumbled over to a cluster of rocks and retched behind them.  Once he was done with the unpleasant episode, Boriahs gathered some of the chilly water into his hands and cleaned his face.  It would do him no good to return to his awaiting men looking like a beaten drunkard.

By the time he rejoined his small army in the wide meadow they’d camped in the night before, Boriahs was much more presentable.  He had managed to scrape most of the mud from his uniform, and even his churning stomach and the pounding in his head had eased.  Boriahs hesitated on announcing his return.  Instead, he stood behind a screen of fir trees and simply observed the men below.  All of them had pledged their souls to Ciarrohn and shared a level of combat skill which elevated them above the thousands of others who had joined under the Crimson King’s banner.  But he was their high commander.  He held power over all of them.

Boriahs almost snorted at the thought.  Yes, he may be their superior, but it came at such a high price.  Not one of them had any idea what it cost him to speak with their common Master.  In fact, he envied them all, going about the morning in such a normal way: starting fires, brewing coffee and tea, cooking porridge and telling bawdy jokes.  Some of them tended to the quahna, the fierce beasts they rode instead of horses.  With the teeth of carnivores, sharp, cloven hooves and large, powerful bodies, these animals provided transportation as well as an aggressive edge over their equine cousins.  It also meant they posed a danger to those who handled them as well.

As Boriahs studied the creatures, two pulled free of their handlers and lunged toward one another, screaming their violent rage.  The Tyrant’s favored servant wrinkled his nose in disgust.  It took ten of his men to pull them apart, and even then, he counted no less than seven of them clutching arms or abdomens where the monsters had managed a bite or a kick.  Yes, having such creatures was hazardous, but it also meant no one stood in their way.  The small legion had been very successful raiding towns and settlements as they headed north up the coast.  Yet, not once did they stumble upon the dragon and the girl, nor find any evidence of their passing.

Boriahs curled his lip in irritation.  For a year, the human girl and her dragon had hidden behind the magical barrier surrounding the City of Light.  Even now, after receiving vital information from that red she-dragon and with the help of his dark mages, he could not find a way into the city.  No matter.  The dragon and the girl were gone, so it was time for him and his men to move on as well.  They would clear out as soon as he gave the order, this time splitting into groups to comb the wilds more thoroughly.  No more wandering aimlessly through the endless mountain chains of the west.  Not now.  The dragon Raejaaxorix and his ward were heading for Nimbronia, and there were only so many roads that led to the great city of the Creecemind.  The girl and her companion had a few days head start, but they were traveling on foot and if Boriahs could keep his men moving at a steady pace, then they would catch up to them sooner rather than later.

Setting his jaw in determination, the Crimson King’s assassin peeled himself away from the trees and continued down into the clearing.  Those who saw him right away stopped what they were doing and offered him a salute.  He nodded, but kept walking.  When he reached the center of the campground, he climbed atop the trunk of an old fallen tree and raised his arms, his black cloak billowing out behind him.  By this time everyone had seen him, their attention now trained on their commander.

“Listen, all of you,” Boriahs called out, his deep voice ringing through the meadow.  “I have spoken with our Master, and he is not pleased with our failure with regards to the Tanaan scum and that girl.”

A low, worried murmur spread through the crowd, but Boriahs kept one hand lifted high above his head.  “Fret not, for he has given us another chance.  He is pleased with those of us who took the initiative and eradicated the old Korli vermin in Oescienne,” he paused and nodded his head to those of his troupe who had been present for that honor.  “So, we fall still within his favor.”

A small round of relieved sighs and short laughs arose from the crowd, but Boriahs shouted, “Silence!  Any failure, no matter how minute, is not something to be celebrated.  Yes, we managed to rid the world of one more filthy dragon, but that is a minor detail compared to the prize he seeks above all.  We will not rest, nor will we rejoice, until the girl and the dragon are quivering at the feet of our Master!”

Silent nods met his words this time.  Better.  He took one long look at those standing below him before going on.  Ten groups of fifteen, plus one commander to keep them in order as well as a dark mage for each faction to take care of that which sixteen ruthless killers couldn’t accomplish.  And, he was the Master of them all.  Boriahs savored the sense of smug satisfaction unfurling within him, but not for the first time, the feeling was quickly replaced by the sting of his Master’s presence.  A reminder to him that he was still a slave.

“We must move quickly, if we wish to overtake them,” he called out.  “They are headed for Nimbronia, and we must capture them before they reach their final destination.”

He knew, just as every single one of his men did, that if the dragon and the human should move within the boundaries of Nimbronia, they would be untouchable.  The magic that surrounded the city of the Creecemind was even more powerful than the magic guarding Lidien.

“Let us not waste another minute.  We will break camp and be on the road in half an hour.”

The men, most of them descended from the mixed races of humans and elves, gave shouts of agreement, all of them thirsty once again for battle and bloodshed.  As they scattered about, taking heed of their commander’s words, Boriahs was joined by a waif of a man dressed head to foot in brilliant crimson robes.  Like Boriahs, he sported the brand of the Tyrant on one cheek.  Unlike Boriahs, he was a wielder of black magic, the sort that required a blood sacrifice.

“Armauld,” Boriahs growled under his breath.

The dark sorcerer grinned, revealing his decaying teeth, and hissed, “The dragon and the girl are not alone in their quest.”

Boriahs turned cold eyes onto the dark mage.  “Who travels with them?”

Armauld shook his head, his grin fading.  “One whom I cannot detect.”

Boriahs cursed.  “Then how do you know of his presence?”

The mage held up a hand and moved his fingers in a small dance.  An orb of white light floated above his fingertips and within its center floated two bright sparks, one green and one blue.

“The dragon and the girl,” the mage whispered, indicating the two sparks.

Boriahs was about to strike the mage for wasting his time when something odd caught his attention.  It wasn’t so much the presence of anything, but the fact that the two sparks came to a standstill, and in the next breath, the blue dot winked out for a split second before flaring back to life again.  Then, the two dots began moving once more.

“Why did the spark blot out?” the high commander demanded.

“A third companion,” the mage sneered.  “Someone capable of using very powerful cloaking magic.”

Boriahs gave him a look of impatience, so the mage continued on.  “This person who travels with them is an extremely powerful mage.  And he is using magic I’ve not seen in several hundred years.”

This time, Boriahs swore loud enough to startle the closest soldiers scurrying around him.  He glared at them and barked a reminder that what they didn’t have packed in twenty minutes would be left behind.

“What does this mean, Armauld?  Who is this phantom mage?”

This time, the dark sorcerer had the decency to forego his smug expression and replace it with a worried one.  “I do not know, High Commander.  But, we best not underestimate this dragon and the human girl.  Or, the company they keep.”

Grinding his teeth together, Boriahs dismissed Armauld and continued walking briskly to the makeshift stables.  His quahna was saddled and waiting for him, the largest of the beasts and as black as soot.  The animal, naturally excitable and giving the men holding him as much trouble as a herd of enraged boars, flared its nostrils and calmed upon Boriahs’ approach.

Murmuring soothing words, the army’s high commander rubbed the animal’s forehead affectionately.  Funny how he had so much trouble connecting with others of his kind, but this vicious beast behaved so well for him.

“There now, Andor,” he crooned.  “I know you are eager to seek out your prey, but you must allow me to get settled on your back first.”

The beast squealed and snorted, slashing its hoof at the ground.  Everyone, save for Boriahs, backed away.  Taking the reins firmly, the squadron’s leader placed a boot in the stirrup and gracefully mounted the beast, throwing his dark cloak over the quahna’s hindquarters.  The animal only protested a bit before Boriahs had him under control.

“To your own steeds!” he shouted.

Everyone scrambled to follow his orders, and soon, all one hundred and seventy of them were moving, their quahna screaming and snapping their sharp teeth at the excitement of a new hunt.

Boriahs waited for all of his men to move out before following after them.  Armauld, as well as a few of the other squadron leaders and mages, fell back with him as their sights pointed north.  A gust of frigid spring wind curled down the mountainside as they left the meadow in their wake.  Boriahs shivered at the cool air moving through his hair and sending his cloak billowing out behind him.  But the wind’s icy bite failed to bother him as he led his troops deeper into the mountains, their will set on capturing a Tanaan dragon and the young woman who, with the simple power of her existence, sought to change the world.

Jahrra's Journal: Keeping an Eye on the Suspect

Hello readers!  Last post of the year from Jahrra's Journal!  I hope you have enjoyed the story so far and I look forward to posting more in the coming year.  This week, Jahrra keeps an eye on Ellysian, the one she suspects of setting her up.  Enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

Keeping an Eye on the Suspect

Dear Journal,

Things seem to be getting back to normal at school. Today we talked about occupations (that's what jobs are called), so Mr. Cohrbin asked us to tell him what our mothers and fathers did for a living, then we had a discussion. Some students said their parents owned shops in Kiniahn Kroi, others' parents were merchants.

Of course, Eydeth and Ellysian talked for far too long about how their father was a wealthy business man, landowner AND the most well known breeder of semequins in all of Oescienne if not the entire Norwester Arm of the world. I wasn't sure what semequins were (I'd have to ask Master Hroombra later, if I remembered), but it must be something fancy.

When it got to my turn I told the class how Nida and Pada owned an orchard. I said the hardest part was watering all the trees and keeping the bad bugs away, and the best part was having all those trees to climb. There were also all those apples to eat (until you got sick of them) and the wonderful flowers in the spring.

I told them how we had several different kinds of apple trees and the blossoms could be snow white, or soft peach and pink, and that even one tree had blossoms that were a deep blue color. Those ones only bloomed every other year and it took two years for their dark purple apples to ripen. I told them all how Pada saved those to make the best cider and apple pies. Both Nida and Pada had won several first prize ribbons for their cider and apple pies at the fall festival in Nuun Esse.

After we had all shared, it was lunch time. Gieaun and Scede and I climbed the oak tree to get away from everyone, and it was then that I remembered to ask them what they thought about Ellysian being the one who stole Mr. Cohrbin's treasure box. They agreed and we watched Ellysian from the branches to make sure she didn't try to sneak anything into the classroom and into my desk. She did wander off quietly to somewhere beyond the schoolyard and returned with her hands in her pockets. She looked around to make sure no one had been watching her before she stepped back through the bushes. Gieaun and Scede gave me a very knowing look and we decided from then on to pay extra close attention to what she was up to.

-Jahrra

* * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!  

FAEBORNE - First Chapter Teaser!

Hello Readers!  Only a few more weeks until the release of FAEBORNE, so I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at the first chapter of the latest Otherworld novel.  For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook, and if you haven't been receiving my special Faeborne Preview Chapters newsletter, then this will be entirely new for you.  If you'd like to read the first five chapters of this novel, you can still sign up to receive the newsletter (Chapters 1-5 are scheduled to go out on December 16th, a week prior to publication).  The link for that special newsletter can be found on the right side of this post, or you can click HERE.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FAEBORNE ...

If you missed my previous post with the cover reveal of Faeborne, here is a little bit of information regarding this latest Otherworld novel . . . Faeborne started out a few years ago as a short story idea during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and was set aside because I decided to focus on finishing Lorehnin at the time.  Since then, I've come back to Faeborne, realizing early on that there was far too much material for this tale to fit into a novella-length book.  By the time I finished the final draft, Faeborne became the longest Otherworld novel so far (135,000 words compared to the previous longest, Luathara, which ended up being around 125,000 words).  This story also takes place several years before Meghan and Cade's time and features an entirely new set of characters living in the northeastern part of Eile.  The Morrigan is once again stirring up trouble for the main characters, Brennon and Seren, but she remains a distant threat instead of an immediate one.  At the very end of the story, a familiar character from the other books makes a cameo appearance of sorts, but I don't name the character (I just leave hints, but those of you who have read the other Otherworld books should be able to figure it out rather easily ;)).  Faeborne contains many of the elements found in the rest of the Otherworld books, but this standalone novel is very much a story of love, family, second chances and redemption.  I hope you all will enjoy it as much as you have enjoyed the other Otherworld novels and once I'm done with the manuscript for my fourth Oescienne book, I'd like to check back in with Meghan, Cade, Devlin, Robyn and Enorah since they all have a continuing tale to tell ;).  Until then, happy reading!
- JEJ

FAEBORNE - A NOVEL OF THE OTHERWORLD

Chapter One

Hunt

The split second before Brennon released the arrow, he realized it would not meet its mark.  He had been hunting the doe all morning, following her tracks with stealth and staying downwind as he moved through the forest like a silent fog.  Well, as silent as the occasional twig underfoot and clump of brush tugging on his cloak would allow him.  To get to this point and foul up on something as simple as a bowshot from such a short distance was unforgiveable.  He and Rori had been without fresh meat for over a week now, and the both of them were craving venison stew and hoping for jerky to carry them past Samhain.

Biting back a curse as the fletching of the misdirected arrow brushed against his arm guard, Brenn could only hope this shot wounded the deer enough, so he could follow her and finish the job.  He hated it when the animals didn’t die right away, for the last thing he wanted was to cause more suffering than necessary, but there was no helping it now.

In the end, the arrow didn’t miss his target as terribly as he thought it would.  The arrowhead struck the doe high on the shoulder, forcing a scream from her pale throat, but not taking her down completely.  Instead, she bolted into the thick undergrowth as fast as her injury would allow her.

Brenn sighed.  He had promised Rori he would be home before dark, now, he wasn’t so sure.

You cannot just leave her to die, he grumbled to himself.  Might take her all night, long hours of agony, and then, the wolves will take advantage of your ill luck.

Already, the sun was beginning to dip toward the western horizon, the sky taking on the deeper colors of impending twilight.  If fortune was on his side, he’d find the deer right away and be home before the predators living in this forest scented the blood.  Pulling his cloak tighter, Brennon narrowed his eyes and began his new hunt, trying hard not to think of the Samhain feast day that was fast approaching.  How had the time slipped away from him?  One moment, their part of Eile was in the throes of summer, and in the next he and his nephew were busy bringing in the harvest: Apples and pears from their small orchard, barley, corn, turnips and other root vegetables from the fields.  Hay, oats and feed grains had been growing since early spring and stored in the barn as food and bedding supplies for the animals.  Although Brenn and Rori had plenty to eat and enough to see the animals through the cold months, this time of year brought with it a taint of darkness which never failed to taunt Brennon’s demons.

Pushing through the tangled, dark-thorned bramble patches that contributed to the wood’s name, Brenn quickly reined in his thoughts and sent them down a different path.  Instead, he turned his attention to his surroundings.  Occupying several dozen acres of Eile’s northern lands, Dorcha Forest was second in size only to the Weald far to the southwest.  Brenn couldn’t help but feel the corner of his mouth curve up in amusement, despite the impending dark and the still missing deer.  As large as Dorcha was, it didn’t hold a candle to the Weald, and as dangerous as it was to be stuck in this particular forest at night, finding yourself lost in Cernunnos’s grand wilderness was far more terrifying.  Or so he’d heard.  Regardless, Dorcha boasted a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees and was said to harbor many wild creatures both natural and unnatural.

Brenn shivered as the bitterness of disgust rose in his throat.  Being so close to the Morrigan’s realm, he wouldn’t be surprised if an entire legion of faelah lurked under the cover of these trees.  And of course, thinking of faelah only brought his mind back to the past he wanted to forget, a past filled with violence, hatred and loss.

The young Faelorehn man pulled his cloak more tightly about himself.  Six years was not a very long time in the lifespan of someone native to Eile, but when those years were spent in the employ of the Morrigan, his world’s most brutal and sadistic goddess, every day, every hour, felt like an eternity.  A month after turning sixteen, Brennon had been turned over to the war goddess’s scouts by his own neighbors.  He had a gift, one they feared and one he considered a curse, and it had earned him too many enemies, even at such a young age.  The farm where he and his nephew now lived had belonged to their family since Eile first came into existence, or so it seemed, and their flocks and fields were always plentiful.  The truth of the matter was the soil of Ardún, the land surrounding Roarke Manor, was imbued with ancient magic, magic that had made the harvests plentiful and his family wealthy.

Everyone in the village of Dundoire Hollow either envied the Roarkes, desired their friendship or outright hated them.  One family in particular embodied all three.  The Corcorain clan sought to be associated with the Roarkes and had tried to arrange a marriage between their children and Brennon and his sister.  Baird and Arlana Corcorain were as cold and unfeeling as their parents, interested only in the vices that plagued Faelorehn-kind.

A tremor of unease wracked Brenn, making him misstep and nearly twist his ankle on an exposed tree root.  Such feelings often visited whenever he found himself thinking about the Corcorain family, especially their daughter.  Even though she had been only fourteen at the time, Arlana was as shrewd and calculating as one of the Morrigan’s ravens.  With her red-blond hair and sparkling, changeable eyes, she had early assumed the title of town beauty.

Every male old enough to notice the opposite gender was easily led around by the nose, should Arlana wish it.  Every male, that is, except for Brenn himself.  At age fifteen going on sixteen, he had begun to take notice of the young women in the village as well, but he knew better than to fall for Arlana’s charms.  And he was far more interested in hunting and war sports to waste his time on the girls who preferred to keep their hands clean and free of calluses.  If he was ever to marry, it would be to someone like his sister, Meara.

Meara, two years older than Brenn and just as wild and stubborn, was unlike the other girls in town.  Although not considered as beautiful as Arlana, she was striking nonetheless with her dark hair and gray fae eyes.  And her Faelorehn blood promised her the legendary good looks which were endemic to their entire race.  Just as Arlana had her cap set on Brennon, her brother Baird had his lustful eye fixed upon Meara.  Baird was three years older than Meara, and like his sister, was popular with the families in town.

Despite Arlana’s beauty and Baird’s charms, they did not appeal to the Roarke siblings in the least.  Meara refused Baird’s advances, time and time again, and when a young horse trainer moved into Dundoire Hollow in search of a new start, Meara’s disinterest in marriage soon turned.  Unlike Baird, Donal was carefree, kind, gentle and his knowledge of horses only made him more appealing to Meara.  Within a year, they were married and expecting their first child.

Brennon came to a stop, a three-year-old sorrow stirring in his chest and threatening to take over.  He forcibly blinked back the memories and took stock of his surroundings.  He had one foot on the leaf-carpeted forest floor, another resting upon the gnarled root of a beech tree.  Ice seemed to have formed over his fingertips, despite the gloves, and although his breath didn’t mist the air in front of him, the cold had numbed his face and nose.  The evergreen undergrowth rustled with the sounds of animals seeking their nightly refuge, and in the distance, the first mournful cries of an owl signaled the encroaching dusk.

The light of the waning day had not dimmed to the point of pure darkness yet, but it seemed Brennon’s vision had gone in that direction anyway.  He had loved his sister more than anyone in the world, except for maybe his parents, and it had been because of him she had died.  A Faelorehn woman who should have lived for all eternity.  Her bright eyes and mischievous smile would never cheer him up again, and her laughter would never dance among the barley fields on a summer’s eve as they raced home from a day spent fishing along the stream.

The pain in his chest blossomed sharply and burst, but he fought against it.  Giving in to the grief right now would not help him or Rori, the one part of his sister he had left.  Setting his jaw, Brenn tightened his grip on his bow and focused his eyes forward, scouring the dense brush ahead for signs of the deer’s passage.  He would find it and bring it home, so he and Rori could have meat for the next week or so without having to make a trip into town.  He would take care of his nephew, see to it that he grew into a strong young man.  He would not fail his sister for a second time.

* * *

In the end, it didn’t take Brennon very long to track the doe.  She hadn’t gone far, maybe a half a mile or so deeper into the woods, and the evidence of her clumsy passage was more of a tell than the occasional splatter of blood on the dark leaves underfoot.

Must be a young one, Brennon thought with some regret.  But it was well into the autumn season, and unfortunately, many of the deer killed during this time of year were the younger, inexperienced ones.

The broken brush gave way to a small, secluded meadow, and Brenn paused in his forward progression.  The sky was a wash of slate and cobalt now, so there was still a little light for him to see by, but he knew at least part of the journey home would be made in darkness.  That all depended on how close he was to his quarry.  Brenn didn’t spot the deer right away, not with the poor light and tangled overgrowth of brambles and holly, but it was clear she had stumbled around in this small haven.  Drawing his knife so he’d be prepared to end her misery the moment he caught sight of her, Brennon moved past the last bit of thorn bushes and began casting his eyes around.  Movement to his right drew his attention to a small den of sorts, hollowed out from a tangle of ivy and blackberry vines.  The perfect place for a deer to hide, if it didn’t have a hunter on its tail.

“I’m sorry about this, girl,” he murmured as he made his way forward, his cloak snagging on thorns and sharp branches.

The doe was curled up in a tight ball, her long, graceful legs tucked beneath her, her head bent around and nestled against her body.  The arrow stuck out at an odd angle, a large dark patch of blood oozing from the wound.  She did not stir as Brennon approached with his knife.  Taking a deep breath, he reached in to end her suffering, but an odd movement stayed his hand.  The muscles beneath the doe’s soft, brown hide began to ripple and pulse, as if some foreign parasite undulated under her skin.  Horrified, Brennon snatched his arm away and took a few steps backward, watching in fascinated shock at the bizarre scene unfolding before him.

What strange glamour is at work here? he wondered.

The darkness that had settled in this small glen was deeper, richer than the night shades creeping up on the main forest, but even then, he missed nothing.  The spindly front legs of the deer shortened and filled out, the hind legs soon following suit.  The doe’s abdomen tapered in the middle and then flared out at the hips.  Her narrow head swelled and long, dark spirals of hair sprouted from the scalp.  The deer’s large ears grew smaller, disappearing beneath the tousle of hair on a now Faelorehn head.  Hooves morphed into hands and feet, complete with fingers and toes.  The entire transformation took less than thirty seconds, but it had felt like an eternity.

Brenn was certain he made some sound of shocked fascination as he quickly backed even farther away from this unnatural thing.  He would have turned and bolted if not for the tangle of roots that tripped up his feet, sending him crashing, unceremoniously, to the ground.  Cursing, he rolled over, ready to scramble away as fast as he could, but a soft mewling noise stopped him.  Instead of regaining his feet and running back the way he had come, he turned his head to look at the doe.  Or, at least, what had been a doe mere seconds ago.  Now, it was a woman.  A very young woman.  He narrowed his eyes, studying her cautiously, half expecting her to change forms again.  Her own eyes were clenched in pain, and she reached up one hand to finger the arrow protruding from her flesh.

“Don’t,” Brenn protested automatically, holding a hand out to her.

Too late.  Her fingers brushed the shaft of the arrow, and she cried out.  Her head rolled to the side, and her hand slipped away, streaking blood across her collar bone.  At first, Brenn thought she had died, but then, he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest.  She had only lost consciousness.  Thank the gods.  Strange magic or not, he did not need another death weighing on his soul.

Now that the deer girl was motionless and asleep, Brenn lifted himself up off the ground and approached her guardedly.  He couldn’t tell much about her without any light, but he noted her slim figure and long, dark hair.  She didn’t look underfed, but she was not built like most Faelorehn women he knew.  For one, if she were to be standing next to him, her head might come level with his shoulders, if that.  And her skin tone was darker as well.  Not the pale shade found on most of those living in Dundoire Hollow and in the other parts of Eile he had visited when under the Morrigan’s control.

Eventually, Brennon shook his head and clenched his jaw.  He could stand out here all night, staring at this strange creature like the letches who hid in the reeds near the riverbank to watch the women in Dundoire Hollow bathe.  Or, he could draw on whatever shred of honor he still possessed and make up for the harm he had caused her.  As peculiar as she might be, it was his fault, after all, that she was lying naked on the ground with an arrow protruding from her shoulder.

Wondering if he was making a mistake, then dismissing his doubts just as quickly, he shrugged off his cloak and draped it around her body, careful of the arrow wound and cursing at the thorns and branches hindering his progress.  The girl didn’t even sigh in protest when he lifted her, but continued to breathe evenly, her eyes closed, her long, thick lashes curling away from her cheeks.  Brenn was compelled then to hold her closer to his body, maybe because he felt she needed the reassurance of his quiet promise to help her, or perhaps he did it for purely selfish reasons.  Maybe he needed to feel that she was, indeed, alive and that his mistake had not killed her.

“Whatever you are, and whatever curse you brought down upon yourself, I hope I do not curse you further by bringing you into my house,” he murmured, as he carried her light frame through the ever darkening woods, heading southeast and towards home.

Continue reading Brennon and Seren's story in Faeborne - A Novel of the Otherworld

Available DECEMBER 23RD

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Jahrra's Journal: Aftermath

Greetings readers!  These are the last two posts from Jahrra's Journal for this year.  I hope you've enjoyed her small adventures so far and I look forward to continuing them into next year.  This week, Jahrra talks about speaking with her parents about the incident involving the ponyfly cocoon.  Happy reading!
-J.E. Johnson

Aftermath

Dear Journal,

I just couldn't bring myself to write to you during the weekend, I was just too tired and upset. When I got home from school a few days ago, I had to show Nida and Pada the letter Mr. Cohrbin sent home. I cried the entire time and Nida and Pada gave me a stern look. When I finally calmed down they asked me if it was true, what the letter said (it said I had stolen items from Mr. Cohrbin's desk and that I had failed to confess). I told them it wasn't true and that I thought someone else put the ponyfly cocoon in my desk.

They thought about what I said for a long time, then Pada said he would get Master Hroombra to take us both into school at the beginning of the week to talk to Mr. Cohrbin. He and Nida then told me I should go to my room and make absolutely sure I was telling the truth. I was afraid to go back to school, but Pada and Master Hroombra were there with me. Gieaun and Scede asked me what was going on, and as Master Hroombra and Pada spoke with Mr. Cohrbin (with everyone watching and whispering in the schoolyard of course), I went and told them how Pada and Master Hroombra didn't believe I stole anything. After a long time, we went into the classroom and the day passed rather quietly.

After class, Mr. Cohrbin asked to speak with me. I was terrified, but he only asked why I didn't tell him I hadn't stolen anything when I had been accused, and I told him it was for many reasons. First of all I was afraid, secondly I was shocked, and finally, how could I say I didn't do it when the evidence was in my desk?

He told me he'd give me a second chance, and that cheered me up quite a bit. I can't help but wonder though, had Ellysian and her brother been behind it all along? Was this all over now? Should I tell Mr. Cohrbin I suspected them? I decided that I'd wait and talk it over with Gieaun and Scede tomorrow, before I make my decision.

-Jahrra 

 * * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!  

Jahrra's Journal: Worst Day Ever

Hello everyone!  In today's journal entry, Jahrra tells us about her worst day ever.  Something terrible happens at school and, as you might have guessed, it involves Ellysian and the still-missing items from their teacher's desk.  Happy reading!
-J.E. Johnson

Worst Day Ever

Dear Journal,

I don't even know if I can write this, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to the schoolhouse in Aldehren ever again. When we sat down at our desks today, Mr. Cohrbin asked us to take out our clean parchment and some pencils for writing practice. We keep our parchment rolled up, so I just reached inside the shelf in my desk and pulled the tube of paper out. But as it came free, something small and colorful flew out of the tube and went chink-chinking across the wood floor of the classroom.

Everyone, who had been chatting quietly, stopped dead and stared at the glittering object, bouncing and rolling toward the back of the room. I sat frozen in shock, for I had seen it before it shot away, and I knew exactly what it was: the ponyfly cocoon sealed in its glass tube.

'Miss Jahrra', that's all Mr. Cohrbin said, in the most horribly quiet and stern voice I'd ever heard from him, 'can you explain this?'

He had walked over and picked up the vial. He held it between his thumb and pointer finger, its green and ruby colors gleaming like a star. I felt the tears gather and fall from my eyes. The lump in my throat kept me from speaking, that and the sheer confusion I felt. How had it ended up in my desk?

I couldn't explain it, and since my words would not come, I became the suspect and Mr. Cohrbin made me stay in from our break, and our lunch time, and the half hour after school to write an apology letter and sentences claiming I was sorry and would never do it again. I cried silently, more horrified that I had disappointed him than ashamed that I had somehow committed some wrong. I DID NOT steal the ponyfly cocoon, but how could I tell him that? It was in my desk.

When I was finally permitted to leave (with a letter to be signed by my parents and returned the first day back from the weekend), I found Gieaun and Scede waiting patiently for me. We walked to the front of the arched drive to wait for Mr. Dharedth to pick us up. I kept my head low, with Gieaun on one side and Scede on the other, their arms around my shoulders, telling me they knew I didn't do it.

Just before Mr. Dharedth's mail cart came clattering up the cobblestones, I glanced up, and saw Eydeth and Ellysian quietly waiting for their ride. Eydeth smirked and Ellysian had a nasty gleam in her eye. It was right at that moment that I finally knew who had broken into Mr. Cohrbin's treasure box.

-Jahrra

  * * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!  

Jahrra's Journal: Suspicious Activity

Last time, Jahrra got another riddle from her teacher.  This week, Jahrra notices that her nemesis, Ellysian is acting rather suspicious ...  Enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

Suspicious Activity

Dear Journal,

Mr. Cohrbin seemed a little more cheerful today, but he still isn't quite back to his old self. He still doesn't trust us like he used to, and he still asks us every morning if anyone wants to come forward about the missing treasures. No one ever does.

The two riddles are still unsolved (despite the fact that I got up after Nida and Pada went to sleep to try and figure them out), and no one else seems to have the heart to solve them. It was a normal day for the most part, but when Gieaun and Scede and I watched the rest of the class from our oak tree during lunch today, we saw that Ellysian and her brother were off alone in one corner of the yard. We tried to hear what they were saying, but it was too noisy. She opened her hand to show him something and his eyes got wide and his face drained of color. Ellysian quickly closed her fist and shoved her hand in her pocket.

When they walked under our tree we remained as quiet as bats, but the look on their faces made me itch with dread. Ellysian was straight-faced, her eyes giving away something cruel, and her brother had the biggest, nastiest, smuggest grin on his own face. I know they are plotting something, but I have no idea what and I have no idea how to make myself ready for it.

-Jahrra

 * * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!   

Sign Up for an Exclusive Sneak Peek of FAEBORNE!

FAEBORNE - A NOVEL OF THE OTHERWORLD

COVER REVEAL!

A STAND-ALONE NOVEL IN THE OTHERWORLD SERIES!

* * * * *

Brennon Roarke is cursed.  Stolen from his family at the age of sixteen and forced to use his glamour in the service of Eile’s most malevolent goddess, Brenn has little room for warmth in his heart.  For seven long years, he endured hardship and pain, only to escape and find his parents and sister murdered, his nephew left blind and broken.  With the stain of dark magic on his soul, Brennon perseveres for the sake of his young ward, always worrying that one day the evil infecting his spirit will destroy him for good.

Seren is an outcast among her own kind, ridiculed and ostracized by all but her mother.  Born to the Fahndí tribe of the Weald, Seren’s glamour allows her to transform into a deer, but it also grants her the power to heal grave wounds.  When she reveals this gift to her peers, jealousy and hatred drive them to murder, forcing Seren to either flee or fall victim to their malice.  Taking on her animal form, Seren leaves her old life behind hoping to find a safe haven in a world that has only ever offered her hardship.

Despite being worlds apart, Seren and Brennon are brought together in a single life-altering moment.  When the doe Brenn shoots turns into a young woman before his very eyes, he has no choice but to bring her home with the hope that she’ll recover.  What he doesn’t realize, however, is that Seren is quite capable of healing herself with glamour that may be able to cure his wounds as well, and not only the ones that run skin deep.

AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, 2015!

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Sign up to receive an EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek of Faeborne

In the weeks leading up to the release of Faeborne, Jenna Elizabeth Johnson will be sending out weekly newsletters containing the first FIVE CHAPTERS of the novel!  You will receive one chapter each week, starting with Chapter One on Wednesday, November 18th and ending with Chapter Five on Wednesday, December 16th.

Jahrra's Journal: Another Riddle

Greetings readers!  Last time we found out that someone in Jahrra's class has been stealing things from the teacher's desk.  This week, although the thief is still a mystery, the class is given a new riddle.  Happy reading!
-J.E. Johnson

Another Riddle

Dear Journal,

I don't feel like writing a whole lot tonight. Mr. Cohrbin is still disappointed with us (I could tell because he didn't seem all that cheerful today and we still didn't get to play any games or act out any stories in class). The entire class seemed to notice, because no one got in trouble today and everyone was rather quiet (the older students didn't try and pass any notes or throw spit wads, and even Eydeth and Ellysian seemed down-hearted - usually they snicker and point at me).

Even though Mr. Cohrbin still eyed us all suspiciously, he told us to get our classroom journals out at the end of the day to write down the next riddle. He gave us such a sharp look that everyone did exactly as they were told and scratched down the riddle below the last one. The words I had written the week before glared at me in accusation, demanding to know who the culprit was.

I took a breath and wrote what he said, not once looking up:

Of the four Sisters I'm second to show, When you dance near the sun I blossom and glow. The day lasts forever when I am in town, And I wear upon my shoulders a green-golden gown.

Mr. Cohrbin stopped speaking abruptly and the next moment it was time to leave for home. He simply opened the classroom door and returned to his desk, sitting down heavily and getting to work with some papers and books. Usually he stays outside with us to answer any questions we might have about our lesson that day.

I gathered my things with a frown. Would anyone want to solve the riddles now that there were no prizes? I set my jaw; I wanted to solve them, even if there was nothing to win but the satisfaction of conquering the enigmatic rhymes. I wanted to solve them to show Mr. Cohrbin that I didn't need the lost treasures to want to unravel the puzzle. I decided right then and there that I was going to work every night to crack the code.

- Jahrra

 * * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!  

Jahrra's Journal: A Thief Among Us

Hello readers!  This week Jahrra writes in her journal that someone has been stealing things from their teacher at school.  Naturally, she suspects her not-so-courteous classmates.  Enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

A Thief Among Us

Dear Journal,

When we got to school this morning, Mr. Cohrbin was waiting in the doorway of the schoolhouse with his arms crossed and a stern look on his face. He told us to come inside and take our seats. What happened next was awful. Mr. Cohrbin told us that when he arrived at the schoolhouse this morning, his desk had been gone through and that the lock on the box with the prizes for the riddle had been emptied.

The room was quiet with shock and I know that my eyes were huge and my mouth was hanging open. Who would do such a thing? Mr. Cohrbin suspected one of us (though I think he was thinking of the older students) because we were the only ones who knew what was in that box. He gave us all a long time of silent thinking to confess, but no one came forward.

I sat with my hands folded and my eyes down. Why would someone steal all the prizes? I wanted them just as badly as anyone else, but to steal them? It was during this quiet time that I heard whispering behind me.

I stole a backward glance to catch Eydeth quickly leaning back in his seat, his face looking very angry. He'd been talking to an older boy next to him and the older boy gave me a nasty look as well. What was that all about? Like it was my fault someone broke into the classroom and took Mr. Cohrbin's treasures?

The rest of the day went by very slowly, for Mr. Cohrbin wasn't in the mood to play any games or read us stories like he sometimes did. No, today was all quiet work and everyone seemed to be feeling guilty for some reason. I hope that whoever it was that stole the items from the box turns his or herself in soon.

-Jahrra

* * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!  

Jahrra's Journal: Ellysian's Up to Something ...

Hello all!  Last time Hroombra helped Jahrra out a little with the riddle.  This week Jahrra returns to class and her teacher addresses the class about it again.  Jahrra also notices that her nemesis is acting a bit suspicious ... Enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

Ellysian's Up to Something ...

Dear Journal,

Today was like any other day at school, only everyone was anxious to see if anyone had figured out what Mr. Cohrbin's riddle meant. Okay, I was anxious to see if anyone had figured it out. Mr. Cohrbin waited all day and just before we left to go home, he asked if anyone had an answer to his riddle.

He pulled out his little box and carefully unlocked it. We all leaned forward in our desks, hoping to get another look at the treasures within, only he didn't open the lid. We all slouched back when we realized we weren't going to get another preview.

'So? Does anyone have an answer for me?' he asked.

Some of the older kids said they thought they knew (a teenage boy said he thought the answer was "mother", another said it had to be Ethöes). Mr. Cohrbin shook his head, but admitted that Ethöes was close. Ugh, I can't stand it! He closed the lid to the box and locked it, tucking it neatly back inside his desk. He told us that in two more days he'd give us another riddle. I hope this one is easier.

So the day went by rather well, and no one bothered us during lunch. On our way out, however, Gieaun, Scede and I overheard Ellysian talking with her friends (she didn't know we were there). We heard her say "riddles" and "desk" and "box".

I strained to hear more, but just then I stepped on a twig and she heard us. She gave us one overbearing glance and grabbed her friends' arms to move to another part of the yard, shooting awful glares at us over her shoulder as she walked away. I don't know what she was telling those girls, but I know that she is up to something, and I'm sure it is something bad.

-Jahrra

* * * * *

Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Dragon's Wit

In today's post, Jahrra tells us about a lesson with her mentor, the Korli dragon Hroombra.  Hroombra teaches Jahrra about one of the creatures found in Oescienne, and then helps her out with the riddle assigned by her teacher.  Happy reading!
-J.E. Johnson

Dragon's Wit

Dear Journal,

Master Hroombra came over today, but it was for a lesson and not for fun. Luckily, lessons with Master Hroombra are always fun. We went out into the orchard (he couldn't fit between the trees so he had to call out loud what he wanted me to look for) and collected different seeds.

After I had found five different kinds, he told me to come back to him. I held out my hand and we both looked at what I'd found. One seed was smooth and glossy, another rough and bristly. Two had some sort of hard shell on them and the other one had long wisps of something that looked like white hairs growing from it. I thought it was a dandelion seed, that is until it started crawling around. I shrieked and dropped all five seeds, and the one I had thought a dandelion floated off with the wind.

Master Hroombra was laughing. I turned and gave him an angry look. He stopped laughing but smiled, 'I was hoping you would pick up a whispin. They are very common this time of year.'

Master Hroombra explained that a whispin was a small insect that looked a lot like a dandelion seed. 'That's how they move around, not with wings but with those little hairs. The wind picks them up and moves them from one area to the next.'

After a while I started to wish I hadn't dropped it in the first place. We looked for more whispins and found a few hiding in the grass. They were rather plain looking, but I liked how they could fly without wings. We watched a few float away and then I tried to get Master Hroombra to help me some more with Master Cohrbin's riddle.

'I'll give you one hint,' he told me, 'she came to visit about five months ago and stayed for quite a while.'

It looked like he was trying hard not to laugh. I frowned and thought really hard, five months is a long time to try and remember something!

'No one came to visit five months ago!' I insisted. Who could he be talking about? And why was it so funny? I didn't think it was funny at all.

-Jahrra

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: A Day by the Creek

Hello all!  Today's journal entry has our protagonist spending a day with her dragon mentor, Hroombra, and her friends Gieaun and Scede.  Although this scene doesn't have anything too intriguing to offer, it does give a good description of the setting.  Hope you enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

A Day by the Creek

Dear Journal,

Today Gieaun and Scede came over and we all went to the Castle Guard Ruin. Master Hroombra met us and we all climbed on his back, even Pada and Nida. Master Hroombra told us we were going to have a picnic at Danu Creek today and I couldn't imagine anything better. It was still a long way until noon and it was already very hot out.

The creek wasn't as full as it gets in the winter, but it had enough water in it to keep cool in. Nida kept telling us to be careful and not get our clothes all muddy, but we couldn't help it! I chased through the water after Gieaun and Scede in a game of tag, screeching each time I misjudged how deep the water was and went sinking in up to my waist. The oaks, sycamore and willows growing overhead made nice puddles of shade, and after lunch Gieaun and Scede and I traveled downstream to explore while Nida and Pada stayed behind with Master Hroombra.

'Be careful of the bluff's edge!' Nida warned, and we promised to be careful.

It took us a while to reach the edge, and when we did, we all three took a seat on a large stone sitting near the lip of the water fall and just gazed out at the scene before us. I sighed and hugged my knees - it was so beautiful! The farmlands spread out below us like a patchwork quilt of green and brown and deep red, protected from the vast blue ocean by the barrier of sand dunes. The dunes themselves were nearly golden in the afternoon light, folding and rolling as if they were shaped by an careful sculptor and not the wind. The hills were the faded color of ripe wheat and the clumps of woodlands served as dots of dark green, adding just enough color to make one's gaze linger.

After we were done with our break, we headed back up the creek so Nida and Pada and Master Hroombra wouldn't worry about us. By the time we got back it was time to go home, and we all climbed upon Master Hroombra's back. On our way out I asked him where the creek came from and he told us that it flowed from a swamp deep within the Wreing Florenn.

With a wry dragon grin he added, 'A swamp said to harbor a very mysterious and terrifying witch. But that is a story for another day . . .'

I chilled at the thought, and suddenly I remembered the ride home from school when I had thought I'd seen eyes watching me from the edge of that forest. Could it have been the witch? My skin crawled and I leaned closer into Nida. I didn't want to think about it at all, at least not right now.

-Jahrra 

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Slow Day

Hello everyone.  Today's post is not all that exciting, but next time it will have a little more to it.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
-J.E. Johnson

Slow Day

Dear Journal,

Nothing much happened today at school, and I am grateful. The evil twins were both gone, something that made it much more enjoyable. No one figured out the riddle yet, something that cheered me as well (since I haven't figured it out either, though I might be getting close . . .

Pada told me to look carefully at the numbers mentioned in the riddle, but I'm still not sure what he means). Tomorrow I get to go see Master Hroombra (I go every first day of the weekend). Maybe he can help me with the riddle! I also have something called 'practice work' as well, math and writing exercises I have to do at home. Ugh, don't we do enough of that at school?

Well, I leave you for now Journal, it is already dark and it is still rather warm out. I think Pada, Nida and I will lay out in the yard and watch the stars drift by.

-Jahrra

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Treasure Trove

Hello readers!  This week's entry in Jahrra's Journal describes the scene in Jahrra's classroom the day after they received the riddle from their teacher.  Some of the students don't seem interested in figuring the riddle out until their teacher shows the the prizes they might win if they do.  Enjoy!
-J.E. Johnson

Treasure Trove

Dear Journal,

Mr. Cohrbin asked us today if anyone had figured out the riddle he gave us yesterday. Most of the students looked at him blankly, as if they didn't know what he was talking about. I just frowned. I had tried, but I still hadn't figured it out before bedtime. Ellysian shouted out (because she doesn't think she should have to raise her hand like the rest of us since her father owns half of the Raenyan Valley). She was complaining that the riddle was stupid and a waste of time.

Mr. Cohrbin only smiled (I gave her a rude look, but she didn't see it because she was too busy sneering at Mr. Cohrbin) and pulled out a dusty old wooden box from a drawer in his desk.

'So you wouldn't be interested in seeing what the prizes are, then?'

Everyone in the class sat up straight right then, no longer looking bored. Gieaun took her gaze from the window, Scede stopped doodling on some paper he had, even nasty Eydeth and Ellysian lowered their eyes to everyone else's level.

'These are just some of the things I've collected over the years that you might be able to choose from should you feel inclined to answer my riddles . . .' he gave a quirky grin and opened the box. My jaw dropped. He held up the first item, 'The cocoon of a ponyfly . . .'

It looked like a gem: brilliant green and gold and ruby. It was kept in a glass vial filled with a clear liquid. 'It sits in water and is currently dormant, but when placed in the right environment it just might emerge as an adult ponyfly.'

Gieaun's eyes grew round as saucers and I knew she would be paying closer attention to Mr. Cohrbin's riddles from now on. To have your own ponyfly, a palm-sized insect with clear fairy-like wings that resembled a tiny horse. I wasn't able to get a good look at what else was in the box, for Mr. Cohrbin replaced the ponyfly cocoon and put the box away.

'I'll show you more later, but right now we have to start our writing lesson.' Everyone groaned, even me. I like writing, but I wanted to see what else was in that box . . . .

-Jahrra

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Riddles!

Greetings readers!  Last time, Jahrra noticed some strange eyes watching her from the Wreing Florenn.  This week, our young protagonist has a good day at school and starts to reconsider her opinion of the place.
-J.E. Johnson

Riddles!

Dear Journal, Oh what a wondrous day at school! Mr. Cohrbin told us that he will be giving us a new riddle each week to solve, and the first person to solve it gets a prize! Some of the much older students groaned, but he gave them a sharp look and told them some of the prizes would even be something they would want. I didn't groan. In fact, I sat straight up and paid full attention (I was daydreaming a little - but only a little! I couldn't help myself, it was during our math lesson and I'm not that good at math).

He said that even the first year students could try if we wanted, but he said some of them would be really hard. I didn't care, Master Hroombra gives me riddles all the time and I love to try and solve them, even when he helps me out (which is most of the time).

Well, here is the riddle Mr. Cohrbin gave us:

I am the first Sister to visit your land, The first before three others, we work hand in hand. I soften the earth and call forth the sun, I sing a great song of new life begun.

Ugh, I have no idea what it means! I'll have to try and figure it out this weekend. I hope no one else gets it before I do . . .

-Jahrra 

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Strange Sight on the Way Home

Hello readers!  This week's journal entry has Jahrra noticing something odd on the edge of the Wreing Florenn.  For those of you who have read The Finding, you'll know that the Wreing Florenn is stock full of oddities, some dangerous, some benevolent.  And sometimes it's hard to tell the difference ... ;).
-J.E. Johnson

Strange Sight on the Way Home

Dear Journal, School today wasn't as bad as usual because Eydeth and Ellysian showed up late and got in trouble. They spent a long time trying to argue with Mr. Cohrbin about it, but he wouldn't listen to them. They tried to say it was their driver's fault.

But that wasn't the most interesting thing that happened today. On the way home, while we were riding in the mail cart, I felt the strangest feeling, like someone was watching me. I turned to look in the direction the strange feeling was coming from and found out it was coming from the edge of Wreing Florenn! And I know you won't believe me but I thought I saw eyes watching me, just eyes floating in space, but as soon as I blinked they were gone.

I was so frightened I huddled closer to Gieaun and Scede and Mr. Dharedth and refused to look towards that forest the rest of the ride home. I won't tell Nida and Pada about it, they'll think I'm making it up, so I'll only tell you. I'm never going near the Wreing Florenn. Never ever.

-Jahrra

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com! 

Jahrra's Journal: Above the Crowd

The journal post for this week has Jahrra back at school and trying to avoid the mean kids once again.  When Ellysian tries to find her and her friends, Gieaun and Scede, Jahrra soon realizes that the giant boulder they have been hiding behind isn't sufficient enough to keep them safe from Ellysian's reach.  Happy reading!
-J.E. Johnson

Above the Crowd

Dear Journal,

I had to go back to school this morning, but I tried to be brave for Nida's sake. When we got to the schoolhouse, Gieaun and Scede and I hid behind the great big rock in front of the great big oak tree. We thought we were safe until I heard someone say 'I wonder where the Nesnan girl and her friends are . . .'

It was that girl Ellysian, and although her voice sounded nice on the outside, I could tell it wasn't nice on the inside. You know, like wild stainberries? They look so good to eat but if you break them open they stain your clothes and make an awful smell. Like that. Well, anyways, before she could find us Mr. Cohrbin called us to class.

As we were heading in, I noticed that the oak tree near the rock had notches in it where branches had once started to grow and then changed their minds. When we were let out for lunch, I ran straight to the tree, Gieaun and Scede too, and started to climb. The notches were like perfect steps! We ate our lunches way above everyone else, and even though I knew Ellysian and her brother Eydeth were secretly looking for us (they were snooping around in places they shouldn't have been), they never found us. Oh hurray! I love the oak tree in our schoolyard!

-Jahrra 

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Want to read more about Jahrra and her adventures?  Download The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding, the first book in the Oescienne series, for FREE from Amazon.com!