Uncategorized – THE LEGEND OF THE GREAT HORSE trilogy

Promise arrived as any foal

… filled with curiosity, awkwardness, vulnerability–and potential.

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“Haflingerfohlen” © Matthias Walther / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

“Pattering footsteps approached … a group of clergy entered the corridor, carrying candles close to their hooded faces. It was the Brotherhood on their way to the candlelit midnight Mass. This unsettling rite was feared: the service was also called the Dark Choir.” —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy

After an attack by the hordes of Genghis Khan…

Dinner in the castle that night was somber, and afterwards men retired to their beds in exhaustion. Meagan had seen Henryk only once. He had been in a company of guards, engrossed in the battle. She was not worried, for few in the castle were injured. Thousands of arrows had rained over the fortress without finding a mark. In contrast, horse and nomad corpses littered the rampart, and the village was a silent, smoking ruin.

Meagan’s thoughts returned to the Great Horse. Sleepless, she wandered the castle corridors. There must be a way to summon Promise, she told herself. Some way to go home. The Great Hall was silent and few torches were lit. Dogs slunk along walls beneath dark gargoyles. Only the rats were emboldened, scurrying on tables, climbing tapestries and running across wooden rafter beams.

“I see one infidel survives.” The dark form of Janek stepped out of a shadow and stood before her.

Meagan jumped at the voice. “You frightened me, Janek! I didn’t see you there.”

“Really, Maid Meagan, you must be more observant.” He stepped closer. “For your own sake.”

“Thank you, Janek. I will remember that.”

Pattering footsteps approached. A group of clergy entered the corridor, carrying candles close to their hooded faces. It was the Brotherhood on their way to the candlelit midnight Mass. This unsettling rite was feared: the service was also called the Dark Choir.

“Hi Lorenzo, how are you?” Meagan called, for once glad to see him. “Is Brother Bartholomew with you?”

“This is not so high a place. My Teacher is at counsel.” The face of the apprentice was barely visible in the flickering light. “You are found in strange places, Daughter of Eve. You are ever a seeker in darkness.”
“I suppose you might think so. Well, I think I will call it a night.” Meagan said it nervously, backing away from Janek. “Sleep well. God bless.”

She walked quickly to her room, stepping carefully over the sleeping forms of her roommates. The single window glowed with moonlight. Meagan lay on her straw mat and stared into the darkness, trying to calm herself and not listen to the castle’s noises…

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« Previous excerpt: “The Reason for Castles”

The above excerpt is from “See all Excerpts,” the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 246 Hbk)

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.

Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of the trilogy) won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.

__________

Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

#81- Mealtime at the Castle Sobrezy

In which Meagan enjoys the hospitality of the Middle Ages …

Breugel, “Wedding Feast”
/ {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

EVERY NICE THING Meagan had ever thought about castles was wrong. Standing inside her quarters (which she shared with four others), she could hear things crawling in the sweet-smelling rushes laid over the floor. Her newly-corrected wardrobe, a light gown, left her shivering in drafts or roasting beside fires. The best thing about a castle was probably its view, Meagan decided, if only you could see it. The heavy glass over the room’s single window had the transparency of milk.

“Madame?” came a maid’s voice from the doorway. “The meal begins.”

Meagan smiled politely and followed the servant into the smoky hallways. Rush torches made shadows dance along the stone walls, bringing the rich tapestry to life. Woven scenes of Demons and the Heavenly Host seemed to watch them pass in the flickering light. Suddenly all was brightness and sound. A large bonfire burned on a ledge above a great hall. Racks of candles hung over the room. One long banquet table was set upon a wide stage, with gaily clad occupants lining the wall to face the crowd below. Perhaps two hundred people milled about the floor, eating, drinking, shouting, singing, and throwing bones to dogs. Odors of spices tangled with those of spoil and sweat.

“Meagan!” The voice was nearby, but it took two more calls before she saw Knight Henryk standing on a bench waving, obviously inebriated. A mild-looking man sat beside him. She made her way across the room.

“Sitting, Meagan,” Henryk slurred, pointing to the table’s community bench.

Almost faint with hunger, Meagan wiped off a used spoon. This is how people manage to eat with this smell, she told herself—they are starving. There were no place settings, but there were piles of trenchers made of brown bread lying on wood platters. She scooped thick stew into one from a central basin and tried not to slurp, not that it mattered to the gobbling crowd. Roving servants traveled the tables with large pitchers, sloshing wine into outstretched goblets. Others carried trays of cut fruit. People began grabbing pieces before the tray was set down and Meagan, too slow, went without.

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« Previous excerpt: “On the Run in the Middle Ages”

The above excerpt is from “See all Excerpts,” the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 242 Hbk)

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.

__________

Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

#80- On the Run in the Middle Ages

Galloping horse “Targa ducked away from this second wave of horsemen. Looking back, Meagan expected to see her pursuers toiling away in the distance—instead, three galloping riders were coming up fast behind her.” – excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy)

In which Meagan and her Mongolian warpony, Targa, are given a poor welcome …

SUCCUMBING TO THE taunts, the young knight lifted his legs wide and clapped them to Chouchou’s broad sides. The heavy horse grunted and sauntered off to meet the line of horsemen.

“Of all the … Henryk! Come back here!” A chorus of shouts came from the horsemen, and one shrill battle cry from Henryk. When the young knight raised his sword, it dawned on Meagan that Henryk was truly attacking—though his charge was scarcely a walk. “Oh be serious, Henryk! There’s seven of them! And they can’t catch me anyway.”

The knights charged on.

“Please, Henryk. Let’s just go. You don’t have chain mail, remember? Henryk!”

The horsemen clashed in brief anticlimax. Henryk batted a lance away with his sword, but then Chouchou stopped completely. Henryk was left kicking to restart his mount while the seven continued on, coming for Meagan.

Wonderful, she thought, turning Targa in the other direction. I hate knights. She cantered over the top of a hill and glided down the other side. At the bottom she slowed, hoping the men had stopped. Moments passed before Meagan heard the rumble of hoof beats. Rising over the hill came the horsemen, swords out, lumbering in slow motion.

“It is too ridiculous!” Meagan said out loud in frustration. Clucking to Targa, she skirted in front of them and cantered back up the hill, leaving the horsemen to interfere with each other as they tried to turn. She cantered over the hill and almost collided with another band of riders.

Targa ducked away from this second wave of horsemen. Looking back, Meagan expected to see her pursuers toiling away in the distance—instead, three galloping riders were coming up fast behind her. These were not armored knights on slow heavy horses, but caped men on sleek runners.

Meagan clamped her legs around Targa and gave the pony her head. Across an open field they ran, the pony mare stretched out in a dead run. Meagan saw a line of woods and turned toward them. The pony was fast and the long-legged horses did not gain—but neither did they fall behind.

After the day’s travel Targa was beginning to tire. The racing mare’s breath came in bursts. A shadow darted to the side of them and stopped—they were past it before Meagan realized it was an arrow striking the ground. Another sailed past, closer. Crouching, she drove the pony toward the trees…

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« “A Medieval Watering Trough” || The Castle Sobrezy »

The above excerpt is from “See all Excerpts,” the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 235 Hbk)The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.

__________

Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

#79- Observing proper horse care in a medieval village …

‘…Meagan and Henryk saw a village ahead. The road ran through the settlement and up another hill, disappearing under a stone archway—the walls of the Castle Sobrezy.’ ~ excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy

On the run in the Middle Ages with Meagan’s Mongolian warpony, Targa, and Knight Henryk’s stout (some might say “fat”) horse Chouchou.

(c) Terry Robinson / CC-BY-SA 2.0

IN PLACES THE road dwindled to a bare line in the grass, in others it became a muddy bog. By late afternoon the path began to travel past cultivated fields and thatched houses. Coming over a hill, Meagan and Henryk saw a village ahead. The road ran through the settlement and up another hill, disappearing under a stone archway—the walls of the Castle Sobrezy.

There was no drawbridge, though the stone walls were square and crenellated, and towers rose from the corners. Guards walked the parapets and flags waved from high turrets. Below, men on horses practiced archery before the rampart, cantering across the green in a display of rolling color.

“Allez!” Henryk called, slapping Chouchou heartily. Meagan hesitated. The stone fortress seemed to forbid visitors, not welcome them. She looked up; the overcast sky hid any sign of the nomad army. She gave Targa a reassuring pat—for herself—and started towards the castle.

No one challenged them as they rode past fields of men swinging rakes. A gray ox pulled a cart across the shorn field as hands heaved bundles of hay aboard. Swarms of children gathered scraps.

The road through the village was rutted and foul. Buzzing hornets and flies, squealing cartwheels and babies’ cries filled the air. Geese flapped from round poultry houses, bells hanging from their outstretched necks. A pond lay at the bottom of the hill, with a trough dug into one end. The horses nickered at the sight.

Meagan steered toward the pond. “We should water the horses here, Henryk, before we go on.”

Women gathered in groups at the edge of the brown water, washing laundry with hiked skirts. Henryk lifted his sword to them and kissed its hilt before dismounting. The women tittered and whispered to each other as Meagan rolled her eyes.

Arriving at the trough, Targa made dainty sips while watching the women carefully. Chouchou dunked his head into the green water and took long draughts, his ears moving in time with his swallows. Targa suddenly lifted her head. The mare’s tiny ears strained forward, nostrils wide and testing the air. Henryk’s smile faded and he pulled Chouchou from the water.

Seven horsemen riding massive horses moved ponderously toward them across the field…

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« The Highwaymen || On the Run in the Middle Ages »

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Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

#78- The Highwaymen

‘ On the road behind them, their pursuer dropped to one knee and reached for the bow behind his back. Meagan turned and closed her legs—Targa leapt forward, and before the man could string his arrow the pony was coming fast upon him… ’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 233 Hbk)

On the run in the Middle Ages with the Mongolian warpony, Targa, and Knight Henryk’s stout (some would say portly) horse Chouchou.

MEAGAN WAS HAPPY to get back to the road, even if it meant another ballad from Henryk. The path splayed over rolling hills of knee-high grass, then dipped as they entered a thicker part of the woods. It was dark beneath the trees and the air was heavy.

Henryk stopped singing when Targa raised her head and whinnied. A horse’s neigh answered from within the woods. The young knight snapped his head around, looking for the source. Targa pranced in a circle, and as she turned, Meagan looked down the part of the road they had just traveled. Someone was following them. Someone who had not been there before.

Black shapes moved quickly in the far trees.

“Meagan!” Henryk urged Chouchou forward. “We go!”

Crashing vegetation and cries sounded from the right, and Meagan saw distant forms leaping through underbrush. Chouchou continued his leisurely walk, undisturbed by Henryk’s efforts to accelerate.

Meagan hesitated, afraid to leave them behind. Henryk and Chouchou were a waddling target. “Hurry up, Henryk!” she screamed. “They are coming!”

“I try!” Henryk was flailing his legs without result.

On the road behind them, their pursuer dropped to one knee and reached for the bow behind his back. Meagan turned and closed her legs—Targa leapt forward, and before the man could string his arrow the pony was coming fast upon him. The man leaped out of their path, dropping his bow on the road. Meagan pulled up and turned back, deliberately taking Targa over the bow until she heard a sharp snap.

Further up the road, Henryk was still trying to kick his mount into something faster than a slow jog. Meagan galloped back again, passing men just breaking free of the trees. She pulled up beside the hapless knight and together they looked back. Eight men were gaining quickly, brandishing staffs and long knives.

Henryk’s face was blotched with exhaustion. Giving up on Chouchou, he stopped kicking and drew his sword, holding it out and waiting for the attack. On impulse, Meagan reached out and grabbed the sword from him. It was heavier than she realized and the blade drooped.

“Arrêt, Meagan! No!”

Circling Targa, she wrestled with the sword before swinging the flat of the blade across Chouchou’s hindquarters. The startled horse shuffled forward a few steps and slowed again to a creeping walk … and then Targa pinned her ears and bit down on the base of the waddler’s tail. The pony had had quite enough of his dullness.

Chouchou gave a squeal and tripped into higher gear, with Henryk holding on as if riding a runaway. The horse rumbled down the dirt road, his eyes ringed white with fear, as Meagan kept Targa close behind him for motivation.

Their pursuers fell behind. The path rose and trees thinned into open land. Safe now, Henryk pulled on the reins and nearly bounced off as Chouchou broke into a rough trot. He took his sword from Meagan sheepishly, deliberately giving Targa a wide berth.

“That was a good girl,” Meagan said, patting Targa’s neck. “Never mind them.”

Henryk smoothed the ruffled tufts of hair on Chouchou’s plump hindquarters. “Lunatique,” he murmured privately to his scandalized mount. Both sent offended looks in the pony’s direction.

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« “See all Excerpts” || At a medieval watering trough »

The above excerpt is from “See all Excerpts,” the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 233 Hbk)

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.

__________

Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

#77- “Nothing more useless than a knight”

‘Meagan turned back, deciding there was nothing more useless than a knight. Fairytales could talk about shining knights riding up on white steeds, but she was beginning to think their fabled rescues could do without the knight if one had the horse. If knights were not the only people with swords, she was sure no one would pay them the least attention.’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 231)

On the run in the Middle Ages…

No day can be good that begins in a tree, Meagan thought irritably, I need to remember that. The sun gave no indication of breaking through the overcast skies, and the night’s drizzle seemed a prelude to more rain.

Hungry, sore and sunburned, Meagan was annoyed by Henryk’s new habit of continual singing. She reached up to the wide bough on which she had balanced through the night and retrieved Targa’s bridle. She struggled to tie her gown up so that she could ride. Her ankle-length garment seemed designed to inhibit motion, and she wished again she had not let the Abbey take away her comfortable Mongolian trousers …

Henryk slipped down from the tree and stretched luxuriously. His new horse lifted his enormous head, nudging the young knight and pushing him off his feet. Henryk gritted his teeth as the horse used him for a scratching post. “Chouchou, no,” he said mildly, pushing the horse’s head away and accepting its immediate return.

“Chouchou? Is that what you named him?”

“Tak, Chouchou! You enjoy?” Henryk murmured something in his horse’s huge, floppy ear. Chouchou—the name meant “teacher’s pet” in French, Meagan was to learn—delicately sniffed in Targa’s direction. The pony flattened her ears and snapped. “Visqueux!” Henryk sniffed, and gently soothed his mammoth horse’s supposedly-hurt feelings.

Meagan rode out into the muddy field, leaving Henryk to follow. The German horsetrader had promised the nearby road led to a castle, and she was determined to find it in the rain if necessary. She turned back and saw Henryk hopping up and down beside Chouchou.

Oh, yes, she remembered crossly. Henryk could not mount his elephant without a leg up. Meagan turned back, deciding there was nothing more useless than a knight. Fairytales could talk about shining knights riding up on white steeds, but she was beginning to think their fabled rescues could do without the knight if one had the horse. If knights were not the only people with swords, she was sure no one would pay them the least attention.

Copyright © 2008 John Royce

« “See all Excerpts” || The Highwaymen »

The above excerpt is from “See all Excerpts,” the medieval-era section of Eclipsed by Shadow, and is set in 1240AD. (p. 231 Hbk)

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.

__________

Quick Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

Book I: The Knight Henryk

‘THE MUFFLED CRYING sound came again, from just over the hill. Meagan crept forward. A man was crouched at the base of the knoll, sobbing. He wore chain mail over coarse brown fabric. Next to him lay a shield and a long, tapered, brightly-painted wooden pole: a knight’s lance.’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 201)

This excerpt is from Eclipsed by Shadow, Book #1 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an adventure through history―on horseback.

The scene is set in Central Europe in 1240 AD: While on the run with her Mongolian pony, Meagan meets a horseless knight …

Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism, we will find the hoof print of the horse beside it.

—John Trotwood Moore (1852-1929)

THE MUFFLED CRYING sound came again, from just over the hill. Meagan crept forward. A man was crouched at the base of the knoll, sobbing. He wore chain mail over coarse brown fabric. Next to him lay a shield and a long, tapered, brightly-painted wooden pole: a knight’s lance.

She cleared her throat delicately. “Excuse me, is something wrong?”

The man whirled and rose to his feet, and Meagan saw two things immediately. First, the man was not much more than a boy, and second, there was a sword strapped to his side. The young man brandished the metal blade, then on another thought grabbed his shield. He took a fierce stance, wiping his red eyes discreetly.

“I am sorry, I did not see you before,” Meagan said cautiously. “Are you lost?”

The young man sniffed. He was blonde-haired and his plain, wide features were raw from rubbing. “Cheval go,” he said miserably.

Zhivago? Meagan enunciated clearly: “Do you mean as in ‘Doctor,’ by any chance? It’s one of my mother’s favorite movies.”

“Nie, nie!” He pointed to the bridle Meagan carried. “Cheval!”

“Oh, this?” Meagan held up the simple headgear. “It is not a shovel … it’s a bri-dle. For my horse.”

“Tak, tak! Horse!” The young man launched into an excited string of what sounded like gibberish.

Meagan held up her hand. “I am sorry, I do not understand. Do you speak English?”

“Small!” The young man nodded eagerly. “English mother once.”

“English. Mother. Once,” she repeated.

The young man pointed off into the distance. “Horse go. Mens.”

She straightened. “What do you mean, horse go? My horse or your horse?”

He pointed at himself sadly, saying, “Horse go.” Then he pointed at Meagan. “Horse go.” He made an angry face and pantomimed kicking, as if imitating a certain ill-tempered pony.

This person had no idea what he was saying. Meagan put her hands to her mouth and whistled the call that always brought Targa trotting. The pony did not come. Again she tried … the call sounded shrill and futile.

After a moment silent except for sounds of birds in the trees, the young man shyly cleared his throat. He pointed to himself apologetically. “Henryk.”

__________

Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

» Order Books

Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!

gend of the Great Horse trilogy books (2015)

#74- The Mongol Attack

‘A ROAR WENT up as a new division of knights took the field, row upon row gaining speed with each stride … “No!” Meagan cried. “Call them back! Do not follow, that is what they want you to do!”’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 201)

A ROAR WENT up as a new division of knights took the field, row upon row gaining speed with each stride. Shouts of victory rose from the battlefield as the knights chased their beaten enemy.

“No!” Meagan cried. “Call them back! Do not follow, that is what they want you to do!” She tugged on the sleeve of the Englishman. He turned to her with eyes drunk with conquest, unseeing, and then looked back to the battle.

The man would not listen, Meagan plainly saw, and there was nothing he could do anyway. Victims were only allowed to surrender because the Mongolians did not want to reveal their battle tactics, but once the nomads attacked, they killed to the last defender. There were no witnesses to an attack by the horde, ever. Meagan thought furiously of how to escape.

Determined to chase their beaten enemy into oblivion, the knights below were being drawn into the nomad’s trap. As they galloped, the battalion of knights loosened and drifted apart, and their lines became thinner.

Swarms of horsemen emerged from the horizon like black claws as the trap began to close. The main force of nomads encircled and engulfed the knights, discharging volley after volley of arrows, turning away so fresh riders behind could launch still more. Wherever the knights drove, the nomads dashed away and wheeled back with reinforcements. Knights and their heavy horses began to fall. The horde continued to flow onto the battlefield like floodwater rising.

Meagan turned from the rail. Stunned by the disaster below, no one noticed her walk quickly to the other side of the platform. The stairs were in pandemonium. Men pushed in both directions and fights were beginning to break out. She looked over the railing. Except for prisoners held in the stocks, the courtyard was almost empty. Her heart caught when she saw Targa. The pony was dancing short, nervous steps around a man who held her lead.

The platform was perhaps ten feet above the ground. Meagan looked back at the men watching the battle. Slowly, the truth was dawning on them. It would not be long…