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    Rumor of Shadows
    Rumor of Shadows
    Rumor of Shadows
    Ebook106 pages1 hour

    Rumor of Shadows

    By MK Lentz

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The Albrecht Expedition & Trading Company is home to a group of adventurer's including warriors, priestess', mages of power, barbarians, thieves and masters of lore. As a contracted security company, military school and arms dealer, the group becomes enmeshed in a convoluted web of conspiracy, schemes and plans. When one of their profitable mining contracts is threatened by forces unknown, they find that solving the problem creates new problems. After consulting a Sorceress, they learn that they have become the unwitting participants in a deadly game of chance with the great powers. Despite making many correct moves, they begin to suspect that the game is far more complex than they thought. Mysteries within mysteries crop up everywhere.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMK Lentz
    Release dateMar 18, 2013
    ISBN9781301258871
    Rumor of Shadows
    Author

    MK Lentz

    MK Lentz hobbies include wargaming, model building & painting and some electronics. Favorite games include ASL, Baldur's Gate, EVE Online and the ancient Close Combat series.

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      Book preview

      Rumor of Shadows - MK Lentz

      Rumor

      Of

      Shadows

      By MK Lentz

      Rumor of Shadows

      By MK Lentz

      Copyright 2013 MK Lentz

      Smashwords Edition

      Edition A

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      This book is dedicated to my daughter Eve; she knows she is and always will be a princess.

      A very special thank you to Brittany for bringing me the key.

      Prologue

      Listen now to a tale of some of our favorite heroes as they were before we knew them so well. This is a story of one of their lesser known adventures. As you have guessed already, this is one of the tales of The Albrecht Expedition & Trading Company.

      If this is your first time hearing a tale of their many adventures, then let me set the stage for you.

      The old Expedition & Trading Company of Albrecht has been around for several centuries and its many heroes have come and gone over time. As always, the company was and is a family affair. Generations of its members trace their lineage through the company.

      This is a tale that takes place when Maximilian was leader of the company and the last Albrecht had retired to his home on sea. Many of you know that Maximilian was the son of one of the company’s blacksmith apprentices and one of the assistant housekeepers. His father was killed in a raid upon the company estate when he was but 26 years old and Max was only 8. Maximilian’s mother became the house mistress and he was raised by his mother and the old and wise House Master Mr. Hobson.

      Mr. Hobson, being a very wise trustee of the house, insured that Maximilian was trained to be a leader. He knew that Max’s father wanted, as all fathers do, something greater for his son. Max’s father was revered as a smith of unequaled skill when he was but 12 years old. The old blacksmith knew his apprentice had a gift that was extraordinary. By the time Max’s father was but 25 years old he had surpassed in skill all of his predecessors. His best friend Chobham was also secretly his student and steadfastly devoted to Max’s father.

      After the death of Max’s father, the old blacksmith passed the master’s title to Chobham who vowed to continue the work begun by his closest friend. The old smith knew in his heart the time had come and so he died that evening.

      Chobham and Mr. Hobson saw the greatness in the young Maximilian and determined he should learn some of his father’s craft, but he would receive the best education possible in keeping with his father’s wishes.

      Max’s mother continued to aid in the education of her son. She was some 30 years old when she was made House Mistress. She was an expert in all things etiquette and protocol. She insured that young Max was exceptionally well spoken and well mannered.

      The Company always had several truly great warriors. These were often men and sometimes women who had served in the wars throughout the years. They came to the company to pass on their knowledge and secure a future for their families. Maximilian learned from the skilled and the wise the way of warriors. He also learned the ways of the leader.

      When Max was but 14 years old, a new student came to the company to receive training from the warmasters. She was the Princess Yvette of the House of Rosewood. She had several older brothers and sisters and was not likely to become Duchess of Rosewood. Private schooling in matters of war and leadership were all the rage of the times. The Princess was by birthright the Commander of the Imperial Regiment Nr 28.

      She and Max were the same age and became the closest of friends. They were trained and schooled together for 11 years. When the War with the Western Empire came, her regiment was formed and she went away to battle. She was a great and powerful warrior. She won many battles and many honors. After the war she was commissioned to the Emperor’s General Staff.

      During the war, Maximilian served with great distinction in Legion of Stendal. He was a warrior with no equal. At the end of the war he returned to the Company and the last Albrecht made him the new Master of the Company. Maximilian was only 29 when became the Company’s leader.

      Old Albrecht took a generous pension to his home by the sea where lived out his days (which numbered a great many) in peace.

      The Company had been prosperous for a few centuries. The many ventures provided for a nice treasury.

      When Max was 20, an Acolyte of the Sacred Star was sent to the Company to train and study. Her name was Teresa, but she was called Trace by her friends. She studied with the old Priest of the Company. She became the little sister of Maximilian and Yvette. Trace grew in knowledge and power rapidly. Her strength and faith made her a powerful foe of the Undead. She also became very learned in the lore of her order.

      Gregor the Mage was brought to the Company at this time along with his apprentice, Lucius, when the old mage suddenly died. Gregor was not yet quite a master, but he was very talented and would soon number among the greatest of all Mages. The young apprentice Lucius was but 6 years old.

      Lucius learned to read many languages from Gregor and by the time he came to the Company was already an accomplished reader and writer in his own right. Lucius voracious appetite for knowledge made him a supreme master of all lore.

      Lucius was everyone’s little brother. He was also the first person one would see if a question of lore or history would arise. Lucius devoured the all the knowledge of the Company and every collection of lore in Stendal that he could access.

      This was the core of the family of the Company. They had many expeditions and adventures together. There are two other members of the company that took part in our story. The tales of their joining the company are for another time, but briefly I will tell you how they came to be with us.

      Keep in mind that we have not discussed how Princess Yvette came to join the company; that is a story of its own. However, when Eve was 31 years old she had to give up her place on the General Staff in favor of the firstborn son of a noble who held higher rank than her father. She despaired and sought the wisdom of her friends at the Company and decided she should join them, on condition that if her rank was restored she would return to the service of the Empire. As you know, she never looked back and went on to become one of the Great Heroes.

      Princess Yvette was still 31 when the company was contracted to lead a mining prospecting expedition to the Iron Cliffs. The Iron Cliffs required traveling by boat up the Green Fish River and then the Iron Cliffs River. Eve discovered a stowaway on the boat. A young thief, whose name, as you know, was Deirdre. She was but 16 at the time and had incorrectly judged the boat to be heading south.

      The small and sleight thief was brought before the group and questioned. She was only 1 year younger than Lucius. Maximilian instantly recognized an opportunity to gain a skilled thief that could be trained and molded into a Company asset. Max was very harsh in his questioning. The miners wanted to kill her and cast her into the river.

      Max was very wise in his handling of the young Deirdre. He knew that she only sought safety and shelter for herself. Thievery was the only thing she had ever known. Her natural abilities made her a good candidate for membership in the Company.

      Deirdre was frightened, but still defiant. She didn’t have a family or anything that she could lose. Maximilian could see this and his heart wanted to help her. Being a wise leader, Max did not offer help to her.

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