Willow’s gaze dropped her hands on the table, and her cheeks flared even brighter red as she murmured, “You are welcome.”
No one spoke for a moment, and I saw that Drelba’s eyes were a little sad as she looked at the young woman. I saw the exact moment when the Wisewoman’s thoughts changed as her voice became firmer, and she looked over at me and said assertively, “Faren is probably ready to talk with us. He has a few other people with him at the inn, and they are waiting for you and me to join them.”
Standing up, I reached my hand out to the older Wisewoman and said, “My Lady, would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to meet with Faren?”
Laughing like the girl that she had been decades before, Drelba stood up and answered with a bright smile, “But of course, my Lord. Let us go forth.”
Laughing like a pair of children, the two of us headed off to our meeting. I could hear the click of clawed feet behind me as my large canine battle companion followed us. His presence was a comfort to me, and I was pleased that he continued to accompany us.
As we walked toward the inn, where Faron had promised to meet us, people nodded and said hello to Drelba. That was the same behavior that I had noticed when she had first accompanied me from the village square to her house on my very first visit.
The change in the villagers' attitude toward me showed in loudly-shouted thanks and complimentary comments that were meant for me. The open expressions of gratitude and approval felt very strange. I almost did not know how to respond but defaulted to a smile of acknowledgment and a raised hand. A trembling, foreign feeling of warmth grew under my breastbone, and I did not know what that meant. I only knew that I liked it.
When we got to the inn, there was a table close to the fireplace that held Faren and my three companions of the previous day as well as Marissa. I was more than pleased to see Delmon sitting next to her with his calm and welcoming expression.
“Delmon! It is good to see you.”
“I hear you are the hero of the hour! Who knew that things would work out so well?”
Drelba cleared her throat and said, “I did. And I told everybody so.”
People at the table laughed a bit and were joined by everyone within earshot. We got sorted out enough to sit down, Drelba taking the seat beside Jedrek and me slipping into the chair with his back against the wall. Faren poured a glass of ale for everyone and asked me to tell them what had happened, starting once more with the battle in the village.
Just before I started speaking, I felt warmth next to my leg and looked down to see that the large black and white dog had joined me. Lying on the ground contentedly by my right foot, the animal gave me an intense look from big brown eyes before laying his head down on his paws. His tail swept back and forth, slapping the back of the chair a couple times before I broke the spell of his presence and looked up to see everyone staring at me in shock.
I started the narrative with a quick summary of the battle within the village and then continued on with a more detailed description of our trip. My three other companions added their thoughts as I spoke to clarify or expand on my points. Occasional questions from Delmon and the villagers extended the telling of the tale. By the time I had concluded our travel report, we have been talking for more than three and a half hours.
Faren spoke up after I had finished and said, “Thank you, youngster. You fought both of the Things, and we’re in your debt. I hope, however, that you are not planning on moving on immediately. If possible, could you stay and help us set up better protection for the village and possibly teach some of the people how to do things that we need?”
Regretfully I said, “Faren, there is not enough time for me to teach people to be warriors.”
“I know that, but anything that you can teach us is better than what we have now.”
When the rest of the people at the table added their entreaties, I reluctantly agreed, although I warned them, “At some point, I will need to move on. I am drawn to travel as if continuing to move will help me remember who and what I am.”
Faren asked with burning curiosity plain in his voice, “You still do not remember your name?”
I said with a bit of remorse clinging to mind like a burr on a dog, “I still don’t know my name or who I am, but whoever I was, I seem able to fight like a warrior out of legends.”
Faren laughingly replied, “Well, we could use a legend around here for a while. Can you stay with us for a bit, or do you need to leave right away?”
Drelba added, “The village can pay you a small amount of salary, and the innkeeper has volunteered to provide your meals. Of course, you would be welcome at my table at any time.”
Marek, the farmer, said, “My eldest son has a small room that was added on to his place that you can stay at for free, and his wife and daughters have volunteered to do your cleaning and laundry.”
Jedrek added his contribution by saying, “There are a few of us that would like a little more training on the things to do to protect the village from creatures, even though we know we are not going to be swordsmen in this lifetime. But I am hoping that you can teach us some practical things that anyone can do that might help. Each of us will contribute something to your upkeep as a thank you.”
I felt overwhelmed, surprised that anyone or anyplace would want me that badly. Stumbling a bit in my speech, I replied, “I do not know what to say.”
Faren said, “Say, yes.”
Marissa spoke up, “You were lost when you found Delman, right? Can you stay until you’re not lost anymore?” The smile that Delmon turned on his promised wife was bright and loving, piercing me like a spear. A bit of that joy colored my reply when I jokingly replied, “Well, how about I name myself ‘Lost.’ Then I would have to stay to protect the village for a while at least.”
The people at the table laughed, and Drelba almost shouted out, “So be it! You are now ‘Lost’ to us!”
I joined in with their laughter as the relief of surviving the fight found a needed outlet or I would begin shaking hysterically in embarrass myself in front of these people that respected me. My name might be Lost, but I’ve found a home.
Interrupting my relaxing mood with an abrupt start of another presence, the voice in my head murmured, <<No, it’s not your name, but since we don’t remember what it was, that is as good a temporary one as any other you might pick. And, yes, you have a home. At least for now.>>
Author’s Notes - Taki Drake
Welcome to the first book in the East Haven Chronicles. Set in a complex world of races, magic, and rich history, the first arc of the stories introduces us to a man who has forgotten everything, including his name. Unsure of where he has come from and who he truly is, this man embarks on an exploration of his world in a quest to find himself.
Blessed with skills and no memory of how he got where he is, every day is the surprising gift of time with a new life. Join us as we embark on a mutual voyage, one to recover what has been lost.
Writing this story with Etienne has been a journey with its own discoveries, as each of us has worked at combining our strengths and shoring up each other’s weaknesses. With a long-term series plan that encompasses three arcs of eight stories each, we have our adventure map planned and our initial party equipped.
The combination of a dungeon adventure mindset and the writing skills at our command promise to be a satisfying and rewarding campaign. I am dusting off my favorite dice and looking forward to seeing what each encounter uncovers.
I hope you will all come adventuring with us!
Cheerfully,
Taki
Author’s Notes - Etienne LeFevre
The protagonist is from a game we’ve been running for years. The game system (which shall not be mentioned) allows for heroic characters to do noble things. That is the approach taken with Lost, and I hope you enjoy discovering his new life.
Lost is on a redemption arc, not that he’s aware he’s done anything wrong. His sometimes odd behavior wil
l be explained as the series progresses. The game setting is a magic-rich environment. Steampunk and magic will intertwine in later books.
Initially, Lost is discovering that whatever he was, he does not need to be again. The people that he meets and befriends, the enemies he makes because of what he is, and the things he does, set him on a path that is not in the direction his former colleagues would have expected of him.
ELF
Author Introduction – Taki Drake
The mixture of technology and magic is where my mind and heart live. In today’s world, it mixes engineering and creativity. In the worlds of my mind, technology and magic live intertwined. I hope that you will find my stories interesting enough to be frequent visitors to where my heart beats.
I am continuing to write my stories of intertwined technology and magic. The challenges of that are fertile grounds for many story lines and series. Several of those planned for the next few months have been listed below. I am happily writing each of them, discovering new worlds, new situations and new challenges. The wonder for me is the number of readers that are enjoying my visions and tales.
Enjoy the stories in the emerging genre of techmage!
Unfettered Mage
Magic and Technology in a SciFi Universe
We Are Not Prey
Fleet of the Mage
Mage and Mate (with Paul C. Middleton)
Traditions of Childhood
Social Combat - Jan 2020
Tattered Wings - Jan 2020
Elemental Connections - Feb 2020
Mate’s Gift - Feb 2020
Mage Emergent - Mar 2020
Mage Ascendant – Apr 2020
Mage’s Sword – May 2020
Fleet Genesis - July 2020
Life's Garden
The Mechanic Prince [The Imp Prince]
Rune Force
Spilled Tea, Stolen Goods (with Summer Donnelly and Grant Morgan)
Surf Diamonds - Jan 2020
Vorcian Imperial Chronicles
Pledged to Duty, Driven by Honor
Cadre Files
In the Cards
Power Nexus
Power Surge - Jan 2020
Burnished Blade - Jan 2020
No Money for Marriage - Feb 2020
Steel Harvest - Mar 2020
Count Off - Apr 2020
Deadly Mascot - June 2020
An Attitude Adjustment
East Haven Chronicles (with Etienne LeFevre)
Seeking a new beginning? Welcome to your new home.
My Name is Lost - Dec 2019
Predatory Behavior - Jan 2020
Explosion of Skills - Feb 2020
Purity of Balance - mid-2020
Pursuit and Cover - mid-2020
Ruins of Ambition - 2020
Test of the Guardian - 2020
East Haven Rebirth - TBD
BattleMage Investigates
Power of the Mage, Focus on Crime
Battle Cadre Arises - Jan 2020
The Case of the Frozen Hand - Feb 2020
No Accounting for Taste - Mar 2020
The Case of the Missing Sniper - Apr 2020
Sing a Song of Politics - June 2020
The Case of Short Shots - Aug 2020
Explosive Echoes - Oct 2020
The Case of the Darkling Spear - Dec 2020
Badger Hole Bar
Come for a Drink, Change Your Life
The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook
Thru the Badger Hole
Grand Opening
Fashion Forward (with Kris Endicott)
The Gift of Fashion (with Kris Endicott)
Badger Hole Bar (4 book series) [Thru the Badger Hole,
Grand Opening, Fashion Forward, The Gift of Fashion]
The Remembrance Wall
Wedding Fashions - Jan 2020
Dirty Bucket Brewery - Jan 2020
Treasured Knowledge - Feb 2020
Alastair and the Dungeon - Feb 2020
A Matter of Trust - Early 2020
Death Walking - Early 2020
Clingon - Early 2020
Najeer - Early 2020
Echoes of Knowledge - Mar 2020
Wynn’s Kitten - May 2020
Becoming Sephera
When Beauty is More than Skin Deep
A Learning Experience (book 6)
You Just Go On - 2020
Life Rebuilt - Late 2020
New Paths - TBD
Standard of Honor
Rediscovering Heritage, Forging New Traditions
Shade of Honor
Coven Codex
Floating in Time
Road to Honor
The Gratitude Challenge - Jan 2020
Bridge to Honor - Jan 2020
Carp EDM - Feb 2020
Familiar Magic
When Magic is a Team Effort
Familiar Shadows
Familiar Trials - Fledgling
Familiar Travels
Unfamiliar Pathways - Dec 2019
Familiar Trials - Expert - Feb 2020
Familiar Trials - Master - Mar 2020
Cookbooks
The Badger Hole Bar Food Cookbook
Marcella’s Garden Cookbook [Potluck Perils](with Kris Endicott)
Marcella’s Summer Bounty Cookbook [Diet of Doom](with Kris Endicott)
Marcella’s Autumn Harvest [Sanctuary]
Tasting Sampler
A Food Palate - Holiday Heartwarmers
Taking it on the Road
Your Goose is Cooked [The Great Turkey Hunt]
Let Them Eat Pie [Kuchen in the Kitchen]
Baba’s Kitchen - Coming Soon!
Anthologies
The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of the Science Fiction Genre [An Attitude Adjustment]
Against the Tide [Judgment and Despair]
Inanna’s Circle: Flight of Imagination - Thru the Darkness [We Are Not Prey]
Inanna’s Circle: The Game Begins [A Learning Experience]
Holiday Heartwarmers: An Anthology of Short Stories [Time of Gifting]
Mysterious Hearts [Heart of Stone]
Cyber War: Digital Battlefield [The Backup]
CyberWar: Black Ice [CyberCoda]
CyberWar: Byte Conflict [CyberSong]
Phoenix Fantasy [The Quiet Pool]
Phoenix Imagining [Deceptive Practices]
The Goblin and the Grocer [Balancing Costs]
Prime Peek I [Gazillipede]
Haunted Hearts I [Echoes of Past Love]
Silent Thanks [A Thousand Flowers]
Shadowed Light [Death Walking]
Traveling Man [Daytripping]
Powerhouse Punch [Mara's Honor]
Sensorium I [Recharge]
King of Cats [Over the Garden Fence]
Footsteps in the Snow [Knit One Claw Two]
Spirit of Thanks [Cranberry Stuffing]
The Hand You Were Dealt [Destinations]
The Imp Prince [The Mechanic Prince]
Treated to Tricks [Everyone Loves Halloween]
Tricky Treats [Traditions of Childhood]
Special Kind of Love [Still Air and Soaring Wings]
Let Them Eat Pie [Kuchen in the Kitchen]
Your Goose is Cooked [The Great Turkey Hunt]
Janus Speaks [To Spin a Thread]