Authors: K. J. Taylor
Tags: #General, #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Contemporary
The Dark Griffin
Table of Contents
Chapter 5 - At the Sign of the Red Rat
Chapter 17 - Unspeakable Crime
Chapter 18 - A Thief in the Night
Chapter 25 - Blackrobe and Darkheart
Wild
The black griffin circled lower, as if he was singling out prey, and soon he could see the strange creatures that moved among the rocks. They were tiny, only about as long as his foreleg, and they stood on two legs like birds, but they didn’t have wings. He saw them looking up at him. They did not run, but he heard their calls drifting up toward him, and his heart leapt when he realised that they were speaking to each other.
“Humans,” the yellow griffin said. “They are the key.”
“Food?” the black griffin suggested.
“No—sometimes, maybe.” She fixed him with a steady bright blue stare. “I will give you some advice. If you want to live in this world, find a human. Protect it. Keep it safe. Help it. If you do, you will always be safe. Our magic is not enough for us to survive now. Not alone.”
As she spoke—using words he did not know, to express an idea he did not comprehend—the black griffin had a strange feeling in his throat. It wasn’t quite pain, but it wasn’t quite pleasure, either. It felt as if something was lodged in there, something hard and unyielding and burning hot. It made him want to scream.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
THE DARK GRIFFIN
An Ace Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
HarperCollins Australia mass-market edition / February 2009 Ace mass-market edition / January 2011
Copyright © 2009 by K. J. Taylor.
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eISBN : 978-1-101-44601-0
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For Bran.
You’ll always be my big guy.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the following people, who told me I didn’t suck: Arthryn, Carnoc, Lord Alexander, Mordacity, Galdor, bl1nk, jumpman1, blahblahwhatever, Cerenthor, Elohim of Death, Skandar Traeganni, Jinx, Fenris, Attack Bunny, Brienne, Irith Omor, Randomdej, Vox, Pegasus, MurtaghRider, Corascant, NammilLumpen, Warthode, Murtagh799, Seithr Arget, StormShade, Texas Sweetie, LadyWater, Sugarquill, Queen Mindi, Beefstew, unconquerableflame, Kazza, Fricai Andlat and many, many others. I apologise to anyone I left out.
Extra thanks to OceanicChick for her helpful suggestions and for listening to and commenting on my ideas in their early stages. Your input was invaluable.
Extra thanks also to Dragonknighttara, a.k.a. Natalie Van Sistine, the great composer. Your talent amazes me. That you decided to use it on a project dedicated to something I created was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever had happen to me in my life.
Final thanks for Welsh translations to Janice Jones of Gairynei Bryd (A Timely Word), which provides proofreading, editing and mentoring services ([email protected]).
Author’s Note
The language of the Northerners is Welsh, a very ancient and beautiful language.
Accordingly, in line with the rules of Welsh pronunciation, “dd” sounds like “th.”
Hence our protagonist’s name Arenadd is pronounced as “Arrenath.”
Cymria
Eagleholm Lands
Eagleholm
1
The Black Egg
I
t all began with the hatching of the dark griffin. A restless day. A grey day. Clouds the colour of lead lay low over the land like a blanket, and the wind that blew over the mountains had the tang of ice in it. Winter was over, but the memory of it lingered.
The valley, overlooked by a trio of craggy peaks, was green and wild, untouched by humans. This was the domain of something else.
From her perch high above the treetops, the great beast who owned the valley had an excellent view of her territory. She lifted her head, the wind ruffling her feathers, orange eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement. All was peaceful, and she sighed and resettled herself in the massive nest she had made for herself. It was supported by the tops of five large trees and woven from the branches she had broken away to make room for it. Normally a griffin was content to sleep on a bare bough or a ledge, but this one had a clutch of eggs to guard. She would not leave her nest once during the three months it would take for them to hatch.