Paksworld

Going back to book one, now Oath of Fealty, because we’re approaching the 2-months-to-pub data.   Travel times, in Paksenarrion’s world, mean that news travels very slowly indeed.    The new group overlaps the end of Oath of Gold by some days, for that reason.   People act on what they know or think they know–and they don’t act on knowledge they can’t have for another five or ten or fifteen days.

So the very first small bit of Oath of Fealty is set on the night Kieri Phelan begins his journey to the east…and the snippet you’re about to see begins the story proper, a little later–the time it takes for a courier to get from Vérella to the Duke’s Stronghold.——————————

Jandelir Arcolin, senior Captain of Duke Phelan’s Company, rested his forearms on the top of the stronghold walls, where he had the best view to the south.  On one side of the road to Duke’s East, Stammel was putting his own cohort through an intricate marching drill.  On the other, the junior sergeant of the recruit cohort supervised a sword drill with wooden blades.  Beyond, the trees along the stream showed the first soft golds and oranges of ripening buds though it would be hands of days yet before the fruit trees bloomed.  Old snow still lay knee-deep against the north wall.

He heard steps behind him, and turned.  Cracolnya, captain of the mixed cohort, came up onto the walkway with him.

“Are you putting down roots up here?” he asked.

Arcolin shook his head.  “Hoping for a courier.  We should have heard something by now.  At least the weather’s  lifted.  Though not for long.” He tipped his head to the northwest, where a line of dark cloud just showed over the hills.

“Your worry won’t bring the Duke faster,” Cracolnya said.  He turned his back on the view south and leaned against the parapet.  “I wonder what we’ll do this year.”

———————————

Many things, is the answer to that, but a reader of Oath of Gold knows more about the coming seasons than Arcolin and Cracolnya do.    At the time of this conversation,  Kieri hasn’t reached the Lyonyan border yet–the battle hasn’t happened yet.     Readers new to this story-universe, however, need to be acquainted with both of them right away, because Arcolin will be carrying a lot of the story-load.

Paks saw Arcolin from below, as her cohort captain.    Kieri Phelan saw him as a subordinate but also trusted colleague, the senior of his captains–and Paks had a glimpse of that Arcolin, in Oath of Gold.   Now the reader can meet Arcolin directly, as a point-of-view character, as the man is about to confront  the great changes that come to his previously predictable existence.

Meanwhile, I’ve been at work on Book 3 for over an hour this morning.