TBD
an excerpt

Prologue

The sudden gust of wind sent icy snow crystals scattering through the air above the fallow field and scraped through the winter dead vegatation like the rustling of old bones. In response to the unexpected chilled welcome, the rider on his black mount wheeled up at the edge of the field and unconciously if uselessly he pulled his fur-rimmed cloak tighter about his shoulders. His breath flared into frosty fog as he muttered, "Damnable season to begin anew...but so much easier to stir up things when everyone is jammed together, eh Warlock?"

In response, Warlock cocked its head so that one equine eye could see his rider and he could see the orb flash unnaturally red as the beast let out a disdainful, sulphurous snort. The man chuckled and leaned forward to give the animal a pat on his neck. The beast seemed to shudder at the casual affection.

"As always, we are in complete agreement." He straightened to stand in his saddle stirrups and looked across the fields before him. In the weak winter sun, he could make out the wispy trails of smoke rising above the village that was his destination. Perhaps five miles distant , he would easily reach the burg before nightfall and if he was precise in his timing, they'd reach the gate at sunset In the rush to close the gates and be about their own business, the guards would be less likely to linger over his travel documents and potentially notice the minor glamour adjusting the date. He certainly didin't have the time and inclination to explain to some footman why his papers were four months out of date.

Beneath him, Warlock shifted about and clawed at the ground in apparent anticipation of moving once again, nearly spilling his rider from his precarious stance. Coming down hard in the saddle, the man jammed the sharp spurs on his fine boots into the beasts side and pulled back when the animal tried to lunge from the unexpected pain. Warlock reared up and hopped backwards twice before tumbling onto its back. Before he could be crushed beneath the falling animal's weight, the man pushed himself from the saddle and rolled away.

Mount and rider came to their feet and moved to face each other. For a moment, the pairs' demeanor shifted darkly and the air between them became twisted by the soundless battle of wills. The rider's face became a hard mask, sharp and angular, with his lips pulling back into a toothy grimace as his eyes became feral yelllow, vertical slits. A shimmering shadow that seemed a tangible construct of his ire coalesced around him and seemed to stretch towards the animal across from him. His mane and tail splaying out as it moved, Warlock danced in place in direct defiance and an unnatural heat made the air waver around him. He began driving his hooves into the rapidly thawing ground and the dry grass flashed into flame where it touched his hooves.

Where shadow and heat met, the air would flash a moment and one element or the other would retreat in apparent defeat. As this happened, each would either real as if struck a blow or surge brighter in victory. The strain of the battle was apparent — veins bulging in the head & neck, a sheen of sweat incredulously covering bare skind and a visible trembling that grew with each renewed round. Then as quickly as it begun, it was over. Warlock stepped into an equine bow and kept his head low before his master.

The man known by some as Deal, wiped the perspiration from his brow and let loose an exhausted sigh before stepping towards the abased animal. Absent mindedly brushing off clots of mud and dirty snow, he muttered as he walked. "I knew that had to come sooner or later — but did you have to choose in the middle of no where to challenge me? I mean....it'll be hours...if at all before I can secure a bath." He cuffed Warlock on the ear and then pulled him up by his bridle to look the animal in the eye. "Besides, it would have been a very long walk if you had forced me to destroy you here. I would not have been pleased at the inconvenience and would have made certain to visit you in that *other place*." Letting go of the bridle, Deal continued to walk around Warlock and his face turned sour with disgust when he saw the condition of his lute that had been tied down behind the saddle. Unlacing the bindings, he pulled the now separate neck and body of the instrument free and clicked his tongue in apparent dissatisfaction. "500 crowns and the long hours of a now unavailable craftsman destroyed in a moment of idiotic rebellion." He stepped back into the animal's line of sight and held the pieces up as evidence. "You should count yourself lucky that I have four more just like it back at home — so it is only a momentary inconvenience." Letting go of the broken lute, he stepped forward to pull himself into the saddle as the falling pieces flared bright and turned to ash before they hit the ground. "Please see that you don't inconvenience me further...now let us move!"