Excerpt: Book One: The Ancient Foes: The Sorrow of the Pale Queen

Midnight was breaking with the first true touches of an unforeseen storm touched against the bodies and faces of both sides. The new leader could not comprehend what this omen could mean for his people or this single battle, but could only understand that he must not allow it to alter the events of this night or he would gain his first defeat and lose his new entitled land and reign. He gave the signal to his troops to move forward and bring the final breath of life to as many of these attackers as possible. He, himself, kicked the stirrups deep into his Dire War Lion’s hide that would propel the pair into battle. He withdrew his twin great and rune-covered battle blades from their sheathes as the first drops of his mount’s blood came forth from where the animal had been punctured.