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Interviews With Tordug Part 1: The Bow of Destiny

The following post is a fictitious news report based on events from The Bow of Destiny, Book One of The Bow of Hart Saga:

The Auguron Wind-Times
Brazen Troll-Attack Near Marston’s Station

Date-line: Marston’s Station, Auguron Forest
By Rowigan Skaulter, Roving Reporter

This evening was disturbed by turmoil around Marston’s Station which roused this reporter from sleep. Reports are coming in this evening of a troll attack when travelers approached this very way-station. Events are unclear at the moment, but trolls becoming so bold as to attack as far as the station are ominous.

While rumors of other attacks much further east have not yet been confirmed with the rangers guarding the roads, this reporter has been able to substantiate these local claims of fighting.

When I descended to the common room, I found the entire number of overnight visitors roused amid a storm of confusion. I saw one young woman brought in by a giant, an unusual sight in these parts, to be sure. The woman seemed wounded as her arm was covered in blood.

What follows is my interview with a dwarf who seemed to have been part of a scuffle, judging by the blood-spatter on his clothing.

Rowigan: “Sir, you look like you’ve been in a fight. Can you tell us your name?”

Dwarf: “Uh, Tordug.”

Rowigan: “Mr. Tordug, do you-”

Tordug: “Just Tordug.”

Rowigan: “Do you mean, Tordug the Just?”

Tordug: “No, Tordug.”

Rowigan: “Oh, I’m so sorry, it’s so loud in the tavern now. The men seem to be celebrating about something. Tell us what happened, Tordug.”

Tordug: “Well, some travelers arrived, shouting about trolls attacking on the road, just east of here. They said the brutes shot arrows at them. Then they said they were missing two of their party. So a bunch of us grabbed our weapons and ran off along the road to help.”

Rowigan: “I see, so there were trolls? What did you find?”

Tordug: “We got there just in time. There was a young woman astride a horse and a young ranger fighting alone against a pack of trolls. The moon rose back east and shined on the woman so she glowed like silver.”

Rowigan: “I heard mention of this woman and saw a human female brought in by a giant. Is that the same person? Was she wounded?”

Tordug: “Well, we fought off the trolls and found she was wounded but the ranger had only a few minor scrapes.”

Rowigan: “So there were trolls who were driven off into the night and one wounded in the fighting. Is that correct, Tordug?”

Tordug: “Yes, we drove them away. But the Withling healed the woman, her name’s Limbreth, I think. But she lost blood so she passed out anyway. Had an arrow-wound.”

Rowigan: “Withling? There’s a Withling in Auguron? Now that’s news, indeed! Can you point her out? I’d like to interview her.”

Tordug: “Uh, I don’t see her around just now. But she was there, I’m certain.”

Rowigan: “So the young woman is this Silver Lady, these men are talking of in all this celebration?”

Tordug: “Yes, it is. My friend and I will be composing a dwarven verse about her bravery on the road. She rode back wounded for the ranger.”

Rowigan: “That’s is a deed worth a song. And this giant, do you know his part in the tale tonight.”

Tordug: “He was with the Withling and the others that got attacked.”

Rowigan: “What? The Withling was attacked too? And this giant was with them? You’re sure of the details?”

Tordug: “Yes, I saw them when they arrived.”

Rowigan: “Well, Tordug, it was fortunate for this Limbreth, and the ranger, that you and your friends responded so quickly. Thank you for sharing your account tonight. Auguron owes you a debt of gratitude for your quick and decisive response to the danger.”

Tordug: “That’s what we dwarves do with trolls.”

And there you have the full account of the attack as this reporter has discovered directly from someone who fought in the altercation not far from Marston’s Station this evening. I’ll work to obtain an interview with this Withling and the blessing of such a rare appearance in Auguron Forest. We’ll have more to report from all across Auguron regarding the rumored, and troubling, incursions further east as we travel west toward Auguron City. Look for more reports in the coming days. Troll attacks can only mean trouble for our elven forestlands. This is Rowigan Skaulter sending by pigeon.

Look for more of these fun reports about the series. If you are interested in The Bow of Destiny, An Arrow Against the Wind or the newly released final edition, The White Arrow, please click the appropriate link for the book-page. Following are direct links to find The Bow of Destiny at Amazon (available in Kindle Unlimited):

About the Author:

The Origin of The Bow of Hart

The Bow of Hart is a main element of The Bow of Hart Saga and book two, An Arrow Against the Wind. But, what is this bow and why is it so important?

The Bow of Hart is mentioned in The Bow of Destiny as a family relic inherited by Athson. Without spoiling all the details in any of the books, the quest is centered around finding the bow. The bow is prophesied as a weapon to be used against Magdronu the dragon yet it has never been seen, nor is Athson even certain it exists.

Here’s the full extent of the prophesy regarding the Bow of Hart:

The false one begets betrayers, but he shall not have his way.
The Hidden Dragon may usurp kingdoms with deceits, but his ways shall not last, and he will not ascend.
A bow shall be made in defense.
To break the binding curses.
His prey shall be snatched from his fangs.
The bow shall be hidden from Hart.
The eagle will guide the heir.
The bow shall be found at need.
And the arrow shall Eloch prepare.

Athson is aware of the prophesy and has some information about it as revealed in The Bow of Destiny. Yet, he mainly only knows about the bow from a mysterious will he received under dubious circumstances – at least to his addled understanding:

To whom the eagle and the Withling give this bundle of my will, greetings and long life.
Having seen into the future, I have prepared the way for you as I have been commanded. You, who read this parchment, are my heir, and thus may bear my signet and lordly insignia as your own.
The bowstring belongs to a Bow, specially made of my care. None but you, not even I, its maker, is able draw it, let alone string it. Seek out the Bow. The Withlings look after the one to whom I gave it. You are destined to do the deed. Beware of the servants of evil; they have hounded me for the sake and possession of the bow since their doom is tied to it. Follow Eloch’s prophecy as you can and be of good courage.
May Eloch go with you,
Thayer of Hart

Thus the question remains, who is Thayer and what part did he play in the Bow of Hart as its original owner. I hope to share more about this in the coming months with some additional prequel stories so I don’t want to give anything away other than to confirm that Thayer had a hand in the making of the bow. It was by his efforts that the prophesied bow was created and, when he was threatened, he found a way to make sure it stayed out of Magdronu’s clutches. So, after many generations, the bow became Athson’s to own and the burden for him to take up – wanted or not.

But conflict around his family’s history and that between Hart and Rok swirl and twist like an arrow in flight out of the past and into Athson’s present. The Bow of Hart is the one thing upon which An Arrow Against the Wind turns as Magdronu seeks to gain possession of the bow. However, he cannot simply take the bow because he never owned it. The power surrounding it prevents him from taking what is not his own. But, Athson can give it away and it is around this point that all of the dragon’s efforts are centered, Athson being the target. Magdronu will stop at nothing and Athson may not be able to keep the dragon from the relic.

To find out more about the Bow of Hart and the prophesy, have a look at the series online beginning with any of the pages for the books in the series: The Bow of Destiny, An Arrow Against the Wind or The White Arrow.

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About the Author:

5 Additions to The Bow of Hart Saga Over the Years

It goes without saying that a fiction project morphs in many ways as it is written. However, The Bow of Hart Saga was a project that lasted several decades so the changes in it have been ongoing throughout that time. Here are 5 additions to the series:

1. Spark – this character was added very late in the writing process of The Bow of Destiny and then into the following two books, An Arrow Against the Wind and The White Arrow. Spark began as a suggestion from my daughter so the character would not have been in the series at all without her input. Interesting since I didn’t even know my wife when I started the series just out of high school, let alone have a daughter!

A larger cadre of villainous characters – one of the characters added was Paugren, Corgren’s brother. He arrived before The Bow of Destiny was completed, but mainly in Trading Knives which is a prequel story that reveals Corgren’s past along with his brother who is an integral part. Paugren takes on a larger role as the series moves forward.

A different writing style – in 2014, at the suggestion of several other people, I changed the essence of the writing style for The Bow of Destiny (and the series) to that of deep point-of-view. It’s a different technique that I had to learn but I think it helped the series tremendously because of the nature of Athson’s story.
More back-story about Withlings – as I prepared The Bow of Destiny, I knew there would be lots of questions about Withlings and the mystery surrounding them. Sometimes wonder-workers, sometimes mystics, these characters are quite different in nature so their story needed to be developed. For that, I turned to a short story entitled, What Is Needed, which refers to the common saying among Withlings.

Ralda’s deeper characterization – this giant of a character had a makeover – again at my daughter’s suggestion. Before her suggestions, I had added that Ralda used a supplemental sign-language common among his people. Also, Ralda’s back-story about his brother took on a deeper meaning as something which motivates him. But at my daughter’s suggestion some appearance changes were added. Ralda (and giants) use a set of tattoos on their hands and fingers to augment their signing was one of the main details that came from the make-over.

There are many other details that I added along with some that were removed. Check back next week to find out what I removed.

Thanks for reading today, please leave your thoughts in the comments section and I’ll reply as soon as I can. If you want to know more about The Bow of Hart Saga, please see the series page.