DRAGONSKULL: SWORD OF THE SQUIRE – a short excerpt
Now on Chapter 3 of 20 of DRAGONSKULL: SWORD OF THE SQUIRE, which means it’s time to share an excerpt!
Both characters in this bit are seventeen years old. I haven’t realized this before, but it’s fun to write from the perspective of a seventeen-year-old because they’re kind of oblivious and often do dumb things. Now, you might be seventeen years old and reading this, and be offended. Perhaps you are an exceptionally clever and responsible seventeen-year-old. Such people do exist! However, I guarantee that once enough time passes, even an exceptionally clever and responsible person will look back at some of the things their seventeen-year-old self did and think “that was dumb.” 🙂
Anyway, the excerpt!
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“My father says that the Northerland will never have peace until the medvarth and the ice dwarves are driven past the Black Mountain and into the Wilderland,” said Philip.
Gareth thought about it. “What does your mother think?”
Philip snorted. “She thinks the nature of mankind means there will never be an end to war.”
That sounded like the sort of wise but nonetheless gloomy thing that Lady Antenora would say.
“Of course, Mother isn’t wrong,” said Philip. “Look at you and Crake.”
Gareth sighed. “Not again, Philip.”
“When you came here last year, I really thought the two of you would be friends,” said Philip.
“If he weren’t a braggart and an oaf who never shuts up, we would get along just fine,” said Gareth. “Does he complain about you to me?”
“Yes, frequently,” said Philip.
“I can imagine,” said Gareth. He started doing an impression of Crake. “The Southron’s only the Dux’s squire because his father is the Constable of Tarlion. The Southron got chased out of Tarlion because he fought a duel over some knight’s betrothed. The Southron’s so besotted over a girl that he can’t think straight. The Southron isn’t a hearty northerner like me, even though I’m from bloody Cintarra, but I act like I was born in a blizzard in the Northerland and nursed by a she-wolf.”
Philip said nothing.
“Well?” said Gareth.
Philip sighed. “Animals are so much less quarrelsome than people.”
-JM