To Face a Lion E-Book

G.D.K. Huffman

• Herausgeber: Gabriel Huffman
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Among the orcs, strength and capability are respected before all else. Something that has come between Iultsuch and his childhood friend. He has proven himself as a great hunter, but, in the arena of ritual combat, those are not the skills that are valued. Yet they are skills that his opponent, Stetes, possesses in spades. When the renowned warrior challenged his childhood friend, Lresuch, for her hand in marriage, Iultsuch was left with no other option but to face the warrior or miss his opportunity to do the same.

As their ritual combat approaches, where Death himself will watch over the proceedings, Iultsuch is given plenty of time to reflect on his foolhardy and potentially deadly choice. He knew he was not strong enough to move the boulder before him. But would Death be lenient and reward his bravery in some way he could not expect? In the end, would fighting Stetes leave him wounded and alone forever, or was it what he needed to show his dedication? The challenge required to demonstrate a less obvious kind of strength.

If he wants to prove his love, he is going to have to face the lion.

Leseprobe

To Face A Lion

G.D.K. Huffman

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

gdkhuffman.com

Copyright © 2023 by Gabriel Huffman

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023923716

ISBN 978-1-963222-01-2 (ebook)

ISBN 978-1-963222-00-5 (paperback)

To all the people who supported me even when I chose a harder path.

And to my God who pushed me to follow it.

To Face a Lion

“You should have known this would happen,” he broke the silence as they both looked toward the grove in front of them, the last of the underbrush being stamped into the ground as he spoke. Nothing but dust and blood would fill that space. “Lresech is close to you, but she's also a very good warrior, or did you think you were the only one to notice?”

From beside him on the log, Ieltsech shot his friend a glare to hide his intense discomfort with the situation. “I have known Sech my whole life Tiech, I think I know why I'm here,” after saying this though, his eyes returned to the ground between his feet. He had been there a long time, as evidenced by the ash-cold fire pit and the various words drawn into the dust at his feet. In fact he was drawing yet another symbol in the dirt with the butt of his hefty axe, whether a prayer or frustration his friend could not tell.

“I am aware,” Tiech replied, shaking his head and beginning to find his own shoes rather interesting as well. “That's why I thought you might have been a little more prepared for this. But I suppose it could sneak up on any of us.” Silence between the two followed as they observed their sturdy deerskin boots, but thankfully it was filled by the noise of the clan around them.

While they were sick to their stomach, the rest of the two tribes were ecstatic with what was about to happen here. Even though it would only be one fight, the victor would earn the right to challenge the legendary Lresech, counted among the greatest warriors of the Bounding Deer clan. Even though she wasn't a chief, none had expected there would only be two fighting to earn that right. But the reason for this was quite obvious when Stetes was taken into account, and even his challenger was having serious doubts as to whether his move had been wise or not.

Across the way stood the giant, his green muscles glinting in the sunlight as he talked to his friends around him, almost as if mocking the two on the opposite side. Already decked out for battle, the mighty Stetes did not need to think which word he wanted painted on his face and shield. He had fought enough battles to know which words would lead him to success: 'glory' was already written in red upon his forehead, with 'victory' drawn on his round shield sitting by his feet.

Laughing, he threw back his mane of black hair and gestured toward where the two friends sat across the cleared grove, sitting in a site identical to where he stood. Stetes had slept soundly under the stars, not at all worried about what his rival would do the next day, instead of writing and erasing glyphs in the dirt all night like his foe. Tiech could see his tusked lips moving, but he could not hear what the burly orc was saying, nor did he have to. He was just glad that Ieltsech could not as well.

He had never seen his friend like this, and he had been on at least a hundred hunting trips with him. When facing down a wild beast Ieltsech was fearless – Tiech had even watched him single-handedly take down the moose whose antlers now donned the robe of their clan's shaman. But now his eyes would not leave the dirt, and his breathing was long. It was not creating a pretty image for himself, unlike Stetes' charismatic boldness.

“Your armor is here right?” Tiech spoke up finally, just to try and break the tension. He knew perfectly well it was in the ferns behind the log, it had been there all night since his friend had come to sleep by the grove. Tiech had told him that he would leave him alone that evening, but in reality he had pitched his tent within sight of his friend to keep an eye on him. As far as he could tell, his friend had not left this position for the entire cold alpine night.

Ieltsech merely nodded, to which Tiech turned to grab the leather sack and heft it onto the ground in front of them. “Maybe we should test the fitting then,” Tiech continued, opening the large sack and grabbing out an arm piece. “It's not like you wear this all that often, could use some polishing too.”

“Need to get painted first,” grunted the grim orc, who had just kicked the dirt in front of him to clear away the words he had written. That was probably wise, because even though his friend had not been reading closely, he couldn't help but notice that some of the stuff had been rather embarrassing.

“You do not,” chuckled Tiech with as much mirth as he could muster. “Stetes practically slept in his, and they seem to have gotten him painted just fine.”

“He lives in iron,” mumbled Ieltsech, once again back at the dirt with the bottom of his hilt. “I fight in hide.”

“That is because you fight mighty beasts of the wild with the spear and bow,” his friend said as he tightened the iron plate around Ieltsech's arm, “not piddly men who hide behind walls and gates. You don't even need a shield, just took it off the llama for the first time in years to fight this fight, didn't you? Always sitting at the back of your tent when I come to visit!”

“Stetes is no great beast,” the nervous orc grunted, protesting in word, but not resisting his friend's moves to robe him in metal. “and we have to fight this fight with the axe, not the spear. When have I lifted an axe in my life other than to challenge some pines?”