SPECIAL PREVIEW: First Two Pages Of My New Fantasy Novel

Cave of Dreams won't be published for several months, but I thought I'd share the first two pages with you.

Chapter 1

The Prophet & The Scribe

“All of us are fraught with the pangs and struggles of our duality – that ever present tug and pull of the two disparate and powerful forces that exist within us. And so it will be for the two black-haired beauties of my dreams. One had eyes blazing like blue sapphires that were filled with the flaming light of life, and the other possessed deep black orbs that virtually oozed of desperation and rage. Separate beings, yes, but both inescapably comprised of elements and aspects of the other.”

The Druid Priest, Erin

AD 500

Looking down the valley from the opening of the cave, through white flakes floating haphazardly towards the ground, Adair could see Erin’s apparition moving ever so slowly towards him, inching his way up the slope in the sluggish and unsteady movement of the aged. Adair had tried to assist his master, attempting to give him support and help along the final leg of his journey, but Erin had simply gazed up into Adair’s eyes, shook his head, and in a shaky yet determined voice, spoke softly saying, “This is my journey. I…must do it alone…”

Reaching the cave ahead of his master, Adair walked into the cavern, unloaded his burdens from the large satchel on his back and from the smaller one tied by the sash to his waist. He then completed the preparations for his master’s arrival. He laid out the candles, lit the peat fire inside the ring of stones that some previous inhabitant of the cave had built, and organized the small amounts of food, herbs, and water that remained from their journey, placing them near the edge of the steaming caldron at the back of the cave.

Finishing his tasks, he again stood at the entrance and glared into the storm, searching for the whereabouts of his master. Through the clouds of accumulating snow, it took a moment to find him, but when he finally did, it seemed that Erin had made very little progress. He could tell that the old man was beyond tiredness now, almost ready to collapse, slumping forward on his staff in what they both knew would be his final and ultimate journey. His tattered clothes were heavy and stuck to his frame, and his brown, patched woolen robe, his only real source of warmth, drooped and slid along the ground like an anchor, hampering his every step on the ancient path that traversed the Lost Valley floor. And towering above him, one on each side, were the twin peaks of Aonach Dubh and Gearr Aonach, making him seem even smaller and more feeble in the shadowy mists and mounting blizzard of this early winter storm.

Adair could hardly stand to watch any longer. He had served his old friend for eight years now, and he owed him his life. When he was ten, Adair’s parents had been killed in a fire that had consumed their thatched home. Erin had seen the fire from the Druid settlement nearby and brought help as quickly as he could, but it had been too late for Adair’s parents. Hearing someone nearby, Erin had followed the sound and found Adair sitting on the ground, slumped over and crying. He had taken pity on the young boy and immediately took him on as his servant, and once he saw how bright he was, he also trained him to be his scribe. They had been together ever since and were very close. Adair would have done anything for Erin and, even now, almost succumbed to the desire to rush down and give him aid, but he stood fast, obeying his wishes, and simply looked on. He would not interfere, at least not yet.

The old Druid priest and he had undertaken this journey because he had decided that this was his time to die and be reborn in order to truly become the prophet that his dreams had foretold. As a Druid, Erin knew that every leader of standing had undertaken a similar path to enlightenment, and it was his destiny to come to this most sacred of places, the Uaimh an Aisling or Cave of Dreams. It must happen here, and it must happen now.

His sandaled feet, almost completely numb from the icy snow, continued to slide along the stones, scuffing away the white flakes from each and exposing the dark slick rocks beneath. He almost fell several times, but somehow maintained his balance. The solid oak staff that he’d had all of his life was held tightly in his white-knuckled hand, and he leaned on it now more fervently than ever, feeling the long and arduous climb in every muscle and bone in his body. It seemed as if it had been months now since they had left their home on Innis-nam Druidbneach - the Island of the Druids - and because of Erin’s age, the journey had been extremely difficult, but now only a few steps remained, and he would finally be home.

Pausing, he turned his head and glanced over his shoulder down towards the valley floor where only this morning he and Adair had stood by a lonely gnarled pine near a fork in the stream. At that moment, the climb had not looked nearly as difficult or foreboding, and both of them had felt sure that they would be able to reach the cave before the oncoming storm set in. However, it hadn’t worked out as they’d hoped, and Erin was still laboring upwards while the layers of white sugary crystals collected in deeper and deeper pools along his path.

Wet and cold dripped from the creases in his pale skin; his ragged clothes doing little to keep the bitter temperature at bay. Every few steps he halted and stared ahead in the desperate hope that he might almost be there.

He could see Adair now, standing at the entrance to the cave, but at this point Erin was shaking almost uncontrollably and could feel the detrimental effects of the height of the climb, his weariness, and the lack of food and water. All of which were sapping whatever strength he had left. He ached and yearned to stop and lie down, but something kept pushing him forward as he placed one foot in front of the other – one step, then another, and another – then a pause – another step, then another, and another…

With less than a stone’s throw between Erin and himself, Adair had had enough. He sprang from the lip of the cave and ran down to meet his old friend. Sliding to a stop, he reached out and noticed how pale and weak Erin had become. Neither of them hesitated any longer as Erin raised a shaky hand and grabbed onto Adair’s shoulder. Together they tread the last few steps, climbed up to the entrance, and walked into the mouth of the Cave of Dreams.

Don't Forget to Update Your Kindle Copy of Rooms

If you have Rooms on your Kindle, or on a Kindle Reader for one of your devices, you can easily get the updated version by either emailing or calling Kindle Support at 1-888-280-4364 and asking them to update your current version.