Knight of the Oaken Shield Book 1: Shadow Phoenix Rising

Preface part 1

Hooves thundered through the glowing fern forest. A man clad in silver half plate armor with pauldrons that glinted in the light of the two moons, rode a small paint horse through the dense underbrush of the forest. Other than occasionally glancing behind him to look for pursuers he was completely focused on the path ahead. The young knights eyes glinted with wide eyed fear as he kept himself bent low over the horses neck gripping the mares soft mane as they made their journey through the undergrowth. Sticks cracked, and small game could be heard scattering throughout the bushes. He looked back again, no sign of any pursuers.

Yet still the young knight continued bending low over the horse. A pale silver sword gleamed in the moonlight clutched in his right hand. He was sure he was being followed. A quick glance back once more confirmed his suspicions. Behind him still several miles back on pale white steeds were six armored individuals in clothed him black scale male and plate shrouded in thin black cloaks. One pointed the tip of a spear at him. The spear was black in color with thin blade that was pearl white. What the spear was the rider couldn't tell but he soon sensed mana fluctuations from the weapon. Yanking the reins of his horse he veered to the right going off the old goat path he had been following through the forest. A hum of power and a bright beam of energy struck the space he had just been in. The air sizzled as yet another attack came flying at him. He pulled on the reins once again and his horse reared back on its hindquarters. An electric jolt spread through Orrin's body causing the tips of his fingers to sting. A numbing feeling spread through out his body as his mind was trying to move things that wouldn't obey his commands. A stinging itchy feeling continued to spread until Orrin could no longer feel his feet in the stirrups.

"Shit, poison," Orrin cursed casting his dimming vision about until he discovered the source of the stinging sensation. A green blade not even a fingers length had pierced his thigh. The blade had no hilt and only a tiny cross guard. The blade was made from a green jade like material. He quickly realized his horse had fallen as he was now vertical laying in the soft forest dirt but it was all mute to him. He couldn't feel the dirt or even his own limbs but he still managed to remove the small blade. It was like releasing a fresh gale of wind in a dragon's nest his mind cleared of fog but he could still feel the poison at work. Leaping from his lower body up toward his chest with surprising speed. Knowing how much danger he was in, he gasped a fist full of dirt and willed his legs to move. He furiously circulated his mana and aura to strengthen his legs. Pain blossomed as fire worked its way through his nervous system. But he still managed to struggle to his feet.

The wind began to pick up as dust blew over the trail obscuring his track to the naked eye. Then he went to his horse and calmly removed a small brown leather bag from the collection of his saddle bags. He then leaned in and stroked the wild windswept mane of the mare he had cared for for all of its life.

"Be swift my friend," He said wiping tears from his eyes as he grasped the reins and turned the horse to face further down the trail. With a swift swat he sent the horse skittering forward neighing a protest back at Orrin. But he continued into a gallop down the trail. Orrin quickly gathered his stuff and threw himself into the forest looking for a suitable place to hide not far from the trail but hidden enough if they decided to stop to search. He was careful enough to make sure he erased all traces of him passing through. He finally found a little knoll only a few yards from the main trail and just as he tucked himself in there he heard horses beating a path down the trail. The knoll was uncomfortable as it was tucked underneath the knotted roots of a massive oak tree. Orrin clutched the leather bound hilt of his bare longsword tightly trying to hide its silvery glint under his greying cloak.

As the horses neared He forced himself to become still, lowering his breathing until it came in long, slow, almost imperceptible puffs. The rattling of reins and the heavy breathing of the pale colored horses rang out through the gloom of the forest. As the sound became so loud he was sure they were just on the other side of the knoll he was hiding in, the sound stopped. A cold tingle ran down his spine as he struggled to keep himself as still as one could be crouched in a alcove formed by knotted tree roots and dirt. But his heart jumped further when he the horses shuffle to a stop in the clearing. He focus mana into a swirling cyclone of formless blue energy that was positioned near his left hear and he willed the energy of sound to enter. He immediately felt the drain on his mana increase as he was still maintain the spell to hide his mana signature. But he had to hear what his pursuers were after and any other thing he might glean from any conversation they may have.

For a while it was eerily silent, he could hear his heart pounding a rhythmic chant inside his head nearly making his ears pop. He heard the sound of more reins rustling and leather scraping against leather. Then the clang of heavy metal boots hitting the rough path. Two more sets of boots hit the ground almost a second after the first simultaneously. Orrin forced himself to hold his breath as the footsteps began to move around the small clearing slowly and steadily. He could definitely surmise what it was they were looking for, tracks. More specifically His tracks. So he stayed perfectly still.

Though through this he tracked their movement. Until finally they stopped. A low rough voice obviously belonging to a heavier set man rumbled.

"He's attempting to give us the slip!" Armor clinked and a sharp crack rang out.

"Of course he's trying to give us the slip you idiot, do you think he was the Master-at-arms for the Order of the Oaken Knights for no reason," a silvery voice said. The voice had undertones of mana and was distinctly female. But it was a beautiful voice indeed, sweetened like honey and strangely alluring. Orrin focused his mind. He was all too familiar with that voice and the terror that it held.

"The question is where is he going? From the tracks he looks like he is leaving the Forest of Whispers."

"NO," This voice was deep. The ground trembled knocking dirt into his face. The trees rattled and leaves fell to the ground although it was mid spring.

"He wouldn't leave the forest," The rumbling continued sounding more like a volcano and less like a voice. Silence stretched into the gloom but only for a few ticks.

"What if he did. What do we do then? We were expressly told not to leave the forest of whispers," The female voice stated. Again silence then.

"We will have to converse with Lord Dathran, Let us return." The voice broke no argument from the other two. And this was supported by the fact that he heard three swift strides as they returned to their steeds and mounted them. In a flurry of dirt the thundering of hooves resumed this time headed in the opposite direction. However, Orrin still didn't move from his hiding place instead he waited a good turn and a half before moving in the slightest. He poured over the information he had received and decided upon a direction to move. Briefly though his mind wandered to thoughts of home and the red haired girl he left behind. His daughter would no doubt think him dead at this point. And from what he had witnessed perhaps it was better that way.

Moving as quietly as he could he slipped out from his little hiding knoll and as quiet as a fire fox slipped into the dense underbrush. He had one location in mind and it wasn't home. He was going to the ancient city of Renoak.