The Elf Accord - Book Four of The Magi Charter

Jordan David

Description

The Elf Accord:
Santa Leopold has grown too comfortable in his mountain home in the heart of the Austrian Alps. A changing world forces him to take his people on a journey across medieval Christendom in search of a new home at the top of the world. The dangers and problems Leopold will face traveling through Europe are minor compared to what awaits him in the frigid arctic, an inhospitable land dominated by Polar Bears. This first prequel novel explores how Santa became located at the North Pole, the origin of the first elves, the founding of the complex and more. The stories of the people and events of the 12th century have long lasting consequences that will shape Christmas traditions for a millennium.

About the Magi Charter series:
For over two thousand years the legend of Santa Claus has endured. His is a Mission of peace as outlined in the Magi Charter, given to the first Santa by the Child. From humble beginnings, following that First Christmas, the Santa lineage has been passed down through the ages. This epic adventure tells the story of those Santas from the founding of the North Pole and the origin of the ancient elves, to our modern times where the world's problems affect even those in the secluded complex of the North, and concluding in the distant future which finds Santa and the elves committed to their mission on a galactic scale where Christmas traditions are barely recognizable. In every era, those committed to the Mission must find a way to deliver that which is needed most to those most deserving.

Sujets

• Fiction
• Fantasy

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 02 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781456620158
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Elf Accord
 
 
Jordan David
 
The Magi Charter
by Jordan David
 
 
 
 

 
The Elf Brief
The Elf Archive
The Elf Coup
The Elf Accord
The Elf Legacy
The Elf Resistance
The Elf Directive
The Elf Sojourn
The Elf Revelation
 
 
 
Cover art and interior illustrations by Rob “Wyndagger” Bockholdt
Copyright 2022 Jordan David,
All rights reserved.
 
 
Formatted, Converted, and Distributed by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-2015-8 (ebook)
 
 
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review
Contents
Chapter 1
Felkandisberg
Chapter 2
The Mountain King
Chapter 3
Westward Bound
Chapter 4
Price of Honor
Chapter 5
Apprentices
Chapter 6
Elsewhere
Chapter 7
Storm Clouds
Chapter 8
Lord Beruchtigt
Chapter 9
The Bear and the Arrow
Chapter 10
From Ann to Anna
Chapter 11
Krakow
Chapter 12
Road to Bingen
Chapter 13
Calais to Dover
Chapter 14
Queen Eleanor
Chapter 15
A & P
Chapter 16
A Royal Mess
Chapter 17
Aerial
Chapter 18
Summer Blizzard
Chapter 19
The Good Shepherd
Chapter 20
Ultimatum
Chapter 21
La Vita Nix
Chapter 22
Commitment, Family, Allegiance
Chapter 23
The Darkest Hour
Chapter 24
The Game
Chapter 25
The First Elves
Chapter 26
Period of Adjustment
Chapter 27
Glowbulbs
Chapter 28
The Way Home
GLOSSARY
 
 


 
 
 
“There is a place at the top of the world….”
 
- From an Austrian folktale
Chapter 1
 

 
Felkandisberg
 
Oren emerged from the tree line onto the North Road. He looked up into the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. Gauging the time to be near midday, he set off southward. A shrill whistle called his mastiff Sothis, out from the woods. The big dog sniffed cautiously before darting into the road and falling in beside him. Oren had to step a few paces to the side in order to avoid the mud his exuberant companion was kicking up.
Spring had come early this year for Austria. Drenching rains had been nonstop for the past week. Oren intended to leave his winter home weeks prior, but the storms made that impossible. It was slow going just getting to the main road. The forest was full of swollen creeks and slippery paths where ice still hid in the shade. He shifted the bulging backpack and his bow around to keep his balance on the muddy road. The last thing he wanted was to fall face first here; he’d look the fool making his first appearance in town this year like some lowly farmhand who just fell off a wagon.
Oren was a hunter; no, he was the hunter in these parts. Grumbling, the mighty hunter gingerly picked his way along the side of the muddy road. It would be easier and cleaner to stick to keep inside the trees, avoiding the so-called road. Even in the best weather naming it the North Road was still too grand a description. More like a dirt path that meandered through the forest and mountains. Sothis held no reservations about the mud and busied himself with running back and forth from one side to the other, nose inches from the dirt, enthralled with whatever it was dogs sensed.
Felkandisberg was the only settlement for miles around. It would be hours before they made it. Once there, word of his arrival would race through the town like lightning no doubt. People would be clamoring to hear of his adventures over the winter. Oren grinned thinking of the huge bear skin in his pack; that was one story he looked forward to telling. He had spent the past few months hunting and wintering in the depths of the forest where he enjoyed a private cabin and hunting grounds that only a handful of people could find. Oddly enough he’d not had a single visitor this season. Not that he minded, but it was strange. Perhaps that is why he was so eager to return to town come the first thaw. The winter had not been particularly bad, hunting and trapping were excellent by his recollection. His bundle was bulging with animal hides and leathers he’d prepared for trade. With any luck he’d get enough money to afford a new pair of boots and a coat. If he was really lucky, he might even have enough to commission a sword from the local armorer.
Why did he want a sword? Oren was a prime bowman, a legendary archer, both for game and competition. Swords were useless for him. It was a silly thought, but one that had popped into his imagination this winter. He spent many an hour thinking of wielding a sword. Not that he’d ever give up his bow. Never that. But still, it might be nice to have a backup weapon. A dagger sure was handy, and he had several on his person, but a sword… there were just times when a good sword could save your life where a bow could not. At least, that is what he told himself. If it were meant to be, a sword he would acquire. If not, he’d do without. Besides, if he really needed a sword, all he had to do was ask; money need not keep him from a sword. That brought a sour taste to his mouth.
Lord Guy Babenberg; his employer and primary source of income. Oren had been in Lord Guy’s good graces for many a year. Ever since he’d renounced his claim to his father’s lands and found out just how hard it was to live by the bow alone. Curse his youthful, impulsive self. With no trade skill or income of his own, he was grateful for Lord Guy to make him an offer to join his household. There he quickly rose to become the best hunter, preferring to spend long periods on his own and away from the rabble Lord Guy employed. That solitude became a source of friction between Oren and the Lord quickly enough. Lord Guy expected his men to stay near his private estate, ready to take orders and carry them out. The sort of tasks not to Oren’s liking. Often they were told to harass local farmers of the neighboring Lords, destroy crops, raid livestock, and occasionally have an all-out battle with their counterparts of the rival Lords.
No, that sort of work was not Oren’s way. If he wanted to engage in nonstop battle with other men just to gain a few acres of land, he’d have kept his birthright and carried on the family House. Last he heard of his brothers they were doing just that. Along with all the other nobles and lords in the territory of Austria. Such a waste. If men felt compelled to risk their lives and destroy things, there were plenty of worthy challenges in the forest. Let them try their nerve and steel against a boar or wolf. He’d be happy to show them just where to find those sorts of foe. But no, men preferred to fight one another more often than not. And for what? Gold, land, martyrdom? What was the point? Nope, it made no sense to him. He would stick to what he knew; the forest and the plethora of trials it contained. An honest fight with a bear and a great story to boast of afterward was all he desired.
It was that kind of thinking that was a point of contention with Lord Guy and his cronies. Oren stayed away on extended hunts as much as he could. His skill with the bow and knowledge of the territory was equaled to none. Though they might think him a coward to avoid battles and other nasty work that came with being a man-at-arms, no one dared to speak such directly to his face. Insults like that would loose an arrow from his bow faster than a man could blink or retract his words. Just because Oren avoided combat on the battlefield did not mean he had any qualms when it came to personal honor.
Lord Guy provided all his men with a certain amount of funds each year. Bonuses were paid out whenever they were victorious in battle or upsetting the neighbors enough to cause a rival Lord to seek capitulation with Lord Guy. In addition to a salary, Lord Guy also supplied the armor and weapons his men needed. Oren avoided those sorts of gifts. Lord Guy’s men kept close track of who was given what and those that had the newest and most expensive arms were expected to pay for it on the battlefields. His bow was made by his own hand, his garments as well, his boots and some other things paid for from his wages. He liked to think his money was payment for his hunting skill and scouting of enemy territory.
Lord Guy himself tended to overlook his spirit of independence. For the most part. The others of the household were less tolerant, confusing solitude with being disloyal. Though it was rare such sentiments met Oren’s ears, he knew it was whispered. Which brought his thoughts back around to the sword. Should he go to Lord Guy’s blacksmith and request such a weapon, he’d be that much more in Lord Guy’s debt and expected to pay out in the other ways. For now, he did his job as a hunter and scout and kept out of the way of Lord Guy’s men and all their machinations.
Oren was a bit of a celebrity in the region. Well known for having renounced his family’s lands and inheritance. He was even better known for his prowess with the bow. His tracking abilities and knowledge of the forest was the stuff of legend. Felkandisberg had festivals throughout the year with contests to see who could get the biggest deer, or bear, or wolf. Oren always won. Any contest of the bow was no contest for him. The local people loved cheering him on; even those who competed against him and lost considered it an honor. But his favorite part of any such contest or just going about his life was the telling of the stories of his triumphs and tribulations.
Perhaps it was a combination of his skill and fame that allowed for him to enjoy more freedom than the other men of Lord Guy’s employ. Perhaps that is why Lord Guy himself avoided Oren and chose not to rein him in. A sword would change all of that. Unless he could pay for it himself. Yet, where would he get such a thing? The only armorer who could make a good one was Lord Guy’s man. The town’s b