Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale - Colin McComb

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Dedication This book is dedicated to the three most important women in my life: my daughter, my wife, and my mother, and to the two most important men: my son and my stepfather. To the family I grew with, and the family I'm growing. Your support and your love are my world, the walls of which can face the fiercest storms. Acknowledgements This is the part where I get to thank everyone without whose help I could not have done even this much. Naturally, all errors are mine. Any advice or insight provided to me was done so on the basis of expertise and authority, and I converted it for use in developing the story. If I have destroyed details, forgotten something, or bastardized that knowledge, it is entirely my responsibility and no blame should accrue to others. Many thanks to those who worked on this book. It is good to know people, but in particular, it is very, very good to know these people. • My editor, Ray Vallese, who needs no adjective because he is superlative. • My fantastic cover artist, Stone Perales (www.stonewurks.com) • Graphic designer extraordinaire, Don Strandell (www.donstrandell.com) • Electronic formatting maestro, game designer, and writer Guido Henkel (www.guidohenkel.com) • Andrew Hernandez, for suggestions, advice, and help of all stripes To my first readers: Bradford Clay Matheson, Gavin and Scott McComb, Kevin Pohle (and Toni and Andrew and Nickel), David Thomas, and David Wise. Your insights and enthusiasm kept me going. For invaluable advice, whether they knew they were giving it or not: Phil Athans, my brother Mike McComb of the US Navy, and Pierce Watters. For some particular friends, who helped spark my brain: Chris Avellone, who is dreamy; Chip Bumgardner, who is fearless; Monte Cook, who taught me to yes, have some; Bruce Cordell, leader of Team Ninja; Tony, Angela, and Sophia DiTerlizzi for a friendship almost two decades long; Paul and Jen Kemp and their three rapscallions (can I say rapscallions? Awesome); Sean Reynolds for being shavey first; and Steven Schend and Sarah Joseph and young Oscar, who is soon to be a big brother. Many thanks to my patrons, both the ridiculously generous and the very interested. You know who you are. Your aid, no matter the amount, was humbling and uplifting. It is my sincere hope that you feel you've received fair value for your faith, and that you'll stick around to see where the story goes. Without you, this book might well have remained unpublished and unpolished. To my senior patrons: Clinton J. Boomer, Will Cronenwett, Steven Dengler, and Nancy Wastcoat Garbett—enjoy your villainy! Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale 97
To the faithful: Johnny Earle, Isabella McColi (the cat who made it possible), and Michelle Vuckovich, the original cool girl (now the cool woman). To the players: Paul Buss (whose company I miss), my dearest sister Babbie Lester, my kindest brother Gavin McComb, Dick Olson who is venturing far from his comfort zone (brave soul!), and Michael Stoyanovich, with a perspective we should emulate. To the fruitful: Amy Canaday and her delightful children, and to la familia Ortiz (Pablo, Mariela, Victoria, y Santiago), muchas mas gracias, and to Carrie Read (I'm still sorry about the F-word!), and to Aunt Polly Weissman. To the readers: Paul Barrett, Jára Červinka, Bruce Cordell, Brian Darnell, Uncle John and Aunt Babbie Earle, Nathan Filizzi, Scott Gable, Mary “Dr. Dream Chaser” Gebhart, Apollo Haner, Tracy Davis Hurley, Nicole Lindroos, Erik Lundqvist, Ben McFarland, Ryan Merlo (who is not a dick, no matter what Dan says), the vulture Danielle Radford, Steven Schend, Christopher Simokat, Aunt Wendy Sopkovich, Rob Steiner, Bradford Stephens, Val & Trevor & Delaney Vallese, and Aunt Connie Wastcoat and Don Strandell. Thank you. Thank you all. Colin McComb Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale 98
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This book is a work of fiction. Eve
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Prologue He rode, his proud face bl
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His father was one of the Knights F
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“You were knocked unconscious by
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The General’s Tale I write this l
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I have led men in the Imperial armi
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though I have a good idea who order
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I will not recount here the full pa
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When the 4,000 knights (a mixture o
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populace turn away from its externa
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Most of the nobles with whom I met
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histories, we set off a feud betwee
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I gave him my full attention. A sma
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a gesture toward my leg: I had band
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I found Hargrave and told him to ca
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to you. It’s a poor strategist wh
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“Glasyin, I would hold you in the
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“How did they turn you?” He fro
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Interlude: Out of the City Pelagir
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at his side and his pet wizard at h
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anks of the Knights Faithful, valua
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The Forester’s Tale Cold steel pr
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It was midafternoon. We had been ru
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His hard mouth quirks slightly. “
Page 50 and 51: Like the other recruits, Pelagir wa
Page 52 and 53: The new knights were healing quickl
Page 54 and 55: Caltash said, would develop a uniqu
Page 56 and 57: The Taverner’s Tale One account o
Page 58 and 59: Only the man moved way too fast for
Page 60 and 61: ought before you knew who I might b
Page 62 and 63: The Sailor’s Tale The errant knig
Page 64 and 65: “Out of the way,” Pol snarled,
Page 66 and 67: he said or maybe he was playing a b
Page 68 and 69: The Ocarina’s sailors began to st
Page 70 and 71: Tell no one of what you have seen h
Page 72 and 73: “In a safe place, with trusted co
Page 74 and 75: “She will be taught of duty, hono
Page 76 and 77: Winter, CY 585 The Shepherd’s Tal
Page 78 and 79: Magi might have some stern question
Page 80 and 81: around long enough for me to know w
Page 82 and 83: life I’d chosen slipping away in
Page 84 and 85: “I know this is a shock,” I sai
Page 86 and 87: “No, I suppose they wouldn’t fo
Page 88 and 89: “You claimed the king as your fri
Page 90 and 91: “Though he does not know it yet,
Page 92 and 93: “Without reserve. He has been cru
Page 94 and 95: “I can’t tell you that.” He l
Page 96 and 97: can be refugees looking for a new h
Page 98 and 99: Glasyin studied him, stroking the b
Page 102: About the Author Colin McComb was b
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Oathbreaker, Book 1: The Knight's Tale - Colin McComb

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