Sergeant Farlan Burkenshaw
Human, sergeant with the Aruam Castle guard, first appeared in chapter 04 in Shadows in the Stone
The last rays of sun shined into Sergeant Farlan Burkenshaw’s blue eyes. He stared intensely south west, past the front gates of Maskil and to the road meandering into the thick forest towards Ellswire.
Earlier in the day, his best friend Bronwyn Darrow had departed in that direction. Bronwyn had travelled The Trail for almost seven moons before returning home to visit family and friends. Although they wanted him to stay longer, he set off again after only five days.
His return to Aruam Castle was met with mixed emotions. Guards familiar with the former sergeant welcomed him and eagerly shared stories about recent events. Strangers to the dwarf however were weary of his presence. They spoke only when necessary and left the room at the first opportunity.
Time and distance had separated Farland and Bronwyn, but once reunited, the long days of absence disappeared. Their hours together imitated the carefree days of their youth at the castle, making time pass swiftly.
Now, with Bronwyn back on The Trail with no plan to return soon, the emptiness Farlan had experienced on his friend’s first leaving resurfaced. The insecurities also returned, making him anxious for the castle and the citizens of Maskil. Though Farlan felt confident in his abilities to defend against the enemy, the absence of Bronwyn created a void, the feeling of being alone against forces only they perceived. One had always protected the others back, an impossible task when they were separated.
Castle Keepers Vignette: Almost five years has passed since Isla was kidnapped and Bronwyn left Maskil in search of her. In many ways, not much has happened; the inhabitants of the Land of Ath-o’Lea have continued their daily routine. But if you look deeper into the individual lives you’ll see much has changed in little ways.
The Castle Keeper vignettes provide a glimpse into the time between Shadows in the Stone and Scattered Stones. You’ll have already met many of the characters, but some you will meet in Scattered Stones.
These vignettes won’t be complete stories, only 300 words of a moment. I consider them exercises in writing and editing. I hope to write two a week and post them on Mondays and Thursdays as we lead up to the release of Scattered Stones, the second fantasy novel of the Castle Keepers series, on May 6, 2016.
The collection of vignettes will be organised on the Castle Keepers Vignettes page. On the first of each month, I will post the schedule of the characters I will write about that month.
Diane McGyver 