Legends of Lasniniar: Shadow Stalker – Jacquelyn Smith

Legends of Lasniniar: Shadow Stalker

Series: The World of Lasniniar

Barlo wanders the underground streets of Dwarvenhome with only the wildcat Sinstari for company.

His days of adventure seem long behind him. He misses the thrill of battle, the journey to strange new places…

He misses Iarion.

Bereft of the elven best friend who always accompanied him into danger, Barlo’s life now revolves around a seemingly endless stream of clan meetings.

But fate—and Sinstari—have other plans.

A stand-alone story of action and adventure from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series by Jacquelyn Smith.

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This title is also available as part of the Legends of Lasniniar Shadow Stalker Collection.

Barlo walked the streets of Dwarvenhome, his mind wandering elsewhere. Other dwarves passed him in the corridors carved deep into the heart of the Jagged Mountains with a nod or wave of greeting as he went by. Barlo acknowledged them out of habit.

Sinstari trailed behind him. The dwarves who noticed the wildcat gave Barlo a wide berth. Even though Sinstari had become a fixture of the city, the cat still spooked most of the dwarves, who rarely ventured above ground. Barlo shrugged off their reactions. He was used to them by now.

His thoughts returned to the latest round of clan meetings and he suppressed a yawn. With the Third War of the Quenya over and the Free Peoples of Lasniniar liberated from Saviadro and his minions, a new, more peaceful era had begun. Although some of the Marred Races still wandered the lands in scattered groups, they were hardly a threat. As a result, the topics of the meetings had begun to focus on more tedious, internal concerns. After everything Barlo had gone through to help overthrow Saviadro, the meetings held little interest for him.

He missed the days when he could wander the lands in search of adventure, Iarion at his side…

Barlo shook his head, pushing away his familiar grief. Iarion was gone. The elf had died during their quest to reunite the Quenya. After the magical force had been rejoined, Iarion had passed on, leaving Barlo without his best friend. Even though he knew Iarion would eventually be reborn, years had passed since his death. Barlo missed him every day.

The wary glances in Sinstari’s direction only reminded Barlo how different he was from most other dwarves despite his similar to them he might look with his ruddy complexion, brown beard, and thick frame. No one from Dwarvenhome had traveled as much as he had, and none were as close to the elves. Barlo’s adventures had set him apart.

Sinstari ignored the looks. Barlo found himself taking comfort in the cat’s stoicism. Sinstari was even more of an outsider than he was. The cat had been born and raised in the north, in the wood of the Wild Elves, before becoming Iarion’s companion. Iarion had asked Barlo to take care of Sinstari for him before he had died.

In Barlo’s opinion, the cat was more than capable of taking care of himself, but he didn’t have the heart to refuse his friend’s last request. Although Barlo had doubted the cat would stay with him in the underground city, Sinstari had followed him willingly. The creature’s constant presence had become a comfort to Barlo over the years. Sometimes, he felt like Sinstari understood him better than anyone else.

[Copyright © Jacquelyn Smith, 2021]