Shadows and Strongholds: A NovelA medieval tale of pride and strife, of coming-of-age in a world where chivalry is a luxury seldom afforded, especially by men of power. England, 1148---ten-year-old Brunin FitzWarin is an awkward misfit in his own family. A quiet child, he is tormented by his brothers and loathed by his powerful and autocratic grandmother. In an attempt to encourage Brunin's development, his father sends him to be fostered in the household of Joscelin de Dinan, Lord of Ludlow. Here Brunin will learn knightly arts, but before he can succeed, he must overcome the deep-seated doubts that hold him back. Hawise, the youngest daughter of Lord Joscelin, soon forms a strong friendship with Brunin. Family loyalties mean that her father, with the young Brunin as his squire, must aid Prince Henry of Anjou in his battle with King Stephen for the English crown. Meanwhile, Ludlow itself comes under threat from Joscelin's rival, Gilbert de Lacy. As the war for the crown rages, and de Lacy becomes more assertive in his claims for Ludlow, Brunin and Hawise are drawn into each other's arms. Now Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and put to use all that he has learned. As the pressure on Ludlow intensifies and a new Welsh threat emerges against his own family's lands, Brunin must confront the future head on, or fail on all counts.... |
Contents
Section 1 | 19 |
Section 2 | 32 |
Section 3 | 50 |
Section 4 | 74 |
Section 5 | 86 |
Section 6 | 102 |
Section 7 | 119 |
Section 8 | 128 |
Section 19 | 325 |
Section 20 | 337 |
Section 21 | 348 |
Section 22 | 375 |
Section 23 | 389 |
Section 24 | 404 |
Section 25 | 417 |
Section 26 | 431 |
Section 9 | 136 |
Section 10 | 163 |
Section 11 | 197 |
Section 12 | 219 |
Section 13 | 231 |
Section 14 | 243 |
Section 15 | 253 |
Section 16 | 271 |
Section 17 | 296 |
Section 18 | 308 |
Section 27 | 454 |
Section 28 | 461 |
Section 29 | 478 |
Section 30 | 503 |
Section 31 | 521 |
Section 32 | 529 |
Section 33 | 553 |
Section 34 | 558 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alberbury arms asked battle beneath blood body braid breath Brunin castle Cecily chamber chemise chest child clenched coffer daughter destrier door Elizabeth Chadwick Emmeline Empress Matilda Ernalt de Lysle eyes face father feel felt fight fingers fist FitzWarin Fulke FitzWarin gambeson gave gaze Gilbert de Lacy girl glance going gown grandmother grin guard hair hand hard hauberk Hawise Hawise's Henry Hereford horse Hugh Jester Joscelin de Dinan King kiss knew knights Lacy's Lady Mellette laugh leaned linen lips looked Lord Gilbert Lord Joscelin Ludlow Marion marriage matter Mellette's mother mouth murmured never nodded Owain Gwynedd Perhaps raised Ralf Ralf's ride rode Roger saddle serjeant shield shook his head shoulder Shrewsbury shrugged Sibbi side smile sound squire stared swallowed sword Sybilla thought throat took tunic turned voice wall watched wedding Welsh Whittington wife wine women words wound