{"id":255489,"date":"2026-07-13T04:22:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T01:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/cauldrons-charms-and-chai-tl-stone\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T04:22:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T01:22:53","slug":"cauldrons-charms-and-chai-tl-stone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/cauldrons-charms-and-chai-tl-stone\/","title":{"rendered":"Cauldrons Charms And Chai – TL Stone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After hours of worry, he couldn\u2019t stop the half laugh, half sob that burst from his lips. \u201cWh-what?\u201d Thrain jerked awake, spluttering on a snore and jerking to sitting. He blinked hard as he focused on Vaskel, finally shaking his head. \u201cVask?\u201d Suddenly, Vaskel realized he didn\u2019t have a reason for being in Thrain\u2019s room.<\/p>\n

Not one he could tell the dwarf. Not yet. Not before he was sure how deep his friend was under Marina\u2019s spell. \u201cI was worried about you.\u201d This was true. \u201cYou were out so late.\u201d Thrain dragged a hand through his dark, wiry beard before cocking his head. \u201cDidn\u2019t know I had a curfew.\u201d Vaskel\u2019s face warmed. Fretting about his friends comings and goings wasn\u2019t something he\u2019d ever done, which made it even more awkward that he\u2019d invaded the dwarf\u2019s bedroom so early. \u201cSorry, I\u2060\u2014\u201d Vaskel barked a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pulling your leg, laddie. If you must know, I was with Marina, the newcomer I introduced around the tavern last night.\u201d Vaskel bit the inside of his mouth to keep from saying something about Marina he\u2019d regret. \u201cWhere did you go when you left the tavern? Is she staying nearby?\u201d Vaskel would love to know if Marina and her new hellkin crew were camping in the woods or if they\u2019d taken over a cottage after dispensing with the occupants.<\/p>\n

He knew for certain they weren\u2019t at the Wayside Inn, which was the only place in town with rooms to let. \u201cYou could say that.\u201d Thrain swung his feet over the side of the bed, and they almost touched the floor. \u201cShe\u2019s a guest at Greyhelm Castle.\u201d This surprised Vaskel. \u201cThe castle?\u201d Had Marina befriended the ailing laird in the past two decades?<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s not related to the laird.\u201d Thrain chuckled. \u201cAye, there aren\u2019t any hellkin lairds. No, she\u2019s the guest of the castle since she\u2019s a renowned healer. She\u2019s come to help the dying laird.\u201d The old ruler of Greyhelm Castle had been on death\u2019s door for so long that Vaskel doubted there was anything a true healer, much less a fake one like Marina, could do for him.<\/p>\n

A scowl tugged at his mouth as he thought of Marina\u2019s cunning charm and the false hope she was giving a dying man. The dwarf smacked his forehead with one meaty hand. “But why am I telling you this? You know her.” Vaskel froze.<\/p>\n

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VASKEL RAN a hand over one of his horns, the ridged surface warm despite the snowflakes occasionally landing on it. He let the door to the Wayside Inn close with a sigh behind him as he took in the snowy village that was sluggishly shrugging off the dawn. Birds stayed nestled under eaves dripping with icicles, and thatch roofs huddled under blankets of glistening snow.<\/p>\n

Smoke curled from chimneys, twisting and spinning into the sullen sky that foretold another snowy day. The solstice might have passed and the days might be lengthening, but that didn\u2019t mean the village wasn\u2019t in for more winter. Vaskel rubbed his bare hands together and smiled, invigorated by the cold. To say that the hellkin ran hot would be a vast understatement. \u201cThought you\u2019d sneak out without me?\u201d He turned at the voice from behind, stepping forward as Cali slipped outside with him.<\/p>\n

The pantheri wore her usual snug-fitting brown leather pants and vest, her bow and a quiver of arrows slung over one shoulder and her gray-striped arms exposed. She also relished the cold, although for her it had to do with her fur and not because she was an infernal being like Vaskel. \u201cWhen has anyone ever evaded you?\u201d he asked with a wry grin, as he flipped up the collar of his long cloak. The archer returned his smile, lifting one shoulder as if acknowledging the truth of this.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anyone could, it would be you.\u201d His former crew mate knew him just as well as he knew her, and she knew all too well that one of his many talents was stealth, aided by his unnatural ability to sense danger before it reared its head. \u201cBut why would I?\u201d He stepped away from the rustic wooden building, heading for the market stalls that were still in the process of being set up.<\/p>\n

Cali fell in step with him, both their tails swinging behind them. \u201cMaybe you have errands for the tavern you want to keep under wraps.\u201d He cocked a brow at her. He had taken over the job of bartender for the village tavern, but his tasks comprised pulling pints, charming the patrons, and keeping the bar clean. \u201cSecret errands?\u201d She laughed at this. \u201cI suppose not, although Lira might have given you tasks for the wedding.\u201d Now Vaskel chuckled as he stroked one hand down his short beard.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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