Heartstone - Chapter 41: Chapter 41
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Avera walked through the training grounds, the sun casting long shadows over the sharpening stones and practice dummies. She found Dalen sitting quietly on a log, his gaze distant.
She sat beside him gently. “Do you miss home?”
Dalen sighed, eyes reflecting memories.
“Yes…” he said, his eyes distant. “My friends… I don’t even know if they think I’m alive. It’s strange—being forgotten by a world you once knew so well.”
“I miss Nikola. He taught me everything I know.” Said Avera. “I never got to meet him… my real father but I think he would’ve been proud of the woman you’ve become.”
Dalen looked at her, a faint smile breaking through the shadows of his thoughts. “Yeah. He's proud of you wherever he is. And Niko too. You're a brave and stubborn woman.”
She laughed quietly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, but full of shared weight—of pasts lost and futures uncertain.
And then, Dalen added, “Wherever home is now… I think it’s changed. Maybe… maybe it’s here.”
Avera turned to him, her voice steady. “Then we’ll fight for it. Together.”
As they spoke, Marah approached, her expression serious. She held a small pouch filled with a dark, gritty powder.
Dalen’s eyes lit up. “What’s that you’re holding?”
“Gunpowder,” Marah replied calmly.
Dalen smiled, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “That could be a great advantage. How much do we have?”
Marah nodded. “More than a dozen. It was brought by one of the other clans.”
Dalen stood, energy returning. “We have work to do.”
With the soldiers gathered around, Dalen and his team worked tirelessly. They ground the gunpowder finer, mixing it carefully to create explosive bullets. They also tied small pouches of the powder to arrow shafts, crafting deadly projectiles designed to detonate upon impact.
“These arrows,” Dalen explained, “will be our answer to the sky machines. When they fly overhead, the explosions could bring them down.”
The village buzzed with newfound purpose—ancient swords mixed with modern ingenuity, preparing for a war that would decide their fate.
She sat beside him gently. “Do you miss home?”
Dalen sighed, eyes reflecting memories.
“Yes…” he said, his eyes distant. “My friends… I don’t even know if they think I’m alive. It’s strange—being forgotten by a world you once knew so well.”
“I miss Nikola. He taught me everything I know.” Said Avera. “I never got to meet him… my real father but I think he would’ve been proud of the woman you’ve become.”
Dalen looked at her, a faint smile breaking through the shadows of his thoughts. “Yeah. He's proud of you wherever he is. And Niko too. You're a brave and stubborn woman.”
She laughed quietly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, but full of shared weight—of pasts lost and futures uncertain.
And then, Dalen added, “Wherever home is now… I think it’s changed. Maybe… maybe it’s here.”
Avera turned to him, her voice steady. “Then we’ll fight for it. Together.”
As they spoke, Marah approached, her expression serious. She held a small pouch filled with a dark, gritty powder.
Dalen’s eyes lit up. “What’s that you’re holding?”
“Gunpowder,” Marah replied calmly.
Dalen smiled, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “That could be a great advantage. How much do we have?”
Marah nodded. “More than a dozen. It was brought by one of the other clans.”
Dalen stood, energy returning. “We have work to do.”
With the soldiers gathered around, Dalen and his team worked tirelessly. They ground the gunpowder finer, mixing it carefully to create explosive bullets. They also tied small pouches of the powder to arrow shafts, crafting deadly projectiles designed to detonate upon impact.
“These arrows,” Dalen explained, “will be our answer to the sky machines. When they fly overhead, the explosions could bring them down.”
The village buzzed with newfound purpose—ancient swords mixed with modern ingenuity, preparing for a war that would decide their fate.
End of Heartstone Chapter 41. Continue reading Chapter 42 or return to Heartstone book page.