Two Moons
Welcome to the Two Moons series of books. This fantasy (plus a little bit of sci fi) series is set in Earth's remote past, and follows Deor and her people's struggle for freedom. See below for the first of five stories...
The Eternal Tide
Deor has always felt out of place—haunted by dreams she can’t explain and a pull toward something just out of reach. She has memories, just beyond the grasp of her mind, of something in the past. Something she needs to know about, but cannot remember.
Ever since the Invasion fifteen years earlier, her people in Alcyone live oppressed by their neighbours, Merope. She lives each day in fear of the Patrollers, the Meropan military stationed throughout Alcyone to keep them from fighting back.
Something has to change, Deor knows this isn't how life is supposed to be. She feels it in her soul.
The Eternal Tide is the first book in the Two Moons series.
Chapter 1
Deor scanned the trees ahead, hunting for prey, as always. The vast Asman mountain range stretched away in front and behind her, mountains she knew well. Her brother, Sammu, stopped beside her and pointed. He’d seen something. Deor followed his gaze. Perhaps thirty metres in front of them, two hares nearly a foot tall nibbled on low grass. Youths, inexperienced, unused to listening out for humans, they hadn’t heard them coming. These should make for easy targets. Sam drew his bow, while Deor pulled a light spear from her sling.
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Deor aimed at the hare on the right, as her brother aimed at the one on the left. This was an unspoken instruction: fire at the one on your side, and do not fire across one another’s line. Trusting to her instinct, Deor launched her spear, as Sam fired his arrow. Both hares collapsed immediately. Dinner.
“Slim pickings,” Sam said, as they picked up their prey. “Would give a leg to see a bison one of these days.”
“I haven’t seen a bison in months,” Deor nodded. Their thick frame and meaty legs would be a welcome sight, and target. “Maybe a year.”
“I’m pretty sure the Patrollers shoot them for fun, when they see them. Even they couldn’t miss a bison,” Sam said.
“Such a waste,” said Deor. Since the invasion, fresh meat was hard enough to come by without the Patrollers taking more away. They already took everything else in the town, why couldn't they leave the game alone? Deor tied her hare to her kit, and with her brother walked on through the forest. Ideally, they’d find another couple of hares. Or at least a decent sized bird or two. There were five mouths to feed in her family, and her younger siblings were too young to help out much yet, except in the garden. For now, anyway. They could make four of these small hares stretch for a week. Or they could use two of the hares to trade.
“Let’s head for the clearing,” Deor said, “There’s sometimes game there. Maybe we’ll see a saber.”
“Dangerous hunting sabers,” said Sam. “Miss, and you’re mauled.”
They rounded a hill, and Deor froze. Instinctively, she put her hand on Sam’s arm, stopping him. Ahead, in the clearing, six Patrollers, seated in a rough circle in the middle. The furthest one away, facing her, looked up and saw her. Silence for a moment, as their eyes locked. That is, until he stood, and raised his rifle.
