Thorn
The Shepherd, Book III
A Novel by Jeffrey B. Linn
All Rights Reserved

Chapter II

The gatekeeper barely paused but headed back out and down the steps. There we met Bebaios and two other old ones whom I hastily learned were archons. We stood in formation: the gatekeeper at the head, with myself inconsequentially to his right, the archons in a row behind us. The gatekeeper gave a nod at two youths and they unbolted the gate and slowly pulled the doors open. All this was executed with hardly a word uttered.

The doorway afforded a view of the eparchs and their monstrous champion dead ahead. The gatekeeper set off striding. I attempted the same, though the turf seemed to grab at the toes of my sabots. The steps of the archons in the rear fell evenly. When we were about two horse lengths from them the gatekeeper gestured for us to halt.

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