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    Origins: Gruff
    Origins: Gruff
    Origins: Gruff
    Ebook85 pages1 hour

    Origins: Gruff

    By Raymond Clarke

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    About this ebook

    If you've ever wondered what made Gruff gruff, read his tragic tale of lust and betrayal here.

    Origins: Gruff explored the origins of one of the most beloved characters introduced in Equivocal Destines, book 1 of the Upheaving Nidola epic fantasy series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRaymond Clarke
    Release dateJan 4, 2016
    Origins: Gruff
    Author

    Raymond Clarke

    Raymond Clarke is an Australian author living in Poland. With a diverse background ranging from technical through to the humanities and an over-active imagination, he strives to craft character-driven stories within scientifically/technically accurate, cohesive worlds.

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      Book preview

      Origins - Raymond Clarke

      Upheaving Nidola

      Origins: Gruff

      RAYMOND CLARKE

      Text

      Published by Raymond Clarke

      Copyright © 2015 Raymond Clarke

      All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, modified or transmitted without the express, prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, contact raymond.clarke.author@gmail.com.

      Cover art

      Copyright © 2015 Rafał Gochna

      (gochna.rafal@tlen.pl)

      Reproduced with permission.

      Licence notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional free copy for each recipient. If you're reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      DEDICATION

      Oddly enough, I’d like to dedicate this short story to my sister, Natasha Minson. Why? Simply because it was Natasha who gave me the idea to write it, by asking me what Gruff’s history was. So, here you are Natasha - as requested :)

      CONTENTS

      Dedication

      A Request to All Readers

      Sequencing Notes

      B.G.

      Sunny’s

      Weapons Practice

      Tumble n’ Rough

      M.G.

      A Beautiful Shackling

      The Red Rose

      K.G.

      P.G.

      More Books in the Series

      About the Author

      A REQUEST TO ALL READERS

      On behalf of all indie authors, everywhere.

      As an indie author (an author of an independently published work), I rely on you, my readers, much more than a traditionally published author would. Our books effectively live and die based on the feedback and reviews of our readers.

      I have, and always will (if possible) make the electronic versions of all of my books available at the minimum realistic price, which at the time I published my first full-length novel, Equivocal Destines, was $US2.99. None-the-less, the market is flooded with e-books at this price point - of both high and dubious quality - and it can be nearly impossible for readers to sift through the pile for the few gems on offer.

      This short story, like all of my short stories, is published as a permafree title (in the jargon), meaning it is, and always will be, available for free. Think of it as a freebie extra to add depth and more perspective into my fictional world, and as a response to requests from my readers (one of whom is my sister).

      With all of this in mind, I ask you to please review Origins: Gruff, and any other books you read and enjoy, anywhere that you feel it appropriate. You are also welcome to leave a comment. I, for my part, will always read all reviews and comments, and reply if requested or required.

      This is all part of the social contract indie authors accept when we self-publish our works.

      Apart from your e-book retailer, I recommend adding feedback for all indie books on Goodreads.

      See the end of this ebook for links to my various profiles.

      SEQUENCING NOTES

      This short story, Origins: Gruff, is part of my Upheaving Nidola series of epic fantasy novels. You’re welcome to read and (hopefully) enjoy this story as a standalone work of fiction, but you may not fully apprehend the context of the world it exists in. The events in this short story are set before those in the first novel in the series, Equivocal Destines, but the novel does most of the heavy lifting of world-building and context-creating. I therefore recommend you read the full-length novel before this short story. Or at least that you re-read Origins: Gruff after reading Equivocal Destines.

      Informal Competition #1

      Just for fun, I'm going to run a bit of an informal competition. The chapter titles in this short story are all acronyms. I'll give a free copy of my whole Upheaving Nidola series to the first three people to figure out what they all mean. Unlike the chapter titles in my full-length novels, and the section titles in this short story, I'm not trying to be obtuse. The acronyms are all very logical and straightforward, if you think like me and understand the goal of the story ;)

      Informal Competition #2

      Anyone who’s read both Equivocal Destines and Origins: Gruff will be in a position to discover the massive plot hole that appears to exist between the novel and this short story. As with the previous competition, I’ll give a free copy of the whole Upheaving Nidola series to the first three people who spot this apparent plot hole and report it to me. If you’d like, I’ll also add your name to an updated version of this e-book, or you can stay anonymous. This is just for fun as it’s not actually a plot hole, but I can’t say more without spoiling the fun.

      B.G.

      Sunny’s

      Lah Lah stood on the ornately-carved bridge just to the north of the docks, anxiously awaiting the return of her parents, as she did every day, and always would, until they gave up their insane job and found a safer way to pay the rent. The East River was a narrow, ten metres wide and as straight as a board until it met the heavily-fortified locks that separated it from the cove directly to the north, and the Trerronbrel Ocean beyond. The buildings that crowded the city afforded her a direct line of sight out into the expanse of water north of Takelberorl, but only along a narrow stretch of water. If her parents weren’t coming in directly south, she wouldn’t be able to see their tiny fishing boat until it was almost within the locks and safe again. The wait was hell on her finger nails, and almost as bad on the bridge’s burgundy-lacquered carvings

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