JoAnn Roth, Author at Legacy of Shadows & Light

The Prince & The Locust – Part One

JoAnn Roth — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:26:03 +0000

The palace guardhouse was never silent. Men were at the ready, night and day, patrolling halls or cleaning arms and armor, vigilant, prepared. But as the evening waned into night, the clamor of men on a mission dulled to a quiet hum. Most left posts to repose by a warm fire with a tankard of honey mead or engage in a game of Gall’s Gambit, testing their skills at strategy and misdirection against their comrades.

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The Runaways – Part Eight

JoAnn Roth — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 19:05:51 +0000

Kellen stopped just before them and stared down at his sister and Fitch with a stony glare. “You’re unhurt?” It was as much an observation as it was a question. Aiyana nodded mutely, while Fitch kept his eyes focused on the laces of his boots, as if realizing the intricacies of their weaving for the first time.

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The Runaways – Part Seven

JoAnn Roth — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:34:59 +0000

“Whoa!” cried Fitch, his eyes wide. “Wh-… when… where… how did you do that?” When she was little, Aiyana would lie in bed at night and call forth the light, playing with it through her fingers to comfort her until the darkness was merely her eyes closing and she fell asleep. But as she got older, the shadows grew less menacing and she forgot about the light. It had been years since she’d even thought of it. But now, with its warmth spilling over her fingers and illuminating the darkness, she smiled, like she was greeting an old friend.

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The Runaways – Part Six

JoAnn Roth — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:59:48 +0000

Samaire had once told Aiyana that there was a legend amongst the elders that in the moments before a person died, their most important life memories would play out in their mind, however briefly. As Aiyana and Fitch stared up at the bear and their lantern began to flicker dangerously, she remembered two things. The first was that she'd forgotten to check the oil inside the lantern as she'd been interrupted by a servant in the middle of pilfering it. And as the light went out and all they could see was the glow of the bear's eyes in the darkened forest, Aiyana was struck with a second memory.

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The Runaways – Part Five

JoAnn Roth — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 16:10:40 +0000

“Do you think they're still out there?" Fitch whispered, his eyes wide and his breathing still ragged.

When they'd reached the forest, the children had run headlong into the overgrowth and found shelter in what remained of the hollowed out trunk of a fallen tree. Roots and underbrush obscured them from view, but also made it difficult for them to see anyone who might be approaching.

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The Runaways – Part Four

JoAnn Roth — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:35:17 +0000

“We have men stationed here, here, and there,” said Captain Cheven as he pointed at the blue flags that marked strategic locations on the map of the continent of Earlis that stretched across the large table in front of him. Cheven stood at one end of the massive wooden table while around it sat more than a dozen ranked officers in high backed wooden chairs.

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The Runaways – Part Three

JoAnn Roth — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 18:15:37 +0000

“Hey, watch it, ya filthy brats,” yelled the disgruntled owner of a cart filled with the foul smelling karussen fruit as Fitch blindly backed into it, causing the precariously stacked produce to shudder and tilt. To Aiyana’s horror, one of the large, dark green, spiked globes toppled and fell to the cobbles, breaking open upon impact and emitting an odor that closely resembled the smell of Fitch’s socks after they’d spent a hot day tromping through fields and streams.

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The Runaways – Part Two

JoAnn Roth — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 19:40:22 +0000

The cobblestone streets of Almontera were busy, as they always were in the late afternoon hours. People from the surrounding villages flocked to the busy markets to sell their wares or buy exotic goods brought in from the capital city’s nearby harbor while the locals bustled about between the open-air markets or the decadent shops lining the city’s central streets.

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The Runaways – Part One

JoAnn Roth — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 01:50:50 +0000

She wished she was a boy. She wished she was tall and strong and clever, dressed in armor with a sword at her side, off on adventures and exploring the world. Boys did that. Girls, she was told, were quiet and pretty, with perfect manners and fluffy skirts and a desire for nothing more than a good marriage and a nice hot cup of tea.

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