Chapter One, 1st reading

"Papa always loved this place," Flindra said quietly as she watched her brother dig the grave.
Leudh was a tall man and his strength was easily seen in his broad shoulders and muscular arms. He'd taken off his tunic to work and his chest glistened with sweat.
"He did," Leudh answered as he worked. "I think he would be pleased to know we chose this place for his grave. This is one of the best spots overlooking Lake Eghero and I know he loved coming here to enjoy the view."
"I bet Papa was proud to have been named after the lake," she remarked.
"He wasn't named after the lake," Leudh corrected gently, but with the authority of an older sibling. "There was once a king named Eghero and it is told that he was a wise and just man. Grandpa chose a strong name from our history to name his son. In fact, the lake was named after King Eghero."
"I never knew that."
"Papa told me the story once."
Flindra had just celebrated her nineteenth birthday this past summer. She was five years younger than her brother and was tall like him. That was where the similarities ended. Leudh had inherited their mother's blue eyes and blond hair, while Flindra was crowned with strikingly beautiful auburn tresses. She had expressive brown eyes, which seemed to mirror her emotions.
It was autumn and the breeze blowing from the northwest felt cool on Flindra's face. Raindrops from an earlier shower still clung to the grasses and leaves of the trees along the crown of the hill. The sunlight shining though the droplets gave the impression of jeweled beads adorning the landscape. The breeze toyed with the droplets, blowing them from the leaves and onto the ground.
The breeze rippled the surface of the lake, which softened the reflection of the surrounding landscape. Great flocks of geese and ducks were resting along the shoreline as they paused on their migration south. The air was filled with their raucous voices and the lake was busy with their presence.