Epic of Hornblood Castle

A castle under construction, a nation under attack... Sam Freeman's been running from a life he's tried to escape. Now he's found a place, or at least he thinks he does, where he can be at peace. Creating, crafting, building. The pressures of the castle are starting to get to him, and he finds unexpected problems created by those who should be helping him. Hornblood Castle, nestled at the divergence of two rivers at the tip of Chathem, is intended to be a bastion for the kingdom, but the war-friendly Belmarch neighbors wouldn't look kindly on such an obstacle being put in their path. When the Belmarch raiders arrive Sam finds his temporary paradise thrust into chaos. Will he be forced to fight, or is there another way to defeat the invaders without bloodshed?

Late autumn turns colder, and the residents of Castle Hornblood soon realize help is not coming... Evan Hornblood slips into his old ways, returning to an old friend to console him in his time of grief and remembrance, but it never satisfies. Soon he will have to face the reality of his situation and make a choice he has long put off. Sam Freeman hears the rumblings and rumors swirling with the crisp winds, but has no idea how to stop them. Factions have splintered and formed, broken by the initial attack and fueled by lack of food and resources. Will he be able to find a way to stop the coming disaster? Or will he be swept away into it and perish?

A dark threat grows, a man prepares for war. Evan Hornblood has been confronted by his past and lived to tell of it, but he finds that the burden he takes up is heavier than he anticipated. Now the weight of dozens of lives hangs in the balanced, dependent on him for survival, and possibly thousands more. His closest adviser gone, his dearest friend and mentor dead, he alone must lead. But this burden comes with a price, is it one that he can pay? Sam Freeman hides from his past, working to atone for the sins of his youth. Once again he finds himself drawn to the sword, when his heart aches to build, but with a glimmer of hope and the hint of romance keep him going. With a storm brewing on the horizon the defenders of Hornblood Castle must band together and find the will to survived. However, dangers and dark forces want to claim more than their lands. They want to claim their lives.