Today is finally here, we will be seeing our ad on the big screen at the prescreening of The Hobbit. Other excited news in Zenobialand; you'll have an opportunity to meet author Russ Wallace at the Arizona Renaissance Festival on Presidents day, Monday Feb 18th 2013. Russ Wallace will be available through-out the day at Ann Chamberlin Books. You can purchase a copy of Zenobia - Birth of a Legend at the bookstore and have Russ Wallace sign it.
It's a great time to come out to the festival because on Presidents day you can BUY 1 GET 1 FREE offer of an adult ticket when you bring in a BIRTHDAY CARD for King William! We look forward to seeing you there! For tickets and information about this fun filled event visit: http://www.royalfaires.com/arizona/
Our Thinking Thursday can be found in book one, chapter 28, Syrian
& Palestine en route to Egypt, 254 CE. Zenobia has been trained as a
warrior but her skills are finally put to the test and she fails miserably. When
their caravan is attacked by bandits in the Syrian Desert on the way to Egypt
she learns that no matter how skilled you are, others are better. In times like
these you need to be more than a warrior but a great negotiator. Read this exciting scene as Zenobia fights for
her life.
As they engaged, the bandit chieftain bore
in on Zenobia, his spear poised to launch. The spearman whose camel had fallen
sprang in front of her, sword drawn. The attacker changed his target and hurled
his spear. She heard a clang as her defender went down. In a mental flash, she
hoped his armor had saved him. She shot, but the bandit leader had anticipated
her release and dodged suddenly. She reached for an arrow, but her second
quiver was empty. “Scorpions!” she spit out…
The bandit was an excellent horseman and
charged her with his sword drawn. As she twirled to avoid the anticipated slash
and drew her own sword, he knocked her over with his horse, dazing her. A
second later, he was off his mount and she tensed in his powerful grasp. His
knife was at her throat. Dung heaps! She thought, as her life flash before her.
She knew she was dead...
The
bandit saw the fury in her eyes at being captured, but she seemed to accept her
imminent death with dignity. She did not struggle.
Her fellow warriors stood immobile. The
knife blade could turn her bronzed neck scarlet in a split second. Her capture
had happened too fast for them to protect her. Now any hostile movement could
provoke her death. The bandits had been routed. Nearly half were dead or
wounded, and those that could retreat had. No one spoke or moved for a minute.
It seemed like eternity.
Finally, her captor spoke. “Will you
bargain, Princess?”
She was stunned into silence. She had
fully expected to be killed and had steeled herself for it. He was offering her
hope of survival. And somewhere, on a lower mental level, she realized it was
the first time she had been called a princess.
He spoke again. “I grow impatient, Princess.
I have men who are bleeding, and the sun it hot!” His words carried a bite.
“Then you should have stayed in your tents
this morning, Prince!” she replied sarcastically. The anger in her voice was
clear. And as he suspected, her quivering in his grasp was from rage rather
than fear.
“You are angry with me princess?” he asked
in a deadly calm voice. She thought she detected a hint of mocker in his
question…
Zenobia asked, “What
is your bargain, Prince?”
“A truce. Your life is spared. As are our
lives. You will have safe passage through our territory in the future. You will
help my wounded. And you will ‘donate’ 1000 Persian gold darics for my
comrades.”
She
makes the deal with the bandit and he spares her life. Saladir was impressed
with the young girl’s talent and so he allowed her to live. This is the
beginning of a mutual respect and in the future Saladir proves to be a great
ally.
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