I didn’t realize that today is Friday. I thought it was Thursday.
“I know you’re awake.”
The fox kept its eyes closed.
“I heard the change in your breathing.”
No reaction.
“Suit yourself.”
We sat in a shallow depression in the rock, not that different from the little cave that had been the fox’s prison. After picking the fox up, I’d carried it for a few hours – I wasn’t sure how long – until eventually Bear and I had gotten hungry. It took us another hour or so to find prey and water, and then we’d bedded down in this hiding spot.
Past the cave opening a large cavern stretched into the distance. Far below a narrow stream ran through a chain of shallow ponds ringed in mauve flowers. A young lake dragon lived in the center pond. It was submerged now but we watched it nab one of goat-like herbivores earlier, when a small herd of them wandered out of a side passage to the water to take a drink.
A narrow ledge led to the right, hugging the wall, before diving down and connecting to another tunnel leading into the rock, the only way to access this cave. I had blocked the tunnel with the dial barrier. The irregular shape of the opening didn’t matter. The force barrier conveniently expanded until it met solid rock. I’d tested it out in different tunnels. As long as the opening was less than 26 feet wide, the barrier asserted itself. For the moment we were safe from everything that didn’t have wings or couldn’t climb sheer walls. If DDC ever got their hands on this tech, the scientists would faint.
I sliced a sliver from a stalker ham and held it out to the fox on the tip of my sword. “Hungry?”
The fox opened one eye to a narrow slit, looked at the meat, then at me. Its hand shot out, and then my sword was empty. The fox held the meat up, sniffed it, and put it on a rock next to it. Bear stopped eating and watched it.
The fox rolled onto all fours. Its back arched. It strained and hacked. Its body shuddered, gripped by spasms. It hacked again, louder. A small metal object fell from its mouth.
“Lovely.” I took a bite from my own stalker tartare.
The fox tipped an imaginary cup to its lips and held its paw out to me. I passed one of the canteens to it. The fox gently unscrewed the lid and poured a little bit of water onto the thing it had regurgitated. It rubbed the object on its fur, inspected it, nodded, sipped from the canteen, and offered it back to me.
“Oh no, that’s yours now.” I shook my head.
The fox drank from the canteen, hugged it to itself, and put the metal object by its feet. It looked like a large marble with bumps on its surface. The fox must have swallowed it to keep it from being taken.
The fox snatched the meat from the rock and stuffed it into its mouth.
“More?”
The fox nodded. It was so amazingly human-like. I cut another slice from the ham.
About a pound of meat later, the fox sat back and rubbed its belly.
“Better?”
The fox eyed me, then looked at Bear gnawing on her bone.
“She won’t hurt you unless you try to hurt us first. She’s my dog and she’s a good girl.”
The fox’s eyes narrowed to slits. It leaned back and giggled. The sound was startling.
It laughed at me. The little asshole understood me.
“Which part of that was funny?”
The fox reached for the marble and squeezed it. A beam of light protruded from the sphere, expanding into an image. A fluffy Pomeranian, followed by a Golden Retriever, and then an English Bulldog.
How the hell did it have these recordings?
“Yes, all of those are dogs. Dogs like Bear.”
The fox pointed at the device and let out a tiny woof. Then it pointed at Bear and shook its head. Its paws came up, claws out, and he let out a quiet, menacing rawr.
Bear was not a dog. Bear was something scary.
“Don’t listen to it, Bear. You are the best dog ever.”
The fox laughed, then leaned forward. It put one paw on its chest. A quiet voice came from its mouth. If it was human, I would have said it was male and a tenor.
“Kiar Jovo.”
That had to be a name. I put my hand on my chest. “Ada Moore.”
Kiar Jovo squeezed the marble again. An image of a man and a woman appeared. The man blurred and turned into Kiar Jovo. Male. He was male.
I nodded.
The marble flashed again. An old fox couple, their fur grey, stood side by side, wearing jeweled sashes over one shoulder. Golden hoop earrings flashed in their ears. Behind them a multitude of fox creatures appeared, similarly dressed, most grey or black, their fur like dense smoke.
Kiar Jovo waved his arm over the image. “Kiar.” He touched his chest again. “Jovo.”
Kiar was the family or tribe. He was Jovo of the Kiar.
I touched my hand to my chest. “Ada.”
I didn’t have a marble. I looked around, grabbed a rock, and scratched a stick figure drawing into the floor: Me, Tia, Noah, Bear, and our cat. I circled the drawing with a rock. “Moore.”
Jovo nodded.
There were so many questions I wanted to ask. How did he know about us, where did he come from, how did he end up in this breach, who made the breaches and why? But right now, I had to stick to the most important one.
I pointed at his ears and the wound on his chest. “Who?”
Jovo bared his teeth in an ugly snarl. The marble flashed, and a familiar figure appeared, wrapped in a grey tattered robe with four arms, each holding a blade. A second figure stood next to it, much smaller, slimmer, its face hidden by a veil of chains. If Jovo put them in the same order as the human pair, the larger creature was male and the smaller was female. That would mean there were only male attackers at the mining site. The head and shoulders of the male matched the outline of the creature that stalked us. Our hunter was one of these. Made sense.
Jovo’s voice was a ragged snarl. “Kael’Gress.”
“I know those. I have seen them.” I pointed at myself. “Moore.” I pointed at Jovo. “Kiar.” I pointed at the four-armed assassin.
Jovo shook his head. He put his hand on his chest again. “Lees.” He pointed at me. “Hoo-man.” He pointed at the image of the creature. “Gress.” He raised his hand as if stabbing and pierced the air with an imaginary knife, mincing an invisible enemy with a flurry of stabs. “Kael.”
Gress was the species name. Kael’Gress was a gress who killed. Killer Gress.
Jovo raked his claws across the image, his fangs bared. He tried to rip the projection, pulling it apart, and looked at me.
“You want to kill this Kael’Gress?”
I drew my finger across Kael’Gress’s throat.
Jovo nodded several times, his eyes bright.
The four-armed fighters were incredibly dangerous. A memory of them spinning through the cavern flashed before me. I still remembered how one of those grey shrouds stretched trying to kill me after its owner was dead.
“Dangerous,” I said.
Jovo frowned at me. Must not have been a word he was familiar with.
I raised my hands, fingers apart, imitating him when he talked about Bear, and made a snarly noise.
Jovo nodded, then raked the image again. Right, we were still stuck on the killing.
“He almost killed you. You were chained.” I pointed to Jovo’s neck and trailed my finger indicating an imaginary cord. I pointed at the gress and drew a line across Jovo’s neck and then mine. He would kill us both.
Jovo put his hands together and bowed to me.
I shook my head. No.
Jovo bowed again, then again.
I shook my head. “No. Dangerous.”
Despair shone in Jovo’s eyes. He took a deep breath and offered the metal marble to me.
I shook my head. “No.”
Jovo shrank from me, clutching his marble with both hands. The marble was his most prized possession, his only possession. He offered me everything he had, and I said no. If he was human, I would have guessed he was close to tears. This seemed more important than just revenge.
I pointed at the gress. “Why?”
Jovo pointed at the gress and made a grabbing motion, snatching something forcefully from the air.
“He took something from you?”
Jovo squeezed his marble. A night sky flared above us, strange constellations glowing. One of the stars shone brighter. Jovo reached for it, his face full of longing.
“Home?” I guessed.
He looked at me. I pointed at my stick drawing. “Home?”
“Home,” Jovo said.
He pointed to the gress and crossed his hands forming an X.
Whatever the gress took from him, Jovo needed it to get back home. He was stuck here, alone.
I too wanted to go home, more than anything in the world.
Jovo sagged on the floor, dejected.
“Where is the gress? Where can we find him?” I made a show of looking around.
Jovo raised his hand and pointed over my shoulder. I didn’t even need to look. I knew exactly in which direction he was aiming.
Jovo was pointing at the anchor.
Everything we both wanted was at the anchor.
The gress was stalking me. I was sure of it. Three of its kind chased the woman in blue, trying to murder her. Either they wanted to kill her or to take something from her. Before she died, she passed something precious to her onto me, which made me their new target. That wasn’t a logical leap. It wasn’t even a hop.
This gress would hunt me down. He had followed me but hadn’t closed the distance so far. Perhaps he knew that my predecessor killed three of his kind. Perhaps he didn’t want to strike until he was sure that I had no escape route. If I lost him in this warren of passageways and caverns, tracking me down would be difficult.
He must’ve realized by now I was going to the anchor. He would ambush me there. Bear and I could face him alone or with Jovo.
And there was another part to it. I wanted Jovo to go home. I knew exactly how he felt, and I wanted him to get back to his clan.
“Okay.” I spread my arms in a gesture of resignation and surrender.
Jovo perked up, his eyes shining.
“We’ll try,” I told him.
The lees jumped forward, clearing the distance between us in a single leap, raised his hands and hugged me. For a second, I didn’t know what to do and then I carefully hugged him back.
1st?
Certified 🙂
Bahaha! Just this past Monday I was thinking Id never make 1st, no matter what, so no point in even trying! I work late shift so Im not usually up this early…
The stars mustv’e aligned particularly well, because even with a cat trying to sit on my face, here I am!
Today will be a good day!!!
Congrats!!!
It’s Friday, it’s Friday la la la 🎶🎶
Ta muchly
Also I watched a reality UK tv show where a woman and a German shepherd lead a woman archeologist through caves to see ancient drawings.
Best dog ever!
Not first but close?
top 5?
Just went back to read, ooooh, he is a Lees! Does this mean that Ada’s earth is Dina’s Earth? Or Maybe the Edge non-magic part of Earth? Or some other parallel Earth? Oh, so many questions! I can’t wait to find out!!!!
Also, I didn’t comment on the last blog post, because all the yarn looked the same to me (I’m not a knitter), but I was so excited to hear the Inheritance is finished. When can I purchase a copy; e-book, hardcover, GA…. any of the ways/all of the ways?
Preorder will be shared very soon, I believe the cover is on its way to being done!
If you’re hearing a roaring cheer, it’s just the rest of us. 😀
The Edge is on an Earth that’s a different but similar kind of Earth that’s stuck in its own pocket of the universe. I would imagine this Earth is also different to Dina’s Earth. But since George and Dina have met despite being from different Earths I imagine it’s possible that travel is possible. Especially with the intriguing nature of these breaches.
I believe it’s an Arbitrator thing.
George could go from Diana’s Earth to Edge’s Earth to get Sophie.
Klaus could go from Dina’s Earth to Edge’s Earth to get George, Jack & Gaston.
I don’t think others can do it and I think not even the Inns can open a door on Edge Earth.
Arbitrators can do it, but George didn’t use their tech to do so when getting Sophie because it isn’t allowed for an arbitrator to return to their own world. He used a store on Baha-char after Dina opened a door there. We know inns won’t open paths to an Earth that is too similar, but there are multiple tech/magic ways to do so.
Sooo, are you suggesting that a connection from Baha Char (spl ??) may be possible from this alternate earth?
That an Arbitrator may use this to tra nsport Jovo home?
I wonder what the end goal for the Arbitrator could be?
Don’t underestimate the power of the Inns. George could inexplicably find a new doorway in his own home that leads right into Oreo’s kitchen-lol
Happy Friday!
Top 10? Yay! Thank you!
Top 10?
Top 10!
Yay!!
Ha! I was checking the calendar and making sure I did not miss a day of work when the chapter appeared.
thank you 😊
ooh, top 20!!
Thank for another amazing installment!!
*runs back to top of page to read…
Thank you!
This was so needed today! Thank you HA!
😍 yay! for once, I get to read early 😜
yuhu! in the first 30
Squee! 😊
Lees…hmmmm….could there be a crossover with another IA universe in this crossing place
I wondered too
Although he’s a Lees, i don’t think he’s from Dina’s Earth since there aren’t breaches there, but maybe he’s from the same dimension as the Edge series?
No Lees are from Dina’s Earth 🙂
Dammit, I need to know if there should have been a comma after the word no in your sentence, or if it reads as stated.
I did not intend a comma 🙂 . I thought it was clear to everyone that the Lees are an alien species and none of them are from Earth? They just visit the inns?
I read the question as more of Lees from the Innkeeper universe and not that they are from Earth. I’m guessing we realize we aren’t lucky enough (or unlucky, depending on your view) to have the cute Lees be native to Earth.
Also, thank you for the snippet! And YAY! A cross-over! We, the BDH, are much beloved and spoiled by IA! 🤗
Yeah, I didn’t mean Lees are from Earth, I meant the dimension with the Earth where Dina lives, as opposed to the dimension George and his family are originally from.
If the “cute Lees” *had* been from Earth, humans wouldn’t be. Because the Lees would have done the smart and sensible thing for their species and eradicated our species before we ever got out of the Stone Age…
🤣😂🤣
I should defend us…but, I won’t!
Could the lees be from the dimension Dina lived in? Is this story somehow associated with the Edge? It feels like a prequel.
Here’s my take (also gah! I love so much how we get to guess about stuff like this):
Similar to the Edge earth – it’s in a different pocket of reality than Innkeeper.
The breaches are pockets of Innkeepers reality.
That’s how the Lees got there.
I’ve been reliably informed that this word :crossover” has an unknown meaning and/or is possibly frowned upon. per Nod R,,and Ilona.
*Mod* stupid, fat clumsy fingers Must remember to proofread BEFORE presser “Post”
Michael, we are trying to make it exciting and fun for the BDH. That means we joke and troll the fandom in the most benign sense of that word. That includes claiming that there are no crossover and other such things.
We seek to make the experience as engaging as possible. It is all tongue firmly in cheek.
Well yeah, I knew that. I was just doing my poor best to add to the troll. My attempts at humor are not always successful. Maybe if I had a “tongue in cheek”emoji in my emoji library? I find that certain types of emotions are difficult to convey as written words.
The BDH seeing this: EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED *insert meme of that dude before the board with all the red string*
Team Facts Be Damned, it’s our moment to ✨ SHINE ✨
Exactly!
That’s the best birthday present EVER ! (Don’t tell my husband and family pls)
Thank you !!
Happy Birthday!!
Haha, “crossover? We don’t understand this word crossover…” 😂 a Lees!
Now, what is this inheritance – is it some weird Ad-hal technology? From what I recall, Ad-hals had innate abilities.… 🤔
The anticipation is killing me!!! Can’t wait for Monday to see what happens next.
Yes -Lees! Happy Friday!
“Lees.”
I know people were talking about this already, but my head just exploded.
Yes!!! Agreed I didn’t believe it until I read that!
LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS <3 *inarticulate 'chalant happy noises*
Thank you!
Yay! Confirmation that our raccoon/fox like creature is a Lees!
So, is Kiar missing a “go-home” device or a “I’m disgraced” without it thing?:)
As Lees are merchant clans, he is probably looking for new trading partners. Stumbled into the mine, meet and fought the Gress, got caught when the breach happen…. and the rest is as they history….
Maybe,similar to how Sean was able to get a device that would him to make a one way trip to BahaChar .. or Dina can give out stones/devices that allows people to signal they are staying outside of one of the Inns doors..
Jovo had a device that will allow him to travel/call home.
Or, if they stole something from him and then left him in a cave to die cruelly…it’s something of value to his clan/family? I believe the Lees have Ancestral stones that they pray to. Stealing that would match this level of cruelty…
Anywho, off to over think this…some more.
As the old TV commercial said: “MasterCard … can’t go home without it”…
Showing your age my man. As I’ve just done.
Hell man, I am so old that I remember buying American Express Travelers Checks for a trip overseas. Admittedly, it was the late 80’s.
Yep, me too… (laughing and nodding)
+1
Yeah, I remember those. They were a pain.
Yay! Thank you very much! Have a lovely weekend! HA is the best!
Lees!! when the earrings were mentioned, I was like, could it be?? and then it was! love this crossover
Me too!
Not even close to first. But still happy.
Why can’t Ada speak to Jovo like she spoke to the spider people? curiouser and curiouser!
Love this (ahem) series? *Everything crossed Mod R will say yes!*
+1!
Perhaps because the Lees is not a part of the breach universe, thus Ada’s sadrin “ancestor” doesn’t know them.
Lees? Does that mean there is an Inn somewhere on this dimension of Earth? 🌎 Like the Edge and Innkeeper’s Earth?
I love this so much!! thank you!!
AAAAAAAAA! What a pleasure!
Ada has the biggest heart ever.
And no matter what that definitely-not-a-crossover-character says, Bear is the best dog ever, yes she is.
Lees! Woo Hoo!
Of course, now the wild speculation will really run rampant! (In my own personal head canon, Elias and George will meet and discuss strategy.)
oh love that 🙂 – a second team coming from the Inn World side … one can only dream.
+100. But whatever is House Andrews pleasure, we will love!
+ 1000!
That is a definitely scary idea. Almost as bad as George and Her Grace in cahoots…oh, wait, we’ve been there, sort of…
Ada the care bear. So, 1 clear enemy and our trio of survivors.
looking forward to Monday.
thanks IA and have a great weekend
Yay! It is officially the weekend now! That was good! I have been going back through to see which Less have been named in previous stories, as if I could find a secret back door to uncover hidden story lines, but it was just wishful thinking.
Love it!
Yes indeed, no Easter Eggs at all! 😘
Easter doesn’t even lay any eggs 😛
nice! what’s the Lees’s name? Jovo like Joe-voe?
OK, Lees. Innkeeper made clear that it was a multiverse, with multiple earths, so I guess Ada’s is just another one, not the one that Innkeeper is set in.
or maybe same earth but different time periods
maybe Ada’s time is post Innkeeper
maybe the breaches are a consequence of whatever the evil dude in the Innkeeper does to try to eliminate Inns.
ohhhh that’s interesting…I didn’t even consider that!
I was thinking breaches are from the Innkeeper multiverse.
I doubt this is Dina’s Earth. I don’t think all of the species that use the Inns would let the portals take away their access to earth. In Dina’s Earth, if the portals appeared, I see House Krawr bringing in the troops to hold line against the waves of monsters. Other travelers to Earth would bring in other forces. In a sense, the portals would be a breach of the Earth Treaty, and all the other galactic empires that want to control Dina’s Earth would invade.
I will accept your reasoning for why this isn’t Dina’s Earth…because, I agree. I do think it would be a breach of the Earth Treaty and that 10 yrs in… the assembly would have done something, intervened, or shared knowledge at this point.
I believe in The Edge world ..those in The Edge world know of other species, etc…so, again, I think if this was that world .. 10 yrs later .. people would be intervening.
I don’t know what the breaches are, but I don’t think they have anything to do with the portals Inns create.
I thought maybe the breaches were an unintentional bi-product of something else. However, IA commented on a post that monster are being loaded into the breach and sent through… so, intent is present.
Argh, never ending questions…
I like the way your mind thinks. But that might encompass too large of an idea in what has been billed as a stand alone novella (with a possible sequel hinted at)
+1
Lees!! Was hoping that’s who it was..
Lees!
Lees 🙂 Yay 🙂
Thank you for this wonderful chapter 🙂
So…. now they have common goal – to get to the anchor, to whatever awaots them there. I think waiting silently for CC team isn’t option now. I don’t know why, but I don’t think their hunter is malevolent. Hmm… But maybe Elias will witness – when he finally go to the breach – an epic battle near the anchor.
I saw CC and my first thought was “What does Caitlin Clark have to do with this novella?” Oh wait, you mean Cold Chaos. No women’s basketball reference was meant.
🤣🤣🤣
Lees! Fascinating .
Also, stalking the site paid off. Though i blinked and there were 16 comments already 😆.
So satisfying! Thank you! Will be waiting for next installment as chalantly as possible 🤣. Have a great weekend!
Thank you! A friend of mine thought Thursday was today, so you’re in good company, Ilona. 😀
Lees. Interesting. Very interesting.
To be continued Monday!
Ada gets to hug a lees?!! If only she knew! Thanks for the new snippet!!
yeah it is a Lees, Ada wants to go home, he wants to go home, but different homes – so is the breech a connection between the Lees world and Ada’s Earth? … and what role will Elias play in overcoming the Grees at the anchor? …
for Monday we wait 🙂
Wait. Wait! Wait wait wait!!
Lees?!?!
As in the Lees from Innkeeper?!
Holy moly!! 📚
Is Beast and Bear related? The Lees must know about Dina’s Beast…
Wonderful and thank you! Everybody needs a hug now and then.
Ahhhhhhhhhh….Lees! so good! yep, IA’s troll game is on point. ty ty
I wonder, could it be that gress took the device from Jovo and then Blue Lady took it from them…? Or maybe the gress that is stalking them is not a killer gress and will help them? Ada is desparate and a little bit paranoid. I believe she didn’t feel danger from this hunter, only something that she’ll need?
yeah that part confused me too – she didn’t seem to think the stalker was danger till now and when she flexed it showed up red – for something she needs …
What if what the stalker has is a thing both she and the lees need to go home. Something they can both use – they don’t have to pick who gets it.
But Ada just need to get to the gate to escape. The Lees needs this mysterious thing. I have know idea what could be so important for her.
I knew it was a lees! So exciting!
I was surprised he didn’t show a Shih Tzu, but Beast isn’t a regular dog either. 😊
oh my goodness, I was smiling soooo hard at the end 😀
Thank you for our Friday treat
Wonderful part! I hope you all have a great Friday and weekend.
This has been a very rough week – reading this brought the stress level down a notch. Thank you HA.
I loved this chapter; aaahhh a Lee’s. Happy Dance!!
Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!
I about fell out of my chair with excitement when I saw Lees. Can we get a Whoop Whoop! And does anyone else think that comparison between a Pomeranian as a dog and Bear as not a dog funny? I think this is a case of just because it looks like a dog, walks like a dog, and barks like a dog, it is most definitely not “just” a dog any longer. Or so says the Lees.
Off to do the inconceivable… wish for Monday to come faster.
That was definitely hilarious 😀
The team of the two of you write books that I do not want to stop reading.
It will be hard to go back to the book that I am currently working through.
Thank you for another amazing installment. Hope you all have a great weekend.
Went back to re-read the installment.
This community is so engaged! When I first started reading, there were 16 comments. When I finished the 1st read through, there were 31 comments. By the time I finished going through those comments their were 67 comments. Now there are 95 comments. And its only been an hour since the installment was posted. Wow.
ModR you are so amazing. You keep up with all of this.
Loved how Ada and Bear stopped for prey and water rather than food and water. What a change for the both of them.
I’m loving how they are figuring out how to communicate with each other. Jovo has dealt with humans before. And the grey cloaks that seem to be alive feel like the ad-hal corruption.
What an amazingly satisfying crossover. Can’t wait for Monday.
Innkeeper crossover? I seem to remember some very persuasive foxes in a land very far away.
Okay, here’s my wild theory. The US government knows the gates have intelligent aliens. They have learned more about the aliens from the Innkeepers. All of this is being kept hush-hush to try to maintain earth’s neutral status and keep us safe from full-scale alien invasion.
I am hidden at work because I couldn’t wait
almost scream when I saw the name of the race
bad hiding habits that almost screaming
sooo good
is like %70 chocolate
thankyou!!!
+100. But whatever is House Andrews pleasure, we will love!
Love this, so funny!
YES! Confirmation of a Lees! So excited about this. Can’t wait to see how the story unfolds!
So satisfying.
Whoa, bargain with a lees…and Ada doesn’t know about bargaining with a lees….”Danger Will Robinson!”
🤣 +1
+💯
I knew it! The foxes are Lees!! Can’t wait to find out which reality Ada comes from.
Is Jovo the “redacted” character that definitely is ok and doesn’t die??
Yes.
Darn, I was about to be all mysterious Temple of Desire veils about it 😀
Oh, go ahead and be all mysterious if you want, Mod R…you deserve a treat for putting up with the BDH! 😂
All the veils come down in the end. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
GREAT installment! Thank you, House Andrews!
I can’t wait for Monday’s episode.
Lees??? Like the Innkeeper????
Oohhhhhh!!!!
The suspense!!!@@ Thank you!! Looking forward to the book!!
He is a Lees! I love it! I love this story so much. Thank you!
This was a great segment! I’d missed that The Inheritance is officially done. Who needs a cover…I will take the book as is.
My immediate thought after reading this twice is… WHAT?!
So, our hunter is one of the species from the mining site, but he didn’t register as dangerous…or, what he had of value outweighed the danger?
Is he the fourth person or is he a someone else? I noticed that it mentions three attackers against the woman in blue, is that a typo…or, just indication this is possibly the 4th attacker that Ada lost sight of?
Confirmation that Jovo is a Lees. I’m still Team not the Lees from The Innkeeper world…just as Ada isn’t a human from the Innkeeper world…though, I concede with the ability for interdimensional travel, he could be.
I wonder what the Grees could have taken from Jovo? What of value that he has for Ada? When Jovo was introduced..I did question why there wasn’t a second assurance that the hunter would make it out too, so, I did wonder if maybe unlike I’d previously thought…they were not friendly with the Sadrin. I didn’t think they were a gray robes though. I know Ada only saw their face, which we didn’t get a descriptor for…but I thought she might have recognized the robe if they were wearing one.
Anywho, does this gray robe have another bracer or device that might work something at the anchor that they took from the Sadrin?
I still hope Ada takes all of this new knowledge and technology back to help the humans in their fight against whoever the enemy is.
Bear is definitely a very good girl.
I really like Jovo and I hope we learn even more about him.
More thoughts later after they percolate a bit.
So, where is that pre-order link again?
Thank you again for another great post!
As for thinking it was Thursday….
That’s my line!
Would you tell us which yarn you decided on?
is time flowing different outside the breach than inside, now that Ada is technically not all “human”?
I feel time has passed longer for her than for the outside narrative.
Also, I’m loosing it with the crossover, this is everything I wanted!
No, time flows the same for Ada and Elias. What is distorting the time, however, is the serial nature of the narrative. It probably feels like this story has been posted for months and months but we started at the end of April. Long breaks between installments tend to distort things.
Thanks for that answer! I’ve been wondering the same thing.
Hot Damn. Jovo is a Lees? AH-MAZING. I adore all things Innkeeper Chronicles! Thank you for creating another incredible story. I am desperate for the comfort of reading about a strong and capable woman surviving through the challenges of an overwhelming world.
YAY!!!! So happy to read the Lees confirmation!!! Thank you again for this serial…it’s been one of the highlights of my summer! 🥰💕💕
This story is just so good…I really hope there will be (at the very least) a book two. HA, don’t know if anybody ever mentioned this, but you’re like good writers or something. 😉
HA, so awesome. I own thousands of books. They are everywhere in my house. I keep books I love so much that I read and reread in a bookcase by my bed. Anyone in this group could guess where I keep HA books. I can’t wait to have “The Inheritance”. SSSSOOOO eager.
I guess the important question is if this is the future of Dina’s Earth, an alternate dimension Earth (like George and Jack’s Ertg), or something else entirely? 🤔🤔🤔
Didn’t expect the connection, that’s for sure.
Oh happy week! A Lees is introduced and my 50th anniversary earlier in the week! Everybody stay cool and safe from the weather.
Happy Anniversary! 😁
Lovely, indeed. Thank you!
Wonderful! A Lees. 😊
Oh my, a Lees, the possibilities! Such a good story! I cannot wait to order so I can have my very own copy, to be read and re-read!
Lees??? Portals???
Woohoo! Thank you!
Oh so wonderful. I will have so many things to chew on today. Monday can’t come fast enough.
If Kael Gress are Gress who kill, are there other Gress who are not Kael? Is Ada’s follower who glowed red perhaps one of those? A Gress who does not kill?
Yes, I’m wondering this as well.
Is this the 4th attacker that got away?
A different Grees that was left to monitor the anchor?
A less violent sort?
Or, just a Grees that has something of value Ada needs so it doesn’t matter how dangerous he is?
How we keep adding to the questions pile?
Lees! My heart leaps with excitement! A clue.
A lees???!! OMG this makes me SO HAPPY!!! 😁
Ada, making friends and clarifying enemies!
YESSSS!!! The Lee’s have returned to our world! I wonder how the innkeepers are dealing with the portals!
Lees?!! I read this serial aloud to dh and when that creature was first described I said it reminded me of the Lees *jumping with excitement* I was loving it before but the love is bursting now lol
I can’t communicate how much I am loving this series!!! The character building, the world building, the adventure! ***chef’s kiss*** pure bliss. House Andrews, I love you and please take my money lol
Lees!!! Hooray!
The idea that this story is part of The Inniverse makes sense. The Gress cloaks are like the corruption attacking Ad-Hal. And the ruptures could be from a group that wants to destroy the treaty protecting Earth. I can just see the Innkeeper council imitating James Cagney from Mr. Roberts. “Whoo did it? Whoo didit?”
An interspecies hug! I have goosebumps at the creepy yet thrilling image.
Lees! Squeeeeeee!
I have a question about the lees. Are they only merchants? The image Jove showed Ada of his family did not have them wearing aprons. So I’m confused.
Different clans do different things. No worries, keep reading, Jovo will clarify it later.
Thank you, Ilona and Gordon, for another engrossing installment where no word is wasted.
Hope the day of week conundrum is due to so much focus on yarn selection and/or the commencement of knitting and not something stressful….. Sending hugs and peace cuz we all need some of that these days.
The interaction between these two characters is wonderful but of all the visuals in my head I am imagining Bear transforming like the cat that wasn’t cat that swallowed the tesseract in the Captain Marvel movie. Maybe Jovo can sense something Ada can’t about Bear…
Sending peace, healing and safety to all!
May your weekend be restful and spent with those you love!
Lees???!!!
Wonder if he knows the Nuan clan…
So awesome! Thank you. I eagerly wait for more. I hope you are all well and happy
Someone else said it already, but I can’t find the comment—but I was wondering also if the destabilization that Sebastian was wreaking with the murdering of the inns had anything to do with these portals!! Whoever said that first, you rock!
Something else that came to mind is why Jovo and Ada aren’t speaking the same language; it’s possible Jovo simply isn’t practiced in English, and we know that Ada doesn’t speak galactic Common. Part of me wondered, regarding why Sean understood people speaking in Baha-Char the first time he went with Dina, if the inns have a translation magic thing, similar to what the TARDIS does. If so, that’s probably why Jovo and Ada can’t speak easily to each other; no translation magic/circuit.
I believe Sean (like Dina) has an implant for translating.
I remember the Lees from Mauds novel which I must admit is my favorite in the Sweeps series so far. I have read it many times and would love a second installment (begging eyes, praying hands, wink-wink).
I am also really enjoying the Inheritance and find myself trolling the blog daily for new installments. Thank you for sharing these, and I look forward to the book.
Ah, fluffy Lees Hug! How adorable in a deadly way 😀
Thanks for that going into this weekend – it’s much appreciated. Today has started with a lot of tough things to process.
So I saw a comment that lauded Ada as a woman of strength and action. This is a good description. I like the way that Ada has progressed, from a strong determined mother striving to provide for her children, and protect her world, and has progressed to a bad ass, care bear intent upon providing succour to all of the species she has met on her journey. And I especially like her attitude regarding the spider herders to and the Lees, not treating them as aliens, but seeing and treating them as humans.
OK love how the story is coming together, but I am stuck on the detail of how LARGE this Lee (Lees?) is. Or has he been eating stuff in this splinter universe and getting bigger as a result? Will he return to his people as a Giant????
Ada estimated him to be as large as a German shepherd. Typical length of a GS is around 42 inches or 3.5 feet. Jovo is about average for a lees.
And the crowd goes wild!!!! I enjoyed both the chapter, and the comments. I also love the marble technology, it’s so handy!
Thank you! A lees, how exciting!
A Lees! Catching up again today, thank you so much for the installments. I am very excited for this book. I hope the whole IA-team has a great weekend and a decrease in stress. Stay cool!
Wow! I’m embarrassed at how inarticulate this serial has made me.
So, since we are here now. With a Lees…unknown origin…Unknown home base.
I’m going to continue on my path of the wildest of wild speculations.
I still think the crossover angle here would be through the office of Arbitration. I also wonder if the Sadrin, while not arbitrators, are a similar type body.
Arbitrators cannot go home for 20 yrs, so Sadrin can’t be Arbitrators. 🤣 Ada is going home and her story must continue.
But, in thinking about the Arbitrators…
A question that I still have about George and Klaus.
Klaus tells George he will go through a period of extensive training, yet George is on his first assignment 1-2 yrs later.
When Dina is poisoned, he takes his staff and it glows and displays info from the arbitrators database.
I’ve often wondered if his training took place somewhere like Nexus. 1 yr of training on the galaxy and multiples species doesn’t seem sufficient… but, thinking in line with The Inheritance.
Could the arbitrators use something similar to the jewel Ada received? Or, could the jewel be something similar to the Arbitrators database?
Again…not an Arbitrator…but similar-ish.
I’ve been thinking that the jewel passed on the knowledge from the previous Sadrin and those who came before her, but also was a key for the bracer…meaning it activates the bracer for the bearer.
Mainly, so that the DDC can’t try to claim it. Yes, some of my reasonings are self-serving.
something to consider is that George has a very particular set of skills…😁 skills he has acquired over a very long career.
The Arbitrators have seen much of the Universe, but they haven’t necessarily seen the Camarines and Gaston at it hehe
True, this is true.
George’s unique skill set may have made that year’s timeframe perfectly acceptable.
Still, George reference being around 28 yrs and then Dina mused he was in his early thirties. Not the most convincing of evidence that he maybe have been training longer than a year…but …
My brain is running wild at this point.
A hunting we will go . Thankyou
So I’m now dying to know if the Inheritance is in the same world as the Inn Keeper?? Will Ada and Dana ever cross paths? I do enjoy a good cross-ver.
First?
Thank you!
A Lees, hehe. What a resounding victory for team facts-be-damned XD
YAY!!! Speculations confirmed!