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      These are the stories told to me about Eskkar’s early wanderings, and Trella’s misfortune and enslavement.  If you’re searching for a single narrative, you won’t find it here, so move on to the next book in the stack. 

       I’ve arranged the stories as best I could, but don’t complain to me if you’re unhappy with the result.  I just mostly wrote them down.  They weren’t told to me in any order, and I had to guess at some of the dates and places. 

       The names, too.  Some I couldn’t understand, or were untranslatable, so I just went with whatever seemed closest.  People weren’t much on names in those days, and the few they had were usually short.

      I didn’t include all the tales I heard.  Some went on too long, others were too violent, and a few showed the dark side of Eskkar in his days as a bandit.  Not all the stories have happy endings.  Real life isn’t like that anyway.  Bad stuff does happen.  So please don’t grumble about gaps in the time line, or what is or isn’t included here.   Maybe someday more of these untold stories may find their way into print.

      Likewise, if you’re looking for a story about the perfect man who finds the perfect woman, and they both live happily ever after, please search elsewhere.  And please don’t judge the people who lived and struggled in an earlier time by modern ideas of justice or mercy.  Five thousand years ago people lived and died in a ruthless world, where death often came suddenly, and mercy was not necessarily a survival trait.

       A wise man learns from his experiences, good and bad, assuming he manages to survive.  Eskkar did learn, and became wise, after a fashion.  Though he was far from perfect, he nevertheless was the kind of man you’d want at your side when trouble started, and for sure he was the kind of leader you would follow into battle, no matter the odds.  Warriors, both ancient and modern, who read this will understand that quality.  Eskkar’s bravery and loyalty should count for a great deal on the scales that judge a man’s life. 

      And lastly, I am always interested in my readers’ opinions, ideas, and suggestions.  A few have even taken the time to suggest how I (or some other author), might have written these stories so much better, or in a more historically accurate narrative.  With due respect, may the gods send them all to the pits!

Sam Barone,
Scottsdale, Arizona USA

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