The Wayside Tales

Alexandre Louis Edouard Lebeau and Danika the Phantom Rose first appeared in TALES OF THE VAGABOND BARDS. Now they are back, in three brand new and exciting adventures of their own. Wanted fugitives on the run, the bantam sized count turned cavalier and the charming and street-wise half-Elven con artist find themselves embroiled in one tenuous situation after another as they attempt to stay ahead of relentless pursuit. Along the way they make friends and enemies, right some wrongs, and learn more about each other's strengths and weaknesses. Find out what happens when a stern woman takes over running her uncle's estate in desperation to avoid marrying a man she cannot love-a man who wants nothing more than to ruin them both. Will Alex and Danika find out the truth of her situation? Can the courage and rapier skills of the diminutive count best the heavy-handed swordsmanship of the long time mercenary he challenges to a duel? Or will some final treachery cost them everything they've gained?Back on the road and slogging through days of foul weather, Danika manages to get Alex to tell her of his past, and why he now travels so far from his homeland. It is a heart-wrenching story of love versus duty, where Alex learned the hard way that you can't let your devotion to the one you hold most dear blind you to her more sordid and malevolent side. Young Count Lebeau has handled many trying circumstances in his short life, but in the savage and cold-blooded schemer Chantal, he will face the ultimate test of his burgeoning skills as a warrior as well as a nobleman's moral obligation. In the end, will Alex be able to set aside his own feelings and deal decisively with the horror and outrage the one he cherishes most has perpetrated on others?Even delightful little villages have their dark secrets. A stop in a small country inn buzzing with local gossip about a recent murder leads to Alex and Danika looking up the rather ostentatious Lord of the area. In Paxon Sommer they find a likable and cheery host, but there is some undercurrent of duplicity in his household. What unfolds is a convoluted tale of mistaken identity, a brutal assault that was never reported, and best intentions meant to protect innocent parties implicating others. Alex must face an angry armed mob with only his skill as a swordsman to protect the one they have come for. Unfortunately, involving themselves in the situation with the idea of bringing the truth to light sets Alex and Danika up for revenge when the unhappy family of the deceased sets the bounty hunters back on their trail.These are the tales garnered by the wayside, where just about anything can and will happen.