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  TRIBULATIONS

  Books by KM Fortune

  Forever Winter

  1 - Awakening

  2- Survival

  3 - Discovery

  4 - Judgement

  5 - Tolerance

  6 - Revelation

  7 - Undaunted

  8 – Concurrence

  9 – Tribulations

  10 - Endurance

  Forever Winter

  Tribulations

  by

  KM Fortune

  THIS BOOK IS A WORK of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  COPYRIGHT © 2017 KM Fortune

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  201710108

  Thank you for your interest in Tribulations.

  THIS BOOK IS INTENDED to provide you a short ninety-minute escape from reality. Although it is a compelling story unto itself, the book, Tribulations, is the ninth installment in a multi-part epic dystopian novel known as Forever Winter.

  JOIN MY MAILING LIST and get updates on other releases and promotions. Visit my website at www.kmfortune.com/signup.

  I SINCERELY HOPE YOU enjoy Tribulations. It was a pleasure to write. If you find time, a review, or even better, a referral to another reader, is always appreciated.

  PLEASE ENJOY!

  FOREVER WINTER

  DON’T MISS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

  BOOK I - AWAKENING

  RAVEN WINTER IS REVIVED after being frozen in the ice for generations. As she heals and strengthens, she learns of her terrible new reality. Nuclear war has decimated the world and outside the walls of the underground facility where she is trapped is a wasteland in which only the most cunning survive. Her keeper, Matthew, is shocked to discover his female specimen is not only awake but also intelligent enough to speak. In his world, women are not man’s equal but instead are banished as agents of sin. To save her from termination, he devises a plan to set her free.

  BOOK II - SURVIVAL

  RAVEN WINTER HAS ESCAPED and fights to stay alive in the frozen mountain wilderness. Trapped in a cabin with a corpse, it takes all her wits and inner strength to persevere against the elements. On the harsh plains below her, a tiny young woman named Kit uses her prowess to find supplies for her clan. When she is forced to flee from mutants to the mountains, she discovers Raven. Not knowing what to think of the odd stranger, Kit stays hidden and watches, growing more and more puzzled about where the person came from. Inside the underground colony, Matthew survives even though his laboratory is taken from him for helping Raven escape. His punishment is made complete when he is sent to be a recruit with the Patrols.

  BOOK III – DISCOVERY

  RAVEN WINTER HAS TRAVELED The Old Road in search of other humans. Her trek is difficult and threatens to overwhelm her with loneliness and thirst. Along the way, she battles a cat mutant, who decides to track her in the hope of getting revenge for Raven’s actions. Following closely behind is Kit, the small, young woman who continues to be intrigued by Raven’s strange arrival on the wasteland Kit calls home. In the end, Raven perseveres and meets a young man named Blaze, a human nomad, who is shocked to meet a beautiful stranger on the high desert plains. However, Willow, the clan’s leader wants nothing to do with the stranger and refuses to let her join them. As Raven’s adventure transpires, Matthew, the ex-scientist in the colony called Eden, battles for his own survival among the ranks of the Patrols. When others find he is the man who let the “witch” Raven escape, he must lean on his new skills to endure his plight.

  BOOK IV - JUDGEMENT

  RAVEN WINTER, AFTER saving their leader’s life, has been accepted into the human nomadic clan, but danger follows close behind her. As she builds their trust, the people learn from Kit the worst kind of trouble is coming, and they must flee their shelter under the relentless hunting of the Patrols. Matthew, who was forced to serve as a member of the Patrols, searches for Raven knowing he must find a way to protect her as the Patrols ravage the land. During the raids, two members of the clan, Willow and Dawn, are kidnapped, but Raven devises a plan to get them back. Even though the mission to save the two women is successful, they pay a high price and find out the little girl, Mouse, has been taken. All the while, the nomads are hunted by Hector, the cat mutant, with an agenda of his own.

  BOOK V - TOLERANCE

  RAVEN WINTER IS KIDNAPPED by Hector, the cat mutant. Thinking Raven is a witch who can help him regain status back home, Hector is on a mission to get her there. Raven’s only hope is Kit, who follows close behind the pair waiting for an opening to stage a rescue. Willow, Blaze, and Matthew are travelling the other direction as they seek help from a different clan who live beside a mountain lake. When a blizzard slows everyone’s plans, the groups find shelter and wait out the storm. After surviving mother nature, Willow and the others continue their journey, only to face wolves and almost certain death. All the while Raven and Hector learn more and more about each other as they take up their travels once again, yet it is not until they are ambushed that Raven has the biggest surprise. Hector is a prince.

  BOOK VI – REVELATION

  RAVEN WINTER AND KIT continue their travels to Hector’s home only to arrive and discover Hector’s father, the king, is in a coma. Soon they find themselves at the mercy of the evil Prince Edward, where only the kind and beautiful Queen Helen stands between them and grave danger. Meanwhile, Matthew, as a prisoner of the clan by the lake, uses his skill learned while in Eden to save a mother and child, as well as his own life. Even though the clan will now accept him, he chooses to follow Blaze who leaves the clan’s lodge to go seek more help at the forbidden city. Although new adventurers join them, Willow stays behind.

  BOOK VII – UNDAUNTED

  RAVEN WINTER AND HECTOR have arrived at his home, the kingdom of the cat mutants. While there, Queen Helen befriends her, yet before she can help Raven, Kit uncovers a secret. Before Raven and Kit can explain, they are labeled as assassins and forced to flee the city. Only through the queen’s help do they make it out of the valley and continue their adventure toward the forbidden city. Hector remains behind and his love for Helen is rekindled. Blaze and Matthew continue their search across the wasteland, hoping to find Raven at the forbidden city, while Willow travels to the Great Cave to save Hannah.

  BOOK VIII – CONCURRENCE

  RAVEN WINTER HAS ARRIVED at the forbidden city and met The Duke, only to find the focus of the city’s entertainment is pitting man-against-man in Fight Night. When faced with saving the lives of her friends, or saying yes to The Duke’s proposal, Raven does what she must and accepts his offer of marriage. Up on the mountain, Willow captures Gabriel and he is surprised to learn she is seeking the little girl, Hannah, who is being held in the Great Cave. Although mortal enemies, the two find a way to work together in order to get what they both want – to protect the child. At the same time, Hector and Helen are forced to flee the kingdom, but Hector vows to return once he has rallied his forces.

  AND NOW THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

  Forever Winter

  BOOK IX – TRIBULATIONS

  CHAPTER 1

  Blaze’s head ached. Reaching up, he felt a slightly wet and crusted gash on his left temple. Peeking his eyes open, he looked at his fingertips and saw they were bloody. What the heck happened? he thought and slowly turned his head to look around, realizing he was on a bed in one of the hotel’s rooms. Matthew sat on the edge of it. “Blaze, can you hear me?” he asked. Blaze blinked. The man’s voice was fuzzy and seemed far away even though he was sitting close. “Blaze!” Matthew said loud
er this time. “Wake up.” Blaze grimaced. The last thing he needed was shouting.

  “For crying out loud,” he murmured. “Why are you yelling?” He heard Matthew breathe a sigh of relief. Blaze suddenly realized his mouth was bone dry. “Can I have some water?” he asked.

  “You bet, buddy,” Blaze heard Brody say.

  "Anything you need," Toby answered as he rushed to the bedside and held out a canteen. Blaze reached for it and tried to nod his thanks, but the movement sent a burst of pain through his head. It was all he could do to take a drink. The water tasted fantastic, and he started to guzzle it. Matthew stopped him and reached for the canteen.

  "Slow down, Blaze," he said. "Little sips." Blaze did not fight him and closed his eyes once the water was out of his hands.

  "What happened?" he asked.

  "The Duke whacked you with his big revolver when you went for his throat," Toby chimed in. "Dropped you like a stone."

  "He's not kidding," Brody added. "I thought you were dead."

  Suddenly the memory of what happened rushed back at Blaze. The crowd. The fighters. The threat of a deathmatch. Raven ... Blaze's eyes flew open as the image of her filled his mind. "We have to help Raven," he cried and tried to sit up, but immediately felt like he was going to vomit. Matthew put his hands on Blaze's shoulders.

  "Easy," Matthew said. "She's safe enough for now. We left Kit with her with instructions to kill anyone who tried to come in the room." Blaze relaxed. If anyone could guard Raven, it would be his little clan sister. Still, it did not resolve the larger problem. Raven had promised to marry The Duke. All to save Matthew, he thought feeling his temper rising, but then checked it. Right now was not the time to fight with Matthew. He needed to focus on Raven and make sure she was alright.

  "I want to see her," Blaze said. "We need to talk her out of this."

  "Yes, we do," Matthew agreed. "But first we are supposed to meet The Duke in his suite for breakfast again. I'm just hoping Raven will be there."

  "So, uh, you don't think it is a trap, do you?" Toby asked.

  "Yeah," Brody added. "He wasn't exactly friendly after he called off the fight."

  Blaze looked at the twins. "What happened after I was knocked out?"

  "Well, the crowd went crazy," Toby said.

  "And The Duke had to call on his guards to surround us," Brody said.

  Toby nodded. "It was looking pretty serious for a few minutes there," he said.

  "But then Kit stabbed a couple guys," Brody said with a small chuckle. "Nothing particularly fatal. More of a deterrent. They cleared a path well enough then."

  Matthew stood up from the bed. The shift of movement made Blaze wince, but he buried it. It was time to get up himself. "Well, if it is a trap, I'm going down swinging," Blaze said as he sat up and swung his legs off of the bed. It was excruciating, but he ignored it.

  "Me too," Matthew agreed. "This is my fault, and I plan to fix it." You got that right, Blaze thought but kept his mouth shut and stood up. It was time to go see what was going to happen next.

  Samuel looked down at the sleeping child. Her dark hair was fanned out on the pillow, and her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of her slumber. It really is an angelic face, Samuel thought as he stared. For a female. He wished he knew the source of The Creator's strange infatuation with the little girl. Samuel knew it was not physical, but rather as if his Maker looked at the child as one of his own. And not a wastling from outside the walls of Eden. Samuel sighed and knew Gabriel had a touch of it too, but his motivations for wanting to be around the girl seemed more protective than anything. How do these creatures pull reasonable men in? Samuel shook his head and wondered about Gabriel. The Patrol leader’s jeep had been found late yesterday, and multiple search parties were sent out to look for him. So far, they had turned up nothing, and Samuel found the whole thing very troublesome. If Gabriel could not be located, then Samuel would have to send another man to go to the forbidden city and find the escaped female. It was all such an inconvenience.

  I wonder why he did not go with a squad to get her, he thought with a frown. A pack of trade goods had been found in the jeep, so Samuel reasoned the man planned to try and negotiate for the female. It was not the strategy Samuel had in mind. In fact, Samuel wanted much more force to be used against the woman. A few broken bones perhaps, he thought with a smile. But alive. He wanted her brought back able to see and understand him. The woman needed to be punished, and Samuel intended to make sure it happened. Personally. So who do I send?

  Suddenly, Samuel had an idea. Perhaps I am approaching this wrong. Might it be better to simply have my spy there in the city grab her and smuggle her back? The plan was perfect. He would just need to send a message as soon as possible, with the promise of a great reward when the man returned home. Living in such a den of sin must be horrible, Samuel thought, his mouth twisting with revulsion. The man would indeed be grateful to have a chance to see his brethren and hear the glorious words of The Creator once again. Samuel would most definitely send a communication this morning, but first, he would wait and watch the little girl. Any minute now, she would wake up and see her keeper, the dirty nomad with the port wine mark on his face, was gone and would not return. A smile played evilly across Samuel's features. He was looking forward to her reaction. Finally, he would break through the little girl's defenses and make her suffer the pain and sadness she deserved.

  WILLOW HEARD A NOISE and was instantly awake. Grabbing her knife by instinct, she sat up and scanned the shadows cast by the early morning light. Her first thought was wolves, and her heart raced as she considered her best means of defense. Then she realized the sound had been more of a scuffle and she knew it was Gabriel. Trusting him was a mistake, she thought and jumped up from her sleeping mat. Ducking to clear the lean-to she had strung up to help ward off the winter cold, she looked around their meager camp. The remains of the small fire he helped her build the night before had been revived and a haunch of a rabbit roasted on a spit. Turning now in complete confusion, Willow saw Gabriel returning to the clearing. He was carrying a few dead branches and stopped when he saw her. Their eyes met for a moment, and Willow saw the flicker of dislike pass through them. There’s something else though too, she thought but was unable to read it. Before she could decipher the look, Willow watched Gabriel’s eyes glance down at the knife in her hand. Realizing she was in a threatening stance, Willow relaxed and slipped the weapon back into the scabbard on her hip. “I thought you ran,” she said, not ready to apologize for anything she did in regards to the old soldier. Even though they were now partners in a strange plan to get into the Great Cave, she still hated him for what he was and always would be.

  “I gave you my word,” Gabriel said and started forward again to drop the bundle of wood beside the circle of stones around the fire. “Where I come from, lying is a sin. You’re safe from me now that I have promised it.” Willow felt only somewhat reassured. Safe from him, she thought. But I notice he doesn’t say I’m safe from everyone. She knew expecting so much was a waste of time. The plan was simple, but not without extreme risk. To her especially. Last night, they had discussed the options, and in the end, it came down to what Gabriel proposed all along. She would let him tie her up and then lead her as a captive into the Great Cave. Once they were clear of the guards, he would untie her and lead her to where Hannah stayed. What happened after that was still unclear, but for Willow, it worked for now.

  "I appreciate the fire," Willow said as she squatted down to warm herself across from where Gabriel also knelt and turned the rabbit. "You're sure Mouse is okay?" she asked Gabriel for the tenth time. It seemed too good to be true.

  "Her name is Hannah now, but yes. She was well when I left," he said, not elaborating. Willow nodded.

  "Good. Matthew said she would be kept alive until she was older," she said. "I just did not know if I should believe him under the circumstances."

  Willow saw Gabriel raise an eyebrow. "What were the circumstances?" he ask
ed.

  "Being an ex-Patrol. His life depended on his answer," she responded. The old soldier grew quiet and stared hard into the flames of their fire. Did that insult him or something? Willow thought. She could not read his sudden distracted expression.

  “I don’t suppose you knew his history,” Gabriel finally said, his tone even. Willow narrowed her eyes. What is this about? she thought.

  “A scientist,” she said. “Why?” Gabriel shook his head, clearly in disbelief. “What?” Willow asked. “Do you know him?”

  “I know him,” he replied. “He was the one who helped the female escape from the colony. The woman who basically started the chain of events which led to Hannah being in Eden.”

  Willow smiled a little and looked away. “Her name is Raven,” she said. “And yes, she is responsible for starting many things.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Looking down at her plate, Raven had no appetite. The eggs, which the day before were a delightful change in food options, now appeared rubbery. There was a dark sausage link of some variety on the plate too. This was new and not served with the eggs benedict yesterday. It did not look at all appetizing, and she pushed it around with her fork. At least there is toast, she thought and picked it up to take a bite, else she draw attention to her lack of eating. It was to no avail. "Everything to your liking, sweetheart?" The Duke drawled. She looked up and saw him smiling. The term of endearment, as well as the grin, put Raven on edge. The promise she made while under duress the night before haunted her and kept her up all night trying to think of a way out of it. There was no easy answer. She knew without asking, The Duke would never let her back out. Not without pain and suffering to those I care about.