
In the quiet mountain village of Labourt, an ancient weather‑vane crowns the tower of the old manor. Shaped like a grotesque dragon with three crowns and a curious inscription on its tail, it spins endlessly, pointing to the four winds while muttering silence to unseen listeners. By day it seems a benign guardian, its fiery breath softened into harmless arrows; by storm it becomes a snarling beast that rattles the sky and stirs the clouds. A solitary owl watches from its highest perch, hinting at secret orders that even the creature cannot decipher.
Against this backdrop three strangers arrive from Bayonne: a grizzled veteran with a soldier’s bearing, a confident young rider, and a dark‑eyed youth whose curiosity burns bright. Their journey through autumn woods brings them to the foot of the tower, where the veleta’s restless turning mirrors the tensions in their own lives. As they settle in the village, the dragon’s creaks and the owl’s silent counsel begin to draw them into a web of old legends, lingering grudges, and a mystery that may reshape their destinies.
Language
es
Duration
~3 hours (200K characters)
Series
Memorias de un hombre de acción, tomo 8
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2016-09-07
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1872–1956
A restless, sharp-eyed voice of Spain’s Generation of ’98, his novels blend adventure, skepticism, and a deep interest in ordinary lives. Trained as a doctor before turning fully to literature, he became one of the country’s most distinctive modern storytellers.
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