A Spell of Swords - Robert Ryan - Bog

Bright swords. Dark sorcery. A city stalked by enemies.
Brand, though descended from chieftains, wanders the land of Alithoras with no possessions save the clothes he wears and his oft-needed sword. But the blade belonged to his forefathers, and he yearns to prove himself worthy of a long line of heroes.
Drawn to Red Cardoroth, he discovers that the city earned its name for good reason. Enemies without plot its downfall. Traitors within conspire toward its destruction. All about him swirls a cesspool of mistrust, betrayal and shadow-hidden sorcery.
Yet he meets the wizard Aranloth and finds that loyalty, trust and courage vie against the dark forces of the world. He swears to serve the king. But the king is under constant threat, and swords and spells alone will not save him. Nothing will. But that does not stop Brand. He gives no quarter to the schemes of men, is not cowed by sorcery, and will not yield . . . even to fate.
A Spell of Swords is a group of short stories that form a prequel to the Durlindrath epic fantasy series.