Siege (Threads of Fate Book 3) by Ollie Odebunmi

Author:Ollie Odebunmi [Odebunmi, Ollie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Epic Anthologies
Published: 2018-12-11T07:00:00+00:00

Siege

Yuudai stood in Nogunata’s cave, fingering his dagger as he eyed the wolf sat on its haunches beside the shaman. The wolf’s baleful eyes were locked on him, and Yuudai felt it was readying itself to spring.

“Control your beast, shaman,” he hissed. “I don’t know what it’s doing here, but I’ll slit its throat if it attacks me.”

Nogunata chuckled, a dry sound rattling in his throat. “That would be most unfortunate, for I need the beast’s strength.”

Yuudai’s brow furrowed. “Your words make no sense. Stop speaking in riddles, shaman. I have no time for this. You asked to see me and should have come to my tent. But I spared you the journey and decided to visit you, for your many years weigh heavily on your bones. Now speak plainly, for I have much to do.”

“As you wish, Sahan of all Kovari,” Nogunata replied. “As you say, my…advanced years make journeying difficult. This physical shell…my body is ailing and will not survive the long journey through the desert.”

“Then stay here,” Yuudai barked. “You are not needed at Huchao. We need warriors, not a half-dead shaman to take down the wall and Cheng fortress.”

“Arrogant pup,” Nogunata snapped back. “You have no idea what you might need to take the Soft Skins’ fortress, for it’s mighty, and unlike anything you have ever seen.”

“You have seen it, you’ve been there?”

Nogunata nodded. “Yes, I have. There are other means of travel you know nothing about.” He paused and coughed, the sound rattling in his bony chest like pebbles in a tin cup. “Now, I have to put my body into a deep sleep to survive the journey, but first I need to borrow the wolf’s strength to…fortify me. I would much rather use a man in his prime years. One of those Hafiri would have been perfect, but sadly, you have formed an alliance with them, and…” he smiled thinly… “it would be…unseemly for me to start cutting their throats.”

Yuudai stared at the shaman, making no attempt to mask his disgust. “Do what you must, shaman,” he said, turning to leave the cave.

“As you wish,” Nogunata said, his voice mocking. “Have someone place my sleeping body in my wagon. One warning: Tell all to keep away from the wagon, and the ponies pulling it. They will need no tending, feeding, or guiding during the journey. They won’t tire or stumble and will find their own food. The journey will take around a hundred days. I’ll wake a day before we reach Huchao.”

Yuudai walked from the cave and paused by the covered wagon outside. Two hill ponies were tethered to it. But they were unlike any ponies he had seen before. Pitch black and red-eyed, they were much bigger than the usual Kovari mounts. They stood unblinking and unmoving, barely appearing to breathe.

Yuudai suppressed a shudder and moved away.

As Yuudai left the cave, Nogunata turned and looked into the wolf’s eyes. The beast stretched out before him, its head resting on its paws. The shaman placed a shallow clay bowl by its head, before reaching for a small dagger.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.