The Brittle Bones of Gods (Fractured Everest Book 5) by D.H. Dunn

Author:D.H. Dunn [Dunn, D.H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-21T04:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

Still laying in the water with her heart pounding, Nima looked across the canyon for her friends. A few meters away, three more strangers were killing the second crocodile, wearing similar clothes as the man who had saved her, wielding the same bladed staves.

Odan was on his knees in the water, blood running from a fresh cut on his upper shoulder. Seeing her worried look, he shot her a smile and a shrug, pulling himself to his feet.

Sil-Nae stood not far away, standing on the other side of the small creek. Her torn, white clothing was stained with both dirt and blood, but she seemed relatively unhurt.

Janakas kneeled in the water, rinsing a shallow gash on his arm. Seeing her gaze, he looked away, guilt in his eyes.

The strangers who had come to their rescue gathered a small distance from them, forming up in a small circle around the tall cloaked man who had come to her aid. The long, tattered strands of his unusual clothing dripped onto the sands. A white belt fastened his cloak shut, the long, bladed staff gripped in his right hand.

He faced her but did not speak, simply staring at them from the dark confines of his hood.

Nima walked toward him, focusing on the man with the white belt around his waist.

Nima smiled as broadly as she could, letting her relief show and hoping she was holding back her tension. There was something in the man’s body language that made her nervous, still on edge as if he eyed them with suspicion.

“Thank you,” she said. “If you had not come when you did, I am not sure we would have made it.”

“Likely not.” The man spoke with a hiss, both words feeling to Nima like daggers thrown to the ground. “To climb and wade the stream is foolish, and we only happened on you by chance.”

“My name is Nima.” She bowed, trying to look as respectful as she could. She was struck by the oddness of her position. Somehow, she had become the spokesperson for the group.

She was overwhelmed with a wish for Drew to be there. He was so much more comfortable with these things.

“I am really not good at this, but I need your help.” She paused, trying to ignore the heat coming to her cheeks. She cast her hand behind her, where Odan, Sil, and Jan stood, each nursing wounds. “We need your help. More help, I mean. If you are Rakhum, then we came here looking for you.”

The man seemed to consider this for a moment. Nima watched his eyes go over her shoulder, looking at her companions. There was a slight twitch around his mouth, a hint she suspected was irritation.

He then reached up and pulled back his cloth hood. His face was dark tan, as she would expect someone who lived their days in the sun would be. Three blue dots had been marked with ink across his forehead, the only marks Nima could see on him. He had no hair, not even eyebrows.

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