Tears of a Dragon (Five Kingdoms) by X Sulayman

Author:X, Sulayman [X, Sulayman]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Published: 2012-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

THEY hurried for the remainder of the day, pressing themselves as hard as they could, and the Timberlands drew steadily closer. But with night closing in, Mortimer felt even more anxious and ill at ease and was not surprised when Allender insisted they keep going after they had paused for a quick meal.

“But I’m bloody exhausted!” Racalla exclaimed. With all the other youths, she was sitting on the ground, eating and talking at the same time.

“You’ll have to make do,” Allender said evenly.

“But there hasn’t been any sign of the vor-wolves,” she protested, eliciting a chorus of agreement from the youths.

“Are you sure?” Allender asked, in just the right tone to suggest that she was perhaps very much mistaken.

She looked flustered.

“Have none of you been paying attention?” Allender asked, taking them all in with his knowing eyes. “Haven’t I taught you any better than this? You’ll never survive in the wild if you don’t pay attention to more than your hungry stomachs and aching feet. Now, what have you been overlooking?”

There was a long silence.

“The birds?” Yenoh suggested at last.

Allender nodded.

“But I thought they were only circling a dead animal,” Yenoh said.

“What else do they do?” Allender asked, looking at all of them.

“They follow vor-wolf packs,” Racalla said quietly.

“Indeed. So I suggest we keep going and try to make it to the forest, where we can defend ourselves better.”

Racalla said nothing, stuffing the last of a piece of bread into her mouth. She stood up and shouldered her pack. Following her lead, the other youths got to their feet, and they were off again.

Mortimer was tired now, and his feet were aching. He had gotten used to walking long distances, but not so quickly—at times they were almost running—and not for so many endless hours at a stretch.

Ryn was just in front of him, every so often casting an anxious glance over his shoulder as if he feared a pack of vor-wolves would materialize out of the growing darkness.

The first of the two moons rose, and they continued on. Ylnam fed its child while walking before wrapping it tightly in its sling again. Bollo and Allender struggled with its pack, carrying it between them, urging the boys to take the lead.

Then, about two hours into this exercise, Jorn drew up short, cocking his head to one side. Mortimer saw this and groaned, his belly tightening up in a sudden knot of pain. Ryn stopped with him, putting his hand on Mortimer’s arm, whether protectively or fearfully, Mortimer couldn’t say.

“What is it?” Allender demanded in a harsh whisper.

But the Feyborn didn’t answer, and Mortimer could not help but notice that his skin had gone a bright red—a sure sign of danger.

“They’re coming,” the boy said at last.

“How far?” Allender asked.

The boy shook his head uncertainly. “Ten leagues? They are sure to smell us.”

Allender cursed under his breath. “Racalla, Mar, I want you to go on ahead. When you get to the edge of the forest, collect wood and make a fire as quickly as possible and then get as much wood as you can.

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