Read Online Brotherband 3: The Hunters by John Flanagan - Free Book Online
Authors: John Flanagan
Tags: Children's Fiction
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action was instinctive. Her right arm went back, the dart and atlatl already in position.
‘Don’t kill hi –’ Thorn began.
But her arm whipped forward and the long dart hissed away through the morning air. It flashed at knee level between Rikard’s legs, tangling between them. The shaft snapped with a loud crack, but it had already done its work, throwing him off balance. He lurched and stumbled, then fell flat on his face. Before he could recover, Thorn was upon him. His wooden hook snagged the front of Rikard’s leather vest. He hauled the pirate to his feet, then hit him with a thundering left, sending him crashing back to the ground once more.
This time, he stayed down.
Thorn looked at the two halves of the shattered atlatl dart. Then he shook his head in admiration at the tall, slim girl.
‘That was outstanding! Absolutely outstanding!’ he said. ‘Throwing it between his legs to trip him. That was the most amazing cast I’ve ever seen!’
She hesitated, tempted to accept his unstinting praise. But then honesty got the better of her and she dropped her eyes in embarrassment.
‘Not so great,’ she said. ‘I actually missed. I was aiming to hit him in the left leg.’
He looked at her in silence for some seconds, then asked slowly, ‘You were planning to put that great, sharp, iron warhead through his leg?’
She nodded, and he continued.
‘And did you consider how we might get him back to the ship with a huge hole in his leg?’
She shrugged. ‘I thought you could carry him. After all, I’ve done all the work so far.’
T he sun had dropped below the level of the treetops in the west when Thorn, Lydia and Rikard emerged from the forest and onto the beach once more. Rikard was unshackled. Thorn had decided there was no need to tie him or restrict him in any way. Before they set out, he had taken the pirate to one side and spoken quietly to him.
‘You saw how good the girl is with that dart thrower of hers,’ he said. ‘If you try to run, she’ll skewer you. And this time, she won’t aim for your legs. Understand?’
Rikard looked nervously at Lydia, licking his dry lips. He nodded several times. They made their way back through the forest, with Lydia in the lead, Rikard following her and Thorn bringing up the rear.
As they left the shadows of the forest behind them, Lydia suddenly let out a glad cry and broke into a run. She had seen a large figure moving slowly towards the camp fire.
‘Ingvar!’ she shouted and, as he turned to face her, she arrived in a rush and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over.
‘You’re all right!’ she said.
He grinned at her. He had lost a lot of weight and there were dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes, but he was definitely in better shape than when she had last seen him.
‘Edvin cured me,’ he said. ‘He made me drink some foul potion and next thing I was sweating like a pig, and then I was better.’
She continued hugging him. She had developed a deep affection for the big, slow-speaking boy.
‘I thought we were going to lose you,’ she said. ‘I am so glad to see you’ve recovered!’
Stig was watching with some interest. He noticed how Lydia kept her arms wrapped around Ingvar as she spoke. Suddenly, Stig threw up his hands with a loud cry and fell to the ground, moaning.
‘Oh! Now I’ve caught the fever too!’ he said. ‘I’m burning up! Absolutely burning up!’ He rolled on the ground for a few seconds, then stopped and leapt to his feet. ‘Praise be! I’m cured!’
He held out his arms expectantly to Lydia, waiting for a hug in his turn. She raised a sardonic eyebrow at him.
‘Get over yourself,’ she said and he shrugged, grinning.
‘Well, it was worth a try. I see you found our prisoner.’
At the edge of the forest, Rikard watched keenly as Lydia’s attention was distracted by the sight of Ingvar. He looked surreptitiously towards the trees behind him, then realised Thorn’s attention was
‘Don’t kill hi –’ Thorn began.
But her arm whipped forward and the long dart hissed away through the morning air. It flashed at knee level between Rikard’s legs, tangling between them. The shaft snapped with a loud crack, but it had already done its work, throwing him off balance. He lurched and stumbled, then fell flat on his face. Before he could recover, Thorn was upon him. His wooden hook snagged the front of Rikard’s leather vest. He hauled the pirate to his feet, then hit him with a thundering left, sending him crashing back to the ground once more.
This time, he stayed down.
Thorn looked at the two halves of the shattered atlatl dart. Then he shook his head in admiration at the tall, slim girl.
‘That was outstanding! Absolutely outstanding!’ he said. ‘Throwing it between his legs to trip him. That was the most amazing cast I’ve ever seen!’
She hesitated, tempted to accept his unstinting praise. But then honesty got the better of her and she dropped her eyes in embarrassment.
‘Not so great,’ she said. ‘I actually missed. I was aiming to hit him in the left leg.’
He looked at her in silence for some seconds, then asked slowly, ‘You were planning to put that great, sharp, iron warhead through his leg?’
She nodded, and he continued.
‘And did you consider how we might get him back to the ship with a huge hole in his leg?’
She shrugged. ‘I thought you could carry him. After all, I’ve done all the work so far.’
T he sun had dropped below the level of the treetops in the west when Thorn, Lydia and Rikard emerged from the forest and onto the beach once more. Rikard was unshackled. Thorn had decided there was no need to tie him or restrict him in any way. Before they set out, he had taken the pirate to one side and spoken quietly to him.
‘You saw how good the girl is with that dart thrower of hers,’ he said. ‘If you try to run, she’ll skewer you. And this time, she won’t aim for your legs. Understand?’
Rikard looked nervously at Lydia, licking his dry lips. He nodded several times. They made their way back through the forest, with Lydia in the lead, Rikard following her and Thorn bringing up the rear.
As they left the shadows of the forest behind them, Lydia suddenly let out a glad cry and broke into a run. She had seen a large figure moving slowly towards the camp fire.
‘Ingvar!’ she shouted and, as he turned to face her, she arrived in a rush and threw her arms around him, nearly knocking him over.
‘You’re all right!’ she said.
He grinned at her. He had lost a lot of weight and there were dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes, but he was definitely in better shape than when she had last seen him.
‘Edvin cured me,’ he said. ‘He made me drink some foul potion and next thing I was sweating like a pig, and then I was better.’
She continued hugging him. She had developed a deep affection for the big, slow-speaking boy.
‘I thought we were going to lose you,’ she said. ‘I am so glad to see you’ve recovered!’
Stig was watching with some interest. He noticed how Lydia kept her arms wrapped around Ingvar as she spoke. Suddenly, Stig threw up his hands with a loud cry and fell to the ground, moaning.
‘Oh! Now I’ve caught the fever too!’ he said. ‘I’m burning up! Absolutely burning up!’ He rolled on the ground for a few seconds, then stopped and leapt to his feet. ‘Praise be! I’m cured!’
He held out his arms expectantly to Lydia, waiting for a hug in his turn. She raised a sardonic eyebrow at him.
‘Get over yourself,’ she said and he shrugged, grinning.
‘Well, it was worth a try. I see you found our prisoner.’
At the edge of the forest, Rikard watched keenly as Lydia’s attention was distracted by the sight of Ingvar. He looked surreptitiously towards the trees behind him, then realised Thorn’s attention was
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