Read Online Elf Killers by Carol Marrs Phipps, Tom Phipps - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Marrs Phipps, Tom Phipps
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you?"
Doona shook her head.
"Well, I can't do anything with this slainte ollmhor except have him chew some. I can't make the hot poultice."
"Maybe I can't boil water without fire," she whispered, "but you know that I have the very magicks in me which you've seen me use. Please let me try to save his life."
"I've seen you use them to draw out the poison from wasp stings. This thing was a huge snake. I saw it get away. You could die..."
"Please..."
Oisin squeezed shut his eyes and nodded.
When he opened them, Doona had already taken charge of Rory, and Rory was in convulsions. Soon she was in convulsions of her own. Oisin tried pulling her away, but she clung all the tighter. Suddenly, she gave a great gasp and slumped over. Oisin scooped her up, his heart pounding with fear. But when he turned her over he was elated to find that she and Rory were both breathing normally. They each appeared to be in a deep sleep of exhaustion. He closed his eyes and held her to his chest for some time, until a movement in the grass beside him made him look up to see a wide-eyed Olloo with Kieran beside him, seething with jealousy.
Oisin laid Doona beside Rory and stood up. "They're both going to be fine. Who knows how long they'll need to sleep, but when they wake up, they'll be as fit as they were."
"You're sure?" said Olloo.
Oisin nodded.
Kieran glared at Olloo and Oisin before planting himself firmly by Doona's side to hold her hand.
Olloo rolled his eyes at this. "How are we going to get to Carraig Faire before dawn?" he said.
"You take Rory and I'll take Doona."
"What about Kieran?”
"Well, someone has to help us get them up onto our backs," said Oisin, "and he can spell us off, too."
Larks tinkled far overhead. Olloo noticed the very faintest glow in the east through the gently waving heads of grass, but kept it to himself. "I'll declare," he said as he gave Rory a heave to reposition him, "if the shawkyn spooghey can live with snakes like the one back there, they're pretty tough."
"You can count on it," said Kieran, "but if we're actually going to try living out here in all this grass alongside them, the day's coming when we'll get to find out just how tough. Don't you wonder if this whole idea isn't madness? Think about how long we've lived near the Elf Killers simply to avoid what we're rushing off to do. Does that sound at all safe to you?"
"Not in the least," said Olloo, pausing so that Creena could take the hat that was simply not going to stay on Rory's head. "But it's not as if we had any choice."
"Yea? Well why didn't we just return to camp when we had the chance? We could've left this cursed place with everyone else. Instead, we're trapped here forever. And surviving the strike falcons is going to be harder than surviving the Marfora Siofra, truth to tell. Even the trolls are afraid of the strike falcons. Big favor our good friend Oisin did us, aye?"
"What's the matter with you? You know very well that we'd have led the trolls straight there on our tail. And there would have been far less escaping them there than here."
"Go on! The trolls couldn't possibly have killed or captured everyone. If they could, why didn't they do it years ago?"
"What does that have to do with anything? If they found our people on the beach with no escape other than the sea, and the ships weren't ready yet..."
"Yes, yes. I can see that. It would have been very bad..."
"And our fault," said Olloo.
Kieran looked away as he shook his head and walked on in silence.
Creena tugged at Olloo's sleeve and pointed into the grass.
"Shh," he whispered, bending down to her ear as he walked. "I see it. I'm watching it." Soon he and Creena stopped and squatted.
"What are you all stopping for?" said Kieran, who had just started to lag.
"There's something in there," said Olloo as he heaved Rory into a different position. "It's been following us. Go get Oisin. He's gotten clean out of sight. Start out real easy. Don't
Doona shook her head.
"Well, I can't do anything with this slainte ollmhor except have him chew some. I can't make the hot poultice."
"Maybe I can't boil water without fire," she whispered, "but you know that I have the very magicks in me which you've seen me use. Please let me try to save his life."
"I've seen you use them to draw out the poison from wasp stings. This thing was a huge snake. I saw it get away. You could die..."
"Please..."
Oisin squeezed shut his eyes and nodded.
When he opened them, Doona had already taken charge of Rory, and Rory was in convulsions. Soon she was in convulsions of her own. Oisin tried pulling her away, but she clung all the tighter. Suddenly, she gave a great gasp and slumped over. Oisin scooped her up, his heart pounding with fear. But when he turned her over he was elated to find that she and Rory were both breathing normally. They each appeared to be in a deep sleep of exhaustion. He closed his eyes and held her to his chest for some time, until a movement in the grass beside him made him look up to see a wide-eyed Olloo with Kieran beside him, seething with jealousy.
Oisin laid Doona beside Rory and stood up. "They're both going to be fine. Who knows how long they'll need to sleep, but when they wake up, they'll be as fit as they were."
"You're sure?" said Olloo.
Oisin nodded.
Kieran glared at Olloo and Oisin before planting himself firmly by Doona's side to hold her hand.
Olloo rolled his eyes at this. "How are we going to get to Carraig Faire before dawn?" he said.
"You take Rory and I'll take Doona."
"What about Kieran?”
"Well, someone has to help us get them up onto our backs," said Oisin, "and he can spell us off, too."
Larks tinkled far overhead. Olloo noticed the very faintest glow in the east through the gently waving heads of grass, but kept it to himself. "I'll declare," he said as he gave Rory a heave to reposition him, "if the shawkyn spooghey can live with snakes like the one back there, they're pretty tough."
"You can count on it," said Kieran, "but if we're actually going to try living out here in all this grass alongside them, the day's coming when we'll get to find out just how tough. Don't you wonder if this whole idea isn't madness? Think about how long we've lived near the Elf Killers simply to avoid what we're rushing off to do. Does that sound at all safe to you?"
"Not in the least," said Olloo, pausing so that Creena could take the hat that was simply not going to stay on Rory's head. "But it's not as if we had any choice."
"Yea? Well why didn't we just return to camp when we had the chance? We could've left this cursed place with everyone else. Instead, we're trapped here forever. And surviving the strike falcons is going to be harder than surviving the Marfora Siofra, truth to tell. Even the trolls are afraid of the strike falcons. Big favor our good friend Oisin did us, aye?"
"What's the matter with you? You know very well that we'd have led the trolls straight there on our tail. And there would have been far less escaping them there than here."
"Go on! The trolls couldn't possibly have killed or captured everyone. If they could, why didn't they do it years ago?"
"What does that have to do with anything? If they found our people on the beach with no escape other than the sea, and the ships weren't ready yet..."
"Yes, yes. I can see that. It would have been very bad..."
"And our fault," said Olloo.
Kieran looked away as he shook his head and walked on in silence.
Creena tugged at Olloo's sleeve and pointed into the grass.
"Shh," he whispered, bending down to her ear as he walked. "I see it. I'm watching it." Soon he and Creena stopped and squatted.
"What are you all stopping for?" said Kieran, who had just started to lag.
"There's something in there," said Olloo as he heaved Rory into a different position. "It's been following us. Go get Oisin. He's gotten clean out of sight. Start out real easy. Don't
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