Read Online Fight And The Fury (Book 8) by Craig Halloran - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Craig Halloran
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question, but he did. “And what is their condition?”
“Alive, we believe. They’ve managed to traverse the cliffs farther east, and we think they are hidden in the caves.” Shum shook his head. “The caves are many.”
“And what of the creature that pursues them?” Nath said. “Any sign of it?”
“Its tracks stop at the edge of the cliff and vanish.”
“So, the Roaming Rangers have initiated a search in the cliffs.”
Shum shook his head.
“Why not?” Nath said.
“Above the cliffs … there be dragons.”
CHAPTER 16
The cliffs were sheer, but manageable. The stone surface was cut away in parts, forming level paths carved out long ago by another civilization. It reminded Nath of the rock-carved goblin fort in the Shale Hills where he had battled the necromancer Corzan. That seemed a lifetime ago.
The footing wouldn’t be difficult, even for a gnome. Vines hung over the rocky edges, and trees were abundant for climbing. Any cautious person could make the climb. A desperate person just as well. And there were plenty of caves dotting the cliff face, any of which was big enough to provide shelter.
But dragons circled above.
A dozen grey scalers.
Bigger than men.
The hunters of Barnabus.
“Brenwar,” Nath said, “can you make anything of the cliffs? Could the gnomes find another way to escape?”
“Solid,” he said. “Those caves aren’t carved, just porous spots in the rock face. Those ledges were roads once. Nothing more.” He squinted. “That’s why they remain. Only one way up and down, and we’re looking at it. If gnomes had any sense, they’d head back down.”
The gnomes had gone up for a reason, though. Something chased them. A predator. Swift and cunning. Nath had seen strange paw prints in the dirt. It was the faintest marking. Almost ghostly. Neither he nor the Wilder Elves could make out the full print, but Nath felt he should know it.
“Something else lurks down here,” he said to them all. “Be alert. I’m getting an odd feeling.”
Above, a grey scaler dove through the sky and neared one of the caves. A hovering bird of prey, it screeched at the hole.
Nath’s ears caught the twang of a bowstring loosed, and he watched an arrow whiz through the air and tear through the dragon’s wing.
It squawked, wings batting in fury and lifting it higher into the sky’s safety among the others.
“Rangers are posted along those rocks,” Shum said, pointing the way. “We’ve been fending them off since we got here. They can provide cover while we search the caves, but at some point or another we will have to battle those dragons. And there’s more of them than us.”
“Well, Barnabus wants the gnomes back—” Nath said,
“And I say we let them have the gnomes,” Brenwar interjected.
Nath glared at Brenwar and continued, “and we won’t let that happen. Shum, have your Rangers keep their bows ready. I think Ben can help keep them off our backs.”
Ben nodded at him.
“Shum, Hoven, and I will go up.”
“And what will I do?” Brenwar said. “Stand down here and throw rocks at them?”
Shum glanced at Brenwar’s new bracers and said, “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Brenwar looked at his wrists.
“Ho! I think I like how yer thinking, elf!” He clapped his hands together. “Come Ben, help me fetch some stones.”
“Look!” Ben said, pointing towards the sky, loading his bow.
Two grey scalers dove towards the rocks where Shum’s archers were posted. Arrows ricocheted off the dragons’ hides and horns. A third dragon slipped behind them. Arrows zinged through the air. Some found a soft spot, others skipped off their hides before all three dragons soared back high in the air. It all happened in seconds.
“They test our forces,” Shum said. “Rousting us from our roost. But we can hold them. The Roaming Rangers are outstanding marksmen, and our elven arrows seek their soft spots and slow their efforts.”
“Yer arrows
“Alive, we believe. They’ve managed to traverse the cliffs farther east, and we think they are hidden in the caves.” Shum shook his head. “The caves are many.”
“And what of the creature that pursues them?” Nath said. “Any sign of it?”
“Its tracks stop at the edge of the cliff and vanish.”
“So, the Roaming Rangers have initiated a search in the cliffs.”
Shum shook his head.
“Why not?” Nath said.
“Above the cliffs … there be dragons.”
CHAPTER 16
The cliffs were sheer, but manageable. The stone surface was cut away in parts, forming level paths carved out long ago by another civilization. It reminded Nath of the rock-carved goblin fort in the Shale Hills where he had battled the necromancer Corzan. That seemed a lifetime ago.
The footing wouldn’t be difficult, even for a gnome. Vines hung over the rocky edges, and trees were abundant for climbing. Any cautious person could make the climb. A desperate person just as well. And there were plenty of caves dotting the cliff face, any of which was big enough to provide shelter.
But dragons circled above.
A dozen grey scalers.
Bigger than men.
The hunters of Barnabus.
“Brenwar,” Nath said, “can you make anything of the cliffs? Could the gnomes find another way to escape?”
“Solid,” he said. “Those caves aren’t carved, just porous spots in the rock face. Those ledges were roads once. Nothing more.” He squinted. “That’s why they remain. Only one way up and down, and we’re looking at it. If gnomes had any sense, they’d head back down.”
The gnomes had gone up for a reason, though. Something chased them. A predator. Swift and cunning. Nath had seen strange paw prints in the dirt. It was the faintest marking. Almost ghostly. Neither he nor the Wilder Elves could make out the full print, but Nath felt he should know it.
“Something else lurks down here,” he said to them all. “Be alert. I’m getting an odd feeling.”
Above, a grey scaler dove through the sky and neared one of the caves. A hovering bird of prey, it screeched at the hole.
Nath’s ears caught the twang of a bowstring loosed, and he watched an arrow whiz through the air and tear through the dragon’s wing.
It squawked, wings batting in fury and lifting it higher into the sky’s safety among the others.
“Rangers are posted along those rocks,” Shum said, pointing the way. “We’ve been fending them off since we got here. They can provide cover while we search the caves, but at some point or another we will have to battle those dragons. And there’s more of them than us.”
“Well, Barnabus wants the gnomes back—” Nath said,
“And I say we let them have the gnomes,” Brenwar interjected.
Nath glared at Brenwar and continued, “and we won’t let that happen. Shum, have your Rangers keep their bows ready. I think Ben can help keep them off our backs.”
Ben nodded at him.
“Shum, Hoven, and I will go up.”
“And what will I do?” Brenwar said. “Stand down here and throw rocks at them?”
Shum glanced at Brenwar’s new bracers and said, “I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Brenwar looked at his wrists.
“Ho! I think I like how yer thinking, elf!” He clapped his hands together. “Come Ben, help me fetch some stones.”
“Look!” Ben said, pointing towards the sky, loading his bow.
Two grey scalers dove towards the rocks where Shum’s archers were posted. Arrows ricocheted off the dragons’ hides and horns. A third dragon slipped behind them. Arrows zinged through the air. Some found a soft spot, others skipped off their hides before all three dragons soared back high in the air. It all happened in seconds.
“They test our forces,” Shum said. “Rousting us from our roost. But we can hold them. The Roaming Rangers are outstanding marksmen, and our elven arrows seek their soft spots and slow their efforts.”
“Yer arrows
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