Read Online North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Andrew Peterson
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us, just the grownups.”
Tink let out a nervous laugh and hopped up again. “I knew that. I did.”
Janner nearly snorted with laughter in spite of the danger, but then he remembered the way Tink had hesitated in the rockroach den, and his laughter fizzled away.
Nugget and the Igiby children stood like a rampart in front of the three adults.
The Fang commander watched them with interest for a moment, then burst into laughter. The other Fangs joined in, and even the trolls boomed what must have been chuckles of their own. Janner’s cheeks burned with humiliation.
“Where do you think you’ll go, fools?” the Fang asked. When he spoke, the laughter died away. “Do you think you can ssstand there forever, while your elders cower behind you like kittens?” At this, Podo’s chest rumbled. “And what will you do when this silly ssstandoff is over? In a matter of minutes we’ll be across this gully and you’ll be bound and beaten. Where will you go? To the river? Will you swim across the Mighty Blapp and not be stabbed by the daggerfish or drowned in the rapids?”
Janner’s skin crawled with embarrassment. The Fang spoke the truth. For thesefew moments, Podo, Nia, and Oskar were safe behind the children, but what would they do when the Fangs advanced? Janner could hear the faint rumble of the river’s rapids in the distance, but what would they do when they reached it? The Fang was right. They were caught, and nothing could be done.
“Ah!” the Fang continued. “And what about this skinny fellow? Will you let Mooph here squeeze him like a fruit? No, I think you’re finished, Wingfeathers. Gnag the Nameless has thingsss for you to do.”
“Janner,” Tink whispered. “Janner, the rockroach. Look.”
From the hole in the floor of the gully, a tendril of steam rose, and in the shadows, a deeper darkness writhed. A tremor shook the ground and sent pebbles and twigs rattling down into the rockroach den.
If a little water from the First Well made Nugget as big as a horse, what did a whole bottle of it do to the rockroach?
Janner wondered.
He looked across the gully at his uncle in the troll’s fist. What would Peet do? Peet was the true Throne Warden of Anniera. Would he suggest that Janner, Tink, and Leeli give themselves up after all that had been done to keep them alive and safe from Gnag the Nameless?
Janner didn’t think so.
Then he made a choice.
“Back up,” Janner whispered. He grabbed Tink’s elbow and Nugget’s collar and edged them backward.
“Janner, what are you doin’?” Podo asked. “We’re out of options here, lad. Oskar’s at the end of his rope, and the Blapp’s the only thing we’re running to.”
Oskar yawned and sat up. “To the contrary,” he said. “I’ve had quite the refreshing nap. And as I said earlier, I recall…” He adjusted his spectacles and looked north. “Podo, old boy, have you heard of Miller’s Bridge?”
“What are ye talkin’ about, Reteep? This is no time for a history lesson!”
“In the words of—”
“In the words of Podo Helmer, we’re stuck! Best we turn ourselves in and hope for a way out when the Maker affords one.”
“What’s Miller’s Bridge?” Tink asked.
A memory surfaced in Janner’s mind, the image of a map of Skree from a history book he had studied only a year ago. Where the Mighty River Blapp poured into the Dark Sea of Darkness lay Fingap Falls. In parentheses below the words “Fingap Falls” was written “Miller’s Bridge, Second Epoch.” Janner blinked, and the picture in his mind vanished.
“Back up!” he said again. Then he called to the Fang commander, trying to keep his voice level. “We’ll be going now. This has been a nice visit. Please give our regards to Gnag the Nameless when you see him.”
The Fang commander saw the Igibys moving away and snarled. Janner looked at his uncle in the grip of the troll and was terrified he had just cost Peet the Sock Man his life. The Fang commander
Tink let out a nervous laugh and hopped up again. “I knew that. I did.”
Janner nearly snorted with laughter in spite of the danger, but then he remembered the way Tink had hesitated in the rockroach den, and his laughter fizzled away.
Nugget and the Igiby children stood like a rampart in front of the three adults.
The Fang commander watched them with interest for a moment, then burst into laughter. The other Fangs joined in, and even the trolls boomed what must have been chuckles of their own. Janner’s cheeks burned with humiliation.
“Where do you think you’ll go, fools?” the Fang asked. When he spoke, the laughter died away. “Do you think you can ssstand there forever, while your elders cower behind you like kittens?” At this, Podo’s chest rumbled. “And what will you do when this silly ssstandoff is over? In a matter of minutes we’ll be across this gully and you’ll be bound and beaten. Where will you go? To the river? Will you swim across the Mighty Blapp and not be stabbed by the daggerfish or drowned in the rapids?”
Janner’s skin crawled with embarrassment. The Fang spoke the truth. For thesefew moments, Podo, Nia, and Oskar were safe behind the children, but what would they do when the Fangs advanced? Janner could hear the faint rumble of the river’s rapids in the distance, but what would they do when they reached it? The Fang was right. They were caught, and nothing could be done.
“Ah!” the Fang continued. “And what about this skinny fellow? Will you let Mooph here squeeze him like a fruit? No, I think you’re finished, Wingfeathers. Gnag the Nameless has thingsss for you to do.”
“Janner,” Tink whispered. “Janner, the rockroach. Look.”
From the hole in the floor of the gully, a tendril of steam rose, and in the shadows, a deeper darkness writhed. A tremor shook the ground and sent pebbles and twigs rattling down into the rockroach den.
If a little water from the First Well made Nugget as big as a horse, what did a whole bottle of it do to the rockroach?
Janner wondered.
He looked across the gully at his uncle in the troll’s fist. What would Peet do? Peet was the true Throne Warden of Anniera. Would he suggest that Janner, Tink, and Leeli give themselves up after all that had been done to keep them alive and safe from Gnag the Nameless?
Janner didn’t think so.
Then he made a choice.
“Back up,” Janner whispered. He grabbed Tink’s elbow and Nugget’s collar and edged them backward.
“Janner, what are you doin’?” Podo asked. “We’re out of options here, lad. Oskar’s at the end of his rope, and the Blapp’s the only thing we’re running to.”
Oskar yawned and sat up. “To the contrary,” he said. “I’ve had quite the refreshing nap. And as I said earlier, I recall…” He adjusted his spectacles and looked north. “Podo, old boy, have you heard of Miller’s Bridge?”
“What are ye talkin’ about, Reteep? This is no time for a history lesson!”
“In the words of—”
“In the words of Podo Helmer, we’re stuck! Best we turn ourselves in and hope for a way out when the Maker affords one.”
“What’s Miller’s Bridge?” Tink asked.
A memory surfaced in Janner’s mind, the image of a map of Skree from a history book he had studied only a year ago. Where the Mighty River Blapp poured into the Dark Sea of Darkness lay Fingap Falls. In parentheses below the words “Fingap Falls” was written “Miller’s Bridge, Second Epoch.” Janner blinked, and the picture in his mind vanished.
“Back up!” he said again. Then he called to the Fang commander, trying to keep his voice level. “We’ll be going now. This has been a nice visit. Please give our regards to Gnag the Nameless when you see him.”
The Fang commander saw the Igibys moving away and snarled. Janner looked at his uncle in the grip of the troll and was terrified he had just cost Peet the Sock Man his life. The Fang commander
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