Read Online Siege At The Settlements (Book 6) by Craig Halloran - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Craig Halloran
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least I think it has. I’m just so used to it.” Ben led his horse to the water. “I’ll be honest, Dragon. Things do seem brighter since you’re back. Dwarves haven’t started to smile or anything, but some of the other folks have.”
Nath waded into the waters. It always felt like he became a part of Nalzambor whenever he did so. As if life was rushing through him. He felt like he was part of something. Something good. He dunked his head under. Watched the fish swim by and scatter. There didn’t even seem to be as many fish as before. He popped up, slung his red hair over his shoulder, and wrung it out.
He watched the water slide off his scales that seemed to sparkle like coal in the light. It fascinated him. Even though it had been over a year, he still hadn’t had much time to get acquainted with his new body yet.
He sloshed out of the water toward Bayzog. The wizard’s eyes were full of inquiry.
“My side’s fine,” Nath said.
“So you are a mind reader.”
“No, I’m a good study. You know that.” He looked over at Brenwar. The dwarf hadn’t budged an inch. Nath said to Bayzog, “Any suggestions?”
Bayzog’s narrow shoulders offered a little shrug.
The group had been fighting hard for months. Planning. Executing. Day and night. It was exhausting. Now that they had a few spare moments, it seemed no one knew what to do with themselves. He wasn’t so certain either.
“Will somebody say something?” Nath said, exasperated. “Anything at all?”
Brenwar pulled himself back into his saddle with a grunt.
Ben did the same.
“You lead,” Bayzog said, turning his horse east, “We follow.”
The statement was matter-of-fact. Chilling to some degree. Nath moved over to his horse and stuffed his clawed foot in the stirrup.
“Who are you people?” he said, pulling himself up.
Ben’s brown eyes brightened a little.
“Well,” Nath said, “whoever you are, it’s good you recognize a good leader when you see one.” He snapped the reins. “Yah!”
Chapter 17
G orlee and Pilpin kneeled over the corpse of Overseer Dormus. Two knife wounds were in his chest. His eyes were closed.
“He was sleeping,” Pilpin said. He stretched himself up to almost a full four feet in height. “They slaughtered him the same as our brethren.”
The other dwarves grumbled. Some were sitting and sharpening their axes. Others waited on horseback.
“Should we bury him?” Gorlee said, checking the surrounding trees and branches.
“Let the critters have him,” one dwarf said. Many others nodded and grunted confirmation.
It surprised Gorlee. Though dwarves had no love for their enemies, a proper burial was given when time and circumstances permitted.
“I’ll bury him,” said another dwarf, walking over with a shovel. He had a square-ish battle helmet on with a horn in the middle of it. One eye was missing and half his fingers were gone. He shoveled his little shovel into the soft dirt. “No sense in stinking up the woods.”
Grumbling, some of the other dwarves got up and pitched in. Shovels and picks were digging and swinging. Minutes later, a hole big enough for three men was finished. One by one, they pulled each other out.
Gorlee gaped. He’d seen the dwarves dig plenty of graves over the years, but every time they did, it amazed him. It was as if their tools were magic.
In a single heave, two dwarves tossed Dormus’s body into the deep grave. The dwarves started filling the hole with dirt, and minutes later it was done.
“Now what?” Pilpin said, getting into the saddle of his horse. It wasn’t just any horse either. It was the biggest one of them all. The dwarven saddle had three sets of double stirrups that helped them get on and off. “The wounds were the same as our brethren’s. The satyrs must be behind all this.”
“Indeed,” Gorlee said. He scanned all the dwarven faces. Not a one would be turning from any of this. The satyrs had poked them in the eye. The dwarves would
Nath waded into the waters. It always felt like he became a part of Nalzambor whenever he did so. As if life was rushing through him. He felt like he was part of something. Something good. He dunked his head under. Watched the fish swim by and scatter. There didn’t even seem to be as many fish as before. He popped up, slung his red hair over his shoulder, and wrung it out.
He watched the water slide off his scales that seemed to sparkle like coal in the light. It fascinated him. Even though it had been over a year, he still hadn’t had much time to get acquainted with his new body yet.
He sloshed out of the water toward Bayzog. The wizard’s eyes were full of inquiry.
“My side’s fine,” Nath said.
“So you are a mind reader.”
“No, I’m a good study. You know that.” He looked over at Brenwar. The dwarf hadn’t budged an inch. Nath said to Bayzog, “Any suggestions?”
Bayzog’s narrow shoulders offered a little shrug.
The group had been fighting hard for months. Planning. Executing. Day and night. It was exhausting. Now that they had a few spare moments, it seemed no one knew what to do with themselves. He wasn’t so certain either.
“Will somebody say something?” Nath said, exasperated. “Anything at all?”
Brenwar pulled himself back into his saddle with a grunt.
Ben did the same.
“You lead,” Bayzog said, turning his horse east, “We follow.”
The statement was matter-of-fact. Chilling to some degree. Nath moved over to his horse and stuffed his clawed foot in the stirrup.
“Who are you people?” he said, pulling himself up.
Ben’s brown eyes brightened a little.
“Well,” Nath said, “whoever you are, it’s good you recognize a good leader when you see one.” He snapped the reins. “Yah!”
Chapter 17
G orlee and Pilpin kneeled over the corpse of Overseer Dormus. Two knife wounds were in his chest. His eyes were closed.
“He was sleeping,” Pilpin said. He stretched himself up to almost a full four feet in height. “They slaughtered him the same as our brethren.”
The other dwarves grumbled. Some were sitting and sharpening their axes. Others waited on horseback.
“Should we bury him?” Gorlee said, checking the surrounding trees and branches.
“Let the critters have him,” one dwarf said. Many others nodded and grunted confirmation.
It surprised Gorlee. Though dwarves had no love for their enemies, a proper burial was given when time and circumstances permitted.
“I’ll bury him,” said another dwarf, walking over with a shovel. He had a square-ish battle helmet on with a horn in the middle of it. One eye was missing and half his fingers were gone. He shoveled his little shovel into the soft dirt. “No sense in stinking up the woods.”
Grumbling, some of the other dwarves got up and pitched in. Shovels and picks were digging and swinging. Minutes later, a hole big enough for three men was finished. One by one, they pulled each other out.
Gorlee gaped. He’d seen the dwarves dig plenty of graves over the years, but every time they did, it amazed him. It was as if their tools were magic.
In a single heave, two dwarves tossed Dormus’s body into the deep grave. The dwarves started filling the hole with dirt, and minutes later it was done.
“Now what?” Pilpin said, getting into the saddle of his horse. It wasn’t just any horse either. It was the biggest one of them all. The dwarven saddle had three sets of double stirrups that helped them get on and off. “The wounds were the same as our brethren’s. The satyrs must be behind all this.”
“Indeed,” Gorlee said. He scanned all the dwarven faces. Not a one would be turning from any of this. The satyrs had poked them in the eye. The dwarves would
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