Read Online Spider Wars: Book Three of the Black Bead Chronicles by J.D. Lakey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: J.D. Lakey
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do you
see the defense, as well? What do we need to do?” he asked.
“ I don’t know,” she
said with a long drawn out sigh, feeling suddenly tired. “Do
nothing. Be patient and wait. I cannot see that far yet.” The spell
was broken. Hayrald the First Prime had again taken over, chasing her
Da back into his box. A vision of a future in which that box never
opened again flashed across her eyes. She shuddered. Never. She would
fight that future with all her might.
Cloud Eye, sensing the
unspoken wish on the surface of her mind, took pity on her. Surging
into motion, the bennelk headed back to her herd, her long legs
pacing the ground in swift, smooth strides lest she jar the
distracted human child on her back. Cloud Eye had much to say to Kite
Wing when she finally settled into her place in the column. Cheobawn
did not hear the exchange. She was busy building geometry proofs in
her head. The lesser Ears would have to keep them safe. The Void over
the top of the world was all she could hear and its power made her
blind.
Chapter Five
Cheobawn
wound Cloud Eye’s reins loosely around the saddle horn, pressed her
mittened hands against her mouth, and blew hard through all the
layers of silk, wool, and leather in a vain attempt to warm her
fingertips. Even without the guidance of the reins Cloud Eye did not
need help in figuring out where she needed to go. She and Connor
followed Sigrid and Erin as they walked the fence line of the lower
paddocks in search of strays. Vinara had thought this assignment best
after the column had reached the pastures above the orchards and
Hayrald had whispered his report in her ear. Cheobawn suspected he
wanted to send her back down the hill to the dome but Vinara wanted
as many eyes as possible searching the valleys and draws for the
red-haired cattle. Sybille had ended that discussion with a few sharp
words.
Did they hope to keep her
out of trouble by sending her away from the others with Sigrid as a
babysitter? Sigrid surely thought so. He had given her a dark look
upon being informed of his assignment. Erin’s glare had been even
less kind.
Walking the fence-line was
not as fun or as glamorous as rounding up the reluctant herds in
preparation for the drive back down Orchard Trail. It was a tedious
affair; riding slowly, heads bent to watch the ground for tracks.
There were places where the
snow had buried the fence in drifts then frozen hard enough to
support even a bennelk. A small herd might cross the frozen barriers
in search of sweeter grass or warmer bedding areas.
She did not mind Sigrid’s
silence. Connor’s silence was more troubling. He had not said a
single word to her since she rejoined the column and truth be told
she was glad of this. After her conversation with Hayrald, the inside
of her head was a jumble of feelings and thoughts and until she got
them all sorted out, she did not want to talk to anyone, not even
Connor.
The bennelk plodded on. Did
they have to move so slowly? Cheobawn glanced nervously up at the
sky. The sun, its light almost brittle in the dry, thin air, had
reached its apex hours previous and with the short days of winter
still upon them, they had less than an hour to gather up the strays
and head back down the mountain before complete darkness overtook
them.
“ Not a cloud to be seen,”
commented Connor, following her gaze. “Tell me again. How sure are
we that a storm is coming?”
On another day, she might
have smiled at his doubt. Connor was a true pragmatist. He did not
believe in anything that he could not touch with his own hand. Today,
after the scorn of the other Packs and the harsh words from Hayrald,
his doubt rankled.
“ We,” she said, using
his all-inclusive word to remind him he was here of his own doing,
“are most certain. Herd Mother has never been wrong so far.”
“ Says you. How many big
storms have we had so far this winter?”
“ Five, no, six,” she
ventured.
“ And you have warned us
about how many?” he
see the defense, as well? What do we need to do?” he asked.
“ I don’t know,” she
said with a long drawn out sigh, feeling suddenly tired. “Do
nothing. Be patient and wait. I cannot see that far yet.” The spell
was broken. Hayrald the First Prime had again taken over, chasing her
Da back into his box. A vision of a future in which that box never
opened again flashed across her eyes. She shuddered. Never. She would
fight that future with all her might.
Cloud Eye, sensing the
unspoken wish on the surface of her mind, took pity on her. Surging
into motion, the bennelk headed back to her herd, her long legs
pacing the ground in swift, smooth strides lest she jar the
distracted human child on her back. Cloud Eye had much to say to Kite
Wing when she finally settled into her place in the column. Cheobawn
did not hear the exchange. She was busy building geometry proofs in
her head. The lesser Ears would have to keep them safe. The Void over
the top of the world was all she could hear and its power made her
blind.
Chapter Five
Cheobawn
wound Cloud Eye’s reins loosely around the saddle horn, pressed her
mittened hands against her mouth, and blew hard through all the
layers of silk, wool, and leather in a vain attempt to warm her
fingertips. Even without the guidance of the reins Cloud Eye did not
need help in figuring out where she needed to go. She and Connor
followed Sigrid and Erin as they walked the fence line of the lower
paddocks in search of strays. Vinara had thought this assignment best
after the column had reached the pastures above the orchards and
Hayrald had whispered his report in her ear. Cheobawn suspected he
wanted to send her back down the hill to the dome but Vinara wanted
as many eyes as possible searching the valleys and draws for the
red-haired cattle. Sybille had ended that discussion with a few sharp
words.
Did they hope to keep her
out of trouble by sending her away from the others with Sigrid as a
babysitter? Sigrid surely thought so. He had given her a dark look
upon being informed of his assignment. Erin’s glare had been even
less kind.
Walking the fence-line was
not as fun or as glamorous as rounding up the reluctant herds in
preparation for the drive back down Orchard Trail. It was a tedious
affair; riding slowly, heads bent to watch the ground for tracks.
There were places where the
snow had buried the fence in drifts then frozen hard enough to
support even a bennelk. A small herd might cross the frozen barriers
in search of sweeter grass or warmer bedding areas.
She did not mind Sigrid’s
silence. Connor’s silence was more troubling. He had not said a
single word to her since she rejoined the column and truth be told
she was glad of this. After her conversation with Hayrald, the inside
of her head was a jumble of feelings and thoughts and until she got
them all sorted out, she did not want to talk to anyone, not even
Connor.
The bennelk plodded on. Did
they have to move so slowly? Cheobawn glanced nervously up at the
sky. The sun, its light almost brittle in the dry, thin air, had
reached its apex hours previous and with the short days of winter
still upon them, they had less than an hour to gather up the strays
and head back down the mountain before complete darkness overtook
them.
“ Not a cloud to be seen,”
commented Connor, following her gaze. “Tell me again. How sure are
we that a storm is coming?”
On another day, she might
have smiled at his doubt. Connor was a true pragmatist. He did not
believe in anything that he could not touch with his own hand. Today,
after the scorn of the other Packs and the harsh words from Hayrald,
his doubt rankled.
“ We,” she said, using
his all-inclusive word to remind him he was here of his own doing,
“are most certain. Herd Mother has never been wrong so far.”
“ Says you. How many big
storms have we had so far this winter?”
“ Five, no, six,” she
ventured.
“ And you have warned us
about how many?” he
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