Read Online Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon by Martin Rouillard - Free Book Online Page B
Book: Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon by Martin Rouillard
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Martin Rouillard
Ads: Link
bruised and tired bodies.
When their shadows stretched out behind them and the sun caressed the mountains’ crest, the men cleared a space in the underbrush and built a new camp in the heart of the dense forest. As they worked, wolves prowled around them, hoping to find injured or weakened prey to drag back to their den. The soldiers were remarkably efficient at building their temporary settlements, a skill they had learned from the Roman legions a few centuries ago. With thousands of able bodies working toward a common goal, the camp was completed within a few hours. Shortly after, dozens of bonfires were lit across the camp and the smell of cooked meat filled the air, followed by the laughter and chants of men enjoying a few hours of rest.
Somewhere in this camp, unnoticed by surrounding merrymakers, a boy was sitting by himself. He was tired, alone and completely broken.
Samuel could barely walk anymore. All day, he had followed the army and the soldiers, blending in with the crowd so as not to attract any unwanted attention. For hours, he had walked laboriously in tattered boots too large for his feet. By the end of the morning, he could feel the blisters on his soles. By mid-afternoon, the blisters were patches of raw flesh, burning with each step he took.
The hardest part was following the hundreds of horses that preceded the common soldiers, leaving the ground furrowed from their hoofs. Each step was a battle to keep himself upright.
The worst was that everyone else seemed to be handling the challenge just fine. On several occasions, he had paused to rest for a minute and gather his energies, but every time he did so, no one had stopped or even looked at him. Samuel had quickly realized he needed to stay with the group, or he would be left behind without anyone even noticing he was missing. The prospect of getting lost in this world had been enough to overcome the pain of his feet and the cramps in his calves.
Alas, he knew that the pain currently paralyzing his body was not the only problem he was facing. For starters, he had not eaten anything all day, and his stomach was grumbling almost louder than the barking of drunk men around him. Then there was the cold. Already, he could feel the icy fingers of the night running up and down his spine. Without anything to cover himself, he dreaded the moment of the night when the bonfires would go out, and the men would be asleep in their tents. If the wolves around did not seize him first, surely the cold night would claim him as its victim.
He suddenly realized that tears had rolled down his cheeks. Samuel quickly dried them off, before anyone noticed.
“Let me guess, you don’t have a pelt or a cloak, do you?” asked a voice from behind Samuel.
Turning, he saw Malloy, the man who had saved his life that morning. The warrior had his arms crossed on his chest and was looking at the young boy with exasperation.
“Do you have anything to sleep in at all?” asked the warrior.
“No.”
“My God, you are impossible. With people like you pretending to be warriors, it’s no wonder the Saxons are kicking our arses.”
He unfolded his arm and revealed a sheep’s hide.
“Here, take this, or you’ll freeze to death before this fire goes out.”
Samuel unfolded the hide and noticed it had two strings on one end. He threw the skin on his back and tied it at the front, around his neck.
“Is life so bad to you that you are trying to strangle yourself, my friend?” asked Malloy, unable to suppress a smile. “Here, let me help you with this.”
The young man knelt down in front of Samuel and untied the strings. He then extended the pelt farther over the boy’s body, revealing two holes for his arms. Then the warrior tied the hide over Samuel’s chest.
Samuel immediately felt some warmth in his chest, as well as in his heart.
“There,” said the warrior. “You said your name was Samuel, right?
“Yes.”
“You haven’t been a warrior for very long,
When their shadows stretched out behind them and the sun caressed the mountains’ crest, the men cleared a space in the underbrush and built a new camp in the heart of the dense forest. As they worked, wolves prowled around them, hoping to find injured or weakened prey to drag back to their den. The soldiers were remarkably efficient at building their temporary settlements, a skill they had learned from the Roman legions a few centuries ago. With thousands of able bodies working toward a common goal, the camp was completed within a few hours. Shortly after, dozens of bonfires were lit across the camp and the smell of cooked meat filled the air, followed by the laughter and chants of men enjoying a few hours of rest.
Somewhere in this camp, unnoticed by surrounding merrymakers, a boy was sitting by himself. He was tired, alone and completely broken.
Samuel could barely walk anymore. All day, he had followed the army and the soldiers, blending in with the crowd so as not to attract any unwanted attention. For hours, he had walked laboriously in tattered boots too large for his feet. By the end of the morning, he could feel the blisters on his soles. By mid-afternoon, the blisters were patches of raw flesh, burning with each step he took.
The hardest part was following the hundreds of horses that preceded the common soldiers, leaving the ground furrowed from their hoofs. Each step was a battle to keep himself upright.
The worst was that everyone else seemed to be handling the challenge just fine. On several occasions, he had paused to rest for a minute and gather his energies, but every time he did so, no one had stopped or even looked at him. Samuel had quickly realized he needed to stay with the group, or he would be left behind without anyone even noticing he was missing. The prospect of getting lost in this world had been enough to overcome the pain of his feet and the cramps in his calves.
Alas, he knew that the pain currently paralyzing his body was not the only problem he was facing. For starters, he had not eaten anything all day, and his stomach was grumbling almost louder than the barking of drunk men around him. Then there was the cold. Already, he could feel the icy fingers of the night running up and down his spine. Without anything to cover himself, he dreaded the moment of the night when the bonfires would go out, and the men would be asleep in their tents. If the wolves around did not seize him first, surely the cold night would claim him as its victim.
He suddenly realized that tears had rolled down his cheeks. Samuel quickly dried them off, before anyone noticed.
“Let me guess, you don’t have a pelt or a cloak, do you?” asked a voice from behind Samuel.
Turning, he saw Malloy, the man who had saved his life that morning. The warrior had his arms crossed on his chest and was looking at the young boy with exasperation.
“Do you have anything to sleep in at all?” asked the warrior.
“No.”
“My God, you are impossible. With people like you pretending to be warriors, it’s no wonder the Saxons are kicking our arses.”
He unfolded his arm and revealed a sheep’s hide.
“Here, take this, or you’ll freeze to death before this fire goes out.”
Samuel unfolded the hide and noticed it had two strings on one end. He threw the skin on his back and tied it at the front, around his neck.
“Is life so bad to you that you are trying to strangle yourself, my friend?” asked Malloy, unable to suppress a smile. “Here, let me help you with this.”
The young man knelt down in front of Samuel and untied the strings. He then extended the pelt farther over the boy’s body, revealing two holes for his arms. Then the warrior tied the hide over Samuel’s chest.
Samuel immediately felt some warmth in his chest, as well as in his heart.
“There,” said the warrior. “You said your name was Samuel, right?
“Yes.”
“You haven’t been a warrior for very long,
Similar Books
