Read Online Ten Crescent Moons (Moonquest) by Marilyn Haddrill - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marilyn Haddrill
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moved too suddenly, the snake would
strike purely from instinct.
Adalginza
braced herself, and began to walk cautiously forward. She gripped the rod,
knowing exactly what to do if the worst were to happen.
Her reaction
must be instantaneous, and her aim accurate.
"Greetings!"
Adalginza called out in a soft but forced tone. "Please heed me. Do not
move. Stay where you are."
"What
do you mean?" Seeing Adalginza torn gown and disheveled appearance, Redolo's
eyes narrowed. "Where is my son? What have you done to him?"
Zartos took
a quick step forward in alarm, and this created an answering movement from the
nearby pile of rock and rubble.
It was a
ripple so slight that only a trained eye such as Adalginza's would have
noticed. It was the snake, flattened and perfectly camouflaged.
Adalginza
felt droplets of sweat popping on her forehead and chest, in direct contrast to
the chill that was taking hold of her body.
"Walk
backward, Zartos. Very slowly."
"You do
not scare me with that rod you hold in your hand. I will not back down from
you. Where is my Uncle Kalos?"
The boy
stood his ground defiantly, following his grandmother's lead as he
misinterpreted Adalginza's warning and intent.
"There
is a snake..." She was not able to finish her explanation.
Kalos burst
into sight, his heavier steps at a dead run much noisier than Adalginza's.
The
explosion of unexpected sound and movement from a fourth human was too much for
the snake. It immediately dropped its flattened camouflage and coiled itself
into a defensive posture to tower above its enemies.
Now it was a
giant, hissing monster vibrating its tail with a sound like millions of rustling
leaves, so loud that it was deafening.
Adalginza
knew snakes well. And she knew that, once coiled, this one would hold its
ground without retreat.
She
immediately lifted the rod threateningly to attract its attention to her and
away from the boy.
The snake
waved its head drunkenly from side to side, ready to strike. Then, it made its
move toward the one it must have viewed as the smallest and least threatening.
As its head
speared toward Zartos, Adalginza moved without hesitation to raise the steel
rod and slice the snake on its side, drawing blood.
The move
served only to anger the creature, which was what she intended. Diverted from
its more immediate prey, it lunged toward her.
Adalginza's
people knew well the next tactic she had planned. She had used it herself twice
before in her lifetime, once to save herself and once to save Bruna's child,
Calasta.
But no
amount of experience could make her relish the task at hand.
A shudder
shook her whole body as she watched the tongue twisting toward her, measuring
her, tasting her scent from the air. Then that movement was follow by the
gaping mouth, with hooked fangs aimed straight at her head.
It was at
this moment that she rammed the steel rod straight down the snake's throat,
taking care to avoid the pointed fangs and the venom they contained.
The snake
writhed in confusion, as it tried to disgorge the object.
Then, as it
raised itself up with its soft underbelly exposed, Kalos rushed forward and
stabbed his sword into scaled, reptilian flesh.
With the powerful
force of his muscled arm, Kalos ripped open the creature's skin as entrails
spewed like a bloody geyser.
Adalginza
leaped background, but Kalos continued to administer more pressure, to make
sure of his kill. The spray of blood and guts covered his arm, and sprinkled
the rest of his body and face with gore.
A horrible
sucking sound of air entering the snake's eviscerated corpse was the final
declaration of its death.
It plunged
forward, stretched limp and lifeless like a hurled rope that had missed its
target.
Adalginza
had to consciously remind herself to hold her place, to not step forward to
begin the ritual of skinning the valued hide that her people used for clothing.
Instead, she
hurled the metal pole to one side as a final gesture of defiance against
strike purely from instinct.
Adalginza
braced herself, and began to walk cautiously forward. She gripped the rod,
knowing exactly what to do if the worst were to happen.
Her reaction
must be instantaneous, and her aim accurate.
"Greetings!"
Adalginza called out in a soft but forced tone. "Please heed me. Do not
move. Stay where you are."
"What
do you mean?" Seeing Adalginza torn gown and disheveled appearance, Redolo's
eyes narrowed. "Where is my son? What have you done to him?"
Zartos took
a quick step forward in alarm, and this created an answering movement from the
nearby pile of rock and rubble.
It was a
ripple so slight that only a trained eye such as Adalginza's would have
noticed. It was the snake, flattened and perfectly camouflaged.
Adalginza
felt droplets of sweat popping on her forehead and chest, in direct contrast to
the chill that was taking hold of her body.
"Walk
backward, Zartos. Very slowly."
"You do
not scare me with that rod you hold in your hand. I will not back down from
you. Where is my Uncle Kalos?"
The boy
stood his ground defiantly, following his grandmother's lead as he
misinterpreted Adalginza's warning and intent.
"There
is a snake..." She was not able to finish her explanation.
Kalos burst
into sight, his heavier steps at a dead run much noisier than Adalginza's.
The
explosion of unexpected sound and movement from a fourth human was too much for
the snake. It immediately dropped its flattened camouflage and coiled itself
into a defensive posture to tower above its enemies.
Now it was a
giant, hissing monster vibrating its tail with a sound like millions of rustling
leaves, so loud that it was deafening.
Adalginza
knew snakes well. And she knew that, once coiled, this one would hold its
ground without retreat.
She
immediately lifted the rod threateningly to attract its attention to her and
away from the boy.
The snake
waved its head drunkenly from side to side, ready to strike. Then, it made its
move toward the one it must have viewed as the smallest and least threatening.
As its head
speared toward Zartos, Adalginza moved without hesitation to raise the steel
rod and slice the snake on its side, drawing blood.
The move
served only to anger the creature, which was what she intended. Diverted from
its more immediate prey, it lunged toward her.
Adalginza's
people knew well the next tactic she had planned. She had used it herself twice
before in her lifetime, once to save herself and once to save Bruna's child,
Calasta.
But no
amount of experience could make her relish the task at hand.
A shudder
shook her whole body as she watched the tongue twisting toward her, measuring
her, tasting her scent from the air. Then that movement was follow by the
gaping mouth, with hooked fangs aimed straight at her head.
It was at
this moment that she rammed the steel rod straight down the snake's throat,
taking care to avoid the pointed fangs and the venom they contained.
The snake
writhed in confusion, as it tried to disgorge the object.
Then, as it
raised itself up with its soft underbelly exposed, Kalos rushed forward and
stabbed his sword into scaled, reptilian flesh.
With the powerful
force of his muscled arm, Kalos ripped open the creature's skin as entrails
spewed like a bloody geyser.
Adalginza
leaped background, but Kalos continued to administer more pressure, to make
sure of his kill. The spray of blood and guts covered his arm, and sprinkled
the rest of his body and face with gore.
A horrible
sucking sound of air entering the snake's eviscerated corpse was the final
declaration of its death.
It plunged
forward, stretched limp and lifeless like a hurled rope that had missed its
target.
Adalginza
had to consciously remind herself to hold her place, to not step forward to
begin the ritual of skinning the valued hide that her people used for clothing.
Instead, she
hurled the metal pole to one side as a final gesture of defiance against
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