Read Online The Crown Of Yensupov (Book 3) by C. Craig Coleman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: C. Craig Coleman
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shore. We need to prepare ourselves before dark.”
“Astorax, you sit in the bow since you have the best eyes?” Saxthor asked.
The others poled through what looked like the shortest expanse among the horsetails to land. The going was rough. It took them to dusk just to get to the shoreline. When they were about to get off the boat, voices stopped them dead.
“Look! There’s a deer in them reeds,” the voice said.
“Shut up, he’s gonna hear you,” another said.
Saxthor’s companions took a second to register the speech before ducking down. Astorax didn’t.
Astorax is twitching, Saxthor thought. The orcs see his antlers. It’s another lucky warning for us and a scary shock.
Saxthor could only see one tree near the edge of the swamp. The conical branch structure of the big cypress had a crippled look. One large branch twisted down. Being early winter, the delicate fern-like foliage had turned brown and most had fallen off.
“Climbs up in that tree and see if yous can see him again,” the second voice said.
“You know I can’ts climb,” the first voice said. “My legs is too short.”
“Yous can climb up far enough on that there limb to see them antlers. We needs to know which way he went,” the second orc said. “I’ll shoot an arrow in there. Maybe that‘ll scare him out of the weeds.”
“I’ll try,” the first voice said
Saxthor tapped Tournak and pointed to his bow and arrows. Then he pointed at the tree. Tournak took the idea and readied the weapon. The orc climbed up enough for Tournak to see him through the reeds. “Astorax,” he whispered, “raise your antlers just a bit for just a second.” When Astorax raised his head, the crew ducked.
“There he be,” the orc in the tree said. He pointed to the antlers.
The orc by the shore shot his arrow. As it flew through the reeds, Tournak shot the orc in the tree.
“You stupid moron, you shot me!” the orc in the tree screamed.
“I didn’t do that, I shot into the reeds,” the second orc said.
The orc in the tree fell. There was a thud, then silence.
Hendrel and Saxthor poled into the reeds again just far enough for Saxthor to slip his pole through the horsetails and see what was happening.
The second orc rushed to his companion, who was on the ground, dead. The second orc was distracted, scratching his head, apparently worrying how he shot his companion, and what to do with him.
The crew on the boat pulled themselves closer to shore using the reeds, careful not to attract the orc’s attention. The tops of the horsetails waved as the boat passed among them, but the orc was preoccupied.
“Sorry, but I’m gonna dump you in the swamp,” the second orc said to the dead one. “I don’t wants them others to know I done missed the deer and shot you. I gotta get rid of you and tell them others you run off.”
The troupe froze, then gently backed out beyond the reeds.
A rotting log stretched from the shoreline through the reeds. The orc picked up his dead companion and hoisted him over his shoulder careful not to get blood on his uniform. He climbed up on the log, and holding onto the twisted branch stubs, edged his way out to the deeper water. There he dumped the dead orc into the swamp.
The body bobbed in the black water. A reptilefish chanced by and began to bite chunks out of the orc with its razor sharp teeth. The surviving orc looked at his companion one last time as the worms began attacking the remains. The second orc turned to work his way back along the log.
“Orcs are too muscle-bound for delicate footwork or balance,” Tournak said to Saxthor. He suddenly jumped up in the boat and shouted at the orc, while waving his arms. The other crewmembers realized what he was doing and joined in.
Caught out on the fallen tree without his bow and arrows, the surprise commotion startled the orc, who lost his balance. He fell backward into the water, where the ooze ended and the deeper water began. The orc struggled to
“Astorax, you sit in the bow since you have the best eyes?” Saxthor asked.
The others poled through what looked like the shortest expanse among the horsetails to land. The going was rough. It took them to dusk just to get to the shoreline. When they were about to get off the boat, voices stopped them dead.
“Look! There’s a deer in them reeds,” the voice said.
“Shut up, he’s gonna hear you,” another said.
Saxthor’s companions took a second to register the speech before ducking down. Astorax didn’t.
Astorax is twitching, Saxthor thought. The orcs see his antlers. It’s another lucky warning for us and a scary shock.
Saxthor could only see one tree near the edge of the swamp. The conical branch structure of the big cypress had a crippled look. One large branch twisted down. Being early winter, the delicate fern-like foliage had turned brown and most had fallen off.
“Climbs up in that tree and see if yous can see him again,” the second voice said.
“You know I can’ts climb,” the first voice said. “My legs is too short.”
“Yous can climb up far enough on that there limb to see them antlers. We needs to know which way he went,” the second orc said. “I’ll shoot an arrow in there. Maybe that‘ll scare him out of the weeds.”
“I’ll try,” the first voice said
Saxthor tapped Tournak and pointed to his bow and arrows. Then he pointed at the tree. Tournak took the idea and readied the weapon. The orc climbed up enough for Tournak to see him through the reeds. “Astorax,” he whispered, “raise your antlers just a bit for just a second.” When Astorax raised his head, the crew ducked.
“There he be,” the orc in the tree said. He pointed to the antlers.
The orc by the shore shot his arrow. As it flew through the reeds, Tournak shot the orc in the tree.
“You stupid moron, you shot me!” the orc in the tree screamed.
“I didn’t do that, I shot into the reeds,” the second orc said.
The orc in the tree fell. There was a thud, then silence.
Hendrel and Saxthor poled into the reeds again just far enough for Saxthor to slip his pole through the horsetails and see what was happening.
The second orc rushed to his companion, who was on the ground, dead. The second orc was distracted, scratching his head, apparently worrying how he shot his companion, and what to do with him.
The crew on the boat pulled themselves closer to shore using the reeds, careful not to attract the orc’s attention. The tops of the horsetails waved as the boat passed among them, but the orc was preoccupied.
“Sorry, but I’m gonna dump you in the swamp,” the second orc said to the dead one. “I don’t wants them others to know I done missed the deer and shot you. I gotta get rid of you and tell them others you run off.”
The troupe froze, then gently backed out beyond the reeds.
A rotting log stretched from the shoreline through the reeds. The orc picked up his dead companion and hoisted him over his shoulder careful not to get blood on his uniform. He climbed up on the log, and holding onto the twisted branch stubs, edged his way out to the deeper water. There he dumped the dead orc into the swamp.
The body bobbed in the black water. A reptilefish chanced by and began to bite chunks out of the orc with its razor sharp teeth. The surviving orc looked at his companion one last time as the worms began attacking the remains. The second orc turned to work his way back along the log.
“Orcs are too muscle-bound for delicate footwork or balance,” Tournak said to Saxthor. He suddenly jumped up in the boat and shouted at the orc, while waving his arms. The other crewmembers realized what he was doing and joined in.
Caught out on the fallen tree without his bow and arrows, the surprise commotion startled the orc, who lost his balance. He fell backward into the water, where the ooze ended and the deeper water began. The orc struggled to
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