Read Online The Healer's Legacy by Sharon Skinner - Free Book Online
Authors: Sharon Skinner
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a brisk rub between the ears.
“We need to find some kind of shelter. Someplace where we can get out of the cold, at least.” She dragged herself to her feet and stared up at the wall of rocks before them. “But first we need to find a way around that.”
Kelmir stood up, following her gaze. He gave one glance back, then loped forward. Kira walked over to Trad and Vaith, stooping to pick up the blanket on her way. The sodden mass was caked in mud. She shook her head. “I just had to go and make things worse,” she muttered, a sob pushing its way out with her words. She picked up Trad’s reins and headed off to see if Kelmir had found a way past the barrier.
By the time she reached the rocks, Kelmir had climbed to the top of the pile and was cautiously making his way toward the far end. Kira shielded her eyes with her hands, cupping them close to her forehead as the rain continued to beat down. A low rumbling came from the south and grew louder as thunder rolled across the stormy sky. Kelmir continued to prowl along the top of the rocks, questing for a way past them. He stopped when he reached the top of the high embankment and gazed out.
Kira looked through his eyes, but land met sky in a blurring of dark grays and shadows. She stayed in his mind as he crept back along the rocks toward the river. Small stones loosened under his feet and rolled down the side of the rock pile. There was no way to get Trad over that barrier, nor would they be able to climb it to the top of the cliff. The sides were too steep, the rocks too loose.
Kelmir reached the end of the rock pile and stood above the roiling river. Kira saw through his eyes that the rockslide continued down into the water. If the remains of the slide were less steep where the water rushed over it, it might be possible to wade out around the end of the pile that blocked their way.
Kira pulled away from Kelmir’s mind and focused on the dark riverbank. She guided Trad to the river’s edge, then stepped slowly out into the water, sliding her foot out in front of her to find a point of purchase. She gasped as the icy water rushed around her ankle, sucking at her calf as she put her weight down. She repeated the process with her other foot and found that she had to move further out into the rushing water to find a stable place to stand.
She inched her way out to the end of the rockslide, with Trad following behind her. By the time she reached the end of the slide and found a place to turn back toward the shore on the other side, the water was up to her hips. It pushed and buffeted her, as she stuck one foot in front of the other, seeking a solid foothold.
The going was agonizingly slow. Her legs stung from the cold and her feet were numb. She struggled to keep moving. Trad blustered behind her, blowing air out in an impatient whoosh. “Be patient,” she scolded. “I’m cold, too. But I’m not falling into this river just because you want me to move faster.”
Vaith clung to the saddle’s pommel, nervously scanning the dark water and flexing his wings as if preparing to take to the air. Trad whinnied and once again the strange sensation prickled at the back of her neck. “All right, I’m moving,” she told Trad over her shoulder, but it wasn’t the horse’s impatience that spurred her on.
Above, the comforting form of Kelmir appeared, a dark silhouette atop the rocks. She moved quickly now. If whatever was nearby decided to attack she didn’t want to be caught in the water. Trad’s hooves slipped on the precarious rocks and he lurched from side to side as the stones shifted beneath his weight. Each time she cringed, but each time he regained his footing.
The water rushed around the rockslide, creating a whirlpool of ghostly foam against the black water. The torrent tugged and grabbed at them as they struggled toward the shore. All the while Kira was unable to shake the sensation that something dark and sinister watched them.
As she neared the
“We need to find some kind of shelter. Someplace where we can get out of the cold, at least.” She dragged herself to her feet and stared up at the wall of rocks before them. “But first we need to find a way around that.”
Kelmir stood up, following her gaze. He gave one glance back, then loped forward. Kira walked over to Trad and Vaith, stooping to pick up the blanket on her way. The sodden mass was caked in mud. She shook her head. “I just had to go and make things worse,” she muttered, a sob pushing its way out with her words. She picked up Trad’s reins and headed off to see if Kelmir had found a way past the barrier.
By the time she reached the rocks, Kelmir had climbed to the top of the pile and was cautiously making his way toward the far end. Kira shielded her eyes with her hands, cupping them close to her forehead as the rain continued to beat down. A low rumbling came from the south and grew louder as thunder rolled across the stormy sky. Kelmir continued to prowl along the top of the rocks, questing for a way past them. He stopped when he reached the top of the high embankment and gazed out.
Kira looked through his eyes, but land met sky in a blurring of dark grays and shadows. She stayed in his mind as he crept back along the rocks toward the river. Small stones loosened under his feet and rolled down the side of the rock pile. There was no way to get Trad over that barrier, nor would they be able to climb it to the top of the cliff. The sides were too steep, the rocks too loose.
Kelmir reached the end of the rock pile and stood above the roiling river. Kira saw through his eyes that the rockslide continued down into the water. If the remains of the slide were less steep where the water rushed over it, it might be possible to wade out around the end of the pile that blocked their way.
Kira pulled away from Kelmir’s mind and focused on the dark riverbank. She guided Trad to the river’s edge, then stepped slowly out into the water, sliding her foot out in front of her to find a point of purchase. She gasped as the icy water rushed around her ankle, sucking at her calf as she put her weight down. She repeated the process with her other foot and found that she had to move further out into the rushing water to find a stable place to stand.
She inched her way out to the end of the rockslide, with Trad following behind her. By the time she reached the end of the slide and found a place to turn back toward the shore on the other side, the water was up to her hips. It pushed and buffeted her, as she stuck one foot in front of the other, seeking a solid foothold.
The going was agonizingly slow. Her legs stung from the cold and her feet were numb. She struggled to keep moving. Trad blustered behind her, blowing air out in an impatient whoosh. “Be patient,” she scolded. “I’m cold, too. But I’m not falling into this river just because you want me to move faster.”
Vaith clung to the saddle’s pommel, nervously scanning the dark water and flexing his wings as if preparing to take to the air. Trad whinnied and once again the strange sensation prickled at the back of her neck. “All right, I’m moving,” she told Trad over her shoulder, but it wasn’t the horse’s impatience that spurred her on.
Above, the comforting form of Kelmir appeared, a dark silhouette atop the rocks. She moved quickly now. If whatever was nearby decided to attack she didn’t want to be caught in the water. Trad’s hooves slipped on the precarious rocks and he lurched from side to side as the stones shifted beneath his weight. Each time she cringed, but each time he regained his footing.
The water rushed around the rockslide, creating a whirlpool of ghostly foam against the black water. The torrent tugged and grabbed at them as they struggled toward the shore. All the while Kira was unable to shake the sensation that something dark and sinister watched them.
As she neared the
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