Read Online The Hungering Flame by Andrew Hunter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Andrew Hunter
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relatively flat patch of rocks.
“ Best place for the horse to land, ” Warren said, looking up at the prince and his horse, still on the ledge above.
“ It’s too high for him! ” Cabre shouted, “ He’s too heavy. ”
Warren gave an exaggerated shrug, a pained expression on his face.
Garrett looked around, but saw no better option.
Cabre cursed, running his hand through his hair. “ There’s nothing for it, boy, ” he said, “ You must jump. ”
Inglefras snorted and stamped, the sound of his hooves on stone echoing through the subterranean chamber. The big horse shook his mane and backed away from the edge, then suddenly sprang forward, soaring out into empty air.
Warren jumped clear as the massive warhorse crashed down onto the rocky floor. Inglefras screamed as his right foreleg went all the way to the knee into a crevice between two rocks.
“ Inglefras! ” Cabre shouted, jumping down after his horse.
The horse twisted his body, trying to free his leg from the crevice. Bright blood stained his silvery coat , and Garrett’s stomach knotted up at the sound of the animal’s panicked cries.
Cabre dared the approach to the wildly thrashing horse, trying to get close enough to help Inglefras pull his leg free. Warren sprang forward and grabbed the crown of the largest rock, ripping it from the ground with a great heave. Inglefras hopped clear of the rock, blood streaming from his twisted leg.
“ No! ” Cabre sobbed, running to Inglefras’s side and calming him. Cabre knelt to examine the wound, a look of horror on his face.
Garrett felt suddenly sick. “ Is he all right? ” he asked.
“ No! ” Cabre shouted, “ He’s not all right! His leg is broken. ”
“ We can help him though, ” Garret t said, “ We can do something. ”
“ What can we do? ” Cabre said, burying his face in Inglefras’s mane. “ Inglefras, I’m sorry, ” he murmured.
Garrett looked at Warren, but the ghoul only hung his head and looked away.
“ There has to be something... ” Garrett said.
“ Just... ” Cabre said, his voice trembling, “ Just leave us alone. ”
Warren reached out a long, shaggy arm and tugged at Garrett’s sleeve, pulling him away. Garrett followed him to the edge of the dark pool at the center of the chamber.
Warren looked back at where the prince stood, calming the injured horse. “ It’ll be all right, Gar, ” Warren said softly, “ Let’s get the smell of smoke washed off us. ”
Garrett blinked, realizing how he must smell to the ghoul. The soot of the burning forest formed a thin grime on his clothes and skin. The uncomfortable dampness in his trousers alone demanded that he remove this shameful reminder of his fear. He nodded mutely and went to the pack on Ghausse’s back to retrieve a fresh set of clothes.
He returned to find Warren waist-deep in the dark pool scrubbing his fur clean. The fading daylight lent a rosy hue to the piles of bones all around.
“ Is the water safe? ” Garrett asked.
Warren scooped up a pawful and gulped it down. “ Tastes a little bony, ” he said with a grin.
Garrett scowled and picked his way down to the water’s edge, finding a spot where a largish bone heap would afford him a bit of privacy. Warren, humming tunelessly to himself, turned his back and busily scratched his armpit with a leg bone.
Garrett washed himself and changed as quickly as he could, his eyes drawn, again and again to an ivory skull that sat, perched on a ledge, seeming to watch him with empty eyes.
“ How did all these people die? ” Garrett asked.
“ I dunno, ” Warren said, “ M aybe the first one jumped in the hole, and the rest of his friends jumped in after him. ”
Garrett frowned, pulling a fresh hood over his head.
“ They were elves, ” Prince Cabre said as he walked slowly to the water’s edge and stooped to wash Inglefras’s blood from his hands.
“ Elves? ” Garrett said.
“ The warhost of the elven queen, ” Cabre said, “
“ Best place for the horse to land, ” Warren said, looking up at the prince and his horse, still on the ledge above.
“ It’s too high for him! ” Cabre shouted, “ He’s too heavy. ”
Warren gave an exaggerated shrug, a pained expression on his face.
Garrett looked around, but saw no better option.
Cabre cursed, running his hand through his hair. “ There’s nothing for it, boy, ” he said, “ You must jump. ”
Inglefras snorted and stamped, the sound of his hooves on stone echoing through the subterranean chamber. The big horse shook his mane and backed away from the edge, then suddenly sprang forward, soaring out into empty air.
Warren jumped clear as the massive warhorse crashed down onto the rocky floor. Inglefras screamed as his right foreleg went all the way to the knee into a crevice between two rocks.
“ Inglefras! ” Cabre shouted, jumping down after his horse.
The horse twisted his body, trying to free his leg from the crevice. Bright blood stained his silvery coat , and Garrett’s stomach knotted up at the sound of the animal’s panicked cries.
Cabre dared the approach to the wildly thrashing horse, trying to get close enough to help Inglefras pull his leg free. Warren sprang forward and grabbed the crown of the largest rock, ripping it from the ground with a great heave. Inglefras hopped clear of the rock, blood streaming from his twisted leg.
“ No! ” Cabre sobbed, running to Inglefras’s side and calming him. Cabre knelt to examine the wound, a look of horror on his face.
Garrett felt suddenly sick. “ Is he all right? ” he asked.
“ No! ” Cabre shouted, “ He’s not all right! His leg is broken. ”
“ We can help him though, ” Garret t said, “ We can do something. ”
“ What can we do? ” Cabre said, burying his face in Inglefras’s mane. “ Inglefras, I’m sorry, ” he murmured.
Garrett looked at Warren, but the ghoul only hung his head and looked away.
“ There has to be something... ” Garrett said.
“ Just... ” Cabre said, his voice trembling, “ Just leave us alone. ”
Warren reached out a long, shaggy arm and tugged at Garrett’s sleeve, pulling him away. Garrett followed him to the edge of the dark pool at the center of the chamber.
Warren looked back at where the prince stood, calming the injured horse. “ It’ll be all right, Gar, ” Warren said softly, “ Let’s get the smell of smoke washed off us. ”
Garrett blinked, realizing how he must smell to the ghoul. The soot of the burning forest formed a thin grime on his clothes and skin. The uncomfortable dampness in his trousers alone demanded that he remove this shameful reminder of his fear. He nodded mutely and went to the pack on Ghausse’s back to retrieve a fresh set of clothes.
He returned to find Warren waist-deep in the dark pool scrubbing his fur clean. The fading daylight lent a rosy hue to the piles of bones all around.
“ Is the water safe? ” Garrett asked.
Warren scooped up a pawful and gulped it down. “ Tastes a little bony, ” he said with a grin.
Garrett scowled and picked his way down to the water’s edge, finding a spot where a largish bone heap would afford him a bit of privacy. Warren, humming tunelessly to himself, turned his back and busily scratched his armpit with a leg bone.
Garrett washed himself and changed as quickly as he could, his eyes drawn, again and again to an ivory skull that sat, perched on a ledge, seeming to watch him with empty eyes.
“ How did all these people die? ” Garrett asked.
“ I dunno, ” Warren said, “ M aybe the first one jumped in the hole, and the rest of his friends jumped in after him. ”
Garrett frowned, pulling a fresh hood over his head.
“ They were elves, ” Prince Cabre said as he walked slowly to the water’s edge and stooped to wash Inglefras’s blood from his hands.
“ Elves? ” Garrett said.
“ The warhost of the elven queen, ” Cabre said, “
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