Read Online The Hungering Flame by Andrew Hunter - Free Book Online Page B

slain in battle with the armies of Brahnek Spellbreaker. Their armies clashed near here and the dead were cast down into the clefts of the earth. ”
    “ Warhost, huh? ” Warren scoffed. The ghoul stooped to fish something small and white from the water at his feet. Warren held aloft the dripping skull of a child, turning it in his paw for examination. “ The humans must ' a been shakin’ in their boots when they saw this one runnin’ at ‘em with a sword. ”
    Cabre’s face went red, and his eyes fell. “ Things like that happen in war, ” he said.
    “ Ah, well, ” Warren sighed, tossing the skull. It sank with a dull splash into the depths of the pool. “ They were only elves, right? Not like they were important, like humans. ”
    Cabre stood up. “ What do you want from me? ” he snapped, “ I didn’t kill these people! ”
    “ I don’t know! ” Warren yelled, waving his shaggy arms, “ I’m just sick of you humans stomping around, wrecking and burning everything like nothing else in the world matters but what you want. ”
    “ That’s how the world works! ” Cabre shouted, “ I don’t imagine that you ask anyone’s permission before you eat their dead grandmother. ”
    “ At least I didn’t keep their grandmother in a cage until she was fat enough to eat! ”
    “ You know what? ” Cabre said, turning away in disgust, “ I don’t know why I even came looking for your help! I’ve lost my knights, I’ve lost my dignity, and now I’ve lost... ” Cabre clenched his teeth, not daring to complete the sentence. He looked at Inglefras. The big horse slowly hobbled to the pool’s edge to drink, his broken leg tucked up close to his body. Cabre’s shoulders shook with stifled sobs. “ Gods! ” he moaned.
    Warren’s face softened, and his long arms slumped at his sides. “ Look... I’m sorry, ” he said, “ We’ll find a way out of this... Inglefras too. I promise. ”
    “ Yeah, ” Garrett said, “ not many people can say they saw a dragon and lived. We must be pretty lucky. ”
    Warren looked thoughtful. “ That’s two for us! ” he said.
    “ Does it count if it was the same dragon? ” Garrett asked.
    “ Uh, yeah, I think it still counts, ” Warren said.
    Cabre cast them a sideways glance. “ I didn’t think I would... ”
    “ Survive? ” Warren asked.
    Garrett saw something else in the prince’s expression. “ You didn’t think you’d be scared, did you? ”
    Cabre winced. “ An Astorran knight is supposed to be fearless, even in the face of death. ”
    Garrett’s face flushed as he recalled his own terror. He hesitated a moment and then spoke. “ Did you wet your pants? ”
    “ No! ” Cabre said, taken aback.
    “ Well, I did! ” Garrett laughed, “ And I’ve even seen the dragon before. I’d say you did pretty good for anybody. ”
    Cabre smiled a little.
    “ Yeah, ” Warren said, “ everybody’s afraid of dragons, once they’ve seen one. Even my dad. ”
    “ Let’s just figure a way to help Inglefras and get out of here, ” Garrett said.
    Warren looked around, shielding his eyes against the dying sunlight with his paw. “ Looks like the cave goes off in that direction, ” he said, pointing with his other hand. He studied again the heaps of elvish bones. “ Hey, Garrett, you wanna make us some helpers? ”
    Garrett shook his head. “ I can’t raise skeletons, ” he said, “ Only the Sisterhood knows how to do that. I’d need something with some meat still on it, and, anyway, I don’t have much essence. I’d rather save it until we really need it. ”
    “ We need to rest, ” Cabre said, “ We’ve been on the road all day, and now... ”
    “ Yeah, ” Warren said, “ I think we should. Maybe a little farther back in the cave. ”
    “ The Chadiri know that we’re here! ” Garrett said, “ I think we should try to get out of here as soon as we can. ”
    Cabre’s jaw tightened, and he looked at his injured horse.
    Warren frowned. “