Read Online The Transall Saga by Gary Paulsen - Free Book Online
Authors: Gary Paulsen
Tags: Fiction
Ads: Link
tiny wrist. "Thanks for everything, Leeta. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime."
She stroked the watch. "Et tkus Kakon Mawk."
"Yeah, same to you." He put the beads in his boot and walked to the edge of the clearing. When he reached the trees he glanced back over his shoulder.
She was gone.
chapter
20
The air smelled like smoke. It was still dark, too early for the women to be cooking. Mark’s eyes snapped open. There was a heavy, dark cloud hanging over the village. He crawled through the brush to get a better look.
The meeting hut was on fire.
His first thought was that the other tribe had come after them looking for revenge. But when he saw the attackers he knew he was wrong.
These warriors were not simple village people. They rode large long-haired creatures that looked like a cross between a horse and a cow, and their weapons were made of metal.
The arrow people didn’t have a chance. Those who tried to fight were cut down immediately. Mark saw the chief and several of the men die fighting with primitive clubs against swords and axes.
Some tried to run. They were chased and either stabbed by the mounted men or trampled by the mounts.
Mark scanned the grounds, frantically searching for Leeta. He ran into the clearing, calling her name. A wild scream came from the garden area. One of the men had her cornered and was bearing down on her with his mount.
"No!" Mark started for her. A rope settled around his neck and dragged him back. He hit the ground hard. The rope was choking him. He fought and grabbed at it with both hands but it was no use.
The man pulled Mark on his back through the sand to the center of the village clearing, where the invaders had rounded up several of the men, women and children.
Mark loosened the rope and threw it off. He stood and saw Leeta being pushed roughly across the compound to join them.
When she spotted Mark she ran to him and held on to his arm. "Es Tsook. Tsook."
The men surrounded them. They were much larger than the arrow people and their skin was a light yellow, but they had the same odd eyes.
The leader, a fat man wearing a long cape made of hides, gave a command and the warriors dismounted and began tying the arrow people together.
Mark found himself at the front of the line with Leeta tied securely to his right wrist. He could see that the Tsook, as Leeta called them, had not come to plunder the village for goods. They were after people. And now he was one of their prisoners.
The fat man was staring at him. Mark stared back. The man’s eyes narrowed and he yelled an order in a new language. One of the warriors put the rope back around Mark’s neck and held the other end in his hand as he climbed onto his beast.
The leader gave the command and the men rode out of the village, dragging Mark and what was left of the arrow people along behind them.
part
2
chapter
21
It was feeding time. As usual the Tsook tossed a leftover hindquarter of raw meat in the dirt and scarcely waited until it was gone before they gave the order to move out again.
The routine had been the same since the terrible day they had been captured. Tied together, the prisoners trudged along behind the riders all morning, and then in the afternoon the column stopped for a short break to eat and drink.
Their numbers had dwindled from twenty-five to twelve. The Tsook did not tolerate weakness. Any of the captives who fell sick or lagged behind was immediately killed.
Leeta gnawed on a piece of the raw meat. She noticed Mark watching her and held it out to him. "Mawk eat."
Mark shook his head. He and Leeta were getting better at communicating. They spoke an odd combination of the clicking language and English. He’d learned that the name she had called him frantically when he had first confronted her, Mawof, was a mythical creature the old people used to scare the little ones into behaving. His new name, Kakon, was more difficult for her to explain. She could only tell him that a kon was a very
She stroked the watch. "Et tkus Kakon Mawk."
"Yeah, same to you." He put the beads in his boot and walked to the edge of the clearing. When he reached the trees he glanced back over his shoulder.
She was gone.
chapter
20
The air smelled like smoke. It was still dark, too early for the women to be cooking. Mark’s eyes snapped open. There was a heavy, dark cloud hanging over the village. He crawled through the brush to get a better look.
The meeting hut was on fire.
His first thought was that the other tribe had come after them looking for revenge. But when he saw the attackers he knew he was wrong.
These warriors were not simple village people. They rode large long-haired creatures that looked like a cross between a horse and a cow, and their weapons were made of metal.
The arrow people didn’t have a chance. Those who tried to fight were cut down immediately. Mark saw the chief and several of the men die fighting with primitive clubs against swords and axes.
Some tried to run. They were chased and either stabbed by the mounted men or trampled by the mounts.
Mark scanned the grounds, frantically searching for Leeta. He ran into the clearing, calling her name. A wild scream came from the garden area. One of the men had her cornered and was bearing down on her with his mount.
"No!" Mark started for her. A rope settled around his neck and dragged him back. He hit the ground hard. The rope was choking him. He fought and grabbed at it with both hands but it was no use.
The man pulled Mark on his back through the sand to the center of the village clearing, where the invaders had rounded up several of the men, women and children.
Mark loosened the rope and threw it off. He stood and saw Leeta being pushed roughly across the compound to join them.
When she spotted Mark she ran to him and held on to his arm. "Es Tsook. Tsook."
The men surrounded them. They were much larger than the arrow people and their skin was a light yellow, but they had the same odd eyes.
The leader, a fat man wearing a long cape made of hides, gave a command and the warriors dismounted and began tying the arrow people together.
Mark found himself at the front of the line with Leeta tied securely to his right wrist. He could see that the Tsook, as Leeta called them, had not come to plunder the village for goods. They were after people. And now he was one of their prisoners.
The fat man was staring at him. Mark stared back. The man’s eyes narrowed and he yelled an order in a new language. One of the warriors put the rope back around Mark’s neck and held the other end in his hand as he climbed onto his beast.
The leader gave the command and the men rode out of the village, dragging Mark and what was left of the arrow people along behind them.
part
2
chapter
21
It was feeding time. As usual the Tsook tossed a leftover hindquarter of raw meat in the dirt and scarcely waited until it was gone before they gave the order to move out again.
The routine had been the same since the terrible day they had been captured. Tied together, the prisoners trudged along behind the riders all morning, and then in the afternoon the column stopped for a short break to eat and drink.
Their numbers had dwindled from twenty-five to twelve. The Tsook did not tolerate weakness. Any of the captives who fell sick or lagged behind was immediately killed.
Leeta gnawed on a piece of the raw meat. She noticed Mark watching her and held it out to him. "Mawk eat."
Mark shook his head. He and Leeta were getting better at communicating. They spoke an odd combination of the clicking language and English. He’d learned that the name she had called him frantically when he had first confronted her, Mawof, was a mythical creature the old people used to scare the little ones into behaving. His new name, Kakon, was more difficult for her to explain. She could only tell him that a kon was a very
Similar Books
