Read Online Trail of Bones: A Young Adult Fantasy Novel by Chris Salisbury - Free Book Online

up the elk carcass and hurried up the trail.
    Adolphus ran behind his father as fast as he could. His heart was pounding, his breathing was fast and deep, and he was feeling more alive than he ever had before.
    They were accustomed to running great lengths through the forest, but the wolf scout was quick, and the incline of the mountain was steep. The additional weight of the groups’ provisions and animal carcasses only increased the challenge of the rapid ascent.
    Still, Adolphus was keeping pace. He peered ahead and could barely see the scout, and then he heard a yelp to his right and another to his left. Two more wolves had joined the procession and were running alongside the barbarians. Run with purpose! the boy thought as a wide smile stretched across his face. Run… or you’ll be left behind!
    Soon two more wolves joined the group. Then three more. Before long, they were running with almost a dozen Shade Wolves. The scout in front of the pack slid to a stop at the end of the trail - a small mound blockaded with a wall of vegetation. The scout ducked and disappeared from view.
    Chief Draghone was the first to arrive, and like the scout, he too ducked below the bushes and disappeared. The other barbarians followed until the trailing Adolphus was left alone.
    The boy came to the end of the trail and looked around. There appeared to be no opening or hint as to where the rest of the group had gone. He was about to call out when his father’s large hand reached up and pulled him into a tunnel tucked just beneath one of the largest shrubs.
    “Come on, Boy,” Thayne said with a smile.
    They ran, hunched over through the rocky tunnel. The height was ideal for the large wolves, but was cramped for the seven-foot barbarians. They all had to duck, except for Adolphus, who only lowered his head a few times to dodge some hanging rocks.
    Finally, the group emerged from the tunnel into a large clearing, surrounded by towering trees, bushes, and the rocky base of Thornmount. A series of stones reached skyward, past the tops of the tallest trees, while at their base a network of caves and tunnels provided the Shade Wolves their sanctuary. Near the center of the clearing, a cave mouth gaped with stalagmites and stalactites hanging and protruding like the jaws of a giant dragon.
    Sitting atop the mouth of the cave like a regal statue sat Ataris, the alpha wolf of the Shade Wolf pack. He was the largest of all the wolves, nearly 400 pounds, and his coat was as dark as the starless night. He leapt from his perch and landed without making a sound.
    Thayne and the rest of the barbarians were panting as they tried to catch their breath from the impromptu chase. Though there was still a chill in the air, sweat streamed down their faces. Thayne turned and spotted Ataris. He smiled as he watched the wolf approach from the center of the clearing, but his smile vanished as he noticed the wolf’s ears flatten and his top lip curl to reveal a row of ivory fangs.
    “Barbarian!” shouted the wolf.
    Uh oh! thought Thayne as a chill ran down his spine. “Son, when I tell you, run for the tunnel and don’t look back,” he whispered.
    “But Father?” Adolphus protested.
    “Just do it!” Thayne snapped.
    Ataris growled as he crept closer. “I said ‘Barbarian!’”
    Thayne stepped to the front of his group, his hand moving slowly to the handle of his massive broadsword. He scanned the area to see the number of wolves growing significantly. The chief counted at least twenty, and those were just the ones he could see. He knew there was more hiding in the shadows.
    “What took you so long?” shouted Ataris. There was a long pause, followed by the wolf’s baritone laughter. The rest of the pack joined in, yelping and laughing as they ran about the clearing, nipping and chasing each other in a playful frolic.
    The barbarian chief exhaled a deep breath. He shook his head as he walked to the wolf leader. “You knew we were coming all