Read Online Trusted: Dragons' Trust Book 1 by Krista Wayment - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Krista Wayment
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relief. He followed the others as they started moving again. Thane pointed ahead to a stand of trees with thick bushes at their base, indicating that was where they were headed.
Renick lagged behind a little—he kept looking over his shoulder. He had the uneasy feeling that they were being watched. With his head turned to observe the way station, he took a step forward. His foot came down on a small branch and it snapped in two. He looked up and locked eyes with Lainey and Thane, their faces mirroring the fear he felt.
The sound of a body shifting indicated that someone behind the way station barrier was awake. Renick could hear his confused expressions. It sounded like he was getting up. It took less than a heartbeat for Renick to recover. He started running for the safety of the bushes they were heading toward. Lainey and Thane followed. Once he was safely crouching behind a thick bush, Renick looked back at the way station. One of the hunters emerged from the gap in the wall of thorns.
Thane and Lainey hit the ground next to Renick as they dove for cover. Plyth let out a little yelp. Thane clamped a hand over the baby dragon's snout and shushed him.
"Hurt!" Plyth tried to say around Thane's hand, but the word was muffled.
"Huh? What's that?" the hunter said. After scanning the woods around him, the hunter was just about to return when Lainey shifted her weight. Plyth cried out, the high pitched sound making it through his closed mouth.
Pain.
Renick's shoulder ached for a moment as Plyth projected his discomfort.
The hunter stopped and turned to face the bush they were hiding behind. He yelled something and started running toward them. Renick looked around frantically. There was no way for them to leave their hiding spot without being noticed. He looked down at Plyth and knew what he had to do.
Renick stood and ran back the way they had come. He was passing the trees where they had spent the night when the hunter spotted him.
"Stop!" a deep, booming voice called to him.
Renick kept running. He hoped that the others would take advantage of the distraction. He did not dare to look back. Instead, he put his head down and kept running. A set of heavy footsteps pursued him. Soon those footsteps were joined by others. Renick ran harder. Ignoring the sounds behind him, he focused on moving forward.
His foot caught on something. Renick tumbled, rolling as he went down and coming back up almost on his feet. Using his arms, he pushed himself fully upright. For a moment, he thought all would be fine. A heavy hand descended on his shoulder. Renick fell to the ground again.
The hunters surrounded him.
Renick lay still, trying to catch his breath. One of the hunters leaned over him. The man had three deep scars running parallel from his missing eye down his neck. The red lines disappeared under his shirt. "What do we have here?" the hunter asked in a gravelly voice. He pushed Renick with the toe of his heavy boot. "Speak, runt."
"I'm lost." Renick wheezed.
"Name," the hunter barked.
Renick clamped his teeth together.
"Name!" This time the command was followed up with a swift kick to his gut.
"Rub," Renick said, using the nickname his older brothers used to call him.
"Oy, he doesn't look like a dragon to me," one of the other hunters cried out.
"I tell ya, I heard it. Twice." The man Renick had seen earlier waved three fingers in the other hunter's face.
"Can you cry like a baby dragon, boy? Wah, wah," one of the hunters said as he poked Renick with the tip of a short sword. The hunters all burst into laughter.
"Silence!" the hunter with the scar said, slicing his hand through the air. Everyone fell silent. "Gunther, tie him up. We'll take him back to camp."
The hunter who had heard Plyth—Renick assumed his name was Gunther—pulled him to his feet. Gunther turned Renick around roughly, grabbed his arms, and pulled them behind his back. The rope Gunther used was rough and scratched Renick's hands, and the hunter
Renick lagged behind a little—he kept looking over his shoulder. He had the uneasy feeling that they were being watched. With his head turned to observe the way station, he took a step forward. His foot came down on a small branch and it snapped in two. He looked up and locked eyes with Lainey and Thane, their faces mirroring the fear he felt.
The sound of a body shifting indicated that someone behind the way station barrier was awake. Renick could hear his confused expressions. It sounded like he was getting up. It took less than a heartbeat for Renick to recover. He started running for the safety of the bushes they were heading toward. Lainey and Thane followed. Once he was safely crouching behind a thick bush, Renick looked back at the way station. One of the hunters emerged from the gap in the wall of thorns.
Thane and Lainey hit the ground next to Renick as they dove for cover. Plyth let out a little yelp. Thane clamped a hand over the baby dragon's snout and shushed him.
"Hurt!" Plyth tried to say around Thane's hand, but the word was muffled.
"Huh? What's that?" the hunter said. After scanning the woods around him, the hunter was just about to return when Lainey shifted her weight. Plyth cried out, the high pitched sound making it through his closed mouth.
Pain.
Renick's shoulder ached for a moment as Plyth projected his discomfort.
The hunter stopped and turned to face the bush they were hiding behind. He yelled something and started running toward them. Renick looked around frantically. There was no way for them to leave their hiding spot without being noticed. He looked down at Plyth and knew what he had to do.
Renick stood and ran back the way they had come. He was passing the trees where they had spent the night when the hunter spotted him.
"Stop!" a deep, booming voice called to him.
Renick kept running. He hoped that the others would take advantage of the distraction. He did not dare to look back. Instead, he put his head down and kept running. A set of heavy footsteps pursued him. Soon those footsteps were joined by others. Renick ran harder. Ignoring the sounds behind him, he focused on moving forward.
His foot caught on something. Renick tumbled, rolling as he went down and coming back up almost on his feet. Using his arms, he pushed himself fully upright. For a moment, he thought all would be fine. A heavy hand descended on his shoulder. Renick fell to the ground again.
The hunters surrounded him.
Renick lay still, trying to catch his breath. One of the hunters leaned over him. The man had three deep scars running parallel from his missing eye down his neck. The red lines disappeared under his shirt. "What do we have here?" the hunter asked in a gravelly voice. He pushed Renick with the toe of his heavy boot. "Speak, runt."
"I'm lost." Renick wheezed.
"Name," the hunter barked.
Renick clamped his teeth together.
"Name!" This time the command was followed up with a swift kick to his gut.
"Rub," Renick said, using the nickname his older brothers used to call him.
"Oy, he doesn't look like a dragon to me," one of the other hunters cried out.
"I tell ya, I heard it. Twice." The man Renick had seen earlier waved three fingers in the other hunter's face.
"Can you cry like a baby dragon, boy? Wah, wah," one of the hunters said as he poked Renick with the tip of a short sword. The hunters all burst into laughter.
"Silence!" the hunter with the scar said, slicing his hand through the air. Everyone fell silent. "Gunther, tie him up. We'll take him back to camp."
The hunter who had heard Plyth—Renick assumed his name was Gunther—pulled him to his feet. Gunther turned Renick around roughly, grabbed his arms, and pulled them behind his back. The rope Gunther used was rough and scratched Renick's hands, and the hunter
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