Read Online Viper's Creed (The Cat's Eye Chronicles) by T. L. Shreffler - Free Book Online
Authors: T. L. Shreffler
Ads: Link
street child into a young woman: pronounced cheekbones, wide lips, a slight dimple in her chin. Her unusual coloring only added to the effect.
Sora stared. I've seen that coloring before, she thought, frowning. I've seen it... but where?
She turned away and pushed her steed into a trot, perhaps a bit harder than she meant to. The moment was broken, and she was eager to leave it behind. Why was she suddenly so unnerved?
The girl followed. “They call me Laina, by the way,” she called, her voice soft on the wind.
Sora sighed, already questioning her decision. “I’m Sora.”
And the two continued across the fields.
Where have I seen it before....
Chapter 4
The days passed more quickly with Laina there, despite Sora’s initial reluctance. Aside from the occasional bout of attitude, she proved to be useful at setting snares. They managed to catch quite a few rabbits. It was a relief, because Sora didn't know much about hunting or tracking animals, and truly, she wasn't eager to learn. She had to grit her teeth every time they found a rabbit in a snare, and forced herself to push a knife through its throat. It was ironic, to be sure. She could lay out a full-grown man—kill a Catlin by shoving a spear through its gut—but snaring rabbits gave her the willies. Ridiculous, she thought, more than once. What would Crash think of all this? Doubtlessly the assassin would sneer in disgust, then force her to kill more woodland creatures until it didn't bother her.
She shivered with that thought, but it slowly turned to longing. Where are they?
The Cat's Eye answered, Soon.
Despite her skill at setting traps, Laina proved to be clumsy and useless at pretty much everything else. She tripped over bags, led her horse into brambles, spoke far too loudly and would even choke on her food. Sora tried to impress upon her the importance of silence— besides sparing my sanity, our voices carry much too far over the fields —but Laina either ignored her or genuinely forgot. She had a bossy, prying sort of curiosity, and often asked about their quest: who Sora's friends were, why she was trying to find them, and where exactly they were going. ( Isn't it strangely dry for spring? Shouldn't there be more rainfall? I bet it's going to be a hot summer. I hope we find them soon because I burn really easily. Have you noticed there's a flu going around? Best to stay out of cities, I think. Say, we should go to the ocean! ).
Sora wasn't ready to share all of the details yet. She was still hoping to run across a caravan or maybe a small village and convince the teenage thief to go her own way. I can't babysit forever, she thought, watching as Laina attempted to ride her big, unwieldy horse.
Besides that, Sora still held a sliver of doubt about her Cat's Eye. She had never used it like this before, as a sort of supernatural compass. Although she had a firm sense that it was leading her somewhere, but she wasn't exactly sure where that might be. She often found herself wondering what Crash and Burn would think of Laina. She doubted their meeting would go over well. Maybe I should learn to set snares. I could set one for Laina and catch her in it...and leave her behind.... Sora laughed to herself.
Sometimes, after her companion fell asleep, she would take out her rapier hilt and marvel at it. A sacred weapon of the Dark God, straight out of legend, now resting in her hands. Her mind would wander back to that day Crash and Burn had left, to their mud fight in the rain, how she had laughed until her body ached. She could remember Crash's sudden easiness, his hands running up the sides of her ribs and hitting all of her ticklish spots, as though they had known each other for years....
Then, the inevitable pang of loss. She missed them sorely. Every night before she fell asleep, she would imagine a scene when she finally caught up with them. Will they be glad to see me? she wondered, fearing the worst. Will they welcome me
Sora stared. I've seen that coloring before, she thought, frowning. I've seen it... but where?
She turned away and pushed her steed into a trot, perhaps a bit harder than she meant to. The moment was broken, and she was eager to leave it behind. Why was she suddenly so unnerved?
The girl followed. “They call me Laina, by the way,” she called, her voice soft on the wind.
Sora sighed, already questioning her decision. “I’m Sora.”
And the two continued across the fields.
Where have I seen it before....
Chapter 4
The days passed more quickly with Laina there, despite Sora’s initial reluctance. Aside from the occasional bout of attitude, she proved to be useful at setting snares. They managed to catch quite a few rabbits. It was a relief, because Sora didn't know much about hunting or tracking animals, and truly, she wasn't eager to learn. She had to grit her teeth every time they found a rabbit in a snare, and forced herself to push a knife through its throat. It was ironic, to be sure. She could lay out a full-grown man—kill a Catlin by shoving a spear through its gut—but snaring rabbits gave her the willies. Ridiculous, she thought, more than once. What would Crash think of all this? Doubtlessly the assassin would sneer in disgust, then force her to kill more woodland creatures until it didn't bother her.
She shivered with that thought, but it slowly turned to longing. Where are they?
The Cat's Eye answered, Soon.
Despite her skill at setting traps, Laina proved to be clumsy and useless at pretty much everything else. She tripped over bags, led her horse into brambles, spoke far too loudly and would even choke on her food. Sora tried to impress upon her the importance of silence— besides sparing my sanity, our voices carry much too far over the fields —but Laina either ignored her or genuinely forgot. She had a bossy, prying sort of curiosity, and often asked about their quest: who Sora's friends were, why she was trying to find them, and where exactly they were going. ( Isn't it strangely dry for spring? Shouldn't there be more rainfall? I bet it's going to be a hot summer. I hope we find them soon because I burn really easily. Have you noticed there's a flu going around? Best to stay out of cities, I think. Say, we should go to the ocean! ).
Sora wasn't ready to share all of the details yet. She was still hoping to run across a caravan or maybe a small village and convince the teenage thief to go her own way. I can't babysit forever, she thought, watching as Laina attempted to ride her big, unwieldy horse.
Besides that, Sora still held a sliver of doubt about her Cat's Eye. She had never used it like this before, as a sort of supernatural compass. Although she had a firm sense that it was leading her somewhere, but she wasn't exactly sure where that might be. She often found herself wondering what Crash and Burn would think of Laina. She doubted their meeting would go over well. Maybe I should learn to set snares. I could set one for Laina and catch her in it...and leave her behind.... Sora laughed to herself.
Sometimes, after her companion fell asleep, she would take out her rapier hilt and marvel at it. A sacred weapon of the Dark God, straight out of legend, now resting in her hands. Her mind would wander back to that day Crash and Burn had left, to their mud fight in the rain, how she had laughed until her body ached. She could remember Crash's sudden easiness, his hands running up the sides of her ribs and hitting all of her ticklish spots, as though they had known each other for years....
Then, the inevitable pang of loss. She missed them sorely. Every night before she fell asleep, she would imagine a scene when she finally caught up with them. Will they be glad to see me? she wondered, fearing the worst. Will they welcome me
Similar Books
