Like the others, she looked to be little more than skin and bones. “Bring them to us,” the second woman said in the same disembodied tone. The gazes of all five seemed to be staring through him. “We have come to be with our dead,” one of the two women said in the same sort of emotionless voice as the man who had spoken first. If they did anything wrong he would not hesitate to defend himself and those in camp behind him. In his mind, the deed was already done, every move calculated and decided. Richard was but one wrong word or sudden move away from unleashing his restraint. It was far too dangerous a place to take any chances.Ěny traveler would know that and not tempt trouble by sneaking up on a camp. The trackless wasteland of theĝark Lands seldom saw travelers. People rarely if ever successfully snuck up on Richard. He was well practiced at it and it had developed in him a kind of sixth sense for any living thing near him. When he had been a woods guide he had played the game of sneak-up with other guides. Richard was more than used to being in the woods and it was virtually impossible for so much as a squirrel to sneak up on him, much less five people. In such a dense, uninhabited woods it was unimaginable to him that not one of them had made a sound by stepping on a twig or crunching any of the dry leaves and bark scattered about on the ground.
What concerned Richard more than anything, though, was that he had been watching and listening for any sound or movement in the predawn stillness-that was the whole point of standing watch-and he hadn’t heard or seen the five come up behind him. Their passive poses did nothing to ease his sense of threat or his readiness to fight should they make a sudden move to attack. The gaunt figures stood passively, shoulders slumped, arms hanging limp at their sides.īesides the hint of impending rain, the air carried the smell of wood smoke from the fire back at camp, the scent of balsam trees and cinnamon ferns growing nearby, their horses, and the musty smell of the damp leaf litter matting the ground.īut Richard thought he also detected a trace of sulfur.Įven though none of the five looked or acted threatening, having the crackling power from the ancient weapon he held in his fist thundering through him had his heart hammering. The dying campfire burning in the distance off behind him cast the faintest flicker of reddish light across the five stony faces. Standing in the darkness right behind where he had been on watch were three men and two women. The power contained within the weapon answered the call, inundating him with rage in preparation for a fight. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us./piracy.Īt the same time as he heard the voice, Richard felt the touch of an icy hand on the back of his shoulder.Īs it cleared its scabbard, the blade sent its distinctive ring of steel through the hushed, predawn air. You may not copy, reproduce, or upload this e-book, other than to read it on one of your personal devices.Ĭopyright infringement is against the law.
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