a heave and was surprised by the strength in the boy’s well-muscled arms. “My friends call me March.”
“Rikky Camille,” Rikky smiled. “Are you here for the Confliction?”
“What do you know of it?” March asked eagerly.
Not as much as we’d like, a half angry female voice sounded in their heads. She’d dismounted and was walking toward them. Her big white dragon was mothering over Rikky’s silver. Both of the female wyrms were clearly wary of the fire drake. No doubt, they could sense the purity of his blood.
***
We don’t know very much at all, Zahrellion said as she approached the others. When her eyes landed on March, her voice stopped cold. Marcherion resembled a certain painting of an incarnation of Dou so perfectly that she was struck speechless. She had spent hours adoring the work and daydreaming about that handsome legendary master of her Order when she was a girl. Growing up, when she had dreamed of a man, it had been him. Now here he was in the flesh before her. She had to remind herself to breathe.
***
Rikky had a great feeling about Marcherion until Zahrellion walked up. When he saw the look of bewildered adoration slide over Zah’s face, he sensed something else about the situation. Her look was the same one Jenka always had when he was ogling her. With a rude harrumph and a hop step to put himself between Marcherion and Zahrellion, he spoke. “There’s another of us back on the Mainland. Jenka rides a green dragon.” He looked sharply at Zah, who was now blushing with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. Then back to March he added firmly, “Jenka’s our leader.”
Chapter 8
At that moment, Jenka and Jade were of a single mind and purpose. They were right on the fleeing troll’s heels and driving it deeper into the woods. Jade wanted to get hold of it and tear it apart, but Jenka knew that there were more of the filthy things back by the caravan’s camp. Realizing this, he pulled up and went back. This time the young green wyrm landed amid the men, then started into the small band of trolls that remained, with tooth and claw. The rangers cheered behind Jade, providing cover with arrows and swords when they could. First one troll ran off, then another fell clutching the stuff spilling from its open gut. Soon it was only Jade attacking the remaining two trellkin, with Jenka clinging to his back, trying desperately not to lose hold of his sword.
An arrow from the men found one of the big, thick-skinned trolls and it stumbled away. This allowed Jade to get his foreclaws into the other. A rider rode out and engaged the shafted troll with a wood axe. Jenka was amazed to see that it was Swineherd, Herald’s pig-farming brother. Jenka was then tumbling from his seat, not from a troll, but because his weapon slipped out of his hand and he went flailing after it.
He didn’t have far to fall, and before he knew what was happening two men were dragging him by his feet back into the camp. He wasn’t certain when he had grabbed his sword back, but he was glad to be holding it in his hand. Even if it was too heavy for him to wield effectively, the feeling of the Dou coursing through him when he held it was awesome.
The sound of struggling faded from his ears. The battle was over. The trolls were beaten away yet again. Jenka couldn’t understand how such stupid creatures had nearly driven man off of the Mainland.
It was odd to be attacked by trolls so bold. Before Gravelbone came along and stirred them up, they kept mostly to the deep forest and the mountains. Since the humans had been driven back behind the wall, they were now everywhere in the Frontier. Especially near Demon Lake, where the caravan was encamped. Swineherd’s farm was a long day north, maybe two days, since the cavalcade moved down the road like an old woman.
These trolls had come in the dark of night, and now the sun was already coming up. They’d been fighting for hours. Jenka got to
“Rikky Camille,” Rikky smiled. “Are you here for the Confliction?”
“What do you know of it?” March asked eagerly.
Not as much as we’d like, a half angry female voice sounded in their heads. She’d dismounted and was walking toward them. Her big white dragon was mothering over Rikky’s silver. Both of the female wyrms were clearly wary of the fire drake. No doubt, they could sense the purity of his blood.
***
We don’t know very much at all, Zahrellion said as she approached the others. When her eyes landed on March, her voice stopped cold. Marcherion resembled a certain painting of an incarnation of Dou so perfectly that she was struck speechless. She had spent hours adoring the work and daydreaming about that handsome legendary master of her Order when she was a girl. Growing up, when she had dreamed of a man, it had been him. Now here he was in the flesh before her. She had to remind herself to breathe.
***
Rikky had a great feeling about Marcherion until Zahrellion walked up. When he saw the look of bewildered adoration slide over Zah’s face, he sensed something else about the situation. Her look was the same one Jenka always had when he was ogling her. With a rude harrumph and a hop step to put himself between Marcherion and Zahrellion, he spoke. “There’s another of us back on the Mainland. Jenka rides a green dragon.” He looked sharply at Zah, who was now blushing with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. Then back to March he added firmly, “Jenka’s our leader.”
Chapter 8
At that moment, Jenka and Jade were of a single mind and purpose. They were right on the fleeing troll’s heels and driving it deeper into the woods. Jade wanted to get hold of it and tear it apart, but Jenka knew that there were more of the filthy things back by the caravan’s camp. Realizing this, he pulled up and went back. This time the young green wyrm landed amid the men, then started into the small band of trolls that remained, with tooth and claw. The rangers cheered behind Jade, providing cover with arrows and swords when they could. First one troll ran off, then another fell clutching the stuff spilling from its open gut. Soon it was only Jade attacking the remaining two trellkin, with Jenka clinging to his back, trying desperately not to lose hold of his sword.
An arrow from the men found one of the big, thick-skinned trolls and it stumbled away. This allowed Jade to get his foreclaws into the other. A rider rode out and engaged the shafted troll with a wood axe. Jenka was amazed to see that it was Swineherd, Herald’s pig-farming brother. Jenka was then tumbling from his seat, not from a troll, but because his weapon slipped out of his hand and he went flailing after it.
He didn’t have far to fall, and before he knew what was happening two men were dragging him by his feet back into the camp. He wasn’t certain when he had grabbed his sword back, but he was glad to be holding it in his hand. Even if it was too heavy for him to wield effectively, the feeling of the Dou coursing through him when he held it was awesome.
The sound of struggling faded from his ears. The battle was over. The trolls were beaten away yet again. Jenka couldn’t understand how such stupid creatures had nearly driven man off of the Mainland.
It was odd to be attacked by trolls so bold. Before Gravelbone came along and stirred them up, they kept mostly to the deep forest and the mountains. Since the humans had been driven back behind the wall, they were now everywhere in the Frontier. Especially near Demon Lake, where the caravan was encamped. Swineherd’s farm was a long day north, maybe two days, since the cavalcade moved down the road like an old woman.
These trolls had come in the dark of night, and now the sun was already coming up. They’d been fighting for hours. Jenka got to
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