The Binding Stone (The Dragon Below, Book 1) by Don Bassingthwaite
Authors: Don Bassingthwaite
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direction of the bellow's source.
Geth emerged onto a trail while Singe was still crashing around among the trees. With any luck, the Aundairian would take precious moments--or even longer--to find his way clear. Nine years ago, Singe had been a skilled swordsman and he was still clearly every bit the wizard Geth remembered him to be, but unless a great deal had changed in nine years, he was no woodsman.
The shifter looked down at his thick, hairy hands. They were shaking. Geth clenched them into fists and darted along the trail. The roaring bellow continued to echo as he ran. He tried to put it out of his mind. He was lucky that it had distracted Singe and given him the chance he needed to break away, but of all the times ...
Duty and fear tore at him. Geth bit his lip. "Grandmother Wolf, forgive what I do."
Three trails came together, part of the web of paths that laced the forest around Bull Hollow. His feet slid as he changed direction and charged down one of the other trails. Moments later, the trees opened up into the clearing around the cabin.
The door of the cabin stood open, spilling light into the yard.
Geth slid to a stop. Even if Adolan had left in a hurry, hewould have closed the door. Breek was nowhere to be seen. Geth approached the cabin cautiously. "Ado?" he called. "Ado?" He flattened himself against the outer wall and darted his head through the cabin's door.
The stink of scorched leather and singed hair stung his nostrils even before he caught the soft groan as Adolan stirred on the floor inside the door. Geth sucked in a sharp breath and bounded to his side. It took no more than a glance to see that the kalashtar woman was gone. He grabbed Adolan's hand and hauled him to his feet.
"What did she do to you?" he growled.
"A burst of fire," said Adolan. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and winced at his own touch. The skin of his face was reddened, but no worse. "The heat was so intense it took my breath away, but it doesn't seem like it did much real damage."
Another bellow rolled on the air. Adolan gasped and pulled away. "Ring of Siberys! The Bull Hole! How could I ..." He darted around the cabin, snatching up a satchel stitched with strange symbols, his spear, and a jerkin of stiff, heavy hide.
Geth stood still, watching him with a heavy heart. After a moment, the druid realized that he wasn't moving and paused. "Geth, what's wrong?" His face tightened. "Where's Breek? I sent him to fetch you."
"Then he's still looking for me," Geth said. His gut twisted. "Ado, House Deneith has found me. One of the Frostbrand--one of Robrand's lieutenants. Singe. He was in Sandar's." Geth drew a shuddering breath. "I have to leave."
Silence fell heavily as Adolan stared. "Now?" asked the druid, his voice thin and disbelieving.
Yet another bellow punctuated the question. Geth spread his hands helplessly. "I told you Deneith might come looking for me."
"I know what you told me." Adolan ground his teeth together. He leaned his spear against the nearest wall and wrenched the hide jerkin over his head. When his face emerged, his eyes were angry. "But I can't believe that you'd leave now or ever. Are you just going to keep running? Bull Hollow needs you!"
"Bull Hollow isn't going to want me around when they find out the truth."
Adolan glared at him. "So you'll abandon your friends in the face of danger?" He paused for half a heartbeat and added, "Like you did at Narath."
The druid's word stung like salt rubbed into a wound. A growl tore itself out of Geth's throat. "It's not the same!" he snapped.
"Isn't it?" Adolan asked. He settled the satchel over his shoulders and picked up his spear again. He looked up and his eyes softened. "Geth, fight! Forget the Frostbrand. Forget Singe. He's in as much danger tonight as any of us. Tomorrow I'll either stand with you in front of the Hollow or we'll leave together."
He held out his hand.
Geth stared at it as the bellow rolled over Bull
Geth emerged onto a trail while Singe was still crashing around among the trees. With any luck, the Aundairian would take precious moments--or even longer--to find his way clear. Nine years ago, Singe had been a skilled swordsman and he was still clearly every bit the wizard Geth remembered him to be, but unless a great deal had changed in nine years, he was no woodsman.
The shifter looked down at his thick, hairy hands. They were shaking. Geth clenched them into fists and darted along the trail. The roaring bellow continued to echo as he ran. He tried to put it out of his mind. He was lucky that it had distracted Singe and given him the chance he needed to break away, but of all the times ...
Duty and fear tore at him. Geth bit his lip. "Grandmother Wolf, forgive what I do."
Three trails came together, part of the web of paths that laced the forest around Bull Hollow. His feet slid as he changed direction and charged down one of the other trails. Moments later, the trees opened up into the clearing around the cabin.
The door of the cabin stood open, spilling light into the yard.
Geth slid to a stop. Even if Adolan had left in a hurry, hewould have closed the door. Breek was nowhere to be seen. Geth approached the cabin cautiously. "Ado?" he called. "Ado?" He flattened himself against the outer wall and darted his head through the cabin's door.
The stink of scorched leather and singed hair stung his nostrils even before he caught the soft groan as Adolan stirred on the floor inside the door. Geth sucked in a sharp breath and bounded to his side. It took no more than a glance to see that the kalashtar woman was gone. He grabbed Adolan's hand and hauled him to his feet.
"What did she do to you?" he growled.
"A burst of fire," said Adolan. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and winced at his own touch. The skin of his face was reddened, but no worse. "The heat was so intense it took my breath away, but it doesn't seem like it did much real damage."
Another bellow rolled on the air. Adolan gasped and pulled away. "Ring of Siberys! The Bull Hole! How could I ..." He darted around the cabin, snatching up a satchel stitched with strange symbols, his spear, and a jerkin of stiff, heavy hide.
Geth stood still, watching him with a heavy heart. After a moment, the druid realized that he wasn't moving and paused. "Geth, what's wrong?" His face tightened. "Where's Breek? I sent him to fetch you."
"Then he's still looking for me," Geth said. His gut twisted. "Ado, House Deneith has found me. One of the Frostbrand--one of Robrand's lieutenants. Singe. He was in Sandar's." Geth drew a shuddering breath. "I have to leave."
Silence fell heavily as Adolan stared. "Now?" asked the druid, his voice thin and disbelieving.
Yet another bellow punctuated the question. Geth spread his hands helplessly. "I told you Deneith might come looking for me."
"I know what you told me." Adolan ground his teeth together. He leaned his spear against the nearest wall and wrenched the hide jerkin over his head. When his face emerged, his eyes were angry. "But I can't believe that you'd leave now or ever. Are you just going to keep running? Bull Hollow needs you!"
"Bull Hollow isn't going to want me around when they find out the truth."
Adolan glared at him. "So you'll abandon your friends in the face of danger?" He paused for half a heartbeat and added, "Like you did at Narath."
The druid's word stung like salt rubbed into a wound. A growl tore itself out of Geth's throat. "It's not the same!" he snapped.
"Isn't it?" Adolan asked. He settled the satchel over his shoulders and picked up his spear again. He looked up and his eyes softened. "Geth, fight! Forget the Frostbrand. Forget Singe. He's in as much danger tonight as any of us. Tomorrow I'll either stand with you in front of the Hollow or we'll leave together."
He held out his hand.
Geth stared at it as the bellow rolled over Bull
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