and nose to keep from breathing any more of the rotten air.
Then Rainer was on his feet again, behind the thing. He had picked up the black falcata. He slashed into the thing’s side, crying out “Tretz” as he did so.
Like some mushroom fungus full of spoors, the thing exploded. Then—
Poof!
It turned into a cloud of dust. No skin. No gore. No pieces anywhere. And the sword disappeared from Rainer’s hands.
Only the stench remained.
Wulf stared ahead, shaking like a leaf in the wind. He stood that way until he heard Rainer groan. His friend had been thrown several paces away by the explosion.
Snap out of it. Rainer needs help.
He ran quickly to Rainer.
“You all right?”
Rainer shook his head to clear it. Wulf lent him a hand as he pulled himself up.
He rubbed his wrist.
“Ouch,” Rainer said. “Like a hornet sting.”
But the wrist seemed to move in all the right directions.
Rainer started walking in a semicircle through the dirt of the square. Wulf didn’t understand what he was doing until Rainer stooped and picked up the dagger he had dropped. He cleaned it against his cloak, looked it over again, then slid it back into its scabbard.
From out of nowhere, the answer came to Wulf—what he’d put out of his mind before so he could concentrate on surviving.
“ Henli’s Saga ,” Wulf said.
“Huh?”
“That was a draugar.”
“A what?”
“Thousands of years ago. Four elves sold their souls to evil,” said Wulf.
“How does anybody know that?”
“They’ve been seen since.”
He turned and looked at the spot where the dark thing had disappeared. There was nothing. He checked the ground. No sign of a body or even of a deflated skin sack or anything like that.
Wulf looked around. There was candlelight behind a few windows. The noise had awakened the townspeople who lived around the square. Somebody would be out; someone would be sent to get the town guard if he hadn’t been already.
The night could end in a completely stupid way, with him having to make a lot of explanations. He and Rainer needed to go, and fast.
“Let’s get out of here,” Rainer said.
“Yeah, we should.” Wulf turned dejectedly back to his dagger, still stuck in the oak. “I can’t pull it out when I’m not in the dragon-vision, and I’m pretty sure that’s done for tonight.”
Rainer, too, gave the dagger a giant tug, then let go and stumbled back.
“Well, I sure as cold hell can’t, either.” He panted from the effort.
They had to go.
“We are so in the crap-hole,” Wulf said, shaking his head glumly.
Rainer put a hand on Wulf’s shoulder.
He pulled Wulf along, and the two soon lost themselves within the maze of the town streets.
Chapter Eight:
The Truth
The night wasn’t over yet for Wulf, although he wished more than anything that it could be. There was still the abatis to crawl under. He and Rainer slunk through the dirt and finally stood up near the castle wall.
Then, of course, there was the charcoal chute to deal with. He was already beginning to feel sore. The last thing he wanted to do was twist his way through that narrow opening. But there wasn’t any other way into the castle apart from walking up to the front gate and banging on it to be let in.
So. Deal with it.
He pulled back the metal flap that covered the opening on the outside. From this side, it was just a bit too high for him to comfortably climb through.
“Give me a leg up, will you?” he asked Rainer.
Rainer laced his fingers together and made a step for Wulf.
He twisted his shoulders to squeeze through the narrow opening. That was usually the hardest part.
Then, bending his way through, Wulf heard a sound.
Great. There was somebody here.
It was a gasp. Somebody was frightened. Or surprised.
Wulf was still for a moment. Had he been seen?
Then he heard it again. A woman.
He quickly pulled himself back out and whispered to Rainer to be as quiet as possible when he came through. Then Wulf twisted his
Then Rainer was on his feet again, behind the thing. He had picked up the black falcata. He slashed into the thing’s side, crying out “Tretz” as he did so.
Like some mushroom fungus full of spoors, the thing exploded. Then—
Poof!
It turned into a cloud of dust. No skin. No gore. No pieces anywhere. And the sword disappeared from Rainer’s hands.
Only the stench remained.
Wulf stared ahead, shaking like a leaf in the wind. He stood that way until he heard Rainer groan. His friend had been thrown several paces away by the explosion.
Snap out of it. Rainer needs help.
He ran quickly to Rainer.
“You all right?”
Rainer shook his head to clear it. Wulf lent him a hand as he pulled himself up.
He rubbed his wrist.
“Ouch,” Rainer said. “Like a hornet sting.”
But the wrist seemed to move in all the right directions.
Rainer started walking in a semicircle through the dirt of the square. Wulf didn’t understand what he was doing until Rainer stooped and picked up the dagger he had dropped. He cleaned it against his cloak, looked it over again, then slid it back into its scabbard.
From out of nowhere, the answer came to Wulf—what he’d put out of his mind before so he could concentrate on surviving.
“ Henli’s Saga ,” Wulf said.
“Huh?”
“That was a draugar.”
“A what?”
“Thousands of years ago. Four elves sold their souls to evil,” said Wulf.
“How does anybody know that?”
“They’ve been seen since.”
He turned and looked at the spot where the dark thing had disappeared. There was nothing. He checked the ground. No sign of a body or even of a deflated skin sack or anything like that.
Wulf looked around. There was candlelight behind a few windows. The noise had awakened the townspeople who lived around the square. Somebody would be out; someone would be sent to get the town guard if he hadn’t been already.
The night could end in a completely stupid way, with him having to make a lot of explanations. He and Rainer needed to go, and fast.
“Let’s get out of here,” Rainer said.
“Yeah, we should.” Wulf turned dejectedly back to his dagger, still stuck in the oak. “I can’t pull it out when I’m not in the dragon-vision, and I’m pretty sure that’s done for tonight.”
Rainer, too, gave the dagger a giant tug, then let go and stumbled back.
“Well, I sure as cold hell can’t, either.” He panted from the effort.
They had to go.
“We are so in the crap-hole,” Wulf said, shaking his head glumly.
Rainer put a hand on Wulf’s shoulder.
He pulled Wulf along, and the two soon lost themselves within the maze of the town streets.
Chapter Eight:
The Truth
The night wasn’t over yet for Wulf, although he wished more than anything that it could be. There was still the abatis to crawl under. He and Rainer slunk through the dirt and finally stood up near the castle wall.
Then, of course, there was the charcoal chute to deal with. He was already beginning to feel sore. The last thing he wanted to do was twist his way through that narrow opening. But there wasn’t any other way into the castle apart from walking up to the front gate and banging on it to be let in.
So. Deal with it.
He pulled back the metal flap that covered the opening on the outside. From this side, it was just a bit too high for him to comfortably climb through.
“Give me a leg up, will you?” he asked Rainer.
Rainer laced his fingers together and made a step for Wulf.
He twisted his shoulders to squeeze through the narrow opening. That was usually the hardest part.
Then, bending his way through, Wulf heard a sound.
Great. There was somebody here.
It was a gasp. Somebody was frightened. Or surprised.
Wulf was still for a moment. Had he been seen?
Then he heard it again. A woman.
He quickly pulled himself back out and whispered to Rainer to be as quiet as possible when he came through. Then Wulf twisted his
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