Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler Page 0,6

the road became narrower and the trees seemed to close in on them with each passing day. The sun stayed hidden behind the low clouds, heavy with moisture and it was hard to keep anything dry.

A week from the Phloshain border a heavy mist began to come down making the day miserable for both travelers. The trees were so heavy with dew that when it was quiet the water dripping from the leaves made it sound like it was raining inside the forest. Kian looked up at the clouds. “Let’s find somewhere to get out of this, Julian.” The boy’s hair was already plastered to his head from the drizzle, and he was shivering. They turned the horses west towards the mountains. The clouds began to thicken and the drizzle had turned to rain.

Their spare horse reared up on its hind legs, the reins were nearly jerked from Kian’s hands almost pulling him out of the saddle. He looked back and at once saw what had frightened the animal.

A pack of wolves were coming up fast behind them. “Julian, ride,” Kian shouted to the boy. He let go of the trailing horse just as the wolves slammed into it like a giant’s war hammer. In moments the horse was down on its side in the road being torn apart by the pack. Three of the wolves still gave chase not staying back with the rest of the pack to feast on the fresh kill.

The lead wolf was large and its fur black as night. Kian could see the beasts were gaining on Julian. The boy’s smaller horse would never out run the wolves. He had to act or Julian was dead.

Kian yanked his horse to a stop and slid from the saddle. He barely had time to pull his blade before the wolves were on him. The first leaped for his throat. The swordsman thrust his blade piercing the wolf through the chest. The second went for his leg; the animal yelped as Kian’s boot met its jaw. The black wolf had passed him by and went straight for the boy. From the corner of his eye, Kian could see Julian’s horse go down in a heap. The black wolf was standing atop the animal like a victorious King.

He wanted to go to the boy but he had to keep his attention on the grey wolf in front of him. Kian knew he had to kill the animal quickly to have any chance to get to the boy in time. He went on the attack; the beast was too fast jumping back when he thrust at it. The wolf was wary now, the kick he had given it had shown the animal this man could hurt it.

The grey wolf bared its teeth and lunged at the Half Elf, mouth wide open. Kian spun on his heel making the wolf miss him, he brought the long sword down on the animals back shearing through its spine.

He raced to Julian’s horse that lay dying on the ground. Kian saw how huge the black beast was, easily twice the size of the grey wolves he had killed. The wolf had sunk its teeth into the boy’s shoulder and was dragging him toward forest. The Kian sprinted towards the creature, determined not the let the animal carry Julian away. The monstrous wolf turned his head with the boy still in its jaws and looked at the swordsman sprinting towards it. Kian stopped when he saw the beast’s eyes; there was a strange intelligence in them. The wolf opened his slavering mouth and dropped the boy to the ground and loped off to the west.

Kian ran to where Julian lay on the ground, still keeping one eye on the fleeing wolf. The boy was unconscious but breathing steady. The wound on his shoulder looked bad, the wolf had not just punctured his flesh. It had ripped and torn it. Kian cut strips from his cloak and bandaged the boy’s wound with the pieces of the wet garment, then wrapped the boy in what was left of the ruined cloak.

Down to only the chestnut mare now Kian slung Julian across the saddle in front of him and started to search for a place to get out of the rain. The sky began to rumble and the rain pounded down soaking them both to the bone. It took the Half Elf over an hour to find shelter. A bank where a massive tree stood, its gnarled roots