A Time of Blood (Of Blood and Bone #2) - John Gwynne Page 0,68

Fen.

Now, that one was aggressive.

The white bear rolled onto its belly, managed to get its legs beneath it and heave itself upright, swaying, head lowered with the effort. Spittle drooled from its open mouth as it breathed heavily with the exertion.

Fen growled again, hackles a ridge on his back.

“Easy,” Keld said, resting a palm on the wolven-hound’s side.

The bear took a step towards them, lips curling in a snarl at Fen.

“Here we go again.” Cullen sighed and drew his sword.

Hammer stepped between them and the white bear. She roared at the bear, making its fur ripple as if in a strong wind, and it froze, regarding her.

Drem’s hand dropped to the hilt of his seax and he held his breath, balanced on his toes, waiting for the violence to explode.

The white bear stepped forwards and licked Hammer’s nose.

Fen took a step, snapping and snarling, and the white bear’s head switched onto him, another deep growl from the bear.

Hammer raised a paw and slapped the white bear across the muzzle.

To Drem it looked more like a reprimand than an attack.

The white bear took a step back, its head swivelling onto Hammer, a small growl and a curled lip at her, but nothing else.

Hammer growled back.

The white bear took a step forwards and licked Hammer’s muzzle again.

“I think he likes her,” Cullen whispered, a smile twitching his mouth. “What should we do?”

“Well, as bonny as this all is, we are being hunted by a Kadoshim half-breed, Feral beasts and a giant, so we should probably leave,” Keld answered.

“Agreed,” Cullen said.

Fen growled again at the white bear.

“That’s enough of that,” Keld scolded, and Fen’s ears dropped, tail tucking between his legs. “You’re looking after me, I know, but you can be a bit over-protective sometimes, and right now you’re going to start a fight, lad.” He ruffled the wolven-hound’s head.

They backed away, Fen following them. As they reached the edge of the clearing and stepped into the cover of the pine trees, Keld looked back to call Hammer. She was still standing before the white bear, the two of them sniffing and snorting at each other.

“Come on, girl,” Keld called.

Hammer looked around at Keld, then back at the white bear. She shook her body, fur rippling as if she’d emerged from water, and then lumbered after them.

The white bear stood and stared at Hammer’s considerable rump as it walked away from him, then gave out a rumbling snort and shambled after her, limping.

Keld raised an eyebrow and looked at Cullen and Drem.

Drem shrugged.

They turned and walked on, the two bears following behind them.

Drem stepped out from a thinning stand of pine; snow-covered meadows opened up before him.

The foothills of the Bonefells rose behind them, framed by the looming bulk of mountains, but before Drem and his companions was a long, undulating slope that led down to a vast plain, broken by clusters of jagged crags, knots of woodland and notched ravines.

Drem knew that Keld and Cullen were glad to be leaving the Bonefells.

Because it means we are that much closer to Dun Seren, which is good. But the ground is more open, so we will be much easier to find, especially from above.

“Dun Seren is less than a ten-night that way,” Cullen said, pointing to the south, with his other hand scratching at the red hair on his head that was growing longer now.

“A while before I have my warrior braid back,” Cullen muttered ruefully.

Drem looked up at the sky, searching for bat wings, subconsciously put a finger to his throat and counted the beats of his heart.

“Waiting’s not going to make it any easier,” Keld said and walked out from the cover of trees, choosing a path that hugged boulders and wind-blasted stands of hawthorn.

Some cover, at least.

Fen padded alongside the huntsman, both of them seeming fully recovered now from their injuries.

The Order of the Bright Star breeds them tough.

Drem absently scratched at the scab on his waistline, checked the sky again and then followed, picking his way down the slope. After a short while there was a scraping and creaking of trees and Drem looked back to see Hammer emerge from the pine trees. A few score paces behind her was the white bear, still limping. He had followed Hammer for two days now, keeping his distance, disappearing at night when Drem and the others stopped and made camp, but reappearing each morning to snort and snuffle around Hammer. Hammer did not seem to dislike the attention. After another scolding from