Free Clutch Of The Cleric (Book 4) by Craig Halloran

all over them.
    The third Goblin chopped its crude axe at his mid-section, glancing off his leather armor.
    Shum popped it between the eyes with his sword hilt.
    It cried out and flailed.
    Clatch-zip!
    Shum dove onto the ground.
    The bolt s ank into the dirt by his face.
    He rolled. The bolt in his leg snagged, drawing tears in his eyes.
    The Goblin swung wild after him.
    Clatch-zip!
    The Goblin stopped. Fell face first to the ground. A bolt stuck in its back.
    Shum scrambled for cover. He pressed his back to a boulder and took a breath. The Roving Ranger was calm. Collected. He’d been in plenty of fights before. He slid his dagger from his belt. Both hands were filled with sharp Elven steel.
    Clatch zip!
    The bolt whizzed high over his head. It was a good thing. The shooter wasn’t the best shot, but he had him pinned down. Crossbows took more time to reload than bows, too. He could take advantage of that. He was fast, but not as fast as he’d been. Not with a bolt stuck in his leg. He grabbed the shaft and yanked it out.
    The women screamed. Running every which wa y.
    One of the Gnolls barked and chased after them.
    The others, the leader particularly, he’d lost sight of.
    “Ranger!” the Gnoll leader growled. “Come out!”
    Shum tied a bandage over his calf. Lifted his hand over his head. Waited.
    “Are you surrendering then?” the Gnoll said.
    He didn’t reply.
    Clatch zip!
    Another bolt shot high and to the left of his fingers. Gritting his teeth, blocking the pain in his leg, he charged from behind the bo ulder.
    The Gnolls were waiting. Three of them. One lowered its spear at his chest.
    Shum swept it away with the flat of his sword and plunged his Elven dagger into its chest.
    The Gnoll leader roared. Its spiked flail whirled like the wind. Lashed out like a snake’s tongue, catching Shum in the chest.
    He doubled over. Tumbled to the ground.
    Clatch-Zip!
    The bolt whizzed past his head and stuck in the ground between the Gnoll’s legs. Its eyes widened. “Stop shooting, fools!” The Gnoll twirled the spiked ball of steel over his head and brought it down again.
    Shum rolled left.
    Up it went. Down it came.
    He rolled right.
    Bang!
    The flail got him in the thigh.
    “Hah!” the Gnoll said. “Not so tough for a Ranger, are you?”
    Shum pushed himself back over the dirt, chopping back and forth with his longsword, keeping the Gnoll at bay. His sword was a superior weapon to the crude flail, but the Gnoll swung with fury. Power. Juttering his arms with every blow. It didn’t help that his leg was banged up. Bleeding. Shum was concerned. Was he over-confident? Foolish? He’d just killed an Ettin, after all. Couldn’t he handle a handful of Gnolls and Goblins? 
    An Elven proverb danced is his head. Death comes from any corner.
    The Gnoll kept swinging. Harder and harder. Every blow fast and heavy.
    Shum dropped his dagger. Wrapped both hands around his sword.
    Clang!
    The flail chain wrapped around his blade. Lock ed the weapon up. The Gnoll heaved, ripping Shum’s sword from his hand. The Gnoll’s dog face let out a howl. It tossed its weapons aside, bared its claws, and pounced on Shum.
    ***
    My Dragon claws dug into the rocky dirt of the crater wall, making it easy to climb down. I caught myself wondering if I could scale city walls with them, and then I forced myself to concentrate on finding my friend.
    “Brenwar!”
    Still, I heard nothing. I hopped from one foothold to another. Traversed gaps and ledges like a critter. I had to admit, I was getting used to this climbing. Having two clawed hands made it much easier.
    A hundred feet I descended. It was dark above and below me now. All I could make out were the outlines of the crater rim and the treetops below it.
    “Brenwar!”
    Great Guzan! I couldn’t believe I’d lost him. The climb wasn’t so risky, but Brenwar wasn’t the best climber. The last time we’d climbed, I’d tied a rope around him.
    He must be getting old or