Free The Hungering Flame by Andrew Hunter Page B

vast and dark that blott ed out the sky kept jerking him back awake, until, at last, exhaustion won out, dragging him down into an uneasy slumber.
    The next two days passed in similar fashion. The shadow of the dragon lay like a sickness in Garrett’s heart. As they neared the edge of the Gloaran forest, the fear grew worse. They were forced to traverse large sections of road with no tree cover at all. The sight of stars should have thrilled Garrett, after living beneath the eternal cloud of Wythr. Instead, he held his breath in fear as they raced from trees to trees, eyes scanning the empty skies above.
    Eventually, the old elvish road turned and followed along the edge of the forest toward the coast. Before them, the forest gave way to low, rolling hills and well-tended farmland. Broad c ountry lanes and tall hedgerows lay dark between the moonlit fields.
    “ Welcome to Astorra, gentlemen, ” Prince Cabre said, riding Inglefras out into the open grass, “ Will you accept my invitation to enter my father’s lands? ”
    “ Yeah, ” Garrett said, “ thanks! ”
    Warren smiled nervously. “ You think they’ve ever seen a ghoul before? ” he asked.
    Cabre grinned. “ You have a point, ” he said, “ Perhaps we should continue to travel at night for a bit. We should reach Braedshal within a couple of days. ”
    “ What’s that? ” Garrett asked.
    “ My father’s castle, ” Cabre said, “ We’ll be safe there. ”
    Warren looked unconvinced, but nodded his assent, urging Hauskr forward into the open. Garrett and Ghausse followed as well, scanning the wispy night clouds for any sign of the dragon.
    They rode together throughout the night, following the tree-shadowed lanes between the hedgerows. Cabre’s mood improved with every passing mile. By the time they reached a small farmhouse, just before dawn, the prince was sporting a broad grin.
    “ Wait here, friends, ” he called back to them, riding toward the chicken coop where the stooped figure of a man now tended his livestock.
    Garrett and Warren moved their wolves farther back into the gloom beneath the trees and watched as the prince rode up to greet the farmer.
    They could hear nothing of what transpired, but saw the man drop to his knees on the ground before the prince’s warhorse. After a long while, the farmer rose and hurried away to the little farmhouse while the prince turned and rode back toward them.
    “ We’re in luck, ” Cabre said, “ He says we can stay in the barn until we are ready to ride again. Actually, he offered us his house, but I wouldn’t allow it. ”
    “ Did you tell him who we were? ” Warren asked.
    “ He knew me already, ” Cabre said, “ as for you... you are my companions. That is all he needed to know. ”
    Warren shrugged. “ Good enough for me. ”
    The barn proved to be quite large enough to house the lot of them. Garrett was grateful that only a few smallish pigs were on hand to flee in terror at their approach. Once unburdened, the two wolves lay down, side by side in the hay. Inglefras casually munched a mouthful of the stuff while Cabre rubbed him down with a bundle of cloth. Warren and Garrett threw their bedding down and stretched their legs, happy to have a roof over their heads for the first time in many day s.
    They started at a furtive rapping on the barn door. Cabre hastened to greet the farmer, creaking the large wooden barn door open, just far enough to speak with him while blocking any view of those within.
    Warren sniffed loudly and grinned at Garrett.
    Cabre offered his thanks to the farmer and then pushed the door shut with his boot. He turned and greeted his friends with a steaming basket of food in his hands. The three of them sat, cross-legged on the dirt floor and divvied up the boiled eggs, toasted bread, and hard cheese. Cabre grinned, his mouth full of bread, as he passed a red glass jar to Garrett.
    Garrett managed only a couple of sips of the bitter cider before he pulled a face and