Free Siege At The Settlements (Book 6) by Craig Halloran Page A

killed both enemy and ally with no remorse whatsoever. He pulled his shoulders back and kept his head high. I can do this.
    Later, Devliik the dwarf came to a stop and the rest of the party gathered round. The brown-faced dwarf directed his comments to Gorlee.
    “They split up. One heads toward the top of the mountains and the other heads below.”
    “Are we gaining any ground on them?”
    “A little,” he spit tobacco juice from his mouth, “perhaps that’s why they split.”
    Gorlee noticed that all the dwarves were looking at him again. He felt awkward. This is tiring!
    “Uh,” Gorlee said.
    “Uh,” Devliik said back, glaring a little.
    His Nath Dragon form was confusing them perhaps. He confused himself, but he felt compelled to make a decision. Make it a good one.
    “Follow one or the other, Devliik,” Gorlee said. “We’ll stay together.”
    “Uh-huh,” Devliik said. He spat again. He combed his fingers through his beard, turned and climbed back into his saddle. He said something in dwarven and lurched forward.
    Down the hill they went.
    Pilpin was looking back at him. “You coming?”
    Gorlee nodded and nudged his mount onward.
    Am I in charge of this thing now? Wouldn’t the higher ground be better? I should’ve paid more attention to Brenwar.
    The pink pixie hovered at Faylan the satyr’s ear.
    “I see,” she said, opening her pouch.
    The pixie dropped inside and ducked out of sight.
    Faylan closed the flap and tied it down.
    She stood in a narrow ravine at the bottom of the mountains. Water ran down the middle of it and wound through great rocks covered in moss and then ran out of sight. She splashed through the creek around the next bend. Mossy rocks, green trees and lush foliage stretched up both sides of the massive crevasse. The creek water flowed over her hooves and straight ahead as far as the eye could see.
    She scanned both sides. Nothing out of the ordinary appeared. Wild life chirted and hooted all around. Bugs buzzed in the air. They traveled a little farther until a rustle in the foliage lifted her ears. She turned. A rock started to move and take a humanoid form. Boulder-shaped hands revealed sharp claws. A head the size of a small boulder revealed a row of sharp teeth. It was a draykis. Covered in grey scales and heavy muscles.
    “Do they come this way or the other?” it said,
    “They come this way,” she said. “But both paths lead to death.”
    “The High Priestess doesn’t want Nath Dragon dead,” the draykis said. “But the dwarves are of no consequence.”
    “I know this,” Faylan said with a sneer. “Just secure our spot.”
    The draykis stretched out a paw big enough to envelop her head.
    She stood her ground and patted the amulet on her neck.
    “Don’t even think of such an offense. I’ll have you declawed.”
    Slowly, it pulled its arm back. “Don’t be so sure of yourself,” it warned, slipping back into its spot. “Death comes to all from many corners.”
    She started to back down the stream. “Just see to it that you and the rest of your kind are ready.”
    She heard a laugh of sorts from the foliage.
    There were two draykis in the woods for every dwarf. But the Nath Dragon factor she wasn’t so sure of.
    She made her way up the bank and tucked herself away in the bushes.
    Certainly, there are enough of us.
    She smiled.
    And if not, I’ve another trick up my sleeve.

Chapter 18
    E ast. Clouds. Through stiff wind and stinging rain they galloped. Ben was right: the good pauses in the weather didn’t last very long. Still, the travel hadn’t been difficult. Nath’s biggest concern was encountering adversaries. The enemy seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere and when they passed people, they said little to them or nothing at all. Nath kept them in single file most of the time. Quiet. Halfway into the next day, he slowed to a trot.
    “Shouldn’t we traverse the mountains?” Bayzog suggested more than asked.
    “You can’t gallop in the