Dawn of the Ice Bear Read Online Free PDF Page A

eyes, not the animal dullness I would expect there.”
    Gorian nodded. He had reached similar conclusions about the Pict. But he knew what the Gunderman didn’t—that there was a probable connection between the boy and the prize they sought.
    â€œCan you kill him?”
    Hakon’s unexpectedly blue eyes widened in surprise. “I am right here next to you. Many have tried to kill me. They are dead. Not me.”
    â€œYou yourself said he was good, and smart.”
    â€œI am better,” Hakon said. “Without question.”
    â€œVery well,” Gorian said. That was the answer he had wanted to hear. He was glad, too, of the confidence in Hakon’s voice.
    â€œWhen do you want it done?” Hakon asked.
    He had not decided yet. There was still time—they weren’t moving on Kuthmet until the next night. If they tried tonight, after walking all day, they would not be at their best. And to go up against those Stygians they would need to be. They would camp here, just out of sight of the city. Restore their energy. Then when darkness fell again, they would move.
    â€œI will tell you when,” he said. “Just be ready, on my word.”
    â€œWorry not, Gorian. When the time comes, I will do it, and happily. As soon as I saw we had a Pict on the ship with us, I wanted to do it then. I hate them. Every last one of them.”
    Gorian promised that Hakon would get the chance, then dismissed the man so he could get back to planning their next move. He had found out from Kanilla Rey that their target was a sorcerer named Shehkmi al Nasir. The men who had taken the crown had been acolytes of his. He had many followers, it seemed, in Kuthmet, where he was regarded as powerful, a force to be feared.
    Well, Gorian had seen that, firsthand. He was already afraid of Shehkmi al Nasir, and he had not even met the wizard yet. But he would do his master’s bidding, no matter what. He was Kanilla Rey’s man. He did what he was told.

4
    â€œLET’S GO!”
    Alanya woke suddenly, startled by Mikelo’s hand on her shoulder and his urgent whisper in her ear.
    â€œWhat is it?” she demanded.
    â€œWe should leave,” Mikelo said. He turned away from her, shook Donial awake. Kral was already sitting up. It was still night. A sliver of moon floated just above the horizon.
    â€œWhat have you learned?” Kral asked. As usual, Alanya thought, he was alert immediately upon awakening. It still took her a minute to get her bearings, and she had not remembered at first that they had feigned the fight with Mikelo so that he could get information from the mercenaries.
    â€œCome on,” Mikelo urged. “We should get away from here quickly. I can tell you on the way.”
    Alanya shrugged off the cloak that had covered her. “Very well,” she said. “I am ready.” She got to her feet, glancing toward the nearby slope where the mercenaries slept. So far, none of them seemed to be looking their way. She kept expecting someone to notice them, to come running, as had happened when the same group of four had tried to escape the pirates in much the same fashion. But the pirates had not wanted them to leave; these mercenaries probably didn’t care one way or the other.
    Within moments, the others had gathered their things. Except for the clothes he wore, Mikelo had nothing but a sword and a couple of knives, affixed to his belt. They moved out as silently as they could, finding their way by the moon’s faint glow toward the distant lights of Kuthmet.
    When they were a comfortable distance away from the mercenaries, Mikelo said, “The men were talking about a magician named Shehkmi al Nasir. That’s who Gorian said they would be looking for.”
    â€œSo this magician has the crown,” Kral speculated.
    â€œOr will soon,” Donial said. “That storm that blew us off course might well have done the same to the