Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife Read Online Free PDF

weaklings.”
    “No,” said Ridmark, lifting his staff. “With this.”
    Rakhaag regarded it for a moment. “A club. Still a craven’s weapon…but less of a craven.”
    “You call me craven?” said Ridmark. “I name you craven, Rakhaag son of Balhaag son of Talhaag.”
    An ominous growl went up from the beastmen, but Rakhaag only glared.
    “And why do you bring such a challenge?” said Rakhaag.
    “Because you prey upon humans,” said Ridmark. “I know the True People. You are strong and fast and contemptuous of injury and death. You can outran a deer and bring it down, or face the fury and the tusks of an enraged boar. All this the True People can do, yet you have chosen to hunt humans, creatures too slow to outrun you and too weak to slay with their bare hands. Have you grown so weak, Rakhaag, so feeble that you must turn to such…”
    Rakhaag roared, and Ridmark’s hand tightened around his staff. But the lupivir mastered himself, and glared down at Ridmark.
    “We have not hunted you,” spat Rakhaag, “but you have hunted us. Humans and orcs have issued from their shelter, kidnapping our young and our females, and taken them into captivity.”
    Ridmark wanted to look at Gavin to see his reaction, but he dared not take his eyes from Rakhaag. The alpha would interpret that as a sign of weakness and attack. 
    “You have proof of this?” said Ridmark.
    Rakhaag showed his fangs. “The True People do not lie. Humans and orcs and dwarves build tools of lies from cunning words, but the True People do not. I have smelled them with my own nose, followed the trails with my own feet. Humans and orcs have taken our females and our young and carried them into captivity.”
    “I know nothing of this,” said Ridmark. 
    “You lie,” growled Rakhaag. “Humans lie. Orcs lie. I think you carried off our children. You will tell us what you have done with them, or I shall kill you and feast upon your flesh.”
    “No,” said Ridmark.
    Rakhaag growled, his muscles tensing, and Ridmark hit him across the face with his staff. 
    It was not a hard blow, not hard enough to break bone, but it was enough to knock the hulking lupivir back a step.
    The other beastmen growled, and Ridmark raised his staff.
    “I challenge you!” he roared at the top of his lungs. “I, Ridmark son of Leogrance son of Rience, challenge Rakhaag son of Balhaag son of Talhaag! Before this pack, I name you craven, weak, and unfit, a hunter of humans because you are too weak to hunt proper prey! Let me pass, or I shall kill you where you stand!”
    “Human craven!” said Rakhaag. “You think to challenge one of the True People? You steal our young and females, and then hide behind your cunning lies?”
    “You fear to face my challenge?” said Ridmark. “You are as weak as I thought! Little wonder you prey upon humans! I shall…”
    Rakhaag bellowed in pure rage. “Human worm! I accept your challenge!” 
    The lupivir surged forward, all claws and fangs and dark fur. Kharlacht and Gavin shouted warnings, while the other beastmen roared in support of their alpha. 
    Ridmark thrust his staff, ducking under the blur of Rakhaag’s claws, and drove the end of the weapon into the lupivir’s stomach. The shock of the impact almost ripped the staff from his hands. Yet Rakhaag came to a painful halt, his jaw falling open as the breath exploded from his lungs. Ridmark charged as Rakhaag wheezed, and brought his staff around in a two-handed swing. The length of heavy wood slammed into the back of Rakhaag’s right knee, and the lupivir’s leg folded. Rakhaag let out a croaking cry, and Ridmark’s next swing landed in the small of the beastman’s back. 
    Rakhaag’s legs went out from under him, and the lupivir landed hard upon his back. Before the beastman could recover, Ridmark sprang upon him, slamming his staff against Rakhaag’s throat and arms, the musky stench of the lupivir’s fur filling his nostrils. His knees pinned the staff in