Hatch (The Dragons Of Laton) Read Online Free PDF

to get involved in a dispute and draw attention to himself. With a hard thud, he bumped into something and when he turned he nearly choked. The leather breastplate identified him as one of the guards, but what made Ammon gasp was the sheer size of the man. Towering over everyone in the crowd by several feet, the guard was easily the largest man Ammon had ever seen. His shaved head revealed a strangely pale scalp and beneath his heavy brow glared a set of blood colored eyes. From his jaw hung a thick silver beard that reached half way down his chest. Massive arms as big as tree trunks easily swept Ammon aside as he pushed his way towards the growing argument.
When he realized everyone's attention was directed towards the scuffle, Ammon hurried past the onlookers. Holding his breath, he slipped past the gates and out of the city. Once outside he avoided the busy bridge to the south and turned north towards the rarely traveled wooded hills. He didn’t look back, even when the shouting suddenly got louder and a trumpet blasted, signaling more men to the gate.
It wasn’t until he reached the edge of the woods almost a quarter mile away before he turned around to look back. Even from a distance he could see the gates were now shut and he felt his stomach tighten. The gates were only shut once darkness fell, so either the guards had locked them down to quell a riot, or word finally got through and they were searching for him. Quickly he stepped off the road and into the thick woods. It would be wise to stay off the roads for awhile until he decided where he was going to go, just in case search parties were sent. As valuable as dragons were, he doubted Tirate would give up trying to get it back so easily.
Pushing through the woods became more difficult as the day went on. Brambles tore at his leather breeches and the low brush made walking a challenge. As the sun climbed, so did the temperatures until even the horseflies remained hidden. The few berries he found still in season did little to quench his thirst or quiet his growling stomach. His tongue was parched and his head still throbbed but he kept moving. He only hoped he might find a stream or a pond along the way.
A branch caught on his shoulder strap and he pulled it free with a jerk and felt the dragon on his back move slightly. Idly he thought it couldn’t weigh much more than a cat, which was a blessing. If it had been the size of the other hatchlings he’d never had been able to carry it this far. He topped a small rise filled with cedar trees and from there he could see a swamp on the other side. There the grasses grew chest high and on the far end of the swamp a thick population of cattails waved slightly in a faint breeze. Smiling, he trudged through the soft turf and grabbed a dozen of the long stalks and pulled them up one at a time. He twisted off the tops and shoved the roots into his pocket. Then he followed the edge of the swamp until he came to the source of its water, a small spring bubbling up out of the ground from the side of a bank.
Dropping to his knees he shoved his face into the tiny pool and drank greedily, pausing only to gasp for air between gulps. After he had drank his fill and completely drenched his head, he slid back and sat down on the bank. Slipping the straps off his shoulders, he let the sack drop to the ground. Once more the dragon on his back stirred slightly and he wondered how he could remove it without losing his own hide. If he used his knife to slice open the front of his shirt would the dragon stay with the shirt or would it climb onto his bare back? The thought of those razor claws raking his bare skin turned his stomach.
Still, the dragon had done nothing except cling tightly to his back. The only reaction he’d seen was when it had attacked Tirate. Ammon chuckled to himself. He could hardly find fault for that reaction. After all, Tirate had charged at both of them with a sword. He looked over his shoulder and gently tugged at