Servants and Followers (The Legends of Arria, Volume 2) Read Online Free PDF

against
the current, pushing him further and further back to the awaiting
jaws, while the wolves were being propelled forward by the same
current.
    “ I can’t get any fire, I can’t get
any fire!” Oaka was crying for some reason next to him.
    Basha’s head was
yanked away from the sight as he was twisted by Talan’s flight.
Larger than ordinary wolves, these wolves had despair-black fur
surrounding blood-shot eyes that hunkered down over canine teeth,
stretching below their lower jaws. These were monsters, like hyenas
and wolves interbred .
    He heard the hollow snapping jaws, and
managed to twist his head about again to see the foaming mouth of
an alpha male mere inches away from Talan’s back leg. Yet he was
relieved to see the horse give the beast a good sharp kick, and
send it reeling away, and he was also relieved to spot blood
streaming down the wolf’s nose. It proved, in the midst of this
crazed, jarring pursuit, that these monsters were mortal.
     
    “‘ My lords and
ladies,’” Sir Nickleby said to himself in courtly fashion, pacing
back and forth as he waited amidst the trees. “‘I would like to
present …’ no, better make it ‘ladies and gentlemen’,” He paused to
remark to himself, “sounds better. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, I would
like to present myself, Sir Nickleby of Coe Baba,’” He bowed deeply
with a flourish, “‘and these two boys, Basha and Oaka, also of Coe
Baba,’” He gestured backwards at nothing.
    “ Sir Nickleby, are
you already preparing yourself to meet King Sonnagh?” Nisa asked as
she jumped down from the tree where she had been watching Sir
Nickleby practice for the past minute, her bag hitting the ground
just after her.
    Sir Nickleby turned
around, slightly startled by her appearance, but he recovered
himself and commanded a cool semblance as she stood up. “I am
merely preparing myself for the possibility.” He said. “It is a
long way off, and highly doubtful, but I hope that we are prepared
should we be given the chance. Besides, what else should I do while
I’m waiting ? ”
    “ I told you not to
wait up for me,” Nisa said, frowning at him. “You are already
suspicious enough to these boys, especially Oaka. He does not trust
you.”
    “ He finds it
difficult to trust.” Sir Nickleby sighed. “I probably deserve his
distrust, especially with what happened at the militia
tryouts.”
    “ That was not your
fault , not entirely.” Nisa said to him. “And anyway, you cannot keep
stopping every few miles just for me. You won’t get anywhere that
way.”
    “ We are on horse, you
are on foot. It is unfair to you that you should fall behind during
the daytime while we ride, and then you would have to catch up with
us during the nighttime while we slept. How can you keep up such a
pace?” He asked.
    “ You are too much of
a gentleman. I have some stamina, but admittedly, I would have
fallen behind.” Nisa said.
    “ You should have
gotten yourself a horse to ride before you left Coe Baba.” Sir
Nickleby said, pointing at her before he turned away. “You could
have asked to borrow one from me.”
    “ Well, I cannot
exactly afford one, and I was leaving on short notice.” Nisa said.
“Besides, a horse attracts too much notice, especially when I am
supposed to be traveling surreptitiously. I did not want to startle
you all.”
    “ Well, you certainly
startled me,” Sir Nickleby remarked, remembering that first night
when he had been on guard duty, and caught Nisa watching their
camp. Nisa had to explain a lot to him in that moment, and Sir
Nickleby had to take a closer look at her, but he was convinced in
the end that she was the Old Man’s daughter, and doing her father’s
duty on this trip, watching over them. He had almost laughed at the
thought of Nisa and Iibala meeting, until he had learned that had
already happened.
    “ My daughter
certainly is a wonder,” Sir Nickleby had muttered to himself,
hearing Nisa’s story about what had