Tagus the Night Horse Read Online Free PDF

bravely. “Give me the rope. I’ll ride out with Storm.”
    Tom grabbed Storm’s reins and hoisted himself onto the saddle, leaving Elenna and Silver to keep watch. He hated to bring his horse into battle, but it was necessary. It was the only way he could cross the river quickly enough. Storm gave a nervous whinny and Tom patted his mane.
    “I know, boy, I’m scared, too,” Tom said, reassuring his horse. “But I know you can do it. You outran Ferno the Fire Dragon, and now I need you to outrun Tagus.”
    Storm reared up and charged toward the river. As he plunged into the water, Tom gasped. The water was ice-cold and moving fast. Storm fought his way across, but the current was strong and pulled them downriver. Tom watched Tagus on the other side. The Beast was pacing back andforth, like a lion waiting for its prey. Tom felt fear wash over him.
    As Storm neared the river’s bank, Tom tied a quick slipknot on one end of his rope. Tom focused on Tagus’s collar. It gave off a soft glow, and was secured with a lock, just like the others had been. With any luck, he could lasso the Beast and subdue him long enough to break Malvel’s enchantment.
    Storm panted heavily as they reached firm ground. Crossing the river had taken a lot out of him. Seeing that his companions had made it safely, Silver let out a fur-bristling howl from the other side of the river.
    Tom looked toward the Beast, preparing himself for battle. Tagus was cantering toward them. The ground shook with every step.
    Tom lowered his arm and swung the rope around in a tight circle. As Tagus approached, Tom steadied himself in Storm’s saddle. When the Beast was twenty paces away, he stopped suddenly.
    Tom looked at Tagus. He had seen a lot of terrifying things during the Beast Quest, but he had never seen such rage in a creature’s eyes. Tom felt himself choke with fear.
    Tagus charged. His muscular body surged toward Tom and Storm. His eyes narrowed in rage, Tagus kicked with his powerful front legs as he drew within striking distance.
    Steeling himself, Tom flung the lasso at the charging Beast. It landed evenly around his neck, just above Malvel’s enchanted collar. Now, Tom needed Storm’s help to tighten the lasso around the Beast’s neck, so it would hold fast. Tom didn’t even need to flick the reins. Storm knew what to do, and bolted in the other direction, tugging the lasso securely into place.
    Tagus let out a bellow of rage. His horse-body reared as the rope pulled tightly around his neck.

C HAPTER E IGHT

C HASE TO THE H ILLS
    S TORM CHARGED ACROSS THE PRAIRIE. BUT the rope wasn’t very long — they couldn’t keep running.
    “Stop, Storm!” Tom yelled, holding tightly on to the lasso with one hand while tugging on his horse’s reins with the other. “Halt —”
    But before his faithful horse could skid to a stop, the rope was stretched taut and Tom was ripped from Storm’s back. Tom landed on the ground with a sickening thud.
    Before he even had a chance to think, the rope in his hand jerked tight and Tom was being dragged across the prairie. The ground tore at his skin andclothes as he bounced roughly along the plain. Tagus was dragging him, but
where
?
    Tom tried to hold on to the rope, but it was too difficult. With a powerful jerk, it was pulled from his hands. The sky was beginning to lighten, and the sounds of waking cattle could be heard across the plain.
    Sitting up, Tom looked back toward the camp. The dark shape of the Beast loomed up again out of the mist. He paused for a moment, one foreleg impatiently beating the ground. Tagus reared, thrashing from side to side as he tried to free himself from the rope. His bellows of rage echoed over the plain. Tom could hear the cattle stirring. The noise must be frightening them.
    Tom stood firmly, gripping his sword and matching the fierce gaze of Tagus. It was just him and the Beast on the wide-open prairie. Tom raised his sword and charged. Tagus did the same.
    In the early