The Soul Forge Read Online Free PDF Page A

the cool air of the outside world and terrible stinging pain of cut skin and bruised body. He crashed to the ground with enough impact to drive the air from his lungs, and he had to devote a few moments to convince his brain to stop spinning.
    But Ms. Anna was screaming, meaning Thomas didn’t have time to think. He pushed himself achingly to his feet, sprinting back to the house and pulling Ms. Anna through the window. He unceremoniously tossed her down the little hill that led to the stream, and she rolled. Then Thomas pulled himself back through the window and into the smoke.
    In only twenty seconds, the situation had gotten vastly worse. The door was burning, as well as the ceiling above and bits of the floor below. Mrs. Lucinda still hadn’t moved, and Master Kimpchik was out cold on the bed. Thomas had to move fast.
    He rushed to the bed and lifted Master Kimpchik, feeling every pound of the large man on his shoulders. His legs shook as he carried the Master to the window, and praying for some good fortune just this once, he tossed the bigger man through the window.
    Master Kimpchik missed every bit of glass and rolled down the hill after his daughter. His momentum stopped when he rolled into the water, and Ms. Anna made sure he was face up.
    Which only left Mrs. Lucinda.
    That was as far as his train of thought got before a burst of flame shouted in his face, knocking him to the floor. His air once again stolen from him, it was all he could do to stay conscious. But his muscles were exhausted and his vision was swimming. There was nothing he could do now, nothing at all. He was going to fail… again…
    Thomas shook his head, anger renewing his strength. He would not, could not, allow Mrs. Lucind a any more heartbreak. She deserved better.
    He stood, every muscle angry and aching. He ignored it all. All that mattered was Mrs. Lucinda. All that mattered was the Kimpchiks.
    He pulled Mrs. Lucinda from her chair, who offered neither resistance nor assistance. He held her in his arms, and carried her to the window, but then he stopped. He didn’t have the strength to throw her through, and even if he did, there was no guarantee she would be okay. She was just too frail.
    “Give her here!” a familiar voice called. Thomas looked up to see the barmaid staring at him from the other side of the window, holding her arms out. “Come on!” she shouted, spurring him into motion. Following her voice alone, Thomas held Mrs. Lucinda out to her. The barmaid had a good set of muscles of her own, because she took Mrs. Lucinda’s weight without any difficulty.
    “Jump!” the barmaid shouted, turning and sliding down the hill. Using the last bit of strength he had, Thomas leapt through the window once more, hitting the ground without so much as a sound. Gravity took him, and he rolled down the hill without even attempting to stop his momentum.
    He felt hands on his face, but he couldn’t open his eyes to find out who they belonged to. Without realizing it, Thomas’ mind disengaged and he passed out.
     
     
    Thomas snapped awake, panic forcing him to sit up and look around wildly. He didn’t see anyone except the barmaid, and that scared him. Where were the Kimpchiks? Where was his family?
    “Stable Boy, you’re awake!”
    Thomas looked down, seeing the nine year old hiding under the bridge. Master Kimpchik was there too, along with Mrs. Lucinda. The Master’s wife alone looked completely unaffected by the situation, not that that was surprising.
    “What happened here?” Thomas asked, though he already suspected he knew the answer.
    “Men… men all dressed in black, they attacked the farm,” Master Kimpchik stuttered.
    Thomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Were those brigands trying to burn the entire countryside to the ground?
    “But what happened to you, Thomas? Anna said you were taken away.”
    “I was. These guards showed up, and they were going to take Ms. Anna, there. I had to do something. So I took