Warrior's Rise Read Online Free PDF Page A

whispered in excitement, scrambling over to Logan.
    Logan rolled his eyes. “No, not a troll! A deer! Shut up! You’ll scare it away!”
    Aki’s eyes widened in alarm and she peered through the brush.
    “It’s a buck too,” Logan continued. “Look at that set of antlers. How would you like that head hanging in your cafeteria? What kind of trophy would that be? You’d be eating venison stew for a month.”
    Aki shot a glance over at Darien, then yanked Colt’s bag of trail mix out of his hand.
    Darien gave Logan a leery look and his heart picked up pace as he saw the man slowly prepare his rifle. “Uh oh,” he whispered.
    “See, now this is how you prove you’re not a freak,” Logan said. “I’ll even let you guys have some of the credit, even though I’m the one that shot it.” He took aim.
    Lucy gasped and Darien’s eyes widened as he glanced at Aki. “I wouldn’t do that, Counselor Logan,” he warned.
    Logan frowned. “Why not? This shot is perfect.” He got the deer in his sights.
    “It’s not a good idea, I’m telling you,” Darien tried again.
    “Shut up, boy! I don’t have time for this! It’ll be a clean shot right to the head. It won’t even see it coming!”
    Suddenly, Aki let out a shrieking holler and jumped to her feet. She waved her arms wildly while swinging something like a mace in her hand. “Run, Mr. Deer!” she shouted. “Run for your life!”
    The deer, as well as probably every other living thing in the near vicinity, took off running. Darien winced as Logan shoved to his feet with a furious, black glower. “What is wrong with you?” he shouted, advancing on Aki. “That was a perfect shot! You just—” He let out a yell as Aki turned her rage on him and started to beat him over the head with whatever weapon she had in her hand.
    “You evil man!” she shouted. “How dare you try to murder a poor, innocent animal! You ought to be chained naked out in the snow while bad people poor cold water on you!” She flogged him some more until he stumbled backward in an attempt to ward off her blows, and landed on his butt. “Or maybe you’d rather have scientists put chemicals in your eyes!” She landed one more blow to the top of his head for good measure right before she started to wheeze and gasp.
    “Aki!” Colt raced to her and took her by the shoulders. “Your inhaler!”
    “I don’t…” she gasped “…have it, remember?” She put her hand over her chest.
    “Come on, I’ll take you back to the camp. Try to steady your breathing, sweetie. Get on my back. I’ll take you to the nurse.”
    Darien watched Colt practically sprint through the forest and he turned his attention to Logan, who still had his arms covering his head. He reluctantly let Lucy go and sighed. “I told you not to shoot it.” He bent to pick up the weapon Aki had been wielding from where she’d dropped it.
    Logan slowly lowered his arms and looked up at everyone in bewilderment. “What the—?”
    Lucy sighed and held her hand out to him. “Aki’s parents are members of PETA. She’s a huge animal rights activist.”
    Logan ignored Lucy’s attempt at niceness and got to his feet without her assistance. “Well, that’s just marvelous,” he grumbled. He rubbed at his head. “What was she beating me with anyway? A rock?”
    Darien held it up with a smile that he couldn’t help. “Looks like a sock,” he stated. He opened it up and looked inside. “With trail mix in it.”
    Logan blinked. “What kind of a weirdo keeps trail mix in a sock?”
    “I think she put the trail mix in it with the sole purpose of beating you with it,” Darien said.
    Logan rolled his eyes and snatched his rifle off the ground. “Fantastic.” He said nothing else and started to head back through the forest and toward camp.
    Darien exchanged a look with the others and they all stifled laughter.

Chapter Four
     
    Logan had never had a more torturous week. It rained for two straight days and any