01 Wing Warrior Read Online Free

01 Wing Warrior
Book: 01 Wing Warrior Read Online Free
Author: Kevin Outlaw
Pages:
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Nimbus said.
    ‘We have to go and look,’ Tidal said.
    ‘We don’t have to do anything.’
    Nimbus began rubbing two sticks together. He had watched his dad make fire this way. Of course, his dad made it look easy.
    ‘Okay then,’ Tidal said. ‘Put it this way, Nim. If you don’t come back here and investigate, you’ll never know what might be hiding in the dark. Anything could sneak out and get us in the night. Wouldn’t it be safer to have a look?’
    Sky touched Nimbus’s shoulder gently, almost apologetically. ‘It makes sense. If we went and looked now, it would help us all sleep a little better.’
    ‘I don’t like witches,’ Glass repeated.
    ‘It’s okay, Glass. There aren’t any witches in this cave.’ Nimbus was starting to sweat from rubbing his two sticks together. ‘If there were witches we’d all have been turned into frogs by now, wouldn’t we? There’s no need to worry.’
    ‘Aw, come on.’ Tidal stamped his foot. ‘We have to at least take a look back there.’
    Nimbus’s branches finally started to smoke, and his face was illuminated as the dry grass and wood he had found burst into flame. ‘Aha!’ he exclaimed, triumphantly. ‘We have a fire.’
    Glass and Sky clapped, and even Tidal looked impressed.
    The fire glowed a deep orange–yellow, crackling and popping as it cast odd shadows on the rutted walls of the cave. Every pocket of darkness where the light of the fire could not reach, every small hollow and crack in the stone, seemed horribly sinister and able to conceal all manner of monsters. Even the children’s own shadows were alien and scary.
    ‘Right,’ Nimbus said. ‘That should keep us warm until morning.’
    ‘Nim?’ Tidal said.
    Nimbus looked at Tidal, then at Sky, and then finally at Glass. His sister was watching him in that way she always did when he was about to do something stupid; like she was proud of him and scared for him at the same time.
    He felt his mouth drying out as icy fingers touched his heart. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘We’ll take a look. Tide, hand me that lantern, and I’ll see if I can get it lit.’
    ‘Great,’ Tidal said.
    Nimbus crouched next to Glass and ruffled her hair. ‘Hey, I’ll be right back,’ he said.
    He didn’t sound entirely convinced.
     

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    In his life, Nimbus had been wrong about many things. He had been wrong about the number of plums he could fit in his mouth at once, he had been wrong about the number of times he could bunk off his reading classes before getting in serious trouble with his dad, and he had been wrong about which girl in the village had left him a love note at the beginning of a particularly embarrassing day a few months ago. But never had he been so completely off the mark as he was on that night in the cave when he had told Glass he would be “right back.”
    All night, Glass and Sky huddled together for warmth beside the guttering fire as they waited for the boys to return; and they were still waiting when the first rays of daylight crept over the treetops.
    ‘Do you think a stink witch got them?’ Glass asked.
    ‘I shouldn’t think so,’ Sky said, smoothing Glass’s hair. ‘Witches like gingerbread and sweet things. Not smelly boys.’
    The sun got higher and stray beams of yellow warmth cut through the leaves. Where those beams touched the ground, steam rose up like white wood spirits dancing in the morning light.
    ‘Boys are smelly,’ Glass agreed, poking at the glowing embers of the fire with a stick. ‘If I was a witch, I certainly wouldn’t want to eat one.’ She continued poking the fire, sucking on her top lip thoughtfully.
    ‘Is something on your mind?’ Sky asked.
    ‘I was just wondering if you ever get good witches.’
    ‘I suppose so. If you knew how to use magic, and you helped people, then I suppose you would be a good witch. But nobody uses magic these days. I’m not sure if anybody even knows how magic works any more.’
    ‘Leaf says magic
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