Black Flame Read Online Free Page B

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    Kelsang was no longer struck by the uncontrollable trembling that had overcome him that first time — the kill came naturally to him now. He chased all the hunger-crazed wolves that came near with a calm focus, taking quick command and pushing them to the ground with ease. On one occasion, he even managed to fend off an attack by two wolves at once. Tenzin was surprised that a year-old mastiff was capable of such feats, and he rejoiced that he had chosen to keep this fine specimen from the litter.
    Before the vehicle arrived, Kelsang’s acute sense of hearing picked up a humming sound, like a bee colony on the move. A slight feeling of excitement welled up inside him, and he looked expectantly toward the horizon. Not two minutes later, a hump-backed shiny beetle of a jeep appeared, a piercing light glinting off its windows.
    Cars would pass through from time to time, each one bringing strange and exciting smells. The campsite was a few miles from a single-lane road that was soon to be abandoned in favor of a new highway. Only a couple of vehicles at most would drive past each month, and of those, only a few ever came up to the camp, usually in search of water or other supplies. Kelsang would gallop toward the vehicle, his frightening bark forcing his master to restrain him. Today was no exception. As the jeep carefully pulled into the campsite, gleaming in the light of the setting sun, Kelsang charged forward, biting at the tires, the rubber squeaking between his teeth.
    Two men staggered from the jeep, their legs numb with pins and needles. But they still hurried to greet the master warmly with the traditional tashi delek , as was the Tibetan custom. Their gaze lingered on the mountains, painted golden yellow in the setting sun, before they followed Tenzin into the yurt. The smell of butter tea was even more alluring after a day of jostling on a surface so rough it could hardly be called a road.
    Kelsang had already lost interest in the two travelers, and he turned his attention back up to those same snow-capped mountains. They towered on the edge of the grasslands like sharpened knives, like molten gold shaped by the wind, lightly dusted in snow and then cut open, their highest peaks swaying in the rushing air and slicing through the golden clouds.
    The wind blew down from the mountains, carrying with it a whiff of snow. Deep within it was another smell that seared Kelsang’s nostrils like a hot needle, forcing him to bring his gaze back from the golden clouds fluttering atop the highest peak. As he stood up under the weight of his chains, he spotted a gray shadow resting in a shallow depression not far from the flock. What he saw confirmed what his sense of smell had already told him. It was a lone wolf trying to take advantage of the herdsman’s nap time to find itself some food.
    Kelsang barked and roared, trying to throw off the chains fastened around his neck. Master emerged from the yurt, recognizing that this was no ordinary bark. Shielding his eyes from the last rays of sun, he looked out toward the sheep but didn’t see the salt-and-pepper colored wolf pressed against the ground. Still, he undid the chains that were now stretched taut under the strain of Kelsang’s pulling.
    The wolf had overestimated its own abilities and was so convinced of its superior hiding skills that it refused to accept that the raging mastiff had spotted it. But it had not chosen its hiding place well, and being upwind from the yurt, Kelsang had easily picked up its scent. Only when he was just ten yards away did the wolf reluctantly cast a last glance at the beautifully plump lamb within its reach and make a dash for the depths of the grasslands.
    In just a few bounds, Kelsang was sure he would succeed. The wolf had clearly not made a catch in a very long time. It looked like a small leaf blowing in the wind, its thin fur just barely covering the sharp outline of its rib cage. Before long, its tongue was