Dragonhold (Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

fear he could experience. This journey had only gotten worse over time, yet he hadn't been reduced to a quivering pile of mush. This, at least, gave him some measure of pride even if the slightest noise still made him jump.
    Within the stairwell, all had been silent save the wind and echoes of sounds the three men made. Wherever they were now had noises of its own. Durin assumed they were below the waterline--a thought that threatened to smother him. Briefly he imagined the ocean rushing in to drown them all. Driving the image from his mind, he stepped lively to keep up with Strom and Osbourne.
    "How much water do we have left?" Durin asked in a whisper, unable to drive water, salt or fresh, from his mind. Too much or too little, and they would die.
    "Enough for two days, tops," Strom said. Osbourne nodded his agreement. "Nothing to be done about it." He must have taken Durin's question as thirst since he lowered his pack to the cold stone floor. The narrow hall continued on a meandering course from what they could see. Unlike the stair, this place lacked deliberate symmetry and clean lines as if haphazardly dug by enormous creatures. It was not a comforting thought.
    Osbourne commented, "The problem with salted fish as survival food is that it makes you so darned thirs—" Before his sentence was complete, a long, vibrating moan interrupted him. Growing increasingly louder, it ended with a boom that sent tremors through the entire structure. Unable to find words, the group just ate and drank. Silence crept back over them, as if the booming had never been. A place like this could drive a person mad. What had Catrin done here? How had she survived?
    As Strom stood and offered Durin a hand, he was no closer to having answers.
    "For all those we love," Osbourne said as they moved deeper into the unknown.
    Seeing the faces of those he cared about most, Durin held his head high. If he could be brave, it would be for them. They deserved this from him, and he did his best to move with renewed commitment; still, his knees trembled.
    Whether intentionally or subconsciously Durin didn't know, but the figurine in Strom's hand grew brighter whenever something new came into view. The light ahead, though, came from something else. The glow was a similar hue, and it illuminated a junction. Still looking like a tunnel dug buy some enormous creature, this intersection showed no signs of being man-made. There was, however, a clear message left by someone. In the left-hand tunnel rested an animal skull. It was perfectly centered in the hall and pointed directly at them. A second glowing figurine of similar design was the light's source. It rested in the right-hand hall--a very clear message.
    Osbourne reached down to grab the figurine, but Strom stayed his hand. He looked to be committing every detail to memory. After a moment, he let Osbourne go. When the glass smith closed his hand around the figurine, Strom visibly tensed, but nothing happened. So far it seemed they had a benefactor guiding them. Durin just wished he knew who it was. Part of him wanted to know what was down the other hall. "Can you make it brighter for a moment?"
    Strom frowned. "No one disturbs the skull or goes past it. Agreed?"
    Durin nodded. Osbourne moved to Strom's side, and all three got as close to the skull as they dared. While not an expert on animal bones, Durin knew a number of things it was not. His gut and experience told him it was a dragon skull. That fact alone made him want to give it a wide berth. Farther down that hall, another light source was visible. Faint shadows danced like leaves on a gentle breeze, and the air whispered of moving water nearby.
    Extending himself as far forward as he could without taking another step, Durin leaned on Strom. Shadows gathered into a diaphanous form. Strom pulled him back. He'd seen it as well.
    "There's water in there," Durin whispered directly into Strom's ear. The shadow hadn't seemed threatening to Durin. For some