Goddess of War Read Online Free Page B

them to study, Raina warmed her hands as close to the flames as she could risk. Pulling her cloak closer to her body, she watched Errison who seemed unaffected by the cold.
    Errison ran his fingers through his long beard as he stared into the flames, without blinking.
    “Is it done yet, Errison? I can hear my stomach yelling at me.” Raina eyed the skinned rabbit that was settled on the fire. The smell was driving her mad. Her stomach grumbled so loud that she was sure Errison and Allan heard it.
    Errison seemed to snap out of his thoughts.
    “I believe it is,” he said.
    “Oh don’t worry,” Olia said. “I’ll check it.”
    Olia scooted closer to the fire, and unwrapped her wool blanket from around her arms. She pulled the cooked rabbit from the fire.
    “It’s ready,” she said. She pulled the meat from the bones, and handed it to everyone in clay bowls.
    “Thank you.” Raina eagerly accepted the bowl with both hands. “I still can’t believe you caught all of those rabbits, Olia.”
    Allan glanced up from his studying at Olia.
    She blushed. “It was nothing, really. My father taught all of his children how to trap their own dinner. We spent a lot of time traveling,” Olia said, settling back down in her spot nestled by a tree. “He was a traveling musician. He played for all kinds of people.”
    Raina wasted no time before she began eating. “That’s nice,” she said, focusing her attention on savoring every bite of this new kind of food. They hadn’t eaten anything but bread along with the preserved fruit during most of their journey.
    “Eat, Allan,” Raina said, handing him a bowl. “You’ve barely eaten anything today. You can study later.”
    Allan nodded. He sniffed the rabbit meat. “We are supposed to eat flesh while we are here?”
    Olia’s face turned pink.
    “It’s nothing against you, Olia. Honestly,” he said, reaching a hand out in apology. “We just never ate things like this in Aden.”
    “Yes,” Errison said. “Humans eat meat. You’ll like it.”
    Allan made a face of disgust. “I’m not sure about that.”
    “Try it,” Olia said with a smile.
    “Go on, Allan. It’s good. I promise,” Raina said, licking the seasoned oil from her fingers.
    With a sigh, Allan tasted a piece. The lines in his forehead relaxed and he ate another piece. “I suppose it’s tolerable,” he said, returning Olia’s smile.
    That girl could probably get Allan to do anything. Raina smiled and held out her bowl for more.
    Errison gave her another chunk of juicy meat.
    “You’ll get used to it,” Errison said. It’ll give you the energy you need to survive in this world.”
    Raina stuffed a piece of meat into her bread. “How long have you been here, Errison?”
    Errison ate a chunk of hardened bread. “Too long to remember. I stopped counting the years a long time ago. Maybe two hundred years.”
    “That’s an awfully long time. Do you miss your home in Aden?” She unbraided her hair so that it could rest against her cold ears. She pulled her fur hood back over her head and rubbed her hands together before the fire once more.
    Looking up at the clear night sky, Errison smiled. “Yes, Raina, very much. “I miss my friends.” His eyes lowered. “And my family.”
    Raina looked from Olia to Allan, and back to Errison. “I think we all miss our loved ones.”
    “True.” Errison checked the broth he’d made from dried onions and potatoes. Nodding for them to hold out their bowls, he dipped a cup into the delicious smelling broth.
    Raina slurped soup as soon as her bowl was full. She winced as she burned her tongue.
    “You’ll need to let it cool,” Errison said.
    “I’m so tired of being hungry,” Raina said, looking into her bowl at the steam that rose.
    After months of being nearly starved to death in the Vault, their time in the human world was only slightly better. She missed the freedom she had at home to eat when and how much she wanted. She’d never take a full