Night Calls the Raven (Book 2 of The Master of the Tane) Read Online Free Page A

roared making Teek jump. “Ye come with us to see if we can’t be findin’ Helgar and maybe he would be givin’ ye a gift fer yer journey like he did fer yer mum.”
    Teek’s face flashed excitement but was quickly overrun again by concern. “As much as I want to meet him, I can’t ask him for a gift to give the ancestors. It’s not the right way. The gift must be found or freely offered, not begged for.”
    “I’ll give ye a gift,” Segford spat, his voice edged with roughness.
    Hilden shot Segford a piercing look as Teek turned his eyes onto the dwarf.
    Segford cleared his throat and forced a smile. “I got jist the thing fer ye, lad.”
    Teek’s expression brightened slightly. “But I couldn’t really ask you for anything, Segford. It wouldn’t be right.”
    Segford waved a hand. “Ye ain’t askin’ fer nothin’, Teek. I want to be helpin’ ye. Plus, I think this Helgar fella would be might happy to meet with ye.”
    Teek looked at the other dwarfs who nodded enthusiastically. “Well,” he said, a bright smile breaking on his face. “I guess that would do.”
    The dwarfs smiled. “Good, then.” Jancar said, rising to his feet. “Let’s git this fire out an’ be on our way.”
    “Wait,” Teek said, stopping Jancar as he started stomping the fire out on the rock ground. “What about Tchee?”
    Jancar looked at Hilden. Hilden cleared his throat and stood up. “Well, the Roc can’t be goin’ with us underground. She’s too big.”
    “Underground?” Teek looked surprised.
    “Of course,” Jancar answered. “Where else?”
    Teek rubbed his hand through his bright blond hair. “Oh.”
    Segford leaned forward, the look on his face turning sour. “Where else did ye think we lived?”
    Teek looked at him for a moment starting to feel a bit uncomfortable before Jancar suddenly stepped between them drawing Teek’s eyes to him. “What Segford be meanin’, Teek, is that we be miners. Where else would we be livin’?”
    Teek blinked at Jancar who smiled back at him. “Well,” he started, “that is, I mean…I didn’t mean any offense, it’s just that when my mother said that you lived in the Dorian Mountains I didn’t realize she meant that you lived in the Dorian Mountains.” Teek looked down. “I’ve never been inside a mountain before.”
    Jancar glanced back at Segford shooting him a heated look before turning back to Teek, a warm smile spread across his rough features. He laughed. “There be no need fer ye to worry now there, Teek. These mountains be more beautiful on the inside than the out. Jis because we be rough folk don’t mean we don’t know how to be livin’ nice. You come with us and we’ll be showin’ ye some things ye’ve never seen.”
    Teek looked over at Tchee still sitting quietly, soaking up the sun.
    “Ye won’t be long, Teek.” Jancar reassured him. “She won’t hardly be missin’ ye before ye’ll be back.”
    Teek nodded slowly and then looked back at Jancar. “All right,” he finally said, a smile creeping across his face. “This will be a story to match my mother’s I’m sure.”
    Jancar smiled back at him as Segford grunted out from behind, “Ye can bet it will be, lad.”
    *     *     *
    Teek looked up again just to check that Tchee was still hovering high above. She seemed to understand what was going on and had made no attempt to stop him from traveling with the dwarfs. She just sprang into the air and circled about as they made their way through the rugged mountains. Teek was confident that should they run into any trouble the dwarfs and Tchee would protect him. Once they put out the cook fire and gathered their gear, Hilden lead out in front with Teek and then Jancar and Segford behind.
    They had been hiking through the mountains now for an hour and his interaction with them had become considerably less and even felt suddenly cold. He had tried to ask questions about the dwarfs’ home but had only received grunts and curt