Scorpion Mountain Read Online Free

spent most of her early life alone in the forests hunting and she wasn’t good at social occasions. She shook hands with Crowley and mumbled something inarticulate along the lines of
pleased to meet you.
Crowley sensed her awkwardness and favored her with a friendly grin.
    â€œDon’t know what you’re doing with this rough crowd,” he said and she smiled in return. Crowley had a natural charm to him and he was expert at putting people at their ease.
    â€œI try to keep them in line,” she said and he released her hand, patting it with his free hand first.
    Crowley moved on as Hal introduced him to the rest of the crew. Hal was glad to see that Ingvar had joined them and seemed to be over his disconsolate mood. Crowley raised his eyebrows slightly at the size of the young giant but, perhaps wisely, didn’t comment. He raised his eyebrows even farther as they came to the twins.
    â€œAnd this is Ulf and Wulf,” Hal said.
    Crowley looked from one to the other. “Which is which?”
    â€œI’m Ulf,” said Wulf.
    â€œI’m Wulf,” said Ulf.
    The Ranger Commandant frowned thoughtfully at them. “Why do I think you’re not telling the complete truth?”
    The twins looked crestfallen that he had seen through their ploy so easily. Hal grinned. It wasn’t often that someone got the better of the twins. Perhaps Gilan had warned his Commandant of the twins’ propensity to play practical jokes.
    â€œDoesn’t matter which is which,” he said cheerfully. “They’re both idiots.”
    Crowley nodded, then gestured to the stunning castle that stood on the hill behind them, visible above the belt of trees in the near distance. “Let’s get you settled into the castle then. We have horses here if you’d like to ride.”
    He didn’t quite succeed in hiding his smile as he said it. Hal glanced quickly at Thorn before replying.
    â€œI think we’ll walk.”

chapter three
    I n spite of his earlier comments, Thorn couldn’t fail to be impressed by the size and beauty of the castle as they drew closer. They strode across the drawbridge and under the portcullis, their footsteps echoing on the flagstones of the large courtyard before the keep, and Thorn craned his head back to peer up at the soaring towers above him.
    Lydia nudged him with an elbow. “Better close your mouth before a bird uses it as a toilet,” she muttered.
    He glared at her, realizing that his mouth had indeed dropped open as a result of his craning back to look at the higher reaches of the castle. He clamped it shut now and said nothing. Sometimes, he thought ruefully, there was just no comeback clever enough. Lydia had scored a point in their ongoing battle of words.
    The two Rangers led them into the massive keep building directly into the vast reception hall. Thorn wasn’t the only member of the crew to be staring around, marveling at the rich furnishings and tapestries.
    There were beautiful, and no doubt expensive, artifacts in wall niches and displayed on polished wood cabinets and small tables around the walls. A huge tapestry on the wall facing the entrance depicted a boar hunt. Hal studied it critically. The weaver may have exaggerated the size of the boar, he thought.
    Gilan noted his interest in the work and said quietly, “It’s a depiction of a hunt from King Duncan’s younger days. The boar gets bigger in the telling every year.”
    Hal nodded, embarrassed that Gilan had obviously sensed his thoughts. To cover his slight unease, he turned and caught Jesper’s eyes. The former thief was casting an appraising gaze over the items on display in the room.
    â€œKeep your hands off,” Hal said in a warning tone.
    Jesper raised his eyes, spread his hands innocently in a “who, me?” gesture and smiled back at his skirl. “Off what?” he asked disingenuously.
    â€œOff everything.” Hal knew Jesper