The Broken World Book One - Children of Another God Read Online Free

the bushes ahead. It rose to a frenzied scream, and a bog sow
burst from the undergrowth, scattering ice. The sow's engorged
udder told Talsy that she had young, and the hare's scream had
sounded like a distressed piglet.
    Talsy leapt
aside as the bog sow charged, but the huge tusked pig's armoured
snout struck Talsy's leg, sending her sprawling. She lay still,
hoping that, since the sow was a herbivore, she would leave once
she was certain that there was no threat to her piglets. The sow
scraped the ground with her tusks, snuffling as she circled the
girl, prodding her. Talsy winced, but remained immobile. Her jacket
protected her torso from the bruising tusks, but her legs would be
blue tomorrow. Still, if she moved, she would be dead.
    Four fat
piglets trotted into the clearing, and their mother turned to them
with a low maternal grunt. Talsy's mouth watered as she remembered
the taste of bog boar piglet. Their two hundred pound mother loomed
over them, however, a killer when aroused. The bog sow, apparently
satisfied that her babies were safe, turned and led them away, and
Talsy relaxed with a sigh. As she tried to stand up, however, a
lance of pain stabbed up her leg, and she sank down again with a
cry. From its unnatural angle, her left leg was broken between knee
and ankle, and the slightest movement sent shafts of pain through
her. She lay panting steam, waiting for the agony to subside so she
could think.
    When it dulled,
she raised her head and looked around, knowing that to lie on the
frozen ground for too long was certain death. Gritting her teeth,
she crawled towards the trees. Two pieces of wood to splint her
leg, another for a crutch, and she would be able to make it home.
By the time she reached the trees, she shivered, cold sweat sliming
her skin. Shock made her giddy, and she stopped often to rest so
she would not faint.
    Amongst the
trees, she found a sapling and cut through the bark with her
skinning knife, snapped it off and set to work stripping off the
branches and shaping it into a splint. She worked quickly, for the
day waned and she still had a long journey home. At dusk, her
father would search for her, but after dark the wolves would be
hunting too. Her arrow pinned the dead hare to a tree, and the
scent of its blood would attract predators.
    After binding
two sticks to her leg with the leather thong from her jacket, she
looked for a larger sapling to use as a crutch. A rustle of wings
made her swing around in alarm, wrenching her leg. Stifling a
whimper, she stared at the huge barred daltar eagle that had landed
in the clearing, its black talons sunk into the hare's fur. After a
moment of stunned surprise, she pulled another arrow from her
quiver and notched it. Eagles were tough and stringy, but it would
be a long time before she could hunt again. The raptor's wings
remained spread as it tried to tug the hare free. Beautiful though
the bird was, she and her father had to eat. The eagle would
provide two meals, in a stew. Although its great black and white
barred wings blocked her view, she aimed for where the body should
be and let fly.
    The arrow's
vicious hiss ended in a meaty thud that warmed her heart. The eagle
leapt into the air with a powerful downbeat, then fell, it long
pinions splayed across the snow. Talsy smiled. If she waited long
enough, she could probably bag a few ravens too. She returned to
her task of finding a crutch, spotting a suitable sapling not far
off.
    By the time she
had cut the wood to the right length, her hands were numb and
shivers cramped her gut. Lying on the icy ground was definitely
unpleasant. With the crutch's help, she pulled herself upright,
hopping. She hobbled over to her kills and tied the hare to her
belt, then pulled the eagle closer by one wing. The bird flapped,
jerking free, and Talsy reached for her knife. The eagle turned its
head to look up at her, not with the hot yellow glare of a daltar,
but with piercing, brilliant blue eyes. A rush of wind