The Dragons of Ice and Snow Read Online Free Page A

Simon leaped to one side as the dragon's neck literally
exploded, tearing its monstrous head from it body and sending it
bouncing across the frozen ground.
    Gallons of greenish blood,
smoking in the frigid air, spewed from its torn neck and Simon stood
in morbid fascination, and watched the huge beast's remains writhe
and twist in its death agonies.
    A sudden shove between his
shoulder blades made the wizard stumble forward.
    “ No time for
sight-seeing. Let's get out of here before its fellow shows up behind
us!”
    Aeris shot by the wizard
and led the way. Simon and Kronk followed as quickly as they could,
the wizard still in shock.
    A scream of rage and the
continued sounds of destruction indicated that the first dragon had
heard the short battle and was frantically trying to make its way
through the warehouse.
    The trio ran. Beyond a
line of low buildings, Simon spotted a vast, frozen lake. A freezing
wind blew clouds of snow and icy mist across it, obscuring his view.
Aeris looked back at him and pointed toward the glassy surface.
    “ If we go that way,”
he called, “at least the beast won't be able to see us.”
    Simon nodded.
    “ Go, go,” he
yelled and ran down a mild, snow-covered slope and on to the surface
of the lake.
    The ice looked slippery
but was rough from the constant grind of frozen particles being blown
across it by the relentless wind and Simon found the footing to be
more stable than he'd imagined it could be.
    It was just as well. As
they disappeared on to the lake, behind them came such a shriek of
rage and loss that the wizard clapped his hands to his ears. The
first dragon had found the body of its companion.

    “ We're almost to the
shore, master,” Kronk called back to him and Simon shook
himself out of the memory of their escape from the white dragons and
focused on the view ahead.
    The lake ended at a rocky,
uneven shoreline. Beyond, the ground rose up sharply, drifts of snow
and humps of rock giving it an alien, forbidding look.
    As the trio approached it,
the wind lost its power and became more of a stiff breeze. It was a
relief to Simon, who was managing to stay warm only because of the
constant running he'd had to do.
    When they stepped off of
the frozen lake, the wizard stopped and bent over, hands on his
knees, to catch his breath. Aeris and Kronk waited for him, the air
elemental bobbing in the breeze and watching their rear for any
pursuit.
    Kronk looked at Simon
anxiously.
    “ Master, how are you
doing?”
    The wizard held up a hand,
asking for a moment. Drops of cold sweat fell from the tip of his
nose and cut holes into the snow underneath him.
    “ I'm fine,” he
said finally, panting, and stood upright painfully. “But if we
don't keep moving, I'm going to stiffen up and start to freeze.”
    “ Don't you think
we're far enough ahead of the dragon for you to cast the Gate spell?”
Aeris asked him. “I don't see any movement behind us yet and we
haven't heard the beast for a while.”
    Simon turned and looked
back at the lake. The wind was still blowing snow and mist
horizontally across it and they couldn't see more than a hundred
yards in any direction.
    Above them, the sky was
obscured by low scudding clouds and the sun was hidden.
    “ Okay, let's give it
a try. We should be safe for a few minutes anyway.” he said and
slipped a hand under his coat, looking for his spell-book. He frowned
as he groped inside his robes, checking each pocket.
    The elementals watched him
nervously and, as Simon began to search ever more frantically,
exchanged a look of concern.
    “ What's wrong,
master?” Kronk asked.
    Simon looked at him,
wide-eyed.
    “ It's gone,”
he whispered.
    “ What do you mean,
it's gone?” Aeris asked as he floated closer.
    “ I mean it's not
here. I must have dropped in when we faced that dragon. Or when we
were running toward the lake. Or whenever. It's just...gone.”
    “ But, master, I
thought you had the Gate spell permanently memorized?”
    Simon