Venom and Song Read Online Free Page A

at the marvelous sight.
    â€œIt’s an underground river!” Johnny exclaimed.
    â€œAn aquifer, to be more precise,” Grimwarden corrected, now back from the ledge.
    â€œYour shortcut?” Goldarrow asked.
    Grimwarden nodded. Then he turned and addressed the Elves. “We’ll break up into teams of no more than five. Any more and the cavesurfers will capsize.”
    â€œCavesurfers?” Kat whispered.
    â€œSweet!” Tommy pumped his fist, but then turned red at the stares he’d earned.
    â€œEach watercraft must be piloted by one of our trained cavesurfer flet soldiers or anyone with equal experience.”
    â€œI can pilot one,” said Regis. “It’s been awhile . . . but I used to be pretty good.”
    â€œIt looks much like a rapid-runner,” said Anna. “Do they handle about the same?”
    â€œPrecisely the same,” said Grimwarden. “Even with five aboard, you’ll turn at will.”
    â€œThen it should be no problem at all,” said Anna.
    â€œSeems we have more than enough qualified pilots,” Grimwarden said with a smile. “Make sure each cavesurfer has a flet soldier who knows the way; these underground channels change frequently. You would not want to get lost, especially near the falls.”
    â€œFalls?” said Kiri Lee nervously. “I can’t swim.”
    â€œWhat are yu worried about?” asked Jimmy. “Yu could just hop out of the boat and walk the rest ’a the way down.”
    â€œI guess I keep forgetting,” said Kiri Lee.
    â€œThe falls are indeed perilous,” Grimwarden explained. “But not with our pilots. We’ve not had a crash in fifteen years.” He waited and watched the nods all around. Then he turned to Goldarrow and said, “Elle, recommendations for how we divide up?”
    â€œI’ve never been much good at steering anything in the water,” said Goldarrow. “I’m going with you.”
    Grimwarden coughed. “I meant how we divide up the lords.”
    â€œOh, of course, right.” She looked away and cleared her throat. “How about Tommy, Kat, and Kiri Lee come with us. Jimmy, Jett, and Johnny go with Brynn.”
    â€œThree Js, baby!” Jett high-fived the other two boys.
    â€œFine,” said Grimwarden. “Follow me.”
    Anna tapped Kat on the shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” she asked with a hint of a smile.
    Kat held up her hands. “Oh no, that’s okay. Thank you, Anna, but . . . I’ve seen how you drive.”
    Anna feigned offense. “Crash once into a stone wall and no one trusts you. Goodness.”

    They followed Grimwarden down a circuitous rampart of smooth stone leading to the edge of the river. Tethered to any number of iron rings along the strand sat dozens and dozens of tiny raftlike boats, each shaped like an arrowhead, pointy in front and flat in the back. They were rather shallow crafts with two small bench seats spread through the middle, one near the bow for two people, a second along the aft for three. The boat itself was formed of a wooden skeletal system with rawhide stretched around the outside. The only other notable feature was a small tiller connected to a rudder, presumably where the captain of each vessel steered the craft.
    â€œOars?” Tommy asked as they boarded.
    â€œYes,” Grimwarden replied. “Only for when we need to maneuver more than the remote tiller can manage. Or for the return trip. We will be riding with the current straight through.”
    â€œCool!” said Jett. “How fast will we go?”
    â€œFast enough,” said Brynn.
    â€œEveryone in!” Grimwarden commanded, untethering lines and pushing their particular cavesurfer into the water. “I know it goes without saying, but keep your torchcells lit. Your life depends on them.”
    The entire war band made ready, pushing their crafts