Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles Read Online Free Page A

second in command, while Regis was a younger man who excelled with the sword, much like Raylan.
    The heavy hitter of the team was Galen, a gigantic man with a neck as thick as a tree log. Peadar, who was a bit younger than Raylan, went along as the bird handler. Although he was not that great at fighting, he possessed a lot of knowledge about the animals living in this world. Some would say he had a gift for working with them, especially birds. He was responsible for keeping the pigeons healthy so that messages could be sent back on the progress of the mission. Then, there were the archers Kevhin and Rohan, both very skilled and among the best in the army. Having grown up in the northern regions of the kingdom, they could easily hit moving targets three hundred and fifty feet away with scary accuracy, given either a longbow or a crossbow. The final addition to the squad was Xi’Lao, who carried with her the information of the last known location of the armed force, the estimated speed of their travel, as well as the suspected direction of said travels. And, perhaps most importantly, she knew what item they were looking for. Once the item was located and retrieved, Xi’Lao would safeguard it until it was safely delivered back into the hands of the Tiankong Empire.
     
     
    Wiping his forehead, Raylan looked to his left and saw Xi’Lao prepare herself for the attack. Her dark brown eyes scanned the many small knives on her belt, while her hands assured none of them would easily drop out or get stuck when needed. Brown eyes suited her well; slightly narrowed, they gave her a sensual look. While her hair was long, black and straight, it almost had a blue shine over it in the moonlight. For the occasion, it was now tightly tied together in a knot. She was quite small and of a slender build. Her movements were uncommonly reserved, she truly had a foreign way about her. Raylan wondered how such a refined woman could be expected to undergo such a dangerous journey and fight beside them during this mission. Her hands, however, seemed to tell a different story. More than once, Raylan was amazed by the speed she displayed in handling her knives—while preparing the catch of the day, hunting a rabbit, or doing some other small chore.
    He attempted to talk to her during their hastened journey north, trying to find out what this mysterious item was that they were going after. But she provided little information, her answers were always polite but short. She mainly spoke to Gavin, he being the one in command, and even then, only about the pursuit they were giving.
    Raindrops stung in his eyes, his dark brown hair stuck to his head, and he believed there was no piece of dry clothing left on his body. The rain fell for weeks, ever since they crossed the northern border into the wild forests. The clouds only gave way to a tempered sun every couple of days, which was not unusual this far north.
    They used the messenger inns to travel as quickly as possible to Aeterra's most northern stronghold in the woods, Forsiquar. Xi’Lao disappeared during the night. When she returned, she and Gavin spoke at length about their way into the wilderness. They refreshed their horses one last time, before heading out northeast the next morning.
    They slowed their pace to spare the horses, but rode for long hours every day to make sure they could catch up with the armed force they were pursuing. It took them two months since leaving Shid’el to move deep into the northeastern region, while time was moving against them.
    As the squad approached the region of the White North, the weather became colder and the rains more unpleasant. Raylan and the others had heard about the wet northern regions, but the discomfort still took most of the men by surprise. Their fur coats protected them from much of the cold, but often remained soaking wet for days from the constant rain. The harshness of the environment made traveling and tracking very difficult and