Moon Called Read Online Free

into the lighting sky she sought to hold to that picture. Only it shredded from her, as dreams so often did.
    Kort stood over her, his nose against her cheek. Deep in his throat sounded the rumble of a growl. Instantly Thora pushed aside the dream as well as the cloak. Caution awakened. She threw herself upon the pile of clothing she had discarded the night before, at the same time using eyes, ears, nose, to test the world around. Malkin stood with her back to the girl, facing in the direction of the building—though there was a screen of tree and brush to hide it.
    In her hands she held the second of Thora'sthrowing spears, not fitted to its hurling stick, but rather as an in-fighting weapon. As the girl came up beside her she glanced up and radiated, in a way Thora could not understand only acknowledge, not only a strong sense of danger, but also hate tinged with fear.
    Thora caught sound, the thud of pony hooves, a mutter of distant voices. People were on the road, undoubtedly heading for the traders’ rest. She moved with speed. Much of the meat, only half-cured, must be left. What she could take she bound up in the hide of her kill. Her shoulder pack was already together, for never did she neglect that precaution along the trail.
    She looked doubtfully at Malkin. The furred one had rolled the cloak, was tying the ends, before slipping the circlet of cloth over one shoulder. But was her ankle strong enough for the going? And if they had to take to real flight—
    Kort surprised her then. He moved in beside Malkin, his head near on the level with that of the furred one. She threw an arm across his back and he matched his steps to hers, supporting her weight as she limped along.
    Thora followed, after shouldering both of her packs. There was no time to conceal the camp site. But she could depend upon Kort's wisdom to guide them into the best hiding place which could be found. He was ahead making a slow way to favor Malkin, fartherinto the small wood. Under the trees the ground began to rise. Thora played rear guard, using all she knew to disguise their passing. But if these strangers had companionship of such as Kort, what she did would count as nothing.
    There came a loud bray. So those travelers must have the small donkeys who could carry such heavy burdens—as well as ponies—in their train. Traders then, for raiders did not use such animals. The day grew lighter and the girl watched Malkin anxiously, wondering how, even with Kort's support, the furred one could keep going. Her limp was pronounced, and now she used Thora's second spearbutt down as a staff.
    They had advanced for a time before Thora discovered that under the drifted leaves of last season there was so firm a footage that they must be following a road such as the Ones Before had once laid down. The taller trees grew in lines, leaving mainly brush and saplings between.
    Kort, during his explorations, must have chanced on this, though why he selected this direction now Thora could not guess—save she depended on him. The land immediately ahead was banked on either side by a rise yet higher. Here the drift of soil and leaves had not been so deep that she could see at times the dark of the roadway.
    Thus they came out into a hollow wherethere were the remnants of another building. Only time had not dealt so well with this one. For there was left only a crumple of walls, some pits in the earth. Thora would have skirted this, seeing more of a trap than a shelter. However Kort headed for one of the cellar pits.
    He looked back from its edge to the girl, his message plain in a slow swing of his head as he looked down into the dark opening and then back again to her. Kort was urging descent into the earth.
    Shucking off her pack and the unwieldy bundle of the meat and hide, Thora came level with the hound and the furred one to look down in turn. The darkness was daunting and she hesitated. Kort's lip lifted—he was growing impatient. Only because of her trust