Page 43 of Tears of the Wolf
“Something small,” Cenric muttered, pointing to the darkness. “No bigger than a cat.”
Kalen let off an awkward sigh. “Well. That’s something.”
They edged toward the movement. The stench of death grew stronger.
Cenric raised his arm, lifting the torch as high as he could without setting the thatch on fire. Movement scuttled back from the torchlight.
It must be another lynx.
“Come here,” Cenric beckoned. “Come here and let us kill you, little thief.”
He came a step closer, Kalen at his back.
A low rumble vibrated through the air. It took Cenric a moment to realize what he had heard.
Kalen grabbed Cenric’s shoulder and jerked him back as a snarl ripped through the air.
“Hold!” Cenric snapped, facing squarely forward. “If we run, it will chase us.”
“What is it?”
“Not sure.” Cenric raised his torch, catching a glimpse of a grey, white, and black coat. It was some sort of canid, but he couldn’t make out the details.
A low rumble came from the dark. The creature was trying to project strength, hiding its wounds behind aggression.
“I don’t think—”
Cenric never heard what Kalen thought.
An explosion of fur and claws and teeth burst at them from the darkness. Kalen jabbed straight for the beast’s chest, but instead of spearing it through the heart from the front, the spearhead scraped along its shoulder.
The animal stumbled to the side with a yelp and snarl. Cenric spun to face it, sword ready. He blocked the animal’s path to Kalen while the boy raised his spear again.
By the torchlight, Cenric finally got a good look at the animal. It was a dyrehund. An exceptionally aggressive, starving dyrehund.
“Nettles,” Cenric exhaled the name.
Wherever she had been these past months, she had not fared well. She was far thinner than she should have been, making her legs look too long and displaying her ribs under her thick pelt.
She tried to circle the two men, ears flat and teeth bared. She favored her left shoulder, where Kalen’s spear had sheared her pelt open.
Crouched to the ground, Cenric lowered his weapon. “Easy, girl.”
Nettles?came Snapper’s confused thought from beyond the open barn door as he recognized her.Pups?
Back,Cenric repeated to his dog. He kept his attention on the growling female.Nettles? Friend.
She pinned her ears, lips curled.Go.
Friend. Be calm.Cenric had been told his father could command dyrehunds like soldiers. Either that was an exaggeration or Cenric just lacked the skill.
Godric,Nettles demanded.
Cenric shook his head.Godric is gone.
Godric!The female snarled, canine teeth flashing. However Nettles had gotten here, she was frightened and in no state to be reasoned with.
Regardless, Cenric couldn’t harm dyrehunds, not intentionally. As the dyrehund’s teeth flashed, Cenric wondered how Morgi would feel about self-defense.
