Valkeryn 2: The Dark Lands Read Online Free Page B

he reckoned it could probably rip a good-sized piece of meat from Grimson. He made a decision.
    ‘Okay, put your hands in front of my face and get ready.’ Grimson did as he was instructed, and Arn reached forward to pull at the knot with his front teeth.
    ‘Hurry,’ Grimson said.
    The thing edged sideways and craned its neck to within a few feet of them. Arn could hear the sniffing again. Perhaps, like a true bat, it was better adjusted to darkness, and its eyes were near useless during the daytime hours. He might be able to use that weakness… if he got the chance.
    Another thump from above, and loose rock rained down on them.
    ‘Great Odin; it’s another one.’
    Arn remembered the dark holes in the rock face. They had probably been climbing right into the creatures’ hunting ground. Arn ripped with his teeth and the cloth headband pulled loose. He used his mouth to reposition the knot and tugged again. This time the ball of material pulled apart, and he felt one of Grimson’s clawed hands grab a length of his hair to hang on. The other he dropped to his scabbard, to pull free his short silver blade.
    Arn watched as the cloth headband fell away and then soared up past them as the updraft caught the material, and like a frightened bird it sailed up and up towards the rim of the cliffs.
    Arn was momentarily distracted as he envied its freedom. Grimson swung hard against his back as he slashed at the creature. ‘Ha!’
    It ducked out of the way and made an unsettling chittering sound, snapping its needle-filled mouth at the youth. But at least the thing backed up a fraction. More debris rained down on them as the one above inched closer while they were preoccupied.
    The first creature reached out a leathery wing with a long dark talon at the end, trying to hook the youth from Arn’s back; he leaned away, and the young Wolfen continued to swing his arm and the blade back and forth. The bat thing merely pulled back a fraction, watching the blade, and waiting.
    ‘Keep your arm away from it. Those claws will rip you to pieces. We need to move; hang on!’ Arn swing towards the thing, causing it to release its grip on the wall, and peel away. It glided backwards for a second or two and then looped around, landing another twenty feet further along from them. It titled its head, watching Arn and Grimson as they edged across the sheer rock face for another few seconds, and then launched itself off the wall again.
    When the thing took off, Arn lost sight of it. He concentrated on moving quickly but carefully. Grimson had repositioned himself, scissoring his legs even tighter around Arn’s waist, and holding tight to a lock of his long hair, almost riding his back, as he bounced and waved his blade at the giant bat-like thing hanging above them.
    Light and dark, light and dark – the sun was being blocked and then revealed as the thing circled them. Arn tried to move a little quicker, and wished he could wipe the streaming sweat from his face, when a smashing thump to his back crushed him to the rock face. The light was completely blotted out, and he was enveloped in a revolting acrid smell that was a mix of raw meat and feces. His arms were pinned and enfolded as what looked like long black fingers wrapped around his arms.
    The vermin-ridden thing was blanketing him and Grimson with its wings. From under the membranous cloak there was frantic movement, a mad chittering from the creature and snarling from the Wolfen. Arn yelled Grimson’s name, bucking and wriggling as much as he could to try and dislodge the thing using him as a perch before it could lift Grimson free from his back. He could already feel the tugging of the youth’s legs at his waist.
    The small Wolfen snarled and slashed, and he heard two sets of jaws snapping closed in a fight to the death. Grimson must have slashed his blade upwards as a jet of black blood sprayed the wall next to him, but was quickly followed by a chilling scream of Wolfen