is your dream…”
CHAPTER
5
A hand touched Skylan’s forehead. The touch was icy cold and he shivered in remembrance and woke with a start.
“Vindrash, answer me!” he cried, sitting bolt upright.
He saw mists swirling in gray light and felt a drop of cold water hitting him on the head. He looked up to see the Dragon Kahg glaring down, red eyes shimmering in the fog. Another drop hit Skylan, this time on the nose.
Night’s darkness was gone. The sun had risen, seemingly, though the Sun Goddess, Aylis, remained hidden beneath a blanket of fog. Angry at himself for having fallen asleep on watch, Skylan was about to push himself to his feet when he felt something hit the Venjekar and saw the prow of an ogre ship loom out of the fog and bump gently into the Venjekar ’s hull.
Skylan froze. His first impulse was to shout the alarm. He hesitated, waiting to see what happened.
Nothing happened. No ogre watchman shouted a warning. No ogre godlord came running to see what was going on. The ogre ship rubbed up against the Venjekar like an affectionate cat.
Thinking that perhaps the ogres had all fallen asleep, just as he and his men had fallen asleep, Skylan slowly stood up, trying to move as silently as possible. The segmented, metal Sinarian armor rattled and clashed. Gritting his teeth at the noise that was as loud as a thunder strike in his ears, he tried to steal quietly across the deck to wake his men one by one.
Sigurd and Grimuir and Bjorn woke instantly, needing only a few words to understand the situation. Erdmun shrugged him off and tried to go back to sleep. His brother kicked him. Farinn jumped and stared at him in confusion. Acronis had awakened at the sound of Skylan moving about and had already drawn his sword. Wulfe, panic-stricken at the sight of the weapons, was shaking Aylaen. She rubbed her eyes and gazed blearily at him.
Skylan put his lips to her ear to whisper, “Ogre ship. Off the bow.”
Aylaen could see for herself. She tried to stand. Skylan took hold of her hands to help her. Her fingers were cold and he clasped her hands fast, trying to warm them. Their eyes met and held for a moment until she lowered her eyes in confusion and drew back.
“You should go into the hold,” said Skylan softly without thinking. He couldn’t think, not when he could still feel her touch. “Take Wulfe with you.”
“And get us murdered!” the boy cried shrilly. “Treia’s down there!”
The men rounded angrily, glaring at Wulfe for talking so loudly. Aylaen swiftly muzzled him, clapping her hand over his mouth.
“I won’t hide in the hold!” Aylaen whispered stiffly, not looking at Skylan. “You said I was a warrior, like the others.”
He hesitated, trying to think of something to say to make up for his blunder.
“Skylan!” Sigurd hissed. “Get your butt over here!”
“You better go,” said Aylaen in hushed frozen tones.
Skylan left, cursing his clumsy tongue, wondering why he always managed to say the wrong thing when he spoke to her.
“Any sign of ogres?” he asked.
Sigurd shook his head. “Damn strange, if you ask me. And take a look at this ship.”
The ogre ship was larger than the Venjekar, more massive. Vindrasi dragonships were sleek, lightweight, designed for speed. Ogres ships were designed to carry ogres, a single one of whom weighed as much as two or three full grown human men. Ogres were not known for their seamanship, nor for their shipbuilding. Looking at the hull of the huge ship wallowing sluggishly in the water, Skylan wondered how it had managed to survive the long voyage from the ogre kingdom to Sinaria. The hull was covered with what looked like runes that had been burned into the wood. Perhaps the Gods of Raj had used their magic to keep it afloat.
The ship was much taller than the Venjekar, which sat low in the water. Skylan could not see the deck from this vantage point. He caught a glimpse of the tip of the boom in the swirling fog and then it
CHAPTER
5
A hand touched Skylan’s forehead. The touch was icy cold and he shivered in remembrance and woke with a start.
“Vindrash, answer me!” he cried, sitting bolt upright.
He saw mists swirling in gray light and felt a drop of cold water hitting him on the head. He looked up to see the Dragon Kahg glaring down, red eyes shimmering in the fog. Another drop hit Skylan, this time on the nose.
Night’s darkness was gone. The sun had risen, seemingly, though the Sun Goddess, Aylis, remained hidden beneath a blanket of fog. Angry at himself for having fallen asleep on watch, Skylan was about to push himself to his feet when he felt something hit the Venjekar and saw the prow of an ogre ship loom out of the fog and bump gently into the Venjekar ’s hull.
Skylan froze. His first impulse was to shout the alarm. He hesitated, waiting to see what happened.
Nothing happened. No ogre watchman shouted a warning. No ogre godlord came running to see what was going on. The ogre ship rubbed up against the Venjekar like an affectionate cat.
Thinking that perhaps the ogres had all fallen asleep, just as he and his men had fallen asleep, Skylan slowly stood up, trying to move as silently as possible. The segmented, metal Sinarian armor rattled and clashed. Gritting his teeth at the noise that was as loud as a thunder strike in his ears, he tried to steal quietly across the deck to wake his men one by one.
Sigurd and Grimuir and Bjorn woke instantly, needing only a few words to understand the situation. Erdmun shrugged him off and tried to go back to sleep. His brother kicked him. Farinn jumped and stared at him in confusion. Acronis had awakened at the sound of Skylan moving about and had already drawn his sword. Wulfe, panic-stricken at the sight of the weapons, was shaking Aylaen. She rubbed her eyes and gazed blearily at him.
Skylan put his lips to her ear to whisper, “Ogre ship. Off the bow.”
Aylaen could see for herself. She tried to stand. Skylan took hold of her hands to help her. Her fingers were cold and he clasped her hands fast, trying to warm them. Their eyes met and held for a moment until she lowered her eyes in confusion and drew back.
“You should go into the hold,” said Skylan softly without thinking. He couldn’t think, not when he could still feel her touch. “Take Wulfe with you.”
“And get us murdered!” the boy cried shrilly. “Treia’s down there!”
The men rounded angrily, glaring at Wulfe for talking so loudly. Aylaen swiftly muzzled him, clapping her hand over his mouth.
“I won’t hide in the hold!” Aylaen whispered stiffly, not looking at Skylan. “You said I was a warrior, like the others.”
He hesitated, trying to think of something to say to make up for his blunder.
“Skylan!” Sigurd hissed. “Get your butt over here!”
“You better go,” said Aylaen in hushed frozen tones.
Skylan left, cursing his clumsy tongue, wondering why he always managed to say the wrong thing when he spoke to her.
“Any sign of ogres?” he asked.
Sigurd shook his head. “Damn strange, if you ask me. And take a look at this ship.”
The ogre ship was larger than the Venjekar, more massive. Vindrasi dragonships were sleek, lightweight, designed for speed. Ogres ships were designed to carry ogres, a single one of whom weighed as much as two or three full grown human men. Ogres were not known for their seamanship, nor for their shipbuilding. Looking at the hull of the huge ship wallowing sluggishly in the water, Skylan wondered how it had managed to survive the long voyage from the ogre kingdom to Sinaria. The hull was covered with what looked like runes that had been burned into the wood. Perhaps the Gods of Raj had used their magic to keep it afloat.
The ship was much taller than the Venjekar, which sat low in the water. Skylan could not see the deck from this vantage point. He caught a glimpse of the tip of the boom in the swirling fog and then it
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