Soul Eater by Michelle Paver Read Free Book Online

in!" she yelled as she struggled to tie one end of the frozen rope about her waist."Where?" he shouted, tying his end clumsily about him. The land had turned flat again."Down!" she shouted. "Dig down! A snow hole!" She stamped up and down, feeling for firmer snow-- and suddenly it broke beneath her, and she was gone."Renn!" shouted Torak.The rope at his waist snapped taut, yanking him forward. He threw himself back, dug in his heels. He couldn't see anything--just churning white chaos--but he could feel her weight on the rope, dragging him down.Struggling, slipping, he slid inexorably forward-- and toppled ... a few paces onto a pile of broken snow.The snow heaved. It was Renn. They sat up, badly shaken, but unhurt.Craning his neck, Torak saw that they'd gone through an overhang. Without knowing it, they'd been walking on a fragile crust over thin air.For Renn, this was the last arrow that brought down71the auroch. "I can't go on!" she cried, striking the snow with her fists."We have to dig in!" yelled Torak. But he knew it was hopeless. He barely had the strength to lift his axe.With one final, wild burst of pride, he staggered to his feet and shouted at the wind. "All right, you've won! I'm sorry! I'll never dare fly again! I'm sorry!"The wind screamed. Terrible shapes flew at him through the snow. A twisting column whirled toward him, then blew apart....Suddenly the snow seemed not to blow apart, but to draw together: thousands of tiny flakes meeting, coalescing, to form a creature unlike any he'd ever seen.It had the staring eyes of an owl, and it flew toward him through the whiteness. Before it surged a silent pack of dogs.Torak was too exhausted to be frightened. It's over, he thought numbly. I'm sorry, Wolf. Sorry I couldn't save you.He sank to his knees as the owl-eyed creature bore down upon him.72EIGHTThe owl-eyed creature bellowed a command, and the dogs skidded to a halt. Whipping out a long, curved knife, it started hacking a snow hole with astonishing speed. In moments, Torak and Renn were seized and thrown in, and a wall of snow was yanked down on top.After the fury of the wind, the rasp of breath was loud in the gloom. Torak heard the creak of frozen hide; caught a rancid smell that was oddly familiar. He couldn't see Renn--the creature had leaped in between them--but he was too wretched to care.To his surprise he found that he wasn't cold anymore; he was hot. First you're cold, he thought, then73you're not. Then you're hot, then you die.He found that he liked death. It was beautifully warm and soft, like the pelt of a great white reindeer. He wanted to draw it over his head and snuggle down deep.....Someone was shaking him. He moaned. Owl eyes stared into his, jolting him back from his lovely warm death.He made out a ruff of snow-caked fur framing a round face purpled by frost. Ice crusted the brows and the short black beard. The flat nose had a dark band tattooed across it, which Torak didn't recognize. He just wanted to go back to death.The creature snarled. Then it plucked out its eyes.Torak saw that the owl eyes were thin bone discs on a strap. The man's real eyes were permanently slitted against the glare. Swiftly he yanked back the sleeve of his parka, took out a flint knife, and cut a vein in his stocky brown forearm. "Drink!" he barked, pressing the wound to Torak's lips.Salty-sweet heat filled Torak's mouth. He coughed, and swallowed blood. Strength and warmth coursed through him: real warmth, not the false heat of frostbite. With it came pain. His face was oh fire. Burning needles pierced his joints.In the gloom, he heard Renn. "Leave me 'lone! Want to sleep!"74Now the man was chewing something. He spat a gray lump into his hand, and pushed it between Torak's teeth. "Eat!"It was rancid and oily, and he recognized the taste. Seal blubber. It was wonderful.The man smeared more chewed blubber over Torak's face. At first it hurt--the man's palm was rough as granite--but amazingly- soon, the pain faded to