The Ragwitch by Garth Nix Read Free Book Online Page B

from salt-dried beef and herbs he’d gathered in the forest. Paul dreamily watched the sparks creeping up the side of the little pot to suddenly launch themselves into the air with a snap and crackle. Warm and content, he wrapped himself in his woollen cloak, and fell asleep.
    Across the fire, Aleyne suddenly started, as if disturbed by a sudden thought. He stood up, listened, then rapidly doused the fire, smothering it in dirt. With the fire gone, the night was once again complete. Aleyne listened in the darkness for a while, then lay down between the roots of the old oak. He didn’t wrap himself in his cloak and kept his dagger close at hand. As he fell into a wary sleep, an old memory crept into Aleyne’s mind of a picture in his father’s house: a picture of a distant ancestor, standing fully armed and armored upon a battlefield, a dead North-Creature at his feet. Aleyne had always wondered why the artist had made him look more than a little afraid…
    Paul awoke in darkness to find Aleyne crouched at his side, barely visible in the starlight. He opened his mouth, but Aleyne quickly put his hand over it, before leaning forward to whisper, “Do not speak normally. We must be quiet.”
    Paul nodded. “Why?”
    “There are creatures in the forest. I heard themearlier, in the distance, but now they are nearby. I think they are…dangerous, and they seem to be hunting. Get up—we must leave now, before light.”
    Paul nodded again, and began to crawl towards his pack. Aleyne stopped him again, and gestured to leave it. Taking the boy’s hand, he began to creep away, leaving his pack as well. Paul stumbled after him, still too sleepy to argue.
    Several hundred meters and many scratches and bumps later, Paul felt Aleyne suddenly stop and kneel down, dragging Paul with him. Aleyne pointed to his ear, and then back the way they had come. At first Paul heard nothing, then he caught a sort of snorting sound—and the jangle of metal. The old iron pot, realized Paul, probably being thrown against a tree. Whatever it was back there obviously had a bad temper.
    Paul started to get up again, but Aleyne didn’t move, so he knelt back down. The snorting sounds were louder, and butterflies started in Paul’s stomach as he realized they were getting nearer. Then the snorts suddenly stopped, to be replaced by a long, high-pitched howl. With a sudden jerk, Aleyne leapt to his feet, dragging Paul with him.
    “They’ve found our trail!” he shouted, careless of the noise. “Run!”
    But Paul was already running, almost as Aleyne spoke. He knew this forest would turn out just as bad as the other one, and had no desire to meet anything that howled like the thing behind them.Crashing through branches and stumbling over the uneven ground, Paul was unaware of Aleyne behind him, till he touched his shoulder, directing him to the right.
    “This way,” shouted Aleyne. “It’s our only chance!”
    “Can’t you fight them?” panted Paul, narrowly ducking an overhanging branch, a dim outline seen at the last moment.
    “I don’t even know what they are,” replied Aleyne, stumbling behind him. “But if they’re what I think they are—No!”
    “What do you think—ow!—they are?” asked Paul, panting for air. But Aleyne didn’t answer, only pushing him on from behind. The ground was rising steeply in front of them, and the trees were becoming thicker, so Paul often had to use both hands to fend off branches. Oddly enough, the trees seemed to be in rows after a while, and the way became easier, almost like an overgrown road—though Paul was so short of breath he hardly noticed.
    Then the howling began again, closer behind them, and Paul forgot about breathing. All his thoughts went into his legs, and into watching the way ahead in the dim pre-dawn starlight. But no matter how fast he ran, the howling drew closer and closer, until Paul felt he had to look behind. A low branch chose this precise moment to get in the way of his