Twin Forks

Magmar's hand crashed on the table in the kitchen."I thought you two were expertbowmen."

Rahg let silence cover him. He knew when not to talk, and he didn't dare tell Magmar that he thought it wasn't a wolf.Wouldn't believe meanyway.

"It's my fault," Darstan said."I—"

"Nonsense! The blame's on both of you. Now get ready forsupper."

While Rahg finished preparing supper, Darstan set plates on the bare wooden table, guilt and remorse evident on his face. It was no wonder Magmar was upset; he had the burden of raising Rahgand Darstan as well as tending the farm.And we can't even watch the sheep, Darstan thought, then let his eyes wander about thehouse.

The absence of a mother showed. There were no decorations on the windows, no flowers in the sills, and the boys had socks that needed mending and britches waiting for needle and thread. But despite all that, Darstan had the blessings of fortune. Magmar had taken him in when no one else would have him, and Rahg had proved to be as good a friend as abrother.

The harsh sound of Magmar's boots on the porch alerted Darstan."Better hurry,Rahg."

The supper table was quiet, save for the hushed sounds of food being eaten, when Magmar broke the silence."I was about your age, Darstan, when I nearly lost a whole flock of my father's sheep. Was over a girl in the village who was passing byand—"

Darstan laughed."Sorry to interrupt, but if Rahg hadn't been daydreaming of Kanella, we might have seen thatwolf."

"What's done is done," Magmarsaid.

"I wonder why the wolves are coming in so close," Darstan said."That's the third attack this spring. Zedd Corin lost a lamb, and wolves got a ewe from FennParker."

Magmar shook his head and his brow wrinkled."Strange."

Darstan stared at the weather-beaten skin on his father's face.He's worried about something, but notwolves.

Rahg had nightmares about the wolf all night, causing him to sleep late. Darstan and Magmar were already eating when he got to thetable.

"About time you got up, Rahg, we have a lot of chores todo."

Rahg poked his head out the door to check on the weather."Must have gotten cold last night, there's frost on theground."

"I said we have chores to do,Rahg."

"I'll do mine tomorrow. Meet me later, Dar, but don’t tell father about thechores.”

Rahg ran to his favorite spot. He grabbed a root to chew then lay on his back and rested his head against the trunk of a towering emerald. No tree was bigger, save a blackthorn, and none held more beauty. The leaves shined like real emeralds, yet they were small and soft as cotton—almost as if they didn't belong to a giant like this. And the leaves stayed with it during the harshest winters. He reached out to scratch a piece of bark, white as lamb's fur and smooth as polished hickory. The bark smelled fresh, and it tasted tangy. He shivered when he took abite.

He pushed himself farther up the trunk and stared into the mountains surrounding the valley. Heavy snow wrapped the shoulders of the highest peaks, like a shawl tucked around a grandmother's neck. Beyond that, in the Great Whites, blizzards raged at thesummits.

It was said that nothing lived there save rock dragons. People always talked about them, repeating tales heard from bards or men with too much ale, but Rahg had never met anyone who had seen one, unless he counted old Tobias, who claimed to have fought one when he was with the SykoranGuard.

They were chasing bandits, or so Tobias had said, and followed their trail past the northern edge of Kamnor to the foothills of theWhites.

Rahg smiled. He had heard the story so much he knew it word for word. He could picture Tobias sitting at Havril's Inn, sipping ale and telling his story. He'd been telling that story for so long it was like a legend. He would likely be at the inn tonight, cornering strangers or anyone who had heard it less than a dozen times. Rahg could almost hear himnow.

“I’ll tell you it was a frightfulexperience.”

Tobias never failed to begin the story with those exact words and the same tone of voice. At this point he also wiped his brow and took a long swig of ale before continuing—as though he had just returned a short bit ago, exhaustion still withhim.

“Frightful! We followed the bandits up from the Free Lands, ridin' hard. For nearly three days we drove those horses with barely no rest. They were tired. Spent. Fact is, old Erad's horse gave-out. Just plain lay down and died. We were close to Twin Forks so Erad came here while we tracked the bandits. Followed 'em all the way to the Whites, then the tracks got realconfusing.

“We found two horses dead, with other tracks that went off in all directions. The two dead ones were part eaten. The tracks were all muddled and didn't make any sense. Must've been wolves, we figured, so we decided to split-up—me and three others going west, and Tadge and his four east. All of a sudden we hear this sound, like...like a...well, it was so unusual I still don't know how to describe it, but it was a terriblesound.”

Rahg laughed. As often as Tobias told that story, he still left that part in. Told it the same way every time.I'd think after so many years he'd know just how to describeit.

“Bad as that was, what came out of the mountains was worse. A giant of a creature jumped down on us from the rocks. Was about twelve feet, head to tail, and must've weighed fifteen or twenty stone. It had gray scales all over, covering up brownish-gray skin. Now, if that wasn't enough to scare the demons out of us, the teeth were. Had a whole mouthful of 'em, like blades on a dagger. And eyes the same color as the blood drippin' off them teeth. It was a beast. Sort of half-lizard and half somethin' else—dragon, Iguess.”

Tobias always stopped to take several long swallows of ale right after describing the rock dragon. He wanted it to sink-in, Rahg presumed. Then he'd place both his hands on the edge of the table and lean over it, his positioning and grim expression prepping the listeners for the rest of thetale.

“It hit Tadgefirst.”

He never failed to whisper that part, Rahg remembered, and his ploy always worked. Tobias had their undividedattention.

“Took him and Amos out before we even got our horses turned around, with them so frightened and all. I ordered the men to dismount so we could get up on the ledge—at least there we didn't have to fight the horses and that creature too. We put about six arrows into the thing but not before it got Tadge's other two men. Then it turned and came towardus.

“Only had time to hit it with one arrow apiece before it got to the rock. It started up that ledge like walkin' on flat ground—big, sharp claws finding the tiniest cracks to grab hold of. It was almost on us when Karrs put his sword right in the creature's eye. It howled so loud I nearly fell off the ledge, but I grabbed my sword with both hands and plunged hard as I could, right into its skull. That one did him in. His claws loosed-up and his head reared-back, then he fell all the way down, landin' on sharp rocksbelow.

“We picked up what was left of the bodies and gave 'em a good burial before comin' back to the village. It took me three to four days of solid drinkin' before I could make myself think straight again. That's when I decided I'd had enough of the soldierin' and settled down right here in TwinForks.”

Rahg smiled again. He didn't know whether...