How to Slay a Dragon - Bill Allen [44]
“Well,” said Lucky, “we still haven’t seen that girl adventurer Hazel mentioned.”
Nathan looked worried. “I suppose it could be the girl, but whether it is or not, I think we’d better use caution from here on out. I can only assume whoever planted that rabbit’s foot on Greg’s person did so while he slept, and I don’t mind saying it bothers me to think someone with that much stealth and courage might be stalking us as we speak.”
Both Lucky and Greg glanced about the clearing, but the only thing to see was a large swath of red where Nathan and Lucky had obviously dragged off the bollywomp’s body.
“We should get going,” said Nathan. “We have but one day before we reach Simon’s. We’ll just have to keep our ears and eyes open until then.”
“Noses, too,” said Lucky.
Greg didn’t worry about keeping his eyes open. His were stretched wide as could be for the rest of that day’s hike and much of the night as well. Even with Rake purring next to him, he found it hard to sleep. For some reason camping in a forest full of monsters was not nearly as frightening as camping where he knew a single human might be out to kill him. After all, humans had intelligence, and even if this was just a girl, she seemed to have a great deal of stealth as well.
“Maybe it’s not as bad as we think,” said Lucky as both boys lay awake in the darkness.
Greg groaned. “If you tell me how lucky I am she didn’t kill me when she snuck into our camp, I’ll—”
“No, that’s not what I was going to say at all . . . well, not exactly. But the fact is she did come into our camp before, and you’re still alive, aren’t you?”
“I’m warning you, Lucky . . . .”
“No, hear me out. If she was really trying to kill you, why didn’t she just slit your throat while you slept?”
“Oh, great. Say it a little louder, why don’t you?”
Rake’s tail suddenly brushed across his leg, and Greg nearly screamed. A few seconds later he heard a muffled gasp through the darkness and decided Rake must have found Lucky’s leg as well.
“I’m serious,” Lucky said a moment later. “I don’t think she’s really trying to kill you. I think she’s just trying to scare you a bit.”
“Yeah, well, she scared me all right. I nearly got my insides torn out by a bollywomp. How did she know I wouldn’t be killed?”
Lucky was silent a long moment. Finally his voice broke the quiet of the night.
“There can be only one answer. She must be familiar with the prophecy.”
If Greg had felt sore most of his journey, it was nothing compared to how he felt when he woke the next morning. The wound in his side burned so intensely it was all he could do to crawl from his bedroll and gulp down the breakfast cakes and fosselberry syrup Lucky pulled from his pack. Nathan removed Greg’s dressing long enough to study the wound, then gently wrapped it back into place.
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“W-what?” Greg asked, frightened by Nathan’s tone. “Was it poison?”
Lucky chuckled. “Don’t be silly, Greg. You saw the claws on that bollywomp. Why would a creature like that need to poison anything?”
“No, you weren’t poisoned,” said Nathan, “but the wound has started to fester. Do you think you can make it to Simon’s?”
“Sure, just help me to my feet.”
“You’re already standing.”
“Oh, then no . . . I doubt I can make it.”
Once again the darkness crept into Greg’s vision. As before, his feet gave way, but this time he remained conscious, able to listen to the sounds around him.
“Quick, Lucky,” he heard Nathan say, “do you know what jinsen looks like?”
“Of course,” Lucky’s voice replied.
“Good, let’s split up. It likes scattered sunlight, so try that area over there, where the trees are thinner. I’ll check over this way.”
Greg heard rustling to his right and surmised Nathan must have left the clearing. More noise to his left told him Lucky, too, had joined the search. But then Greg heard still more rustling in the direction of his feet, and his heart skipped a beat.
Please be a monkeydog, he thought, but as might be expected for someone whose luck had run out, his wish was to go ungranted.
“What’s this?” he heard someone