Stephen Deas - The King of the Crags

Scanned& proofed by DragonAshe(a.k.a. Merithyn)

Currente-book version: 1

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Prologue

The Dead

TheWorldspine surrounded them. Mountains like immense teeth, jagged and huge andwhite, reared up all around their little valley. Monsters overshadowing thedense dark greens and blacks of the pine forest surrounding a lake of glacierwater, the brightest purest blue that Kemir had ever seen.

Veryslowly, they were dying. Nadira couldn't see it yet and Kemir didn't have theheart to tell her, but it was true. He'd kept them alive for five days now,since Snow had vanished beneath the frozen waters of the lake, but it couldn'tlast. The weather had been kind to them, but wind and rain were always ficklein the Worldspine. One day he'd run out of arrows, or his bowstring wouldbreak. Or one of them would get hurt or fall ill. He wasn't catching enoughfood, and they didn't have the clothes or the shelter to stay properly warm. Ahundred things could go wrong, and sooner or later one of them would.

Theyhad to move. He tried to break it to Nadira, to make her understand that Snowwasn't coming back, that their only chance was to leave and head for lowerground. A boat, he thought. Or at least a raft. Water always found the quickestway down the mountains.

Shescreamed in his face. Shrieked at him that Snow was coming back. He backedaway. One more day, he promised himself. One more day and then he'd leave, withor without her. He could force her to come, he knew that, but he'd let herchoose. She could stay and die if she wanted. That's what Sollos would havedone.

Asthat last day began to fade he made his weary way back to the lake, carryingwith him what little food he'd been able to hunt and gather. The forests herewere harsh and hostile and yielded little. He was hungry. They were bothhungry. They'd eat and they'd still be hungry.

Hereached what passed for their camp at the edge of the lake

andthe hairs on the back of his neck bristled. He couldn't see Nadira. The forestwas silent except for the wind and the ever-present creaking and groaning ofthe glacier. He stared out across the lake. And suddenly he felt the fire andiron of the dragon's presence, a moment before the water began to churn. LittleOne Kemir, I am hungry.

Kemirfroze, rooted to the spot. The dragon was rising out of the lake as white asthe glacier ice, clouds of steam billowing around her.

Andshe was hungry. Five days lying at the bottom of a frozen lake would do that, Isuppose.

Shewas probably going to eat him then. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to beproperly terrified. In some ways it would be a relief.

'Right.So you're not dead,' he growled. It was just as well, he decided, that Nadirawasn't anywhere nearby. As last words went, those definitely weren't the best.

That'swhen her absence hit him right in the chest. Nadira. Where was she?

No.

'Alchemist'spoisons didn't kill you then. Freezing water did the trick, eh?' Why wasn't shethere?

Yes.And no, I do not intend to eat you. I am ... grateful ...to you for showing methis place.

Ifdragons had expressions, Kemir hadn't learned to read them yet. The dragon'sname was Snow, and as far as Kemir could tell, she always looked like she wasabout to eat him. Come on, woman, where are you? You should be here. Yourdragon's back.

'Hurrahfor me, then.' He sat down. 'So you're hungry. So go eat something.' Hecouldn't keep it in any more. 'You didn't eat Nadira, did you?' He felt almoststupid asking. Of course she hadn't.

Therewas a long silence. She was not your mate.

'No!She's not my mate! She's my ...' Yes, now that was a good question. She was hiswhat, exactly? His friend? Don't be ridiculous. His companion? He grimaced.That made him sound like an old widow.

Yournest-sister.

Whichmade him laugh. Since he couldn't think of anything better, he nodded. 'Yes. Mynest-sister. So, did you eat her?'

Yes.

Kemirdidn't move. Snow was joking. She had to be. Even though dragons had no senseof humour, even though Snow had never said anything funny about anything, thishad to be a joke.

Iwas hungry. He could feel something in her, though. The same feeling as hadbeen inside her when her Scales had disappeared. Shame, perhaps.

No,she wasn't joking.

Therage started in his face. At the end of his nose. A heat that washed slowlyinto his cheeks. 'And that's what you do when you're hungry.' Down his neck,growing hotter and stronger. He picked up a stone from the lakeside, jumped tohis feet and threw it at the dragon in the water. It bounced off her scales.

Yes.And I am hungry still, Kemir.

Acrosshis shoulders. 'Whoever happens to be there. Whoever is closest. You couldn'twait. You couldn't hold it in. You couldn't go hungry. You just ...' Throughhis arms. He hurled another stone at her and then threw up his hands inexasperation. 'Bang. Gone. Whatever happens to be there. She was your ...' Shewas what? What could you be to a dragon?

Foodis food, Kemir.

Thereweren't any stones big enough to answer that. Or rather there were, but Kemircouldn't lift them. 'What?' Oh yes, that really told her.

Shewas not your mate, Kemir.

Theheat reached his hands, oozing down his fingers like lava until it reached thevery tips. Then it all came rushing back. From everywhere. From his fingers,from his toes, from his arms and legs and chest and exploded all together inhis head. He roared with rage and loss and sheer disbelief and hurled himselfinto the water, clutching his hatchet. 'Why did you do that?' He stopped, Hehad to stop. He was already floundering in freezing water up to his waist. Snowwas too deep to reach. He threw the axe at her as hard as he could and watchedas it it too bounced off her scales and vanished into the water. He screamed ather again. 'Why? Why did you do that?'

Hiswords echoed off the mountainsides. Snow didn't move. Kemir pounded the waterwith his fists.

'Comehere! Come here where I can reach you!'

Ifit is any help to you, she did not particularly mind.

'What?She didn't ... ? She didn't what?' He clutched at his head and surged back tothe shore, slipping, falling, lurching out of the water. There had to besomething, somewhere. Anything. A weapon. Something to batter a dragon. He'drip her apart with his bare hands if he had to.

Shedid not particularly mind.

Hepicked up another stone. Snow was coming towards him, very slowly, one carefulstep at a time. He threw the stone, then another and another, as fast as hecould until Snow reached the shore. Then he let out a mad shriek and ran ather, hacking at her legs and claws with his knife. But no matter how hard hestabbed, her scales turned his blade. He beat on her with his fists and howled.'Why? Why did you do that?'

Becauseshe was hungry. That was all. She didn't even have to say it. And now she wasjust letting him vent his anger.