Soul Eater Read Free Page A

dark hair, he tied it around28a branch of the fallen spruce. Then he put his hand on his clan-creature skin: the tattered scrap of wolf fur sewn to the shoulder of his parka. "Forest," he said, "hear me. I ask by each of my three souls--by my name-soul, my clan-soul, and my world-soul--I ask that you watch over Wolf, and keep him from harm."It was only when he'd finished that he noticed a lock of dark-red hair tied to another branch. Renn had made her own offering.That made him feel guilty. He shouldn't have shouted at her.Back in the shelter, he pulled off his boots, wriggled into his sleeping-sack, and lay watching the fire, smelling the mustiness of reindeer fur and the bitter tang of spruce.Far away, an owl hooted. Not the familiar bvoo-bvoo of a gray Forest owl, but the deep oo-hu, oo-hu, oo-hu of an eagle owl.Torak shivered.He heard Renn's footsteps crunching through the snow, and called to her. "You made an offering. So did I."When she didn't answer, he added, "Sorry I snapped at you. It's just... Well. Sorry."Still no answer.He heard her crunch toward the shelter--then circle behind it.He sat up. "Renn?"29The footsteps stopped.His heart began to pound. It wasn't Renn.As quietly as he could, he wriggled out of his sleeping-sack, pulled on his boots, and reached for his axe.The footsteps came closer. Whoever it was stood only an arm's length away, separated by a flimsy wall of spruce.For a moment there was silence. Then--very loud in the stillness--Torak heard wet, bubbling breath.His skin prickled. He thought of the victims of last summer's sickness. The murderous light in their eyes; the slime catching in their throats ...He thought of Renn, alone by the river. He crawled toward the mouth of the shelter.Clouds covered the moon, and the night was black. He caught a whiff of carrion. Heard again that bubbling breath."Who are you?" he called into the dark.The breathing stopped. The stillness was absolute.' The stillness of something waiting in the dark.Torak scrambled out of the shelter and stood, clutching his axe with both hands. Smoke stung his eyes, but for a heartbeat he glimpsed a huge form melting into the shadows.A cry rang out behind him--and he spun around to see Renn staggering through the trees. "By the river!"30she panted. "It stank, it was horrible!""It was here," he told her. "It came close. I heard it."Back to back, they stared into the Forest. Whatever it was, it had gone, leaving only a whiff of carrion and a dread memory of bubbling breath.Sleep was now impossible. They fed the fire, then sat up together, waiting for dawn."What do you think it was?" said Renn.Torak shook his head. "I don't know. But I know one thing. If we'd had Wolf with us, it would never have got that close."They stared into the fire. With Wolf gone, they hadn't only lost a friend. They'd lost someone to keep them from harm.31THREEThey heard nothing more that night, but in the morning they found tracks. Huge, manlike--but without any toes.The tracks were nothing like the booted feet of the men who'd captured Wolf, but they headed the same way. "Now there are three of them," said Renn. Torak didn't reply. They had no choice but to follow. The sky was heavy with snow, and the Forest was full of shadows. With each step they dreaded seeing a figure lurching toward them. Demon? Soul-Eater? Or one of the Hidden People, whose backs are hollow as rotten trees....32The wind picked up. Torak watched the snow drifting across the tracks, and thought of Wolf. "If this wind keeps up, the trail won't last much longer."Renn craned her neck to follow the flight of a raven. "If only we could see what it can."Torak gave the bird a thoughtful stare.They began their descent into the next valley through a silent birchwood. "Look," said Torak. "Your otter's been here before us." He pointed to a line of webbed prints and a long, smooth furrow in the snow. The otter had bounded down the slope, then slid on its belly, as otters love to do.Renn smiled, and for