Pack of Wolves by Maggie Claire (read along books .TXT) 📕

glittering, multi-hued cyclone. Briefly I imagine what it must look like from the ground. Pretending to be a trader in the market, I see myself in a simple mask, bringing small game or skins to trade for the supplies I need to survive in the harsh environment near the river. Suddenly, a flash of color catches my eye. Turning my face to the heavens, I witness hundreds of strange creatures circling overhead. Immediately my mind turns to only one possible explanation: Déchets is attacking—the people from the land over the Devil’s Spine are planning to annihilate Cassè.

“Fantastic,” I mumble as I clench my knees into Siri’s sides to keep from slipping off her ridged back. My hair stands straight out behind me with the force of the wind whipping around us. “We should have tried a subtler approach!”

“No time!” Siri roars, causing the rest of the Ddraigs to do the same. The wind tunnel we’ve created in this strange flight pattern amplifies their cries. My eardrums feel like they could burst under the pressure, and I have no doubt that a sound as loud as this could even be heard over the River Sangre.

“Way to make an entrance,” I sarcastically mutter as the wind whips my hair into my face. A ripple of laughter reverberates through my Ddraig’s back as she continues her downward spiral toward the minor markets.

Screams rise up from the shopping stalls as men and women run for their weapons. Piles of skin and meat fall to the ground in their haste, and handmade pottery shatters as tables are overturned in the melee. Those few that still stand are quickly set up as shelters for anyone who cannot fight the incoming threat. Children wail while their parents race to form a perimeter to protect them, holding their swords and spears high over their heads.

“Siri, pull up!” I cry in dismay as the flash of silver steel catches my eye. “We’re going to run right into them!”

Siri opens her wings widely, and our near freefalling descent comes to a jarring end. We hover in the light of the sun. The rest of the Ddraigs follow, staying above and behind us. Looking down at Siri’s scales, I am astonished to see them glittering as though she has captured firelight dancing through her hide. Sparkles of gold, blue, and pure ivory dazzle my eyes. Only Siri’s gentle reminder of our purpose helps me overcome my stunned silence. Speak to them, Iris. Let them know that we are not here for trouble.

“Friends! Please listen to what I have to say!” I attempt, crawling closer to Siri’s head so that I can be seen. “We are not here to make trouble!’

“There’s a woman up there!” Someone shouts from below. “Don’t worry! We’ll get you free of those monsters!”

“Monsters!” Siri snorts indignantly, sending sparks of flames raining down on the stalls, burning holes in thatched roofs and igniting small fires on tent coverings. “She’s not trapped with us! She’s our leader.”

Not the best way to make friends, I chide my Ddraig, hoping she doesn’t spew more fire upon the frightened faces below us. “We’re not here to hurt you,” I interrupt before Siri can admonish the people anymore. “Please, the Ddraigs and I are here to seek your assistance. If you will let us land nearby, I will come down and speak to you myself, to show you that I am not hurt. We mean no harm to you.”

“Then why did that one try to set us all on fire?” one of the braver men cries angrily, his sword waving toward us. Some of the people have abandoned their weapons, attempting to put out the blazes started by my Ddraig. A pang of guilt settles in my stomach with every bucket of water they throw.

“She didn’t—” I halt my foolish words before I can complete the untrue statement. “Look, I’m sure you have lots of questions. Please let me come down to you.”

The oldest woman of the minor houses steps forward, holding her hand up to catch my attention. The rest of the cowering crowd falls silent as she begins to speak. “We will allow you and your…uh, creature, to meet with us. The rest are to stay in the air overhead so that we can keep an eye on them. Our men will shoot if they try to drop closer. Do you agree to my terms?”

It’s the best deal we can hope to get right now, Siri advises, though I already knew that.

“Stay up in the sky as she requests. We will bring you down when it’s safe,” I murmur under my breath to the horde behind me. A rumble reverberates from them in recognition of my orders as Siri slowly drifts down to the ground.

I roll off my Ddraig’s back the moment we hit the forest floor, hoping to be on land before the minor house members can get too close. Holding my hands over my head, I stand between the elderly woman and my Ddraig. The rest of the people have yet to move from their hiding places.

“Speak your piece,” the leader demands, her expression shuttering all emotions from her face. “I cannot guarantee that we will agree by the time you finish, but no harm will come to you.”

Carefully, I inch closer to the woman so that I can speak without screaming at her. “I am the leader of the Ddraigs, the creatures from the Pith flying above us. They are travelling with me in search of their warriors, or Cadogans. We have come to your markets to see if any of the people here are bonded with the Ddraigs. If they are, then it is our hope that they will fly with us. If they are not, then we will leave you in peace.”

“And what exactly are these creatures intending to do with their Cadogans?” The elderly woman stumbles over the unfamiliar title, eyes constantly drifting up to the sky. “Why did they show up now? If they’ve