Thronegarden by Andrew Dickerson (top rated books of all time .txt) 📕

the plains, Buttons had remained silent, which was unusual for him; he had not even spoken up about being hungry or scared.

“If we can’t, what then?” Buttons finally broke his silence.

“There has to be a way,” Damselfly said determinedly although she did not feel certain.

The Shades had resided in a high tower above the lake that housed their precious deity Vaxlesh, the water spirit, until the betrayed Lady had brought it crashing down. Now the Shades inhabited the lonely plains without shelter or protection from their enemies. They discovered a smaller band of Sprites resting on the boundary belonging to the Shades territory. A foul smell permeated their camp and took away even Buttontail’s appetite.

“We must pass without being seen,” Delridden instructed.

Although the band of Sprites was nothing compared with the army besieging Mount Duskenside, they still far outnumbered Delridden, Buttons and Damselfly. Thankfully, the group appeared to be poorly led with little discipline or control. With some luck they would be able to pass by unnoticed. They could not wait for dark as the Shadowgarden sun remained stubbornly above the horizon. However, there were patches of long grass which might offer some protection in crossing the open plains. Only a couple of Baywolves appeared amongst the pack and their keen sense of smell was being overridden by the stench that surrounded the disgusting camp.

“We need a distraction,” Delridden prompted.

“What about a fire,” Damselfly suggested.

“It could be dangerous as the grass here is so dry; even a small fire could burn for days and do a lot of damage,” Delridden warned.

The fields held little in the way of food as the grass and long stalks were dry to the point of being brittle. A fire could still damage the soil and any hope of growing food in the future.

Surprisingly, a better solution came from Winter. The beautiful white stallion neighed in exasperation at their stupidity, pawing at the ground in frustration.

“Are you sure they won’t catch him?” Damselfly asked.

“Winter can run like the wind for days,” Delridden assured. “He is a unique horse.”

The war band were so shocked to see a pure white horse gallop past them they almost tripped over each other in their eagerness to give chase. Delridden, Buttons and Damselfly waited for the party to pursue before making their own way towards the open grassland. Unfortunately, the two Baywolves caught their scent and changed direction, leaving the Sprites chasing Winter. Delridden, seeing the danger, herded them towards the long grass, hoping to hide from their stalkers. Buttons scampered away through the long grass, using his powerful hind legs. Damselfly and Delridden struggled behind as the Baywolves closed the distance.

“Go, I will hold them off,” Delridden drew his sword.

Damselfly continued to run, pushing aside the dry stalks that stood almost as tall as she was. Terrifying noises echoed behind her as the Baywolves discovered Delridden. The princess was tempted to go back and help her protector though what she could do in such circumstances was uncertain. The momentary hesitation had left Damselfly disorientated. She looked around and could see only grass with no sign of which direction Buttons had taken; she was lost. A terrifying howl of pain from behind her forced Damselfly into a run. It did not seem to matter which direction she travelled as long as it was away from the Baywolves. Suddenly her foot gave way underneath her, and Damselfly hit the ground hard, forcing all the breath out of her body. With a grazed chin and blurred vision, she noticed what appeared to be a rabbit hole that had caused her to trip. Regaining her feet, Damselfly looked back to where Delridden had made his stand. When she turned back it was to discover a dripping monster with no face and bright green eyes standing over her. Damselfly screamed in fright as the creature lurched towards her with both arms extended. There was no time to avoid the cold embrace as the Washerwoman pinned Damselfly to the ground. Releasing a bone-chilling cry, the legionnaire pressed her slimy, wet hands around the princess’s throat. Damselfly could not fight against the monster’s strength and was even unable to shout for help. Damselfly told herself that she could not die. Time had stopped; no one died any more and yet there seemed nothing except murderous intent in those jade-green eyes that bore down at her. A blur in her peripheral vision seemed to distract her assailant, giving Damselfly a brief respite. Taking a painful breath, she caught sight of Buttons held within the Washerwoman’s cruel grasp. From nowhere, the resourceful rabbit produced the cactus flower that Maiden Fayre had gifted to them and forced the poisonous bud down the Washerwoman’s open mouth. For a few seconds it did not appear to have any effect. Then the clay figure released Buttons who dropped to the ground with a thud. Damselfly struggled across the ground to her friend’s side. The Washerwoman was shaking her head then holding her throat and making unnatural choking sounds. Clearly, the poisonous seeds had been consumed by the creature who was now suffering the full consequences. With both hands wrapped around her own throat, the Lady’s disciple fell to her knees and with one last roar of anger dropped to the ground. The clay body dissolved into the ground, leaving behind a tarnished piece of jade.

“Are you two all right?” Delridden crashed through the undergrowth.

“Yes,” Damselfly replied.

“Speak for yourself,” Buttons added.

Delridden was astonished to discover they had defeated a member of the Clay Legion alone. These creatures were feared throughout the land and had taken more victims than could be counted.

“What about the Baywolves?” Damselfly questioned.

“I fended them off for now, though they will return, and likely with reinforcements,” Delridden warned.

“We best find the Shades before then,” Damselfly cautioned.

They continued their journey at a quick march, always looking over their