Matt’s blade struck a glancing blow against the beast’s hide, but it didn’t stop coming. Thom swore and adjusted his grip. A slash wouldn’t work, but maybe stabbing would do the trick. He couldn’t think about Marin and Phelan now, except that he needed to keep the damned thing away from them. He had to make sure he didn’t sway the thing toward Matt, make sure that his brother-in-law didn’t skewer him, but other than that, it was nothing but him, his sword, and the monster crashing through the ice.
Then he was on top of it, the point of his blade aimed at a split in its scales, even as it twisted toward Phelan and Marin and Thordin’s too-still form, rearing back to spit more venom.
Thom’s sword sunk deep between the scales. The lindworm roared, jerking back, its eyes huge and seeking the source of its pain. Thom jerked his sword free, the creature’s hot, dark blood oozing from the wound. He fell back a few steps, breathing hard.
That was probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.
“Move, Thomas!”
He jerked at the sound of Sif’s voice, spinning just as an arrow caught the lindworm in the soft flesh below its eye. The creature howled, turning its attention toward her as the latest and greatest threat.
“Get behind it!” Sif shouted. “On its back!”
Thom eyed the creature as it plowed past him across the ice, heading unerringly toward Sif.
Gods help me.
He threw himself toward its flank, catching hold of a scale and scrambling up onto lindworm’s powerfully muscled back. Matt scrambled up its flank on the opposite side, swearing.
“Stab down and don’t stop until it stops moving!” Sif calmly launched another arrow at the lindworm.
Thom smiled to himself. “I can do that.”
Bracing himself, he angled his blade toward the lindworm’s spine and drove it down with all his strength.
Dang worms. Sounds like the battles with worms in Dune. Sif seems quite capable and sure about her role. I hope it is as sure as it appears.
Thanks for the new update. Good story line. I am enjoying every chapter.
Why didn’t they wear spiked armour? That’s the traditional method to deal with Lindworms. And Jacqueline better start keeping track of Sunday services and makes sure nobody goes fishing instead, or they’ll have all this trouble again.