Matt\u2019s blade struck a glancing blow against the beast\u2019s hide, but it didn\u2019t stop coming. Thom swore and adjusted his grip. A slash wouldn\u2019t work, but maybe stabbing would do the trick. He couldn\u2019t 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\u2019t sway the thing toward Matt, make sure that his brother-in-law didn\u2019t skewer him, but other than that, it was nothing but him, his sword, and the monster crashing through the ice.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s too-still form, rearing back to spit more venom.<\/p>\n
Thom\u2019s 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\u2019s hot, dark blood oozing from the wound. He fell back a few steps, breathing hard.<\/p>\n
That was probably not the smartest thing I\u2019ve ever done.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMove<\/em>, Thomas!\u201d<\/p>\n He jerked at the sound of Sif\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cGet behind it!\u201d Sif shouted. \u201cOn its back!\u201d<\/p>\n Thom eyed the creature as it plowed past him across the ice, heading unerringly toward Sif.<\/p>\n Gods help me.<\/em><\/p>\n He threw himself toward its flank, catching hold of a scale and scrambling up onto lindworm\u2019s powerfully muscled back. Matt scrambled up its flank on the opposite side, swearing.<\/p>\n \u201cStab down and don\u2019t stop until it stops moving!\u201d Sif calmly launched another arrow at the lindworm.<\/p>\n Thom smiled to himself. \u201cI can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Bracing himself, he angled his blade toward the lindworm\u2019s spine and drove it down with all his strength.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Matt\u2019s blade struck a glancing blow against the beast\u2019s hide, but it didn\u2019t stop coming. Thom swore and adjusted his grip. A slash wouldn\u2019t work, but maybe stabbing would do the trick. He couldn\u2019t think about Marin and Phelan now, … Continue reading