The Andy Smithson Series: Books 1, 2, and 3 (Young Adult Epic Fantasy Bundle) (Andy Smithson Series Boxset): Dragons, Serpents, Unicorns, Pegasus, Pixies, Trolls, Dwarfs, Knights and More!

by L. EE

  Company

  “A lot of help, that Imogenia. North she says. Of course the unicorns are north. The entire territory of the trolls is north of us,” Alden grumped as the trio hiked up to the top of a ridge to get their bearings.

  “It’s okay,” encouraged Hannah. “I’m sensing something pure in that direction.” She pointed straight ahead.

  Andy briefly considered making a wisecrack but thought better of it. His memory of Hannah’s warning about sensing something evil just before the first bellicose attack remained fresh. He’d never forget that Oscray match.

  They stopped on the ridgeline between two mountains and surveyed the terrain. A bed of green, leafy treetops stretched to the horizon, rising and falling with the ground beneath. In the fading light, Andy watched shadows spring to life, the prankster ghosts of nighttime that delighted in playing tricks and striking terror in the hearts of travelers.

  “Come on, we need to set up camp,” Andy encouraged.

  “But where?” Hannah questioned. “Trolls are nocturnal, and I for one don’t care to have them find us while we’re sleeping. They’re quite fond of the taste of humans from what I’ve heard.”

  “I didn’t need to know that,” Alden grimaced.

  “If we can find a cave that’s uninhabited, we can start a fire and stay warm tonight without being seen,” Hannah suggested.

  “Works for me,” agreed Alden.

  Andy nodded his assent.

  “Okay then, let’s go,” Hannah directed.

  The walk down the other side of the mountain proved easier than the ascent, despite having to make their own trail through the thick undergrowth. In the quickly fading light they traipsed over rotting tree trunks and avoided boulders left by long-ago landslidesThe tree cover seemed to squelch the light quicker than usual, so Andy pulled out Methuselah to illuminate their journey.

  Within a few minutes, twilight succumbed to the night and the three children began to hear noises in the near darkness.

  “What was that?” Alden whispered.

  “I don’t know, but it sounded big,” Hannah added quietly.

  “Come on, we’ve got to keep going,” Andy declared, willing himself not to panic.

  The trio heard a loud boom ahead and crept for cover behind a cluster of trees. Andy put Methuselah’s glowing blade down on the ground so as not to give them away. Without saying a word, they peered out and saw the shape of a giant ambling along, a club slung over its shoulder. Downwind from the creature, their noses instantly objected to the assault of strong body odor.

  “Oh!” Andy whispered, fanning a hand in front of his face. “That’s worse than cow farts!”

  Hannah shushed him.

  The troll looked in their direction and listened momentarily before moving on.

  “Come on,” Andy said softly, motioning his friends to follow.

  Pitch blackness descended on the forest by the time they finally located an opening in the rock face. Andy’s bearings had left him ages ago and he breathed a sigh of relief that they might at last have found a camp for the night.

  “I’ll go in first with Methuselah to make sure there’s nothing in there,” Andy offered.

  “I’ll come too if you want,” Alden replied.

  “What, and leave me out here by myself? No thanks,” Hannah protested.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll go in while you gather firewood,” Andy suggested.

  His companions satisfied, Andy stole silently into the large opening. Expecting something like the red dragon caves he’d experienced on a previous visit to Oomaldee, Andy slunk around the bend to the right. His feet crunched bones that lay scattered everywhere. He noticed his knees shaking as he paused and listened. Senses heightened in the dark, he detected faint scratchings and the scampering of tiny feet. Mice, he hoped.

  He moved forward around two boulders and kicked something that sounded like metal. He moved Methuselah’s light and found several old swords, daggers, pickaxes, and a chest overflowing with trinkets and coins. A metal pendant caught his eye and he picked it up to study it. The image of a square within a square had been etched into its face. The inner square’s corners touched the middle of each side of the outer square. Simple symbols were engraved at each corner of the outer square. Awesome! Andy added it to his pouch.

  Continuing on, he paused every few feet to listen. The sound of water caught his ears as he went farther in, but he heard no other noises, certainly nothing to indicate the presence of a monstrous troll. After passing another boulder, the sound of the water grew louder. He stopped at the edge of a raging torrent. The water shot out from the wall to his right, forming an arch of spray and mist that soaked the ground around him. I could take a shower in that, Andy thought. Of course, it might be really cold.

  A reservoir in the rocks collected the free-spirited moisture, dumping it back into the dark abyss under the mountains. Must be running fast from all the rain, he reasoned. Drawing Methuselah high, the light illuminated the back wall of the cavern and Andy sighed. No one home. Good.

  He headed back out to collect the others and they set up camp well back from the cave opening. Soon they were enjoying a rationed dinner over a small fire.

  “We should turn in. We need to get an early start since the unicorns won’t be around much longer,” Hannah proposed.

  “I’ll take first watch,” Andy offered.

  Neither Hannah nor Alden objected, so Andy grabbed a watch candle that was in his backpack and headed forward to find a position where he could see the entrance. He decided one of the two boulders would serve as the perfect lookout post and climbed up.

  As he settled in for the duration, his thoughts turned back to their ambush and capture by Abaddon’s goons. He replayed Abaddon’s instruction to kill Father when he didn’t see the Stone of Athanasia around his neck. Only Imogenia’s intervention had stopped the dragon from acting. What will happen if we bring back a unicorn horn and it cures Abaddon? What then? He’ll have no need for any of us.

  Andy’s stomach twisted as he wondered, Did Father figure this out before we left and his parting nod was actually him saying goodbye? Does he believe Abaddon will kill him?

  Before he had time to entertain more dark thoughts, Andy’s nose picked up a whiff of strong body odor.

  His muscles stiffened and he sat up straight, straining to see in the shadowy darkness. Without warning, his perch suddenly moved and the stench grew stronger. Below him he heard a loud yawn and then felt more movement.

  A troll! I’m sitting on a troll!!

  As the creature unfolded itself and stood, Andy leapt to the ground, landing as quietly as possible but not quietly enough to avoid notice. In the shadows cast by the campfire around the bend in the cave, he made out a troll twice his height. It slouched like a large chimp, had a long nose and oversize ears with hair sprouting from them, and let out a guttural grunt as it eyed him. Andy and the troll turned their heads toward the mouth of the cave as they heard banging and tromping.

  Not more trolls!

  The sounds died away and the troll returned its attention to Andy. It took a step toward him, blocking any route of escape from the cave. Not that Andy would have taken it, for he needed to protect his sleeping friends.

  Hoping all other residents had left for their nightly hunt, Andy risked calling out to Alden and Hannah, “Guys! Wake up! We’ve got company!” His cry reverberated off the hard walls.

  The troll took another step forward and Andy dashed toward the fire and his companions. Turning the corner, he found Alden and Hannah standing in ready positions. Seconds later, the troll emerged into the firelight, its club poised and ready for a fight. When it saw the light of the campfire, it brought a large arm up to shield its eyes from the brightness. It plunged forward and swatted its weapon about with its free arm.

  Hannah and Alden avoided its downward pummel as Andy sliced its back. Undeterred by the strokes, the troll turned and moved toward Andy, a roar echoing off the walls. Alden sliced at
its legs while Hannah’s blade made contact with the arm wielding the club. The wounds did not slow the beast. Rather, the giant’s flesh seemed to heal itself before their eyes. It raised its club again, and Alden scrambled out of the way just in time as the cudgel smashed the floor where he had been standing. Andy plunged his dagger into the brute’s back, but the troll ignored him and continued waving its weapon. The trio kept scrambling out of the way of the pounding club, taking shots at the troll when it left vital areas exposed, but nothing slowed it.

  “It’s not working. We need to try something else,” Andy yelled. “Follow me!”

  The three bolted past the campfire and the troll happily followed, believing it had trapped its prey in the back of the cave with no escape. As soon as the troll passed the flames, Andy yelled, “Add more wood! Make it bigger!”

  Hannah doubled back while the boys kept the beast occupied. With the light of a brighter campfire, it roared and squeezed its eyes tighter.

  “Grab a piece of burning wood and follow me,” Andy instructed, dodging a ground-shaking wallop.

  Flaming branch in hand, Hannah prodded the creature toward Andy and Alden at the back of the cave. The sound of spraying water grew louder. When they reached the edge of the raging river, Andy raced into the spray with Alden only a step behind. Thankfully it was relatively shallow. The boys flailed their arms, trying to remain upright in the torrent, the rocks slippery underneath. After a minute both found their footing in the icy-cold spray.

  “Time for a bath, you foul hunk of BO!” Andy taunted.

  “Come and get us!” Alden added, following Andy’s lead.

  “Come get some tasty treats!” Andy shouted through chattering teeth.

  Alden’s body shivered from the cold, but he managed to shoot a look at Andy. “Really?”

  Andy shrugged his quivering shoulders and added, “Just trying to keep its attention.”

  The troll paused at the water’s edge, watching the boys curiously. It turned and found Hannah only a few feet behind with a flaming branch inches from its head. It lowered the arm shielding its eyes, revealing a terrified look as it returned its attention to the boys, who continued to offer taunts.

  Hannah slowly prodded the creature forward. It stepped into the river and advanced three steps nearer to the boys, then paused in the jet of water shooting from the wall. Before it could comprehend what was happening, first its right arm and then an ear disappeared in the torrent. The children watched as its other arm turned to mud and washed away, followed by a shoulder. Within minutes, their enemy had disintegrated. Only a beefy wooden club peeked out of the water as evidence of the conflict.

  “Woohoo!” Hannah celebrated. “Great idea, Andy!”

  With blue lips and chattering teeth, Andy and Alden forced frozen smiles. They shivered their way back to dry ground as quickly as their frozen legs would carry them. Happily, the fire was roaring and they sat down to thaw.

  When the last chills left their bodies and they’d shared their fears behind masks of laughter, they decided it would be safe enough to remain in the cave for the rest of the night as long as they doused the fire.

  “Come daylight, the trolls will return,” Andy reasoned aloud. “We’re probably safer back here than outside as long as our friends stay up front in the cave.”

  No one disagreed with his reasoning, so Alden and Hannah filled their drinking cups and beat a path between the river and the fire until only a flickering pile of coals remained. For his part, Andy went forward, scouting out a new lookout post on solid ground.

  After relighting the watch candle, he settled in for the remainder of his shift at sentry duty. Save the scratching of tiny rodent feet, silence ruled.

  Andy woke Alden after an hour, found his bedroll, and quickly drifted off to sleep. He didn’t dream. Instead, Abaddon’s promise to eliminate him when he returned with the unicorn horn kept marauding his brain, wreaking havoc with the peace he desperately sought at that late hour. What can I to do to save Father and the others? His mind raced to invent an answer, but any solution sneakily hid in the space between consciousness and slumber.

  Hannah’s announcement that he ought to get moving awakened Andy the next morning.

  “The trolls returned about an hour ago, stinky barbarians,” Hannah reported as the three downed scant breakfast rations. “I watched them transform back into boulders. We won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Who would have thought?” Alden added.

  After packing up camp, they emerged into foggy conditions. The thick mist coupled with the forest’s dense foliage prevented the sun’s rays from reaching the ground, leaving them to walk in gray light.

  “So where should we look for the unicorns?” Alden ventured after they’d walked for several minutes.

  “Where the trolls aren’t?” Hannah joked.

  Andy laughed.

  “Seriously though, I’m sensing something unusually pure in this direction.” Hannah pointed straight ahead.

  “Then lead on, m’lady” Andy replied, smiling.

  The morning’s travel proved uneventful. After stopping for a quick lunch, the afternoon found them huffing and puffing up yet another steep grade.

  “My sense is growing stronger,” Hannah informed as they stood at a mountain peak and surveyed the path ahead. “We’re definitely headed in the right direction.”

  After deciding on a reasonable route through the valley, they began their descent. The trees had not thinned since this morning, and navigating a clear path continued to prove taxing. As they paused to rest, Andy thought he heard a twig snap as if someone crunched it under foot. He glanced around for several minutes but didn’t see or hear anything more.

  It must be my imagination. If the bellicose was near, it would be on me by now.

  The threesome continued on, and Andy chose to share his concerns about what Abaddon might be planning if they gave him a unicorn horn that would cure him.

  “We’ve got to find a way to free Father and everyone else. And I’d like to stay alive too,” Andy shared. “Any brilliant ideas?”

  Alden shook his head and Hannah replied, “I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to get the unicorns to give me not just one horn but two.”

  “That’s right,” Alden realized. “We need one to free everyone and one to break the curse.”

  Hannah nodded.

  “How many unicorns did you say you heard talking, Andy?”

  “Three. We know the zolt stole one horn. That leaves only two others.”

  “Let’s hope they’re in an agreeable mood,” Alden mused.

  “Yeah,” Hannah added, raising an eyebrow, “especially since they need to surrender them willingly in order to work.”

  Alden walked close to Hannah, attempting to comfort her as they walked.

  Harrumph, Andy thought.

  “Jealous?” It was Andy’s inneru.

  No! Go away. I don’t want to think about it.

  “Very well, just thought I’d see if I could help.”

  Andy pulled out in front of his companions, scouting what was to come. He reached a small clearing and paused to listen before Hannah and Alden caught up. Off to his right he again thought he heard a twig snap. He stared into the woods but saw nothing unusual.

  When his friends reached him, he whispered, “Don’t look around, but I have a feeling we’re being watched.”

  The two stared at him.

  “By who?” Alden whispered.

  “Or what?” Hannah added in a hushed voice.

  “I don’t know, but every once in a while I hear a twig snap, as if someone’s close but trying to stay hidden. I don’t think it’s an animal. Let’s stay sharp.”

  Hannah and Alden nodded, reflexively moving their hands to their sword hilts. Andy drew Methuselah for good measure.

  As the light began to fade, the trio scouted out another deep cave and took up residence well past the boulders crowded just around the corner from the entrance where daylight
couldn’t reach its skinny fingers. They dispensed with a fire and spent the night without incident.

  Emerging into sunlit fog the following morning, the trio continued their trek.

  “My sense is growing stronger, but it still feels like the unicorns are a ways off,” Hannah reported an hour into their march.

  “That could be a problem,” Andy fretted. “Best case, we’ve got no more than seven days before the unicorns leave. Hopefully they won’t leave early because of what that zolt did. Stupid bird-brain!”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” Alden confided.

  “Hannah, how are you coming with your story to get the unicorns to give us two horns?” Andy queried.

  Hannah shook her head. “I’m not. I can’t think of any way short of just coming out and telling them our situation. But I have a hard time believing they’d give us a horn to heal a beast that is evil to the core and already had his goons steal one of their horns.”

  “Yeah, I see what you mean,” Andy agreed. “I’m not having any luck coming up with a plan to free Father and the others, so you’re in good company.”

  “What are we gonna do if we can’t get two horns?” Alden worried.

  Andy and Hannah paused their conversation and stared at him.

  “Okay, just asking,” Alden cowered.

  “Failure is not an option,” Andy affirmed.

  The trio followed Hannah’s lead as she directed them up yet another mountain ridge and down the other side later that afternoon. The trek had grown monotonous with no change in the thick foliage and oppressive fog. Periodically, Andy would hear a stick break in the woods near them, but he could never make out the source. It kept everyone on edge.

  Their fourth night they took shelter in another troll cave and ate from dwindling rations that fell far short of filling any of them. Andy stood watch with his stomach rumbling, hoping the trolls wouldn’t hear it complaining as they came to life.

  Thankfully they hadn’t, and now, halfway through his shift, Andy grew drowsy. But his sleepiness evaporated instantly when the form of a glowing, swirling sphere took shape in the blackness. It flowed out of a large rock near where he sat and came to stop just two feet away, slowly revolving its fluorescent green, red, and purple threads.