Read Stones of Power 02 - Last Sword of Power for Free Online

A pig who sired three toads and a rutting strumpet!'
    Calder hurled himself across the circle of men but Grysstha's fist thundered into his chin, throwing him to the dirt floor. Pandemonium followed, with some of the councillors grabbing Grysstha and other holding the enraged leader. In the silence that followed Calder fought to control his temper, signalling to the men on either side of him to let him go.
    'You are no longer welcome here, old cripple,' he said. 'You will leave this village as a Nithing.
    I will send word to all villages in the South Saxon and you will be welcome nowhere. And if I see you after today I shall take my axe to your neck. Go! Find the dog-child and stay with him. I want you there to see him die.'
    Grysstha shrugged off the arms holding him and stalked from the Hall. In his own hut he gathered his meagre belongings, pushed his hand-axe into his belt and marched from the village. Evrin the baker, moved alongside him, pushing two black loaves into his arms.
    'Walk with God,' Evrin whispered.
    Grysstha nodded and marched on. He should have left a long time ago - and taken Cormac with him.
    But loyalty was stronger than iron rings and Grysstha was pledged to Calder by Blood-Oath. Now he had broken his word and was Nithing in the eyes of the law. No one would ever trust him again, and his life was worthless.
    Yet even so joy began to blossom in the old warrior's heart. The heavy mind-numbing years as a goatherd were behind him now, as was his allegiance to Calder. Grysstha filled his lungs with clean, fresh air, and climbed the hills towards the Cave of Sol Invictus.
    Cormac was waiting for him there, sitting on the altar stone, the bones of his past scattered at his feet.
    'You heard?' said Cormac, making room for the old man to sit beside him on the flat stone.
    Grysstha tore off a chunk of dark bread and passed it to the boy.
    'Word filtered through,' he said. Cormac glanced at the blanket-sack Grysstha had dumped by the old bones of the warhound.
    'Are we leaving?'
    'We are, boy. We should have done it years ago. We'll head for Dubris and get some work - enough to earn passage to Gallia. Then I'll show you my old campaign trails.'
    'They attacked me, Grysstha. After Alftruda put her arms around me.'
    The old warrior looked into the boy's sad blue eyes. 'One more lesson in life, Cormac: women always bring trouble. Mind you, judging from the way Agwaine was walking he will not be thinking about girls for some time to come. How did you defeat all three?'
    'I don't know, I just did it.'
    "That's your father's blood. We'll make something of you yet, lad!'
    Cormac glanced around the cave. 'I have never been here before. I was always afraid. Now I wonder why. Just old bones.' He scuffed his feet in the loose dirt and saw a glint of light. Leaning forward he pressed his fingers into the dust, coming up with a gold chain on which hung a round stone like a golden nugget veined with slender black lines.
    'Well, that's a good omen,' muttered Grysstha. 'We've only been free men for an hour and already you find treasure.'
    'Could it have been my mother's?'
    'All things are possible.'
    Cormac looped the chain over his head, tucking the golden stone under his shirt. It felt warm against his chest.
    'Are you in trouble too, Grysstha?'
    The warrior grinned. 'I may have said a word or two too many, but they flew home like arrows!'
    "Then they will be hunting us both?'
    'Aye, come morning. We'll worry then. Now get some rest, boy.'
    Cormac moved to the far wall and settled himself down on the dusty floor, his head resting on his arms. Grysstha stretched out on the altar and was asleep within minutes.
    The boy lay listening to the warrior's deep heavy snoring, then drifted into a curious dream. It seemed he opened his eyes and sat up. By the altar lay a black warhound and five pups, and beyond her was a young woman with hair of spun gold. A man knelt beside her, cradling her head.
    'I am sorry I brought you to this,' he