Servant of the Serpent (Serpent's War Book 1) by Jason Halstead Page A

bothered to go. She had the whole day ahead of her and wanted to do some exploring.
    She found a log that had been washed up on shore and set her things on top of it. She unbuckled her grandpa’s sword and added it to the pile, and then checked around before stripping off her clothes and splashing into the river.
    The cool water startled her and made the sun seem even warmer against her uncovered flesh. Her frequent swims kept her body tanned all over, something she was happy that her dad and grandpa hadn’t noticed. They gave her as much privacy as they could, but their houses were small and among family, modesty sometimes had to step aside.
    She dove into the river and felt the cool water shock her skin and soak into her hair to tickle her scalp. It was a good thing she wasn’t among family or friends now; she only had the water to provide cover. She splashed around and rolled onto her back, striking out with her arms and kicking her feet to propel herself into the deeper middle of the river. She rolled over and dove until her finger touched the gritty bottom. Satisfied, she pushed off and kicked her way to the surface.
    Allie burst from the surface with enough force to rise out of the water all the way to her belly. She splashed back down and laughed with the sheer thrill of being alive. She swam around, twisting and swimming in circles in the water for a few moments until she grew tired. She lay on her back in the water and kicked against the current, staying mostly in place and closing her eyes so she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face and chest.
    Allie flipped over after several seconds. She knew she couldn’t fight the current long and didn’t dare risk floating too close to town. She struck out, swimming hard until her fingers grazed the bottom. She stood up and waded out of the water onto the western bank, moving forward and feeling a chill pimple her skin as the hot air kissed the water off her. The sun’s warmth chased the chill away and left her smiling on the shore.
    Allie glanced up at the midday sun and bit her lip. “I’ve got time,” she whispered and turned away from the river. She plunged into the tough grasses and tried her best to avoid the jagged leaves of the bushes and scrub trees with their sharp needles and thorns. She’d learned a few years back when she first began exploring the wilderness how protective clothing was.
    She slipped away from the river and up the slope that led to the steeper hills to the west. The mountains were a day’s ride to the west if the ground was flat. Instead, the terrain grew rougher and rougher. The closest road was south, in Assurion’s Crossing, and even that road only ran through the hills and eventually joined other roads.
    A few men lived in the hills, but as far as she knew, they were to the south and west. Trappers and hunters, the sort of man who lived alone for a reason. Her dad told her that rumor held of clans of dwarves living in the hills and at the edges of the mountains, but their silver mines had long gone dry and they’d left. All that remained was the elves on the other side of the mountains. That, and the things that lived in the mountains.
    Allie stopped and basked in the sunlight. She glanced back, making sure she was hidden from view of the river just in case. Satisfied that both trees and hills hid her, she turned back to the west and stared up at the hazy mountains. Something in the air, dust she’d heard, made them look fuzzy. They were beautiful but so tall and imposing. As much as she wanted to see them, they scared her. What sort of things could live in such a rocky and harsh place? Birds, sure, but she’d heard rumors and whispers of monsters, too.
    Allie smiled and shook her dark thoughts away. She was alive and free and the world was a warm and wonderful place. She danced along a game path and followed it to the north, twirling a few times just because she felt like doing it. She remembered a tune a bard had played a