Servant: The Dark God Book One (Volume 1) by John Brown Page A

Talen’s attempts to make them reconcile, the bird and the dog did not get along.
    The dog’s warren lay underneath the old house on the far side. Blue must have been there the whole time.
    But he should have barked at whoever was here.
    Talen took a few steps, again giving the corner a wide berth, and peered down the side of the old house.
    He saw nothing but Queen wriggling her way out of the mouth of the warren they’d dug underneath the house.
    Perhaps whoever it was had run around. Talen darted back to see between the old house and the barn. If it was Sammesh, he’d clobber him. This was no time to be running about stealing meat. But Talen found nothing.
    So he yelled and ran about the old house itself; halfway around he reversed directions to trick whoever it was. Blue thought it was some game and followed him with playful woofs.
    Talen raced back to where he’d began and found nothing, nobody. Yet Talen had seen someone. He wasn’t imagining it.
    He looked down at Blue. What good was a dog that didn’t bark? “You’re a fine fellow,” said Talen.
    Blue licked Talen’s hand then wiggled his way between Talen’s legs.
    Talen groaned and shook his head. Overfed and underworked, that’s what that dog was. Talen pushed Blue away and gave him the eye. Then he walked over to the side of the old house where he’d seen the figure disappear. The line of the woods was a good thirty yards from here. It would have to have been an exceedingly lively creature to cover that distance between the time Talen had heard that last noise and seen Blue. And it would have had to run very quietly.
    That ruled out Sammesh.
    Goh. He gripped the cudgel tighter.
    He thought of the sod roof. The edges were low enough for someone to climb. They could be up there getting ready to spring. Talen spun around and scampered back.
    But there was nothing on the roof.
    He circled the whole house again, scanning the ground for foot prints.
    Nothing.
    He took a step back and out of the corner of his eye saw something in the grass: one of their painted wooden spoons lying at an odd angle. He bent over and picked it up. Soft bits of fresh barley porridge still clung to it. Whoever or whatever it was had been in the house and dropped it here.
    Talen scanned the yard about him.
    The sleth hatchlings were here, in the woods, watching. Talen was sure of it.
    He studied the woods and backed away.
    For some reason the dogs hadn’t barked, hadn’t even smelled the intruder when it was only a few paces away. It was said that sleth had some power over beasts. Talen cast a wary glance down at Blue and Queen. Could they have been subverted? He studied the dogs, but could see nothing that might reveal the truth of it.
    Talen retreated back to the well. He could run or bluff, but running was not proving a good choice today, so he kept an eye about and drew the first bucket of water. His heart raced, but you had to fight fear; had to fake courage sometimes until it came of its own accord. They were children, Da had said. Only children. Talen needed to show this visitor he wasn’t scared.
    So he set the bucket on the side of the well, cleared his throat, and said, “One of these days, you beast-loving tanner’s pot, we are going to catch you and let you join your mother in the cage.”
    He waited for a response.
    “You’ve come to the wrong farm, you yeasty boil.”
    Talen poured the water into the hoggin then dropped the bucket back down into the well.
    He scanned the tree line again. If the thing charged at him out of the woods, it would catch him before he got to the pig pen. But then, if the hatchling were going to attack him, it could have done it earlier.
    “Sleth child,” Talen called out, “As you can plainly see, I do not fear you. Nor do we fear your abominable depredations.” He realized his talk had taken the edge off his fear. So he continued, “You want something to eat? Eh? Come out and I’ll feed you. How about a moldy crust of bread