Elf Dog and Owl Head: Chapters 1–3

by M.T. Anderson
With a virus shutting down most of his world aboveground, young Clay O'Brian decides to play in the woods, where he meets an elf-hound that belongs to the People Under the Mountain and an owl-head boy who lives in a hidden village.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–3, Chapters 4–9, Chapters 10–14, Chapters 15–21
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. petrified
    (of organic matter) turned to stone or a stonelike substance
    It was Monday, so they were hunting wyrms in the petrified forest.
  2. bound
    move forward by leaping
    The pack of elf-hounds bounded past stone trees, barking and howling.
  3. elegant
    refined and tasteful in appearance, behavior, or style
    She was a young elf-hound, slim and elegant, with bright, sharp eyes.
  4. straggler
    someone who strays or falls behind
    She reached the pack, hopping over huge mushrooms and shelves of fungus. Easily, she soared past stragglers.
  5. monocle
    lens for correcting defective vision in one eye
    “Good day for a hunt,” said a count, squinting after the wyrm through his rune-covered monocle.
  6. blare
    make a loud noise
    And so, with great horns blaring behind them, the pack tumbled up the passage that led out of the petrified forest, out of the caverns, and into the bright sunlight of the forest aboveground.
  7. sputter
    spit up in an explosive manner
    Their wizards rode to either side of the Hunt, cranking magical machines that sputtered out smoke.
  8. retreat
    the act of withdrawing or going backward
    The hunt was over. The duke made a sign to the huntsman, who blew a retreat on his horn. The People Under the Mountain turned their horses around slowly and headed back toward the entrance to the cave, muttering angrily.
  9. mystical
    beyond ordinary understanding
    The mystical fog drifted through the trees, growing fainter. Soon, the spring breeze blew it away completely. It was as if the hunt had never happened.
  10. waft
    be driven or carried along, as by the air
    The most incredible smells wafted out.
  11. helter-skelter
    haphazardly
    It spun there for a second in the sun, wobbled, and then fell helter-skelter back down toward the ground.
  12. glare
    an angry stare
    But somehow, he felt the glare of the large golden eyes on his back.
  13. bay
    bark with prolonged noises, of dogs
    A dog! A mad dog! It was sprinting right toward him, growling and baying.
  14. piercing
    very perceptive
    With a piercing gaze, she studied the shadows.
  15. bough
    any of the larger branches of a tree
    A few spruce boughs wriggled as something big climbed under them.
  16. glitzy
    tastelessly showy
    It was an ugly collar, too glitzy, with lots of fake pearls and diamonds and rubies.
  17. anticipation
    expecting with confidence of fulfillment
    He twitched the Frisbee as if he were about to throw it. He wanted to see if she knew the game, if she ran in anticipation.
  18. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    He trudged over and picked up the Frisbee.
  19. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    She supposed it was worth the trouble—it was made of some precious substance, subtle in color as jade but tough as bone and light as paper, smelling of this new human world and its miracles.
  20. deliberately
    with intention; in an intentional manner
    So he deliberately threw it into a treetop.
  21. haunch
    the upper part of the leg of an animal, often used for food
    She sat on her haunches and watched him back.
  22. fumble
    feel about uncertainly or blindly
    He fumbled in the pine needles, trying to feel the rim of the Frisbee.
  23. ramble
    move about aimlessly or without any destination
    He rambled down the hill to the house.
  24. sneer
    express through a scornful smile
    Juniper sneered, “You can’t tell the difference between a deer and a bear?”
  25. constable
    a law officer with limited authority
    Clay’s mother gave DiRossi a Look and then said, “We should see if anyone’s missing a dog. We can call the town constable and check on the town forum.”
  26. forum
    a medium, especially a website, for discussion of ideas and issues
    “And we should put a note on the village Fireside Forum to see who’s missing her. Obviously someone loves her.”
  27. convey
    serve as a means for expressing something
    The dog, waiting for a better dish, gave the human child a look that she believed would convey I am a royal elf-hound of the People Under the Mountain, and I am used to being served by page boys with platters.
  28. noble
    of or belonging to hereditary aristocracy
    The elf-hound looked at the dainty little fishes, served upon a dish made of that remarkable metal like bone—red, this time, the deep red of a dragon’s tongue or her own noble ears.
  29. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    “People have seen all kinds of things out there. You know. Lights floating up at the top of the mountain. Strange animals. People dressed up like long ago. And you know why? You know what the secret is?” He leaned close to the screen, his voice a whisper.
    Clay was intrigued.
  30. frustrating
    discouraging by hindering
    It was so frustrating to only see your friends on a screen.
  31. prod
    poke or thrust abruptly
    She squatted down to prod the dirt in the raised vegetable beds.
  32. skulk
    move stealthily
    He never seemed to notice the scent of beasts from other worlds skulking through the woods a few weeks before.
  33. foundation
    lowest support of a structure
    They walked up through woods of beech and birch, past the stone foundations of houses that had vanished long before.
  34. billowing
    characterized by great swelling waves or surges
    About a mile away, there was a village center peeking out through the billowing trees.
  35. steeple
    a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building
    Clay could see the roofs of a few houses, the white steeple of a church, and the green of some lawns and gardens.
  36. stoop
    bend one's back forward from the waist on down
    Clay stooped down to hide behind a stump.
  37. racket
    a loud and disturbing noise
    Someone was going to hear all that racket.
  38. rune
    a letter from an ancient Germanic alphabet
    “In the runes of that people, it says, ‘Elphinore.’”
  39. unfurl
    unroll, unfold, or spread out
    The cabbages were growing. He could actually see them growing as he watched. Leaves were unfurling.
  40. frilly
    having decorative ruffles or similar ornamentation
    Their round, frilly heads were rising from the ground like the heads of the dead.
Created on Sun Apr 21 12:38:26 EDT 2024 (updated Mon Apr 22 09:46:05 EDT 2024)

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