A Mark of Kings (The Shattered Reigns Book 1) by Bryce O'Connor & Luke Chmilenko

Author:Bryce O'Connor & Luke Chmilenko [O'Connor, Bryce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-29T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

They claimed a trio of clean beds in the far corner of the common quarters, that night. Once everyone was settled, Declan descended again to trade stories with Vasser for an hour or so over a glass of good brandy procured for them by the outpost staff. The night was deep before he bade his old brother-at-arms goodnight and farewell, not likely to catch him in the morning as the man had rounds to attend to about the city. Declan returned to Bonner and Ester to find that Ryn had joined them, having taken to his hawk’s form and flown through an open window in the west wall, much to the astonishment of the handful of other men and women sharing the chamber with them. The yr’Essels had been busy regaling the dragon in quiet whispers of the evening’s excitement, and Declan joined them eagerly, happy to repeat the tale from his own point of view for Ryn’s general delight.

Treated to their first real beds in days, and with no need to post a lookout, the party slept so soundly they were only roused the following morning by dusty sunlight streaming in through the east windows over the neighboring buildings, several hours after dawn’s rise. Waking first, Declan and Ester took advantage of a couple of screened-off bathing barrels set in a small courtyard behind the outpost for just the purpose. It felt good to be clean, even if they had to don the same clothes they’d worn into the city afterward, and by the time they made it back to the common quarters Bonner and Ryn had awoken to the smell of breakfast provided by the kitchens of The King’s Flag next door. The four together dined on a filling breakfast of fresh bread, oatmeal, and bacon, Declan, Ester, and Bonner surreptitiously sneaking their meat portions to the dragon. As the trays were being cleared by office staff, their funds were presented to them by a clerk in dark robes adorned with the Iron Wing’s mark across her left breast. Despite their protests, the woman refused to leave until she’d personally watched them count the coins down to the last, including the promised sack of one hundred copper pennies, four to the leht, twenty to the lever.

Once left to their own devices, it wasn’t more than ten minutes before the four of them were back on the bright streets of Ranheln, Declan and Ryn taking the lead again. The dragon found an empty alley in which to transform back into a horse, and so the clop of hooves rejoined them while they walked, pressing through the morning crowd that only tightened with every step they took towards the market districts. The buzz of the city was abound, far more so than it had been the night before, and there was plenty to take in as they moved. Ester’s head craned this way and that, mesmerized, and even Bonner’s intrigue was apparent, the man muttering in interest at everything from the diamond-paned shop windows to the architecture of the buildings themselves.

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