Dragon Blood by Andrew Stanek

Author:Andrew Stanek [Stanek, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 2016-07-23T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 30

“That’s your mother?” Leo asked sharply.

Natalia’s mother rounded a corner.

“Wait!” Natalia shouted and, errand forgotten, began to run down the street.

“No, you wait!” Leo shouted back. Didn’t she realize it wasn’t safe? He dashed after her. Oswald, who was still carrying the sacks of coal, tried to run after them, but the street was crowded. Natalia chased her mother recklessly, shoving through groups of people, knocking aside a woman carrying a bundle of bags on her back, colliding with a blind man with a stick and heavy dark glasses, and weaving around a braying donkey that had been left with a cart in the middle of the road.

Leo managed to pick out a path that let him avoid all these things, although he missed the donkey by inches rather than yards, and sprinted after Natalia. Natalia had reached the end of the street and rounded it.

“Mother!” she called, drawing the attention of many curious onlookers who were wandering around the street. At the opposite end of the street, Leo saw the gray veil and black hair of Natalia’s mother, who had apparently not heard them. She was rounding another corner. Natalia started after her again, but Leo grabbed her and pulled her out of the way just before a heavy cart drawn by two horses barreled down the street at extreme speed, forcing the crowds aside. It could have easily run her down.

“But my mother,” Natalia gasped.

Without more explanation, she rose and darted after her.

Down the streets they chased Natalia’s mother, never quite catching up to her as mundane obstacles got in their way, but never quite losing sight of her either. Natalia chased her frantically and the streets grew thinner and thinner as they trekked away from the city center until, finally, they saw the woman they were chasing duck into a small park or terrace with trees and outdoor tables on the edge of the city. Natalia and Leo ran onto the terrace and found the woman settling down into one of the chairs at a table, beneath the shade of a tree.

Natalia ran up breathlessly to the woman.

“Mother,” she said.

The woman stared up with surprise.

“Natalia!” she exclaimed, and suddenly rose and embraced her daughter tightly. “Oh, my girl. I was afraid you might be here. I didn’t think it was true... but I’m so glad to see that you’re safe.”

Though she was wearing a funny gray veil over her hair that kept shifting with the wind, Leo could clearly see the family resemblance between the two women. Both had long, shiny dark hair and dull green eyes, and they smiled a very similar smile to one another. Leo was less excited to see Natalia’s mother. He sighed and looked around. They had lost Oswald at some point, which was very bad indeed. Oswald was the one who knew the way back, and also had the sacks of coal which they had been sent to fetch.

Natalia clearly didn’t have her mind on such pragmatic matters and she hugged her mother.

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