Dragon King 1 - In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen R. Lawhead

Author:Stephen R. Lawhead [Lawhead, Stephen R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy & Magic, Juvenile Fiction, Religious, Epic, Christian Life
ISBN: 9781595543790
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Inc
Published: 1985-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

“To Tuck, then,” said Quentin. His heart was much lighter and his mind at ease. He had not wanted to give up Toli’s company and would have tried to persuade him to remain if that had been the case. This master and servant situation, however, would require some getting used to.

He had not known the extent of Toli’s loyalty toward him and wondered if he were at all capable of being a good master. Already the responsibility weighed heavier than he would have supposed.

They rode along together through a wet afternoon and stopped to spend a soggy evening along the trail under the skimpy shelter afforded by a long-limbed evergreen whose branches brushed the ground.

Toli tethered the horses and allowed them to walk a short pace to graze on nearby clumps of grass and forest foliage. Quentin unrolled the packs under the evergreen boughs and made a dry, soft bed by piling up the aromatic needles. Toli gathered dry bark and stones and soon had a small fire going to warm them and dry out their sopping clothing.

Night fell quickly in the forest and the two lay in the dark listening to the drip of water from the high boughs and the small crackling of their little fire. Quentin stretched himself upon his bedroll and breathed the fragrant balsam deep into his lungs.

“What do you think of the new god?” Quentin asked absently, searching the darkness nearby for the glitter of Toli’s eyes.

In all the time they had spent at Dekra, he had not spoken to Toli about any of the Ariga religion. Now that oversight embarrassed him.

“He is not new. The Jher have always known him.”

“I did not know. What do you call him?”

“Whinoek.”

“Whinoek,” Quentin repeated to himself. “I like that very much. What does it mean?”

“You would say it means Father . . . Father of Life.” TWENTY-EIGHT

“IT IS a slim chance, but it is a chance,” said Durwin, lifting off the first of the water barrel lids.

“I only wonder why we did not think of it sooner,” remarked Theido. “Keep your ear to the door and be ready to sing out,” he added, whispering across the hold to Trenn crouching at the top of the steps.

Durwin took a handful of yellowish-looking powder from a cloth which Alinea held in her hands. He sprinkled it into the water in the barrel and Theido stirred it with a broken oar and replaced the lid.

“Do you think they will come for water today?” asked Alinea. The three moved on to the next barrel and repeated the procedure.

“I hope so.” Theido rolled his eyes upward to the deck overhead. “They come every second day to replenish the stoups on deck with fresh water. With any luck at all they will come today, too. Though we must be close to land by now—they may wait.”

“We do what we can. Just to be sure, we will refrain from contaminating this last barrel; it will be for our use.” Durwin shook the last of the powder into the keg and dusted his hands over the top.

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