Dragon Sleeping (The Dragon Circle Trilogy Book 1) by Craig Shaw Gardner

Author:Craig Shaw Gardner
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: epic fantasy
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2015-12-26T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Six

Todd didn’t like the silence. Back home, this kind of quiet meant there was going to be a fight.

“So how do we rescue this—Nick?” Thomas asked abruptly, as if he had decided to cooperate for all of the Volunteers.

“I should be able to do it,” Obar replied, “as soon as Nunn turns his attention elsewhere.”

Wilbert laughed. “So what do you need us for?”

“I need you to find the Anno,” Obar replied simply. “We have to rescue the girl, too. Mary Lou. The only way we’re going to win is if we work together—the way we did before.”

“Oh, there we have it at last,” Wilbert said as he shook his head. “There’s something else you can’t do. I knew the little creatures were talented. So the Anno really are wizard-proof?”

“I can no longer see them,” Obar admitted. “They seem to have found a way to deaden my spells.”

“We can find them, easily enough,” Stanley volunteered as he looked up at the trees. “Wouldn’t be surprised if they were closer than you think, hey?”

Obar started. “Nunn is letting down his guard. There he is. Nick, I mean. He’s been fighting the wolves. I’ll only be a minute.”

The wizard light blinked out as Obar disappeared.

“Gone again,” Stanley said. He paused a moment to spit. “You sure this is such a good idea, hey?”

“Admit it, mate,” Wilbert replied gruffly. “You were getting tired of day-to-day survival, anyway. Besides, how much sand lizard can a person eat?”

“Mary Lou,” Thomas said as he moved silently off into the darkness.

“Let’s go meet our fate,” Wilbert agreed as he followed Thomas down the path. “Bobby and Todd, my boys, I trust you know your way around a knife.”

What did he mean by that? Todd had played around with a switchblade for a little while, but never in a fight. Before this, he’d never used anything but his fists. Maggie followed Wilbert, and Stanley waved for the boys to follow.

“Maggie’s good at this,” Wilbert went on. “She’ll show you how to get in close, slash ’em quick.”

“What’s that?” Maggie said, as if she wasn’t really listening. “What are you talking about? I can’t really train the boys in the dark, can I?”

“Then they’ll have to learn on the job, like the rest of us.” Wilbert laughed. “You see, fellows, the Anno don’t trust the four of us much. Comes from certain disagreements in the past.”

“And the fact that they’re filthy, murdering swine!” Stanley added. “Well, that, too,” Wilbert allowed. “The Anno recognize the four of us. And they know how hard we are to take advantage of.”

“That’s where they come in?” Maggie asked.

“We need bait,” Wilbert agreed jovially. “Newcomer bait.”

This time Stanley laughed. “Against the Anno. Bobby and Todd, you got my respect, hey? You folks are about to become full-fledged Volunteers!”

“Geesh, Todd, what are they going to have us do?” Bobby asked softly, as if there was any way Todd could know what was going on.

“Enough talk,” Thomas ordered from the front of the line. “Gettin’ close.”

Todd didn’t like this silence any more than the earlier one.

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