The Dragon Prince--A Sexy Medieval Fantasy Novelette from Steam Books by Annette Archer

Author:Annette Archer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steam Books
Published: 2013-09-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

The trail split twice and they went to the left each time, Estogan vaguely remembering that there had been right turns on the way in. The horses were snorting and frothing at their mouths, scared and not knowing what to expect next. Estogan was feeling exactly the same way.

And then they came up to the dead end.

Reining in their horses they sat there, completely still and staring. “I think,” Thronimere commented. “That we may have taken a wrong turn.”

“You powers of observation astound me once again,” Estogan snarled.

“I wasn’t the one who slept with the woman who’s trying to kill us.”

“Hmm. Quite. It was nearly worth it, though. Come on, back the way we came. As quietly as possible, right?”

The torchlight fell back on the path behind them. Near the far end, a huge shadow stood. The circle of light from Thronimere’s torch reached just to where it loomed, but no closer. Estogan followed the dark edges of it up, up, to a long and sweeping arch that he knew was the thing’s neck, sweeping up to a wide, thick head.

Dragon. The beast had found them.

Now that he was aware of its presence he could hear the deep, powerful breaths being slowly taken in and then expelled again. It shifted slowly, easing toward them a little at a time, until the light fell on a shimmering of golden scales rippling along a heavy arm ending in a claw with sharp talons. This monster seemed to be only just twice as tall as Estogan. Average height for a dragon, by all reports. More than enough to kill both Estogan and Thronimere.

Its head hovered into the light. It was reptilian, but the eyes held a wily intelligence that was almost human. Tiny, stubby horns protruded in lines up its cheekbones and around the back of it skull. Its lips parted and a long, thin tongue lolled out before slipping back in between a row of sharp, jagged teeth.

Then it spoke.

“I am Wayfire,” it said in a deep, rumbling voice. “This is my territory. Many have marked it before me but now it is mine. You are trespassing.”

Estogan swallowed hard before he could form any words. “We mean no offense, great dragon.”

The creature snorted and little plumes of smoke rose up into the darkness. “You offend me by breathing the same air, little slug.”

That was not a good sign.

“I suppose we should be leaving then,” Thronimere offered.

The dragon growled. “Do you expect me to forgive this insult so lightly, little slug?”

“I had always heard great things of the dragons,” Estogan said smoothly. “I have heard of their intelligence, and their forbearance, and their wisdom. I’m sure you can see that we are just two simple travelers. We only want to continue on our way.”

The dragon took two more steps towards them, head twisting to stare at the two of them, wings settling tighter against its body. “Few people have any reason to travel in these lands. What brought you here?”

Estogan considered several

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