The Vengeance of Snails (Penny White Book 4) by Chrys Cymri

Author:Chrys Cymri [Cymri, Chrys]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2017-10-18T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

With Clyde gone, and the gryphons hunting outside for their meals, dinner was a quiet affair. James quizzed Lord Willis about his business practices. I was impressed with my brother’s questions, and allowed myself to even feel a little pride. Some energy had finally returned to his voice, and he nearly knocked over his wine glass several times as he waved his hands in emphasis.

I finally left them to their discussions. The conversation had moved on to international trade. Although I was intrigued by some of the information, such as the difficulties of negotiating with the landvaettir of Iceland, there was too much focus on transport conditions and exchange rates. So I trudged up the ramp to our wing of the house.

Voices from the gryphons’ room drew me down the landing. Taryn saw me at the doorway, and she lifted her head to welcome me in.

The gryphons were sprawled across a pile of furs which covered most of the floor. Morey was addressing the eyasses. ‘Do you want one more story before bed?’

The four smaller gryphons squealed eager affirmatives. I lowered myself to the ground.

‘There was once a unicorn who decided to go on a long journey.’ Morey growled. ‘This was through a bad part of the country, where there were no heddlu to keep people like her safe.’

‘Then why did she go?’ Rothgen asked.

‘Sometimes,’ Taryn said, ‘we have to make journeys which are dangerous. The unicorn would have had good reason.’

‘When the unicorn was far away from any town,’ Morey continued, ‘a group of robbers set upon her. They stole her gold chain and beat her with tails and swords.’

‘What were they?’ Gwilym asked. ‘Dragons?’

‘Couldn’t be,’ Eiddwen said. ‘Dragons can’t carry swords.’

‘It doesn’t matter who the robbers were,’ Morey said steadily. ‘Every species has good people as well as bad.’

‘Not all,’ Rothgen said. ‘Some are just bad. Like those snail sharks. They wanted to kill us.’

‘But Uncle Clyde’s good,’ Eiddwen countered.

‘Okay,’ Rothgen allowed. ‘But the rest are just bad.’

Morey waited until the eyasses had finished agreeing with her. ‘So the unicorn was left in a ditch, barely alive.’

‘She needs to be saved!’ Gwilym announced. ‘Unicorns are good!’

I suppressed a sigh. Even at this age, denizens of Lloegyr were being indoctrinated into this common misbelief about unicorns. It was almost like a cult.

‘An archdruid came along the road,’ Morey continued. ‘She saw the injured unicorn, but she hung back. There was no sign as to which herd she belonged, and the archdruid was due to lead an important ceremony in the forest. She couldn’t risk getting blood on her hooves. So she hurried past.’

‘But she’s an archdruid,’ Eiddwen wailed. ‘How could she?’

Annest nudged her. ‘Like Dad said, every species has good as well as bad.’

‘Next along the road was a dwarf.’

‘Oh, he’ll help,’ said Rothgen. ‘Dwarves are good. Like Erskine.’

‘The dwarf came close to the ditch.’ Morey paused, making the younger gryphons lean forward, tense in anticipation. ‘He saw the unicorn, but also knew he had no way to take her to safety.

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