The Gryphonpike Chronicles by Annie Bellet

Author:Annie Bellet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

Dawn had stained the sky rose and ash by the time we emerged from the caverns and climbed the chain rings to the surface. Makha, Rahiel, and Azyrin were waiting for us. Makha leaned on her shield, holding the chain steady as I climbed over the lip of the sinkhole. Rahiel perched on Bill’s back, playing catscradle with silver thread. Azyrin stepped up to me, his ice-blue eyes searching me for injuries.

He helped pull Drake up and over behind me, clucking at the bloody stains and tears in the rogue’s shirt. All of them gasped when Drake held up the rapier.

“It is real.” Rahiel shook her head. “It is very shiny. Probably cursed.”

“I sense no evil in it,” Azyrin said as he touched hesitant fingers to the bell guard.

“You’re still a hambrained idiot for going off like that,” Makha said. “And you, Killer, for letting him.”

I pressed my lips together and raised an eyebrow. This was definitely not my fault. They could quibble about it all they wanted as long as I got a bath and soon. My scalp still itched.

“It is dwarfwork and its name is Reason,” Drake said. “It’s not evil. Also, I found the cave bacon. It’s stone. Seriously.”

“Where did you get the sword?” Rahiel asked, flying down closer to examine the blade.

“Let’s get back to the Duelist’s Daughter and I’ll tell the whole story.” Drake pointed toward Stonebarrow with his new sword.

“All right, you and the elf there could really use a bath, I guess.” Rahiel turned Bill away, her wings flicking open and shut. I hid my smile by ducking my head. She might have been the most vocal about not continuing on the day before, but the pixie-goblin couldn’t stand the idea of someone else having an adventure without her.

There were no millipedes in my hair, just a mountain’s worth of dirt and stone chips. After cleaning up, I followed Drake to the tavern. They weren’t open as yet but relentless knocking on the door into the kitchen got Myrie to open it. A coin and a quick word from Drake got her to let us all in.

We piled into the empty tavern as Myrie’s sister joined us, wiping her hands on her apron.

“What’s all this about then?” she asked.

“He said it was about the sword,” Myrie said. She held up the silver coin Drake had given her. “Wants another go.”

“It can’t wait til we open?”

“No,” Drake said. “You won’t want to wait, trust me.”

He strode to the hearth and took down the sheath. With an extravagant bow, he shook the sword free from the cloak he’d hidden it in. The sisters gasped. Not giving them time for words, Drake sheathed the sword.

Both sword and sheath disappeared and everyone jumped a little. Except for Drake. He grinned and took another bow.

“Word on the scabbard is ‘hidden’ in dwarvish,” he said. “Sword is named ‘Reason’. And I believe I have won the scabbard from you.”

“Gods above,” Myrie murmured. “Where’d it go?”

Drake unsheathed the sword he still held in his hand and both scabbard and blade reappeared.

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