Read Online Desolation (Dragonlands Book 4) by Megg Jensen - Free Book Online
Authors: Megg Jensen
Tags: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Ads: Link
not boring. I am trying to save the Dragonlands. Why are you so frivolous?"
"Stop," Tressa said, holding her hands in the air. "Both of you are welcome to your opinions, but I don't see anything wrong with either of your attitudes. Yes, we are on a serious quest. Yes, it is good to take a breath and relax for a few moments. Maybe even have a laugh."
Fi rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her aching feet. Donovan sat on a rock and pulled a pipe from his vest. He stuffed a wad of herbs in the bowl, and rested the stem between his lips.
"Ha!" Fi said, pointing at him. "If you hadn't taken my dragon, I could light that for you."
Donovan ignored her. He pulled a small tin box from an interior pocket. He flipped the lid open; the items laid neatly inside intriguing Tressa. A flint and steel were to light his pipe, but also a sturdy needle and thick thread. It was a strange combination. In moments, the pipe was lit. A light plume of smoke curled up from the bowl as Donovan puffed away, his lips puckering every few breaths. A sweet smell Tressa didn't recognize lingered in the air. He closed his eyes. "We will leave soon."
Tressa leaned down and grabbed Fi's water skin. "I'm going to fill these up over there." She pointed just past Donovan. "I don't want Fi's foot stink in my water skin for the rest of the day."
Fi waved Tressa away and leaned back, her arms crossed behind her head. She was asleep in mere moments, a gentle snore falling from her lips as a light shadow spread across her body.
Tressa tiptoed upriver, trying not to make any noise while her friend rested. She dipped her water skin into the river. When the skin was full, bubbles popped from the spout. Tressa pulled the skin out and replaced the cork. Then she repeated the process with Fi's skin. Tressa shook the water from the outside of the water skins, then slung both around her neck, letting them rest at her waist. She'd give Fi's back when they were ready to leave. There was no reason to bother her friend while she got some much-needed rest.
Instead of relaxing like the other two, Tressa stretched. Her arms rose above her head, fingers laced. She rolled her shoulders, letting her arms fall back. Tressa bent forward at the waist, elongating her back muscles. She smiled and closed her eyes, remembering how Leo had taught her to condition her body, giving her more strength, flexibility, and stamina. If two warriors were evenly matched, winning often came down to who could outlast the other. Tressa swore before she tried out for the Black Guard in Ashoom that she would always last longer than anyone else.
Tressa stood straight and lazily opened her eyes. Donovan still sat on his rock, smoke coming from his pipe. She looked beyond him to Fi... but her friend was nowhere to be seen.
"Fi?" Tressa called out. Puzzled, Tressa looked around. Unless Fi had submerged under the water, there was no place to hide. "Donovan," she said nervously, "did you see where Fi went?"
Donovan's eyes popped open. "Gone? She couldn't go anywhere. I did not hear her, either." He sprang up, his pipe on the ground and his sword in his hand. He walked carefully to where Fi had been. "Did you see anything unusual?" he asked Tressa.
"No, nothing. When I walked away, Fi was sleeping peacefully under the shadow of a cloud."
Donovan pointed up at the cloudless sky. "That was not a normal shadow," he said. "It was a shade. I fear your friend has been taken."
Chapter Eleven
Connor ran toward the village square, Hazel fast on his heels. The children's screams grew louder and shriller. Connor rounded a house and stopped abruptly. He swung out his arm, catching Hazel before she could run past him.
"Stop," he ordered.
"My babies," she whispered through gasping breaths.
Their eyes were trained on the grassy area just beyond the children. A dark shape rose from the ground, undulating in wisps. Fotia and Vatra stood between it and the human children, hissing and spurting
"Stop," Tressa said, holding her hands in the air. "Both of you are welcome to your opinions, but I don't see anything wrong with either of your attitudes. Yes, we are on a serious quest. Yes, it is good to take a breath and relax for a few moments. Maybe even have a laugh."
Fi rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her aching feet. Donovan sat on a rock and pulled a pipe from his vest. He stuffed a wad of herbs in the bowl, and rested the stem between his lips.
"Ha!" Fi said, pointing at him. "If you hadn't taken my dragon, I could light that for you."
Donovan ignored her. He pulled a small tin box from an interior pocket. He flipped the lid open; the items laid neatly inside intriguing Tressa. A flint and steel were to light his pipe, but also a sturdy needle and thick thread. It was a strange combination. In moments, the pipe was lit. A light plume of smoke curled up from the bowl as Donovan puffed away, his lips puckering every few breaths. A sweet smell Tressa didn't recognize lingered in the air. He closed his eyes. "We will leave soon."
Tressa leaned down and grabbed Fi's water skin. "I'm going to fill these up over there." She pointed just past Donovan. "I don't want Fi's foot stink in my water skin for the rest of the day."
Fi waved Tressa away and leaned back, her arms crossed behind her head. She was asleep in mere moments, a gentle snore falling from her lips as a light shadow spread across her body.
Tressa tiptoed upriver, trying not to make any noise while her friend rested. She dipped her water skin into the river. When the skin was full, bubbles popped from the spout. Tressa pulled the skin out and replaced the cork. Then she repeated the process with Fi's skin. Tressa shook the water from the outside of the water skins, then slung both around her neck, letting them rest at her waist. She'd give Fi's back when they were ready to leave. There was no reason to bother her friend while she got some much-needed rest.
Instead of relaxing like the other two, Tressa stretched. Her arms rose above her head, fingers laced. She rolled her shoulders, letting her arms fall back. Tressa bent forward at the waist, elongating her back muscles. She smiled and closed her eyes, remembering how Leo had taught her to condition her body, giving her more strength, flexibility, and stamina. If two warriors were evenly matched, winning often came down to who could outlast the other. Tressa swore before she tried out for the Black Guard in Ashoom that she would always last longer than anyone else.
Tressa stood straight and lazily opened her eyes. Donovan still sat on his rock, smoke coming from his pipe. She looked beyond him to Fi... but her friend was nowhere to be seen.
"Fi?" Tressa called out. Puzzled, Tressa looked around. Unless Fi had submerged under the water, there was no place to hide. "Donovan," she said nervously, "did you see where Fi went?"
Donovan's eyes popped open. "Gone? She couldn't go anywhere. I did not hear her, either." He sprang up, his pipe on the ground and his sword in his hand. He walked carefully to where Fi had been. "Did you see anything unusual?" he asked Tressa.
"No, nothing. When I walked away, Fi was sleeping peacefully under the shadow of a cloud."
Donovan pointed up at the cloudless sky. "That was not a normal shadow," he said. "It was a shade. I fear your friend has been taken."
Chapter Eleven
Connor ran toward the village square, Hazel fast on his heels. The children's screams grew louder and shriller. Connor rounded a house and stopped abruptly. He swung out his arm, catching Hazel before she could run past him.
"Stop," he ordered.
"My babies," she whispered through gasping breaths.
Their eyes were trained on the grassy area just beyond the children. A dark shape rose from the ground, undulating in wisps. Fotia and Vatra stood between it and the human children, hissing and spurting
Similar Books
