Read Online Dragon's Egg by Sarah L. Thomson - Free Book Online

terrible dreams. She seemed to be drowning in black water; it pressed down on her face, keeping air from her lungs. She fought to swim, but her arms and legs wouldn’t obey her. She could only float limply, helplessly, as she was tumbled over rapids and bumped against stones and at last dragged over the edge of a huge waterfall. The pool at the bottom was so deep that she never stopped going down.
    It took a while for Mella to understand that she was awake. She was cold, as cold as if she truly were at the bottom of the deep black pool of her dreams, and she was lying on something rough and uncomfortable. What a terrible innthis was. The beds were hard as stone. She tried to reach up and rub her face, but something was wrong with her hands.
    â€œMella!”
    Someone was calling her. It was Lilla’s turn to light the fires. She should hurry. Then it wouldn’t be so cold.
    â€œWake up. Mella, please. Wake up.”
    Lilla would never say please. Puzzled, Mella opened her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize that she was looking at her own hands, tied together at the wrists with fine, strong cord. Then fear burned away the last of her sleepy daze, and she sat bolt upright with a gasp.
    She was sitting on the ground in a small clearing in the woods. It was a dark night, but the flickering, shifting orange light of a small fire let her see what was around her. Roger was not far away. His hands, like Mella’s, had been bound together in front of him. Another rope was around his waist, tethering him to the back wheel of a wagon. Twisting around, Mella discovered thatshe was tied the same way. The rope was too short to allow her to turn and get at the knots unless she could free her hands.
    â€œThank goodness,” Roger said, keeping his voice low. “I thought you were never going to wake up. I was getting worried.”
    â€œI’m still worried.” Mella found her voice shaking. She tried to steady it. “What happened? I was in our room at that inn….”
    Roger shrugged. He was picking at the cord around his wrists with his teeth. “Someone grabbed me from behind in the marketplace. He put something over my face. It smelled terrible. When I woke up, I was in that wagon. You were there too.”
    â€œBut who—”
    Roger nodded at something across the clearing. Mella’s question died in her throat.
    A man walked out of the darkness between two trees, carrying an armful of firewood. He dropped the sticks to the ground and came over to crouch on his heels near Mella and Roger.With his head tipped a bit to one side, he seemed to be looking them over as if they were dragons he was considering buying for his herd.
    The firelight was at his back, casting his face in shadow. Mella could only get a glimpse of fair hair, smooth against his skull, and the glint of gold on one hand. The merchant, she thought. The one from the inn.
    Suddenly, without speaking and without warning, the man reached forward and slapped Roger hard across the face. Mella gasped, but Roger didn’t cry out, or even put up his bound hands to wipe away the trickle of blood that came from his nose.
    â€œLeave those knots alone, or I’ll tie your hands behind you,” the man said pleasantly. “And you’ll find that’s a much less comfortable way to spend the night. Well, my little guests. I’m so pleased to see everyone awake. Did you have nice dreams?”
    He chuckled when neither of them answered.
    â€œWe must not be strangers to each other. Youmay call me Alain. It’s as good a name as any. And you need not fear; I am no murderer. Indeed, I’ll take very good care of you. Your father will pay handsomely, I’m sure, to have you back in one piece.”
    His eyes on Roger, he hardly seemed to notice that Mella was there. Somehow that made Mella angrier than being kidnapped and drugged and tied up.
    Roger sat up very straight. His voice, when he spoke, was