Read Online Dragon's Ring by Dave Freer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dave Freer
Tags: Science-Fiction
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like an ungrateful, sulky brat, but unable to stop herself. She sat and shivered, the tears running down her face.
She heard the sound of a cork being drawn. "Here, scrap," he said in a tone that held both amusement and sympathy. "Drink some of this and take heart." He pushed a small metal bottle at her.
She waved it off weakly. "No. I don't want it."
He took her by the bristles of hair that the merrow had left her. Tilted her head back, and put the bottle to her lips. "I wasn't asking if you wanted it. I was telling you to drink it, little scrap."
Thus constrained, Meb did. It was like drinking honeyed fire. It went down, but started her coughing again. The gleeman gave her what he obviously considered a gentle pat on the back. "Let it work. It'll put heart into you. You're obviously fairly new to this sort of trade." She caught the flash of grin. "Or you'd have learned to swim and chosen a warmer night."
His firewater—or perhaps it was the honey in it—did seem to have helped. She wiped her eyes and nose with a wet shirt-sleeve. "Never did it before. I just . . . I was so hungry and cold and I saw your pouch . . . I'm sorry."
He grinned again. "Nothing in it but a few old rags. Learn. If you can see a fat pouch, belike someone wants you to see it. It was a bait, but I wasn't planning to catch a little fish like you."
"Are you a thief-taker then?" she asked warily. Even in little Cliff Cove she'd heard of them.
He looked shocked. "Me? Now what sort of thing is that to say to fellow who plucked you from the mucky water of the canal, scrap? No, I'm more like a taker from thieves."
"What do you mean?" she asked, curiously.
He looked up, cocking his head to listen. "Patrol coming. Come, we best be away from here. I'll explain. Methinks we need a fire to dry you out, youth."
She followed him up the stairs, and saw that he was heading for the alley next to the Green Lantern. Grabbed his cloak. "There are muggers waiting up there. I heard them . . . after they hit me, earlier."
The gleeman laughed, took her hand from his cloak and hauled her toward the alley. "You've had quite a night of it, young scrap. I know. I was waiting for them to come to me, when you decided to come for swimming lessons."
Meb looked at him in astonishment.
He took her by the sleeve, pulled her into the alley. "The patrol are just around the corner. Come on. Your two 'friends' have gone now. Let's get you some fire and ourselves a little something to pay for supper and bed. You look in need of them. It's that or getting you home to your mother."
"My mother is dead and my home has been burned to the ground," said Meb, dully. "I haven't got anywhere to go. I'd be very grateful for some food and a dry place to sleep. That's why I tried to steal from you. I didn't know what else to do."
He snorted. "So this is the first time you've ever stolen anything?" he said, his tone full of unbelief.
"A couple of windfall apples," said Meb, guiltily. "The dragon destroyed our village and our dam, and I had no food."
"Ah. A hardened criminal you are!" he said admiringly. "I could tell. So a dragon destroyed your home . . ." He paused. "A little fishing village, no doubt. Hmm. Let's get you a bit of recompense from the dragon."
She gaped at him. "From Lord Zuamar?"
"Could it have been another dragon?" asked the gleeman rhetorically. "This is his island after all. And it suits me. I like stealing from thieves. It's most entertaining. But if I can't take from small thieves, I'll take from a big one. And get you a fire to warm you properly, at the same time."
Meb's inner voice had to admit that she could see the pure joy of mugging muggers who had attacked her. With that in mind, and no certainty of what he planned to do next, but glad to let someone else do the planning, she let him lead her along several alleys and out into Tarport's central square. The
She heard the sound of a cork being drawn. "Here, scrap," he said in a tone that held both amusement and sympathy. "Drink some of this and take heart." He pushed a small metal bottle at her.
She waved it off weakly. "No. I don't want it."
He took her by the bristles of hair that the merrow had left her. Tilted her head back, and put the bottle to her lips. "I wasn't asking if you wanted it. I was telling you to drink it, little scrap."
Thus constrained, Meb did. It was like drinking honeyed fire. It went down, but started her coughing again. The gleeman gave her what he obviously considered a gentle pat on the back. "Let it work. It'll put heart into you. You're obviously fairly new to this sort of trade." She caught the flash of grin. "Or you'd have learned to swim and chosen a warmer night."
His firewater—or perhaps it was the honey in it—did seem to have helped. She wiped her eyes and nose with a wet shirt-sleeve. "Never did it before. I just . . . I was so hungry and cold and I saw your pouch . . . I'm sorry."
He grinned again. "Nothing in it but a few old rags. Learn. If you can see a fat pouch, belike someone wants you to see it. It was a bait, but I wasn't planning to catch a little fish like you."
"Are you a thief-taker then?" she asked warily. Even in little Cliff Cove she'd heard of them.
He looked shocked. "Me? Now what sort of thing is that to say to fellow who plucked you from the mucky water of the canal, scrap? No, I'm more like a taker from thieves."
"What do you mean?" she asked, curiously.
He looked up, cocking his head to listen. "Patrol coming. Come, we best be away from here. I'll explain. Methinks we need a fire to dry you out, youth."
She followed him up the stairs, and saw that he was heading for the alley next to the Green Lantern. Grabbed his cloak. "There are muggers waiting up there. I heard them . . . after they hit me, earlier."
The gleeman laughed, took her hand from his cloak and hauled her toward the alley. "You've had quite a night of it, young scrap. I know. I was waiting for them to come to me, when you decided to come for swimming lessons."
Meb looked at him in astonishment.
He took her by the sleeve, pulled her into the alley. "The patrol are just around the corner. Come on. Your two 'friends' have gone now. Let's get you some fire and ourselves a little something to pay for supper and bed. You look in need of them. It's that or getting you home to your mother."
"My mother is dead and my home has been burned to the ground," said Meb, dully. "I haven't got anywhere to go. I'd be very grateful for some food and a dry place to sleep. That's why I tried to steal from you. I didn't know what else to do."
He snorted. "So this is the first time you've ever stolen anything?" he said, his tone full of unbelief.
"A couple of windfall apples," said Meb, guiltily. "The dragon destroyed our village and our dam, and I had no food."
"Ah. A hardened criminal you are!" he said admiringly. "I could tell. So a dragon destroyed your home . . ." He paused. "A little fishing village, no doubt. Hmm. Let's get you a bit of recompense from the dragon."
She gaped at him. "From Lord Zuamar?"
"Could it have been another dragon?" asked the gleeman rhetorically. "This is his island after all. And it suits me. I like stealing from thieves. It's most entertaining. But if I can't take from small thieves, I'll take from a big one. And get you a fire to warm you properly, at the same time."
Meb's inner voice had to admit that she could see the pure joy of mugging muggers who had attacked her. With that in mind, and no certainty of what he planned to do next, but glad to let someone else do the planning, she let him lead her along several alleys and out into Tarport's central square. The
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