Read Online Steel and Stone by Ellen Porath - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ellen Porath
Ads: Link
up a gift for Flint,” Tanis rejoined. “His first choice would be ale, I’m sure, but I’m not sure I want to haul a keg of Haven ale from here to Solace.”
“Isn’t it lunchtime?” Kitiara asked, her attention arrested by the calls of a man stirring a caldron of soup, which scented the air with sage, basil, and bay leaves.
Tanis followed her obligingly to an open bench near the soup vendor. “You guard the seat,” he told her. “I’ll pay; I’ve got a few coins.”
“We ought to divide up the booty from the will-o’-the-wisp,” Kitiara murmured.
Tanis nodded. “After lunch.”
He returned a few moments later, bearing a wooden tray upon which sat two steaming bowls of soup andthick slices of white bread sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. They ate in silence for a while, savoring the chewy bread and peppery soup. Tanis carefully brushed sesame seeds from the beading on his new shirt, which prompted Kitiara to drop her hand to her thigh, where the sheath held—nothing.
“Tanis! My dagger’s gone! The kender!”
The half-elf leaped up. So did Kitiara. Then they were off in different directions.
Tanis pushed through the packed lanes as quickly as he could, gazing right and left, but he saw no sign of the brown-eyed kender. He made his way back to Sonnus Ironmill’s wagon. The dwarf was perched at the back of the vehicle, his short legs dangling off the back. Studiously ignoring several prospective customers, Ironmill clutched a tankard and munched a sandwich. Tanis smelled fish, garlic, and ale as he drew near and asked about the kender. He had to shout his question three times, each time louder, before the dwarf deigned to look down and reply.
“The last time I saw the thieving sneak, she was headin’ that way.” Ironmill pointed. “Guard your money pouch, half-elf. Drizzleneff Gatehop’s a quick one.” He paused, then resumed grumbling. “But Drizzleneff’s no worse than most of the scalawags I have to deal with. At least a kender doesn’t
intend
to be a scalawag.”
Ironmill looked away; clearly he considered the conversation over. He was obviously startled a moment later when Tanis swung himself up onto the wagon next to Ironmill and stood on tiptoe, scanning the crowd for signs of the kender.
The view wasn’t much better from the wagon than it was from the ground. Tents and banners gave the half-elf mere glimpses of what lay beyond the immediaterow. Tanis’s quick eyes did catch sight of Kitiara, who strode through the marketgoers, shoving and glowering at anyone who got in her way. He found himself hoping, for the kender’s sake, that the half-elf caught up with Drizzleneff Gatehop before the swordswoman did.
He didn’t get his wish. An outcry at the end of Ironmill’s lane and ripples in the crowd as marketgoers turned to watch the fracas alerted Tanis. He leaped down and shoved through to the middle of the commotion.
Kitiara had her dagger back. In fact, its glittering blade danced near Drizzleneff’s neck. Kitiara’s left arm was around the creature’s chest; her right hand held the blade. “I should end your miserable existence right here, and no one could stop me, kender!” Kitiara shouted. A few of the vendors cheered.
“I was
looking
for you!” Drizzleneff squawked. “I found your dagger …”
“… in its sheath on my leg, you sneak!”
Drizzleneff Gatehop, breath rasping, stopped to consider Kitiara’s words. Then she shrugged and went on. “Well, it
did
seem to be a dangerous place for you to carry it, if you ask me. What if there were pickpock—” Her sentence ended in a choking sound as Kitiara clamped down tighter with her left arm.
“Listen to me, kender.”
Drizzleneff barely nodded. Her face grew pink.
“
Never
come near me again.” Kitiara’s voice was almost a whisper. The fascinated passersby had to lean close to catch her words. “
Never
. Understand?” The kender’s eyes grew glassy as she struggled to break free.
Tanis
“Isn’t it lunchtime?” Kitiara asked, her attention arrested by the calls of a man stirring a caldron of soup, which scented the air with sage, basil, and bay leaves.
Tanis followed her obligingly to an open bench near the soup vendor. “You guard the seat,” he told her. “I’ll pay; I’ve got a few coins.”
“We ought to divide up the booty from the will-o’-the-wisp,” Kitiara murmured.
Tanis nodded. “After lunch.”
He returned a few moments later, bearing a wooden tray upon which sat two steaming bowls of soup andthick slices of white bread sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. They ate in silence for a while, savoring the chewy bread and peppery soup. Tanis carefully brushed sesame seeds from the beading on his new shirt, which prompted Kitiara to drop her hand to her thigh, where the sheath held—nothing.
“Tanis! My dagger’s gone! The kender!”
The half-elf leaped up. So did Kitiara. Then they were off in different directions.
Tanis pushed through the packed lanes as quickly as he could, gazing right and left, but he saw no sign of the brown-eyed kender. He made his way back to Sonnus Ironmill’s wagon. The dwarf was perched at the back of the vehicle, his short legs dangling off the back. Studiously ignoring several prospective customers, Ironmill clutched a tankard and munched a sandwich. Tanis smelled fish, garlic, and ale as he drew near and asked about the kender. He had to shout his question three times, each time louder, before the dwarf deigned to look down and reply.
“The last time I saw the thieving sneak, she was headin’ that way.” Ironmill pointed. “Guard your money pouch, half-elf. Drizzleneff Gatehop’s a quick one.” He paused, then resumed grumbling. “But Drizzleneff’s no worse than most of the scalawags I have to deal with. At least a kender doesn’t
intend
to be a scalawag.”
Ironmill looked away; clearly he considered the conversation over. He was obviously startled a moment later when Tanis swung himself up onto the wagon next to Ironmill and stood on tiptoe, scanning the crowd for signs of the kender.
The view wasn’t much better from the wagon than it was from the ground. Tents and banners gave the half-elf mere glimpses of what lay beyond the immediaterow. Tanis’s quick eyes did catch sight of Kitiara, who strode through the marketgoers, shoving and glowering at anyone who got in her way. He found himself hoping, for the kender’s sake, that the half-elf caught up with Drizzleneff Gatehop before the swordswoman did.
He didn’t get his wish. An outcry at the end of Ironmill’s lane and ripples in the crowd as marketgoers turned to watch the fracas alerted Tanis. He leaped down and shoved through to the middle of the commotion.
Kitiara had her dagger back. In fact, its glittering blade danced near Drizzleneff’s neck. Kitiara’s left arm was around the creature’s chest; her right hand held the blade. “I should end your miserable existence right here, and no one could stop me, kender!” Kitiara shouted. A few of the vendors cheered.
“I was
looking
for you!” Drizzleneff squawked. “I found your dagger …”
“… in its sheath on my leg, you sneak!”
Drizzleneff Gatehop, breath rasping, stopped to consider Kitiara’s words. Then she shrugged and went on. “Well, it
did
seem to be a dangerous place for you to carry it, if you ask me. What if there were pickpock—” Her sentence ended in a choking sound as Kitiara clamped down tighter with her left arm.
“Listen to me, kender.”
Drizzleneff barely nodded. Her face grew pink.
“
Never
come near me again.” Kitiara’s voice was almost a whisper. The fascinated passersby had to lean close to catch her words. “
Never
. Understand?” The kender’s eyes grew glassy as she struggled to break free.
Tanis
Similar Books
