Read Online Temple of the Dragonslayer by Tim Waggoner - Free Book Online
Authors: Tim Waggoner
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laughter.
Sindri frowned. “Very well. You leave me no choice.” He lifted his arm and rolled up the sleeve of Catriona’s cloak until his small hand was visible.
“You’ve got teeny arms, too!” This set the drunk off into fresh peals of laughter.
Sindri concentrated and wiggled his fingers.
At first, nothing happened, which only made the man laugh harder. Nearra feared that whatever magic the kender possessed was going to fail him.
But then the bald man’s nose ring began to quiver, and he stopped laughing. His eyes crossed as he tried to look at the ring.
“What the—?”
He started to reach for the ring, but before he could get his hand on it, the ring suddenly flew across the room. Unfortunately, the man remained standing where he was. He screamed and clapped his hands to his face in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood.
While he was howling in pain, Catriona got up, removed the mace from the man’s belt, and clonked him over the head with it. The man stopped yelling and fell to the floor.
Catriona looked at Sindri and grinned. “That was a good spell, but sometimes more mundane methods are just as effective.”
“Indeed,” Elidor said.
Catriona motioned for the innkeeper to come over and remove the unconscious man.
Nearra looked at Davyn. He was simply sitting there with his eyes closed, his hands curled into fists. Nearra was surprised. Was he afraid? Nearra tapped Davyn’s arm and he opened his eyes.
“So much for not drawing attention to ourselves,” he said.
A fter they finished their meal, the group decided to turn in early and get some rest before setting out in the morning. They headed upstairs, the males to Sindri’s room, and the girls to Catriona’s. Unfortunately, there was but a single bed in the warrior’s small room.
“Take it,” Catriona said. “I will sleep on my bedroll.”
“I can’t do that,” Nearra protested. “I’ve imposed on you and the others too much already!”
“I am used to spending the night on my bedroll. I will be perfectly comfortable.” Without waiting for Nearra to respond, Catriona began undoing her bedroll and spreading it out on the floor.
“I … very well. Thank you.” Nearra climbed onto the mattress, but she did not cover herself with the woolen blanket. Though the air had cooled somewhat with the coming of night, it was still hot out, and even with the shutters open, the room was stuffy.
Catriona didn’t even remove her chain mail vest, though she did take off her metal helmet.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable to sleep in that vest?” Nearra asked.
Catriona smiled. “One gets used to it. A warrior is always prepared for whatever may come. I’d rather put up with a littlediscomfort than be without my armor should the need for it suddenly arise in the night.”
Nearra wanted to ask what “need” the warrior thought there might be for her armor tonight, but she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.
Catriona lay down on her bedroll and said, “Would you mind blowing out the light, Nearra?”
Nearra sat up, leaned over, and blew out the candle on the nightstand next to the bed. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness at once, and there was more than enough moonlight filtering through the open window to help the process along. Soon she could see almost as well as when the candle had been burning. She lay back and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come and terrified of what might happen when it did. It had been only a mere twelve hours ago that she had woken on the forest path. What if she woke tomorrow morning to find goblins hovering over her once again? How had she gotten on the path in the first place? She strained to find something in her mind that might give her a clue, but all she could think of were the terrifying teeth of those goblins.
The air felt humid, and Nearra’s skin was coated with sticky sweat. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, but the mattress was too lumpy, and her
Sindri frowned. “Very well. You leave me no choice.” He lifted his arm and rolled up the sleeve of Catriona’s cloak until his small hand was visible.
“You’ve got teeny arms, too!” This set the drunk off into fresh peals of laughter.
Sindri concentrated and wiggled his fingers.
At first, nothing happened, which only made the man laugh harder. Nearra feared that whatever magic the kender possessed was going to fail him.
But then the bald man’s nose ring began to quiver, and he stopped laughing. His eyes crossed as he tried to look at the ring.
“What the—?”
He started to reach for the ring, but before he could get his hand on it, the ring suddenly flew across the room. Unfortunately, the man remained standing where he was. He screamed and clapped his hands to his face in an attempt to staunch the flow of blood.
While he was howling in pain, Catriona got up, removed the mace from the man’s belt, and clonked him over the head with it. The man stopped yelling and fell to the floor.
Catriona looked at Sindri and grinned. “That was a good spell, but sometimes more mundane methods are just as effective.”
“Indeed,” Elidor said.
Catriona motioned for the innkeeper to come over and remove the unconscious man.
Nearra looked at Davyn. He was simply sitting there with his eyes closed, his hands curled into fists. Nearra was surprised. Was he afraid? Nearra tapped Davyn’s arm and he opened his eyes.
“So much for not drawing attention to ourselves,” he said.
A fter they finished their meal, the group decided to turn in early and get some rest before setting out in the morning. They headed upstairs, the males to Sindri’s room, and the girls to Catriona’s. Unfortunately, there was but a single bed in the warrior’s small room.
“Take it,” Catriona said. “I will sleep on my bedroll.”
“I can’t do that,” Nearra protested. “I’ve imposed on you and the others too much already!”
“I am used to spending the night on my bedroll. I will be perfectly comfortable.” Without waiting for Nearra to respond, Catriona began undoing her bedroll and spreading it out on the floor.
“I … very well. Thank you.” Nearra climbed onto the mattress, but she did not cover herself with the woolen blanket. Though the air had cooled somewhat with the coming of night, it was still hot out, and even with the shutters open, the room was stuffy.
Catriona didn’t even remove her chain mail vest, though she did take off her metal helmet.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable to sleep in that vest?” Nearra asked.
Catriona smiled. “One gets used to it. A warrior is always prepared for whatever may come. I’d rather put up with a littlediscomfort than be without my armor should the need for it suddenly arise in the night.”
Nearra wanted to ask what “need” the warrior thought there might be for her armor tonight, but she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.
Catriona lay down on her bedroll and said, “Would you mind blowing out the light, Nearra?”
Nearra sat up, leaned over, and blew out the candle on the nightstand next to the bed. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness at once, and there was more than enough moonlight filtering through the open window to help the process along. Soon she could see almost as well as when the candle had been burning. She lay back and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come and terrified of what might happen when it did. It had been only a mere twelve hours ago that she had woken on the forest path. What if she woke tomorrow morning to find goblins hovering over her once again? How had she gotten on the path in the first place? She strained to find something in her mind that might give her a clue, but all she could think of were the terrifying teeth of those goblins.
The air felt humid, and Nearra’s skin was coated with sticky sweat. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, but the mattress was too lumpy, and her
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