Read Online The Dragon's Lair by Elizabeth Haydon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Haydon
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Tuck said. "Because of its properties, it is usually made into a box or a sleeve and used to hide something very important, something magical that gives off vibrations of power. Inside a sleeve of Black Ivory, even the most powerful item would be impossible to find unless you know it's there."
"So you think there is something inside it?" asked Ven.
"Look at it carefully. Then you decide."
Maybe Madame Sharra's news that my footprints in Time seemed to be coming to an end soon had made my brain race. It made me hear a lot of words of wisdom that I had heard before. The king's comments about Tuck cleared out of my head, and now I was hearing something my father had said to me on my last birthday. Even though it was not that long ago, it seemed like a lifetime had passed since I heard them. He said the same thing in a letter the albatross brought me a week or so ago .
This was your great-grandfather's jack-rule. Now it belongs to you. If you see things as they appear through its lens, you are taking the measure of the world correctly .
Ven unbuttoned his shirt pocket and took out the jack-rule that had belonged to his great-grandfather, Magnus the Mad. It was a Nain tool used to measure when mining or building, and was the most precious thing he owned. He carefully extended the magnifying lens and looked at the flat piece of stone.
Its edges were smooth, as if someone had carefully polished them. Unlike stones Ven had seen before, which were made up of many different colors, this was solid black, without any variation in hue. And, visible in the jack-rule's magnification, he could see that along the top was a thin slit.
Through which a tiny sliver of gray was peeking.
"Here, Amariel, hold this," Ven said, passing her the jack-rule. "Over the stone so I can see."
"A please would be nice. I'm not your sucker fish, having to do whatever you want me to do."
"Sorry. Please."
The merrow took the folding ruler, wincing at the feel of her unwebbed fingers, and held it over the stone. Her green eyes were sparkling. She moved closer so that she could see as well.
Carefully Ven took hold of the thin sliver and pulled it gently from the slit.
A scale-like object slid out of the stone sleeve. It was gray, with a finely tattered edge, and scored across the surface with millions of tiny lines that formed a geometric pattern. It was slightly concave, and etched into its face were symbols in a language he recognized but could not read, and a line drawing of many mountains. When the sunlight hit it, their eyes were dazzled by a million rainbows that ran across its surface and disappeared. Ven gasped.
"This is one of her cards," he whispered. "I bet it's the Endless Mountains, the one she said was trying to get my attention."
"Whose cards?" Amariel demanded. "What are you talking about?"
Ven looked up to see the forester and the merrow staring at him.
"Madame Sharra," he said reluctantly. "This is one of the dragon scales she uses to read the future."
The Lirin forester's face grew instantly serious.
"Put it away," he ordered. " Now ."
Ven pushed the scale back into the Black Ivory sleeve, wishing he had taken the time to look at it more carefully. There was a vibration to it that was pleasant, making him tingle. Once it was back in the sleeve that sensation was gone, leaving him feeling a little bit hollow.
"That thing's in its sleeve for a reason, Ven," said Tuck. "I don't know who this Madame Sharra person is, or what you are talking about. What I do know is that the open road outside of Kingston is definitely not the place to be discussing it. Now, let's be on our way. You two settle in back there and I will get us to the crossroads."
His voice grew more gentle as he saw the looks of shock on their faces.
"Remember, stay down, children. It's best that anything passing by thinks you are cargo, nothing more." He got out of the wagon, picked up the vegetables and fruits that had spilled over the sides, tossed them back into
"So you think there is something inside it?" asked Ven.
"Look at it carefully. Then you decide."
Maybe Madame Sharra's news that my footprints in Time seemed to be coming to an end soon had made my brain race. It made me hear a lot of words of wisdom that I had heard before. The king's comments about Tuck cleared out of my head, and now I was hearing something my father had said to me on my last birthday. Even though it was not that long ago, it seemed like a lifetime had passed since I heard them. He said the same thing in a letter the albatross brought me a week or so ago .
This was your great-grandfather's jack-rule. Now it belongs to you. If you see things as they appear through its lens, you are taking the measure of the world correctly .
Ven unbuttoned his shirt pocket and took out the jack-rule that had belonged to his great-grandfather, Magnus the Mad. It was a Nain tool used to measure when mining or building, and was the most precious thing he owned. He carefully extended the magnifying lens and looked at the flat piece of stone.
Its edges were smooth, as if someone had carefully polished them. Unlike stones Ven had seen before, which were made up of many different colors, this was solid black, without any variation in hue. And, visible in the jack-rule's magnification, he could see that along the top was a thin slit.
Through which a tiny sliver of gray was peeking.
"Here, Amariel, hold this," Ven said, passing her the jack-rule. "Over the stone so I can see."
"A please would be nice. I'm not your sucker fish, having to do whatever you want me to do."
"Sorry. Please."
The merrow took the folding ruler, wincing at the feel of her unwebbed fingers, and held it over the stone. Her green eyes were sparkling. She moved closer so that she could see as well.
Carefully Ven took hold of the thin sliver and pulled it gently from the slit.
A scale-like object slid out of the stone sleeve. It was gray, with a finely tattered edge, and scored across the surface with millions of tiny lines that formed a geometric pattern. It was slightly concave, and etched into its face were symbols in a language he recognized but could not read, and a line drawing of many mountains. When the sunlight hit it, their eyes were dazzled by a million rainbows that ran across its surface and disappeared. Ven gasped.
"This is one of her cards," he whispered. "I bet it's the Endless Mountains, the one she said was trying to get my attention."
"Whose cards?" Amariel demanded. "What are you talking about?"
Ven looked up to see the forester and the merrow staring at him.
"Madame Sharra," he said reluctantly. "This is one of the dragon scales she uses to read the future."
The Lirin forester's face grew instantly serious.
"Put it away," he ordered. " Now ."
Ven pushed the scale back into the Black Ivory sleeve, wishing he had taken the time to look at it more carefully. There was a vibration to it that was pleasant, making him tingle. Once it was back in the sleeve that sensation was gone, leaving him feeling a little bit hollow.
"That thing's in its sleeve for a reason, Ven," said Tuck. "I don't know who this Madame Sharra person is, or what you are talking about. What I do know is that the open road outside of Kingston is definitely not the place to be discussing it. Now, let's be on our way. You two settle in back there and I will get us to the crossroads."
His voice grew more gentle as he saw the looks of shock on their faces.
"Remember, stay down, children. It's best that anything passing by thinks you are cargo, nothing more." He got out of the wagon, picked up the vegetables and fruits that had spilled over the sides, tossed them back into
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