Read Online The Dragon's Prize by Sophie Park - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sophie Park
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to the sky. The crowd went nuts, then opened a small path for them to go through. Sandra took the cue and kicked Lightning into a full run. He obliged, happy to get some real exercise after being cooped up in the castle for so long.
Annie was less happy about the situation, but had no trouble keeping up. Mira shrieked, then caught herself and turned the shriek into a rousing battle cry.
People hanging from trees showered the two of them with flower petals and the noise of the cheers followed them down the road to the city, thundering off the side of the hill so even people in the streets below could hear it.
When they were out of sight of the crowds and starting to charge through the dock district Sandra slowly reined Lightning in. He fought her at first, wanting to keep up the pace, but she knew that was a bad plan. They had a long way to go and if he tired himself out now he would not have a good time. Reluctantly he yielded to her touch. Annie was all too happy to settle back into a stately walk.
“Whoa!” Mira bounced back and forth in Annie’s saddle, wild-eyed from the ride. “That was intense!”
“They needed some hope.” Sandra nodded her head back toward the distant crowd, whose roaring they could still hear. “A little bit of flair can go a long way.”
“Warn me next time?”
“Annie knew what was going on.” Sandra turned around and reached back to pat Annie’s head. “She might be grumpy, but she’ll take care of you. Don’t worry!”
“She certainly is grumpy…”
“You’ll get used to her. You have at least a month together before we’re back at the castle.”
They both fell silent. They weren’t coming back to the castle, victorious or not. That thought cut through the heady joy of the frantic ride and brought them right back into the dark reality of their situation.
There were only a couple more blocks and they reached the waterfront. This time of the day it bustled with activity as sailors loaded and unloaded all manner of goods. Some bound inland, some bound for the ocean, it was as if a dragon had not just rampaged through the castle hours ago. This far away from the castle, this far away from the world of the nobility, would they even notice if the prince never came back? The people cheering the two warriors had obviously noticed, but did they know that the prince was gone? Maybe all they knew was that a dragon attacked.
“Ladies!” The ferryman was a small man, hunched over and wearing clothes that could charitably be described as rags.
“Hello.” Good sir almost rolled off of Sandra’s tongue, but the sight and smell of him halted those words.
“How much for the two of us and the horses?” Mira cut in, smiling sweetly as she said it. Sandra surreptitiously moved to the side so that Mira could have a better line of sight with the ferryman.
“Five silver.”
Sandra made a shocked choking noise in disbelief.
“What!? Outrageous!” Mira shook her head vehemently and made a motion to turn Annie around. Luckily it was the right motion, and Annie pointed her head toward another boatman on the dock.
“Wait… wait!” The ferryman took a step forward, reaching out to Mira. Sandra rattled her sword ominously.
“Ready to be reasonable?” Mira turned only her head.
“Look… it’s expensive to take horses! And how would I know if they can tolerate the passage?”
“How much do you normally charge for horses.”
“That’s how much.”
“…” Mira’s eyes grew ever-so-slightly smaller as she drew her face into a disapproving frown.
“…”
“…”
“Fine! 5 copper for all four of you and your gear.” The ferryman blinked first, turning away and stomping toward his barge. “And we wait a half hour for more passengers.”
Mira looked over to Sandra, then looked meaningfully up at the sky. Time was wasting. Sandra nodded.
“10 copper and we go now.” Mira jumped
Annie was less happy about the situation, but had no trouble keeping up. Mira shrieked, then caught herself and turned the shriek into a rousing battle cry.
People hanging from trees showered the two of them with flower petals and the noise of the cheers followed them down the road to the city, thundering off the side of the hill so even people in the streets below could hear it.
When they were out of sight of the crowds and starting to charge through the dock district Sandra slowly reined Lightning in. He fought her at first, wanting to keep up the pace, but she knew that was a bad plan. They had a long way to go and if he tired himself out now he would not have a good time. Reluctantly he yielded to her touch. Annie was all too happy to settle back into a stately walk.
“Whoa!” Mira bounced back and forth in Annie’s saddle, wild-eyed from the ride. “That was intense!”
“They needed some hope.” Sandra nodded her head back toward the distant crowd, whose roaring they could still hear. “A little bit of flair can go a long way.”
“Warn me next time?”
“Annie knew what was going on.” Sandra turned around and reached back to pat Annie’s head. “She might be grumpy, but she’ll take care of you. Don’t worry!”
“She certainly is grumpy…”
“You’ll get used to her. You have at least a month together before we’re back at the castle.”
They both fell silent. They weren’t coming back to the castle, victorious or not. That thought cut through the heady joy of the frantic ride and brought them right back into the dark reality of their situation.
There were only a couple more blocks and they reached the waterfront. This time of the day it bustled with activity as sailors loaded and unloaded all manner of goods. Some bound inland, some bound for the ocean, it was as if a dragon had not just rampaged through the castle hours ago. This far away from the castle, this far away from the world of the nobility, would they even notice if the prince never came back? The people cheering the two warriors had obviously noticed, but did they know that the prince was gone? Maybe all they knew was that a dragon attacked.
“Ladies!” The ferryman was a small man, hunched over and wearing clothes that could charitably be described as rags.
“Hello.” Good sir almost rolled off of Sandra’s tongue, but the sight and smell of him halted those words.
“How much for the two of us and the horses?” Mira cut in, smiling sweetly as she said it. Sandra surreptitiously moved to the side so that Mira could have a better line of sight with the ferryman.
“Five silver.”
Sandra made a shocked choking noise in disbelief.
“What!? Outrageous!” Mira shook her head vehemently and made a motion to turn Annie around. Luckily it was the right motion, and Annie pointed her head toward another boatman on the dock.
“Wait… wait!” The ferryman took a step forward, reaching out to Mira. Sandra rattled her sword ominously.
“Ready to be reasonable?” Mira turned only her head.
“Look… it’s expensive to take horses! And how would I know if they can tolerate the passage?”
“How much do you normally charge for horses.”
“That’s how much.”
“…” Mira’s eyes grew ever-so-slightly smaller as she drew her face into a disapproving frown.
“…”
“…”
“Fine! 5 copper for all four of you and your gear.” The ferryman blinked first, turning away and stomping toward his barge. “And we wait a half hour for more passengers.”
Mira looked over to Sandra, then looked meaningfully up at the sky. Time was wasting. Sandra nodded.
“10 copper and we go now.” Mira jumped
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