Read Online The Last Protector by Daniel C. Starr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Daniel C. Starr
Ads: Link
home!"
"I'm supposed to go—there?"
"It could be worse,” Jape said. “Could be raining, could be snowing..."
"And we have this stuff,” Scrornuck said, placing a roll of toilet paper on a stick. “It works a lot better than leaves!"
Nalia rocked back and forth as a debate went on between her dignity and her bladder. Eventually her bladder won. “All right,” she said, “but no peeking!"
While Nalia answered nature's call, Scrornuck rummaged around in the pack and came up with a pair of cloth rolls. Each contained a teepee-style tent just large enough to accommodate one person. He set them up at opposite sides of the clearing, about thirty feet from each other.
By the time the tents were up, Nalia had finished her business. “Why so far apart?” she asked.
"You'll see.” He tossed a sleeping bag into each tent. “This one's yours,” he said, and Nalia obediently tossed her small pack inside.
She looked at the other tent dubiously. “How are both of you going to fit inside one of these?"
"I don't sleep in a tent.” He spread a beat-up red plaid blanket on the grass about midway between the tents. “Couldn't keep a proper eye on things if I did.” He pointed at Jape, who gazed into his many rings, already lost in thought. “When this guy gets into heavy thinking, he wouldn't notice a dragon carrying him away. Somebody's got to protect him."
"Protect him from what? If he's really saving the world, who'd want to stop him?"
"You'd be surprised how often the world doesn't want to be saved,” Jape said. “We risk life and limb to straighten things out, and the next thing you know some warlord's coming after us with blood in his eye."
"And a big knife in his hand,” Scrornuck added. “You'd think they'd be more grateful, but they never are. Jape gets in trouble, and I get him out of it. Almost got myself killed a few times."
"Killed?" Her face had gone white.
"It's a rough business. Sometimes we go to some pretty bad places. People get hurt, people die..."
"Well, the world looks pretty safe tonight,” Jape said, putting an end to the discussion. He glanced at the green jewel of the big ring on his left hand. “Yes, quite safe. Anyone for a fire?"
"There's no wood on the ground,” Nalia said, scanning the lower limbs of the trees. “There!” She pointed at a big, dry, dead branch about thirty feet up, and in a smooth, fluid movement swung herself into the tree and started climbing.
Scrornuck watched for a moment, quite pleased by her graceful climb. Then, positioning himself directly beneath the branch, he wiggled his toes just so, feeling a warm pressure as the tops of his boots unrolled and wrapped themselves around his knees and thighs. He bent his knees and jumped, soaring into the air and alighting on a branch just below the dead one a moment before Nalia reached it.
"What the—” she said. “How'd you get up here?"
He grinned, and helped her the rest of the way onto the branch. “It's the shoes.” He pointed to the array of tubes, rods, cylinders and patches of shiny blue-black material woven through the brown leather and fringe of his boots. “They give me an assist. I can jump almost fifty feet straight up if I'm careful."
"And if you're not careful?"
"I, uh, hurt myself,” he said sheepishly. “Broke my leg a couple times.” He pulled out the sword-grip, squeezed it gently and called forth five feet of faintly glowing blade that sliced through the dead tree branch like it was butter, cutting off everything from kindling to chunks of log that would burn all night. “Want to come down with me?” he asked. “The boots absorb the shock when I come down, too."
"Okay,” Nalia said. “But try not to break another leg!"
Scrornuck scooped her up. “I never try to break anything,” he said. “But landings can be a bit touchy. Every jump is kind of a leap of faith. Now close your eyes and count to three."
She counted. “One—"
He stepped off the branch, and for a
"I'm supposed to go—there?"
"It could be worse,” Jape said. “Could be raining, could be snowing..."
"And we have this stuff,” Scrornuck said, placing a roll of toilet paper on a stick. “It works a lot better than leaves!"
Nalia rocked back and forth as a debate went on between her dignity and her bladder. Eventually her bladder won. “All right,” she said, “but no peeking!"
While Nalia answered nature's call, Scrornuck rummaged around in the pack and came up with a pair of cloth rolls. Each contained a teepee-style tent just large enough to accommodate one person. He set them up at opposite sides of the clearing, about thirty feet from each other.
By the time the tents were up, Nalia had finished her business. “Why so far apart?” she asked.
"You'll see.” He tossed a sleeping bag into each tent. “This one's yours,” he said, and Nalia obediently tossed her small pack inside.
She looked at the other tent dubiously. “How are both of you going to fit inside one of these?"
"I don't sleep in a tent.” He spread a beat-up red plaid blanket on the grass about midway between the tents. “Couldn't keep a proper eye on things if I did.” He pointed at Jape, who gazed into his many rings, already lost in thought. “When this guy gets into heavy thinking, he wouldn't notice a dragon carrying him away. Somebody's got to protect him."
"Protect him from what? If he's really saving the world, who'd want to stop him?"
"You'd be surprised how often the world doesn't want to be saved,” Jape said. “We risk life and limb to straighten things out, and the next thing you know some warlord's coming after us with blood in his eye."
"And a big knife in his hand,” Scrornuck added. “You'd think they'd be more grateful, but they never are. Jape gets in trouble, and I get him out of it. Almost got myself killed a few times."
"Killed?" Her face had gone white.
"It's a rough business. Sometimes we go to some pretty bad places. People get hurt, people die..."
"Well, the world looks pretty safe tonight,” Jape said, putting an end to the discussion. He glanced at the green jewel of the big ring on his left hand. “Yes, quite safe. Anyone for a fire?"
"There's no wood on the ground,” Nalia said, scanning the lower limbs of the trees. “There!” She pointed at a big, dry, dead branch about thirty feet up, and in a smooth, fluid movement swung herself into the tree and started climbing.
Scrornuck watched for a moment, quite pleased by her graceful climb. Then, positioning himself directly beneath the branch, he wiggled his toes just so, feeling a warm pressure as the tops of his boots unrolled and wrapped themselves around his knees and thighs. He bent his knees and jumped, soaring into the air and alighting on a branch just below the dead one a moment before Nalia reached it.
"What the—” she said. “How'd you get up here?"
He grinned, and helped her the rest of the way onto the branch. “It's the shoes.” He pointed to the array of tubes, rods, cylinders and patches of shiny blue-black material woven through the brown leather and fringe of his boots. “They give me an assist. I can jump almost fifty feet straight up if I'm careful."
"And if you're not careful?"
"I, uh, hurt myself,” he said sheepishly. “Broke my leg a couple times.” He pulled out the sword-grip, squeezed it gently and called forth five feet of faintly glowing blade that sliced through the dead tree branch like it was butter, cutting off everything from kindling to chunks of log that would burn all night. “Want to come down with me?” he asked. “The boots absorb the shock when I come down, too."
"Okay,” Nalia said. “But try not to break another leg!"
Scrornuck scooped her up. “I never try to break anything,” he said. “But landings can be a bit touchy. Every jump is kind of a leap of faith. Now close your eyes and count to three."
She counted. “One—"
He stepped off the branch, and for a
Similar Books
