Read Online Three Quest Deal (Tales of Former Dragons Book 1) by Rainer Domingo - Free Book Online

needs to be.” She grabbed the rope and pulled it. “Help me. I can’t pull the bridge up by myself.”
    The bridge was heavier than expected. By the time they got their end up to their side of the gorge, they were exhausted. All struggled to hold onto the bridge so it wouldn’t fall back into the gorge.
    “We’ll hold the bridge while you reattach the ropes,” Drakor told Tess. “Hurry.”
    Tess tied the four ropes they had prepared to the bridge, and double-checked each rope was secure. “That should hold. Who wants to go first?”
    “We’re crossing one by one?” Xan asked.
    “Of course. I don’t think it can hold all of us at one time.”
    “I’ll go first,” Toshen said. He grabbed the rope handrails and made sure each plank would bear his weight as he crossed. The bridge swayed in the breeze and pitched with each step.
    Tess crossed next, followed by Aesus.
    Xan stepped up to the bridge and hesitated. She grabbed the rope handrails and looked at the rushing water below. Her hands trembled and her face paled. She closed her eyes and took a step forward. When she felt the sway of the bridge, her breath quickened, and she let go of the handrails and stepped backward off the bridge. Her body trembled and she wrapped her arms around herself.
    “What’s wrong?” Drakor asked.
    “I don’t know why,” Xan said, “but I’m afraid I’ll fall into the river.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She covered her mouth with a trembling hand while tears welled in her eyes.
    “Is there a problem?” Toshen shouted from the other side of the gorge.
    “No,” Drakor shouted back. “Why don’t you and Aesus see if you can hunt down a meal?”
    Toshen waved, and then disappeared into the forest with Aesus. Tess sat down on a nearby log.
    Drakor stood in front of Xan and looked into her eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you to make the fear go away.”
    A brief time passed before Drakor reached out to put his arms around Xan. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into the side of his cheek. He pulled her close, and they held each other for several minutes. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped the tears from her eyes.
    “I guess that’s why men and women hold each other,” Xan said. “To feel better.”
    Drakor extended his hand for her to take. “I’ll cross with you. Just don’t look down.”
    “Are you sure we can both cross at the same time?”
    “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”
    Xan took his hand. Drakor turned around and walked toward the bridge, Xan close behind, holding tight to the hand he extended behind him. Drakor grabbed the rope handrail and took two steps forward.
    He looked over his shoulder. “You all right?”
    Xan nodded and grabbed the other handrail. As they crossed the bridge, she became more confident with each step.
     
    Aesus leaned close to Tess during their evening meal of fresh venison. “You did well today. I’m glad you’re with us. You’re very clever. We wouldn’t have gotten across the gorge without you.”
    Tess smiled at Aesus. “The five of us work well together.” She took her last bite and leaned her head on Aesus’s shoulder as she watched the flickering flames of the campfire.
    Like other nights, the group slept on the ground. But unlike previous nights, when everyone had slept in a circle around the campfire, Xan lay next to Drakor. While they waited to fall asleep, they both looked at the stars in the clear night sky.
    “In my entire life, I’ve never been afraid,” Xan whispered. “Even when fighting the forces of man or other dragons. I still don’t understand why I couldn’t cross the bridge today. When you held me, I felt… safe. That I wasn’t dealing with my fear on my own. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”
    “It has something to do with the transformation,” Drakor whispered back. “I know my thoughts are my own, but there are times when I feel like someone else is