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Catherine Archer ~ Dragon 1~ Catherine Archer
Cressida Cowell [How to Train How to Speak Dragonese (epub) i
Cheryl Dragon [Men of Alaska Sterling Sunshine [Loose Id] (e
Dragonlance Ergoth 01 A Warrior's Journey # Paul B Th
Dragonlance Heroes II 01 Kaz the Minotaur # Richard A Kn
Dragonlance Kingpriest 01 Chosen of the Gods # Chris Pier
Dragon Kin 01 Fire in the sky Michelle Hasker
Dragonlance Dhamon Saga 01 Downfall # Jean Rabe
Britta Ashley [Dragon's Lair Against Her Will [Blushing] (ep
Asimov, Isaak Foundation 02 Die Stahlhohlen

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.“One more question, though.”He folded his arms across his chest and sighed.“What is it?”I reached out and he helped me to my feet.“Is that why you’re always so grumpy?”***Up the stream we went, hour after hour, from dusk until dawn.Brenwar was speaking more, well maybe a few words per hour.When he’s onto something, he’s all business about it, and according to him, he had heard long ago that many dragons were held captive deep in the Shale Hills."How many?" I asked him.He shrugged and said, “How should I know?”Well, I hoped it wasn’t too many.In most cases, we only rescued one dragon at a time, but I’d rescued as many as three on one occasion.Little ones: one bronze, one green, one red, their scales like shiny mineral stones.But dragons weren’t all just one color.They had different abilities, as well.Some could fly.Others could swim, and some could even cast spells.That’s right, and you shouldn’t be surprised because they are magical creatures, after all.Even I had magic like that, but I didn't have the hang of it, yet.I stopped in the stream, the waters rushing over my boots.Some loose shale was sliding down a hill.Brenwar was looking at me and I at him.Something was coming down the hill.Something big.I made my way into the reeds along the bank.Brenwar did the same.I readied my bow, Akron, and waited.Whatever caused the disturbance on the hillside wasn’t moving now, but in my bones I could feel that something was coming.It was dusk, and many creatures in the forest came out at that time to hunt.I filled my nostrils and exhaled in relief.It wasn’t one of the giant races, but I wasn’t comfortable that I couldn’t smell anything, either.That left me uncertain.Curious, too.I shifted around in the reeds and water, trying to get a better look up the hill.It was dim, the time of day that the dipping sunlight casts the darkest shadows.There was no moon or sun to adjust your sight.That’s when your other senses come in.You can’t always trust your eyes, but your nose and ears can serve you just as well, if you let them.I stepped farther out of the reeds.The wind rustled the leaves in the trees.The waters gurgled at my feet, but I heard the faintest sound.A heavy step.Two heavy steps.I thought what was coming was big, certainly bigger than me, which doesn’t mean much.“Dragon,” a voice said in a hushed whisper, “get back here.”It was Brenwar, but I wasn’t going to listen.I had my bow, and I was fast, so if something was going to try and eat me it would have to catch me first.Up and down stream I noticed the last glimmers of sunlight.I was more than halfway across when something emerged from the woods.A dark mass on two legs with arms as long as its feet crept through and huddled by the waters.Its head was large, more shoulders than neck, almost the size of a horse's, but more like a man.It looked right through me then scooped a handful of water into its mouth.The icy look in its eyes froze me, and how it did not see me, I didn’t know.It just wasn’t one of those things I recall ever seeing before.I held my arm out behind me and made a sign of caution.I was sure Brenwar’s keen eyes would pick it out.The creature's head turned my way again, tilted, and paused.Now my heart was racing.I saw the white of its teeth.A set of fangs in particular.Its body stiffened, and something fluttered at its side.It looked as if the ape-like creature had—wings! It came closer, wading into the stream, big fists splashing in the water.I didn’t move.I didn’t dare move.The last thing you should do when you are facing the unknown is panic.Or move, until you figure out what that move is going to be.My bow was ready.It was just another extension to my body after years of practice and training.If the winged ape made any sudden moves, I would shoot a pointed feather into it.But this thing was big, much bigger than me, and I wasn’t going to start a fight with it if I didn’t have to.It’s not like it was an orc or a lizard man.If that were the case, I’d have shot ten times already.It growled, spread its wings, pounded its chest, and charged.CHAPTER 4My first shot zinged over the ape’s head.Not because my aim was off, but because it wasn’t.That thing was fast.Really fast, almost as fast as me, I hated to admit.My second shot hit it in the pack of muscles in its shoulder and bounced off like a toothpick hitting a wall of stone.You see, there’s a difference between the three types of arrows I use: non-magic arrows for hunting, mithril ones that can shoot through almost anything, and enchanted ones with special abilities.I didn’t need a magic one ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but I needed one right now.Drat!And the third shot, a magic arrow from my quiver, well that wasn’t going to happen.The ape was too close, too quick, and just a few yards from rushing into me.I hooked my bow Akron over my shoulders.The dwarven armor Brenwar made me had a design for that.I braced myself for impact, reaching down to wrap my hand around the hilt of my sword, Fang.Too late, Dragon!Brenwar jumped from the reeds and slammed his war-hammer into the ape’s chest, drawing forth a howl of anger.Brenwar was a couple hundred pounds of solid brawn facing eight hundred pounds of raw muscle.The ape snatched Brenwar from the waters of the stream, hoisted him over its head, and hurled him like a log that disappeared into the woods.Brenwar would never live that down if we lived to tell about it, and I wasn’t ready to die without recounting it one last time.I ripped Fang from his scabbard and thrust at the ape’s belly.It jumped over top of me, landed in the stream, and kicked me in the back with its feet.I slammed into a boulder, and Fang almost slipped from my grip.I held on as I fought to regain the wind that was knocked out of me.Whatever that thing was, it was strong, fast―a real monster.Not as big as many I’ve faced but still bigger than me.It came at me again, face full of fury, its black eyes intelligent and cunning.A real killer.I chopped.It twisted.I stabbed.It jumped.I cut.It ducked.I pressed the attack.It howled as I clipped its arm.It shuffled backward, spread its wings, and flew away, disappearing into the night.Eyes skyward, I stood, alone, basking in the light of my sword's glow, looking skyward.Where did that thing go? I whirled around as Brenwar burst forth from the brush, brandishing his hammer.“Where is that thing! Nobody! Not nothing, not anything throws a dwarf without permission! Especially when yer not a dwarf!”“I think I scared it away,” I said, sheathing my sword.My leg was aching more now than ever and started to bleed again.“What was that, Brenwar? Any idea at all?”The once quiet forest was alive and well now.The night owls hooted, and the pixies were singing.Of course, the pixies often disguised themselves as crickets and such.It was really hard to tell the difference.“I don’t know what that was,” Brenwar said.“It’s not any part of the lore that I know, and the dwarves are well-schooled on all the creatures and monsters of this world.” He stormed up the stream.“But whatever it is, I’m going to see that it doesn’t throw a dwarf anymore.Not ever! I’ll have its head, I will!”I unhooked Akron and loaded a magic arrow.I wasn’t going to take any chances [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]