Read Dust and Water: A Song For The Stained Novella (A MAGICAL SAGA) for Free Online

my squat-style.
    “Why aren’t you out there with Wilf?” I ask, trying to tease Ash.
    “I’m waiting for my chance to go talk to Ryan, the Timberhound’s middle son,” and he waves to a boy who needs a shave on the other side of the fire.
    “Oh,” I say. Do I know anyone who fancies men? I mean girls aren’t worth the effort – but guys?
    A guy who prefers a boyfriend, huh. Interesting.
    I’ve never paid attention in the tavern, but I’m sure Ash isn’t the only one.
    Dom turns to look at me, and like wolves smelling fresh meat everyone else turns my way too.
    “Talking about attractions, Jenny smiles at you a lot,” Dom says with a familiar you-smell-like-dung tone to his voice.
    Scrawling I ask, “The girl?” What I want to ask is why it’s any of their business who Jenny is smiling at?
    Ash chuckles. “Don’t look so terrified.”
    Dom isn’t chuckling and I hold onto my last lung full of air in case it really will be my last one – ever. There’s a handful of people closely surrounding me, and a whole lot more just beyond them. If Dom decides to try and knock my lights out here, would they help, stop him, or not even care?
    Dom’s lips stretch into a big toothy grin.
    “Only pulling your leg,” he says, trying to scruff my hair, but I duck out of the way. “She can hit about as hard as you can, so I think you’re evenly matched.”
    “Oh, wait. Are his cheeks turning red?” someone else asks.
    I ball my fists and lift my weight – ready to pounce.
    A woman leans between us. “Here you go boys,” she says, handing Dom a big clay jug.
    Dom passes it to Ash.
    “Not for me,” Ash says, passing it on.
    None of the others take a sip either.
    “Here,” I say, just as they’re about to pass it on to the next group of people.
    “You don’t want that. Fire vinegar it is,” Ash says.
    “See the painted flames around the pot?” someone else points out.
    “Burn the hairs out of your nose,” Ash continues, “only the old folks drink it. Something they used to brew in the first border war.”
    “Shh, Ash,” one of the women in the next group hisses at him. “No one’s talking about there being a second border war,”
    I snatch the jug up and swig down a few mouthfuls. My Pa owns a tavern, there ain’t a drink I haven’t had and I can handle them all, and I’d drink water with a drop of honey over all of them. Just saying.
    Tears spring to my eyes, but everyone’s looking at me so I have another drink. The name of the drink, fire vinegar, made me think of burning, but this isn’t burning – this is exploding.
    My mouth wide I gasp for air, and I know I am breathing because my chest is moving, but I can’t feel anything at all. The heat flows up into my nose and from my stomach it feels like it is shooting out into all my muscles.
    I brush the tears away, but more come.
    The lad’s cheer, patting my shoulders and scuffing my hair as if I’ve done something amazing – I only feel amazingly stupid, but I force a smile on my face and gasp out, “water.”
    I’m never doing that again.

Belly Down In The Dirt.

    “Alright, lad, let’s see if you’re worth-your-salt,” Dom says.
    I frown at him.
    “What?”
    “Nothing. I think I get it. In the city we say, worth-your-liquor.”
    Dom laughs. “Only if y’ live in a tavern.”
    I want to say that I do live in a tavern, but I bite my tongue.
    “Up the road and back?” Ash asks.
    Dom nods. “To the blackberry bush.”
    I frown deeper. I know where that is, and it’s almost as far away as the last lot of loot I found.
    Ash passes me a bag. “And you have to fill this to prove you went all the way.”
    “Don’t worry,” Dom says with a chuckle. “There’s no bandits around, not after we chased them away the other day. We want to see your riding skills.”
    He leads me to a spot on the side of the barn where lines have been scratched into the timber.
    “See the sun’s almost at the starting line,” Dom says. “This