Read The Dragonstone for Free Online Page B

“Again I ask, Lady, who are you, and who are your companions?”
    “I am Arin, Dylvana of Darda Erynian, the Great Greenhall to the south.”
    For the first time Egil saw what she was. “Elf,” he whispered half to himself.
    Arin canted her head toward Aiko. “My companion isAiko, Ryodoan by birth, past Warrior of the Mages of Black Mountain, but now in service to me.”
    Egil started, and stared at the meditating woman. “Warrior? Mages? Black—?”
    “The old man thou shouldst know, for he is Alos of Mørkfjord.”
    “Alos?” Egil slowly shook his head, then winced with the movement of it. “I would never have recognized him as the beggarly old man who sleeps in Norri’s boathouse. Why, he’s clean for a change.”
    Arin smiled faintly. “Scrubbed to a fare-thee-well by Aiko.” The Dara set the spoon aside and held out the cup to Egil. “Drink. It is a potion to relieve thine aches.”
    “Good,” grunted Egil. “My head is pounding and my stomach churns as if I’d been on a ten-day drunk; my forehead and cheek are sore to the touch; and my left eye burns as if it has been dipped in a molten pit of Hèl.”
    “Thy head pounds loudly for we had to fill thee with brandy ere we could work on thy wounds. Thy stomach suffers for it.”
    Egil smiled above the rim of the cup.
    “Thy forehead and cheek ache from the sword slash; it is yet a raw wound, though now sewn shut. It will hurt for some days and leave a scar.”
    “A handsome scar, I hope,” said Egil. “What about my eye?”
    Arin did not immediately answer, but waited until he had downed the potion, then said, “Egil, thy left eye is gone, destroyed by a reaver’s sword.”
    Egil took a deep breath and gradually let it out, and handed her the empty cup. “Then it is as I feared: I am now Egil One-Eye.”
    Slowly Arin nodded.
    *   *   *
    As morning drew upon the land ’neath overcast skies, Egil slipped back into a restless sleep. Arin returned to her seat by the fire, and time passed.
    There came a tapping on the door.
    Golden Aiko opened her eyes.
    Again came the tapping.
    Taking swords in hand, Aiko rose to her feet. Shelooked at Arin staring intently at the flames, for the moment completely oblivious to her surroundings. Aiko padded to the door and opened it. Thar stood there, a serving girl behind him bearing a great tray on which was piled eggs and rashers, tea and toast, jams and butter.
    Thar looked at the yellow woman in black chemise, a baleful red tiger staring out, then said, “Would ye break y’r fast wi’ me?”
    Aiko stepped aside and gestured him in with her shorter blade.
    Thar crossed to the bed and took Egil’s pulse as the serving girl, amid rattling crockery, scurried into the room and set the tray on the sideboard table and distributed the dishes along its length while darting quick glances at the golden warrior and her gleaming swords. When she had finished, she excused herself with a hurried bounce of a curtsey and fled from the chamber.
    By this time Arin was on her feet. Aiko glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. Arin shook her head,
No,
and moved to the side of Egil’s bed opposite Thar.
    “Strong and steady,” said Thar, lowering Egil’s hand back to the cover. He felt Egil’s forehead. “Fever’s down and he seems t’ be resting well enough.” Thar looked up at Arin. “But ye, ye look drawn; did ye get any sleep at all, my dear?”
    At this familiarity of address, Aiko growled, “
Bureina yabanjin,
” low in her throat and started forward, but with a gesture of negation, Arin waved her back.
    *   *   *
    As they sat in the midst of breakfast, Alos awoke, the old man gummily smacking his lips and blearily staring about. When his good eye fell upon Aiko, he shrieked and scrambled away from her, crawling on hands and bony knees toward the door to escape, only to scrawk and clutch his hands to himself when he discovered he was naked. “My clothes! Someone has stolen my clothes!” he sniveled.