Dragon Stones (Book One in the Dragon Stone Saga) (18 page)

“Maybe not right now, but you’ll be safe at
Mount Velik. We just have to get you there in one piece, is
all.”

Elias smiled. Then he remembered the
sausages. He pulled them out of his cloak, handing one to Thorin.
“Here’s the lamb sausage. I got some venison, too.”

“Ah, good job, boy—this will hit the spot!
Eat fast, though—I don’t want Gremley to see you swallowing a huge
meal right after I told him that you were stomach-sick.”

Elias chuckled, and ate quickly. Thorin
always made him feel better. It was probably because he was so calm
all the time. After they finished eating, Elias felt tired. He lay
down on clean straw.

“Get some rest, boy. I’m going back on deck
to speak with Gremley. I’ll see if he has any news of the
empire.”

“How about you? Aren’t you going to
sleep?”

“Boy, I’ve just spent the entire day
paralyzed and strapped to a saddle. I’ll enjoy walkin’ around for a
while.”

Elias smiled and drifted off to sleep.
Thorin went back up to the deck and watched the water. The river
was full of merchant ships, transporting goods up and down the
countryside. It was an efficient system, and the Orvasse River was
the busiest waterway on Durn. He breathed the fresh air, and then
sat down to smoke his pipe quietly.

“Is the boy asleep?” asked Gremley.

“Aye. He was feelin’ a bit nauseated is
all,” replied Thorin.

“Let him sleep. The weather is calm, and I
expect it to be quiet,” said Gremley. “Thorin, I saw the posters
inside the fort. Is this the boy they’re lookin’ for?”

“Honestly…yes. It is him. It’s my job to get
him to safety. Any chance we’ll be able to get past Morholt without
being noticed? The emperor wants this boy very badly.”

Gremley shrugged. “It’s possible, if we’re
careful. If you’re tryin’ to get past Morholt with smuggled goods,
it’s near impossible. Empire soldiers search almost every ship. I
could probably conceal the boy, but if the emperor has necromancers
watching the shoreline, then you’ve got a serious problem.”

“I know. Thank you for taking us, Gremley. I
hoped that I would find you here, but I wasn’t sure until I saw you
standing on the docks. We haven’t even stopped to rest. I don’t
know if we would have escaped without your help.”

“Happy to be of service. I’m no friend of
the empire, but you’re takin’ a mighty big risk by harboring this
boy. You’re lucky that you didn’t cross paths with any
necromancers, or the boy would have been taken captive for
sure.”

“Actually—we did cross paths with a
necromancer. In Jutland. It allowed us to leave the city, only to
follow us all the way through Darkmouth Forest. It confronted us a
day ago.”

The captain was incredulous. “You were
attacked by a necromancer—and you lived? He’s just a child, and you
don’t have any powers. How did you both survive?”

“Just lucky, I guess. Gremley… do you know
anything about the old myths?”

“Some. I heard stories during the dragon
wars, when I was a soldier. That was many years ago.”

“Well, the prophesy says that the emperor
will be defeated by a new dragon rider. I believe this boy is the
one. It’s my job to get him to Mount Velik alive.”

“Thorin, you’re a crazy old dwarf, but your
money is good. I can’t make any guarantees, but I’ll do my best to
get you both to safety. I have no love for the emperor, so as long
as I can help you, I will,” said Gremley.

“I appreciate that, friend,” said
Thorin.

Thorin looked up at the night sky. This had
been an interesting week, indeed. The dragon stone appeared, then
the boy… and that necromancer! It was rare enough to see a female
necromancer, but this one looked strikingly familiar. Thorin had a
hunch in Jutland, but when the necromancer appeared again in the
forest, his gut feeling was confirmed. The undead creature that
attacked them in Darkmouth Forest was Ionela.

He was sure of it—that necromancer was
Elias’ mother.

***

Continued in Book Two: The Return of the
Dragon Riders

About the Author

Kristian Alva was born into a family of
writers and teachers. She worked as a staff writer and a
ghostwriter before publishing her own manuscripts. She currently
lives in California with her husband and son. When she’s not
writing, she enjoys reading all genres, especially epic
fantasy.