Doom of the Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page B

floor. He straightened his tunic and tugged it back into place.
    â€œAlthough, Skylan Ivorson,” Joabis added, “I can think of four reasons you will want to come to my isle.”
    â€œI do not know of one reason I would have for coming to the Isle of Revels, let alone four,” Skylan returned.
    Joabis held up four fingers and counted them down. “Their names are Sigurd, Grimuir, Bjorn, and Erdmun.”
    Skylan and Garn exchanged startled glances.
    â€œYou name my friends, members of my clan,” Skylan said. “What business do you have with them?”
    â€œNot business,” said Joabis. “Purely pleasure. They are with me on my isle, enjoying themselves in their afterlife.”
    â€œI don’t believe it!” Skylan said angrily. “These are brave men, Torgun warriors! If they were dead, their souls would be with Torval, not with you!”
    â€œYou may be surprised to hear this, but some people actually prefer an afterlife of merry living to whacking at each other with swords,” said Joabis.
    The god cast a disparaging glance around the Hall, where the warriors were wiping off blood, mopping up ale, and good-naturedly shaking hands and working together to right the overturned tables. Skylan looked to Torval, who was glaring at Joabis.
    â€œWe fight your battles while you sit with your head in an ale barrel,” Torval said. “Explain what you mean, you sodden swine! Why do you have the souls of my warriors?”
    Joabis opened his mouth, seeming about to bluster, then he caught Torval’s angry eye and his courage failed him. He sank down onto a bench with a groan.
    â€œI don’t know why I have them and the gods know I don’t want them!” Joabis cried, wringing his hands. “The souls of these four arrived on my island along with a host of other warrior souls and since then they have been fighting and brawling and wrecking the place! I came here to beg you to deal with them, great Torval, and then I met Skylan and it occurred to me that he could do it just as well. I wouldn’t have to bother you.”
    â€œWho brought them to you?” Torval demanded. “Was it Freilis of the Tally? Why would she bring them to you?”
    Joabis hesitated just long enough for Skylan to think, He’s lying! and then said, “I thought you sent them, great Torval. Perhaps your Hall had become too crowded. I realize now I was wrong…”
    Torval grunted and gave a snort of disgust.
    Garn drew Skylan aside. “What were Sigurd and the others doing?”
    â€œThey were sailing back to Vindraholm to warn our people that Aelon is planning to attack our homeland,” said Skylan with a worried frown. “I need to find out what happened to them.”
    â€œThis could be a trap,” Garn warned. “I do not trust Joabis any more than I can stand the stink of him.”
    â€œI do not trust him,” said Skylan. “But I cannot abandon my men.”
    Skylan’s thoughts went to Aylaen. He could picture her alone and grieving for him, thinking she would never see him again. Skylan longed to return to her, to put his arms around her and tell her how much he loved her. He had only to tell Joabis to send him back to her and the god would have to obey.
    Then he thought of having to tell Aylaen he had abandoned their friends.
    â€œI will go with you,” Skylan told Joabis.
    Torval raised a questioning eyebrow. “Are you certain, Fish Knife?”
    â€œThese men are my friends, great Torval,” Skylan explained. “I am their chief. If they are on Joabis’s isle, I need to know what happened to them, and to discover if they were able to take the warning to our people.”
    Torval said nothing, but Skylan had the impression he was surprised by his decision.
    â€œNo doubt he thought I would selfishly leave my men to their fate,” Skylan commented to Garn as they walked toward the door. “I