Dragon Dodgers (Wounds in the Sky Prequels Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

say.
    Enrig was about to say something, but
instead , they heard a noise
from one of the rooms.
    “ Enri? Is that
you?”
    The voice
was female, but had a harshness to it, like the growl of an animal
too small to be fearsome. The woman came stumbling into the
furniture and stopped at the threshold of a door, leaning
precariously into it.
    “ It is you…” She stopped , staring at the strangers in her house. Her hair was a
gray fur ball and her ragged clothes hung to her body like they
belonged to someone else. “Who’s this?” She asked.
    “ Mum, this is Anweh and
Targon.”
    She fixed her eyes on
Anweh.
    “ I’m not paying for your
whores!” The woman said.
    Anweh’s mouth dropped and Targon
clenched a fist, but Enrig simply laughed.
    “ Oh please… When was the
last time you paid for anything in this house?” Then he turned to
the Runners. “Ignore her.”
    Enrig’s
mother spat on the ground. She tried to walk towards her son, but
her legs betrayed her, so she just stood on the same spot, holding
on to the door knob like she was about to fall off a
cliff.
    “ I apologize, Captain, but
I did bring you here for a reason.” Enrig said.
    He signaled
them to follow him and stepped into his own bedroom. It was like
they had been transported to a different building. The walls were
clean, the candles were new and it smelled of cinnamon. Everything
was neat and tidy. Above his bed, nailed to the wall, Enrig had a
collection of drying leaves and tree branches, all from different
species. Anweh was immediately drawn to them.
    “ Wow!” She let
out.
    “ You like them?” Enrig asked. He looked tremendously proud.
“Most people never even saw something like that. Well, obviously,
you two have. Being Runners and all, but…”
    “ It’s very impressive.”
She said with a smile.
    Enrig swell with pride.
    “ Is this why you brought
us here?” Targon asked.
    Something in his voice made Enrig’s
smile disappear.
    “ Yeah… I mean, I wanted to show to you that I am Runner
material.”
    Targon sighed.
    “ Look, I’m sure most kids don’t collect things from the
surface, and I did notice how you move up there. You can read a
Dragon’s movements and know where to run. You certainly have what
it takes and you’ll be a great Runner one day, but I can’t take
you.” He paused and sighed. “Sorry kid.”
    “ But, why?” Enrig’s heart
was broken.
    “ Because the Dodgers aren’t going on a regular Run, this
time. We have a special mission. Too dangerous for an
apprentice.”
    There was a moment of silence as
Enrig’s eyes fell to the ground.
    “ Come on , boss.” Anweh
pleaded. “You can leave him in the rear. Leave him in Sandahar,
we’ll pick him up on the way back.”
    “ Sandahar?!” Enrig yelled.
“You’re going to Sandahar?”
    Targon nodded.
    “ I’ve been halfway to
Sandahar.”
    Targon didn’t look the least bit
convinced.
    “ I have, seriously. Prophet’s Peak, the mountain to the
north. I’ve been there. Slept there through the night and then came
back. I swear!”
    “ You slept on the surface
for an entire night?”
    “ Yeah!” Enrig boasted. “I
found this cave and slept there.”
    “ Wait.” Now, Targon’s interest was piqued. “You know about a
shelter halfway between here and Sandahar?!”
    “ I do.” Enrig
said.
    Anweh
punched Targon in the shoulder and smiled.
    “ See, he’s even useful.”
She said.
     
     
    * * *
     
     
    It took them about an hour to climb back . Anweh had found lodgings for the company at a
place called ‘The Leaning Hog’. It was possibly the worst inn on
all of Saggad, but even that dump wasn’t as far down as Enrig’s
district, and compared to that part of the city, these tunnels felt
spacious, clean and luxurious.
    “ What I don’t get,” Targon
told Anweh. “is why you like the kid so much.”
    “ I don’t know… He reminds me of you a little.” She shrugged. “Anyway, this is me.
Your room is upstairs”
    Anweh gave Targon a