Dragon-Ridden Read Online Free PDF Page B

of the beer to sooth the
sting.
    “A pretty thing like you must get a
lot of compliments from all the riff raff who float through here.”
    Tate rolled her eyes as she listened
to Riply’s opening line. Predictably, having struck out with Ryu, the woman was
eager to have her ego soothed by Riply’s smooth tongue.
    “I don’t know about riff raff, but
the gents is mighty free with a kind word if it’ll get them their drinks quicker,”
she cooed running her fingers through Riply’s hair.
    “Ah, lovey, you’re a mighty fine
woman deserving to have songs written to your beauty.”
    The woman smiled and sidled closer
to Riply. She ran a hand down his arm and lowered her eyelashes flirtatiously.
“I’m supposin’ you’re the one to give me those pretty words are you.”
    Tate dipped a piece of her bread in
the stew’s sauce, eyeing the couple raptly. Maybe she could learn something.
Riply was near legendary when it came to persuading members of the opposite
sex. 
    She’d put the talent to a slightly
different use, though.
    “If you and I were to spend a bit
more time together I could convince you of that,” he said with a roguish smile.
    A commotion at the Inn’s front door
interrupted the flirting between Riply and the waitress. Tate peered around Ryu
to see what all the fuss was about.
    A group of three, dressed in fine
silks, watched the room behind inscrutable eyes. These were the kind of patrons
that normally bypassed places like the Crow’s Nest and headed straight for the
Upper City. They stood out rather starkly.
    The woman, flanked by two men, had
long black hair, partially pulled back from her face by a black hairpin with a
pearl dangling from its tip. Her sapphire gown had little pink flowers
embroidered on it and just barely brushed the floor. Her features were delicate
and even from where she sat, Tate could see she’d be considered a beauty.
    Her companions were dressed more
simply in full black pants and wore black-scaled armor over vibrant blue shirts.
Their hair, like the woman’s, was black but pulled entirely back from their
faces in a long tail down their backs.
    A low whistle came from Ripley.
“It’s unusual to see the Kairi so far from their island’s.”
    “The Kairi? Who are they?” Tate
asked.
    “You weren’t with us the last time
we were in their territory,” Danny answered. “They’re a sea people, mostly
keeping to the islands down south and their stretch of sea. People say they can
breathe underwater and swim as well as any fish. I don’t know if that’s true or
not. They’re a very reserved race and don’t interact a lot with outsiders. I’m
surprised to see a female in the city because they’re guarded as if they were
one of the finest treasures.”
    “Can they really breath
underwater?” the waitress asked Riply.
    “Oh aye, I once saw a man slip
under water and didn’t see him again for a good hour.”
    “You jest.” The waitress slapped
his arm lightly.
    Riply reached over and pulled her
down into his lap. “Now love, why would I sully your ears with such a poor
jest.” She giggled and squirmed out of his arms.
    Tate watched the innkeeper scurry
up to the newcomers who had still not moved from the door. One of the guards
intercepted the proprietress before she could greet the woman directly. The two
conferred briefly before the innkeeper led them upstairs.
    As they left the woman looked
around the room, her attention coming to rest on Tate’s table. Tate stiffened.
The woman’s eyes were all black. Before Tate could take in any other details
about the newcomers they were gone, following the innkeeper to their rooms.
    “I wonder what they’re here for,”
Trent said softly.
    “Oh, didn’t you know? All sorts of
folk are coming to the city for the Donza Festival. Don’t know why they’re not
staying in the Upper City, though. They have quarters up there where their
people normally stay when in town. Wouldn’t want to mingle with us