Dragonhammer: Volume I Read Online Free PDF

brothers.”
    She curtsies and says, “Nice to meet you!”
    James just nods, his mouth slightly agape.  The other three of us say together:
    “Thanks.”
    “You too!”
    “And you as well.”
    “Everyone,” continues Gunther, “Rachel and I are engaged.”
    Percival smiles slightly and Ethan suddenly almost falls out of his chair.  Rachel laughs faintly.
    “When?” I ask.
    “In a couple of weeks,” he answers, holding his fiancé around the waist.  His smile gets a little bigger as he says it.
    Ethan gets back into his chair and says, “Wow!  Can I tell Mom?!”
    Gunther glances at me and I give him a why-are-you-looking-at-me-it’s-your-marriage look.
    “Better let Kadmus do that,” he says.
    “Why?” Ethan whines.
    “Because Kadmus will let her know soft and easy.  That way she won’t die of shock.”
    Ethan grumbles something and takes another bite of stew.
    “Congratulations!” says Percival simply. 
    James finally musters up the ability to speak, but only says, “Whoa.”
    Rachel only stays for a few minutes.  We talk about the family she’s from, and her father’s career.  It becomes obvious soon that we’re just as interested in learning about her as she is about us.
    As soon as it starts to get dark, she says something about getting home and Gunther offers to escort her.  She accepts, of course, and Gunther comes back a few minutes later.  As soon as he walks in, James says, “You lucky man.”
    We tease him for a moment, mostly out of jealousy, but the conversation quickly turns to when we will be leaving.
    “Tomorrow morning,” I say.  “We don’t want to stay and eat all of your food.”
    “I appreciate that,” he says.  “Early?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll be up, hopefully.  If I’m not, get me up to see you off.”
    “Will do.”  And with that, each of us trails off to bed.
    The next morning Gunther is awake and active right when we are.  He’s generous enough to let us take a little something for lunch.  But just as we’re walking out the door I say, “Hold on.  I need to get something.  Go on, I’ll catch up.”
    Gunther’s sitting at the table, looking at me with an eyebrow raised. “What’s up?” he asks.
    The mild question hangs in the air and burns at me.  Finally I answer, quietly, “I’m just wondering how you’re doing.”
    He gets up and looks at me suspiciously.  “Fine,” he says.
    “No,” I answer.  “How are you really doing?”
    A confused expression sweeps across his face, followed by sorrow.
    “I miss you guys, Kadmus,” he says.  “Here we get just about weekly updates concerning the war, and I’m afraid I’m so far away that if anything should happen to you, I won’t be able to get there in time.”
    He furrows his eyebrows and stares at the floor, waiting for a reprimanding remark.  Instead I say, “You’re only a day away.”
    “Just a few minutes could make all the difference.”
    He does have a point, but after a minute of silence, I say quietly, “But you have family here.”
    He nods slightly.
    “In a few weeks, you’ll have a wife.  After that, you’ll have kids.”
    “I did it without telling you.  You guys are my family.”
    “That’s okay.  You have a future here.  We could be farther away, really.  But we’re not.  You have a great job, great friends, a house, and, soon, at least, a new family.  You have good reason to stay here.”
    He nods, envelops me in a hug and claps me on the back.  “Love ya.”
    “Love you too.”
    He pulls away and I say, “Oh! I almost forgot!”
    “What?”  I punch him twice.  Not very hard, but solidly.  He recoils and exclaims, “What was that for?”
    “One was from Frederick and the other was from Father.  For not bringing grandchildren yet.”
    “Ah.”  He rubs his shoulder where I hit him, and nods.
    “So, you do want me to tell Mother about your engagement?”
    “That would be best.  I think it would make her faint for a week if I