Dragonhammer: Volume I Read Online Free PDF Page B

waltzed into town one day with a wife and a son.”
    I nod.  “I’ll break it to them slow.  But I won’t tell our brothers; I’ll let Father do that.  Assuming Ethan doesn’t tell them first.”
    “Sounds good.”
    “You tell us when Rachel’s expecting.”
    He immediately gets what I mean and says, “Don’t worry, I’ll let you know somehow.”
    Ethan pounds on the door impatiently.
    “You’d better go,” says Gunther.  “Ethan’s getting mad.”
    “You stay safe,” I say as I walk towards the door.  I throw him a coin as payment for the food.
    “You go find a girl,” he says, and then gives me a wink as he throws back the coin.
    “I’ll work on it,” I answer, opening the door and tossing the coin back to him.
    “You’d better!”  His smile is the last thing I see before I catch the coin and shut the door behind me.  I wonder what he’ll think when he sees the small pile of coins I left in his cupboard.
    I feel much better after that, like our mission here was more than just to get something for Nathaniel.  Gunther is with us again.

 
     
     
     
     
    Hunting Trip
     
     
    I t’s always sad to see Gunther’s house disappear behind the adjacent block.  Nringnar’s Deep stays in sight until we exit the front gate and start across the bridge spanning the canyon.
    The trip home is uneventful.  The only reason we don’t stop at Highrock Lookout is because a patrol of guards has made camp there.  They eye us suspiciously but don’t do anything to hinder our trek.
    We eat lunch in a small clearing.
    James gets stung by a bee.  It was a little shocking to us all because from nowhere he was suddenly yelling curse upon curse, maliciously stomping on an already-dead bee. 
    It’s always easier coming down the mountain than hiking up.  Naturally we make much better time, and walk into town around mid-afternoon.  James slips away from us and says something like, “See ya later.”  Percival follows suit a couple of blocks later.  The sight of home is fabulous, even if it’s been only a few days.  After a few weeks, it’s even better.
    I have a nice little chat with Ethan before we walk in, telling him to not say anything concerning Gunther’s engagement.  To my surprise, he does as I say and keeps quiet.
    Mother hugs us each and asks how it was, and I say fine.  Ethan runs off to the room he shares with Nathaniel and Nicholas, and that’s when I take the opportunity to tell Mother.
    “Where’s Nathaniel?” I ask.
    “Down at the forge with your Father.”
    “Good.”  I pull the new blanket out of my pack and present it.
    “Fantastic.  You paid Gunther right?”
    “Of course!”
    “He accepted it?”
    “No.  I just hid a little bit in one of the cupboards we helped empty.”
    “Ah.”
    “There is something I need to talk to you about though.”
    “Well, let’s talk.”
    I have no idea how to bring it up gently, so I decide to come up with some sort of game.  “Guess what’s happening with Gunther.  Soon.”
    Mother raises an eyebrow.  “What?”
    “Guess.”
    “Is he coming back?”
    “No.  I think he wanted to, but I managed to persuade him otherwise.”
    Her eyebrows point in an arrow at me.  “Why would you-”
    “It has to do with the surprise,” I say mysteriously.  “Any other guesses?”
    “He got a job as a goat-breeder?”  She’s just joking sarcastically now, so I decide to tell her.
    “Don’t freak out when I tell you,” I say, knowing that she will anyway.  “Gunther’s getting married.”
    Stunned silence.  She stares at me with her mouth agape for probably a minute.  Then slowly, very slowly, the corners of her lips start to come up.  She cups her hands over her mouth and says, “Oh my…  Oh my…”
    I thought her reaction would be a little louder.  And maybe a little more violent.
    “To who?” she finally gets out.
    “A girl named Rachel.  I don’t know her last name, but I met her and she’s really