Dragon's Kin Read Online Free PDF

earshot, the old man turned back to the mine entrance. “You can come out now, he’s gone.”
    He heard the sound of light feet approaching the cave’s entrance, but they stopped before their owner came into view.
    “I know a shortcut, if you’d like.”
    “Through the mountain?” he asked.
    “Of course.” After a moment’s silence, sensing the old man’s reticence, the girl added, “I’ve used it loads of times. I’ll show you.”
    The old man smiled and started back into the cave. “Well, with your guidance, I’ll be happy to take your shortcut,” he said, making a short bow to the figure in the dark. “Would I be right in guessing that it will get us there before the lad?”
    The girl’s answer was a mischievous giggle.
             
    Kindan arrived outside the Harper’s cottage completely breathless. Zenor was already waiting.
    “Kindan, you’re just in time,” Zenor said. “If you’d’ve been a few more minutes late—” He broke off, his eyes full of dark foreboding.
    “What is it?”
    “The Master wants to hear us sing,” Zenor said. “He’s already told Kaylek that he can’t sing at the wedding.”
    Kindan’s face lit up at the thought of Kaylek’s reaction. Kindan wasn’t surprised: Kaylek’s singing voice sounded like a gravel slide, and he had no ability whatsoever to stay in tune. Whenever pressed about it by his friends, Kaylek would swear that he didn’t like singing and that, anyway, he’d been a perfect singer until his voice had changed. But Kindan knew from tales he heard from his other brothers and Sis that neither of those statements were true; Kaylek loved to sing but had not one jot of musical ability.
    Silstra had tried to figure ways to get all her siblings involved in her wedding, and her choice of Kaylek to sing was probably no more than a combination of nerves and running out of ideas.
    Zenor nudged Kindan in the ribs. “Don’t you get it? If Kaylek can’t sing, who’s going to do all his songs at the wedding?”
    Kindan’s eyes went round and his mouth opened in a big “O” of dreadful realization.
    Just then, the door opened.
    “Come in, come in, I can’t stand dawdling,” a voice growled from inside the cottage. It wasn’t Journeyman Jofri’s voice. It was the voice of the old man that Kindan had met up at the mine entrance.
    Enraged, Kindan burst into the room.
    “What are you doing here? It was bad enough that you went down the mines without Miner Natalon’s permission, but to barge into a Harper’s quarters—” Kindan cut himself short and a horrified look came over him. Kindan could feel his whole face burning in embarrassment.
Oh no!
Kindan thought to himself with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he’s
the new Harper
! Our
new Harper
!
    The old man did not take Kindan’s outburst lightly.
    “What do you think
you
are doing?” his voice boomed, filling the room not just with its volume but also with its intensity.
    “Sorry,” Kindan muttered, trying with the tip of his foot to dig his way into the floorboards of the cottage in a vain hope of escaping both his embarrassment and the Harper’s anger. “I didn’t realize that you were the new Harper.”
    “You didn’t
think
, you mean,” the old man roared back irritably.
    Kindan hung his head. “Yes, sir.” If there was one thing Kindan was good at, it was at being bawled out—he’d had
lots
of practice.
    “You seem to have a knack for that, don’t you?” the Harper noted tetchily.
    “Yes, sir,” Kindan agreed, his head on his chest and his answer going to the floor.
    The new Harper eyed Kindan. “You’re not related to that oaf I just sent out of here this morning, are you?”
    Kindan glanced up at that, his fists clenched. It was enough to be in the wrong and caught out twice by the stranger, but only a family member had the right to call Kaylek an oaf!
    “Hmm,” the old man murmured. “You say nothing, but your body shows its support for your