Dralin Read Online Free PDF

seemed to be happy and friendly though,
even tipping their hats or nodding in greeting to the two of them
on occasion. Frath would always nod back seriously while Sheela
smiled and even waved a little bit. It felt good to smile, but odd
at the same time. She worried that someone might catch her doing it
and tell her she was being insolent.
    Noise grew louder when they neared Carnival
while the smell of a myriad of food wafted under their noses,
drawing them forward. One moment they were walking between
buildings and the next, brightly colored tents and banners ruffled
in the light breeze.
    A garishly dressed performer walked by them
on his hands while juggling three multicolored balls with his feet.
Sheela turned and gawked at him as he traveled into the Mosh
District they had just come from. He somersaulted to his feet and
caught all three balls before walking away. She turned to Frath
with a wide grin on her face. “Did you see that?” He was watching
her reaction joyfully, causing her to blush in embarrassment.
    “There are all sorts of performers like that
who perform tricks for a copper or two,” he explained.
    “Oh, should I give him a copper?” she asked
in alarm, looking back for the figure that had disappeared in a
crowd.
    “No. Don’t you dare spend your coin right
now,” Frath admonished. “Keep it for something you really want.
Most performers know who can afford a coin or two and often enjoy
performing more for those who don’t have a lot. It’s not always
like that, but for now you keep what you have.”
    “Alright,” Sheela agreed readily, glad she
didn’t have to give away the coins. They passed more performers who
did their acts on small wooden stages placed at random intervals.
Whenever Sheela found one that was particularly fascinating, they
would stop so she could watch. Frath seemed to be enjoying himself
as much as she was.
    Vendors sold all sorts of wares in canvas
booths. Sweet treats and specialty foods were common items for
sale. Frath bought her a sticky bun and a vegetable shish kabob,
both of which she thoroughly enjoyed. Many hawkers sold jewelry,
perfumes and incense or outlandish clothing. They shouted about
their wares from in front of their tents unless they already had
customers. Frath steered her away from the some of the more
aggressive salespeople who tried to grab her arm to convince her to
try a nice skin cream or to get her ears pierced.
    They came to a small theatre dug into the
ground in a half bowl shape with forty rows of gradually
descending, curved benches. “Here we are. It’s crowded, but I think
I see some seats.” He pointed to the right hand side of the bowl
and led her in that direction.
    A couple of men glared at Frath when he
wanted to sit about halfway down into the theatre. He took the hint
and moved on. At Sheela’s questioning look he shrugged. “Not
everyone likes the Guard. I’m not going to spend our date creating
conflict. I think there’s a better seat anyway.” He pointed at a
clear space in the tenth row that was closer to the middle.
    The people sitting on the bench moved their
legs so they could get through and a moment later, the two of them
were sitting in excellent seats with a clear view of the stage. A
brightly dressed woman with multiple piercings and tattoos, who sat
on Sheela’s left, nodded politely and went back to talking to her
friends.
    Frath positioned his sword so it was
comfortably at his waist, but he could still get to it. Not
thinking, Sheela reached out and touched a small design on the
crossbar. The steel felt cold against her fingers and light rippled
through the design. She jerked her finger back, looking guiltily at
Frath.
    The expression on his face was unreadable.
He reached down and touched the design, causing the light to ripple
again. “It’s the crest of the City Guard, a hawk holding a sword in
one claw and a wand in the other. All swords carried by the Guard
have a touch of magic. Dralin has more