Grym Prophet (Song of the Aura, Book Three) Read Online Free PDF Page A

lineage… if what Berne said was true. He didn’t think the nymph was lying, of course, but hadn’t Byorne said the Zain were mostly isolated from the rest of Vast? He therefore chose to be skeptical of it, if only to keep his lingering hopes alive.
     
    “Well… I suppose it’s possible,” he finally answered, letting his doubt show.
     
    “Aye, who knows,” said Berne, looking a bit abashed and shrugging. “Could be yea or nay, an’ we’d never know th’ difference. In any case, you’ll be safe… or relatively so… whenever y’ find yerself in pirate terr’tory, just as long as y’remember t’mention th’ league, an’ ole’ Captain Berne, aye?”
     
    “Ye- Aye, I mean.”
     
    “Aye, then.” There was silence for a while, as they made it to the rearmost railing of the ship and peered over the stern, watching the spray leap and dive itself into a froth below them. Finally the nymph Captain broke the silence once more. “I wouldn’t’ve thought it o’ the prince, indeed I wouldn’t’ve… runnin’ off like that…”
     
    “Acting like a true pirate, aye?” Gribly said, grinning at the unfamiliar word in his mouth. Aye . It sounded friendly, like a pat on the back. Aye.
     
    “H’exactly… an’ he’d been so upright an’ all, before…”
     
    “No, not exactly… I think he was always willing to do whatever he needed to, upright or not,” Gribly mused. “He’s definitely in some kind of argument with King Larion, and he seems like he’d die if he wasn’t allowed to finish this quest on his own , in whatever way he pleases. It’s almost as if he’s trying to prove something…”
     
    “…to his father, the king?” Berne asked shrewdly. Gribly, suddenly self-conscious- he was talking to a pirate , after all- just shrugged.
     
    “Who knows. I just know for sure he’s got to be stopped. I can’t let him do this on his own, or he’ll end up getting himself killed, and others, too. It’s-”
     
    “Why? Why d’you need to help him?” Captain Berne asked suddenly. Before Gribly could form the words Traveller, or prophet, or even realize that it was probably safer to keep his mouth shut, Elia’s voice bought him unexpected relief.
     
    “Captain? I need to speak to you. Hello Gribly, enjoying being a sailor?” She looked more alive than ever, so close to the water, and she almost never seemed to get tired as the Suthway Cath raced along in a wake of foam, hour after hour after hour. She’d been ecstatic to hear Captain Berne’s acceptance to help them in their mission, at least as far as the shores of the Grymclaw. “Sailing is the most wonderful thing I think I’ve ever done!” she exclaimed as she came towards them from across the raised deck.
     
    What about dancing? Gribly wanted to say, but he didn’t. It was almost, almost reward enough to see her so happy all the time. Their moments had been few and far between, but even then it hadn’t compared to the wholesome joy the nymph girl seemed to feel on this voyage. His own memories of sailing were much more macabre: death, a wreck, Ice Demons… and meeting Elia, he realized. Perhaps he should rethink his dislike for voyaging.
     
    “I’m glad to see you like it,” he smiled, only half convinced. Captain Berne saluted sharply.
     
    “What can I do fer you, m’lady?”
     
    Elia joined them at the rear railing, leaning back against it and letting the wind whip her hair back from her face. She smiled, a little uneasily this time. “I need questions answered… about the mainland,” she said hesitantly.
     
    “Ah…” Berne nodded. “I see. Never been there, ‘ave you? Why, couldn’t y’ask maister Gribly here about it, then?”
     
    “No, not this time,” she responded, shuffling her feet a little. “This is a question about the Grymclaw…”
     
    “Ah,” said the Captain.
     
    “A bit out of my experience, true,” said Gribly.
     
    “I’ve never been to the Grymclaw m’self,” admitted