Silver Dragon Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Jason Halstead
know what happened. I'm not going to forget. Not ever." Alto snapped his reins and pushed his horse faster, riding out ahead of his sister. She fell silent behind him.
The sun set on them as they rode but Alto pushed on. Another night of listening to her sob herself to sleep was more than he could bear. They were gone, all of them—why couldn't she accept it and move on? He saw the lights in the distance of Holgasford. They could make it before the gates were shut for the nights. It was winter; the days were shorter and the gates stayed open past sunset because of that.
They reached the timber walls of the city as the guards were turning people away in preparation to close the gates. "Ho there, let us through!" Alto cried out.
"Gates are closing for the night . Come back in the morning," a guard cried out without looking up from the door he was pushing.
"I seek Jarl Teorfyr and Lady Patrina," Alto said, hoping that would gain him entrance. "The jarl has returned from the north, hasn't he?"
The guard faltered and looked up. He turned and grabbed a torch from another guard and held it up high so he could see Alto. "Hold the gates!" he cried out.
With the torchlight shining down on the guard, Alto recognized him as the same man who had spoken to him when he'd entered the city with Winter. He offered a tired smile and waved to him.
"How is it you come by the southern gate?" the guard asked.
Alto tilted his head at the strange question. "I came from the Kingdom."
"Last I knew , you was in the north with the jarl."
Alto nodded. "I was, but we were separated. I returned to my home and have brought my sister with me."
"Well, you look like you," the guard took a step forward and said.
"That's fitting, since I am me. You know who I am, what's the problem?"
"Heard you was killed in the north," the guard said.
"I heard that, too," Alto said. "But as you can see, I'm still here."
The guard stared at him a minute longer and then broke into a grin and nodded. He gestured for Alto and Caitlyn to come through. "That's good news," he admitted. "There's going to be a lot of people happy to see you."
"A lot of people? I don't know about that," Alto mumbled.
The guard ignored him and turned to the others. "Spread the word, Alto's alive! He's headed to see the jarl."
"What's going on?" Caitlyn hissed at him as a runner took off down the road towards the raised center of the city. "Why do these people know you?"
Alto held up his hands. "I don't know," he admitted. "Come on, let's go."
"Where?"
"To see the jarl," Alto said.
The guard shook Alto's hand and clapped him on the back as they passed him. When Alto dismounted and helped Caitlyn off her mount , a stable boy ran out, grinning from ear to ear, and took the reins of their horses. Alto tossed him a coin, causing the boy to gawk and trip over himself in his rush to take their horses to the stables.
Alto led his sister through the town, threading his arm through hers in what he thought was a proper manner. As they walked, other people stopped and stared while others whispered. A few waved at them and Alto caught more than one girl giggling and looking away.
"What's going on?" Caitlyn asked. "I don't like this, all these people looking and pointing."
"I still don't know," Alto said.
When they climbed the final ramp to the jarl's hall, a group of soldiers was standing ready. They saluted and cheered, to the dismay and confusion of the two travelers. The doors into the hall were thrown open, inviting them in.
"Alto?" Caitlyn whispered.
"It's okay, I know these people."
"This is strange!"
Alto offered her a smile. It was strange, but it was nice, too. He did know the Kelgryn and he liked them. It seemed they liked him, too. But his reception last time hadn't been like this. He wondered what had changed. He led her into the hall and walked down the length until he saw the jarl and his wife leading a throng of people.
Alto saw Patrina, Karthor, Namitus, Garrick, Tristam,
The sun set on them as they rode but Alto pushed on. Another night of listening to her sob herself to sleep was more than he could bear. They were gone, all of them—why couldn't she accept it and move on? He saw the lights in the distance of Holgasford. They could make it before the gates were shut for the nights. It was winter; the days were shorter and the gates stayed open past sunset because of that.
They reached the timber walls of the city as the guards were turning people away in preparation to close the gates. "Ho there, let us through!" Alto cried out.
"Gates are closing for the night . Come back in the morning," a guard cried out without looking up from the door he was pushing.
"I seek Jarl Teorfyr and Lady Patrina," Alto said, hoping that would gain him entrance. "The jarl has returned from the north, hasn't he?"
The guard faltered and looked up. He turned and grabbed a torch from another guard and held it up high so he could see Alto. "Hold the gates!" he cried out.
With the torchlight shining down on the guard, Alto recognized him as the same man who had spoken to him when he'd entered the city with Winter. He offered a tired smile and waved to him.
"How is it you come by the southern gate?" the guard asked.
Alto tilted his head at the strange question. "I came from the Kingdom."
"Last I knew , you was in the north with the jarl."
Alto nodded. "I was, but we were separated. I returned to my home and have brought my sister with me."
"Well, you look like you," the guard took a step forward and said.
"That's fitting, since I am me. You know who I am, what's the problem?"
"Heard you was killed in the north," the guard said.
"I heard that, too," Alto said. "But as you can see, I'm still here."
The guard stared at him a minute longer and then broke into a grin and nodded. He gestured for Alto and Caitlyn to come through. "That's good news," he admitted. "There's going to be a lot of people happy to see you."
"A lot of people? I don't know about that," Alto mumbled.
The guard ignored him and turned to the others. "Spread the word, Alto's alive! He's headed to see the jarl."
"What's going on?" Caitlyn hissed at him as a runner took off down the road towards the raised center of the city. "Why do these people know you?"
Alto held up his hands. "I don't know," he admitted. "Come on, let's go."
"Where?"
"To see the jarl," Alto said.
The guard shook Alto's hand and clapped him on the back as they passed him. When Alto dismounted and helped Caitlyn off her mount , a stable boy ran out, grinning from ear to ear, and took the reins of their horses. Alto tossed him a coin, causing the boy to gawk and trip over himself in his rush to take their horses to the stables.
Alto led his sister through the town, threading his arm through hers in what he thought was a proper manner. As they walked, other people stopped and stared while others whispered. A few waved at them and Alto caught more than one girl giggling and looking away.
"What's going on?" Caitlyn asked. "I don't like this, all these people looking and pointing."
"I still don't know," Alto said.
When they climbed the final ramp to the jarl's hall, a group of soldiers was standing ready. They saluted and cheered, to the dismay and confusion of the two travelers. The doors into the hall were thrown open, inviting them in.
"Alto?" Caitlyn whispered.
"It's okay, I know these people."
"This is strange!"
Alto offered her a smile. It was strange, but it was nice, too. He did know the Kelgryn and he liked them. It seemed they liked him, too. But his reception last time hadn't been like this. He wondered what had changed. He led her into the hall and walked down the length until he saw the jarl and his wife leading a throng of people.
Alto saw Patrina, Karthor, Namitus, Garrick, Tristam,
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