The Dragons Revenge (Tales from the New Earth #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

attacked and that was an
hour ago or more now.
    He
got up and went to a large cupboard next to his cast-iron stove and
pulled out his long winter jacket. It was thick and lined with fur
and covered him almost to his ankles. It also had a hood to block the
cold. Simon hated cold ears.
    He
slipped off his simple shoes and put on boots and then headed out
into the bitter cold.
    The
stable was attached to the back of the tower, on the lake side, and
was large enough to house a half-dozen horses. To one side was a
storage shed, made of stone like the stable and tower, stuffed with
hay laid up for the winter.
    Simon
bustled into the stable, the powerful smell of horse manure
assaulting his nostrils.
    The
three horses nickered as he entered, their heads hanging over the
doors of their box stalls. Simon went to each one in turn and patted
and stroked them reassuringly. They didn't seem the worse for wear
and looked relaxed.
    It
had been a while since he'd had to muck out the stalls, but since
Kronk was gone, temporarily he thought quickly, Simon took off his
jacket, grabbed a shovel and bucket and got to work.
    When
he was done and had dumped the manure on the pile next to the stable,
he pumped out fresh water for the three horses, made sure they had
enough hay for the night and chatted away to all of them in turn.
    Each
had Changed since the old Earth days, but Chief was the most
striking. His hooves had split and now sported claws, his mane and
tail were spikes instead of hair and two horns, one over each eye,
sprouted from his forehead. He was an image out of a fairy tale.
    Still
a big goof though, Simon thought with amusement as the stallion
craned his head up for the wizard to scratch under his chin.
    “ You're
a big suck, you know that?” he asked Chief with a grin. The
stallion just snorted and shoved him lightly with his head, being
careful not to impale Simon on his horns.
    “ I'm
sorry to tell you guys, but Kronk's going to be gone for a while,”
he told them seriously. He wasn't quite sure how intelligent the
Change had made them, but he did know that they were much smarter
than they'd been in the old days.
    All
three sets of large brown eyes watched him silently.
    “ He's
been...” He hesitated and then hurried on. “Called away,
I guess. But don't worry. I'm sure he'll be home soon.”
    Simon
felt tears rise in his eyes and blinked them away, feeling foolish.
    “ Yeah,
he'll be home soon. For sure,” he muttered.
    Then
he grabbed his coat, waved at the horses and headed out into the
cold.
    The
sun was dipping toward the horizon as Simon walked back around the
tower. He paused to examine the wall where the dragon had fallen.
Kronk and the other earthen had repaired it perfectly and, if it
wasn't for the shining puddles of frozen water where the snow had
melted, he'd never have known there'd been any damage at all.
    He
made sure the gate was closed and sealed tightly and then retreated
into the tower, shivering. The air was getting colder by the minute
as the sun set and the winter night began.
    Simon
lit more candles and built up the fire before he made his dinner.
Dried venison, a gift from Clara's people, and fried potatoes from
his stores in the cellar. He decided to open a bottle of wine as
well. Alone for the first time in years, he felt a need for some
liquid courage.
    After
his meal, Simon sat in front of the fire in his old easy chair,
sipping his wine and listening to the flames hiss and crackle at each
other.
    It's
so quiet, he thought as he stared soberly at the fire. So quiet.
    He'd
never been a garrulous person, back in the old days. Just a handful
of friends, with Daniel being the closest of them. But maybe that was
why he'd depended so much on Kronk, yes and Aeris as well, cranky
though he often was, for company.
    Their
point of view had always been just different enough to be
interesting. He'd appreciated the earth elemental's work around the
tower, but it was his friendship that Simon had enjoyed