The Dragonstone Read Online Free PDF Page B

upon the crate to stand at Egil’s side. She waited long moments for the steaming tea to cool down, testing it now and again. Finally, slowly and carefully, a bit at a time, she began spooning small sips of the clear liquid into Egil’s mouth as he reflexively swallowed. After a while she gave over the task to Thar.
    Arin turned to Orri. “Captain.”
    “Lady.”
    “The wounds of thine other men—”
    “Ar, nothin’ as bad as Egil’s, them what wasn’t killed outright. We patched up most aboard.”
    Thar looked up from his task. “Ye’ve done enough, Lady. I’ll see to their scratches.”
    Arin smiled at the healer and turned again to Orri. “Is Egil married, betrothed, promised?”
    “Ha!” Orri barked a laugh. “Nay, Lady. He be free wi’ th’ women, and they be free wi’ him.”
    “Then, Captain, when he has had his cup of tea and another, I would have thy men bear him to my quarters at Blackstein Lodge where I may tend him in the days to come.”
    Orri’s eyes widened, but he said, “Aye, Lady.”
    Arin poured herself a cup of arél tea and then moved to where Aiko sat with Yngli. As the Dylvana took a chair, she said to Aiko, “Egil will be moved to our quarters at Blackstein Lodge.”
    Aiko’s dark eyes betrayed no hint of approval or censure. Instead with a faint nod of her head, Aiko acknowledged Arin’s words.
    “We cannot afford to lose him,” added the Dylvana.
    Again Aiko faintly nodded.
    Yngli turned to Aiko. “I’d ask ye t’ come t’ my home, but I think my wife w’d take an axe t’ me.”
    Aiko looked at him impassively, then said, “If I did not take my sword to you first.”
    Yngli laughed, heartily to begin with but fading to silence as he looked into the warrior woman’s eyes. He shuddered, dropping his hands to cover his crotch. “Why, I b’lieve y’would at that.” Abruptly, Yngli downed the last of his arél tea, then stood. “As long as Captain Orri’s buying, I be thinkin’ I’ll ha’e me some ale.” He turned to Arin. “Thank ye f’r th’ tea, Lady.”
    “I thank thee for thy help, Master Yngli,” she replied.
    Yngli bowed to them both—“Ladies”—and spun on his heel and shouted, “Hoy, Tryg, set me up a mug o’ ale!”
    For long moments Arin sipped her tea in silence, then turned to Aiko. But before she could say aught, Thar called, “Lady Arin, Egil’s had his two cups o’ tea.”
    Wearily, Arin pressed her fingers to her eyes, then stood. “Captain Orri?”
    “Har there, Bili, Svan, Angar, Rolle…take up Egil’s litter and bear him t’ th’ Blackstein, t’ Lady Arin’s quarters.”
    “Cover him wi’ a cloak or two,” added Thar, “it still be rainin’ out.”
    As they carried the unconscious man away, Aiko got to her feet and donned her still wet cloak and said in a low voice, “Then you think, Dara, as do I, that this is the man of your Seeing?”
    Arin caught up her own cloak and turned to the warrior. “Art thou forgetting Alos?”
    The corners of Aiko’s mouth turned down. “Dara, how can you think of Alos when Egil is the one?”
    “Alos, too, has but one eye,” responded Arin, the Dylvana,looking about. “And speaking of Alos, where has he gotten to?”
    They found the scraggly old man lying under a table in the corner, surrounded by empty ale mugs and clutching an empty brandy flagon and sleeping in his own vomit.
    Aiko covered her nose in disgust, but with a sigh Arin said, “We must take him, too.”
    Aiko’s eyes widened, then she said, “To the boathouse where he sleeps, neh?”
    “Nay, Aiko. To our quarters in the lodge.”
    Aiko looked down at Alos in disgust. “But, Dara, he is foul,
fuketsuna,
unclean.”
    Arin settled her cloak about her shoulders. “Then we will have to bathe him.”
    “Huah!” Aiko shook her head. “Scour him, you mean. And pumice his teeth and mint his breath and burn his clothes as well.”
    “Enough, Aiko,” admonished Arin. “He has but one eye, and we must discover