From Dragon's Voice
Chapter 1
Crawling into the degrading attic above his uncle's home, Sair pulled off his shirt and boots. Then, certain he was alone except for the rats, he reached back into his boot and pulled out a second trinket.
Lying back on his straw mattress, Sair lifted the golden amulet into the starlight. By the weight, he could tell it wasn't pure gold, but it glimmered in the light as if it was. The gem in the middle, just off center, was a deep red. The amulet was shaped like a dragon holding the gem, the wings and tail looping in a perfect circle.
Something about the piece made Sair believe it was magic, although he had not seen the hunter use it. Glinter had taught him to target enchanted items, and this one had the tingle of magic to it.
Now that he had it, he did not know what to do with it. Enchanted items were too rare to be in hands such as his. He needed someone who could also recognize magic, someone who had enough money to afford a trinket, and someone who would deal with Sair, cutting his uncle out. No one like that existed in Rodons to Sair's knowledge. Sair had seen Glinter's buyer on occasion, but he did not know how to contact him. If Sair gave it to Glinter, he was sure to see only a sliver of the trinket's true worth.
But even if he could sell it, it would be worth a fortune that he had no way to use in Rodons. And Glinter had told him enough stories to make him dread the choked streets and lying nobility of the cities. The idea of leaving Rodons brought mixed emotions. On the one hand, he would be free of his father's shadow. On the other hand, he would know no one and have no way to earn a living.
There had to be something beyond Rodons, something more than being his father's bastard son, trapped in a town of gossipers and doomed dragon hunters. He couldn't clean the floors of the Stockings forever.
If Glinter was an example, Sair admitted, he could clean the Stockings for the rest of his life. But why steal things if not to amass a fortune and ride off to greater, richer things? What was the point?
He tucked the amulet away under his mattress. Pulling the wool blanket up to his chin, Sair gazed through the open window. He did not know why he had not given Glinter the amulet or what to do with it, but for now it was his. He could turn it over to Glinter later.
The moon hovered over the mountain outside, making the light red. The enormous DragonTail Mountains loomed on the edge of his view through the window, hiding the horizon with their red cliffs. Somewhere among those peaks and cliffs was Dragon Pass.
By now, Dragon Pass would be filled with treasure, Sair decided. Hundreds of hunters had come through Rodons over the decades, and none had ever come back. Was their equipment scattered along the floor of Dragon Pass, banked by red cliffs and dust, or did the dragons sweep them into a pile like Sair cleaning the Stockings' kitchen?
Rolling over, Sair put his back to the window. He dreamed of Kahri as the skittering of rats above him lulled him to sleep.
Chapter 1
Crawling into the degrading attic above his uncle's home, Sair pulled off his shirt and boots. Then, certain he was alone except for the rats, he reached back into his boot and pulled out a second trinket.
Lying back on his straw mattress, Sair lifted the golden amulet into the starlight. By the weight, he could tell it wasn't pure gold, but it glimmered in the light as if it was. The gem in the middle, just off center, was a deep red. The amulet was shaped like a dragon holding the gem, the wings and tail looping in a perfect circle.
Something about the piece made Sair believe it was magic, although he had not seen the hunter use it. Glinter had taught him to target enchanted items, and this one had the tingle of magic to it.
Now that he had it, he did not know what to do with it. Enchanted items were too rare to be in hands such as his. He needed someone who could also recognize magic, someone who had enough money to afford a trinket, and someone who would deal with Sair, cutting his uncle out. No one like that existed in Rodons to Sair's knowledge. Sair had seen Glinter's buyer on occasion, but he did not know how to contact him. If Sair gave it to Glinter, he was sure to see only a sliver of the trinket's true worth.
But even if he could sell it, it would be worth a fortune that he had no way to use in Rodons. And Glinter had told him enough stories to make him dread the choked streets and lying nobility of the cities. The idea of leaving Rodons brought mixed emotions. On the one hand, he would be free of his father's shadow. On the other hand, he would know no one and have no way to earn a living.
There had to be something beyond Rodons, something more than being his father's bastard son, trapped in a town of gossipers and doomed dragon hunters. He couldn't clean the floors of the Stockings forever.
If Glinter was an example, Sair admitted, he could clean the Stockings for the rest of his life. But why steal things if not to amass a fortune and ride off to greater, richer things? What was the point?
He tucked the amulet away under his mattress. Pulling the wool blanket up to his chin, Sair gazed through the open window. He did not know why he had not given Glinter the amulet or what to do with it, but for now it was his. He could turn it over to Glinter later.
The moon hovered over the mountain outside, making the light red. The enormous DragonTail Mountains loomed on the edge of his view through the window, hiding the horizon with their red cliffs. Somewhere among those peaks and cliffs was Dragon Pass.
By now, Dragon Pass would be filled with treasure, Sair decided. Hundreds of hunters had come through Rodons over the decades, and none had ever come back. Was their equipment scattered along the floor of Dragon Pass, banked by red cliffs and dust, or did the dragons sweep them into a pile like Sair cleaning the Stockings' kitchen?
Rolling over, Sair put his back to the window. He dreamed of Kahri as the skittering of rats above him lulled him to sleep.
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