[Hurog 01] - Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs Page A

He glanced at me, butI chewed unworriedly and rather loudly on a raw carrot. “When he was hurt. If he were still a finder, he would find things; they wouldn’t find him.”
    â€œYes, dear,” said Mother, just as she had to Father. “I’m sure you’re right.”
    I coughed, feeling sorry for my uncle. It’s hard to argue with someone who slides away from your point like wet oatmeal slides around a spoon. Garranon looked particularly uncomfortable, and it occurred to me that eating at a table with Mother and me would not be a treat.
    I finished the last bit of bread on my wooden trencher and got up. Duraugh looked at me and frowned, trying to remind me that it was rude for the host to leave while people were still eating. But I thought I’d let Duraugh explain that Hurog was going to hold Landislaw’s slave without me.
    â€œPansy,” I said. “He needs some carrots.” I showed everyone the ones I’d stolen from the table. The Brat grabbed the remnants of her bread and jumped up after me.
    â€œAll right,” I said before my uncle could say something about her manners. “You can come. Stay out of the way. If Pansy hurts you, it will make him feel bad.”

4
Wardwick
    Running is an act of cowardice. Not that cowardice is necessarily bad. As my aunt used to say, “Moderation in all things.”
    AFTER I WAS THROUGH with P ANSY , Ciarra followed me back to my room and manipulated me into a game of thieves and kings. The contest depended purely upon chance, and she was always confoundedly lucky—or else she knew how to cheat.
    Oreg watched from his perch on his favorite stool and snickered or rolled his eyes at me as she trounced me. Oreg never hid from Ciarra unless there was someone else present.
    â€œTo bed,” I said sternly when she’d beaten me yet again.
    She laughed, kissed me on the cheek, and danced out of the room.
    I waited until the door shut firmly behind her before I turned to Oreg. “How’s our fugitive?”
    He smiled lazily at me. “Sleeping. She’ll stay underground until the other two leave. She doesn’t like Landislaw much.”
    â€œNor do I,” I admitted freely. “I’ll be happy when they’re gone from here.”
    Someone knocked politely at my door.
    â€œI’ll just check on our sleeping guest and leave you to deal with Garranon,” Oreg said and disappeared. His stool stayed on two legs for a moment before falling to the floor with a loud clatter.
    I hadn’t changed for bed yet, so I didn’t even have to slow for my robes when I answered the knock. Garranon stood just outside the door.
    â€œHello,” I said with an easy grin, holding the door back so he could come in.
    He took the door out of my hand and closed it behind him. He stepped close to me and said, “I need your help, Ward.”
    I blinked at him stupidly. He needed my help?
    â€œI found this in my brother’s pack tonight,” he said, taking a bundled cloth from his belt pouch. “I wondered if you had seen anything like it before.”
    As I bent down to get a closer look, he lifted the cloth and blew the gray green powder it had contained into my face. Before I fell, I saw him step back and cover his nose.
    Â 
    I AWOKE AND DREAMED I was twelve again and I couldn’t move. People shuffled about me, but I couldn’t make sense of what they were saying. I screamed and howled in gibbering fear, but not even a whisper broke through my lips. Finally, the outside noises quieted, and for moment I thought it was because my ears had quit working, too.
    Then Oreg’s voice broke through the fog surrounding me.
    â€œI had to wait until they left, Ward,” he said urgently. “Don’t be angry with me. Please, please don’t be. I’ll break you free of it. It’s all right.”
    As the bonds of the magic Garranon used broke, I rolledto my knees with a gasp.