The Last Dragonlord Read Free Page B

at her expense …
    Kief’s voice came from the doorway. “He’s right, love. Let’s get there first. We’ll be formal later.” He sauntered into the room, grinning. “Won’t we, Linden?”
    Linden grumbled but agreed. While small, slender Kief
looked younger than he, Linden, did, in reality Kief was much older. And as eldest, Kief would head the delegation to Cassori.
    Tarlna turned her glare on her soultwin. Kief smiled and shrugged. She advanced on him.
    Linden worked his way to the door. Just as Tarlna, her voice ominously soft, said, “Why do you encourage him—?” he slipped out of the room. He hurried to put as much distance as possible between himself and the inevitable explosion. Once outside, he heaved a sigh of relief.
    Then he remembered he still hadn’t told Shan he was leaving. He looked back at the Keep with longing. He’d rather face Tarlna than his stallion.
     
    The stone stables were cool and dim, sweet with the smell of freshly cut hay. Linden paused a moment to breathe deeply. He closed his eyes; that scent brought back so many memories of Bram and Rani. He smiled a little, then opened his eyes and continued on. He stopped by Shan’s stall. It was empty.
    “Shan!” he called.
    A big black head appeared in the doorway to the paddock outside. The stallion whinnied a greeting as he entered. His ears were cocked forward and there was a bright, inquiring look in his dark eyes. He dropped his head over the stall door to be scratched.
    Linden obliged. Oh, gods, he thought. He thinks we’re going for a ride. He cleared his throat.
    “Ah, Shan? There’s a problem in Cassori … .”
    Shan tilted his head. The ears flicked back and forth. He rumbled deep in his chest and nodded.
    “There’s a question there about the regency, and I’m one of the judges.”
    Shan whickered. He clearly relished the idea of a long journey.
    Linden inched backward. “I have to fly to Casna—and that means—”
    He threw himself back as the big head snaked out. The stallion’s teeth snapped together, just missing his shoulder.
    “I’m sorry, but it’s the Lady’s orders. You know I’d rather ride you—”
    Shan turned and raised his tail, flicking it insultingly.
    “Don’t you da—!” Linden looked down at the fresh pile of manure as Shan stamped out the paddock door.
    “What did you expect?” a voice said. “If you Dragonlords must insist on riding Llysanyins …”
    Linden turned and found Chailen, the head groom, watching him. The kir’ s expression was sour.
    “You know he’ll be impossible until you come back,” Chailen said. “The stable boys consider it a punishment to clean his stall whenever you leave him behind.” The kir sighed. “Ah, hell; dodging Shan’ll keep ’em lively.
    “I came to tell you Varn was looking for you. Everything’s ready”
     
    As Linden strode down the well-worn path, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him at the head of the stone stairs leading to the landing cliff.
    “Come to see us off?”
    “Come to see how much Shan left of you,” Lleld said, looking him over. “You’ve gotten good at dodging him, haven’t you?”
    Linden winced, remembering times he hadn’t been so quick. Then he said, “I’ve news for you this time. Remember Otter? I’ll be bringing him back with me.”
    Lleld clapped her hands in delight. “Oh, good! He always has the best tales about evil mages.”
    “And this isn’t one of them,” Linden said.
    “How boring,” Lleld retorted. “It makes a much better story my way.”
    Before Linden could say anything, a voice from the landing cliff hailed him. “I must go,” he said and continued down the broad stone stairs.
    She called after him, “Tell you what, little one—I’ll wager
my dagger with the crystal hilt against your cloak brooch that it is—”
    “No!” he yelled back. “With my luck you’d be right!”
    Lleld crowed with laughter.
    Linden shook his head as he continued on. Lleld and her ideas! He