Claws of the Dragon Read Online Free Page B

Nath’s ribs. “You want her for a bride, don’t you?”
    “How much ale have you had?”
    “Oh, I’m more of a cider man these days. The ale’s too hard on my gut. So tell me, why did she leave?”
    “Guilt.”
    Ben stroked the rim of his moustache. “I see.”
    “Can I ask you something, Ben?”
    “Sure, you can ask me anything.”
    “Do you have any resentment toward her? After all, she did lead the war that killed an awful lot of people.”
    “Hmmm, you know, I really haven’t given it that much thought. As a soldier I learned that life is full of losses, and you have to move on. It’s full of many blessings too. I just keep marching forward. I can’t let the past slow me down.”
    “But your family, Ben. You lost all of them because of Barnabus.”
    “True, and I miss them every day. But I don’t blame the likes of Selene, but I do think …” Ben’s voice trailed off.
    “Think what, Ben?”
    He slapped his big hand on Nath’s shoulder. “Nothing. If you’ve forgiven her, I’ve forgiven her too.”
    Nath eyed him. “No, you were going to say something else. What was it?”
    Ben shrugged. “I do think, if justice is to be served, it will catch up with her.”

 
     
    CHAPTER 7
     
     
    Nath stood far outside of Quintuklen’s walls inside the valley full of stone markers. They were graves, thousands of them in rows as far as the non-dragon eye could see. Over the past couple of days he’d lain low, stayed out of the city, and begun noting each and every one of the markers.
    He scraped some debris from one of the stones and revealed a familiar name. His eyes teared up. It was Ben’s wife’s marker, and beside it were two more, Ben’s son and daughter. Nath’s heart sank. Three names among thousands. He thought about all of the people who had suffered like Ben had. Men and women. Mothers and fathers. Not all of them could move on. Not when they had lost people they loved so much.
    How many more must die for the sake of evil?
    Clenching his fist, he rose up and walked a few miles, lost in thought. Eyes searching, he found something he was looking for. Wildflowers. He plucked some out of the ground and filled up his hands with three colorful bouquets. He marched back to the graveyard, set the flowers on the stones of Ben’s family, then started the long walk back to the city.
    It was mid-morning, and the laborers were hard at work under a hot sun. Hammers pecked and chiseled. Foremen shouted orders. Pulleys squeaked. Large loads of materials rolled down the main roads on huge wagons pulled by teams of horses. And there was a liveliness about the men. Some of them were whistling, even singing.
    Nath pulled back his shoulders a little. Walked a little taller.
    Their spirits aren’t broken, so why are mine?
    There was nothing like seeing men and women working together with such purpose. It kept their minds off the past. And that was a good thing. They could look forward to the future, and Nath wanted to make sure that future was a bright one.
    Making his way through the maze of walls that surrounded the fallen city, he spied a woman on top of one of the ways, waving her arms at him. It was Sasha. She was in a pale-yellow gown, trimmed in flowers. Her platinum hair was pinned up with a fine silver comb. He jogged toward her. She came rushing down the steps to greet him.
    “Nath! Where have you been?” Sasha threw her arms around him and held him tight. “I’ve missed you.”
    “Uh, I’ve just been wandering and waiting for Bayzog to call on me.” He lifted her off her feet in a hug. “You seem well.”
    “Well? Why wouldn’t I be?” She slipped off of him, took his hand in hers, and led him back into the city like a little child. “Come on, let’s get back home and see Bayzog.”
    He followed her lead, but it wasn’t long before he felt long stares and eyes on him. Nath had done little to conceal his ebony-scaled arms. They were mostly bare under the tunic that he wore. And it