Page 43 of Dragon Sword

“Six months ago. . .” I mused as we trudged down the tunnel. “And that’s when Luja decides he wants to go out and see the world, or so he told us.”

Will cast a curious look at me. “You don’t believe in the coincidence, either, correct?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe but I hope Sylvia and Steve are willing to speak with us about why they’re here.”

A mischievous smile slipped onto his lips. “We can persuade them.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “How?”

“By offering their freedom for their information. Whatever they have to hide cannot be more important than that.”

We passed the upper floor and stopped at the next landing. The stifling air was less oppressive and the faint sounds of movement reached our ears. That made me pinch my lips shut and Will slowed our pace to a soft tread. The area became familiar and for once I was glad when we finally reached the dungeons. Our cell and the doors had been repaired and movement came from inside the neighboring cage as it had before. The seat the jailer had occupied was suspiciously empty and I couldn’t help but feel a little alarmed at his absence.

We arrived at the cell bars and found our two old acquaintances seated on a dingy bed. Steve’s head lay in Sylvia’s lap and he appeared to be sleeping. She lifted her tired and angry eyes at us, but her sharp expression transformed into shock.

“You two!” she shouted as she shot up, dumping Steve onto the floor.

The hard ground was a rude awakening and he glared up at her. “What’s the deal?”

She frowned back at him and nudged him with her foot. “Those two are back! The ones that were beside us!”

Steve twisted his head around and his eyes widened. “And they don’t have any elves with them!”

Will smiled at the stunned pair. “We are without escort this time.”

He scrambled to his feet and the two hurried over to us. Sylvia grasped the bars and looked us over. “Well? What’s the deal? You come to brag about that or come to get us out?”

“Get you out, if you’ll cooperate,” Will told her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What does that mean?”

“You came here only two weeks ago, correct?” Will questioned our acquaintance.

She scoffed. “What’s that to you?”

“It may be everything to both of us,” Will countered as he nodded at the bars. “If you tell us what you know then we’ll get you out of here.”

Sylvia crossed her arms over her chest and partially turned away from us. “You sound like those elves now. Do your worst and get it over with, you won’t get anything out of us.”

Steve clapped a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to find his face a picture of seriousness. “Don’t you think we’ve been playing this game of secret long enough? Look where it’s gotten us. Two weeks rotting in here.”

She frowned at him. “And what’s the point of telling them if we don’t get the bounty?”

“You can’t get the bounty if you’re stuck in here forever,” I pointed out.

Steve shook his compatriot’s arm. “Come on, Sylvia. What have we got to lose?”

She sneered back at the man. “Only a bounty big enough to retire on and we’re the only people who know where that old hag is.”

Will lifted an eyebrow. “An old woman? Is she a witch?”

“See?” Steve persisted as he nodded at Will. “They’ll have the truth out of us or worse, we’ll get attacked by one of those things if they bring them back.”

Sylvia sighed and her shoulders slumped. She turned to face us and lifted her nose slightly. “What do you want to know?”

“We want to know about this woman you were following and why,” Will told her.

She shrugged. “It’s just the usual thing. We’re bounty hunters, you see. Some of the best, too.”

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