Page 13 of Dragon Heir

The other Tenky did the same to other nuts and soon a gang of walnut-riding little people darted this way and that, disappearing into the undergrowth, following their leader, or traveling in the opposite direction.

The eagle opened his wings to make his getaway, but Will’s voice stopped him. “A moment.” He strode over to the bird and whispered into its ear. The eagle nodded and Will stepped back to give it room. The bird took flight, carrying away the remainder of the Tenky.

Ware watched the eagle fly away with some reluctance. He cleared his throat and turned to the rest of us. “I will use my nose to scour the lands, as well.”

Vargas frowned at him. “Why? Lord Thorn has plenty of assistants at his disposal.”

Ware smiled and used one finger to tap the side of his nose. “But none of them have this nose, old though it may be. If the track can be discovered again then I will find it. Do not wait up!”

He opened his arms and a great big pair of grayish-blue wings burst out of his back. Scales partially covered his chin and completely covered his neck as his hands transformed into claws. He bowed his head to us before he leaped into the air, flapping hard and fast. The old dragon was above the tree tops in a moment and out of sight the next.

Vargas stomped her foot and shouted after him. “You old fool! Get back here and use those old hands to lift your weight getting the rest of us back to the manor!” His shadow didn’t return and a growl escaped her. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a harumph. “Stupid old fool leaving us to fend for ourselves in this wilderness.”

Will smiled at her and gestured to the southern part of the road. “The turn to my manor is only a few miles down the road. We should be back home before the hour.”

I was secretly glad to hear it as my clothes, too, were covered in muck and my feet ached from walking over so much uneven, stick-infested ground. We strode down the rough thoroughfare and soon arrived at a crossroads. Another road intersected ours at an angle and traveled east to west.

Allard pointed in the westerly direction. “If I am not mistaken, this leads to a small settlement, does it not?”

Will nodded. “A small village called Ainsley resides in that direction close to the mountains.” My foggy memories conjured up images of the quaint little town with some four dozen buildings and a stench problem that involved harpies.

“Could they not accommodate any guests who may know something about our recent problems?” Allard wondered.

“They could and the Tenky will not leave that untouched,” Will assured him as he jerked his head toward the east. “But home and a good rest is this way.”

Allard cast one last lingering look at the other road before he followed us. I couldn’t help but feel a little trepidation myself. The creature we sought was so small that even one unturned rock could mean it slipped out of our grasp.

We reached the manor within the hour as Will predicted. It was a sight for sore eyes and even more sore feet. I couldn’t wait for a long, hot bath.

I was to be sorely disappointed, both literally and figuratively.

Chapter Nine

We entered our abode and I slumped into the nearest chair. I pulled off my shoes and wiggled my worn toes. My feet breathed in and out, grateful for the breath of fresh air and freedom from the hard confines of my shoes.

Raines and Will walked a little further into the entrance hall before the servant turned to his master. “Shall I prepare a meal for us, sir?”

Will opened his mouth to reply but Vargas beat him to it. “You will do no such thing.” We all turned to her with a questioning expression and she gestured down at herself. Her clothes were covered in sticks, muck, and brambles. “You shall clean my clothes forthwith.”

Raines stared at her for a long moment before he turned his attention to Will. “And the food?”

“I will take care of this meal myself,” Vargas announced as she lifted her chin and smiled. “I have you know that there has never been a chef as great as I in all the lands. After all, I have had many, many centuries of practice.”

I looked uncertainly at Will who had a resigned look on his face. “Very well. My kitchen is at your disposal.”

“And your bride,” Vargas added as she nodded at me. “I am not sure how deft her hands are but surely she can be of some help to me. You may wash up while I remove my filthy clothes for the gentleman to take and switch into something more appropriate.” She didn’t wait for a reply but swept up the stairs.

I waited until I heard her bedroom door slam shut before I sidled up to Will and lowered my voice. “So how good of a cook is she?”

He shook his head. “I must admit I never tried her cooking. Her other ‘achievements’ were so. . .underwhelming that I never ventured to attempt tasting her food.”

My face drooped. “So we have a mystery meal coming up?”

Raines stepped up to us and bowed his head. “If you wish, My Lord, I will prepare a separate meal in case Lady Vargas’ food turns out to fulfill our expectations.”

Will shook his head. “Her nose isn’t nearly as keen as that of Lord Ware, but she would notice you cooking something else. Best to hold our noses and taste bitter disappointment.”

“Then shall I clean your clothes as well?” he offered as he looked us over. We all resembled mud monsters.

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