and in order to do that I was going to stop the poachers that captured them.
“Here is my counsel for you, Bayzog. Go home and leave my life to me.”
Bayzog led his horse away, saying, “You’re as stubborn as Brenwar.”
I had to admit : that stung a little.
CHAPTER 15
We scoured the countryside over the next few days, taking our time on the journey. No one was saying much of anything and we hadn’t sat down for council. They had offered, but I’d refused. For the most part they were all just tagging along and that was fine by me. Eventually we’d be close enough to Quintuklen and they’d head home. That was my plan anyway.
“So, Dragon,” Ben said. “How do we go about tracking down someone when the world ’s so big?”
It was a good question. I waded into a nearby river and acted like I didn’t hear him. I was getting hungry and I had an appetite for fish. The cold water rushed past my knees as I searched for signs of life. The sun was bright and the water was clear, and I could see my reflection shimmering in it. My mane of auburn hair looked fine. Of course, it always did.
A fish darted through my feet, followed b y another. Moments later one of them settled.
I readied my claws and licked my lips. I could taste the meat already. I slipped my hands into the water.
Ben sloshed up behind me.
The fish squirted between my fingers.
“Ben!” I cried. “Quit scaring the fish. I’ve taught you better than that.” I frowned and shook my head at him.
“Then you stop ignoring me,” he said. “You’ve been ignoring everyone, and I’m getting tired of it.”
“They you should go home,” I said.
“To what?” he said. “I don’t have anyone anymore. Just you, Dragon.”
“I’m sure Quinley could use you in the cornfields,” I said. “And you’re a better bowman than you were. You’d be the best shot for miles around.” I sloshed away , eyeing the water.
“What’s wrong with you, Dragon?” he said. “You didn’t use d to be like this. You used to be nice. Now you’re just—”
I turned and faced him with my hands on my hips.
“I’m just what, Ben? Mean?”
“I wasn’t going to say that,” he said.
His eyes drifted to the left.
“You were going to say that,” I said. “And guess what, Ben ? I don’t care. I’m being mean because I don’t want you here, and I’ve told you that. I’ve told all of you that, but none of you listen.”
“You need us,” he said.
I laughed.
“For what, Ben ? You don’t even have a sword or bow. What are you going to fight with, your hands?”
I took a jab at another fish and missed.
“Blast it!”
My stomach was growling. I was growling. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone?
“ UGH!” Ben said. He threw up his arms and sloshed away in the waters.
“Good bye, Ben,” I said.
He stopped and turned. His pleasant face was turning red and his fists were balled up at his sides.
“You know, Dragon, there’s a saying in Quinley. You can tell a lot about a Man by the friends he keeps. ”
I shrugged and said, “So , I’ve heard that one before and you didn’t say it quite right.”
“I’m don’t care if it sounds right or not because I’ve got a better saying. You can tell a lot more about a Man who doesn’t have any friends .” He pointed at me. “That’s for you, Dragon!” He stormed through the waters, fell, and completely soaked himself.
I started laughing and holding my belly.
Soaked, Ben shook his fist at me and stormed away. As he was leaving, Brenwar, Bayzog and Sasha were coming up along the sandy riverbank. I rolled my eyes.
“What’s the matter, Ben?” I heard Sasha say.
“Nothing!”
They all stood there gawping at me, except Brenwar. He was glaring. I didn’t care though. I just wanted to eat some fish and be left alone. I made my way down river a ways and when I looked back they were gone. Good.
I readied my hands, spread my feet in the river bed and waited for the next fish
“Here is my counsel for you, Bayzog. Go home and leave my life to me.”
Bayzog led his horse away, saying, “You’re as stubborn as Brenwar.”
I had to admit : that stung a little.
CHAPTER 15
We scoured the countryside over the next few days, taking our time on the journey. No one was saying much of anything and we hadn’t sat down for council. They had offered, but I’d refused. For the most part they were all just tagging along and that was fine by me. Eventually we’d be close enough to Quintuklen and they’d head home. That was my plan anyway.
“So, Dragon,” Ben said. “How do we go about tracking down someone when the world ’s so big?”
It was a good question. I waded into a nearby river and acted like I didn’t hear him. I was getting hungry and I had an appetite for fish. The cold water rushed past my knees as I searched for signs of life. The sun was bright and the water was clear, and I could see my reflection shimmering in it. My mane of auburn hair looked fine. Of course, it always did.
A fish darted through my feet, followed b y another. Moments later one of them settled.
I readied my claws and licked my lips. I could taste the meat already. I slipped my hands into the water.
Ben sloshed up behind me.
The fish squirted between my fingers.
“Ben!” I cried. “Quit scaring the fish. I’ve taught you better than that.” I frowned and shook my head at him.
“Then you stop ignoring me,” he said. “You’ve been ignoring everyone, and I’m getting tired of it.”
“They you should go home,” I said.
“To what?” he said. “I don’t have anyone anymore. Just you, Dragon.”
“I’m sure Quinley could use you in the cornfields,” I said. “And you’re a better bowman than you were. You’d be the best shot for miles around.” I sloshed away , eyeing the water.
“What’s wrong with you, Dragon?” he said. “You didn’t use d to be like this. You used to be nice. Now you’re just—”
I turned and faced him with my hands on my hips.
“I’m just what, Ben? Mean?”
“I wasn’t going to say that,” he said.
His eyes drifted to the left.
“You were going to say that,” I said. “And guess what, Ben ? I don’t care. I’m being mean because I don’t want you here, and I’ve told you that. I’ve told all of you that, but none of you listen.”
“You need us,” he said.
I laughed.
“For what, Ben ? You don’t even have a sword or bow. What are you going to fight with, your hands?”
I took a jab at another fish and missed.
“Blast it!”
My stomach was growling. I was growling. Why wouldn’t they leave me alone?
“ UGH!” Ben said. He threw up his arms and sloshed away in the waters.
“Good bye, Ben,” I said.
He stopped and turned. His pleasant face was turning red and his fists were balled up at his sides.
“You know, Dragon, there’s a saying in Quinley. You can tell a lot about a Man by the friends he keeps. ”
I shrugged and said, “So , I’ve heard that one before and you didn’t say it quite right.”
“I’m don’t care if it sounds right or not because I’ve got a better saying. You can tell a lot more about a Man who doesn’t have any friends .” He pointed at me. “That’s for you, Dragon!” He stormed through the waters, fell, and completely soaked himself.
I started laughing and holding my belly.
Soaked, Ben shook his fist at me and stormed away. As he was leaving, Brenwar, Bayzog and Sasha were coming up along the sandy riverbank. I rolled my eyes.
“What’s the matter, Ben?” I heard Sasha say.
“Nothing!”
They all stood there gawping at me, except Brenwar. He was glaring. I didn’t care though. I just wanted to eat some fish and be left alone. I made my way down river a ways and when I looked back they were gone. Good.
I readied my hands, spread my feet in the river bed and waited for the next fish
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