Malediction (Scars of the Sundering Book 1) by Hans Cummings Page A
Authors: Hans Cummings
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nodded in recognition
of Kale and Pancras. His formerly unkempt beard was neat with brass beads
braided into it. Pancras supposed the beads gave the beard weight so it
wouldn't blow around in the wind and noticed the dwarf wore a belt equipped with
more pouches than could be practical.
"What
brings you to Drak-Anor?" Kale greeted the dwarf in Dwarvish and offered
Edric his hand.
The dwarf
ignored it. "The elders weren't pleased I survived our little adventure.
They decided to follow my family’s lead and just outright banished me this
time." He spat on the ground. "Aita take them all." He regarded
the three travelers. "Where are you three off to? Back to Ironkrag?"
Pancras
shook his head. "I have an errand in Muncifer."
Delilah
tugged at Pancras's sleeve. She switched to Drak. "Let's go. We don't need
a smelly dwarf hanging around with us."
The minotaur
looked down at Edric. "Why come to Drak-Anor? Wouldn't Celtangate be
better for you?"
"It's a
home for misfits, right?"
Frowning,
Pancras resisted the urge to pick up the dwarf and toss him off the mountain.
"We do not think of ourselves as misfits. Most citizens of Drak-Anor are
minotaurs and draks. You would be the only resident dwarf." It was
impossible to know everyone in the city, particularly with the recent
population explosion, but the only dwarves Pancras remembered seeing were
traders passing through.
"Oh.
Well, maybe I should come with you to Muncifer."
Delilah
tugged at Pancras's sleeve again and shook her head. Pancras shook her off and
replied to her in Drak. "Look, he's probably just going to follow us if we
don't let him tag along."
"Fine!"
Delilah huffed and threw up her hands in resignation. She burst past Pancras,
grabbing Kale as she did so.
Pancras
watched them for a moment and then noticed Edric looking up at him, awaiting a
response. "Sure, I guess. But I'm in charge of this expedition,
understand?"
"In
charge? Of going to Muncifer on an errand?" Edric snorted and shook his
head. "I'll try to keep my ambition in check."
Pancras
followed after Kale and Delilah. Great, sarcasm from a dwarf. All I need now
is a blizzard before we are clear of the mountains.
* * *
"Hey,
why are you so set against Edric joining us?" Kale wrenched his hand from
his sister's grip as she dragged him down the mountain road. "He helped
Pancras and me with those ghouls." Delilah again noticed Kale wince at the
mention of his latest adventure with Pancras, although his grimace lasted only
a fraction of a second. She decided to keep an eye on her brother.
"Look,
it's going to be hard enough, the three of us going to Etrunia. From what I
hear, no one outside of Muncifer likes minotaurs, they barely tolerate draks,
and everyone thinks dwarves are greedy little thieves. If an elf or a human, or
even that werewolf, Aeryn, wanted to tag along, I wouldn't have a problem with
it. At least they could be helpful." Delilah looked over her shoulder,
toward Pancras and Edric.
"You've
never had a problem with dwarves before."
Delilah
pursed her lips and frowned at her brother. She pulled him further away from
Pancras and Edric and tried to stay out of earshot. "I'm scared,
okay?"
"Of
Edric?" Kale scratched his head.
"No. Do
you even know where Muncifer is? Now that we've started, it's a great unknown
before us." Delilah hated admitting she was scared of what she didn't know
and abhorred thought of anyone else knowing of her fear.
"Pancras
knows. He's not going to let anything happen to us. Besides, we've been on Deep
Road dozens of times. Out here, we don't have to worry about cave-ins, giant
hungry lizards, or anything like that." Kale spread his arms and grinned,
although Delilah thought she saw a hint of a wince before the grin. "It's
the whole world, Deli."
"Yeah,
no walls. No ceiling." She'd been outside before, but just that one time
coming back from Ironkrag, and it was years ago. Her thoughts were occupied
with Kale at the time, since she believed him dead,
of Kale and Pancras. His formerly unkempt beard was neat with brass beads
braided into it. Pancras supposed the beads gave the beard weight so it
wouldn't blow around in the wind and noticed the dwarf wore a belt equipped with
more pouches than could be practical.
"What
brings you to Drak-Anor?" Kale greeted the dwarf in Dwarvish and offered
Edric his hand.
The dwarf
ignored it. "The elders weren't pleased I survived our little adventure.
They decided to follow my family’s lead and just outright banished me this
time." He spat on the ground. "Aita take them all." He regarded
the three travelers. "Where are you three off to? Back to Ironkrag?"
Pancras
shook his head. "I have an errand in Muncifer."
Delilah
tugged at Pancras's sleeve. She switched to Drak. "Let's go. We don't need
a smelly dwarf hanging around with us."
The minotaur
looked down at Edric. "Why come to Drak-Anor? Wouldn't Celtangate be
better for you?"
"It's a
home for misfits, right?"
Frowning,
Pancras resisted the urge to pick up the dwarf and toss him off the mountain.
"We do not think of ourselves as misfits. Most citizens of Drak-Anor are
minotaurs and draks. You would be the only resident dwarf." It was
impossible to know everyone in the city, particularly with the recent
population explosion, but the only dwarves Pancras remembered seeing were
traders passing through.
"Oh.
Well, maybe I should come with you to Muncifer."
Delilah
tugged at Pancras's sleeve again and shook her head. Pancras shook her off and
replied to her in Drak. "Look, he's probably just going to follow us if we
don't let him tag along."
"Fine!"
Delilah huffed and threw up her hands in resignation. She burst past Pancras,
grabbing Kale as she did so.
Pancras
watched them for a moment and then noticed Edric looking up at him, awaiting a
response. "Sure, I guess. But I'm in charge of this expedition,
understand?"
"In
charge? Of going to Muncifer on an errand?" Edric snorted and shook his
head. "I'll try to keep my ambition in check."
Pancras
followed after Kale and Delilah. Great, sarcasm from a dwarf. All I need now
is a blizzard before we are clear of the mountains.
* * *
"Hey,
why are you so set against Edric joining us?" Kale wrenched his hand from
his sister's grip as she dragged him down the mountain road. "He helped
Pancras and me with those ghouls." Delilah again noticed Kale wince at the
mention of his latest adventure with Pancras, although his grimace lasted only
a fraction of a second. She decided to keep an eye on her brother.
"Look,
it's going to be hard enough, the three of us going to Etrunia. From what I
hear, no one outside of Muncifer likes minotaurs, they barely tolerate draks,
and everyone thinks dwarves are greedy little thieves. If an elf or a human, or
even that werewolf, Aeryn, wanted to tag along, I wouldn't have a problem with
it. At least they could be helpful." Delilah looked over her shoulder,
toward Pancras and Edric.
"You've
never had a problem with dwarves before."
Delilah
pursed her lips and frowned at her brother. She pulled him further away from
Pancras and Edric and tried to stay out of earshot. "I'm scared,
okay?"
"Of
Edric?" Kale scratched his head.
"No. Do
you even know where Muncifer is? Now that we've started, it's a great unknown
before us." Delilah hated admitting she was scared of what she didn't know
and abhorred thought of anyone else knowing of her fear.
"Pancras
knows. He's not going to let anything happen to us. Besides, we've been on Deep
Road dozens of times. Out here, we don't have to worry about cave-ins, giant
hungry lizards, or anything like that." Kale spread his arms and grinned,
although Delilah thought she saw a hint of a wince before the grin. "It's
the whole world, Deli."
"Yeah,
no walls. No ceiling." She'd been outside before, but just that one time
coming back from Ironkrag, and it was years ago. Her thoughts were occupied
with Kale at the time, since she believed him dead,
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