I’d been so wrapped up in Droko that I hadn’t given a thought to the goblin.Not gonna lie, Crespash freaked me out.And when I saw him barrel into the amber room with that sword in his gangly arms, I’d thought for sure Droko was a goner.But instead of taking his revenge on his master…he’d saved Droko’s life.
I thought back to the annoying peddler’s words:I could never be a slave.No matter how finely gilded the cage.Kof hadn’t referred to me as a slave.He’d called me thebearer of the prophecy—which had a pretty good ring to it, if I did say so myself.
Crespash, however, hadn’t fared quite so well after the craziness in the amber room.He’d been hauled off by a pair of burly orcish guards.
“You need to help him,” I said.
Droko’s ponderous brow furrowed.“Crespash?Help him what?”
For someone so smart, he was incredibly dense when he wanted to be.“Help him escape so he can start a new life.”
“Crespash is a slave.And for good reason.He’s been a slave longer than I’ve been alive.”
Droko seemed to consider the matter closed, but it was bugging me.If Crespash had found the sword I had so “cleverly” hidden, then it made sense that he’d found the escape route I’d been carving, too.He’d had an out.And he hadn’t taken it.
Because he cared about Droko.
Droko had stood to eat.I squared myself up in front of him, eye-level with the handprint branded on his chest.Some of the red had settled out, and now it was more of a green-tinged rust.When I fit my hand over it, his breath hissed through his teeth.“Orcs have a highly developed sense of fairness, I’ve observed, and they put a lot of stock in doing what they feel is right.So, consider this.While you were on your knees with stars swirling through your eyes, Crespash could’ve easily lopped off your head right along with Gorgul’s.But he didn’t.He saved you.”
Droko heaved a sigh.“Freeing slaves is not the orcish way.”As he said this, he took in the chamber bedecked in bones and furs, herbs and potions.And he considered me in all my human glory, while the fresh handprint on my cheek tingled as I flushed under his scrutiny.He saw what had become of himself—and he accepted it with a single nod.“But many things have come to pass lately that have never happened before.Besides, I can’t think of anyone who’d dare challenge the word of Droko…the Mystic.”
26
SILVER
“Oh spider dear, with legs so long
Webs so pretty, silk so strong
You’ll be a wonder to behold
In the menagerie, so bold
Our journey’s long, but worry not
We’ll dance and sing, and have a lot
Of fun and games, along the way—”
The cart stopped with a jolt and a shudder as Prancy plodded to a halt and planted her hooves.“What’s this all about?”I asked her.“I thought you adored my impromptu ballads.”
The donkey replied with an affronted splutter.
I hadn’t chosen Prancy for her perky footwork—obviously—but she didn’t usually give up on me so quickly.“What’s wrong, did the mash those orcs fed you disagree with your delicate constitution?I’ll have you know you ate the very same feed as their prize warhorse.”
Prancy’s ear swiveled.Not toward me…but toward the bushes.
That donkey might be as stubborn and slow as they came, but her sense of self-preservation was just as highly developed as mine—a trait that should never be taken for granted.
My tooled leather bracers are certainly quite fetching, but they’re not just for show.With a practiced flick of my wrist, I drew a throwing star sheathed in the fancywork into my palm.You don’t normally see the weapons outside the desert.But the Blood Nomads had been amenable enough to make a trade once they sampled my supply of fine gnomish brandy.
The sharp baubles were not only well-made and nice to look at—but deceptively lethal.
Just like me.
Whoever was creeping up on me was stealthy, I’d give them that.I still didn’t hear them myself, though Prancy’s expressive eyes told me everything I needed to know.I readied the bladed star with a steadying breath, but went on chitchatting as if I hadn’t a care in the world.
“Don’t play lame with me, missie.That tease of a groom looked you over and said you were fit enough, so—”
