Читать книгу Graymore is a dragon hunter - Natalie Yacobson - Страница 12

Graymore woke up from the heat. It felt as if a red-hot brand had touched her cheek. It was, in fact, someone else’s hot breath. Was a dragon leaning over her?

Even before her eyelids fluttered open, Graymore reached for her crossbow.

«Don’t be frightened! You are not ready to fight yet!» A sweet, feminine voice whispered in her ear. «The fight of your life is yet to come. The dragon is waiting for you in the cursed mountains. You are to be a heroine! A great heroine! You will be honored as a dragon war goddess upon your return to Livellin, but first you must slay the dragon.»

What glorious promises! Graymore must have been pleased with such a prediction. Why did she feel that the fortuneteller’s voice oozed venom?

Graymore opened her eyes and immediately shut them again. A blinding glow was emanating from the stranger leaning over her.

«Do not fear me! I will lead you to the right place!» The woman in the golden mask leaned over and licked the blood from Graymore’s forehead.

«Do you know what this settlement was once?»

«Was it a city of elves?» Graymore guessed. She recalled the skeleton advisor’s tales of empty arches that were a passageway to the invisible realm of elves and fairies.

«It is not quite!» The woman in the golden mask gathered dew from the clover and anointed Graymore’s eyelids with it. After that it was no longer painful to look at her. The lady wore a mask that resembled the snout of a dragon. Is there really a masquerade going on in the forest? The intimidating mask was made of golden scales. It must have been made by a magical jeweler. Graymore was jealous.

«I want one for my next Livellin’s masquerade.»

«My dear,» the lady grinned indulgently. «If you get one, it will be quite difficult to take it off.»

«I don’t understand.»

The sun went behind a cloud. The mask suddenly disappeared from the lady’s face, as if golden scales had grown into her skin.

«Are you from the world of fairies?» Graymore looked in amazement at the lady’s blond curls and impossibly gorgeous dress. The bows on the sleeves and the corset were adorned with tiny sapphires. The lace of the lush skirts could only be woven by fairies. Mortal ladies have neither such outfits nor such delicate hair. Blond curls flowed below her waist. Somehow it reminded her of white snakes.

«I am Donata,» the lady introduced herself.

«You have a name like…» Graymore did not venture a suggestion, lest she should offend the lady. Like the statue!

Graymore glanced over Donata’s shoulder. By the way, she couldn’t see the statue from here.

«What are you? Are you a fairy?»

«It is not exactly, but sort of,» Donata spread her skirts, which looked suspiciously like a lizard’s tail.

«What kind of settlement is this?»

«It used to be human, but now everything human has fallen asleep.»

«You’re waiting for a chosen one to awaken everyone here.»

«There’s no need to wake anyone up. Everyone will wake up as soon as the usurper is dead.»

«The usurper? What do you mean» Graymore was astonished. «Where is he? Who is he?»

«The usurper is a dragon.»

«Good, because I thought it was a relative of mine. The thing is, this kingdom is ruled by the Livellin’s dynasty.»

«What do you mean?» The blonde was astonished.

«It’s Livellin’s territory here.»

«Livellin wasn’t even here when we were.»

«Were you? And who are you?»

«We were people of Marida.»

«I’ve never heard that name.»

«There are so many illiterate girls these days,» Donata touched Grayamore’s head gently. «But your usefulness to us is not in literacy. You are valuable in other ways. You can slay a dragon, can’t you?»

«I will,» Griamor promised.

«Are you sure?» Donata raised her ashy eyebrows questioningly. They curved in a cartwheel over her expressive blue eyes.

«I’ve killed so many dragons already. I can’t even count exactly how many.»

«That’s why your blood doesn’t taste good to me! It has the protections of a huntress in it! You’re nice, but you’re not tasty,» Donata stroked Graymore gently on the cheek. «When guests come to our house, I usually feel elation. The feast is coming.»

Grahamor closed her eyelids and saw the ring of dragon statues surrounding a stranded traveler. The man can’t get out of their circle. What happens next? Could it be that Donata is sending her such visions?

The mirror in Meverin’s saddlebag vibrated nervously, as if it were about to explode. The skeleton advisor seemed to want to have a conversation with the princess. Graymore didn’t want Donata to notice the magical object in her bag. Some gut feeling told her that Donata could not be trusted. Or could she? Donata resembled a beautiful fairy. She seemed about to turn the leaves fallen from the yew tree into gems.

«I can do it!» Donata read Graymore’s thoughts, and picked up the fallen leaves from the ground. In her hands the leaves turned into nuggets. «Take them if you want them. It’s payment for killing the dragon.»

«I only want the treasure from the dragon’s cave, not yours,» Graymore blurted confidently, and immediately regretted it. Honestly, she didn’t want the dragon’s treasure at all. Livellin’s treasury is piled high enough as it is. What she needs is the thrill of the hunt.

«Then I can heal you in gratitude,» Donata promised.

«From what is it?» Graymore wondered. «I am not ill of anything.»

«You are bewitched! Your blood seems to sprout whenever you smell a dragon.»

«That’s right.»

«And you like that?»

«It is not so much. It’s like I’m on fire inside. It’s very unpleasant.»

«Oh, I know what it’s like to burn at the stake.»

«But you’re not a witch.»

«What makes you think that?»

«Only witches burn at the stake.»

«It’s not just witches! You, for instance, feel like you’re burning at the stake as soon as a dragon flies close to your kingdom. It’s so excruciating!»

«Yes! You know what I mean.»

«I can see into people’s hearts,» Donata said smugly. «Fairies and elves are my clients too.»

«Are they your clients?»

«They are my debtors, actually.»

«You’re mysterious.»

«That’s right!» Donata smiled in a way that sent a chill down her spine.

«Who are you?» said Grahamor, curious.

«You know my name. That is more than enough.»

Donata leaned over and kissed her forehead.

«You have my blessing on the dragon.»

«So far I’ve managed without fairy blessings.»

«Your reaction to dragons is already a blessing.»

«I wouldn’t say that. It makes me uncomfortable.»

From the arches, the silent song poured out again. Donata looked wary.

«I must go,» she said. «You are so fresh and smell like a rose. When it begins to rain, you will be surrounded. It rains magically in these parts. Try not to stay out in the open when it starts raining. Otherwise, the ghosts of the rain will drag you into their world, and no one will be able to tame the dragon anymore.»

«What has the dragon done to you?»

«It is nothing in particular!» Donata shrugged her shoulders.

«Did it burn you? Are you a ghost?»

«I am not!»

«Then what harm has he done to you?» She asked.

«It is practically nothing.»

«Then why do you want him dead so badly?»

«I will be fair!»

The conversation came to a standstill. Graymore was tormented by suspicion, but there was nothing more to ask. Donata avoided a direct answer. Her words sounded like echoes. Nothing could be understood.

Graymore noticed a strange enamel locket on a gold chain around Donata’s neck. On the lid of the medallion hung symbols like those scrawled on the ground.

«Will I see you again?» Graymore asked as Donata stood up and walked out of the arches into the city at the sound of singing. The singers were out of sight, but the song was pouring forth.

«It is quite likely!» Donata lifted her green hem, stepped over the line on the ground, and disappeared as if she had never been there.