How to Drive a Dragon Crazy
Page 104
Soldiers came around the corner. Like the ones who’d picked them up in the desert, these soldiers wore light armor, but the female one at the front wearing a helm with a long horse’s mane coming from the top seemed to hold a higher rank.
“Names,” one of the soldiers ordered.
Any bit of progress Éibhear had made alleviating her stress vanished in the face of those orders. Izzy’s arms crossed under her chest and her foot began to tap. Never a good sign when dealing with Izzy.
“I said names,” the soldier repeated.
“Heard the first time. Amazing what politeness can get you, though.”
The higher-ranking soldier motioned another forward. This one was more polite.
“We need your names.”
“I thought this was an open city,” Izzy countered. “I don’t understand—”
“I’d prefer you just answer my questions. Quickly.”
“Izzy,” Éibhear pushed. “Just answer him.” If things turned ugly, he could easily shift to dragon and kill them all. But these soldiers simply wanted to know who they were.
The female officer’s eyes narrowed. “Thought you were mute.”
Éibhear sighed. “Do you see what you started?” he asked Izzy, which only made her laugh. “Now you have to tell her.”
“Fine. I’m General Iseabail of Queen Annwyl’s army.”
“Annwyl? Annwyl the Bloody?” The female officer glanced at the others. “Lovely.”
Éibhear caught hold of the back of Izzy’s shirt before she could reach through the bars and strangle the captain to death. If there was one thing Izzy never tolerated, it was anyone saying anything negative about Annwyl; her aunt was her one true blind spot.
Oblivious to the danger, the polite soldier asked, “And why are you here, General?”
“I want to meet with the Nolwenns.”
“So do many others, but your queen should have come on her own.”
“I’m not here for my queen. I’m here for myself.”
The female officer gave a little snort. “Planning to overthrow your mad queen and hoping the Nolwenns will help you because of the color of your skin?”
Éibhear would always be grateful for the speed of his hands. Because he managed to pull Izzy away from that cell door before she gripped the bars and yanked them right out of the ceiling and floor they’d been imbedded in.
And while she swung wildly and cursed, Éibhear explained, “The queen knows the general is here, but it has nothing to do with Queen Annwyl. The general’s people are from here originally.”
“And who are her people?” the polite soldier asked.
“She’s the daughter of Talaith.” Éibhear saw it out of the corner of his eye. The captain’s head lifted, tilting to the side.
“Talaith?” the soldier asked.
“Talaith, Daughter of Haldane,” Éibhear added.
The officer finally stepped forward, pushing the males out of her way. She was a strong woman. Tall, powerfully built, a multitude of warrior braids and long feathers mixed in with her brown, curly hair. Éibhear had a hard time seeing her face, though, because of the nose guard on her helm.
“Daughter of Haldane?” the officer asked.
Éibhear pushed a struggling Izzy behind him. “You know Haldane?”
The woman shook her head. “No. Not personally. Everyone knows the Nolwenns, though.”
“Do you think you can help us get a meeting with them?”
“I really don’t know.” She kept staring, trying to look around him, but Izzy was still behind him cursing and trying to pry his hand off so she could come out swinging.
Éibhear shook her once to get her to focus.
“What?” Izzy snapped, but hearing her speak without yelling or cursing, Éibhear pulled Izzy back around.
“General Iseabail,” Éibhear said, “this is—”
“Captain Layla,” the officer introduced herself.
Izzy nodded. “Captain.”
The captain stepped closer, looked Izzy over. “With us,” she finally said. “Please.”
She walked off and one of the guards unlocked the cell door, pulling it open.
Izzy glanced up at Éibhear. “Wherever you go,” he muttered.
She nodded and headed out. Éibhear followed, but he glanced back at the dog, which was still snoring away. “Oy! Idiot! Let’s go.”
The dog’s eyes opened, but he only stared at Éibhear without moving. Then Izzy whistled and the dog rolled off the cot to his feet and charged after his mistress.
Disgusted, Éibhear followed them all, wondering where they were going—and what would happen when they got there.
Chapter 33
With soldiers surrounding them, they were walked out of the jail and through the city. Izzy had no idea where she was going, but she truly hoped it was to the Nolwenns. She longed to see that bitch so she could tell her how horrible she was before handing her sister over to her. Izzy still shuddered at that, giving her sister over to the Nolwenns, but what could she do?
After about fifteen minutes of traveling through the city’s central market, they turned down a street and stopped in front of a building. The captain looked at her men. “You lot wait out here.”
“Captain, you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She motioned to Izzy and Éibhear. “You two come with me.”
“Names,” one of the soldiers ordered.
Any bit of progress Éibhear had made alleviating her stress vanished in the face of those orders. Izzy’s arms crossed under her chest and her foot began to tap. Never a good sign when dealing with Izzy.
“I said names,” the soldier repeated.
“Heard the first time. Amazing what politeness can get you, though.”
The higher-ranking soldier motioned another forward. This one was more polite.
“We need your names.”
“I thought this was an open city,” Izzy countered. “I don’t understand—”
“I’d prefer you just answer my questions. Quickly.”
“Izzy,” Éibhear pushed. “Just answer him.” If things turned ugly, he could easily shift to dragon and kill them all. But these soldiers simply wanted to know who they were.
The female officer’s eyes narrowed. “Thought you were mute.”
Éibhear sighed. “Do you see what you started?” he asked Izzy, which only made her laugh. “Now you have to tell her.”
“Fine. I’m General Iseabail of Queen Annwyl’s army.”
“Annwyl? Annwyl the Bloody?” The female officer glanced at the others. “Lovely.”
Éibhear caught hold of the back of Izzy’s shirt before she could reach through the bars and strangle the captain to death. If there was one thing Izzy never tolerated, it was anyone saying anything negative about Annwyl; her aunt was her one true blind spot.
Oblivious to the danger, the polite soldier asked, “And why are you here, General?”
“I want to meet with the Nolwenns.”
“So do many others, but your queen should have come on her own.”
“I’m not here for my queen. I’m here for myself.”
The female officer gave a little snort. “Planning to overthrow your mad queen and hoping the Nolwenns will help you because of the color of your skin?”
Éibhear would always be grateful for the speed of his hands. Because he managed to pull Izzy away from that cell door before she gripped the bars and yanked them right out of the ceiling and floor they’d been imbedded in.
And while she swung wildly and cursed, Éibhear explained, “The queen knows the general is here, but it has nothing to do with Queen Annwyl. The general’s people are from here originally.”
“And who are her people?” the polite soldier asked.
“She’s the daughter of Talaith.” Éibhear saw it out of the corner of his eye. The captain’s head lifted, tilting to the side.
“Talaith?” the soldier asked.
“Talaith, Daughter of Haldane,” Éibhear added.
The officer finally stepped forward, pushing the males out of her way. She was a strong woman. Tall, powerfully built, a multitude of warrior braids and long feathers mixed in with her brown, curly hair. Éibhear had a hard time seeing her face, though, because of the nose guard on her helm.
“Daughter of Haldane?” the officer asked.
Éibhear pushed a struggling Izzy behind him. “You know Haldane?”
The woman shook her head. “No. Not personally. Everyone knows the Nolwenns, though.”
“Do you think you can help us get a meeting with them?”
“I really don’t know.” She kept staring, trying to look around him, but Izzy was still behind him cursing and trying to pry his hand off so she could come out swinging.
Éibhear shook her once to get her to focus.
“What?” Izzy snapped, but hearing her speak without yelling or cursing, Éibhear pulled Izzy back around.
“General Iseabail,” Éibhear said, “this is—”
“Captain Layla,” the officer introduced herself.
Izzy nodded. “Captain.”
The captain stepped closer, looked Izzy over. “With us,” she finally said. “Please.”
She walked off and one of the guards unlocked the cell door, pulling it open.
Izzy glanced up at Éibhear. “Wherever you go,” he muttered.
She nodded and headed out. Éibhear followed, but he glanced back at the dog, which was still snoring away. “Oy! Idiot! Let’s go.”
The dog’s eyes opened, but he only stared at Éibhear without moving. Then Izzy whistled and the dog rolled off the cot to his feet and charged after his mistress.
Disgusted, Éibhear followed them all, wondering where they were going—and what would happen when they got there.
Chapter 33
With soldiers surrounding them, they were walked out of the jail and through the city. Izzy had no idea where she was going, but she truly hoped it was to the Nolwenns. She longed to see that bitch so she could tell her how horrible she was before handing her sister over to her. Izzy still shuddered at that, giving her sister over to the Nolwenns, but what could she do?
After about fifteen minutes of traveling through the city’s central market, they turned down a street and stopped in front of a building. The captain looked at her men. “You lot wait out here.”
“Captain, you sure?”
She nodded. “Yes.” She motioned to Izzy and Éibhear. “You two come with me.”
