The High-Wizard's Hunt - By Ashley Delay Page 0,11
put that back in your pouch and tell them I was not happy with the amount you offered me,” Greyback growled softly as she faced Osric. Her head swung slowly toward his hand as she opened her mouth to accept the payment. Osric placed it on her tongue with a grateful smile.
“Thanks, Greyback, this helps more than you can know.” Osric was about to walk away, but he paused and looked back. “Greyback, I have always heard that dragons eat coins to aid in digestion, but the dragons at Braya were not fed coins. Why is it really that you swallow your payment?” Osric asked quietly, glancing around to be sure he wasn’t overheard.
Greyback cast her gaze down at the platform and Osric wondered if he had somehow offended her. “Osric, that is such a personal matter. I am surprised at you,” Greyback responded sheepishly.
“I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that. Forgive my intrusion on your private matters. I didn’t know it was such a delicate subject.” Osric retracted the inquiry, ashamed that he had embarrassed her.
Greyback glanced around, reassured by the distance between them and the nearest observer. With a raised eye ridge, she indicated that they should step closer to her. She rested her head on the platform and spoke in a low tone.
“You have earned the right to ask any question you wish, but you must swear to never tell another soul. Only those who helped to free us from our bondage can know, for dragons do not want the reason being well known.”
The soft but serious tone of her voice was sobering. Osric didn’t know how to respond, and he felt as though he was treading on ground few had traveled. He wanted to respect Greyback’s privacy, but he also felt that she was granting him a great honor, and he was unsure of how to proceed.
“Of course, my friend, but you don’t have to answer. I was only curious.”
“We do not actually swallow the payments.”
Osric was taken aback. He got the impression from the change of Greyback’s tone that she was sharing a funny secret, but she had such a serious expression in her eyes. Osric struggled to understand what her statement implied.
“We don’t mind at all that walkers believe we swallow the coins to aid in digesting our food,” she whispered. “It keeps them from looking for it anywhere other than our, um, droppings.” Greyback smiled fearsomely. “Some time after our elders were imprisoned, the walkers found our hoards of treasure and took them as their own. We have few places left in this world that we can stow our treasures without fear of robbery, and we were forbidden to defend ourselves against walkers for fear of retribution against our kin caged at Braya.”
Osric stared at her in disbelief. He fumed at the idea that further injustice had been done to the dragons, and there was little he could do about it other than find out who was responsible for containing the secret of the dragons’ imprisonment within his own realm. Kenneth snickered quietly, and Osric glared at him for his untimely display of humor.
“That explains why my father used to insist that my mother fetch him herbs from the market for his constipation rather than swallow the coppers my mother attempted to feed him!” Kenneth could hardly contain himself, but he kept his laughter and exclamations nearly silent, so as to only share it with the three of them. Osric couldn’t help but smile at the joke, but respectfully refrained from joining Kenneth’s tittering, due to the seriousness of Greyback’s explanation.
“Besides, this impressive sheen in my scales cannot be achieved by swallowing copper and gold.” Greyback winked at Osric. “Rather, it comes from lying upon it.” She stood up proud, a display of the shine of her scales in the torch light.
“Thank you for sharing this with us, Greyback. I hope to rid you all of this burden soon, and you can acquire and protect all the gold you want, simply for the benefit of your scales,” Osric whispered. “Now, I’m afraid we need to get on with our business. I will see you again soon my friend.” Osric grabbed the ragged book that was never far from his reach and tucked it in his belt as Kenneth gathered his gear. He resolved himself to eliminating any lingering injustice to the dragons by learning more about who was behind it.
Gordyn insisted that Dru accompany the two of them to see Toby. They