How to Slay a Dragon - Bill Allen [46]
“Fine, Princess,” interrupted Nathan, “we would be happy to call you Sasha. But you still haven’t said what you are doing out here in the forest alone.”
“And you are?” Priscilla asked in a tone that sounded far too commanding for such a small body.
“Sorry. Nathaniel Caine is my name. Please, call me Nathan.”
“Very well, Mr. Caine. If you must know, I’m on my way to the Infinite Spire to rescue my sister from the dragon Ruuan.”
“You’re what?” Greg shouted, or so it felt to him. If the others heard, they gave no indication.
“You’re going to fight Ruuan?” Lucky scoffed. “Why on Myrth would you want to do that?”
“Somebody’s got to do something,” Priscilla said. “I’m sure you’ve heard how that idiot Simon botched up the prophecy. Now Marvin Greatheart’s gone off to who knows where, and no one’s left to save Penelope.”
“Your sister’s back at the castle,” Greg called out from below. Maybe he’d actually died from his wound. That would explain why everyone was ignoring him. But it didn’t explain why Lucky and Priscilla were still talking about slaying the dragon and rescuing Penelope.
“Simon didn’t botch up the prophecy,” Lucky insisted. “Greghart, here, is going to save her.”
Now it was the princess who laughed. It was a shrill, mocking sound, and given the circumstances Greg couldn’t say he liked it. “Do you hear what you’re saying? Look at him. He’s just a boy.”
Greg didn’t know whether to take offense or not. Sure, he knew he couldn’t possibly fight a dragon, but so many people had told him otherwise lately, he’d begun to believe it was true—or at least wish it were true. Now Priscilla, or Sasha, or whatever she wanted to be called, was suggesting he wasn’t a hero at all. In fact, from her tone it sounded as if she was suggesting he wasn’t much of a boy.
Lucky looked furious. “Greg may not be very old—” he started to say.
“Who’s Greg?” Priscilla interrupted.
“I am,” insisted Greg, but still the others ignored him.
“Greghart. He wants us to call him Greg,” Lucky explained.
The princess frowned. “That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Okay, Sasha. Greg may be just a boy, but he’s going to be a hero soon enough. That is, if you don’t get in his way. Hey, you haven’t been trying to stop him, have you?”
“Somebody tell me what’s going on,” Greg demanded. He used all the strength he could muster to crawl to his feet.
“Why would I want to stop him?” Priscilla said. “I just met him. Besides, what do I care what he does? I’ve got more important things to worry about, remember?”
“We believe there have been a couple of attempts on Greg’s life,” said Nathan. “We also have the word of Witch Hazel that a girl visited her the day before we arrived, and it was not far from Hazel’s, at the edge of Black Blood Creek, that Greg suffered his first mishap.”
“You were at Witch Hazel’s and you didn’t pick up a healing spell?” The princess’s tone suggested he’d forgotten to pick up brains as well. But then her nostrils flared, and she met Nathan’s eye with an accusing glare. “Just what is it you’re trying to say, Mr. Caine?”
“Nothing Highness,” Nathan said quickly. “I was just explaining the facts so you would understand why Lucky asked what he did.”
“Please don’t call me that!”
“Call you what?” Nathan asked.
“Highness. Do I look particularly tall to you? I hate all that pompous royalty nonsense. Weren’t you listening? I want you to call me Sasha.”
“My apologies,” Nathan said, bowing.
“And don’t bow to me either.”
Greg whistled as loudly as he could. “Would you two stop?”
Priscilla regarded him as if just now realizing he was still there.
Her attention was so unexpected, Greg could barely think what to say. “How did you get away from the dragon?”
Priscilla looked at Lucky and Nathan. “What’s he talking about?”
“You never answered my question,” Lucky told Priscilla. “You’re not trying to stop Greg, are you?”
“Of course not. Ruuan will do that.” She thought a moment. “But maybe I will tag along with you. I might be able to use this boy somehow.