Free Dragon Lord by Avril Sabine

whined.
    “What else would make a thief settle down? A please and thank you wouldn’t. Now when I let you go, drop your head down and shuffle your feet. No more trying to get away. I can’t let you go in front of the whole town. Use your brain, Mouse.”
    Mouse stared back at him sullenly. Stallholders around them pretended not to watch, but Fen knew they strained to hear the conversation. They’d have needed the ears of a dragon to hear the low growl he’d used.
    “Do you understand? Are you going to come quietly now?” Fen made sure his voice was loud enough for the nearest stallholders to hear.
    “Yes,” Mouse hissed.
    With a nod, Fen released Mouse’s neck. He didn’t let go of the leather. Mouse rubbed his neck with his bound hands. Fen knew the rubbing was for effect. He hadn’t held Mouse that hard.
    When they were well out of town Mouse began to whine about how far they’d walked. Fen ignored him. Mouse whined Fen could let him go. Still Fen ignored him.
    “I’m not moving.” Mouse pulled back on the leather.
    Fen gave a sharp pull and Mouse stumbled forward. “Not far now.”
    “How far? And where we going? My feet hurt.” The whine crept back into Mouse’s voice.
    “Oh, shut up Mouse.”
    Mouse fell silent, except for the occasional moan. They finally came to a thick stand of trees and Fen tied Mouse to one of them.
    “I thought you were going to let me go.”
    “I will. In good time.” Fen sat down, leaned up against a tree near Mouse and closed his eyes.
    “Hey. Don’t go sleeping while I’m tied to this tree.”
    “Quiet.” Fen kept his eyes closed. He thought of River. He tried to call him in his mind. Minutes passed. Mouse moaned. Fen ignored him. He focused on River. A butterfly touch brushed his mind. A sense of concern washed over him.
    Fen thought of Edana. He showed River her in her usual clothes and then in the widow’s outfit. Next he thought of the blood oath he’d signed and then visualised the blank parchment. He pictured where he was and sent a feeling of urgency to River.
    River sent a wave of assurance before the butterfly touch was gone. Now he had to wait and hope Edana would understand. He kept his eyes closed a little longer, wanting to postpone the talk he needed to have with Mouse. Fen finally opened his eyes to stare at Mouse.
    “What? Not sleepin’ now? What we waiting here for?”
    “What were you doing in the market on a light day? Do you have a death wish?”
    “Rhone sent me.”
    “Why?”
    “Getting too old.”
    “He wants to get rid of you.”
    Mouse nodded. “He said I was allowed the markets Firstday to Fifthday. Halfday and Restday belong to some of his other boys. Till I can show him a good haul, I don’t get my old grounds back. I nearly had it today. Then that merchant,” Mouse spat the word out, “had to ruin things.”
    “How badly do you want to leave Rhone? If I can promise you work, food and clothes will you stay with me?” It would have been easier to advertise for a stablehand, but he had to do something with Mouse.
    “What sort of work?” Mouse asked suspiciously.
    “Stablehand.”
    “I’m no one’s lackey.”
    “Dragon stable.”
    “Cor! You weren’t spinnin’ a story earlier? How’d that happen? Didn’t Rhone send you after a dragon? Didn’t he flog you for not getting one? How’s it you got one after all?”
    “Mouse. Focus. Can you work for me as a dragon stableboy? I can offer you a better life than what Rhone offered, but you’ll have to sign a blood oath. No matter which choice you make today, a blood oath will be involved.”
    “No way. Not chancing my blood boiling.” Mouse shook his head.
    “You have exactly two choices. You hang or you take a blood oath. I’m not having you ruin my plans. I can’t have the wrong people finding out where I came from.”
    “That’s lovely, that is. An old friend an’ all. What you want to kill me for? I won’t blab.”
    Fen tried to ignore the need to shake