Free The Dragon Hammer (Wulf's Saga Book 1) by Tony Daniel

gateway,” Wulf continued. “I was in the dragon-dream, Ulla. You know that’s not supposed to happen. I saw…was shown the Dragon Hammer. And then we had a fight with a draugar and it’s all messed up and I don’t know what to do . . .”
    His voice trailed off. Everybody was quiet for a moment.
    Ulla finally broke the silence. “I don’t understand the rest, but I do know about the dragon-bond. That is going to be a problem,” she said. “More than any lost dagger.” She touched her hand to her chin, considering.
    “No, it’s not,” said Wulf. “I’m not going to let it. There is no reason anybody needs to know.”
    His sister smiled. It was a sad and knowing expression. “Yes, of course you won’t,” she said. She reached out and put both hands on Grer’s now. “So—we each have our secret. You will keep mine and I will keep yours, little brother.”
    “Who would I tell?” said Wulf. “Seems like everybody but Father and Prince Gunnar knows about you and Grer anyway.”
    “A draugar?” Grer said, rubbing his chin. “Are you sure?”
    “Wulf is sure,” Rainer replied. “He read about them in…what was it?”
    “ Henli’s Saga ,” Wulf muttered.
    “And you came back alive?”
    “Rainer killed it,” Wulf said.
    “Rainer killed a draugar ?” Grer asked.
    “I didn’t,” Rainer said. “It just kind of disappeared.”
    “After you stabbed it with its own arrows and sword,” Wulf put in.
    Grer looked at Rainer, who nodded and shrugged, as if he did that kind of thing all the time.
    “This is very interesting.” Grer shook his head. “I want to hear a lot more about this, boys. Tomorrow.”
    Rainer stirred. “Lady Ulla, I should get your brother and myself to bed now,” he said.
    “Yes. How will you get into the castle?”
    “Wulf’s got a secret way,” Rainer answered with the slightest grin. “And I’ve got climbing to do.”
    “I know you think you can climb anything, Rainer, but you must be very careful,” Ulla said.
    “I promise.”
    “And both of you take a bath,” Ulla said.
    Rainer rose and made a small bow toward her. “M’lady.”
    Suddenly, the charcoal chute clattered as if someone were shaking it. The great hook rattled in its latching ring, but did not come out.
    “What the cold hell was that?” Grer said. “I must’ve pulled it shut unevenly or something.”
    “Maybe,” Wulf murmured. He stared at the chute, dreading to see it rattle again. But nothing happened.
    Rainer touched his shoulder and broke him out of his trance. “Come on, it was the wind,” he said. “You need sleep. So do I.”
    Wulf allowed himself to be turned away from the charcoal chute. But as he left the smith’s shop, he could swear he heard the faintest whisper from nowhere, from everywhere.
    “Thou know’st,” said the whisper.
    No one else seemed to notice but him. So maybe it was his imagination.
    Maybe.

Chapter Nine:
The Trance

    Saeunn stood by the window of her bedchamber staring up into the sky. It was still dark, but there was the faintest trace of dawn on the eastern horizon. The window was open and a chilly wind was blowing. Her white cotton curtains billowed around her. Her blonde hair was loosened from her braids. It whipped about. Saeunn didn’t pay it any mind.
    Ulla had been right. She had only meant to glance out and say good night to the moon. Instead, she’d gotten awestruck by the moonlight, and by the stars twinkling.
    Saeunn shivered. She’d stood in the same spot for hours feeling the delicate weight of moonbeams on her skin. She had been listening to the stars sing the Dragon Song.
    Tonight there was unrest. The dragons were having troubled dreams, and the song was not calming them very well. The stars did not seem to know why this was happening. Or if they did, it was something they could not say to her because she was so young. But she did catch one part of the song. It was the part that had frightened her since she was a very young