Free Dragonvein Book Four by Brian D. Anderson Page A

tell me all about it in the morning after I've finished sleeping. We still have a long journey ahead.”
    “Where are we going next?” asked Martok.
    “You wanted to see dragons, didn’t you?” He gave him a wink.
    “Yes, I do. But we don’t need to go anywhere to see them. They can come to us .”
    Ralmar shook his head. “I’m sorry, Martok. Dragons won’t just appear because you want them to. It doesn’t work that way.” He wrapped his free arm around his son. “But don’t worry. You’ll get to see them. I promise.”
    “No, father,” he protested. “They can come here. They really can.”
    “Let's talk about it tomorrow, eh,” Ralmar told him. “Right now, I need some more sleep. I’ve barely closed my eyes since you left. So do a weary old man a favor and save your questions about dragons for a few more hours.”
    Martok frowned. He didn’t have questions. He had answers. Heather made sure of that. How he loved her. And how he wished his father would love her the same way he did. But then again, no one could love her that much.
    The dark circles under his father’s eyes and the slight stagger in his steps banished any further discussion. He truly hadn't realized how much time had passed since first going down the path. But now that he thought about it, he wished it had been even longer.
    Inside the cabin, his father was fast asleep only seconds after plopping down on the simple bed. Martok slipped in beside him and snuggled up close. He recalled his uncle telling him that one day he would not see his father in the same way: that he would look upon him as being just like any other man. And when that day arrived, things between them would be changed forever. He didn’t want to believe that. His father was not a man like any other. He was great and wise, and would always be so.
    Feeling safe in his father’s arms, Martok began to drift into dreams filled with the magical wonders revealed to him by Heather. His life no longer seemed uncertain. And the thought of his father passing into the realm of spirits no longer troubled him. He knew now that he would dwell in an everlasting paradise with past generations of their family.
    When the first light of the morning began peeking in through the window, he could hear that his father was already awake and about. Even when driven to exhaustion, he was still an early riser. Martok, on the other hand, felt content to remain in bed for a while longer.
    “I know you’re awake,” Ralmar told him. “Your eyes are cracked open. Get up, lazy bones. We have much ground to cover today.”
    Martok stretched and yawned. “Why? I already told you…the dragons will come to us.”
    Chuckling loudly at this suggestion, Ralmar retrieved an iron pot filled with steaming hot porridge from the stove. “I guess anything is possible. But in case they don’t come, you need to eat. The walk to where the dragons nest is mostly uphill, and I’m not about to carry you this time. You'll need all the energy you can get.”
    Martok slid from the bed and sat at the table. He knew his father was only teasing. He had carried him many times before when the terrain became dangerous or the journey was too far for his short legs to keep up. But he wouldn’t need to this time. That was for certain.
    After finishing breakfast, they gathered up their things and were on the very point of leaving when a tremendous thud sounded from close by outside. So great was the impact, the entire cabin shook violently for several seconds. Ralmar reacted instantly, shoving his son protectively behind him. At the same time, his entire body glowed with the aura of magic.
    “Cast your wards the way I taught you,” he ordered.
    Martok simply smiled. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, father. I told you the dragons would come to us.”
    Ralmar regarded him with utter confusion. “You can't really believe that.” Nonetheless, he turned back to the door and cracked it open ever so slightly.
    “By the