Free Dragon Hunted by JB McDonald Page A

up."
    The top of her head wasn't particularly responsive, but Ashe stuck his tongue out at it anyway. She didn't notice. He twisted, looking back through the campsite toward Katsu. Every so often he caught a glimpse of golden skin or rapidly moving hands. "He's interesting, isn't he?"
    There was a pause, then Eddie said, "I suppose. You know humans and elves aren't particularly compatible, right?"
    Ashe whipped around to look at her. The beads threaded through his light brown hair pattered against his spine. "What? Yes, they are."
    Eddie shook her head. Red curls bobbed around her ears. "They're not. His thingy and your junk won't fit."
    Once more Ashe turned to look. Katsu was lean and wiry for a human, with more than capable hands -- even if they did have five fingers -- that, Ashe had to admit, were perfect for fantasizing about. Ashe had done more than his fair share of that. "I think you're pulling my leg." But he couldn't quite help feeling just a little uncertain. Not that it really mattered -- there were different ways to enjoy each other.
    "Nope. It's true. I don't think it'll work between the two of you."
    Ashe glanced at Eddie, trying to see if she was just harassing him or if she was really serious. It was hard to tell with her, sometimes, and now she was keeping her head down, her hair a curtain, working on her bow.
    Just when he was about to challenge her on it, a shadow fell over them, blocking out the watery sunshine of the little glade.
    "What the nine hells did you do to your hand?"
    Ashe flinched and looked up into the dark face of their captain. "I can explain."
    One black eyebrow lifted.
    Ashe looked at Eddie for help, but she was engrossed in oiling. He took a breath and said, "My knife slipped."
    Eddie snorted.
    For a long while, they were all quiet. Then Nate rubbed a dark-skinned hand over his eyes, looking pained. "I'm docking your share of the bounty."
    "That seems fair," Ashe agreed, if a little forlornly.
    Without another word, Nate turned and left the area.
    Ashe stretched to see beyond Nate's broad back to the little, cleared area where Katsu was working. "You really don't think he likes me?"
    "I really think you need to get laid," Eddie muttered.
    Ashe nodded. "No argument here."
    ***
    "Watch it watch it watch it -- it's coming around!" Ashe dropped out of the tree he'd been clinging to, hitting as many limbs as he caught while he fell toward the ground.
    The initial plan, to surprise and kill the dragon when it was full of food and too lazy to move quickly, had failed. The secondary plan seemed to be, "Don't die." Ashe was generally pretty good at plans like those, especially with his superior eyesight, but his hand wasn't at full working capacity yet, and the dragon's path wasn't the best place to sit.
    He hit the ground, bending his knees to absorb the shock, and flung himself forward. "Be the look-out and stay out of harm's way, my ass. Next time Nate suggests something like that--" Ashe scrambled to one side as the dragon came crashing closer, "--I'm going to spit in his coffee." He ducked behind a giant old oak, realized the dragon could probably pull it up without trying, and kept running.
    He could only be glad that the dragon was too enraged to notice one scrawny elf, trying to get out of the way in the dark. He dove under a bush, feeling the ground scrape against his leg, and curled as small as possible. The dragon went crashing past him, sliding between and around the trees as if it were a giant centipede that just happened to have only four legs. Scales glittered wickedly in the moonlight, there for an instant before it seemed to blend with the darkness.
    Ashe squinted, trying to track the animal's progress. Who had any idea dragons were so fast ? He certainly hadn't known. It was bigger than they'd been led to believe, too; more like a gypsy wagon, and less like a horse. Damned townies. He hoped Nate charged them extra.
    It vanished into the shadows long before it should have,