Free The Dragondain by Richard Due Page A

No one expects to see another caravan anytime soon.”
    Jasper wanted to know more about Warsh. He couldn’t remember any bedtime tales concerning it, but something tugged at his mind nonetheless.
    “Anyway,” Ridley went on, “the lunamancers who have risen to the top all know each other’s moves very well.”
    “Are Bree and Annora near the top?”
    “Well, the better you are, the closer you get to the center arena.”
    Jasper scanned left and right. “We, um, appear to be pretty close to the center.”
    “Yes. Actually, this is the center. If you look about, you’ll see some of the greatest lunamancers ever to form a peerin. Over there, for example, that tall man in the bright blue, that’s Dyre Fellbard. He’s from the royal court. And there, standing in the yellow dress, just to the right of Dyre, is Jaelin Swarl, and over there, wearing the green dress, is Minna Warewax. Ember is certain to be here somewhere—”
    “Ember! You know Ember?”
    “Yes, all my life.” Ridley gestured toward Bree. “Watch.”
    “If you see Ember, would you point her out to me?” asked Jasper.
    “Yes, yes. Now be quiet.”
    Bree took a step forward and placed her palms together before her face. She swiveled her hands so that her fingers pointed in opposite directions, and her elbows jutted out. Slowly, she drew apart her hands until just the tips of her index fingers and thumbs touched. Staring down Beck though the rectangular opening in her peerin, she looked ready for anything.
    On the other side of the arena, Beck did the same, although he kept his hands lower.
    “These two won’t fool around. Beck will do his best to knock Bree out first thing.”
    “How?”
    “Good question. At this level, originality is the real advantage. Lunamancers aren’t known for sharing their secrets, and the academies were closed by the Royals before any of us were born, shortly after Perianth fled to Bairne. Even so, there won’t be many moves the high-level lunamancers around this ring haven’t done or seen, but they’ll be new to most everyone else, and if the brothers are lucky, they’ll even be able to show a surprise or two to Annora and Bree.”
    Beck lifted his peerin to his chest and a flame erupted from his hands. It quickly grew pointed, and then cracked open like a pair of glowing jaws. As its body grew, wings sprouted from its sides. The heat it generated was powerful, and many of the spectators circling the arena raised their arms to shield themselves. About halfway across the arena, it met with an unseen resistance, growing brighter as it struggled to make forward progress. Its bright tail wavered and collapsed into its head, tumbling ineffectually and bouncing on the turf twice before coming to rest, looking like nothing more than a glowing lump of blue sea glass.
    The crowd went completely silent.
    Bree closed her peerin and let her arms fall to her sides and then turned to face Annora. The second her back was turned to the Lintel brothers, she made an excitedcan-you-believe-it face to her sister. Annora kept her game face on, but when Bree got very close she said something that made Annora’s eyebrows lift.
    Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The lunamancer in the purple robe hurried over to the glowing lump, which still burned brightly where it lay. She knelt, drew out what looked like a small wand, and probed. Her taps produced a loud tinkling sound, like glass wind chimes.
    Ridley’s mouth was half open.
    “What is that?” asked Jasper.
    “I . . . don’t . . . know.”
    “Why is everyone so quiet?”
    “I think the judges are trying to decide if Beck’s spell is finished. Annora and Bree aren’t allowed to begin their turn until their opponent’s spell has been properly dealt with.”
    Ren shuffled toward them between rows, pushing past people’s knees, stepping on toes. When she was directly behind them, she knelt down.
    “Ridley,” she said excitedly, “what is that?”
    “I don’t