| Fred realised now why he had had the feeling that they were being watched.
It hadn't been Salmonshire spies at all but instead the dwarfs whom he
had sensed. Then Astra nudged him. "Look at Rift's face," she whispered
gleefully. For Rift, normally adept at keeping a poker face, wore a look
of total consternation.
Rift fumed impotently. He couldn't risk using the Crystallic, for the
same reasons that he had earlier held back from using it against Tarin.
And he knew that there was nothing in the contract he had signed binding
himself to Tarin to prevent the dwarf doing this. After all, the contract
had not been drawn up with Rift's interests in mind. He only hoped that
Tarin and his friends would be satisfied with the hoard, and wouldn't want
Astra as well. If he could keep both her and the Crystallic, then the loss
of the hoard, though a big disappointment, would be bearable.
"Lead on, o ebony princess," said Tarin to Astra. She bridled at his
mocking tone. "You hardly have need of a guide anymore," she retorted.
"Your nose should direct you from here." Indeed the stench of rotting dragon
flesh was very noticeable. Though it had been several weeks since the dragons
had died, it would take much longer than that for their flesh to all rot
away.
-
 In spite of what she
had said, Astra lit one of the torches they had brought and led them on.
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