Hi, I’m Helen Henderson and I love fantasy and flying with dragons. On this open excerpt day, I thought I’d post a note about the newest of the Dragshi Chronicles ““ Hatchling’s Mate. Available at Amazon
From their birth it was expected that Talann’s and Lexii’s destiny would be entwined. However fate had other intentions. Lexii and Talann could not stand to be together. Glyn, Lexii’s bodyguard, has to fight the growing attraction to Talann””and to keep hidden the secret no one could never learn.
Excerpt: Fun in an Inn.
Pushing open the inn’s heavy door, Glyn’s quick glance showed Talann and Kynan at a corner table. Stopping the serving girl, Glyn dropped a coin on the tray and nodded toward the corner “A round for me and my two friends.”
Quick steps and Glyn joined the two men. She gestured to the near-empty mugs. “Another round will be here shortly. That is if the server doesn’t get waylaid.”
Light conversation alternated with scans of the room. Glyn tracked the serving girl’s progress across the room. “Sorry for the delay,” the girl said, arriving at the table. “I think all of Selbair is here tonight.” With a quick curtsey that sent an errant curl into her face, the girl set the tray on the table.
Glyn handed two copper coins. “One for the ales, the other for you.”
Dimples showed in the young girls cheeks. “Thank you, kind sir. If you need anything, just whistle.” Winking, she turned to answer another customer’s call.
Kynan elbowed Glyn and pointed toward the swinging backside of the departing server. “She looks like she would warm a man’s bed at night.” Taking Glyn’s lack of response as hesitation, Kynan added. “She’s interested.”
<Doesn’t Glyn like girls?>
Shock rocked Glyn. While Talann’s thoughts always came in clear when he sent them, the question was obviously not intended to be heard. Surprise added thickness to her tone. “If you like her so much, Kynan, why don’t you bed her?” Glyn said in a low growl.
“Because the wench didn’t wink at me,” Kynan laughed. “But we are not here for trouble, but to toast a friend.” Smiling, he raised his mug and clinked it against Talann’s.
“That woman is mine,” a deep voice said from behind Kynan’s shoulder.
Glyn looked up into the angry visage of the man she had marked earlier as a bully. “By law and custom, a woman is free to make her own choice.” Although she knew it would start a fight, she could not resist adding, “Though why one would choose you eludes me?”
Redness colored the skin beneath the man’s beard. “You must like boys. After all you ride a mare. No self-respecting man would ride a woman’s horse.”
The reality of the Buar’s heritage broadened Glyn’s smile. Despite her gender, the mare’s broad chest brought out a primitive reaction in most men. Most could not resist stroking the soft neck, even if they didn’t know Buar was a seidheirn.
“A good horse is a good horse, no matter whether mare or stallion,” Glyn said. A shrug and she added, “I’ll stand Buar against a stallion who’s muscled, but has no brain.”
“Mares, like girls, are good for one thing,” the bully said. His grin left little to the imagination nor did his hand gesture implying the act of a stallion mounting a mare.
Across the table, Kynan dropped a hand to the dagger in his boot. Talann gathered his feet beneath him. <This could be fun.>
For the second time that night, Talann’s uncensored thoughts reached Glyn and she made a mental note. I will have to speak to Lady Anastasia about what is happening. If a dragon twin is awakening and Talann is starting to go through his First Change, there are none of the usual signs. But in the meantime, a little exercise never hurt anyone. And Lexii did say to enjoy myself.
Standing, Glyn raked the bully from head to foot. Her lips twitched in a grin. “Since you don’t appreciate fine horseflesh, what do you ride? A dog?”
Pushing open the inn’s heavy door, Glyn’s quick glance showed Talann and Kynan at a corner table. Stopping the serving girl, Glyn dropped a coin on the tray and nodded toward the corner “A round for me and my two friends.”
Quick steps and Glyn joined the two men. She gestured to the near-empty mugs. “Another round will be here shortly. That is if the server doesn’t get waylaid.”
Light conversation alternated with scans of the room. Glyn tracked the serving girl’s progress across the room. “Sorry for the delay,” the girl said, arriving at the table. “I think all of Selbair is here tonight.” With a quick curtsey that sent an errant curl into her face, the girl set the tray on the table.
Glyn handed two copper coins. “One for the ales, the other for you.”
Dimples showed in the young girls cheeks. “Thank you, kind sir. If you need anything, just whistle.” Winking, she turned to answer another customer’s call.
Kynan elbowed Glyn and pointed toward the swinging backside of the departing server. “She looks like she would warm a man’s bed at night.” Taking Glyn’s lack of response as hesitation, Kynan added. “She’s interested.”
<Doesn’t Glyn like girls?>
Shock rocked Glyn. While Talann’s thoughts always came in clear when he sent them, the question was obviously not intended to be heard. Surprise added thickness to her tone. “If you like her so much, Kynan, why don’t you bed her?” Glyn said in a low growl.
“Because the wench didn’t wink at me,” Kynan laughed. “But we are not here for trouble, but to toast a friend.” Smiling, he raised his mug and clinked it against Talann’s.
“That woman is mine,” a deep voice said from behind Kynan’s shoulder.
Glyn looked up into the angry visage of the man she had marked earlier as a bully. “By law and custom, a woman is free to make her own choice.” Although she knew it would start a fight, she could not resist adding, “Though why one would choose you eludes me?”
Redness colored the skin beneath the man’s beard. “You must like boys. After all you ride a mare. No self-respecting man would ride a woman’s horse.”
The reality of the Buar’s heritage broadened Glyn’s smile. Despite her gender, the mare’s broad chest brought out a primitive reaction in most men. Most could not resist stroking the soft neck, even if they didn’t know Buar was a seidheirn.
“A good horse is a good horse, no matter whether mare or stallion,” Glyn said. A shrug and she added, “I’ll stand Buar against a stallion who’s muscled, but has no brain.”
“Mares, like girls, are good for one thing,” the bully said. His grin left little to the imagination nor did his hand gesture implying the act of a stallion mounting a mare.
For the second time that night, Talann’s uncensored thoughts reached Glyn and she made a mental note. I will have to speak to Lady Anastasia about what is happening. If a dragon twin is awakening and Talann is starting to go through his First Change, there are none of the usual signs. But in the meantime, a little exercise never hurt anyone. And Lexii did say to enjoy myself.
Standing, Glyn raked the bully from head to foot. Her lips twitched in a grin. “Since you don’t appreciate fine horseflesh, what do you ride? A dog?”
~ * * ~
I’ll leave the “exercise” and how much damage was done at the inn to your imagination. At least until next fall <g>.
Visit my blog and click on the covers for buy links and to read the first chapters of the first two books of the Dragshi Chronicles.
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Helen Henderson Blog Website
Stories of romance and adventure in worlds of imagination
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