“C’mon, Kinri.” Mawla’s leg wriggled beneath my slimy feet. “I want to actually get somewhere before tomorrow. I’m getting done waiting here with you.”


    important?”


    Mawla can take care of herself?”


    dragon. Why would you go out of your way to help those creatures? Is an animal worth as much as a dragon?”


    no one asked. They were standing right there airing all their problems and they didn’t even pause to think you might melt into their plans. They don’t want you, Kinri.”


    I still need someone walking with me so I get to Dadafodd with all my coins in my pocket. They sound sweet to you?”


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    Out of that gully, we walked side by side down into the thickening houses and rising buttes of the south side. Here at the very edge of town hollows dotted the fringes, packed mounds of ash or dustone, maybe skeletoned with bamboo. If you looked up, you’d see big holes dug into this or that butte, but you had to look to find them. Sometimes out of them a dragon looked back at you.


    linger in the south side at night.


    lingering.


    Should we run? Together?”


    I won’t tell you because you’re not important enough to matter. Spit off, you miserable miser.”


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    Going even a bit further east, and you started passing more dragons. Sometimes they met your eye, sometimes they turned down the next alley. Sometimes they have a winghand over a long sharp thing strapped to their foreleg and they only turned away when they glanced at Mawla’s face and sparked recognition.


    Mawla ac Aludu Dymestl? What’s up with that?”


    * * *