Dragon-Ridden by T.A. White Read Free Book Online

in
response.
    A movement from the corner of
Tate’s eye caught her attention. She glanced over and saw a piece of fabric
fluttering in the breeze. A man in loose pants squatted in the shade, his
inscrutable eyes observing the crowd. He waited until a patron had stopped at
his table before jumping up and gesturing them inside. Tate watched as he led a
well-dressed man inside. He held up several rugs until the man found one he
liked. She drifted closer, drawn by the brightly colored rugs.
    One in particular was a rich black
with a blue and red pattern on it. Looking closely, she could see how the blues
wound around the red and spiraled out into several curlicues and leaves into a
complicated pattern. It was beautiful.
    Danny noticed what she was looking
at and said, “It’s pretty, but I don’t think it’ll fit in your bunk.”
    He was right in that. Her berth was
really just a hammock with sheets hung around it for privacy. She didn’t have a
lot in the way of personal possessions. Just two changes of clothes. It was one
of the reasons she didn’t have to go back to the Marauder if she decided to
run.
    With a last wistful glance at the
beautiful rug she moved on. Her life just didn’t have room for stuff. 
    “Where’s Ryu?” Tate asked, noticing
for the first time that he wasn’t standing with Danny.
    “He had to take care of a few
things,” Danny said without meeting her eyes. “He’ll find us again later. Shall
we see the sights?”
    Tate nodded eagerly and paced by
Danny’s side as they continued their stroll. They stopped and joined a crowd as
they watched a colorfully dressed man hold a strange looking creature up. Its
body was a bizarre combination of furred parts and hard reptilian limbs with
soft looking quills sticking up from its neck and back. The man held up a
finger and then pointed into the air. The crowd ooed and awed as the creature
leapt up and darted through the air performing twists and turns just over
people’s heads.
    Tate’s dragon watched with equal
fascination, piggybacking off her thoughts. It seemed content to watch and not
comment, for which Tate was relieved. She could relax and enjoy the day without
having to worry as she normally did.
    It felt comfortable to simply be
part of the crowd, one of the many anonymous faces that had turned out to enjoy
the start of the Donza Festival. The greater celebrations wouldn’t start for a
day or two, but the smaller parades and impromptu entertainment helped ramp up
the crowd’s spirits.
    They walked a little farther.
     A woman and man with painted
faces and flamboyant dresses over long pants twirled in a complicated dance.
Their faces were painted white except for where they’d drawn black eyebrows and
a vertical red line on their upper lips.
    Another man in costume leapt out,
matching steps with the woman’s. Their tunics flared out as they twisted into
another turn. One of the men leapt powerfully into the air arching his back and
flipping in midair while the other two stomped their way to the front. The
musicians sitting on the cobble stone patio executed a complicated flurry of
notes that reminded Tate of a pounding wind. The trio burst into an explosion
of movement arching their bodies and then bending them in time to the music.
    “As the Donza Festival draws
closer, you’ll see all sorts of performers around the city. It’s truly an
amazing sight to see,” Danny said.
    Tate nodded keeping her eyes on the
performers whose dance had drawn to an end and who were now mingling with the
crowd. She watched as several of the watchers tossed coins into the bowls each
of the three held. When they passed her and Danny she threw a copper piece into
the collection. The man bobbed his head in thanks and moved on.
    As the crowd dispersed Tate noticed
a stall tucked into a corner of the market that had previously been blocked by
the performers. She walked towards the oddly formed contents of the little
shop. A sign above the table— for