The Free Trader of Warren Deep (Free Trader Series Book 1) by Craig Martelle Read Free Book Online

Braden could not have hoped for better. The eagle could help them navigate the Great Desert. “Are you sure?”
    “Yessss. ‘rends. Hacky ‘rends. Don’t want ‘or yoursells. Good ‘rends.”
    “Happy friends,” Braden repeated. “Don’t want anything for ourselves? I want plenty, I’ll have you know! Why do you think we’re going to cross the Great Desert?”
    “You ‘elee you can. I ‘elee you. You seek knowledge, not ‘ower.”
    “Yes, I believe we can. And yes, I want knowledge. But if we find some righteous Old Tech, I’m bringing it back to make a profit, so I can settle down with a good woman.”
    G-War sat up straight and cocked his head while looking at Braden.
    “Did you just make a dog face at me?”
    ‘Don’t be so insulting,’ G-war harrumphed and haughtily strode back toward the horses.
    As it got dark, the eagle hopped down the rocks, flexing his injured wing, but not able to fly. The numbweed took away the pain and sped up the healing process, but they still needed time. Braden started a small fire, sheltered on three sides by the big rocks. Braden pulled out a large handful of venison. After seeing the look in Skirill’s eyes, he pulled out two more gracious servings.
    After eating their fill, they sat back, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the silence of the plains. “Skirill, maybe you can tell us how you got all that?” Braden asked nodding toward the eagles injuries.
    “Sit ‘aack. I tell you a story…”

 
    15 – The Hawkoid
     
    Skirill talked for a long time, starting with his unfortunate encounter with the mutie Bear. The fire had to be restoked a couple times during his monologue. By the end, Braden had to admit that Skirill was getting quite good at speaking in the human tongue and that he was an intelligent and magnificent creature.
    He said that he wasn’t an eagle at all. He was known as a Hawkoid, a species developed by the ancients after their arrival to help with the colonization once technology was systematically removed. The humans believed that they had to develop their self-sufficiency independently.
    Braden thought this was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. His Rico Bow was Old Tech and it made Braden’s world possible. Why would they do away with it? He’d heard stories that the ancients had arrived from the stars, but he didn’t believe that. How could anyone travel through the sky? Humans didn’t have feathers, at least those he knew didn’t.
    He believed it was a war that destroyed the ancients. War always left the people and the land shattered. He had seen it not a moon ago in the west. He made a good trade with the swords, but he didn’t like how he got them. It wouldn’t bother him to not see that again. When would humans get enough of fighting?
    He couldn’t answer that. He wore a long knife and carried the Rico Bow. Who was he to throw down his means of self-defense? Someone else would have to be first to go without weapons.
    And that person wouldn’t last long in Warren Deep. Even in Cameron he had been forced to fight, well, G-War had anyway. And Cameron was supposed to be civilized. Maybe war was coming to set the world back even further.
    What kind of Old Tech would he find? Would it make the world more peaceful or more dangerous? Maybe more comfortable, but for whom?
    Braden had stopped listening to Skirill, as he struggled with all the questions that entered his mind. He hadn’t heard a story with this perspective. Since he had been in the Hawkoid’s mind, he believed everything that Skirill said.
    Skirill eyed Braden patiently. He knew that the human’s attention had gone elsewhere.
    Braden looked up and mumbled an apology. He regained his focus so that Skirill would continue, but the Hawkoid hesitated.
    “You ha’ questions?” Skirill finally asked.
    “Yes and no. I have questions, but they need to make sense to me before I can ask them.” Braden looked around. Maybe his real question was who? Who were the