Page 135 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Visha, his prim and proper second-in-command, snorted loudly; she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and coughed to hide it. Jeffry still looked taken aback that the troll didn’t like math, while Sir Tully was enjoying the back and forth between them. Pram frowned.
John had shadowed ahead and was preparing for their arrival at the fortress. Speaking of which.
“Laugh all you like,” Julian told Visha, flicking his reins and leading his horse back onto the path. “But do so in your own time. Let’s continue home.”
“Only you would call a cold stone guardhousehome,” Sir Tully told the duke, joining the line as everyone followed after Julian.
He smiled. “Home is where you hang your hat.”
“You don’t wear a hat,” Sir Tully pointed out.
“Miss Gerda, a question, if you will?” Pram pulled up beside the troll and spoke softly.
“Go ahead.”
“What will happen if a rainbow whale is hurt?” Pram asked. The selkie had lived his whole life in North Sumbria, and loved learning facts about the sea.
“Rainbow whales maintain the balance of the ocean’s natural mana reserves by filtering it from the water and releasing it from their spout. They can grow as large as a dragon and will release giant mana laser beams if threatened,” the troll explained. “They are the reason we don’t have many undersea dungeons.”
“How often do they migrate close to Valaria?” Sir Pram asked, intrigued.
“Every three years or so,” she told the selkie.
He nodded. “Perhaps we will have found the dungeon by then, and I can travel to see it.”
Gerda stared at Pram for a long moment. “Why wait?”
“I am loyal to my lord.” The selkie sat straighter on his horse. “And I am dedicated to this quest. No matter how long it takes.”
Julian stiffened in his seat.
He knew that every member of his party was here willingly … but they had sacrificed much to follow him to the North. John had less time with his family, and Jeffry was leaving his work as viscount to his sister, while Sir Pram rarely saw his cousins near the shoreline anymore.
Granted, John made enough money to buy a palace, and Jeffry had outright told Julian he wanted an adventure before settling down … And Pram … Well, Pram’s family was exiled from the Underdark. He wanted purpose and had sworn to follow Julian for life.
Everyone was here for a different reason.
On a side note, Sir Tully was here on forced community service after insulting a foreign dignitary, and Visha was a spy sent by his mother.
Gerda cut into Julian’s thoughts with a simple, “No need to wait, Sir Pram. I can take us all to see the whales this weekend.”
Sir Pram waved a hand in rejection. “I couldn’t; not while on duty.”
“It’ll be fine.” Gerda leaned in closer, speaking quietly but still within hearing of everyone present. “I was going to take Julian there on a date anyway.”
“Were you now?” Julian asked, butting into their conversation.
“I was,” Gerda told him. “I’ve been thinking about visiting to see how Drendil is adapting to a less xenophobic leadership.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Julian told her.
“Is that … ?” Gerda asked, peering into the darkness ahead.
“Yes.” Julian nodded. A group on horseback was headed their way.
John had come out to greet them.
CHAPTER 75
