The Green Dragon: A Claire-Agon Dragon Book (Dragon Series 3) Read Online Free Page B

their conversation where it needed to be at the moment. “Please, Mayor Fergus, tell us what happened here.”
    “I don’t know,” Fergus said, looking at his fellow townsfolk. “I just got here. Magistrate Clive, have you any information with regards to the mauling here?”
    Clive looked sideways at Fergus, not accustomed to being addressed by his title, and Fergus made a gesture with his head that was more than overt toward the baron’s troops. “Ah, right, Mayor Fergus,” he said, returning the formal gesture for the benefit of the nobles, and at least half of them rolled their eyes but kept silent. “I investigated, and we determined the bull belonged to the Hamills. Once determined, I came to fetch you . . . Ah, I mean I notified Your Highness immediately so you could verify my findings per village protocol.”
    “Highness?” Godfrey asked, raising an eyebrow.
    “Did he just say protocol?” Lucina asked, turning to look at Helvie and Godfrey.
    “A simple oversight,” Fergus interjected. “Official will do for now, Magistrate Clive, and by protocol, the good man meant by the law.”
    “I know what protocol means,” Lucina said.
    “Of course you do. I was explaining for your troops,” Fergus said.
    “The troops?” Godfrey said, his voice pitch going high, and obviously he was agitated now.
    “I meant my own townspeople,” Fergus corrected, knowing that he said what he meant, but he had tired of the pompous nobles.
    Helvie seemed to understand. “Fergus, do you mind if we go to the Hamills’ homestead and ask the master of the house if he knows what happened to his animal?”
    The simply dropping of the mayor’s title was enough to gain the man’s respect, if not trust. He had to obey as a subject of her father, but she understood that willful compliance was always better than wayless obedience.
    “I don’t see why not. Clive, do you think we are done here?” Fergus asked.
    “Yes, Fergy,” Clive said, now dropping all pretenses and acting normally. “We can ready my horses and be there in half an hour.”
    “Do you wish to go first and we’ll join you?” Fergus asked, looking to Helvie again.
    “It’s all right,” Helvie said. “We can wait for you and Clive to join us. Will you bring anyone else?”
    “Just my boy, Fauke.” Fergus nodded to his son, who had the axe. “He’s learning the ropes, so to speak, in case I pass on and the good baron calls for a new leader for Blackwell.”
    Blackwell was the name of the town, and the townsfolk nodded in approval and agreement with their leader. It appeared that the Fergus family was popular with the commoners. “We’ll wait for you here,” Helvie said, nodding as the man returned the gesture, turning to return to the village while the townsfolk continued their gossip.
    “Do you really want to look into this, my lady?” Lucina asked, watching the men leave. “Wouldn’t it be better to let the local authorities handle it?”
    Helvie smiled, repressing a laugh. “So now the sassy town official is a local authority. Is that how you intend to manipulate me?”
    “Of course not, my lady. It’s just that this appears to be a simple matter, and you intended to perform your hunt and then return before nightfall,” Lucina said, turning to look at her ward now that the men were a good distance off.
    “The Fist is right,” Godfrey chimed in. “Better to let the local magistrate deal with this, and you should enjoy your day. If you’re successful, the buck could be pleasing your father this very evening.”
    Helvie craned her neck to watch the town officials as they fetched their horses. “So strange that I haven’t heard of this Fergus fellow before today.”
    “My lady,” Godfrey started to explain, treating her as he had done for the last two decades, namely as a child, “your father’s lands are dotted with at least three dozen towns, villages, and settlements. It is to be expected that you would not know every inhabitant of