Dragons Of Winter Night Part 5

"Someday," vowed the dwarf, "I'll kill that kender."

Whistles sounded from the street behind them. With no more hesitation, the companions followed the knights through twisting, rat infested alleys. Saying he had business to attend to, Tas disappeared before Tanis could catch hold of him. The half-elf noticed that the knights didn't seem at all surprised by this, nor did they try to stop Tas. They refused, however, to answer any questions, just kept hurrying the group along until they entered the ruins-the old city of Tarsis the Beautiful.

Here the knights stopped. They had brought the companions to a part of the city where no one ever came now. The streets were broken and empty, reminding Tanis strongly of the ancient city of Xak Tsaroth. Taking Sturm by the arm, the knights led him a short distance from his friends and began to confer in Solamnic, leaving the others to rest.

Tanis, leaning against a building, looked around with interest. What remained standing of the buildings on this street was impressive, much more beautiful than the modern city. He saw that Tarsis the Beautiful must have deserved its name before the Cataclysm. Now nothing but huge blocks of granite lay tumbled about. Vast courtyards were choked and overgrown with weeds turned brown by the biting winter winds.

He walked over to sit down on a bench with Gilthanas, who was talking to Alhana. The elflord introduced him.

"Alhana Starbreeze, Tanis Half-Elven," Gilthanas said. "Tanis lived among the Qualinesti for many years. He is the son of my uncle's wife." Alhana drew back the veil from her face and regarded Tanis coldly. Son of my uncle's wife Son of my uncle's wife was a polite way of saying Tanis was illegitimate, otherwise Gilthanas would have introduced him as the "son of my uncle." The half-elf flushed, the old pain returning forcibly, hurting as much now as it had fifty years before. He wondered if he would ever be free of it. was a polite way of saying Tanis was illegitimate, otherwise Gilthanas would have introduced him as the "son of my uncle." The half-elf flushed, the old pain returning forcibly, hurting as much now as it had fifty years before. He wondered if he would ever be free of it.

Scratching his beard, Tanis said harshly, "My mother was raped by human warriors during years of darkness following the Cataclysm. The Speaker kindly took me in following her death and raised me as his own."

Alhana's dark eyes grew darker until they were pools of night. She raised her eyebrows. "Do you see a need to apologize for your heritage?" she asked in a chill voice.

"N-no..." Tanis stammered, his face burning. "I-"

"Then do not," she said, and she turned away from him to Gilthanas. "You asked why I came to Tarsis? I came seeking aid. I must return to Silvanesti to search for my father."

"Return to Silvanesti?" Gilthanas repeated. "We-my people did not know the Silvanesti elves had left their ancient homeland. No wonder we lost contact-"

"Yes," Alhana's voice grew sad. "The evil that forced you, our cousins, to leave Qualinesti came to us as well." She bowed her head, then looked up, her own voice soft and low. "Long we fought this evil. But in the end we were forced to flee or perish utterly. My father sent the people, under my leadership, to Southern Ergoth. He stayed in Silvanesti to fight the evil alone. I opposed this decision, but he said he had the power to prevent the evil from destroying our homeland. With a heavy heart, I led my people to safety and there they remain. But I came back to seek my father, for the days have been long and we have heard no word of him."

"But had you no warriors, lady, to accompany you on such a dangerous journey?" Tanis asked.

Alhana, turning, glanced at Tanis as if amazed that he had intruded upon their conversation. At first she seemed about to refuse to answer him, then-looking longer at his face-she changed her mind.

"There were many warriors who offered to escort me," she said proudly. "But when I said I led my people to safety, I spoke rashly. Safety no longer exists in this world. The warriors stayed behind to guard the people. I came to Tarsis hoping to find warriors to travel into Silvanesti with me. I presented myself to the Lord and the Council, as protocol demands-"

Tanis shook his head, frowning darkly. "That was stupid," he said bluntly. "You should have known how they feel about elves, even before the draconians came! You were d.a.m.n lucky they only ordered you tossed out of the city."

Alhana's pale face became-if possible-paler. Her dark eyes glittered. "I did as protocol demands," she replied, too well bred to show her anger beyond the cool tones of her voice. "To do otherwise would have been to come as a barbarian. When the Lord refused to aid me, I told him I intended to seek help on my own. To do less would have not been honorable."

Flint, who had been able to follow only bits and pieces of the conversation in elven, nudged Tanis. "She and the knight will get on perfectly." He snorted. "Unless their honor gets them killed first." Before Tanis could reply, Sturm rejoined the group.

"Tanis," Sturm said in excitement, "the knights have found the ancient library! That's why they're here. They discovered records in Palanthas saying that in ancient times knowledge of dragons was kept in the library here, at Tarsis. The Knights Council sent them to see if the library still survived."

Sturm gestured for the knights to come forward. "This is Brian Donner, Knight of the Sword," he said. "Aran Tallbow, Knight of the Crown, and Derek Crownguard, Knight of the Rose." The knights bowed.

"And this is Tanis Half-Elven, our leader," Sturm said. The half-elf saw Alhana start and look at him in wonder, glancing at Sturm to see if she had heard correctly.

Sturm introduced Gilthanas and Flint, then he turned to Alhana. "Lady Alhana," he began, then stopped, embarra.s.sed, realizing he knew nothing more about her.

"Alhana Starbreeze," Gilthanas finished. "Daughter of the Speaker of the Stars. Princess of the Silvanesti elves."

The knights bowed again, lower this time.

"Accept my heartfelt grat.i.tude for rescuing me," Alhana said coolly. Her gaze encompa.s.sed all the group but lingered longest on Sturm. Then she turned to Derek, whom she knew from his Order of the Rose to be the leader. "Have you discovered the records the Council sent you to find?"

As she spoke, Tanis examined the knights, now unhooded, with interest. He, too, knew enough to know that the Knights Council-the ruling body of the Solamnic knights-had sent the best. In particular he studied Derek, the elder and the highest in rank. Few knights attained the Order of the Rose. The tests were dangerous and difficult, and only knights of pure bloodline could belong.

"We have found a book, my lady," Derek said, "written in an ancient language we could not understand. There were pictures of dragons, however, so we were planning to copy it and return to Sancrist where, we hoped, scholars would be able to translate it. But instead we have found one who can read it. The kender-"

"Ta.s.slehoff!" Flint exploded.

Tanis's mouth gaped open. "Ta.s.slehoff?" he repeated incredulously. "He can barely read Common. He doesn't know any ancient languages. The only one among us who might possibly be able to translate an ancient language is Raistlin."

Derek shrugged. "The kender has a pair of gla.s.ses he says are 'magical gla.s.ses of true seeing.' He put them on and he has been able to read the book. It says-"

"I can imagine what it says!" Tanis snapped. "Stories about automatons and magic rings of teleporting and plants that live off air. Where is he? I'm going to have a little talk with Ta.s.slehoff Burrfoot."

"Magical gla.s.ses of true seeing," Flint grumbled. "And I'm a gully dwarf!"

The companions entered a shattered building. Climbing over rubble, they followed Derek's lead through a low archway. The smell of must and mildew was strong. The darkness was intense after the brightness of the afternoon sun outside and for a moment, everyone was blinded. Then Derek lit a torch, and they saw narrow, winding stairs leading down into more darkness.

"The library was built below ground," Derek explained. "Probably the only reason it survived the Cataclysm so well."

The companions descended the stairs rapidly and soon found themselves inside a huge room. Tanis caught his breath and even Alhana's eyes widened in the flickering torchlight. The gigantic room was filled from ceiling to floor with tall, wooden shelves, stretching as far as the eye could see. On the shelves were books. Books of all kinds. Books with leather bindings, books bound in wood, books bound in what looked like leaves from some exotic tree. Many were not bound at all but were simply sheaves of parchment, held together with black ribbons. Several shelves had toppled over, spilling the books to the floor until it was ankle-deep in parchment.

"There must be thousands!" Tanis said in awe. "How did you ever find one among these?"

Derek shook his head. "It was not easy," he said. "Long days we have spent down here, searching. When we discovered it at last, we felt more despair than triumph, for it was obvious that the book cannot be moved. Even as we touched the pages, they crumbled to dust. We feared we would spend long, weary hours copying it. But the kender-"

"Right, the kender," Tanis said grimly. "Where is he?"

"Over here!" piped a shrill voice.

Tanis peered through the dimly lit room to see a candle burning on a table. Ta.s.slehoff, seated on a high wooden chair, was bent over a thick book. As the companions neared him, they could see a pair of small gla.s.ses perched on his nose.

"All right, Tas," Tanis said. "Where did you get them?"

"Get what?" the kender asked innocently. He saw Tanis's eyes narrow and put his hand to the small wire-rimmed gla.s.ses. "Oh, uh, these? I had them in a pouch...and, well, if you must know, I found them in the dwarven kingdom-"

Flint groaned and put his hand over his face.

"They were just lying on a table!" Tas protested, seeing Tanis scowl. "Honest! There was no one around. I thought perhaps someone misplaced them. I only took them for safe-keeping. Good thing, too. Some thief might have come along and stolen them, and they're very valuable! I meant to return them, but after that we were so busy, what with fighting dark dwarves and draconians and finding the Hammer, and I-sort of-forgot I had them. When I remembered them, we were miles away from the dwarves, on our way to Tarsis, and I didn't think you'd want me to go back, just to return them, so-"

"What do they do?" Tanis interrupted the kender, knowing they'd be here until the day after tomorrow if he didn't.

"They're wonderful," Tas said hastily, relieved that Tanis wasn't going to yell at him. "I left them lying on a map one day." Tas patted his mapcase. "I looked down and what do you suppose? I could read the writing on the map through the gla.s.ses! Now, that doesn't sound very wonderful," Tas said hurriedly, seeing Tanis start to frown again, "but this was a map written in a language I'd never been able to understand before. So I tried them on all my maps and I could read them, Tanis! Every one! Even the real, real old ones!"

"And you never mentioned this to us?" Sturm glared at Tas.

"Well, the subject just never came up," Tas said apologetically. "Now, if you had asked me directly-'Ta.s.slehoff, do you have a pair of magical seeing gla.s.ses?-' I would have told you the truth straight off. But you never did, Sturm Brightblade, so don't look at me like that. Anyway, I can read this old book. Let me tell you what I-"

"How do you know they're magic and not just some mechanical device of the dwarves?" Tanis asked, sensing that Tas was hiding something.

Tas gulped. He had been hoping Tanis wouldn't ask him that that question. question.

"Uh," Tas stammered, "I-I guess I did sort of, happened to, uh, mention them to Raistlin one night when you were all busy doing something else. He told me they might be magic. To find out, he said one of those weird spells of his and they-uh-began to glow. That meant they were enchanted. He asked me what they did and I demonstrated and he said they were 'gla.s.ses of true seeing.' The dwarven magic-users of old made them to read books written in other languages and-" Tas stopped.

"And?" Tanis pursued.

"And-uh-magic spellbooks." Tas's voice was a whisper.

"And what else did Raistlin say?"

"That if I touched his spellbooks or even looked at them sideways, he'd turn me into a cricket and s-swallow m-me whole," Ta.s.slehoff stammered. He looked up at Tanis with wide eyes. "I believed him, too."

Tanis shook his head. Trust Raistlin to come up with a threat awful enough to quench the curiosity of a kender. "Anything else?" he asked.

"No, Tanis," Tas said innocently. Actually Raistlin had had mentioned something else about the gla.s.ses, but Tas hadn't been able to understand it very well. Something about the gla.s.ses seeing things too truly, which didn't make any sense, so he figured it probably wasn't worth bringing up. Besides, Tanis was mad enough already. mentioned something else about the gla.s.ses, but Tas hadn't been able to understand it very well. Something about the gla.s.ses seeing things too truly, which didn't make any sense, so he figured it probably wasn't worth bringing up. Besides, Tanis was mad enough already.

"Well, what have you discovered?" Tanis asked grudgingly.

"Oh, Tanis, it's so interesting!" Tas said, thankful the ordeal was over. He carefully turned a page and, even as he did so, it split and cracked beneath his small fingers. He shook his head sadly. "That happens almost every time. But you can see here"-the others leaned around to stare beneath the kender's finger-"pictures of dragons. Blue dragons, red dragons, black dragons, green dragons. I didn't know there were so many. Now, see this thing?" He turned another page. "Oops. Well, you can't see it now, but it was a huge ball of gla.s.s. And-so the book says-if you have one of these gla.s.s b.a.l.l.s, you can gain control over the dragons and they'll do what you say!"

"Gla.s.s ball!" Flint sniffed, then sneezed. "Don't believe him, Tanis. I think the only thing those gla.s.ses have done is magnify his tall stories."

"I am so so telling the truth!" Tas said indignantly. "They're called dragon orbs, and you can ask Raistlin about them! He must know because, according to this, they were made by the great wizards, long ago." telling the truth!" Tas said indignantly. "They're called dragon orbs, and you can ask Raistlin about them! He must know because, according to this, they were made by the great wizards, long ago."

"I believe you," Tanis said gravely, seeing that Ta.s.slehoff was really upset. "But I'm afraid it won't do us much good. They were probably all destroyed in the Cataclysm and we wouldn't know where to look anyway-"

"Yes, we do," Tas said excitedly. "There's a list here, of where they were kept. See-" He stopped, c.o.c.king his head. "Shhhh," he said, listening. The others fell silent. For a moment they heard nothing, then their ears caught what the kender's quicker hearing had already detected.

Tanis felt his hands grow cold; the dry, bitter taste of fear filled his mouth. Now he could hear, in the distance, the sound of hundreds of horns braying, horns all of them had heard before. The bellowing, bra.s.s horns that heralded the approach of the draconian armies-and the approach of the dragons.

The horns of death.

7.

"-not destined to meet again in this world."

The companions had just reached the marketplace when the first flight of dragons struck Tarsis.

The group had separated from the knights, not a pleasant parting. The knights had tried to convince them to escape with them into the hills. When the companions refused, Derek demanded that Ta.s.slehoff accompany them, since the kender alone knew the location of the dragon orbs. Tanis knew Tas would only run away from the knights and was forced to refuse again.

"Bring the kender, Sturm, and come with us," Derek commanded, ignoring Tanis.

"I cannot, sir," Sturm replied, laying his hand on Tanis's arm. "He is my leader, and my first loyalty is to my friends."

Derek's voice was cold with anger. "If that is your decision," he answered, "I cannot stop you. But this is a black mark against you, Sturm Brightblade. Remember that you are not a knight. Not yet. Pray that I am not there when the question of your knighthood comes before the Council."

Sturm became as pale as death. He cast a sideways glance at Tanis, who tried to hide his astonishment at this startling news. But there was no time to think about it. The sound of the horns, screaming discordantly on the chill air, was coming closer and closer each second. The knights and the companions parted; the knights heading for their camp in the hills, the companions returning to town.

They found the townspeople outside their houses, speculating on the strange horn calls, which they had never heard before and did not understand. One Tarsian alone heard and understood. The Lord in the council chamber rose to his feet at the sound. Whirling, he turned upon the smug-looking draconian seated in the shadows behind him.

"You said we would be spared!" the Lord said through clenched teeth. "We're still negotiating-"

"The Dragon Highlord grew weary of negotiation," the draconian said, stifling a yawn. "And the city will will be spared-after it has been taught a lesson, of course." be spared-after it has been taught a lesson, of course."

The Lord's head sank into his hands. The other council members, not fully comprehending what was happening, stared at each other in horrified awareness as they saw tears trickle through the Lord's fingers.

Outside, the red dragons were visible in the skies, hundreds of them. Flying in regimented groups of three to five, their wings glistened flame red in the setting sun. The people of Tarsis knew one thing and one thing only: death flew overhead.

As the dragons swooped low, making their first pa.s.ses over the town, the dragonfear flowed from them, spreading panic more deadly than fire. The people had one thought in their minds as the shadows of the wings blotted out the dying light of day-escape.

But there was no escape.

After the first pa.s.s, knowing now that they would meet no resistance, the dragons struck. One after the other, they circled, then dropped from the sky like red-hot shot, their fiery breath engulfing building after building with flame. The spreading fires created their own windstorms. Choking smoke filled the street, turning twilight into midnight. Ash poured down like black rain. Screams of terror changed to screams of agony as people died in the blazing abyss that was Tarsis.

And as the dragons struck, a sea of fear-crazed humanity surged through the flame-lit streets. Few had any clear idea of where they were going. Some shouted they would be safe in the hills, others ran down by the old waterfront, still others tried to reach the city gates. Above them flew the dragons, burning at their discretion, killing at their leisure.

The human sea broke over Tanis and the companions, crushing them into the street, swirling them apart, smashing them up against buildings. The smoke choked them and stung their eyes, tears blinded them as they fought to control the dragon fear that threatened to destroy their reason.

The heat was so intense that whole buildings blew apart. Tanis caught Gilthanas as the elf was hurled into the side of a building. Holding onto him, the half-elf could only watch helplessly as the rest of his friends were swept away by the mob.

"Back to the Inn!" Tanis shouted. "Meet at the Inn!" But whether they heard him or not, he could not say. He could only trust that they would all try to head in that direction.

Sturm caught hold of Alhana in his strong arms, half-carrying, half dragging her through the death-filled streets. Peering through the ash, he tried to see the others, but it was hopeless. And then began the most desperate battle he had ever fought, striving to keep his feet and support Alhana as time and again the dreadful waves of humanity broke over them.

Then Alhana was ripped from his arms by the shrieking mob, whose booted feet trampled all that lived. Sturm flung himself into the crowd, shoving and bashing with his armored arms and body, and caught Alhana's wrists. Deathly pale, she was shaking with fright. She hung onto his hands with all her strength, and finally he was able to pull her close. A shadow swept over them. A dragon, screaming cruelly, bore down upon the street that heaved and surged with men, women, and children. Sturm ducked into a doorway, dragging Alhana with him, and shielded her with his body as the dragon swooped low overhead. Flame filled the street; the screams of the dying were heart-rending.

"Don't look!" Sturm whispered to Alhana, pressing her against him, tears streaming down his own face. The dragon pa.s.sed, and suddenly the streets were horribly, unbearably still. Nothing moved.

"Let's go, while we can," Sturm said, his voice shaking. Clinging to each other, the two stumbled out of the doorway, their senses numbed, moving only by instinct. Finally, sickened and dizzy from the smell of charred flesh and smoke, they were forced to seek shelter in another doorway.

For a moment, they could do nothing but hold onto each other, thankful for the brief respite, yet haunted by the knowledge that in seconds they must return to the deadly streets.

Alhana rested her head against Sturm's chest. The ancient, old fashioned armor felt cool against her skin. Its hard metal surface was rea.s.suring, and beneath it she could feel his heart beat, rapid, steady, and soothing. The arms that held her were strong, hard, well-muscled. His hand stroked her black hair.

Alhana, chaste maiden of a stern and rigid people, had long known when, where, and whom she would marry. He was an elflord, and it was a mark of their understanding that, in all the years since this had been arranged they had never touched. He had stayed behind with the people, while Alhana returned to find her father. She had strayed into this world of humans, and her senses reeled from the shock. She detested them, yet was fascinated by them. They were so powerful, their emotions raw and untamed. And just when she thought she would hate and despise them forever, one stepped apart from the others.

Alhana looked up into Sturm's grieved face and saw etched there pride, n.o.bility, strict inflexible discipline, constant striving for perfection-perfection unattainable. And thus the deep sorrow in his eyes. Alhana felt herself drawn to this man, this human. Yielding to his strength, comforted by his presence, she felt a sweet, searing warmth steal over her, and suddenly she realized she was in more danger from this fire than from the fire of a thousand dragons.

"We'd better go," Sturm whispered gently, but to his amazement Alhana pushed herself away from him.

"Here we part," she said, her voice cold as the night wind. "I must return to my lodging. Thank you for escorting me."

"What?" Sturm said. "Go by yourself? That's madness." He reached out and gripped her arm. "I cannot allow-" The wrong thing to do, he realized, feeling her stiffen. She did not move but simply stared at him imperiously until he released her.

"I have friends of my own," she said, "as you do. Your loyalty is to them. My loyalty is to mine. We must go our separate ways." Her voice faltered at the look of intense pain on Sturm's face, still wet with tears. For a moment Alhana could not bear it and wondered if she would have the strength to continue. Then she thought of her people-depending on her. She found the strength. "I thank you for your kindness and your help, but now I must go, while the streets are empty."