Dragonlance 10 - The Second Generation by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
Authors: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
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the late autumn sun burning off night's chill. There was no sign of any other dragons that he could see.
"With luck, they haven't missed me," Sara said, though she looked worried. "I'm a dragon trainer now. I am often gone, exercising the mounts. I foresaw the need for this." She spoke a word to the dragon. The blue leapt into the air, propelled by its powerful hind legs, strong wings beating to lift it. They circled the castle once, in order for the dragon to get its bearings, then they soared northward.
"We will arrive at the fortress after dark," Sara told them. "I regret the loss of this day, but, it can't be helped, and what time we've lost we will hopefully make up. Will there be trouble with the Solamnic Knights?" she asked Tanis anxiously.
"There will always be trouble with the Solamnic Knights," Tanis growled. He was in an ill humor, for which Caramon really couldn't blame him. After all, the half-elf might well be journeying to meet a son he never knew he had. "But with Paladine's help, we'll get through it." The blue dragon glared round at them ferociously. Sara spoke sharply, and the beast sullenly turned its head.
"I wouldn't mention that god's name again," she suggested quietly.
None of them could think of anything to say after that. Talking was difficult anyway; they were forced to shout over the rush of air created by the dragon's powerful wings. And so they traveled in silence, flying far beyond Ansalon, far beyond known civilized lands, flying into darkness. Two days left.
Two days to save a soul.
Chapter Six
Fortress Of Storm's Keep
"My god!" said Tanis grimly, taking care not to mention which god he was calling on to witness his astonishment. "It's huge!"
"What's the fortress called?" Caramon asked Sara.
"Storm's Keep," she answered. Her words were blown back to him by the violent wind, and it seemed to Caramon that it was the wind that spoke. "Ariakan named it. He said that when those gates open, a storm will be unleashed on Ansalon that will destroy everything in its path." The fortress was located far north of Ansalon's mainland. Vast and forbidding, Storm's Keep was built on a large island of jagged rock. The glistening black walls of the stronghold were continually bathed by the spray from the crashing waves of the Sirrion Sea. Watch fires burned on the tall, tooth-edged towers. The light served to guide the flight of dragons, whose wings were black silhouettes against the stars as the beasts wheeled and turned in the night sky.
"What's all the commotion?" Caramon asked nervously. "This isn't on your account is it?" Sara reassured him. "It's just the soldiers, practicing night attacks. Ariakan says that was a mistake the Dragon Highlords made during the last war—fighting in daylight. The knights and their mounts are being trained to fight in the dark, use the darkness to their advantage."
"Not a ship could get near this place," Tanis muttered, eyeing the white foam of the breakers smashing against the steep rock shoreline.
"The seas are far too rough to sail. Not even the minotaurs will venture this far north—one reason Ariakan chose this island. It is accessible only by dragon and by magic."
"At least no one should notice us in all the activity," said Caramon.
"Yes," Sara agreed. "This is what I was thinking." No one did notice them, or at least pay much attention to them. A gigantic red dragon shrieked at them in irritation, when the smaller blue dived between the red and the tower under "assault." The two dragons exchanged curses and snarls in their own language; the soldier atop the red added his own insults, which Sara answered in kind. She held her course, her destination in sight, cutting swiftly through the mock battle.
Caramon, subdued and appalled, stared around in horror, awed by the strength in numbers and the daring skill of the black-armored paladins, who were easily routing the towers' "defenders." And the dragons were not even using their most powerful weapon-their
"With luck, they haven't missed me," Sara said, though she looked worried. "I'm a dragon trainer now. I am often gone, exercising the mounts. I foresaw the need for this." She spoke a word to the dragon. The blue leapt into the air, propelled by its powerful hind legs, strong wings beating to lift it. They circled the castle once, in order for the dragon to get its bearings, then they soared northward.
"We will arrive at the fortress after dark," Sara told them. "I regret the loss of this day, but, it can't be helped, and what time we've lost we will hopefully make up. Will there be trouble with the Solamnic Knights?" she asked Tanis anxiously.
"There will always be trouble with the Solamnic Knights," Tanis growled. He was in an ill humor, for which Caramon really couldn't blame him. After all, the half-elf might well be journeying to meet a son he never knew he had. "But with Paladine's help, we'll get through it." The blue dragon glared round at them ferociously. Sara spoke sharply, and the beast sullenly turned its head.
"I wouldn't mention that god's name again," she suggested quietly.
None of them could think of anything to say after that. Talking was difficult anyway; they were forced to shout over the rush of air created by the dragon's powerful wings. And so they traveled in silence, flying far beyond Ansalon, far beyond known civilized lands, flying into darkness. Two days left.
Two days to save a soul.
Chapter Six
Fortress Of Storm's Keep
"My god!" said Tanis grimly, taking care not to mention which god he was calling on to witness his astonishment. "It's huge!"
"What's the fortress called?" Caramon asked Sara.
"Storm's Keep," she answered. Her words were blown back to him by the violent wind, and it seemed to Caramon that it was the wind that spoke. "Ariakan named it. He said that when those gates open, a storm will be unleashed on Ansalon that will destroy everything in its path." The fortress was located far north of Ansalon's mainland. Vast and forbidding, Storm's Keep was built on a large island of jagged rock. The glistening black walls of the stronghold were continually bathed by the spray from the crashing waves of the Sirrion Sea. Watch fires burned on the tall, tooth-edged towers. The light served to guide the flight of dragons, whose wings were black silhouettes against the stars as the beasts wheeled and turned in the night sky.
"What's all the commotion?" Caramon asked nervously. "This isn't on your account is it?" Sara reassured him. "It's just the soldiers, practicing night attacks. Ariakan says that was a mistake the Dragon Highlords made during the last war—fighting in daylight. The knights and their mounts are being trained to fight in the dark, use the darkness to their advantage."
"Not a ship could get near this place," Tanis muttered, eyeing the white foam of the breakers smashing against the steep rock shoreline.
"The seas are far too rough to sail. Not even the minotaurs will venture this far north—one reason Ariakan chose this island. It is accessible only by dragon and by magic."
"At least no one should notice us in all the activity," said Caramon.
"Yes," Sara agreed. "This is what I was thinking." No one did notice them, or at least pay much attention to them. A gigantic red dragon shrieked at them in irritation, when the smaller blue dived between the red and the tower under "assault." The two dragons exchanged curses and snarls in their own language; the soldier atop the red added his own insults, which Sara answered in kind. She held her course, her destination in sight, cutting swiftly through the mock battle.
Caramon, subdued and appalled, stared around in horror, awed by the strength in numbers and the daring skill of the black-armored paladins, who were easily routing the towers' "defenders." And the dragons were not even using their most powerful weapon-their
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