Dragonlance 10 - The Second Generation by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman Page A
Authors: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
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breath, which could spew acid, belch fire, cast lightning. Tanis's face was stern and grim, noting and attempting to impress on his mind every detail.
Sara ordered the dragon to land in a cleared area far from the main part of the fortress: This section of the compound was relatively quiet, in sharp contrast to the commotion going on at the battle site.
"These are the stables," she said in a low voice to Caramon and Tanis, as they dismounted.
"Keep quiet and let me do the talking."
Both men nodded, then hunched their shoulders deep into blue cloaks trimmed with black, which they wore over their own armor. Sara had brought one with her, thinking she would only have to disguise Caramon. She gave Tanis her own cloak, first taking care to remove the black lily brooch.
"You mustn't touch it," she warned him. "It has been blessed by the dark clerics. It might do you harm."
"You touch it," he said to her.
"I am used to it," she returned softly.
The blue dragon settled down in the vast, open yard, an enormous landing site located outside the fortress's walls.
Beyond, a long row of stalls echoed with the frustrated, eager whinnies of horses. Excited by the sounds of battle, they wanted their turn.
"The knights are taught to ride and fight on horseback, as well as dragon back," Sara told them.
"Ariakan thinks of everything, doesn't he? Where do you keep the dragons?" Tanis asked. "Surely not here."
"No, the island isn't large enough. The dragons have homelands of their own. No one is quite certain where. They come when summoned."
"Hsst!" Caramon tugged on Sara's sleeve. "Company." A hobgoblin was running over to stare at them.
"Who's that?" the goblin demanded suspiciously, holding up a torch that sputtered in the rain. "No blues out tonight! What the—Ariakan's woman!"
Sara took off her helm and shook out her hair. "Lord Ariakan to you, worm. And I am no one's woman, except my own. You do remember my name, don't you, Glob? Or has it slipped your pea-brained mind?"
The goblin sneered. "What you doing out this night, S—s—s—ara?" He hissed the name mockingly.
"And who be these two?" Little piggy eyes had caught sight of Caramon and Tanis, though the men took care to stand well out of the torchlight.
"If I were you, I wouldn't ask too many questions, Glob," Sara replied coolly. "Lord Ariakan doesn't like underlings who meddle in his affairs. See to it my dragon has whatever she wants. You two." She didn't look behind her, but motioned to Caramon and Tanis. "Come with me." The two walked past the goblin, who appeared somewhat daunted at the mention of Ariakan's affairs, and stepped back. But the goblin squinted intently as the two, shrouded in their cloaks, passed him. And at that moment, as ill luck—or the Dark Queen—would have it, a gust of wind swept round the stable yard and whipped back Tanis's long, graying hair to reveal a shapely, pointed ear. The goblin sucked in a shrill breath. Leaping over to Tanis, he caught hold of his arm and thrust the lighted torch in his face, so close that he nearly caught the man's beard on fire.
"Elf!" the goblin shrieked, adding a curse.
Caramon had his hand on his sword, but Sara threw herself in between the big man and the goblin.
"Glob, you fool! Now you've done it! Ariakan will have your ears for this!" Snatching the torch from the goblin's hand, Sara hurled it into the mud. The flame sputtered and went out.
"What you mean?" demanded Glob. "What I do? He be a damn elf! A spy!"
"Of course, he's a spy," Sara snarled. "You've just unmasked one of my lord's double agents! You may have jeopardized the entire mission! If Ariakan hears of this, he'll have your tongue cut out!"
"Me no talk," Glob returned sullenly. "Lord—man know that."
"You'd talk fast enough if some white-robed mage got hold of you," Sara predicted grimly. Caramon had released his sword, but he stood large and threatening. Tanis flipped his cloak over his face and glowered balefully at the
Sara ordered the dragon to land in a cleared area far from the main part of the fortress: This section of the compound was relatively quiet, in sharp contrast to the commotion going on at the battle site.
"These are the stables," she said in a low voice to Caramon and Tanis, as they dismounted.
"Keep quiet and let me do the talking."
Both men nodded, then hunched their shoulders deep into blue cloaks trimmed with black, which they wore over their own armor. Sara had brought one with her, thinking she would only have to disguise Caramon. She gave Tanis her own cloak, first taking care to remove the black lily brooch.
"You mustn't touch it," she warned him. "It has been blessed by the dark clerics. It might do you harm."
"You touch it," he said to her.
"I am used to it," she returned softly.
The blue dragon settled down in the vast, open yard, an enormous landing site located outside the fortress's walls.
Beyond, a long row of stalls echoed with the frustrated, eager whinnies of horses. Excited by the sounds of battle, they wanted their turn.
"The knights are taught to ride and fight on horseback, as well as dragon back," Sara told them.
"Ariakan thinks of everything, doesn't he? Where do you keep the dragons?" Tanis asked. "Surely not here."
"No, the island isn't large enough. The dragons have homelands of their own. No one is quite certain where. They come when summoned."
"Hsst!" Caramon tugged on Sara's sleeve. "Company." A hobgoblin was running over to stare at them.
"Who's that?" the goblin demanded suspiciously, holding up a torch that sputtered in the rain. "No blues out tonight! What the—Ariakan's woman!"
Sara took off her helm and shook out her hair. "Lord Ariakan to you, worm. And I am no one's woman, except my own. You do remember my name, don't you, Glob? Or has it slipped your pea-brained mind?"
The goblin sneered. "What you doing out this night, S—s—s—ara?" He hissed the name mockingly.
"And who be these two?" Little piggy eyes had caught sight of Caramon and Tanis, though the men took care to stand well out of the torchlight.
"If I were you, I wouldn't ask too many questions, Glob," Sara replied coolly. "Lord Ariakan doesn't like underlings who meddle in his affairs. See to it my dragon has whatever she wants. You two." She didn't look behind her, but motioned to Caramon and Tanis. "Come with me." The two walked past the goblin, who appeared somewhat daunted at the mention of Ariakan's affairs, and stepped back. But the goblin squinted intently as the two, shrouded in their cloaks, passed him. And at that moment, as ill luck—or the Dark Queen—would have it, a gust of wind swept round the stable yard and whipped back Tanis's long, graying hair to reveal a shapely, pointed ear. The goblin sucked in a shrill breath. Leaping over to Tanis, he caught hold of his arm and thrust the lighted torch in his face, so close that he nearly caught the man's beard on fire.
"Elf!" the goblin shrieked, adding a curse.
Caramon had his hand on his sword, but Sara threw herself in between the big man and the goblin.
"Glob, you fool! Now you've done it! Ariakan will have your ears for this!" Snatching the torch from the goblin's hand, Sara hurled it into the mud. The flame sputtered and went out.
"What you mean?" demanded Glob. "What I do? He be a damn elf! A spy!"
"Of course, he's a spy," Sara snarled. "You've just unmasked one of my lord's double agents! You may have jeopardized the entire mission! If Ariakan hears of this, he'll have your tongue cut out!"
"Me no talk," Glob returned sullenly. "Lord—man know that."
"You'd talk fast enough if some white-robed mage got hold of you," Sara predicted grimly. Caramon had released his sword, but he stood large and threatening. Tanis flipped his cloak over his face and glowered balefully at the
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