burst into flames right in its scabbard with her so infuriated.
"Let’s just say I’m less conflicted. I don’t have a god I answer to.”
Kandler winced at the comment, then stepped forward and put his hand on Sallah’s. She had her sword halfway out of its scabbard.
"I’ve gone through too much here—lost far too much—for anyone to question my loyalties.”
Sallah shoved her blade back into its scabbard and tore her hand away from Kandler’s. "As much as I care for you and your daughter, I can’t watch you do this,” she said to him. "I can’t just sit here while you sail off through the sky with her toward certain death.”
"I’m all she has in the world,” Kandler said, angling his head around so he could look into Sallah’s eyes. "I have to do what I think is best for her.”
Sallah brought her head up and glared at him. "How could you possibly think that taking a young girl into the dragon homeland is what’s best for her?”
Kandler started to speak, but then shut his mouth. He’d had doubts of his own about this course of action, but he didn’t see any better choice. He knew that Espre’s dragon-mark would only grow stronger as time progressed, and the people who wanted to control her for it would only become more desperate and bold.
"She has to take a stand sometime,” he said, struggling to keep his voice even and low.
"Then let it be in Thrane,” Sallah said, clasping her hands around Kandler’s. "The Silver Flame will protect her. We knights can keep her from harm.”
Burch opened his mouth but Kandler shut him up with a stern glance.
"That would only bring the troubles to Flamekeep,” Kandler said. "We have to do this. We can’t wait for the troubles to come to us, to fight us on their terms. We need to set the conditions of the contest ourselves, not let them do it for us.” He looked deep into Sallah’s eyes. "Espre is an elf. She’ll outlive me by hundreds of years. I only have a short time in which I can help her. We have to take matters into our own hands, and we have to do it now.”
Sallah dropped Kandler’s hands and stepped away from him. "Very well,” she said. "You go ahead and get yourself and your girl killed on your terms. I won’t stay to watch it. When this airship next lands, I’m getting off.”
Chapter
11
Battlefield romances never last anyhow,” Monja said, clapping Kandler on the butt. He nearly leaped over the railing in surprise.
The justicar had been wrapped in thought, and the others had chosen to give him his space as he watched the sunset, considering everything that had happened since the day the Knights of the Silver Flame had come to Mardakine. It now seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then.
Kandler arched an eyebrow down at the halfling, who winked up at him and patted the decking next to her. "Sit on down here and tell Monja all your problems,” she said with a smile.
Kandler searched that look for some hint of sarcasm, but she seemed sincere. He let himself down next to her and grimaced at her. "I thought shamans only dealt with religious matters.”
Monja snorted. "Out in the Talenta Plains, we all ride many different mounts. Shamans serve as healers, leaders, counselors, even cooks. You should try my roast beetles.”
"I think I’ll pass.”
Monja patted Kandler on the knee. "She would have left you eventually,” she said. "You know that.”
Kandler shook his head. "I guess I didn’t.”
"A Knight of the Silver Flame? Setting up a tent with a Brelish spy?”
"Agent of the Citadel, and I gave all that up years ago.” "Are the knights even allowed? Don’t they have some sort of vows of chastity?”
Kandler stared back across the length of the airship at Sallah, who stood behind the wheel. Her crimson hair whipped behind her in the rushing wind as the airship sailed south, toward the sea. Her eyes blazed with the light of the dying sun.
"I hope not,” he said.
He hadn’t considered the question before,
"Let’s just say I’m less conflicted. I don’t have a god I answer to.”
Kandler winced at the comment, then stepped forward and put his hand on Sallah’s. She had her sword halfway out of its scabbard.
"I’ve gone through too much here—lost far too much—for anyone to question my loyalties.”
Sallah shoved her blade back into its scabbard and tore her hand away from Kandler’s. "As much as I care for you and your daughter, I can’t watch you do this,” she said to him. "I can’t just sit here while you sail off through the sky with her toward certain death.”
"I’m all she has in the world,” Kandler said, angling his head around so he could look into Sallah’s eyes. "I have to do what I think is best for her.”
Sallah brought her head up and glared at him. "How could you possibly think that taking a young girl into the dragon homeland is what’s best for her?”
Kandler started to speak, but then shut his mouth. He’d had doubts of his own about this course of action, but he didn’t see any better choice. He knew that Espre’s dragon-mark would only grow stronger as time progressed, and the people who wanted to control her for it would only become more desperate and bold.
"She has to take a stand sometime,” he said, struggling to keep his voice even and low.
"Then let it be in Thrane,” Sallah said, clasping her hands around Kandler’s. "The Silver Flame will protect her. We knights can keep her from harm.”
Burch opened his mouth but Kandler shut him up with a stern glance.
"That would only bring the troubles to Flamekeep,” Kandler said. "We have to do this. We can’t wait for the troubles to come to us, to fight us on their terms. We need to set the conditions of the contest ourselves, not let them do it for us.” He looked deep into Sallah’s eyes. "Espre is an elf. She’ll outlive me by hundreds of years. I only have a short time in which I can help her. We have to take matters into our own hands, and we have to do it now.”
Sallah dropped Kandler’s hands and stepped away from him. "Very well,” she said. "You go ahead and get yourself and your girl killed on your terms. I won’t stay to watch it. When this airship next lands, I’m getting off.”
Chapter
11
Battlefield romances never last anyhow,” Monja said, clapping Kandler on the butt. He nearly leaped over the railing in surprise.
The justicar had been wrapped in thought, and the others had chosen to give him his space as he watched the sunset, considering everything that had happened since the day the Knights of the Silver Flame had come to Mardakine. It now seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then.
Kandler arched an eyebrow down at the halfling, who winked up at him and patted the decking next to her. "Sit on down here and tell Monja all your problems,” she said with a smile.
Kandler searched that look for some hint of sarcasm, but she seemed sincere. He let himself down next to her and grimaced at her. "I thought shamans only dealt with religious matters.”
Monja snorted. "Out in the Talenta Plains, we all ride many different mounts. Shamans serve as healers, leaders, counselors, even cooks. You should try my roast beetles.”
"I think I’ll pass.”
Monja patted Kandler on the knee. "She would have left you eventually,” she said. "You know that.”
Kandler shook his head. "I guess I didn’t.”
"A Knight of the Silver Flame? Setting up a tent with a Brelish spy?”
"Agent of the Citadel, and I gave all that up years ago.” "Are the knights even allowed? Don’t they have some sort of vows of chastity?”
Kandler stared back across the length of the airship at Sallah, who stood behind the wheel. Her crimson hair whipped behind her in the rushing wind as the airship sailed south, toward the sea. Her eyes blazed with the light of the dying sun.
"I hope not,” he said.
He hadn’t considered the question before,
Similar Books
