Dragons of Spring Dawning Read online

  “How did you know?” Laurana looked at him, astonished.

  “I saw them together in Tarsis,” Gilthanas said. “I saw his face, and I saw hers. I knew about the Starjewel, too. Since he obviously wanted to keep it secret, I did not betray him. He was a fine man,” Gilthanas added gently. “I am proud to have known him, and I never thought I would say that of a human.”

  Laurana swallowed, brushing her hand across her eyes. “Yes,” she whispered huskily, “but that wasn’t what you came to tell me.”

  “No,” Gilthanas said, “although perhaps it leads into it.” For a moment he sat in silence, as if making up his mind. Then he drew a breath. “Laurana, something happened in Sanction that I did not tell Astinus. I won’t tell anyone else, ever, if you ask me not to—”

  “Why me?” Laurana said, turning pale. Her hand trembling, she laid down her pen.

  Gilthanas seemed not to have heard her. He stared fixedly at the map as he spoke. “When—when we were escaping from Sanction, we had to go back to the palace of Lord Ariakas. I cannot tell you more than that, for to do so would betray the one who saved our lives many times and who lives in danger there still, doing what she can to save as many of her people as possible.

  “The night we were there, in hiding, waiting to escape, we overheard a conversation between Lord Ariakas and one of his Highlords. It was a woman, Laurana”—Gilthanas looked up at her now—“a human woman named Kitiara.”

  Laurana said nothing. Her face was deathly white, her eyes large and colorless in the lamplight.

  Gilthanas sighed, then leaned near her and placed his hand on hers. Her flesh was so cold, she might have been a corpse, and he saw, then, that she knew what he was about to say.

  “I remembered what you told me before we left Qualinesti, that this was the human woman Tanis Half-Elven loved, sister to Caramon and Raistlin. I recognized her from what I had heard the brothers say about her. I would have recognized her anyway, she and Raistlin, particularly, bear a family resemblance. She, she was talking of Tanis, Laurana.” Gilthanas stopped, wondering whether or not he could go on. Laurana sat perfectly still, her face a mask of ice.

  “Forgive me for causing you pain, Laurana, but you must know,” Gilthanas said at last. “Kitiara laughed about Tanis with this Lord Ariakas and said”—Gilthanas flushed—“I cannot repeat what she said. But they are lovers, Laurana, that much I can tell you. She made it graphically clear. She asked Ariakas’s permission to have Tanis promoted to the rank of general in the dragonarmy … in return for some sort of information he was going to provide, something about a Green Gemstone Man—”

  “Stop,” Laurana said without a voice.

  “I’m sorry, Laurana!” Gilthanas squeezed her hand, his face filled with sorrow. “I know how much you love him. I—I understand now what it is like to, to love someone that much.” He closed his eyes, his head bowed. “I understand what it is like to have that love betrayed.…”

  “Leave me, Gilthanas,” Laurana whispered.

  Patting her hand in silent sympathy, the elflord rose and walked softly from the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Laurana sat without moving for long moments. Then, pressing her lips firmly together, she picked up her pen and continued writing where she had left off when her brother entered.

  9

  Victory.

  L et me give you a boost,” Tas said helpfully.

  “I … no! Wait!” Flint yelled. But it did no good. The energetic kender had already grabbed hold of the dwarf’s boot and heaved, propelling Flint head first right into the hard-muscled body of the young bronze dragon. Hands flailing wildly, Flint caught hold of the harness on the dragon’s neck and hung on for dear life, revolving slowly in the air like a sack on a hook.

  “What are you doing?” Tas asked in disgust, gazing up at Flint. “This is no time to play! Here, let me help—”

  “Stop it! Let go!” roared Flint, kicking at Tasslehoff’s hands. “Get back! Get back, I say!”

  “Get up yourself, then,” Tas said, hurt, backing up.

  Puffing and red-faced, the dwarf dropped to the ground. “I’ll get on in my own good time!” he said, glaring at the kender. “Without help from you!”

  “Well, you’d better do it quickly!” Tas shouted, waving his arms. “Because the others are already mounted!”

  The dwarf cast a glance back at the big bronze dragon and folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. “I’ve got to give this some thought—”

  “Oh, come on, Flint!” Tas begged. “You’re only stalling. I want to fly! Please, Flint, hurry!” The kender brightened. “I could go by myself.…”

  “You’ll do no such thing!” The dwarf snorted. “The war’s finally turning in our favor. Send a kender up on a dragon and that’d be the end. We could just hand the Highlord the keys to the city. Laurana said the only way you’d fly is with me—”

  “Then get on!” Tas yelled shrilly. “Or the war will be over! I’ll be a grandfather before you move from that spot!”

  “You a grandfather,” Flint grumbled, glancing once more at the dragon, who was staring at him with a very unfriendly eye, or so the dwarf imagined. “Why, the day you’re a grandfather is the day my beard will fall out—”

  Khirsah, the dragon, gazed down at the two with amused impatience. A young dragon, as dragons count their time on Krynn, Khirsah agreed with the kender: it was time to fly, time to fight. He had been one of the first to answer the Call that went out to all the gold and silver, bronze and brass dragons. The fire of battle burned hot within him.

  Yet, young as he was, the bronze dragon held a great reverence and respect for the elders of the world. Though vastly older than the dwarf in years, Khirsah saw in Flint one who had led a long, full, rich life; one worthy of respect. But, Khirsah thought with a sigh, if I don’t do something, the kender’s right—the battle will be over!

  “Pardon me, Respected Sire,” Khirsah interrupted, using a term of high respect among dwarves, “may I be of assistance?”

  Startled, Flint whirled around to see who spoke.

  The dragon bowed its great head. “Honored and Respected Sire,” Khirsah said again, in dwarven.

  Amazed, Flint stumbled backward, tripping over Tasslehoff and sending the kender tumbling to the ground in a heap.

  The dragon snaked forth his huge head and, gently taking hold of the kender’s fur vest in his great teeth, lifted him to his feet like a newborn kitten.

  “Well, I—I don’t know,” stammered Flint, flushing in pleased embarrassment at being thus addressed by a dragon. “You might … and then again you might not.” Recovering his dignity, the dwarf was determined not to act overawed. “I’ve done this a lot, mind you. Riding dragons is nothing new to me. It’s just, well, just that I’ve—”

  “You’ve never ridden a dragon before in your life!” Tasslehoff said indignantly. “And—ouch!”

  “Just that I’ve had more important things on my mind lately,” Flint said loudly, punching Tas in the ribs, “and it may take me a while to get the hang of it again.”

  “Certainly, Sire,” Khirsah said without the ghost of a smile. “May I call you Flint?”

  “You may,” said the dwarf gruffly.

  “And I’m Tasslehoff Burrfoot,” said the kender, extending his small hand. “Flint never goes anywhere without me. Oh, I guess you haven’t any hand to shake with. Never mind. What’s your name?”

  “My name to mortals is Fireflash.” The dragon gracefully bowed his head. “And now, Sir Flint, if you will instruct your squire, the kender—”

  “Squire!” Tas repeated, shocked. But the dragon ignored him.

  “Instruct your squire to come up here; I will help him prepare the saddle and the lance for you.”

  Flint stroked his beard thoughtfully. Then, he made a grand gesture.

  “You, squire,” he said to Tas, who was staring at him with his mouth open, “get up there and do as you’re told.”

  “I—you—
we—” Tas stuttered. But the kender never finished what he had been about to say because the dragon had lifted him off the ground again. Teeth clamped firmly in the kender’s fur vest, Khirsah raised him up and plopped him back onto the saddle that was strapped to the dragon’s bronze body.

  So enchanted was Tas with the idea of actually being atop a dragon that he hushed up, which is just what Khirsah had intended.

  “Now, Tasslehoff Burrfoot,” said the dragon, “you were trying to boost your master up into the saddle backward. The correct position is the one you are in now. The metal lance mounting must be on the front right side of the rider, sitting squarely forward of my right wing joint and above my right fore-shoulder. Do you see?”

  “Yes, I see!” called Tas in high excitement.

  “The shield, which you see on the ground, will protect you from most forms of dragonbreath—”

  “Whoah!” shouted the dwarf, crossing his arms and looking stubborn once more. “What do you mean most forms? And how am I supposed to fly and hold a lance and a shield all at the same time? Not to mention the fact that the blasted shield’s bigger than me and the kender put together—”

  “I thought you had done this before, Sir Flint!” Tas yelled.

  The dwarf’s face went red with rage and he let out a bellow, but Khirsah cut in smoothly.

  “Sir Flint probably isn’t accustomed to this newer model, Squire Burrfoot. The shield fits over the lance. The lance itself fits through that hole and the shield rests on the saddle and slides from side to side on the track. When attacked, you simply duck behind it.”

  “Hand me the shield, Sir Flint!” the kender yelled.

  Grumbling, the dwarf stumped over to where the huge shield lay on the ground. Groaning with the weight, he managed to lift it up and haul it over to the dragon’s side. With the dragon’s help, the dwarf and the kender between them managed to get the shield mounted. Then Flint went back for the dragonlance. Lugging it back, he thrust the tip of the lance up to Tas, who caught hold of it and, after nearly losing his balance and tumbling overboard, pushed the lance through the hole in the shield. When the pivot locked into position, the lance was counterbalanced and swung lightly and easily, guided by the kender’s small hand.

  “This is great!” Tas said, experimenting. “Wham! There goes one dragon! Wham! There goes another. I—oh!” Tas stood up on the dragon’s back, balanced lightly as the lance itself. “Flint! Hurry! They’re getting ready to leave. I can see Laurana! She’s riding that big silver dragon and she’s flying this way, checking the line. They’re going to be signaling in a minute! Hurry, Flint!” Tas began jumping up and down in excitement.

  “First, Sir Flint,” said Khirsah, “you must put on the padded vest. There … that’s right. Put the strap through that buckle. No, not that one. The other—there, you have it.”

  “You look like a woolly mammoth I saw once.” Tas giggled. “Did I ever tell you that story? I—”

  “Confound it!” Flint roared, barely able to walk, engulfed in the heavy, fur-lined vest. “This is no time for any of your hare-brained stories.” The dwarf came nose-tip to nose-tip with the dragon. “Very well, beast! How do I get up? And mind you, don’t you dare lay a tooth on me!”

  “Certainly not, Sire,” Khirsah said in deep respect. Bowing his head, the dragon extended one bronze wing full length upon the ground.

  “Well, that’s more like it!” Flint said. Smoothing his beard with pride, he shot a smug glance at the stunned kender. Then, solemnly mounting the dragon’s wing, Flint ascended, regally taking his place at the front of the saddle.

  “There’s the signal!” Tas shrieked, leaping back into the saddle behind Flint. Kicking his heels against the dragon’s flanks, he yelled, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

  “Not so fast,” said Flint, coolly testing the workings of the dragonlance. “Hey! How do I steer?”

  “You indicate which direction you want me to turn by pulling on the reins,” Khirsah said, watching for the signal. There it was.

  “Ah, I see,” said Flint, reaching down. “After all, I am in charge—ulp!”

  “Certainly, Sire!” Khirsah leaped into the air, spreading his great wings to catch the rising currents of air that floated up the face of the small cliff they stood upon.

  “Wait, the reins—” Flint cried, grasping at them as they slid out of his reach.

  Smiling to himself, Khirsah pretended not to hear.

  The good dragons and the knights who rode them were gathered on the rolling foothills east of the Vingaard Mountains. Here, the chill winter winds had given way to warm breezes from the north, melting the frost from the ground. The rich smell of growth and renewal perfumed the air as the dragons rose in flashing arcs to take their places in formation.

  It was a sight that took the breath away. Tasslehoff knew he would remember it forever—and maybe even beyond that. Bronze and silver, brass and copper wings flared in the morning light. The Greater Dragonlances, mounted on the saddles, glittered in the sun. The knights’ armor shone brilliantly. The Kingfisher flag with its golden thread sparkled against the blue sky.

  The past few weeks had been glorious. As Flint said, it seemed the tide of war was finally flowing in their direction.

  The Golden General, as Laurana came to be called by her troops, had forged an army seemingly out of nothing. The Palanthians, caught up in the excitement, rallied to her cause. She won the respect of the Knights of Solamnia with her bold ideas and firm, decisive actions. Laurana’s ground forces surged out of Palanthas, flowing across the plain, pressing the unorganized armies of the Dragon Highlord, known as the Dark Lady, into panic-stricken flight.

  Now, with victory after victory behind them and the dragonarmies fleeing before them, the men considered the war as good as won.

  But Laurana knew better. They had yet to fight the dragons of the Highlord. Where these were and why they had not fought before was something Laurana and her officers couldn’t figure out. Day after day, she held the knights and their mounts in readiness, prepared to take to the air.

  And now that day had come. The dragons had been sighted—flights of blues and reds reportedly heading westward to stop the insolent general and her rag-tag army.

  In a shimmering chain of silver and bronze, the Dragons of Whitestone, as they were called, soared across the Solamnic Plain. Although all the dragon-mounted knights had been trained in flight as much as time allowed (with the exception of the dwarf who steadfastly refused), this world of wispy, low-hanging clouds and rushing air was still new and foreign to them.

  Their banners whipped about wildly. The foot soldiers beneath them seemed no more than bugs crawling across the grasslands. To some of the knights, flying was an exhilarating experience. To others, it was a test of every bit of courage they possessed.

  But always before them, leading them in spirit and by example, flew Laurana upon the great silver dragon her brother had ridden from the Dragon Isles. The sunlight itself was not more golden than the hair that streamed out from beneath her helm. She had become a symbol to them like the dragonlance itself—slender and delicate, fair and deadly. They would have followed her to the Gates of the Abyss itself.

  Tasslehoff, peering over Flint’s shoulder, could see Laurana ahead of them. She rode at the head of the line, sometimes looking back to make certain everyone was keeping up, sometimes bending down to consult with her silver mount. She seemed to have things well under control, so Tas decided he could relax and enjoy the ride. It was truly one of the most wondrous experiences of his life. Tears streaked his windblown face as he stared down in absolute joy.

  The map-loving kender had found the perfect map.

  Below him was spread, in tiny, perfect detail, rivers and trees, hills and valleys, towns and farms. More than anything in the world, Tas wished he could capture the sight and keep it forever.

  Why not? he wondered suddenly. Clinging to the saddle with his knees and thighs, the kender let go of Flint and began rummaging a
round in his pouches. Dragging out a sheet of parchment, he rested it firmly against the dwarf’s back and began to draw on it with a piece of charcoal.

  “Quit wiggling!” he shouted at Flint, who was still trying to grab the reins.

  “What’re you doing, you doorknob?” the dwarf yelled, pawing frantically at Tas behind his back like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

  “I’m making a map!” Tas yelled in ecstasy. “The perfect map! I’ll be famous. Look! There are our own troops, like little ants. And there’s Vingaard Keep! Stop moving! You made me mess up.”

  Groaning, Flint gave up trying to either grasp the reins or brush away the kender. He decided he had better concentrate on keeping a firm grip on both the dragon and his breakfast. He had made the mistake of looking down. Now he stared straight ahead, shivering, his body rigid. The hair from the mane of a griffon that decorated his helm whipped about his face wildly in the rushing wind. Birds wheeled in the skies beneath him. Flint decided then and there that dragons were going on his list with boats and horses as Things to Avoid at All Costs.

  “Oh!” Tas gasped in excitement. “There are the dragonarmies! It’s a battle! And I can see the whole thing!” The kender leaned over in the saddle, peering down. Now and again, through the rushing eddies of air, he thought he could hear the clash of armor and cries and shouts. “Say, could we fly a bit closer? I—whoops! Oh, no! My map!”

  Khirsah had made a sudden, swooping dive. The force ripped the parchment from Tas’s hands. Forlornly he watched it flutter away from him like a leaf. But he hadn’t time to feel sad, for suddenly he felt Flint’s body go even more rigid than before.

  “What? What is it?” Tas yelled.

  Flint was shouting something and pointing. Tas tried desperately to see and hear, but at that moment they flew into a low-hanging cloud and the kender couldn’t see his nose in front of his face, as the gully dwarves said.

  Then Khirsah emerged from the cloud bank and Tas saw.

  “Oh my!” said the kender in awe. Below them, bearing down on the small antlike troops of men, flew line after line of dragons. Their red and blue leathery wings spread like evil banners as they dove down upon the helpless armies of the Golden General.