Shooting pains surged from her stomach and heart, and
when she hit the water below, she was too disoriented to tell
up from down.
Then strong arms grasped her and pulled her gently
from the water to the shore. Too weak to do more than turn
her head, she smiled sweetly as Riverwind collapsed beside
her. They lay dripping and shivering on the sweet-smelling
grass in the warm sunshine, taking deep breaths of the fresh
air.
They were in a valley beneath the mountain. The
waterfall poured out of a cliff face so far above them that
their survival seemed a miracle.
“I knew,” Goldmoon gasped, “that you would find us a
way out.”
Riverwind laughed, and Goldmoon laughed with him.
She rolled near to him and lay her head on his shoulder.
Then she sighed heavily and her eyes became clouded with
concerns for the future – now that they had one. “We’ll have
to explain about Hollow-sky. At least now we know just
how far Lore-man will go. He won’t catch us off guard
again.”
“I don’t understand,” Riverwind said. “After he tried to get
Hollow-sky to kill you, won’t your father just banish his
family?”
“We have no proof – just Hollow-sky’s words – and he is
dead. Loreman is very powerful; there are too many people
who will take his side. Since Hollow-sky failed, Loreman
will probably denounce him as a traitor himself.”
“And what do we say about us?” Riverwind asked.
“Father won’t be pleased,” she said. “But I will tell him
that I will wed none but you.”
“If I ask him for a courting quest, can he deny me?”
Riverwind asked tensely.
“No. He’ll be forced to follow tradition. But he may send
you to find or do something impossible.”
“If it will earn me you, the gods will aid me.”
Riverwind smiled gently and slid his fingers through her
wet hair.
Goldmoon shifted her position and sat up on her knees,
facing him. “Tearsong told me that one day you would
bring great power to my hands. So I know you will return
triumphant.”
“And quickly,” Riverwind added hopefully.
“Do you know what happens at the questing ritual?”
Goldmoon asked.
Riverwind shook his head no.
“Well, after you’ve spoken privately with Father, you’ll
stand before the whole tribe. Arrowthorn will proclaim that
you will go on a quest to prove your worthiness to be my
husband. Then, he’ll ask me if that is what I want – ”
“And you’ll say yes,” Riverwind added with a smile of
certainty.
“Well, yes.” She smiled back. “Then he’ll announce us
betrothed, until such a time as the quest is fulfilled or
forsaken.”
“It will be fulfilled,” he said solemnly, capturing one of
her hands in his own.
“And then,” she said, “we’ll kiss before the whole tribe.
. . .” She placed her free hand on his shoulder and leaned
toward him. She heard his swift intake of breath before she
kissed him lingeringly. “Well, perhaps not quite like that,”
she whispered sweetly.
“The servants are probably wondering where we are,”
Riverwind said huskily. “It’s going to be a long way around
the mountain to find them.”
“I know.”
“We should get started,” he added.
“If I must wait for you,” Goldmoon whispered, once
again settling herself in the crook of his arm with her head
on his shoulder, “surely you can wait for me – until . . .
until . . .” She pondered. “Until the sun dries my hair,” she
said finally, laughing.
“That may take some time.”
“But not long enough.” Goldmoon sighed.
“I will enjoy the waiting,” Riverwind assured her as he
spread locks of the golden strands across his armored chest.
“Who knows? Maybe a cloud will pass by.”
Raistlin’s Daughter
Margaret Weis and Dezra Despain
I first heard the legend of Raistlin’s Daughter about five
years after my twin’s death. As you can imagine, I was
extremely intrigued and disturbed by the rumors and did
what I could to investigate. In this I was assisted by my
friends – the old Companions – who had by this time
scattered over most of Ansalon. We found versions of the