Dragonlance Tales, Vol. 3 – Love and War

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