“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 before her brother entered.
9
Victory.
“Let 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 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…”
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