Dragons of Spring Dawning by Weis, Margaret

“Where have you been, Half-Elf?” Raistlin asked in his soft, whispering voice.

Tanis swallowed nervously. “I was captured by a Dragon Highlord,” he said, reciting the answer he had prepared. “The Highlord thought I was one of his officers, naturally, and asked me to escort him to his troops, who are stationed outside of town. Of course I had to do as he asked or make him suspicious. Finally, tonight, I was able to get away.”

“Interesting.” Raistlin coughed the word.

Tanis glanced at him sharply. “What’s interesting?”

“I’ve never heard you lie before, Half-Elf,” Raistlin said softly. “I find it… quite… fascinating.”

Tanis opened his mouth, but, before he could reply, Caramon returned, followed by Riverwind and Goldmoon and Tika, yawning sleepily.

Hurrying to him, Goldmoon embraced Tanis swiftly. “My friend!” she said brokenly, holding onto him tightly. “We’ve been so worried-”

Riverwind clasped Tanis by the hand, his usually stern face relaxed in a smile. Gently he took hold of his wife and removed her from Tanis’s embrace, but it was only to take her place.

“My brother!” Riverwind said in Que-shu, the dialect of the Plains people, hugging the half-elf tightly. “We feared you were captured! Dead! We didn’t know-”

“What happened? Where were you?” Tika asked eagerly, coming forward to hug Tanis.

Tanis looked over at Raistlin, but he was lying back on his hard pillow, his strange eyes fixed on the ceiling, seemingly uninterested in anything being said.

Clearing his throat self-consciously, intensely aware of Raistlin listening, Tanis repeated his story. The others followed it with expressions of interest and sympathy. Occasionally they asked questions. Who was this Highlord? How big was the army? Where was it located? What were the draconians doing in Flotsam? Were they really searching for them? How had Tanis escaped?

Tanis answered all of their questions glibly. As for the Highlord, he hadn’t seen much of him. He didn’t know who he was. The army was not large. It was located outside of town. The draconians were searching for someone, but it was not them. They were looking for a human named Berem or something strange like that.

At this Tanis shot a quick look at Caramon, but the big man’s face registered no recognition. Tanis breathed easier. Good, Caramon didn’t remember the man they had seen patching the sail on the Perechon. He didn’t remember or he hadn’t caught the man’s name. Either way was fine.

The others nodded, absorbed in his story. Tanis sighed in relief. As for Raistlin… well, it didn’t really matter what the mage thought or said. The others would believe Tanis over Raistlin even if the half-elf claimed day was night. Undoubtedly Raistlin knew this, which was why he didn’t cast any doubts on Tanis’s story. Feeling wretched, hoping no one would ask him anything else and force him to mire himself deeper and deeper in lies; Tanis yawned and groaned as if exhausted past endurance.

Goldmoon immediately rose to her feet, her face soft with concern. “I’m sorry, Tanis,” she said gently. “We’ve been selfish. You are cold and weary and we’ve kept you up talking. And we must be up early in the morning to board the ship.”

“Damn it, Goldmoon! Don’t be a fool! We won’t board any ship in this gale!” Tanis snarled.

Everyone stared at him in astonishment, even Raistlin sat up. Goldmoon’s eyes were dark with pain, her face set in rigid lines, reminding the half-elf that no one spoke to her in that tone. Riverwind stood beside her, a troubled look on his face.

The silence grew uncomfortable. Finally Caramon cleared his throat with a rumble. “If we can’t leave tomorrow, we’ll try the next day,” he said comfortably. “Don’t worry about it, Tanis. The draconians won’t be out in this weather. We’re safe-”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, Goldmoon. It’s been-nerve-racking-these last few days. I’m so tired I can’t think straight. I’ll go to my room.”

“The innkeeper gave it to someone else,” Caramon said, then added hurriedly, “but you can sleep here, Tanis. Take my bed-”

“No, I’ll just lie down on the floor.” Avoiding Goldmoon’s gaze, Tanis began unbuckling the dragonarmor, his eyes fixed firmly on his shaking fingers.