Dragons of Spring Dawning by Weis, Margaret

Tanis nodded, wordlessly.

“Your friends? They’re going with you?”

“Some of them,” Tanis replied. “They all want to go, but-” He found he could not continue, remembering their devotion. He shook his head.

Gilthanas stared down at an ornately carved table, absently running his hand over the gleaming wood.

“I must leave,” Tanis said heavily, starting for the door. “I have a lot yet to do. We plan to leave at midnight, after Solinari’s set-”

“Wait.” Gilthanas put his hand on the half-elf’s arm. “I-I want to tell you I’m sorry . . . about what I said this morning. No, Tanis, don’t leave. Hear me out. This isn’t easy for me.” Gilthanas paused a moment. “I’ve learned a great deal, Tanis- about myself. The lessons have been hard ones. I forgot them… when I heard about Laurana. I was angry and frightened and I wanted to hit someone. You were the closest target. What Laurana did, she did out of love for you. I’m learning about love, too, Tanis. Or I’m trying to learn.” His voice was bitter. “Mostly I’m learning about pain. But that’s my problem.”

Tanis was watching him now. Gilthanas’s hand was still on his shoulder.

“I know now, after I’ve had time to think,” Gilthanas continued softly, “that what Laurana did was right. She had to go, or her love would have been meaningless. She had faith in you, believed in you enough to go to you when she heard you were dying, even though it meant going to that evil place-”

Tanis’s head bowed. Gilthanas gripped him tightly, both hands on his shoulders.

“Theros Ironfeld said once that-in all the years he had lived-he had never seen anything done out of love come to evil. We have to believe that, Tanis. What Laurana did, she did out of love. What you do now, you do out of love. Surely the gods will bless that.”

“Did they bless Sturm?” Tanis asked harshly. “He loved!”

“Didn’t they? How do you know?”

Tanis’s hand closed over Gilthanas’s. He shook his head. He wanted to believe. It sounded wonderful, beautiful… just like tales of dragons. As a child, he’d wanted to believe in dragons, too…

Sighing, he walked away from the elflord. His hand was on the doorknob when Gilthanas spoke again.

“Farewell… brother.”

The companions met by the wall, at the secret door Tasslehoff had found that led up and over the walls, out into the plains beyond. Gilthanas could, of course, have given them permission to leave by the front gates, but the fewer people who knew of this dark journey the better as far as Tanis was concerned.

Now they were gathered inside the small room at the top of the stairs. Solinari was just sinking behind the distant mountains. Tanis, standing apart from the others, watched the moon as its last silvery rays touched the battlements of the horrible citadel hovering above them. He could see lights in the floating castle. Dark shapes moved around. Who lived in that dreadful thing? Draconians? The black-robed mages and dark clerics whose power had torn it from the soil and now kept it drifting among masses of thick gray clouds?

Behind him, he heard the others talking in soft voices-all except for Berem. The Everman-watched over closely by Caramon-stood apart, his eyes wide and fearful.

For long moments Tanis watched them, then he sighed. He faced another parting, and this one grieved him so that he wondered if he had the strength to make it. Turning slightly, he saw the last beaming rays of Solinari’s fading light touch Goldmoon’s beautiful silver-gold hair. He saw her face, peaceful and serene-even though she contemplated a journey into darkness and danger. And he knew he had the strength.

With a sigh, he walked away from the window to rejoin his friends.

“Is it time?” Tasslehoff asked eagerly.

Tanis smiled, his hand reaching out fondly to stroke Tas’s ridiculous topknot of hair. In a changing world, kenders remained constant.

“Yes,” Tanis said, “it is time.” His eyes went to Riverwind. “For some of us.”

As the Plainsman met the half-elf’s steady, unwavering gaze, the thoughts in his mind were reflected in his face, as clear to Tanis as clouds flitting across the night sky. First Riverwind was uncomprehending, perhaps he had not even heard Tanis’s words. Then the Plainsman realized what had been said. Now he understood, and his stern, rigid face flushed, the brown eyes flared. Tanis said nothing. He simply shifted his gaze to Goldmoon.