Dragons of Winter Noght by Weis, Margaret

“Alhana.” Tanis muttered to himself. He edged over to Gilthanas. “Why is that name familiar?”

“Have you been gone from your people so long you do not recognize the name?” the elf answered softly in elven. “There was only one among our Silvanesti cousins railed Alhana, Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of the Speaker of the Stars, princess of her people, ruler when her father dies, far she has no brothers.”

“Alhana!” Tanis said, memories coming back to him. The elven people were split hundreds of years before, when Kith-Kanan led many of the elves to the land of Qualinesti following the bitter Kinslayer wars. But the elven leaders still kept in contact in the mysterious manner of the elflords who, it is said, can read messages in the wind and speak the language of the silver moon. Now he remembered Alhana-of all elf maidens reputed to be the most beautiful, and distant as the silver moon that shone on her birth.

The draconian leaned down to confer with the Lard. Tanis saw the man’s face darken, and it seemed as if he was about to disagree, then he bit his lip and, sighing, nodded his head. The draconian melted back into the shadows once more.

“You are under arrest, Lady Alhana.” the Lord said heavily. Sturm took a step nearer the woman as the guards closed in around her. Sturm threw back his head and cast them all a warning glance. So confident and noble did he appear, even unarmed, that the guards hesitated. Still, their Lord had given them an order.

“You better do something.” Flint growled. “I’m all for chivalry, but there’s a time and a place and this isn’t either!”

“Have you got any suggestions?” Tanis snapped.

Flint didn’t answer. There wasn’t a damn thing any of them could do and they knew it. Sturm would die; before one of those guards laid a hand on the woman again, even though he had no idea who this woman was. It didn’t matter. Feeling himself torn with frustration and admiration for his friend, Tanis gauged the distance between himself and the nearest guard, knowing he could put at least one out of action. He saw Gilthanas close his eyes, his lips moving. The elf was a magic-user, though he rarely treated it seriously. Seeing the look on Tanis’s face, Flint heaved a sigh and turned toward another guard, lowering his helmeted head like a battering ram.

Then suddenly the Lord spoke, his voice grating. “Hold, knight!” he said with the authority that had been bred in him for generations. Sturm, recognizing this, relaxed, and Tanis breathed a sigh of relief. “I will not have blood shed in this Council chamber. The lady has disobeyed a law of the land, laws which, in days gone by, you sir knight, were sworn to uphold. But, I agree, there is no reason to treat her disrespectfully. Guards, you will escort the lady to prison but with the same courtesy you show me. And you, sir knight, will accompany her, since you are so interested in her welfare.”

Tanis nudged Gilthanas who came out of his trance with a start. “Truly, as Sturm said, this Lord comes from a noble and honorable line,” Tanis whispered.

“I don’t see what you’re so pleased about, Half-elf.” Flint grunted, overhearing them. “First the kender gets us charged with inciting a riot, then he disappears. Now the knight gets us thrown into prison. Next time, remind me to stick with the mage. I know he’s crazed!”

As the guards started to herd their prisoners away from the bench, Alhana appeared to be hunting for something within the falls of her long skirt.

“I beg a favor, sir knight,” she said to Sturm. “I seem to have dropped something. A trifle but precious. Could you look-”

Sturm knelt swiftly and immediately saw the object where it lay, sparkling, on the floor, hidden by the folds of her dress. It was a pin, shaped like a star, glittering with diamonds. He drew in his breath. A trifle! Its value must be incalculable. No wonder she did not want it found by these worthless guards. Quickly he wrapped his fingers around it, then feigned to look about. Finally, still kneeling, he looked up at the woman.