Dragons of Winter Noght by Weis, Margaret

“During the Tests, the dragon orb-” Alhana hesitated, seeming to search for the right words- “spoke to him, to his mind. It feared some terrible calamity was approaching. ‘You must not leave me here in Istar’ it told him. ‘If so, I will perish and the -world will be lost.’ My father – I suppose you could say he stole the dragon orb, although he saw himself as rescuing it.

“The Tower of Istar was abandoned. The Kingpriest moved in and used it far his own purposes. Finally the mages left the Tower of Palanthas.” Alhana shivered. “Its story is a terrible one. The Regent of Palanthas, a disciple of the Kingpriest, arrived at the Tower to seal the gates shut-so he said. But all could see his eyes lingering on the beautiful Tower greedily, for legends of the wonders within-both fair and evil-had spread throughout the land.

“The Wizard of the White closed the Tower’s slender gates of gold and locked them with a silver key. The Regent stretched out his hand, eager for the key, when one of the Black Robes appeared in a window in one of the upper stories.

“The gates will remain closed and the halls empty until the day when the master of both the past and the present returns with power” he cried. Then the evil mage leaped out, hurling himself down at the gates. As the barbs pierced the black robes, he cast a curse upon the Tower. His blood poured down on the ground, the silver and golden gates withered and twisted and turned to black. The shimmering tower of white and red faded to ice-gray stone, its black minarets crumbling to dust.

“The Regent and the people fled in terror. To this day, no one has dared enter the Tower of Palanthas-or even approached its gates. It was after the cursing of the Tower that my father brought the dragon orb to Silvanesti.”

“But surely your father knew something about the orb before he took it.” Tanis persisted. “How to use it-‘

“If so, he did not speak of it;” Alhana said wearily, “for that is all I knave. I must rest now. Goodnight,” she said to Tanis without looking at him.

“Goodnight, Lady Alhana,” Tanis said gently. “Rest easily this night. And don’t worry. Your father is wise and has lived through much. I’m certain everything is all right.”

Alhana started to sweep past without a word, then, hearing the sympathy in his voice, she hesitated.

“Though he passed the Test;” she said so softly Tanis had to step closer to heat, “he was net as powerful in his magic as your young friend is now. And if he thought the dragon orb was our only hope, I fear-” Her voice broke.

“The dwarves have a saying.” Sensing for a moment that the barriers between them had been lowered, Tanis put his arm around Alhana’s slender shoulders and drew her lose. ” ‘Rouble borrowed will be paid hack with interest compounded an sorrow’: Don’t worry. We’re with you.”

Alhana did not answer. She let herself be comforted far just an instant, then, slipping free of his grasp, walked to the entrance to the cave. There she stopped and looked back.

“You are worried about your friends.” she said. “Do not be. They escaped the city and are safe. Though the kender was close to death for a time, he survived, and now they travel to Ice Wall in search of a dragon orb.”

“How do you know this?” Tanis gasped.

“I have told you all I can.” Alhana shook her head.

“Alhana! How do you know?” Tanis asked sternly.

Her pale cheeks stained with pink, Alhana murmured, “I-I gave the knight a Starjewel. He does not know its power, of course, nor how to use it. I don’t know why I gave it to him, even, except-”

“Except what” Tanis asked, amazed beyond belief.

“He was so gallant, so brave. He risked his life to help me, and he didn’t even know who I was. He helped me because I was in trouble. And-” Her eyes glimmered. “And he wept, when the dragons killed the people. I’ve never seen an adult weep before. Even when the dragons came and drove us from our home, we did not weep. I think, perhaps, we’ve forgotten how.”