Dragons of Winter Noght by Weis, Margaret

“Half-Elven!” she whispered.

“How did you get here? What happened?”

“I heard the mage say it was a dream,” Alhana answered, shivering at the memory, “and I-I refused to believe in the dream. I woke, but only to find the nightmare was real! My beautiful land filled with horrors!” She hid her face in her hands. Tanis knelt beside her and held her close.

“I made my way here. It took-days. Through the nightmare.” She gripped Tanis tightly. ‘When I entered the Tower, the dragon caught me. He brought me here, to my father, thinking to make Lorac murder me. But not even in his nightmare could my father harm his own child. So Cyan tortured him with visions-of what he would do to me.”

“And you? You saw them, too?” Tanis whispered, stroking the woman’s long, dark hair with a soothing hand.

After a moment, Alhana spoke. “It wasn’t so bad. I knew it was nothing but a dream. But to my poor father it was reality-” She began to sob.

The half-elf motioned to Caramon. “Take Alhana to a room where she can lie down. We’ll do what we can for her father.”

“I will be all right, my brother.” Raistlin said in answer to Caramon’s look of concern. “Do as Tanis says.”

“Come, Alhana.” Tanis urged her, helping her stand. She staggered with weariness. “Is there a place you can rest? You’ll need your strength.”

At first she started to argue, then she realized how weak she was. “Take me to my father’s room.” she said. “I’ll show you the way.” Caramon put his arm around her, and slowly they began to walk from the chamber.

Tanis turned back to Lorac. Raistlin stood before the elfking. Tanis heard the mage speaking softly to himself.

“What is it” the half-elf said quietly. “Is he dead?”

“Who?” Raistlin started, blinking. He saw Tanis looking at Lorac. “Oh, Lorac7 No, I do not believe so. Not yet.”

Tanis realized the mage had been staring at the dragon orb. “Is the orb still in control?” Tanis asked nervously, his eyes on the object they had gone through so much to find.

The dragon orb was a huge globe of crystal, at least twentyfour inches across. It sat upon a stand of gold that had been carved in hideous, twisted designs, mirroring the twisted, tormented life of Silvanesti. Though the orb must have been the source of the brilliant green light, there was now only a faint, iridescent, pulsing glow at its heart.

Raistlin’s hands hovered over the globe, but, Tanis noted, he was careful not to touch it as he chanted the spidery words of magic. A faint aura of red began to surround the globe. Tanis backed away.

“Do not fear.” Raistlin whispered, watching as the aura died. “It is my spell. The globe is enchanted-still. Its magic has not died with the passing of the dragon, as I thought possible. It is still in control, however.”

“Control of Lorac?”

“Control of itself. It has released Lorac.”

“Did you do this?” Tanis murmured. “Did you defeat it?”

“The orb is not defeated!” Raistlin said sharply. “With help, I was able to defeat the dragon. Realizing Cyan Bloodbane was losing, the orb sent him away. It let go of Lorac because it could no longer use him. But the orb is still very powerful.”

“Raistlin, tell me-”

“I have no more to say Tanis .” The young mage coughed. “I must conserve my energy.”

Whose help had Raistlin received? What else did he know of this orb? Tanis opened his mouth to pursue the subject, then he saw Raistlin’s golden eyes flicker. The half-elf fell silent.

“We can free Lorac now,” Raistlin added. Walking to the elf king, he gently removed Lorac’s hand from the dragon orb, then put his slender fingers to Lorac’s neck. “He lives. For the time being. The lifebeat is weak. You may come closer.”

But Tanis, his eyes on the dragon orb, held back. Raistlin glanced at the half-elf, amused, then beckoned.

Reluctantly, Tanis approached. “Tell me one more thing can the orb still be of use to us?”

For long moments, Raistlin was silent. Then, faintly, he replied. “Yes, if we dare.”