“We will consider your story.” the elven leader began, speaking haltingly in Common. Then he stopped as shouts and cries were heard from down the beach. The companions saw dark shadows converge on the campfire. The elf glanced that direction, waited a moment until all had quieted, then turned back to the group. He looked particularly at Laurana, who was bending over her brother. “We may have acted in haste, but when you have lived here long, you will come to understand.”
“I will never understand this!” Laurana said, tears choking her voice.
An elf appeared out of the darkness. “Humans, sir.” Laurana heard him report in elven. “Sailors by their appearance. They say their ship was attacked by a dragon and wrecked on the rocks.”
“Verification?”
“We found bits of wreckage floating ashore. We can search in the morning. The humans are wet and miserable and half-drowned. They offered no resistance. I don’t think they’ve lied.”
The elven leader turned to Laurana. “Your story appears to be true.” he said, speaking once more in Common. “My men report that the humans they captured are sailors. Do not worry about them. We will take them prisoner, of course. We cannot have humans wandering around this island with all our other problems. But we will care for them well. We are not goblins,” he added bitterly. “I regret striking your friend-”
“Brother,” Laurana replied. “And younger son of the Speaker of the Suns. I am Lauralanthalasa, and this is Gilthanas. We are of the royal house of Qualinesti.”
It seemed to her that the elf paled at this news, but he regained his composure immediately. “Your brother will be well tended. I will send for a healer-”
“We do not need your healer!” Laurana said. “This man”she gestured toward Elistan-“is a cleric of Paladine. He will aid my brother-”
“A human?” the elf asked sternly.
“Yes, human” Laurana cried impatiently. “Elves struck my brother down! I turn to humans to heal him. Elistan-”
The cleric started forward, but, at a sign from their leader, several elves quickly grabbed him and pinned his arms behind him. Sturm started to go to his aid, but Elistan stopped him with a look, glancing at Laurana meaningfully. Sturm fell back, understanding Elistan’s silent warning. Their lives depended on her.
“Let him go!” Laurana demanded. “Let him treat my brother!”
“I find this news of a cleric of Paladine impossible to believe, Lady Laurana,” the elf leader said. “All know the clerics vanished from Krynn when the gods turned their faces from us. I do not know who this charlatan is, or how he has tricked you into believing him, but we will not allow him to lay his human hands upon an elf!”
“Even an elf who is an enemy?” she cried furiously.
“Even if the elf had killed my own father.” the elf said grimly. “And now, Lady Laurana, I must speak to you privately and try to explain what is transpiring on Southern Ergoth.”
Seeing Laurana hesitate, Elistan spoke, “Go on, my dear. You are the only one who can save us now. I will stay near Gilthanas.”
“Very well.” Laurana said, rising to her feet. Her face pale, she walked apart with the elven leader.
“I don’t like this,” Derek said, scowling. “She told them of the dragon orb, which she should not have done.”
“They heard us talking about it.” Sturm said wearily.
“Yes, but she told them where it was! I don’t trust her – or her people. Who knows what kind of deals they are making?” Derek added.
“That does it!” grated a voice.
Both men turned in astonishment to see Flint staggering to his feet. His teeth still chattered, but a cold light glinted in his eyes as he looked at Derek. “I-I’ve had a-about enough of yyou, S-Sir High and M-Mighty.” The dwarf gritted. his teeth to stop shivering long enough to speak.
Sturm started to intervene, but the dwarf shooed him aside to confront Derek. It was a ludicrous sight, and one Sturm often remembered with a smile, storing it up to share with Tanis. The dwarf, his long white beard wet and scraggly, water dripping from his clothes to form puddles at his feet, stood nearly level with Derek’s belt buckle, scolding the tall, proud Solamnic knight as he might have scolded Tasslehoff.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127