“Lord Gilthanas is within the house of your father, of course-” Was it Laurana’s imagination, or did Silvara’s pale cheek flush when she said that name? “The others have been given ‘guest quarters'”
“Yes,” said Laurana grimly, “I can imagine.”
Silvara left her side. Creeping quietly across the floor of the room, she went to the door, opened it, and beckoned.
“Laurana?”
“Elistan!” She flung her arms around the cleric. Laying her head on his chest, Laurana shut her eyes, feeling his strong arms embrace her tenderly. Everything will be fine now, she knew. Elistan will take charge. He’ll know what to do.
“Are you feeling better?” the cleric asked. “Your father-”
“Yes, I know,” Laurana interrupted him. She felt a dull ache in her heart whenever her father was mentioned. “You must decide what we are to do, Elistan. Silvara has offered to help us escape. We could take the orb and leave tonight.”
“If that is what you must do, my dear, then you should waste no more time,” Elistan said, sitting by her in a chair.
Laurana blinked. Reaching out, she grabbed hold of his arm. “Elistan, what do you mean? You must come with us-”
“No, Laurana,” Elistan said, grasping her hand tightly in his own. “If you do this, you will have to leave on your own. I have sought help from Paladine, and I must stay here, with the elves. I believe if I stay, I will be able to convince your father that I am a cleric of the true gods. If I leave, he would always believe I am a charlatan, as your brother brands me.”
“What about the dragon orb?”
“That is up to you, Laurana. The elves are wrong in this. Hopefully, in time, they will come to see it. But we do not have centuries to talk this over. I think you should take the orb to Sancrist.”
“Me?” Laurana gasped. “I can’t!”
“My dear,” Elistan said firmly, “you must realize that if you make this decision, the burden of leadership will be upon you. Sturm and Derek are too caught up in their own quarrel and, besides, they are human. You will be dealing with elves-your own people and the Kaganesti. Gilthanas sides with your father. You are the only one who has a chance to succeed.”
“But I’m not capable-”
“You are more capable than you give yourself credit for, Laurana. Perhaps everything you have been through up to now has been preparing you for this. You must waste no more time. Farewell, my dear.” Elistan rose to his feet and laid his hand on her head. “May Paladine’s blessing-and my own-go with you.”
“Elistan!” Laurana whispered, but the cleric was gone. Silvara quietly shut the door.
Laurana sank back into her bed, trying to think. Elistan is right, of course. The dragon orb cannot stay here. And if we are going to escape, it must be tonight. But it’s all happening so fast! And it’s all up to me! Can I trust Silvara? But why ask? She’s the only one who can guide us. Then all I have to do is get the orb and the lance and free my friends. I know how to get to the orb and the lance. But my friends-
Laurana knew, suddenly, what she would do, She realized she had been planning it in the back of her mind even as she talked to Elistan.
This commits me, she thought. There will be no turning back. Stealing the dragon orb, fleeing into the night, into strange and hostile country. And then, there is Gilthanas. We’ve been through too much together for me to leave him behind. But he will be appalled at the idea of stealing the orb and running away. And if he chooses not to go with me, would he betray us?
Laurana closed her eyes for a moment. She laid her head down wearily on her knees. Tanis, she thought, where are you? What should I do? Why is it up tome? I didn’t want this.
And then, as she sat there, Laurana remembered seeing weariness and sorrow on Tanis’s face that mirrored her own. Maybe he asked himself these same things. All the times I thought he was so strong, perhaps he really felt as lost and frightened as I do. Certainly he felt abandoned by his people. And we depended on him, whether he wanted us to or not. But he accepted it. He did what he believed was right.
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