And Aran the first to break the circle Hot wind at the throat of Feal-thas Brought down and unraveled In the reel of the hunt perfected. Brian the next when the sword of the wolf lord Sent him seeking the wane lands. All stood frozen in the wheel of razors All stood frozen except for Laurana. Blind in a hot light flashing the crown of the mind Where death melts in a diving sun She takes up the Ice Reaver And over the boil of wolves over the slaughter Bearing a blade of ice bearing darkness She opened the throat of the wolf lord And the wolves fell silent as the head collapsed.
The rest is short in the telling. Destroying the eggs the violent get of the dragons A tunnel of scales and ordure Followed into the terrible larder Followed further followed to treasure. There the orb danced blue danced white Swelled like a heart in its endless beating (They let me hold it I brought them back). Out from the tunnel blood on blood under the ice Bearing their own incredible burden The young knights silent and tattered They came five now only The kender last small pockets bulging. I am Raggart I am telling you this. I am the one who brought them back.
The flight from Ice Hall.
The old dwarf lay dying.
His limbs would no longer support him. His bowels and stomach twisted together like snakes. Waves of nausea broke over him. He could not even raise his head from his bunk. He stared above him at an oil lamp swinging slowly overhead. The lamp's light seemed to be getting dimmer. This is it, thought the dwarf. The end. The darkness is creeping over my eyes ….
He heard a noise near him, a creaking of wooden planks as if someone were very quietly stealing up on him. Feebly, Flint managed to turn his head.
"Who is it?" he croaked.
"Tasslehoff," whispered a solicitous voice. Flint sighed and reached out a gnarled hand. Tas's hand closed over his own.
"Ah, lad. I'm glad you've come in time to say farewell;" said the dwarf weakly. "I'm dying, lad. I'm going to Reorx-'
"What?" asked Tas, leaning closer.
"Reorx;" repeated the dwarf irritably. "I'm going to the arms of Reorx:"
"No, we're not;' said Tas. "We're going to Sancrist. Unless you're mean an inn. I'll ask Sturm. The Reorx Arms. Hmmm-"
"Reorx, the God of the Dwarves, you doorknob!" Flint roared.
"Oh;" said Tas after a moment. "That Reorx:'
"Listen, lad;" Flint said more calmly, determined to leave no hard feelings behind. "I want you to have my helm. The one you brought me in Xak Tsaroth, with the griffon's mane:"
"Do you really?" Tas asked, impressed. "That's awfully nice of you, Flint, but what will you do for a helm?"
"Ah, lad, I won't need a helm where I'm going:'
"You might in Sancrist," Tas said dubiously. "Derek thinks the Dragon Highlords are preparing to launch a full-scaled attack, and I think a helm could come in handy-"
"I'm not talking about Sancrist!" Flint snarled, struggling to sit up. "I won't need a helm because I'm dying!"
"I nearly died once;" Tas said solemnly. Setting a steaming bowl on a table, he settled back comfortably in a chair to relate his story. "It was that time in Tarsis when the dragon knocked the building down on top of me. Elistan said I was nearly a goner. Actually those weren't his exact words, but he said it was only through the inter . . . interces . . . oh well, intersomething-or-other of the gods that I'm here today."
Flint gave a mighty groan and fell back limply on his bunk. "Is it too much to ask;' he said to the lamp swinging above his head, "that I be allowed to die in peace? Not surrounded by kenders!" This last was practically a shriek.
"Oh, come now. You're not dying, you know;' Tas said. "You're only seasick:'
"I'm dying;' the dwarf said stubbornly. "I've been infected with a serious disease and now I'm dying. And on your heads be it. You dragged me onto this confounded boat-"
"Ship;" interrupted Tas.
"Boat!" repeated Flint furiously. "You dragged me onto this confounded boat, then left me to perish of some terrible disease in a rat-infested bedroom-"
"We could have left you back in Ice Wall, you know, with the walrus-men and-" Tasslehoff stopped.
Flint was once again struggling to sit up, but this time there was a wild look in his eyes. The kender rose to his feet and began edging his way toward the door. "Uh, I guess I better be going. I just came down here to-uh-see if you wanted anything to eat. The ship's cook made something he calls green pea soup
Laurana, huddled out of the wind on the foredeck, started as she heard the most frightful roaring sound come from below decks, followed by the cracking of smashed crockery. She glanced at Sturm, who was standing near her. The knight smiled.
"Flint;" he said.
"Yes;' Laurana said, worried. "Perhaps I should-'
She was interrupted by the appearance of Tasslehoff dripping with green pea soup.
"I think Flint's feeling better;" Tasslehoff said solemnly. "But he's not quite ready to eat anything yet:'
The journey from Ice Wall had been swift. Their small ship fairly flew through the sea waters, carried north by the currents and the strong, cold prevailing winds.
The companions had traveled to Ice Wall where, according to Tasslehoff, a dragon orb was kept in Ice Wall Castle. They found the orb and defeated its evil guardian, Feal-thas-a powerful Dragonlord. Escaping the destruction of the castle with the help of the Ice Barbarians, they were now on a ship bound for Sancrist. Although the precious dragon orb was stowed safely in a chest below decks, the horrors of their journey to Ice Wall still tormented their dreams at night.
But the nightmares of Ice Wall were nothing compared to that strange and vivid dream they had experienced well over a month ago. None of them referred to it, but Laurana occasionally saw a look of fear and loneliness-unusual to Sturm-that made her think he might be recalling the dream as well.
Other than that the party was in good spirits-except the dwarf, who had been hauled on the ship bodily and was promptly seasick. The journey to Ice Wall had been an undoubted victory. Along with the dragon orb, they carried away with them the broken shaft of an ancient weapon, believed to be a dragonlance. And they carried something more important, though they did not realize it at the time they found
The companions, accompanied by Derek Crownguard and the other two young knights who had joined them at Tarsis, had been searching Ice Wall castle for the dragon orb. The search had not gone well. Time and again they had fought off the evil walrus-men, winter wolves, and bears. The companions began to think they may have come here for nothing, but Tas swore that the book he read in Tarsis said there was an orb located here. So they kept looking.
It was during their search that they came upon a startling sight-a huge dragon, over forty feet long, its skin a shimmering silver, completely encased in a wall of ice. The dragon's wings were spread, poised for flight. The dragon's expression was fierce, but his head was noble, and he did not inspire them with the fear and loathing they remembered experiencing around the red dragons. Instead, they felt a great, overwhelming sorrow for this magnificent creature.
But strangest to them was the fact that this dragon had a rider! They had seen the Dragon Highlords ride their dragons, but this man appeared by his ancient armor to have been a Knight of Solamnia! Held tightly in his gloved hand was the broken shaft of what must have been a large lance.