"The Highlord!" he called, sliding off his horse in front of the tent. "I must see the Highlord''
"The Highlord's gone;' said the commander's aide.
"I'm in charge;' snapped Bakaris. "What's your business?"
The ranger looked around quickly, not wanting to make a mistake. But there was no sign of the dread Dark Lady or the big blue dragon she rode.
"The Knights have taken the field!"
"What I"' The commander's jaw sagged. "Are you certain?"
"Yes!" The scout was practically incoherent. "Saw them! Hundreds on horseback! Javelins, swords. A thousand foot:'
"She was right!" Bakaris swore softly to himself in admiration. "The fools have made their mistake!"
Calling for his servants, he hurried back to his tent. "Sound the alaam;" he ordered, rattling off instructions. "Have the captains here in five minutes for final orders:' His hands shook in eagerness as he strapped on his armor. "And send the wyvern to Flotsam with word for the Highlord :'
Goblin servants ran off in all directions, and soon blaring horn calls were echoing throughout the camp. The commander cast one last, quirk glance at the map on his table, then left to meet vr'th his officers
"Tao bad," he reflected coolly as he walked away. "The fight will probably be over by the time she gets the news. A pity. She would have wanted to be present at the fall of the High Clerist's Tower. Still;" he reflected, "perhaps tomorrow night we'll sleep in Palaruthas-she and I:"
Chapter I2
Death on the plains. Tasslehofs discovery.
The sun climbed high in the sky, The knights stood upon the battlements of the Tower, staring out across the plains until their eyes ached. All they could; see wan a great tide of black, crawling, figures swarming aver= the fields, .really to engulf tl~e slender spear of gleaming silver that advanr:ed steadily to meet it.
The a-rrnies met. The knights strained to see, but a misty gra veil crept across the land. The air became tainted with a foot smell, like hot iron. The must grew thicker, almost totally obscurihg, the sun.
Now they could see nothing. The Tower seemed afloat on a sea of fag. The heavy mist even deadened sound, for at first they heard the clash of weapons and the cries of the dying, But even that faded, and all was silent.
The day wore on. Laurana, pacing restlessly in her darkening chamber, lit candles that sputtered and flickered in the foul air. The kender sat with her. Looking down from her tower window, Laurana could see Sturm and Flint, standing on the battlements below her, reflected in ghostly torchlight.
A servant brought her the bit of maggoty bread and dried meat that was her ration far the day. It must be only midafternoan, she realized. Then movement down on the battlements caught her attention. She saw a man dressed in mud-splattered leather approach Sturm. A messenger, she thought. Hurriedly, she began to strap on her armor.
"Coming?" she asked Tas, thinking suddenly that the kender had been awfully quiet. "A messenger's arrived from Palanthas!"
"I guess;" Tas said without interest.
Laurana frowned, hoping he wasn't growing weak from lack of food. But Tas shook his head at her concern.
"I'm all right," he mumbled. "Just this stupid gray air:'
Laurana (argot about him as she hurried down the stairs.,
"News?" she asked Sturm, who peered over the walls in a vain effort to see out onto the field of battle. "I saw the messenger-
"~'Jh, yes:" He smiled wearily. "Good news, I suppose. The road to Palarlthas is open. The snow melted enough to get through. I have a rider standing 6y to take a message to Palanth.as in case we are def-" He stopped abruptly, then drew a deep breath. "I want you to be ready to go back to Palanthas with him."
Laurana had been expecting this and her answer was pTepared.. But noun that the time had come for her speech, she could now give it. The bitten air dried her mouth, her tongue seemed swollen, No, that wasn't it, she chided herself. She was frightened. Admit it. She wanted to go back to Palanthas! She wanted to get out of this gripe place where death lurked in the shadows. Clenching her fist, she beat her gloved hand nerz`nusly on the stone, gathering her courage.
"I'm staying here, Sturm;" she said. After pausing to get her voice under control, she continued, "I know what you're going. to say, so listen to me first. You're going to need all the skilled fighters you can get. You know my worth:'
Sturm nodded. What she said was true. There were few in his command more accurate with a bow. She was a trained swordsman, as well. She was battle-tested-something he couldn't say about many of the young knights under his command. So he nodded in agreement. He meant to send her away anyhow.
'I am the only one trained to use the dragonlance-"
"Flint's been trained;' Sturm interrupted quietly.
Laurana fixed the dwarf with a penetrating stare. Caught between two people he laved and admired, Flint flushed and cleared his throat. "That's true;" he said huskily, "but-I-uh- f must admit-er, Sturm, that I am a bit short:'
"Webs seen no sign of dragons, anyhow;' Sturm said as, Laurana flashed him a triumphant glance. "The reports say.:' they're south of -us, lighting for control of Thelgaard.
"But you believe the dragons are on the way" don't you2°` Laurana returned.
Sturm appeared uncomfortable. 'Perhaps;' he muttered,
"You can't lie Sturm, so don't start now. I'm staying. li what Tanis would do-'
'I)amn it, Laurana!" Sturm said, his face flushed. "Live y own life'. Ibu can't be Tans! f can"t be Tanis! He isn't he We've got to face that!" The knight turned away suddenly. ' isn't here," he repeated harshly.
Flint sighed, glancing sorrowfully at Laurana. No-one noticed Tasslehoff, who sat huddled miserably in a comer.
Laurana. put her arm around Sturm. "I knave I'm not.
friend Tanis is to you, Storm. I can never take his place. But do my best to help you. That's what I meant. You don't
treat me any differently from your knights='
"I know, Laurana," Sturm said. Putting his arms around her he held her close. "I'm sorry I snapped at you:" Sturm '
"And you know why I must send you away. Tanis would forgive me if anything happened to you:'
""Yes, he would;' Laurana answered softly. "He woraId up
stand. He told me anae that there comes a time when you've
THE DRAGONS OF WINTER NIGHT
to risk your life for something that means more than life itself. Don't you see, Sturm? If I fled to safety, leaving my friends behind, he would say he understood. But, deep inside, he wouldn't. Because it is so far from what he would do himself. Besides"-she smiled-"even if there were no Tanis in this world, I still could not leave my friends:"
Sturm looked into her eyes and saw that no words of his would make any difference. Silently, he held her close. His other arm went around Flint's shoulder and drew the dwarf near.
Tasslehoff.. bursting into tears, stood up and flung himself on them, sobbing wildly. They stared at him in astonishment.
"Tas, what is it7" Laurana asked, alarmed.
"It's atl my fault! I broke one! Am I doomed to go around the
world breaking these things?" Tas wailed incoherently.
"Calm down;" Sturm said, his voice stern, He gave the ken-
der a shake. 'What are you talking about?"
"I found another one," Tas blubbered. "Down below, in a big empty chamber:'