But he had already turned away and was involved with more of the formal introductions. Jessica's faced burned as she silently cursed herself. Angrily, she slapped the hilt of her sword.
At last, Gunthar's introductions were complete, and he led his guests toward the main entrance into the castle. There he stopped and turned to face the Knights of Takhisis. Gunthar said in a loud voice, "Honored guests, future brothers and sisters in arms, the banquet to celebrate this momentous event has already begun. However, to further celebrate the union of our two great Knighthoods, seven days hence a great hunt will be held. Let Knight join Knight in pursuit of a common foe-the great boar Mannjaeger."
A great cheer went up, both from the Knights of Takhisis and the Solamnics. Mannjaeger was a semi-mythical creature rumored to haunt the great forest covering the southern half of the Isle of Sancrist. A bane to farmer and traveler alike, he'd often been hunted but more often was the hunter himself. Few had bloodied him; more were bloodied by him. Many folk had been killed over the years. Some bards claimed Mannjaeger was immortal, for certainly tales of a great and dangerous boar of the forest of Sancrist had been around since the days of Vinus Solamnus. Most of the gathered Knights were thrilled to have the chance to test their lances against such a foe.
They cheered for many minutes, many already discussing hunts of the past and tactics for the future. Finally, they grew quiet again, and Gunthar continued,"Now, join us within."
At his bidding, the line of Solamnic Knights parted to allow the Dark Knights to pass within, but Tohr stopped just within the entrance and turned. He made a quick sharp gesture at the dragons, and Jessica felt Sir Liam tense beside her.
First one dragon, then another, then two more crouched and leaped into the air, unfolding their wings at the same time and pounding the air with huge, powerful strokes. Slowly they rose, fighting to clear the castle walls. The wind from their wings swirled round the courtyard in madly spinning vortices, sucking up sparks and ash and dust into whirling columns. Jessica coughed and blinked and covered her face. When the winds died down and the smoke and dust finally cleared, the courtyard was once again empty, as though no dragon had ever been there. Only a lone defiant angry roar sounded from the sky above.
"I thought your dragons were to remain with you," Gunthar said to Lord Tohr.
"Lady Mirielle felt it wisest that they return to Neraka," Tohr answered smoothly, "until such a time as this arrangement shows evidence of some permanence."
"I see," Gunthar said, leading the way into the castle. Lord Tohr fell in beside him, and the other Knights of Takhisis followed.
"You understand, Lord Gunthar, that it is difficult for us to overcome decades of mistrust. For dragons, the mistrust goes back centuries and ages. Having silver dragons and blues in such close proximity only invites disaster, until we can prove our efforts at peace and unity are sincere," Tohr explained. "It would be a shame to allow our efforts to be destroyed by a couple of hot-headed young dragons."
"That is true," Gunthar said, though his voice didn't sound very enthusiastic. However, his face immediately brightened. "In any case, you will find the banquet in your honor has already begun. Some of us have already eaten our fill… ." At these words, several nearby Knights groaned in satisfaction, but a few made comments to the effect that they could be persuaded to dine a second time, for the sake of their guests, of course. Gunthar continued, "But we'd be honored to share a table with you and your noble Knights. You must be hungry after your long dragonback ride."
"Famished!" Lady Alya laughed. "And frostbitten. Though I'm sure you have something to take the edge off, Lord Gunthar, if half the tales of your cellar are true."
"As a matter of fact, I was just relating a story about a particular barrel of ale and two unexpected visitors…" Gunthar smiled.
As the last of the Knights of Takhisis filed into the castle, the Knights of the Rose stepped in behind them, followed by the Knights of the Crown. Jessica found herself just behind Sir Liam. Gunthar's and Tohr's voices echoed in the hall ahead, but the footsteps of so many heavily booted Knights, the jangle and creak of armor, and the murmuring of dozens of conversations, made it impossible to understand what the two leaders were discussing.
As they made their way back to the banquet hall, Jessica noticed Sir Quintayne drifting back until he reached the side of Sir Liam. The two then continued side-by-side, their heads close in whispered conversation. As the body of Knights slowed to turn the corner and ascend the stairs, Jessica heard Quintayne hiss, "Thirty-six Knights! Without the dragons, I fail to see the point of their coming at all."
"I'm rather glad the blues have gone. At least now, if they try something, they won't have their dragons to assist them," Liam answered.
"But the entire reason for all this is that we join our forces to face the threat of Pyrothraxus. What good are thirty-six Knights? We need ten times as many," Quintayne whispered.
"Not many more Knights of Solamnia held the High Clerist's Tower against an army of thousands," Liam said as they shuffled onto the staircase.
"Yes, but we don't have a dragon orb," Quintayne argued.
"Thirty-six Knights of Takhisis could turn the tide of a close battle," Liam countered. As Jessica mounted the stairs, she leaned forward to better hear them.
Liam continued in a low voice, almost to himself, "Or turn us against each other."
7
The door boomed shut, resounding in the empty hall Gunthar sighed and pushed aside a plate, then carefully laid his head on the table. The only other occupant of the banquet hall, a female boar hound, rose from her place by the dying fire and strode daintily on her long legs across the room, her nails clicking on the flagstones. She stopped once to sniff at a meaty bone lying on the floor, then continued around the table, approaching Gunthar's chair from behind. When she reached him, she shoved her muzzle under his elbow, begging for a pat on the head. When he failed to respond, she tossed her head, jerking Gunthar awake. He laughed and sat up, wearily running his hands through his thin gray hair. The hound scratched at his thigh with one of her huge paws.
"Yes, Millisant, it's time for bed," Gunthar yawned. "Were you left behind?" He pushed his chair back and stood. "Let's get you to your kennel and me to mine."
Gunthar crossed the banquet hall to a large window overlooking the courtyard, Millisant following at his heel. He opened the window and stepped out onto the battlements. Below, the bonfires burned low, shedding a pale red glow over the courtyard. A few guards stood at their posts or walked their watches, but otherwise the autumn night was quiet. Here and there, a window in some other part of the castle glowed with a dim yellow light. Gunthar breathed deeply of the rich autumn odors, of the wood fires and the smells of the forest. He reached down and tousled the hound's ears.
"Do you smell that?" he asked her. "It makes the old heart leap."
Together, they strode along the battlements toward the kennels. Around towers and angles they walked, taking the grand tour as Gunthar called it, to enjoy a last sniff of air before bed. Millisant trotted obediently at heel, matching her pace to her master's. Along the way, they met a few guards standing watch, men and women who snapped to attention at their approach. Gunthar nodded to them as he passed, and Millisant sniffed them curiously.
Where the forest drew closest to the castle walls, there was a stair that led down from the battlements to a small inner courtyard. Here were the kennels and the stables, and the smokehouse where meats and cheeses were preserved. Near this area, there was an angle where part of the castle jutted out to take advantage of a bluff of rock. As Gunthar approached this place, Millisant suddenly moved ahead of him, her head dropped low, her hackles bristling. Gunthar slowed, his hand straying to the sword at his side. The torches along this section of wall had burned out, but he saw a lone figure blocking the way. Millisant growled dangerously. The figure snapped around, surprised.