"Meaning that if the Flaem ask for trouble, I have to decide whether or not to let them choke on what they've bitten off," Thelvyn mused. "Well, the best I can do for now is to try to talk Jherridan out of actually attacking the dragons."
"The Collar of the Dragons also remains an issue," she added. "The parliament is now satisfied that the Alpha-tians do not have it, which directs even more of their suspicion toward the Flaem. As a sign of good faith, they would like to have it returned, or else be permitted to assure themselves that it is not here, although they are not yet prepared to press that point as a requirement for peace."
Thelvyn looked grim. "I think I know how Kalestraan is going to respond to that. To cover his own schemes, he's been pressing the king even harder to make war with the dragons. Even Jherridan admits it."
The dragon replied with obvious reluctance. "The treasure of the dragons must be returned soon. We are aware that the Fire Wizards are experimenting with some source of incredible power they have discovered in this place, although they seem to have not yet been able to command it in any practical manner. All the same, they must not use artifacts of the dragons to play with terrible things they do not understand."
"I know that, but my first priority is to keep the dragons from going to war," Thelvyn insisted. "All I can do about the Collar of the Dragons for now is to hope that Sir George is able to discover some clue about how it was stolen or where it is."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Thelvyn found himself standing in a field of grass of emerald green, stirred in gentle waves by a cooling breeze. Great mountains surrounded him on all sides—towering, majestic peaks, clad in fields and forests of tall pines with crowns of gray stone and white snow. The glade where he stood was on the slopes of such a mountain, and he could look out across a deep valley where a swift river weaved through forests and fields. The sky above was as blue as sapphire, with a scattering of white clouds that clung to the tops of the highest summits.
He knew almost from the first that this was a dream. Although he had heard of dreams sent by the Immortals to influence their clerics, he had never experienced such a thing for himself. He knew that he hadn't left his home in Braejr. This land was the very image of all that was perfect in the mountain lands, too perfect to be a part of the mortal world.
A tall woman stood before him, a woman with black hair and large, dark eyes, and an almost aristocratic presence.
He knew at once that this imposing lady was his mother, Arbendael, whose spirit he had met years ago on the slopes of the mystic World Mountain. She was unlike anyone he had ever known, both in appearance and bearing. He wondered if what he saw in her was in any way what others saw in him. Somehow, by the circumstances of his dream, he didn't even think to ask her any of the many questions that would have otherwise been so important to him, and which she certainly would have refused to have answered.
"Thelvyn? Do you understand what is happening?" she asked.
"I do. This dream is a vision sent to me by my patron, to instruct me in matters that I must know of. But am I really speaking to you, or are you my patron, appearing in the form of my mother?"
"I am indeed Arbendael," she answered simply. "A time of great trouble is at hand, and you must do your best to handle it. Both you and your companion, Kharendaen, will be asked to do something you will not wish to do. You are both sharing this same dream."
Thelvyn turned to see that Kharendaen was now standing in the field beside him. He had to suppose that, as a senior cleric, she was far more experienced in this than he was. There had been times, he knew, when the Great One had given her very detailed instructions.
"I cannot tell you for certain what will come to pass," Arbendael continued. "Yet if events unfold as they seem destined, then this is how you each must respond. If the truce is broken, then Kharendaen will be required to return to the dragons. But do not despair, for you will not be separated for long. Kharendaen, when the time comes that you must leave, the Great One will give you specific instructions regarding what you must do."
"I understand," the dragon agreed obediently.
"Thelvyn, your duty is more difficult to explain," his mother said. "You must remain in the Highlands and attend to your duty as advisor to King Jherridan and a captain of the Highlands army. While the destiny of the dragons remains your primary duty, you must recall that the dragons are able to protect themselves, and you have proven your ability to defeat the dragons without doing them serious harm. At this time, it is more important that you do all you can to prevent the dragons from doing great harm to others."
"I will do what I must," Thelvyn answered. "But I feel that I have enemies on all sides, the dragons being the least. Can you tell me whether I can trust the king and Mage Kalestraan? I am suspicious that either the Fire Wizards or the Alphatians may be behind all of this, although I can only guess what they hope to gain."
"The obvious answers are the correct ones," Arbendael told him. "Your enemies would use you if they could, and everyone would rather be rid of you if you do not act to their advantage, even the dragons. But that is the way of politics. You must trust only those who have always been your friends. But you may be reassured to know that you will almost certainly be given a new advisor for the duration of Kharendaen's absence."
At this point, Thelvyn awoke abruptly. As he had expected, he found himself lying in his own bed in the heavy darkness of the deepest part of the night. The air felt rather cool, almost like early autumn. He rose and quickly put on a shirt and trousers, then slipped quietly out of his room. The house was dark and silent, although his night vision allowed him to find his way in even the deepest shadows.
When he opened the side door into the court, he wasn't surprised to see a light in the windows of Kharendaen's lair. Knowing that she was awake, he didn't hesitate to cross the court and open the door to the converted warehouse. He found her lying on her bed, although she lifted her head as if she had been expecting him. The magic lanterns glowed softly, so that they cast only a dim, cool light, and her immense blue eyes glittered as she regarded him down the length of her slender muzzle. At that moment, he thought she must be the most beautiful, graceful creature in all the world.
"I presume we both had the same dream," he began. "Such a thing has never happened to me before, so I wanted to be certain it was real. Am I supposed to take
these things at face value, or are there hidden meanings?"
Kharendaen smiled, a remarkably becoming expression. "The Immortals are under such constraints that it is easy to become frustrated with them, especially for those of us who must deal with them regularly. It is easy to forget that they are not playing games but doing their very best to help us."
"I'm just worried what I'll do when you have to leave," Thelvyn admitted as he slid a chair close beside the bed. "I've always relied upon you to advise me how best to deal with the dragons."
"Sir George can advise you," she told him. "He has always tried his best to understand dragons. I will return soon enough. I do not believe that this present trouble will take too long to resolve. And do not forget that you will be given a new advisor in my absence. Perhaps you will like your new companion even better than me."
"I'd never believe that."
"You should not say that until you know who will replace me," the dragon insisted. "You may find that you no longer need me, if the Fire Wizards can give you the ability to fly. You are becoming quite experienced in matters of politics and diplomacy, although you may not have had time to notice that."
"Why do I need a practical reason for wanting you around?" Thelvyn asked.
"I suppose that you do not," Kharendaen agreed. "Keep in mind that this will not be the end of your duty as Dragonlord. We are tied together in that duty for a very long time yet to come. We simply had not anticipated that we might best serve our duty separately for a time."
Thelvyn nodded. "I shouldn't begrudge you the chance to spend some time among your own kind. I should have asked you
more often if you would like some time away from me. As a cleric, you must have certain duties to your order."
"I will not be spending much of my time at home," she told him. "I will be busy with responsibilities of my own, I am certain. It might add to your frustration to know this, but I received more instructions in my dream than you did.
I had quite a long talk with your mother before you got there."
"What was she like?" Thelvyn asked, careful not to sound as if he envied her. "The only time she talks to me is when she has some portentous message to deliver."
Kharendaen considered that briefly. "Your mother is just as she has always been, as Sir George has always described her to you. She is wise and noble and kind, very much the person you are growing up to be. I might add that you also look very a great deal like your mother."
"I tend to forget that," he admitted. "The last time my mother spoke to me, the spirit of a gold dragon intervened. I only just remembered that."
This time Kharendaen looked troubled. "I must confess to you that the spirit of the gold dragon has watched over you for a very long time. But that is nothing for you to fear."
"Is the spirit the Great One?" he asked.
Kharendaen shook her head. "The Great One does not take that form. He is very ancient and does not belong to any modern breed of dragon. The spirit of the gold dragon you saw is a servant of the Great One. She was a great and powerful cleric who lived long ago, and she serves him even yet."
*****
When Thelvyn went to the palace the next morning, he felt a certain ambivalence about his duty as the Dragonlord. If the dream sent to him by the Great One was any indication, even the Immortals now believed that war with the dragons was inevitable. But he still held some hope that war could be avoided if Jherridan could only be convinced to be reasonable. The dragons had stated their desire to avoid war, and Thelvyn felt sure he could meet them halfway by agreeing to keep his soldiers out of their lands. But Thelvyn also knew that the attack upon himself and Solveig would remain a difficult point. The dragons could deny their guilt, but there was still no proof that they hadn't been involved.
The king was able to meet with Thelvyn in his private chamber at once, and Kalestraan was not present to interfere. The king listened patiently to Thelvyn's arguments, but the Dragonlord could see that he remained unimpressed.
"Without better proof of the dragons' peaceful intentions, I have no choice but to continue as I have," Jherridan said. "But I am willing to strike a bargain with you, something that might make you considerably happier about the entire situation. You are still my advisor and a captain of the Realm. I would be willing to grant you command of the Highland Army and fuller authority for the defense of the northern frontier. If the dragons respond to the closing of the borders by keeping their distance, then I won't ask you to go into the mountains after them. I recognize the impracticality of trying to fight them in their own element."
"That would satisfy your needs?" Thelvyn asked.
"It suits me well enough," the king agreed. "I'm not fool enough to want to fight the entire race of dragons. If your presence on the frontier forces them to withdraw from the area of the border and behave themselves, then I'm satisfied."
Thelvyn settled back in his chair to consider the king's words. After a moment, he frowned. "Frankly, that's the best offer I'm likely to get, and I don't see that I have any choice."
"I was under the impression that you had one other choice," Jherridan reminded him. "The other day, you stated your intention of maintaining your neutrality by leaving the Highlands."
"Is that what you would prefer?" Thelvyn asked candidly.
"Would I offer you command of my army if it were?"
Thelvyn shook his head. "I'm no longer allowed that choice. The dragons have stated, as I said, that a move against their rightful holdings in the Wendarian Mountains would be considered an act of war. Since you no longer require me to chase them out of their own lairs, they might respond to that by some restraint on their own part. My presence would encourage that."
Thelvyn had decided he wasn't about to reveal that the
Immortals had now required him to remain in the Highlands to protect the Flaem from possible attack by he dragons. The dragons were supposedly far better able to take care of themselves, although Thelvyn remained uncertain that he could ever hope of establish a new truce if he was forced to harm or slay any of them. He was suspicious that Jherridan might incorrectly interpret that to mean that the Immortals were taking his side and become entirely too bold.
Still, he was encouraged. Jherridan was granting him authority to use his own discretion, which was actually a fairly generous compromise compared to his more extreme policies of a few days earlier.
"I suppose that this will require Kharendaen to depart," the king said.
Thelvyn nodded. "There is no question of that. Indeed, she has already been given other duties to attend to. The Immortals are to send me a new clerical advisor."
"I suppose that can't be helped," Jherridan said. "I am forced to agree with you that Kharendaen has not been acting against us as a spy, since she has had many opportunities to have done far more damage. I will send word to Kalestraan to remind him of your need for an artifact of magical flight."
Thelvyn came away thinking that things had taken a rather unexpected turn. Although he had always held the title of captain, he had no actual military experience. At least his duties for the foreseeable future were rather simple: He was to direct the movement of troops into the northern frontier to fortify new and existing outposts along the border. He was not to lead his forces into the mountains. If the dragons responded to the arming of the frontier by attacking, he would have to adapt his plans at that time. The dragons had said they would interpret such activities as acts of war and respond, but he still hoped that they wouldn't be so hasty.
In his experience, dragons were often both calculating and cautious in their schemes. If they weren't threatened in their own lands, perhaps they wouldn't feel the need to respond to the fortifying of the frontier. At the same time, they didn't forgive insults to their pride. Thelvyn hardly knew how they would respond. He wondered if they would feel the need to test him at least once, to prove to themselves whether or not they had learned how to fight him. His success in meeting such a test might depend entirely upon whether the Fire Wizards could provide him with the power of flight. If the dragons tested his ability to fight them on their own terms and found him wanting, there wasn't much even the powers of the Dragonlord could do to stop them.
As matters turned out, Jherridan proved to be more clever in arranging his appointments than Thelvyn had expected. Within the hour, he found that an experienced captain had been appointed to serve as his advisor and sec-ond-in-command. Thelvyn knew Harl Gairstaan, and he had always found to be him a resourceful officer who was content with his duties and had no political ambitions of his own, the very image of Flaemish dedication. Although Gairstaan was an older man, he seemed to hold no resentment at being appointed to serve the Dragonlord. Instead, he held Thelvyn in the highest regard and actually seemed rather flattered by the association.
"To tell you the truth, I'm relieved not to be directly responsible for dealing with the dragons," he admitted when Thelvyn paid him a visit in his quarters to speak with him privately. "I'm sure you know best how to handle this particular situation."
"The plan is to avoid actual battle if we can," Thelvyn explained. "By fortifying the northern frontier, we will in effect be drawing a line in the sand between the Highlands and the mountains and telling the dragons not to pass beyond it. My hope is that they won't find the prospect of war worth their trouble."
"I've always heard that dragons are fierce and stubborn, quite jealous of anything they consider to be their own," Gairstaan observed.
"They can be, and I grant that they are going to be very offended," Thelvyn admitted. "But since this stays within the bounds of the truce they have honored for five
years now, I hope that they'll see that nothing is really changed."
"And if they do attack?"
Thelvyn shook his head helplessly. "That has to be my responsibility. The army will only be moving into the north for the sake of appearance, to strengthen their garrisons and establish new forts in remote areas. For now, I'm willing to leave the actual arming of the frontier to you. What preparations have you made so far?"
"Supplies and a small force of soldiers have already set out for the north," the captain explained, indicating a map on the wall of his chamber. "The Eastern Reach is already as well fortified as it can be. Dragons closed the pass of the Eastern Reach during their attacks five years ago, and Duke Ardelan has done what he can to insure that it doesn't happen again, although I daresay the dragons could close it again easily enough if they wanted to. Our main concentration of new fortifications will be along the base of the mountains in the northwestern frontier, in areas that are still mostly unsettled."
Thelvyn nodded. "I grew up in that area, and I know it well. Of course, the problem with any fortifications is that they don't really do much to contain dragons. They can simply fly over or around our forts and attack wherever they please. I think you should know that, unless the wizards can supply me with the ability to fly, the dragons can deal with me quite effectively by simply ignoring me."
"I see," Gairstaan said, appreciating the full implications. "Well, we'll just have to respond to that as best we can. There might not be much our soldiers can do against dragons, but moving our forces into the north might encourage them to postpone their plans to attack."
D& D - Mystara 02 Dragonking of Mystara Page 15