by Andre Norton
Thank you again, he replied to both of them, and slipped out of the tent door, onto the platform, into the cool breeze that always followed the setting of the sun.
He scampered down the stairs, then stopped by the tent to see Shana, but Kalamadea reported that she and Mero were with Lorryn. I shall join them shortly, the elder dragon added. And what of you?
Ah—I want to hunt, he said truthfully. Kalamadea nodded.
See to it that you go well beyond the herds before you shift, then, he only said, and take the collar with you. We do not want it to be found without you inside it. Not yet, anyway.
Keman promised, and escaped while he still could.
Dora was waiting for him where she had promised, at the edge of the herds. He was both pleased and relieved at that; she could so easily have taken the chance of the day to make her own escape and he would never have seen her again.
:Something happened,: he told her as soon as he was near enough to recognize her among the other cattle. :Diric is on our side, and his wife is fixing our collars so that we can take them off!:
Surprise and delight colored her thoughts. :But—that means we can fly together! You can escape!:
:Not without my friends,: he replied immediately, and perhaps a touch more sternly than he had intended.
She ducked her head in shamefaced apology. :I am sorry, Keman. I—I forgot about them. It is hard to think of them when I do not know them.:
The shame in her thoughts made him feel bad. :I'm sorry I snapped at you; it's been a very hard day,: he apologized. :And I haven't hunted since we were caught; I suspect I'm pretty sharp-set by now! My temper is none too certain when I'm hungry.:
:Then let's go, quickly—: she urged, and he was happy enough to slip his collar, shift into the form of a young bull, pick up the despised circlet of iron in his mouth, and join her in making her way to the edge of the herds. She had done this before; he hadn't, so he followed her lead, moving when she moved, stopping when she stopped.
She waited at the edge of the herd for a very long time, or at least it seemed that way to him. The metallic taste of the collar in his mouth was distinctly unpleasant, and he had to keep his head down as if he were grazing to keep it from showing. It was very heavy, too; it made his jaws ache to hold it this way. Finally she moved out into the grasses, slipping like a huge shadow as clouds crossed over the face of the moon. He followed, his body knowing how to keep his bulky form from making any noise as they moved away from the herd at a rapidly increasing pace.
Soon they were running, but they were too far from the herd for the herdsmen to see, and if a scout or a herdsman heard them, he would probably assume they were some other beast running free, and not two of the cattle. Cattle and other herd beasts wanted to stay together, most of the time. They were uneasy when they were separated from others. Only a cow about to calve would wander off by herself, and no cow about to calve would be running at a bovine gallop.
Finally Dora stopped, in a small valley cut by a meandering stream. :Here,: she said, her flanks heaving with exertion, and the sweat of her run thick in his nostrils. If he'd been in draconic form, he wouldn't have been able to resist that scent—she'd have been his dinner, not his dinner companion!
:Here, it's safe enough to shift,: she repeated, and be dropped the heavy iron ring, only glad that he'd been able to keep hold of it all this time. His intention had been to watch her as she shifted, then to shift himself; hunger overcame his intentions as soon as the ring left his mouth, and he shifted into his real shape more swiftly than he ever remembered doing before.
When his sight cleared and sharpened, the first thing he saw was a young and delicately made female of his own kind, looking up at him with awe and delight. He returned the look with interest, elated that she was a dragon of his own kind, if not his own Kin.
Easy enough to sharpen his night-sight, now that he could shift without even thinking about it There was enough moonlight for him to make out colors, and Dora was particularly beautiful in that regard. Her main color was a soft violet, with a dusting of gold over every scale; her crest and her neck and spine ridges were that same gold over a deep purple. Most females were larger than males, but Dora was exactly the same size that be was, and if she hadn't been holding her head and long, graceful neck lower than his, she'd be looking him straight in the eyes.
The eyes were beautiful, too, a sparkling gold that matched her crest. She was stunning—and he felt altogether stunned. He knew he had never seen a female as lovely as she, never in all of his life!
My goodness, she blurted, still looking up at him. You didn't tell me you were handsome.
Well, you didn't tell me that you were beautiful, he replied, as gallantly as he could while still feeling stunned.
She giggled, and coyly bobbed her head, glancing at him out of one eye in the most charming manner imaginable.
You must be faint with hunger to say something like that, she replied, breathlessly. Come on, we'll hunt together.
She turned and launched herself into the air, as graceful as she was beautiful, and what could he do but quickly clasp the iron ring around his wrist and follow?
It didn't take them long to find game—the plains near the Iron People were virtually empty, but that meant that the game that was usually roaming there had been driven out of its usual pastures, into territory where the displaced animals were interlopers. The newcomers didn't know where cover was, where it was safe to rest, and they were under constant threat from the animals whose territory was rightfully here. In time, they'd settle down, but just now they were easy prey. The carnivores of the plains were taking ruthless advantage of their vulnerability, and so would Keman and Dora.
They each managed to bring down some sort of plains deer, showing off, he lifted his into the air to set it down next to hers so that they could feast together.
Once the edge was off his hunger, he kept giving her sidelong glances as he ate. More than once he caught her doing the same. Every time he looked at her, he got a strange, fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach; like hitting a pocket of air turbulence, but more pleasurable. Every time she looked at him, he felt as if he'd called lightning to chase him.
She had eaten last night; she was quickly sated, and nudged the remains of her deer over to him when she was through. He accepted the gift with gratitude; he was starving, and no fluttery feelings were going to interfere with his hunger.
So what exactly happened? she asked, preening the blood from her claws delicately. You said that last night Diric suddenly came over to your side.
Between bites he explained it all to her, right up until the moment that he'd left Diric with the maps. She listened carefully, nodding from time to time, and occasionally asking a question. Those questions showed that she knew more about these people than even Kalamadea, and that she'd personally observed quite a bit more about the important individuals among them in the time she'd been spying on them.
Jamal is dangerous, she said flatly when he was done. The problem is, he is also clever, intelligent, and very charismatic. If he is clever and charismatic enough, he could very well convince his people to attack these elves of yours. If he is even more clever, he will find someone or something to attack that will allow, him a victory and some impressive booty, then before anyone can react properly, he'll turn the Clan around and take them back down to the Homelands.
Then what? Keman asked, a little bewildered. What would that gain him except for a few trinkets? Even if he looted all of Lord Tylar's estate, the gain would be next to nothing divided up among all these people.
But if he didn't divide it? she countered. If he kept it all in one big pile? It would look very impressive. It would awaken hunger for more in not only this Clan, but every other Clan he showed it to.
O-o-oh, Keman said then, seeing exactly what she was getting at. Then, once everyone wants some of the loot, he makes himself the leader of all the Clans, and comes right back up here.
She nodded.
I don't know if these elves of yours could beat him; if they are clever, they probably could. But I do know that with that many people coming up here looking for loot, the Clans are going to run into your friends unless they can pull themselves into that mountain of theirs and shut all entrances for a year.
He considered that. They might be able to. The rest of my Lair could certainly make it very unpleasant for Iron People trespassing near the mountain.
But here is the other thing, she continued. Even if Jamal suffers enough defeats that he decides to put the Clans in retreat, he'll still be their leader. Once he reaches the Homelands again, he'll start looking for something else to conquer—and sooner or later, he'll find my Folk.
Keman shivered. He remembered Kalamadea telling Shana, quite calmly, that the iron weapons the warriors carried could and would kill both dragons before they could shift. And magic or no magic, dragons in the sky were still vulnerable to powerful bows. We have to stop him.
You have to escape first, she pointed out, and paused for a moment. I'll help you, she finished, as if with the words she had finally made up her mind.
You will? His head reeled with delight. You'll come with me?
Don't tell anyone about me yet! she amended hastily. Please! I have to think about all this first—I have to decide how to tell my Folk that there are others—I—
I promise, he pledged, before she could go on. You can stay secret as long as you like. As long—as long as I can see you every night, he added shyly.
You would? You want to? she stammered. Of course! But—
There was no more talk of plans or escaping for the rest of the night.
Lorryn was not entirely sure how Shana was going to react to his sister. For that matter, he was not certain how the young halfblood that was with her was going to react. There was certainly nothing in Rena's true appearance to make anyone think of her as a threat, but still—
Well, there was no hope for it. The sooner they got the confrontation over with, the better.
This section of the huge tent that Kala shared with her husband that had been assigned to him and his sister was a far cry from the little tent they'd been given on their arrival. He'd always been under the impression that a tent was a tent—that there wasn't a great deal you could do to make one luxurious, or even all that comfortable.
He knew now that he was wrong. If he hadn't known they were in a tent and not, say, a pleasure-pavilion, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Rugs softened the wooden floor of the wagon, lying six or seven deep; around the curve of the tent wall a finely woven mesh was fastened to ornamental wickerwork that came up to about his knee.
This was so that when the walls of the tent were raised to let in fresh air around the base of the tent, insects were kept out.
The walls themselves were hung with tapestries that extended down to the top of the wickerwork, hiding the rough felt of the tent walls and providing extra insulation against heat or cold. Beautifully made lanterns hung from the ceiling, burning what Kala said was scented butter; whatever it was, it gave a clear light and the scent in it perfumed the air with a faint but pleasant musk. The ubiquitous cushions were piled everywhere; their bed-pads were soft and stuffed with dried grasses and herbs, covered with finely woven blankets and furs he could not identify. The tent itself was divided by felt partitions, also covered with tapestries; the walls moved slowly in the breeze blowing through the mesh on the exterior wall.
Kala had provided Rena with garments she said had belonged to one of her daughters—a daughter who'd had a distressing tendency to outgrow clothing before it could be finished. Rena had changed into it gratefully; the clothing she'd brought with her was hardly suited to the summer heat of the plains. Lorryn thought she looked charming in it—and as unlike a typical elven maiden as possible. It only remained to see if the other two thought the same.
Kala ushered the two halfbloods in, leaving with a nod. Lorryn waved at the cushions and took one himself.
Lorryn, this is Mero, Valyn's half cousin, Shana said by way of introduction. I expect you know about him.
Some. Lorryn tilted his head to the side, and studied the thin, dark young man with the startlingly bright emerald eyes, even as the young man studied him. They're saying now in the Councils that Valyn himself was a halfblood; that he wouldn't have revolted against his own kind if he'd been truly of elven blood.
Mero snorted. Oh, as if having Dyran for a father wasn't enough to make anyone with half a conscience and any amount of compassion revolt!
Both of those qualities are in short supply on the Council, Lorryn reminded him. Well—I told Shana very little about the two of us, so now that I have both of you here, I should give you the tale in greater detail.
He did so, omitting nothing about their escape except the fact that Rena was not a halfblood. It was a deliberate omission; he wanted all this fresh in their minds when he did bring Rena in. Logically, since Mero was cousin to a fullblooded elven er-Lord who had risked and lost all to save him, they shouldn't be prejudiced against her.
On the other hand, logic had very little to do with prejudice.
When he finished, Shana let out the breath she'd been holding. It sounds like quite an escape, she told him. A lot more exciting than my personal escape after the auction, if it conies to that.
More exciting than the one Valyn and I had, too, Mero admitted. We never actually saw our pursuers, you know, we just knew they were there.
1 would have been just as pleased to have made a quiet escape, personally, Lorryn told them both, shrugging. Although if we manage to come through this all right, I will admit to being glad things worked out this way. I wish I knew what happened to my sister's maid, though, he added with a frown.
She doesn't sound like anyone we know, Shana said, after a sidelong glance at Mero. On the other hand, there are ways that some of us can disguise ourselves that don't qualify as 'illusions,' so she could have been. If she was—trust me, she'll be all right. Not even falling into a river would harm one of our people with that sort of power.
Well, that was something of a relief! You just took one burden of guilt off my back, he replied gratefully. Now—I'll discharge myself of another. He raised his voice a little. Rena!
Rena pushed aside the partition to her segment of the tent on the cue she'd been waiting for, and came into the light. She looked worried, hesitant, and very vulnerable.
She also looked unmistakably elven.
Shana only raised one eyebrow, though Mero sucked in a breath of surprise. I wondered what you were hiding about her, the wizard told him, with a hint of smile. It's nice to see that Valyn wasn't the only decent person of his blood around.
She stood up, and extended her hand to Rena with no sign of hesitation. It is very good to meet you without illusions, she said, as Rena took the hand gingerly. And any sheltered maiden who could partner her brother through the wilderness as cleverly as you did is something more than she appears to be. I'd like to hear your ideas.
So would I, Mero said, and indicated a cushion between himself and Lorryn. Would you join us?
Yes, thank you, Rena replied, smiling and relaxing visibly. I hope I can help, at least a little.
You can help a lot, Lorryn said forcefully as she took the indicated seat with a sidelong glance at Mero. Shana sat down again, and he turned instinctively toward her. The one thing that neither of you know, and neither do I, is the kind of magic that only the females are taught. It's very subtle; it works on the level of the very small. For instance, where you or I would—say—collapse this tent by crushing it outright, Rena would do something entirely different.
I'd weaken all the supporting poles and ropes, she offered diffidently. As soon as the breeze came up the way it does every evening, it would collapse.
Now, if the object was to trap people inside for a crucial few moments, obviously her way would be better, Lorryn continued.
Well, only if you wanted to trap them at that particular ti
me, but I see your point, Shana replied, then suddenly turned toward Rena and stared at her.
What's the matter? Lorryn asked quickly.
But Shana only shook her head. Nothing really, she replied. I just—something about your sister seemed familiar for a moment, that's all.
Lorryn had the feeling that there was a lot more to it than that, given the measuring glances Shana kept casting on Rena, but since she didn't seem hostile, only thoughtful, he finally decided that it was probably, some mysterious female thing that no male would ever understand, and dismissed it from his concern.
Anyway, if what Diric wants is some way for us all to disappear that makes it appear as if we could have done so at any time, Rena may be able to leave some signs that will confuse them no end, he pointed out. For that matter, she could make changes in the food that will put Jamal's warriors to sleep, she could collapse the tent after we've gone—
Don't make too many promises, Lorryn, Rena interrupted, blushing. I'll do what I can, but I'm not a great wizard like La—the Elvenbane is, she said, clearly unable to force herself to call Shana by anything other than her title.
But Shana only laughed. Believe me, 7 am not the great wizard that the Elvenbane is, she replied warmly, with a friendly smile that brought another blush to Rena's cheeks and an answering smile to Lorryn's lips. If I were, do you think we'd have been caught in the first place? No, the best thing we can do is to assess all of our abilities and use them to advantage. There is a real value in being able to work subtle magics; taming the alicorns the way you did, for instance. Or—say—stopping a heart.
Shana cast that last out carelessly, or so it seemed, but Lorryn caught a gleam in her eyes as she waited for Rena's response. And to his surprise, his sister went just a little pale.
But her reply was steady enough. I—that had occurred to me, she said softly. I did try it, once, with a bird that was already dying. Never again, though.